Twenty-Eight Bicycle +1

The traffic outside the factory gates slowed down.

The customers at Wang Laowu's noodle stall all turned at the sound.

Wang Laowu's hand paused as he grabbed noodles. Staring at Lin Zhiqiang shaking hands with Zhou Yan, the smile on his face froze.

Two years ago, when the silk mill had introduced foreign looms, Lin Zhiqiang had been transferred over as deputy factory director, in charge of production technology. Over the past two years, the silk mill's output and profits had risen step by step, and he had earned considerable prestige in the factory.

"Zhou Yan saved Deputy Director Lin's niece? What happened?"

"I heard the auntie next door say yesterday that a city girl fell into the water near Bailatuo and nearly drowned. A young man pulled her ashore afterward. Could that have been Zhou Yan?"

"Bailatuo?! The water there is deep and swift, with undercurrents below. Every year, it drowns several people who know how to swim. Zhou Yan has some real nerve!"

"Zhou Yan's cooking may be awful, but who knew that besides being handsome, he also had such a sense of justice?"

The workers murmured among themselves. With such excitement to watch, no one was in a hurry to enter the factory.

"Bullshit! That kid Zhou Yan can't swim at all. How could he possibly have jumped into Bailatuo to save someone?" Wang Laowu muttered, though doubts had begun to stir in his heart.

Yesterday, while running his stall, he had heard some scraps of gossip. Zhou Yan had come back soaked from head to toe, and he had thought the kid had lost all hope and gone to jump into the river. Who would have thought he had actually saved Deputy Director Lin's niece?

Zhou Yan was also a little stunned as his hand was held. He quickly thought of the girl who had fallen into the water yesterday. She was really Deputy Director Lin's niece?

Those old wives at the town's intelligence center really had ears everywhere.

"You're too kind. Anyone who came across something like that would lend a hand," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"This was no mere lending of a hand. I heard you couldn't swim, yet you leaped without regard for your own life into the swift and perilous waters of Bailatuo to save her. We will never forget this life-saving grace, not until our teeth fall out," Lin Zhiqiang said, gripping Zhou Yan's hand tightly, his face full of gratitude.

Xia Yao was his wife's older sister's daughter. She had come to Jiazhou with her teacher to sketch from life, and had taken the opportunity to return to Suji to visit relatives.

Yesterday morning, she had said she was going to paint by the river, only to accidentally fall into the water. When word reached the family compound, he and his wife had both gone weak in the legs.

She was the Old Xia family's only daughter. If anything had really happened to her, they would have had to jump into the Qingyi River to atone.

Zhou Yan had not only saved Xia Yao, but two families as well.

That was why Lin Zhiqiang had asked around about his benefactor yesterday, prepared a gift of thanks, and had Zhao Dong bring him here early this morning to thank Zhou Yan.

"Is that young lady all right?" Zhou Yan asked with concern. When he had saved her yesterday, he had only just transmigrated here, and his own mind had been a pot of porridge. He only remembered dragging her ashore.

"Xia Yao is all right. Your rescue was very timely, and she coughed up all the water she swallowed. But she was badly frightened, her spirits are poor, she can't eat, and she is somewhat weak. Once she recovers in a couple of days, I will definitely bring her to thank Comrade Zhou Yan in person." Lin Zhiqiang looked relieved, though there was still some worry in his eyes.

"It's good that she's all right. Let her rest and recover properly. She must have been terribly frightened yesterday."

Hearing that she was safe, Zhou Yan was quite happy.

As an aspiring young man raised beneath the red flag, the thrill of being publicly praised for a righteous deed was no less satisfying than finding money.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, your noble qualities of sacrificing yourself to save others and acting bravely for a just cause are truly admirable!" Zhao Dong praised loudly, the admiration on his face entirely sincere.

As a Jiazhou local, Zhao Dong had worked at the Textile Factory for more than ten years. He went swimming in the river during summer, but he would never dare enter the water around Bailatuo.

Zhou Yan's act of entering the water to save someone had indeed been reckless, yet it only made his noble character shine all the brighter.

"Zhou Yan can't even swim, yet he dared jump in to save someone! He's so brave!"

"That's what it means to sacrifice yourself to save others. I wouldn't dare do it, anyway."

"It's just a pity his cooking is too terrible. Otherwise, I'd definitely come eat at his restaurant often."

The female workers looked at Zhou Yan with eyes full of admiration and praise.

Lin Zhiqiang also looked at Zhou Yan approvingly. The young man was strikingly handsome, sunny and spirited, with something of Lin Zhiqiang's own youthful bearing. Moreover, he was modest and courteous, neither servile nor overbearing, unlike the factory cooks, who always became stiff and nervous when they saw him.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, this Twenty-Eight Bicycle is the gift of thanks I prepared. Please accept it." Lin Zhiqiang released Zhou Yan's hand and pointed to the brand-new bicycle beside them, adorned with a red paper rosette.

