Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles

Zhou Yan began looking over his restaurant. The place covered two hundred square meters. Aside from the large kitchen, the dining hall was around one hundred and thirty square meters. Even with twenty square tables set out, it did not feel crowded. Electrical wires had been run, with eight lightbulbs hanging overhead.

More than half of the money used to open the restaurant had gone into these tables, chairs, and benches. The materials were exceptionally solid.

There was also an open yard outside the entrance that extended all the way to the riverbank, where several dozen more tables could be set up.

The kitchen was not small. Xiao Zhou had learned to cook at the Factory Canteen, and he had planned the back kitchen well: a vegetable-washing area, a cutting area, a cooking area, and even a separate cold-dish room. Every sort of knife and kitchen utensil was available.

A three-burner earthen stove held two large iron woks and a soup pot. Beside it, split oak wood stacked neatly stood half a man's height.

A three-tier seasoning rack stood over the stove. The top tier held oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar; the middle tier held dry ingredients such as Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers; the bottom tier had jars of broad bean paste and pickled chilies. Everything was there.

There was even an empty section beside it, leaving plenty of room for expansion.

Poor students had lots of stationery. That was the logic.

The huge sum of more than thirteen hundred yuan had all gone into this place.

When ordinary self-employed people first started out, they usually just set up a street stall. There was no rent and no need to buy all sorts of equipment. They saved money however they could.

But Zhou Yan absolutely loved this kitchen.

These two large iron woks could not only stir-fry dishes; they could also be used to cook noodles.

[ Ding! Main quest issued: Restaurant influence reaches 100. (Gain 1 influence for every diner whose approval you earn.) Accept: Yes! No!

Quest reward upon success: One random recipe! ]

A new quest had suddenly appeared, and Zhou Yan decisively accepted it.

Zhou Yan went outside and moved a square table inside, placing it in the open space to the right of the entrance.

The cypress table was still brand-new. Its planks had been joined tightly with dovetail joints, and its surface had been planed smooth as a mirror. Carpenter Wang's craftsmanship was quite good.

This would be his noodle-making station. A worktable was essential for making hand-pulled noodles.

He took a bag of flour from the cabinet, weighed out one jin, added the right amount of salt and water, and began kneading.

Zhou Yan had definitely never kneaded dough before, and Xiao Zhou had never worked with pastries or noodles either.

Yet the moment he placed his hands on the dough, he began kneading without thinking. Push, pull—his movements were skilled and practiced. The wrinkled lump of dough changed shape freely under his hands, soon becoming smooth and soft.

He covered the dough with an enamel basin. It needed to rest for a while before he could continue kneading it. Only after repeating the process three times would the dough be ready to pull into noodles.

While waiting, Zhou Yan checked the shelf beside him. There were still more than a dozen eggs, two handfuls of wilted green and red peppers, and some durable ingredients like ginger, garlic, and potatoes.

The restaurant had not opened yesterday, so naturally no ingredients had been prepared.

There was no refrigerator in the restaurant, and October was not yet cold enough, so meat had to be bought fresh every day.

Zhou Yan slipped his meat coupons and money into his pocket, planning to go out and buy some beef to make topping with. He would test the dish first.

"Brother! Brother! Open the door! It's Momo!"

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Accompanying it was a soft, milky little voice with a Sichuan accent.

Zhou Yan's heart stirred. He reached out and pulled back the door bolt. The door was pushed open, and a little bundle of a girl came tumbling in, looking as though she was about to fall flat on the ground.

Zhou Yan reacted quickly and grabbed the back of her collar, smoothly lifting her up.

She was tiny and exquisitely pretty, with large round eyes and baby fat still lingering on her cheeks. Her little cheeks looked softer than dough, making people want to pinch them.

Zhou Yan looked at the three-and-a-half-year-old girl before him.

This is... my little sister? She's so cute!

"Huh?" Zhou Momo kicked her little legs twice. When she realized she had not fallen, she raised her head and looked eagerly at him before grinning. "Brother is amazing! You caught me."

"If you fall again next time, I might not be able to catch you." Zhou Yan reached out and pinched her cheek. It really was soft.

But this little thing's reactions were half a beat slow. She was adorably silly.

His parents had had a daughter late in life. She was their youngest child, the only girl in the Zhou family, with five older male cousins above her. She was unquestionably the family's darling.

Holding Zhou Momo, Zhou Yan looked at the two people standing outside.

On the left stood a tall, lean middle-aged man with dark skin, dressed in a navy Zhongshan suit. His waist and back were straight. The patches on his elbows had fine, neat stitching. His clothes were old and faded, but freshly washed and spotless. In his callused right hand, he carried a piece of beef weighing over a jin.

On the right stood a shorter middle-aged woman in a blue shirt patterned with yellow flowers. Her skin was somewhat fairer than that of most rural women. Though there were many fine lines at the corners of her eyes, her cheeks were rosy, making her look full of spirit.

