Twenty-Eight Bicycle +1

The traffic at the factory gates slowed down.

The customers at Wang Laowu's noodle stall all turned to look at the commotion.

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

Two years ago, when the Silk Factory introduced foreign weaving machines, Lin Zhiqiang had been transferred in as deputy factory director, overseeing production technology. Over the past two years, the Silk Factory's output and profits had climbed steadily, and he had earned considerable prestige within the factory.

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

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

"Bailatuo?! The water there is deep and fast, with undercurrents below. Every year, even people who can swim drown there. Zhou Yan's got some nerve!"

"Zhou Yan's cooking may be terrible, but who knew he was not only handsome, but also had such a strong sense of justice?"

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

"Bullshit! Zhou Yan can't even swim. How could he possibly jump into Bailatuo to save someone?" Wang Laowu muttered, though doubts were beginning to creep into his heart.

He had heard some rumors while setting up his stall yesterday. When Zhou Yan returned, he had been soaked from head to toe. Wang Laowu had thought the kid had lost his mind and jumped into the river, but it turned out he had saved Deputy Director Lin's niece?

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

The old wives at the town's intelligence center really were well-informed.

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

"This was more than lending a hand. I heard you couldn't swim, yet you threw yourself into the rapid, dangerous waters of Bailatuo to save her. We will never forget this lifesaving kindness." Lin Zhiqiang gripped Zhou Yan's hand tightly, his face full of gratitude.

Xia Yao was the daughter of his wife's older sister. She had come to Jiazhou with her teacher to sketch from life and had stopped by 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 the news reached the family housing compound, his and his wife's legs had both gone weak.

She was Old Xia'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 their benefactor yesterday, prepared a gift, and had Zhao Dong bring him to find Zhou Yan early this morning to thank him.

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

"Xia Yao is all right. Your rescue was very timely, and she coughed up all the water she had swallowed. But she was badly frightened and is still emotionally unsettled. She has no appetite and is rather weak. Once she recovers in a couple of days, I'll definitely bring her to personally thank you, Comrade Zhou Yan." Lin Zhiqiang looked relieved, though a trace of worry remained in his eyes.

"As long as she's all right. Let her rest properly. She must have been terrified yesterday."

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

As an aspiring young man raised under 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 character in sacrificing yourself to save another and standing up for justice is 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 swam in the river during the summer, but he would never dare enter the water near Bailatuo.

Zhou Yan's decision to jump in and save someone had indeed been reckless, but it only made his noble character stand out all the more.

"Zhou Yan couldn't even swim, yet he still jumped in to save someone! He's so brave!"

"That's what it means to risk your life to save another. I wouldn't dare do it, anyway."

"It's a pity his cooking is so bad. Otherwise, I'd definitely eat at his restaurant all the time."

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 handsome and sunny, with some of Lin Zhiqiang's own youthful flair. He was humble and polite without being either servile or overbearing, unlike the factory cooks, who all became stiff and nervous whenever they saw him.

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

The crowd immediately erupted in gasps.

He was giving away a Twenty-Eight Bicycle as a thank-you gift!

Everyone looked at Zhou Yan with even more envy.

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 management 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 exceeded 300 yuan.

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

"Shouldn't this bicycle be the reward Deputy Director Lin received for winning the provincial technological advancement award some time ago?"

"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 prime of her youth. Nothing is more precious than life." Lin Zhiqiang looked at Zhou Yan seriously. "Have you heard the story of Zilu accepting a cow? This bicycle is not merely thanks for you; it is also meant to encourage others to do good."

Of course Zhou Yan had heard the story of Zilu accepting a cow. Since Lin Zhiqiang had even cited a classic example, refusing again 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 for him right now!

It would be much more convenient when buying ingredients or going home in the future.

"Wonderful." Lin Zhiqiang handed the bicycle's handlebars to Zhou Yan.

Across from them, Wang Laowu watched the scene with his back teeth nearly crushed from gritting them. That was a Twenty-Eight Bicycle!

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

"Oh no!" Wang Laowu looked down, and his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly scooped out the noodles, sighed at the overcooked mess, and could only grab another handful of noodles to cook again.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, I've already asked them to prepare the materials and submit an application to nominate you as a model of spiritual civilization. Once it is approved by the higher-ups, there will be all sorts of preferential treatment as well." Lin Zhiqiang smiled and patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder. "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 felt deeply moved.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since you put it that way, I won't stand on ceremony. My restaurant was previously run poorly, which gave it a bad reputation and left it facing closure."

