Everyone Was Grinning

Wang Hongliang and Li Meilin looked toward Zhou Yan at the sound of his voice, both a little surprised by how young he was.

Zhou Yan wore a white cotton shirt. He was tall and lean, with neat short hair, looking no more than eighteen or nineteen and still carrying a trace of youthful innocence.

A young man like him would usually still be an apprentice at the Factory Canteen.

Yet he was already the owner of a private restaurant.

Seeing that Zhou Yan's clothes were clean and tidy, without any old grease stains, and that his nails were clipped short with spotless creases, Li Meilin immediately took a liking to him.

Many chefs spent all year in the kitchen and gave off a greasy feeling from head to toe. Their fingers were either yellowed from smoking or packed with grime beneath the nails, making people uncomfortable just looking at them.

"Director, this is Little Zhou. He was the one who hosted the teachers and students from Sichuan Fine Arts Academy last time. The college students ate here two meals in a row and praised the food both times," Lin Zhiqiang introduced with a smile.

"Then your cooking must be quite good, if those kids wanted a second meal after the first," Wang Hongliang said with a smile.

"You flatter me, Director. It's my honor that the students and teachers were willing to support me. I'm happy as long as they enjoyed their meal," Zhou Yan replied with a smile.

Wang Hongliang nodded. Zhou Yan spoke modestly and politely, yet with ease and confidence, earning a little more of his favor.

Young people around this age at the factory often became so nervous upon seeing him that they could barely speak coherently.

Zhou Yan also greeted Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe, calling Lin Zhiqiang Uncle Lin and Meng Anhe Sister Meng.

Lin Zhiqiang did not react much, but Meng Anhe smiled a little more after hearing it. Who did not like being called younger? Especially when grown-ups called her auntie, which always made her feel old.

Little Zhou really was a good kid—sweet-tongued and sensible.

Everyone entered the restaurant. Wang Hongliang first examined the stove by the entrance. Earlier, he had noticed the words "Qiaojiao Beef" written before it. Half a pot of broth remained in the huge one-meter-wide wok. The soup was clear, yet the aroma of beef was especially rich.

The stove had been wiped spotless, without even a trace of water stain.

"This Qiaojiao Beef—isn't it the soup pot from your Zhou Village?" Wang Hongliang paused and looked at Zhou Yan.

He had worked at Jiazhou Textile Factory for over twenty years and knew Zhou Village soup pot extremely well.

"This is the soup pot passed down through my family in Zhou Village. I studied the secret recipe handed down by my ancestors and made a few small innovations. I slowly simmered more than a dozen Chinese medicinal herbs and spices over low heat for eight hours to make this pot of broth, so it's a little different from other places. You'll know once you try it later," Zhou Yan explained with a smile. "Soup pot, also called Qiaojiao Beef, has always been one of its names. I think this name has more character."

"It does sound more intriguing than just calling it soup pot." Wang Hongliang nodded. Zhou Yan had not tried to mystify things. "Young people really do have quick minds."

They sat down around a square Eight Immortals table with long benches. Two people could sit on each side without crowding. There were four adults and three children, which fit them perfectly.

The spot Zhou Yan had arranged for them gave them a clear view of the wooden menu board hanging on the wall.

The restaurant's decor was simple, but clean and orderly, making it feel comfortable.

"Your menu board is quite interesting. This is the first time I've seen one like it in Suji. Though there are a little too few dishes—only five," Wang Hongliang said, looking up at the menu.

"Yes, they're quite common in Chengdu restaurants," Meng Anhe added. The menu had changed again since her last visit.

"We only started selling braised dishes and stir-fries today, so there aren't many options yet. We'll gradually add more later," Zhou Yan explained with a smile. "For now, I'm the only one in the kitchen. If there are too many dishes, I won't be able to keep up. My mother says that making a giant Buddha out of too much mud is no good—you have to make every dish well and satisfy your customers."

"Mm. You can't tell whether someone is a good chef until you taste the food, but with that attitude, you can become a good owner," Wang Hongliang said, his eyes carrying a little more appreciation.

Meng Anhe looked at him twice more as well. Zhou Yan's manner of speaking was far better than that of an ordinary cook. He seemed steadier and more dependable than others his age.

"Director, since there aren't many dishes anyway, why don't we order one of everything and try them all?" Lin Zhiqiang suggested. He was also very satisfied with Zhou Yan's performance.

"Fine. We'll let the host decide. We'll go with your suggestion," Wang Hongliang said with a nod.

"Please wait a moment. The dishes will be ready shortly," Zhou Yan said before turning and heading into the kitchen.

By then, quite a few workers had noticed Wang Hongliang and Lin Zhiqiang sitting in the restaurant.

These were the factory director and deputy director. No one had expected them to come to Zhou Erwa Restaurant together for a meal.

When the Textile Factory managers saw them, they all came over to greet them, then took seats in the restaurant as well.

Since both directors had come to eat, they wanted to try this private restaurant for themselves and see whether it was truly any good.

Zhao Tieying was thrilled. She had originally worried that the food prepared for the day would not sell out.

Still, no one ordered the Agastache Carp. Everyone was waiting for the directors' table to taste it first.

Two yuan per serving was not cheap.

While the adults ordered, the three little boys had long since fixed their eyes on the little girl sitting on a tall stool by the counter. Their faces were filled with curiosity, their eyes shining.

"She's so tiny."

"She's so cute!"

"She's cuter than the girls in our class!"

Following her grandson's gaze, Li Meilin's eyes lit up too.