Like Zhou Momo, the woman had large, lively eyes. She was smiling as she looked at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan opened his mouth. The words "Dad" and "Mom" were far too unfamiliar to him. He had never called anyone that in his previous life. Though Xiao Zhou's memories and lingering emotions made him feel close to them, the words caught in his throat and would not come out.

At that moment, Wang Laowu, who sold noodles from a stall at the factory entrance, came over and peered into the restaurant. He muttered, "Didn't they say Zhou Erwa Restaurant couldn't stay open and that he jumped into the Qingyi River?"

The smile on Zhao Tieying's face instantly turned cold. She turned and fixed Wang Laowu with a glare, pointing at him as she cursed, "You brainless fool! You look like a warty toad! You hide from the sun and make trouble in the shade, good for nothing but talking crooked nonsense! You ought to hang yourself with your pants off, shameless bastard!"

"You've got two eggs hanging beneath your eyebrows. You know how to blink but not how to look! What gives you the right to make up stories about my son?"

"Y-you woman..." Wang Laowu's face turned red from the scolding.

"You little bastard! You never show your face when good fortune comes, but you gather around when trouble strikes! If I hear you badmouth my son again, I'll tear that filthy mouth of yours apart!" Zhao Tieying kept going, unleashing another barrage of insults right at his face.

Wang Laowu clenched his fists tightly and was about to charge forward.

Zhou Miao stepped forward and stood in front of Zhao Tieying, his face cold. He lifted one corner of his Zhongshan suit, revealing the boning knife tucked at his waist.

Wang Laowu halted, forcing out a smile. "Fourth Brother, your wife is really fierce." Then he turned and left.

Who would dare provoke Zhou the Fourth of Cattle-Slaughtering Zhou Village?

"Get lost!" Zhao Tieying spat toward Wang Laowu's retreating back.

"Get lost!" Zhou Momo also clenched her little fists and shouted in her sweet baby voice.

For the first time in his life, someone was protecting Zhou Yan. Warmth filled his heart. In his previous life, whenever people bullied him, he had always borne it alone. He had never experienced this kind of family affection, and the words slipped out before he could stop them.

"Dad, Mom, why are you here?"

After cursing Wang Laowu away, Zhao Tieying turned back and looked Zhou Yan up and down. "We came to see a hero. I heard some hero jumped into the Qingyi River to save a girl. Zhou Yan, since when did you have such abilities?"

Well then, the Sichuan-Chongqing tyrannosaurus had turned into a master of sarcasm.

"I just happened to pass by and saw it. I couldn't exactly stand by and watch someone die." Zhou Yan scratched his head.

"Erwa did a good deed. As long as he's fine, that's what matters." Zhou Miao chimed in.

Zhao Tieying shot him a look. Before she could speak, Zhou Miao turned to Zhou Yan and said, "Your mother is right."

Zhou Yan: ???

When it came to family status, Zhao Tieying clearly had everyone firmly under control.

"You can't even swim, so how did you dare jump into the Qingyi River to save someone..." Zhao Tieying had only gotten halfway through her sentence when her eyes reddened and her voice choked up.

From her, Zhou Yan felt the concern and familial affection he had once yearned for but could never obtain.

He could imagine how panicked Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao had been when they heard the news, how desperately they had rushed over to find him.

Their son, "Zhou Yan," had already died. From today onward, he, who had inherited Zhou Yan's memories and some of his emotions, would be their son.

With both parents alive and a cute little sister besides, all of Zhou Yan's resentment toward transmigrating vanished at that moment.

"Mom, you're right. Next time, I'll definitely act within my limits." Zhou Yan nodded with a proper attitude.

"You still dare talk about a next time? See if I don't break your legs!" Zhao Tieying raised her fist threateningly.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Zhou Yan immediately surrendered. He put Zhou Momo down, took the beef from Zhou Miao's hand, and said, "I was just planning to buy some beef to make Noodle Mince. You probably haven't had lunch yet, right? I'll make Double-Pepper Beef Noodles for you."

"Okay, okay! Momo loves noodles!" Zhou Momo followed Zhou Yan toward the kitchen.

"We haven't had time to eat lunch yet, but when did you learn how to make noodles?" Zhao Tieying followed him inside, her face full of confusion.

"I learned a long time ago. I just never made them for you before." Zhou Yan answered casually.

When Xiao Zhou had learned cooking, he had eaten and lived at the factory and did not go home often. Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao did not actually know much about his cooking skills. Otherwise, they would not have lent him so much money to open this restaurant.

Zhou Miao casually shut the door and said after a moment's thought, "Why not save that beef to cook for customers? We're family. Just make some plain noodles for us."

"Exactly. That's such a fine piece of hanging tender. Your dad saved it especially for you. Our family isn't in a position to be eating meat now." Zhao Tieying nodded as well.

"I'm planning to switch to selling noodles starting tomorrow. Before I sell them, I need to find someone to taste-test them, or I won't feel at ease." Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao both fell silent. They looked again at the bare wall. The old menu had already disappeared, leaving behind only a few glue marks.