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

"I'd like to invite Deputy Director Lin and Director Zhao to come inside and have a bowl of noodles, then give a fair assessment of how they taste. It would set an example for the Textile Factory workers and ease their concerns. What do you think?"

"Of course, no problem. I haven't had breakfast yet anyway." Lin Zhiqiang nodded without hesitation. Looking at the hundreds of Textile Factory workers gathered around, he said with a smile, "We should give young comrades a chance to make mistakes. If everyone is afraid to eat, then I'll try it first on everyone's behalf."

"Great!"

The workers answered with smiles.

Zhou Yan's cooking was terrible, but perhaps his noodles were different. If they tasted good, trying noodles made by a hero would not be bad at all.

Zhao Dong looked troubled, but he could not bring himself to refuse.

He was considered quite the 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 the food had been so terrible that it had left a lasting impression.

"This way, please." Zhou Yan wheeled the Twenty-Eight Bicycle into the restaurant and parked it against the wall before ushering the two men inside.

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

"All right. 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 ideas, but Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong's arrival had given him a way to break the deadlock.

One was a deputy factory director in charge of technology, while the other was a gourmet workshop director. Both held a certain position and authority in the hearts of the Textile Factory workers.

As long as they said the noodles were good, the workers would be willing to give them a try. This was the celebrity effect he needed.

Zhou Yan had great confidence in his noodles. Once more customers tried them, their reputation would soon be established.

"I'll have Braised Beef Noodles." Lin Zhiqiang made his decision after glancing over the menu twice.

Zhao Dong looked at the menu in surprise. The old menu, once densely packed with all kinds of dishes, had been torn down and replaced with a new one. For now, it only listed three kinds of noodles, which looked far more practical.

Still, a serving cost sixty cents, twice the cafeteria price and ten or twenty cents more than Wang Laowu's noodle stall. He had no idea how they would taste.

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

"All right, please wait a moment." Zhou Yan turned toward the kitchen. He was finally open for business!

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. The flames immediately roared up, and the water in the large pot began to bubble.

Zhou Yan moved to the square table, pinched off a lump of dough that had been kneaded in advance, and with a few pulls and flicks, quickly turned it into a bundle of noodles before dropping them into the rolling pot.

He took out two large bowls and prepared the base seasoning.

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

Once the noodles were ready, he lifted the lid from the soup pot in the center, ladled a scoop of rich white beef broth into the large bowl on the left, and divided the noodles between the two bowls. He placed all the greens in the soup noodle bowl, while for the tossed noodles, he first mixed the base seasoning evenly with the noodles.

He topped the soup noodles with a scoop of Braised Beef with Bamboo Shoots and the tossed noodles with a scoop of Two-Pepper Minced Beef.

Balancing the two large bowls on a tray, Zhou Yan carried the noodles out of the kitchen.

It was manageable when there were 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. Recruiting employees had 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 at the cafeteria."

"They aren't cheap, and there aren't many varieties either. Just three kinds of noodles. Even Wang Laowu's noodle stall has six or seven kinds."

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

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

The workers craned their necks to look at the menu and discussed it among themselves.

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

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

The soup noodles were topped with Braised Beef with Bamboo Shoots. There were five or six large chunks of beef, along with plenty of bamboo shoots. The red meat gravy blended with the milky-white broth, gleaming with oil and looking extremely tempting.

The tossed noodles were covered in a scoop of Two-Pepper Minced Beef. The minced beef stir-fried with red and green peppers was brightly colored, and the rising steam carried its meaty fragrance 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 absolutely amazing! They're much more appetizing than minced pork sauce noodles, and the portion is generous too."

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

The workers discussed it animatedly. People in Bashu were extremely particular about food. Whether something was good or not, they could usually tell at a glance and a sniff.

Lin Zhiqiang's eyes lit up as he looked at the soup noodles before him. Based on presentation alone, they were flawless. The bone broth had been simmered to a rich milky white, slowly mingling with the beef broth as the meat fragrance washed over him.

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 beef brisket spread across his mouth without crumbling into mush. The soft, glutinous texture of the tendons and membranes punctuated it perfectly. The sauce was rich and fragrant, spicy with a sweet finish. That bite was immensely satisfying!

He then tried a piece of dried bamboo shoot. Having absorbed the beef fat and juices, it was crisp yet tender, rich but refreshing, and truly surprising!

"This Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots is excellent! The beef is rich and tender rather than dry, while the dried bamboo shoots are crisp, soft, and refreshing. Delicious! Truly delicious!" Lin Zhiqiang could not help praising it.

Then he mixed the noodles together, lifted a chopstickful to his mouth, and instantly, a look of delighted surprise appeared on his face.