Zhou Momo was tiny, with a delicate, doll-like little face, large round eyes, and baby fat that had yet to fade. Her cheeks looked softer than dough, making people want to pinch them. She tilted her head as she watched them, looking so lively and adorable that Li Meilin could not help sighing, "What a well-behaved little girl."

"Pretty Auntie!" Zhou Momo slid down the chair leg to the floor, then ran over and leaned close to Meng Anhe. In a crisp voice, she asked, "Where's Sister Yaoyao? Did she come?"

She remembered this pretty auntie. Last time, Sister Yaoyao had come to eat noodles with her.

Meng Anhe had not expected the little girl to remember her. Smiling, she pinched Zhou Momo's cheek. It really was soft and squishy, making her heart tremble a little. She shook her head and said, "Yaoyao didn't come. She'll come next time."

"Oh..." Zhou Momo was a little disappointed.

Still, she greeted all the adults at the table.

Her calls of Grandma and Grandpa delighted Li Meilin and Wang Hongliang. Her grandson was well-behaved, but he was nowhere near as sweet as a little girl.

"These parents raised their children well. Both kids are poised and polite," Wang Hongliang said with a smile.

Meng Anhe nodded slightly in agreement.

Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen had already crept over from either side, extending their little fingers as they too wanted to poke her chubby cheeks.

"Big brothers." Zhou Momo looked at them in confusion. "What are you doing?"

The two boys froze, then sheepishly withdrew their hands.

Wang Hao also slipped down from his stool and edged closer. "I'm a big brother too. Call me that too."

Zhou Momo turned to look at him and nodded. "You're a little big brother."

"Right, right, right." Wang Hao nodded eagerly, pulled three candies from his pocket, and stuffed them all into Zhou Momo's hands. "Little sister, have some candy. They're all for you!"

"Thank you, little big brother." Zhou Momo gave him a sweet smile.

The adults all burst into laughter at the sight.

"Before leaving home, he begged his mother for three candies. He treasured them so much that he couldn't bear to eat them on the way here. One little big brother, and he emptied his pockets. Who knows how badly girls will have him wrapped around their fingers when he grows up?" Li Meilin said, laughing so hard she could not close her mouth.

"I have candy too!"

"I still have a piece of chocolate."

Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen competed to empty their pockets.

Before long, Zhou Momo held her two little hands together, and they were filled with snacks.

The four children quickly began playing together.

"Little Zhou is Master Xiao Lei's apprentice?" Wang Hongliang asked Lin Zhiqiang.

"Yes, Little Zhou learned his craft from Master Xiao," Lin Zhiqiang replied.

"Xiao Lei's cooking is decent enough." Wang Hongliang nodded, and his expectations dropped considerably.

His family had been cooks for generations. When he was young, he had served as a military cook. After being discharged, he joined the Textile Factory and worked on the production line.

When Xiao Lei was still an apprentice in the canteen, Wang Hongliang was already a production-line team leader. Among that batch of fellow apprentices, Xiao Lei's talent and cooking skills were fairly good, but he was still far behind his master. Even now, he was only a Level Two chef.

After becoming a factory leader, Wang Hongliang often traveled for work. He had eaten at famous Sichuan restaurants such as Chengdu Restaurant, Red Flag Restaurant, and Jade Dragon Restaurant, and had experienced the cooking of Level One chefs and even master chefs. Naturally, his standards were high.

Xiao Lei was considered good among Level Two chefs. If he could make another breakthrough, he would have a chance to be evaluated as a Level One chef in another couple of years.

But Zhou Yan was too young. He had probably studied under Xiao Lei for only two or three years. In that time, he might not even have fully mastered knife work. How much of Xiao Lei's cooking skill could he possibly have learned?

He knew that Zhou Yan had saved Lin Zhiqiang's niece and understood why Lin Zhiqiang wanted to give him some guidance.

Moreover, he greatly admired Little Zhou's heroic act of risking his life to save someone, as well as the modest attitude he had shown today.

Giving young people tolerance and opportunities was something he had always been willing to do.

Still, he was particular about food. Over the years, unless there was urgent business at the factory, he always went home for meals.

His wife bought the ingredients, and when he got home, he did the cooking. His son, daughter-in-law, and little grandson all loved his dishes, saying they were better than those at the state-run restaurant in town.

He would definitely give this meal a thorough critique today, treating it as a chance to offer the young man a little guidance.

When it came to cooking, he could be considered somewhat professional. Being evaluated as a Level Two chef would be no problem for him.

As they chatted, Lin Zhiqiang and Wang Hongliang enthusiastically discussed technical matters, while Meng Anhe and Li Meilin talked about the latest clothing styles at Chengdu Department Store.

Zhao Tieying was rinsing tripe while pricking up her ears to listen to Meng Anhe. When she heard that Meng Anhe's wool coat had cost one hundred and twenty yuan, she could not help clicking her tongue.

So expensive!

Zhou Miao would have to slaughter cattle for nearly two months before he could afford one.

But it really was beautiful!

On Meng Anhe, with her permed big waves, it looked incredibly fashionable and gorgeous.

Zhao Hong came out carrying a tray and served their table the first dish: Two-Pepper Beef. It was placed in the center of the table, with a spoon set beside the plate.

Wang Hongliang immediately sat up straight. Looking at the Suihua Beef, interwoven with bright green and red peppers and glistening with oil, he took a sniff and his eyes lit up. "Oh, this Suihua Beef looks pretty good!"