At those words, the crowd immediately cried out in surprise.

A Twenty-Eight Bicycle as a gift of thanks!

Everyone looked at Zhou Yan with even more envy in their eyes.

The Textile Factory had been doing well these past two years. Frontline workers could earn 38.6 yuan a month, plus seniority pay and bonuses. Senior technicians and managers earned even more, so quite a few people had saved up to buy bicycles.

But a Twenty-Eight Bicycle was not cheap either. One cost 150 yuan, and you needed a bicycle coupon to buy one. On the black market, the price was over 300 yuan.

An ordinary worker would have to save for a year and a half to afford one.

"This bicycle should be the reward Deputy Director Lin received some time ago for winning the provincial technological advancement award, right?"

"It really is! Deputy Director Lin is truly generous."

"Zhou Yan risked his life to save someone. He deserves it!"

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up when he looked at the Twenty-Eight Bicycle, but he quickly shook his head. "This bicycle is too valuable. I can't accept it."

"Comrade Zhou Yan, you saved the life of a young girl in the bloom of youth. Nothing is more precious than life." Lin Zhiqiang looked at Zhou Yan solemnly. "Have you heard the tale of Zilu accepting the ox? This bicycle is not merely to thank you; it is also to encourage others to do good deeds."

Of course Zhou Yan had heard of Zilu accepting the ox. Since Lin Zhiqiang had even invoked an old tale, refusing further would seem hypocritical. He immediately nodded. "Then I'll accept this bicycle. Thank you, Deputy Director Lin."

A Twenty-Eight Bicycle was simply too useful to him right now!

It would be far more convenient to buy ingredients or go home in the future.

"Wonderful." Lin Zhiqiang placed the bicycle's handlebars in Zhou Yan's hands.

Across from them, Wang Laowu watched the scene, and his back teeth were nearly ground to pieces. That was a Twenty-Eight Bicycle!

"Wang Laowu, your noodles have gone all mushy," a customer standing by the pot and watching the excitement reminded him.

"Oh no!" Wang Laowu looked down, and his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly fished out the noodles, sighed at the overcooked mess, and had no choice but to grab another handful of noodles and cook them again.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, I've already had them prepare the materials for submission to nominate you as a model of spiritual civilization. Once it's approved by the higher-ups, there will be all kinds of preferential treatment as well." Lin Zhiqiang smiled and patted Zhou Yan's shoulder kindly. "If you have any difficulties in work or life, the organization can do its best to help you resolve them."

Zhou Yan had not expected Lin Zhiqiang to be so thoughtful, and he was deeply moved.

After thinking it over, he said, "Since you put it that way, I won't stand on ceremony. My restaurant was poorly run before, and its reputation suffered, so it is now facing closure.

"Now that I've learned from bitter experience, I've decided to transform the business by starting with noodles. But there isn't a single customer in the shop, and everyone is afraid to give it a try.

"I'd like to invite Deputy Director Lin and Director Zhao inside for a bowl of noodles, then ask you to give a fair assessment of how they taste. You could set an example for the Textile Factory workers and put their doubts to rest. What do you think?"

"This... of course there's no problem. I haven't had breakfast yet, either." Lin Zhiqiang nodded without hesitation. Looking at the hundreds of Textile Factory workers watching, he said with a smile, "We should give young comrades a chance to make mistakes. If everyone is afraid to eat it, then I'll taste it for everyone first."

"Good!"

The workers answered with laughter.

Zhou Yan's cooking was terrible, but no one knew how his noodles were. If they tasted good, trying noodles made by a hero would not be bad at all.

Zhao Dong looked troubled, but he was not in a position to refuse.

He was considered a seasoned gourmand at the Textile Factory. He often ate special dishes in the cafeteria and occasionally went to state-run restaurants for a treat.

He had eaten at Zhou Erwa Restaurant on its opening day, and it had been memorably awful.

"Please come in, both of you." Zhou Yan pushed the Twenty-Eight Bicycle inside and parked it against the wall, then ushered the two men into the restaurant.

"Let's sit at this table by the entrance, so everyone can see exactly how good your noodles are." With a hint of amusement, Lin Zhiqiang said, "I'm from Shanxi Province, after all. I'm rather particular about noodles."

"Certainly. Please take a look at what noodles you'd like. The menu is posted on the wall over there." Zhou Yan smiled. The more particular and professional they were, the better.

He had been racking his brains over promotional tactics, but Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong's arrival had given him an idea for breaking the deadlock.

A deputy factory director in charge of technology and a gourmand workshop director both possessed a certain status and authority in the eyes of the Textile Factory workers.

As long as they said the noodles were good, the workers would be willing to try them. What he needed was precisely this celebrity effect.