"Why has it turned into a noodle shop again?" Zhou Miao asked quietly.

"Who knows?" Zhao Tieying curled her lips. "Only when you run the household do you know how expensive oil and salt are. If he stops messing around with all those fancy things, selling noodles might at least lose less money. But can this brat really make noodles? There are plenty of noodle shops in our town."

Carrying the beef into the kitchen, Zhou Yan kneaded the rested dough once more, covered it again to let it rest, and only then began preparing the beef.

This grass-fed yellow cattle beef was excellent in texture, and hanging tender was an especially sought-after cut. It could be stir-fried or cooked in hot broth, and it was impossible to snatch up at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

His father was a cattle butcher in Zhou Village. Cattle-Slaughtering Zhou Village was well-known throughout the Jiazhou area. Of the five brothers, four were cattle butchers. Since he ranked fourth, people called him Zhou the Fourth. His craftsmanship was good, and so was his reputation.

Cattle butchers lived by their skill. His father could earn sixty or seventy yuan a month slaughtering cattle, more than an ordinary worker at the silk factory. Their family was not poor, which was why they could give him five hundred yuan in savings to open his restaurant and raise Zhou Momo into such a chubby little girl.

By opening this restaurant, Zhou Yan had drained the savings of both his parents and left them with debts besides.

He had gotten a taste of what it meant to be a burden on his father.

Still, having a cattle-butcher father made buying beef much easier, and the prices were more reliable than the black market.

This jin of beef sold for 1.2 yuan at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, while the black market charged 2.8 yuan. The price more than doubled outright.

But meat from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative was hard to buy even with coupons. Even lining up at dawn did not guarantee getting the cut one wanted.

He first sliced the beef into strips, then chopped it into small cubes. He grabbed a handful of pickled chilies and pickled ginger from the Pickled Vegetables jar and diced them as well. After peeling the garlic, he smashed it first before chopping it, making sure to leave some texture.

He sliced the fresh red millet chilies and green Erjingtiao peppers into rings, then chopped them up and set them aside on a plate.

Zhou Yan's knife skills were genuinely good now. His hands could fully keep up with his mind.

"Brother is amazing!"

Zhou Momo dragged over a little stool and sat nearby to watch, marveling again and again. She gave him plenty of emotional encouragement.

Once the ingredients were ready, Zhou Yan kneaded the dough once again. It had become soft and smooth.

He lit both woks at once, boiling water in one and stir-frying in the other.

Zhou Momo could not sit still either. She ran over and hugged a piece of oak wood nearly as tall as herself, huffing and puffing as she carried it over. She looked proudly at Zhou Yan. "Brother, look how capable I am."

"Very impressive." Zhou Yan praised her with a smile.

Encouraged by his praise, Zhou Momo worked even harder. She stuffed the wood into the stove and muttered, "I'm feeding the stove-stove."

Once the wok was hot, Zhou Yan poured in a ladleful of rapeseed oil, then scooped a small spoonful of white pork lard from the enamel basin beside him and added it to the wok.

Standing at the kitchen door, Zhao Tieying craned her neck to watch. Her face immediately filled with distress. "This brat, those two spoonfuls of oil would be enough for our family to stir-fry vegetables for a week."

"More oil does make food taste better. Home and a restaurant are different, and Erwa is a professional chef." Zhou Miao said with a smile.

"Professional, my foot. Even his Twice-Cooked Pork isn't as fragrant as mine." Zhao Tieying muttered.

"That's true." Zhou Miao nodded quickly.

At that moment, Zhou Yan's attention was wholly focused on the oil wok before him. He knew the recipe for Double-Pepper Beef by heart, but this was still his first time actually making it, so he was somewhat nervous.

Once the oil heated up, he added the diced beef first.

The oil sizzled. He quickly broke up the diced meat with his spatula, and the rich fragrance of meat immediately filled the air.

The beef quickly changed color in the hot oil. Once the minced meat was lightly browned, he added the pickled ginger, pickled chilies, and minced garlic, followed by a little soy sauce and oyster sauce. The aroma instantly burst forth.

"Gulp."

Zhou Momo swallowed so loudly that everyone could hear it. Standing on tiptoe, she grabbed the edge of the stove and tried to peek into the wok, revealing half her little head. "It smells so good!"

"Don't let the oil splatter on you." Zhao Tieying hurried over and picked her up, unable to resist looking into the wok herself. The smell was truly enticing. Zhou Yan's cooking had never smelled like this before.

After seasoning with salt and a little MSG, he added the chopped millet chilies and Erjingtiao peppers, stir-fried everything evenly, then transferred it into an earthen bowl beside him. A serving of Double-Pepper Beef Topping was complete.

The glossy red and green peppers were brightly colored, while the lightly browned minced beef was distinct and granular. The spicy fragrance mingled with the meaty aroma, making it irresistibly tempting.

Even Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao, who had been busy all morning, could not help swallowing.

This Noodle Mince looked really good! But what would it taste like?