Zhou Yan had great confidence in his noodles. Once more customers had tried them, word of mouth would quickly build.

"I'll have a bowl of Braised Beef Noodles." Lin Zhiqiang made his decision after looking over the menu twice.

Zhao Dong looked at the menu in surprise. The old menu, once crammed with all sorts of dishes, had been torn down and replaced with a new one. At present, it contained only three kinds of noodles, making the restaurant look much more down-to-earth.

Still, one serving of noodles cost sixty cents, twice the cafeteria price and one or two cents more expensive than Wang Laowu's noodle stall. He had no idea how they would taste.

He quickly made his choice as well. "I'll have a bowl of Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles."

"All right, please wait a moment." Zhou Yan turned toward the kitchen. At last, he had made a sale!

A low flame had been kept burning beneath the stove. He added a piece of oak wood and pulled the bellows hard a few times, and the flames immediately surged up with a roar. The hot water in the large pot began to bubble as well.

Zhou Yan moved to the square table, tore off a lump of dough he had kneaded in advance, and with a few pulls and flicks of his hands, quickly turned it into a bundle of noodles, which he dropped into the rolling pot.

He took out two large bowls and mixed the base seasonings.

When the noodles were seven-tenths cooked, he tossed a few small bok choy leaves into the pot to blanch.

Once the noodles were done, he lifted the lid from the soup pot in the middle and ladled a spoonful of rich white beef broth into the bowl on the left. He divided the noodles between the two bowls, placed all the greens in the soup noodle bowl, and mixed the seasonings and noodles evenly in the dry tossed noodle bowl first.

He topped the soup noodles with a spoonful of Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots, then topped the tossed noodles with a spoonful of Two-Pepper Minced Beef.

Carrying the two large bowls on a tray, Zhou Yan brought the noodles out of the kitchen.

It was manageable with few customers, but if business picked up, he definitely would not be able to handle tending the fire, cooking noodles, serving dishes, and clearing tables alone. Hiring employees had also become something Zhou Yan needed to consider next.

"These noodles aren't cheap, are they? Sixty cents a bowl. You could eat two bowls of beef noodles in the cafeteria for that."

"They're not cheap, and there aren't many choices either. Only three types of noodles. Even Wang Laowu's noodle stall has six or seven kinds."

"It's understandable for them to cost more. The rent for this storefront can't be cheap, while Wang Laowu doesn't need to pay rent for his stall."

"If they taste good, fine. But if they don't, who would want to be a sucker?"

The workers craned their necks to look at the menu and continued discussing it.

When they saw Zhou Yan bring out the noodles, everyone turned to look at him.

Zhou Yan set the two bowls on the table. The large sea bowls looked generously filled.

The soup noodles were topped with Braised Beef with Bamboo Shoots. There were five or six large chunks of beef, as well as plenty of bamboo shoots. The red meat broth mingled with the milky-white soup, glistening with oil and looking utterly enticing.

The tossed noodles were covered with a spoonful of Two-Pepper Beef, minced beef stir-fried with red and green peppers. Its colors were vivid, and steam carrying the fragrance of meat drifted out through the restaurant door.

"Gulp."

For a moment, the sounds of people swallowing rose one after another.

"It smells so good! That braised beef smells incredible!"

"They gave so much topping too. Those beef chunks are huge, more than three times what Wang Laowu gives, and there are dried bamboo shoots too. It looks delicious!"

"These Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles look like the real masterpiece! They're far more appetizing than minced pork sauce noodles, and the portion is generous too."

"I thought sixty cents a bowl was a little expensive, but seeing this much meat, I'm worried the owner will lose money."

The workers chattered excitedly. In Bashu, people were particularly discerning about food. Whether something would taste good, they could usually tell at a glance and a sniff.

Lin Zhiqiang looked at the soup noodles before him, and his eyes lit up. Judging by appearance alone, they were flawless. The bone broth had been simmered until rich and milky white, slowly blending with the beef broth, while the aroma of meat rushed straight at his face.

He first picked up a piece of beef. His chopsticks sank into the tender braised meat, and juices spilled out. With a light bite, the fatty and lean layers of beef brisket spread through his mouth, yet it did not crumble into mush. The soft, glutinous texture of tendon and membrane accented it throughout. The sauce fragrance was rich, the spice gave way to sweetness, and that mouthful was simply too satisfying!

He then tried a piece of dried bamboo shoot. Soaked full of beef fat and meat juices, it combined crispness and chewiness, rich yet refreshing, a truly delightful surprise!

"This Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots—the beef is rich and tender, not dry at all, while the dried bamboo shoots are crisp, chewy, and refreshing. Delicious! Truly delicious!" Lin Zhiqiang could not help praising it.

Next, he mixed the noodles together, lifted a chopstickful into his mouth, and in an instant, surprise blossomed across his face.