Eyebrow-Shedding Delicious!

As a native of Shanxi, Lin Zhiqiang absolutely loved noodles.

But Jiazhou noodles were almost all made with alkaline water, and they never had the taste of the hand-pulled noodles from his hometown.

Yet the moment he tasted these noodles today, he found that familiar feeling.

It was the taste of home!

Hand-pulled noodles without alkaline water had nothing but the pure fragrance of wheat. Soaked through with bone broth, they were springy and smooth.

Fresh! Fragrant!

Refreshing!

Lin Zhiqiang's thoughts seemed to return to his childhood—

That noodle shop on the street, where the balding owner tirelessly swung hand-pulled noodles every day. The pot of bone broth atop the coal stove bubbled endlessly, its aroma drifting half a street away. His father often took him there for noodles and always added plenty of vinegar.

After growing up, he went to Moscow to study, settled down in Jiangnan, and was later transferred to work in Jiazhou. His parents had both passed away, so he had not returned to his hometown for many years. Some memories had already blurred, but after this mouthful of noodles went down, ripples still stirred within him.

After swallowing the noodles, he took another sip of the soup and nodded repeatedly.

Eating noodles without drinking the soup was like not finishing the meal!

"These hand-pulled noodles don't use alkaline water, yet they're exceptionally springy and smooth. Comrade Zhou Yan's noodle-pulling skills are truly excellent, comparable to those old masters back in Shanxi." Lin Zhiqiang's face was full of admiration. "And this noodle soup should be made from beef bones. The broth is delicious and rich with meat fragrance. A sip in the morning warms your whole body—it's exceptional as well!"

"I've eaten at every noodle shop in Suji, whether state-run restaurants or the Factory Canteen, and none of their beef noodles compare to this bowl."

"Of course, it would be even better with a pot of aged Shanxi vinegar."

The workers watching nearby all laughed. They all knew Lin Zhiqiang was from Shanxi and loved his vinegar.

But it was clear that he was truly satisfied with this bowl of Braised Beef Noodles. After offering a few remarks, he continued slurping them down, and a thin sheen of sweat soon appeared on his forehead.

On the other side, Zhao Dong had also mixed his noodles thoroughly. The spicy fragrance of the two peppers and the aroma of beef rushed at him. The noodles were coated in oily sauce and covered with beef mince. Based on his many years of noodle-eating experience, these tossed noodles could not possibly be bad.

Slurp!

The tossed noodles entered his mouth, and their numbing spice, heat, freshness, and fragrance made their grand entrance. The beef cubes, crisp outside and tender within, were wrapped in the fresh heat of green and red peppers and the sour fragrance of pickled vegetables, intertwining on his tongue. The glossy, refreshing hand-pulled noodles were especially springy, indeed somewhat different from alkaline noodles. The seasoning was just right—an ultimate experience of texture and flavor.

One mouthful after another, he simply could not stop.

In no time, he had eaten nearly half a large bowl of tossed noodles.

"Director Zhao, how are the tossed noodles?" someone asked impatiently.

"To be honest, I came to Comrade Zhou Yan's restaurant before, and his cooking really was a little lacking." Zhao Dong swallowed the noodles in his mouth and said with feeling, "But today's Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles truly amazed me. The numbing spice, heat, freshness, and fragrance are all perfectly handled. They're so delicious you could swallow your tongue."

"The Suihua Beef at the state-run restaurant in town is cooked well enough, right? But if you ask me, compared with this noodle mince, it falls a little short in both flavor and heat control.

"If this Two-Pepper Minced Beef were served as a dish on its own, I'd definitely order it. It's genuinely fantastic!"

"And they give you such a generous amount of noodle mince. There must be nearly fifty grams of beef alone. Even after mixing such a huge bowl of noodles, you can still get beef cubes in every bite. At sixty cents a bowl, it really isn't expensive."

"There's no need to say much about the noodles. Deputy Factory Director Lin already summed it up perfectly. They really are springy and smooth, and they hold the sauce well. Tossed noodles that don't hold sauce aren't good tossed noodles."

After finishing his assessment, Zhao Dong turned to Zhou Yan. "Little Zhou, bring me another bowl of Braised Beef Noodles. Watching Deputy Factory Director Lin eat so happily has made me crave them."

"Haha, then I'll have another bowl of Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles too," Lin Zhiqiang said with a hearty laugh.

People in those days did not get much oil or meat in their diets. Two strong men could easily eat two bowls of noodles each.

[Customer Approval +1]

[Customer Approval +1]

Zhou Yan caught sight of the flashing notifications, and his smile grew even brighter.

[Ding! Side quest triggered: Lin Zhiqiang's niece, Xia Yao, suffered a fright after falling into water, resulting in loss of appetite. She has not eaten for an entire day, and Lin Zhiqiang and his wife are deeply worried. Please help Xia Yao regain her appetite and resume normal eating. Quest reward: Unknown. Accept: Yes/No.]

The system notification sounded in his mind.

Lin Zhiqiang had just mentioned Xia Yao's condition, but it seemed to be even worse than Zhou Yan had thought. He had not expected it to trigger a side quest.

Zhou Yan had just accepted the man's Twenty-Eight Bicycle, so naturally he could not turn a blind eye. Besides, there was also a recipe reward.

Deputy Factory Director Lin and Director Zhao had both praised him repeatedly, and they were even ordering another bowl while still eating from their first. That was already the best proof.

Among the workers who had originally gathered at the restaurant entrance to watch the excitement, several immediately came inside.

"Boss, bring me a bowl of Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles too."

"I want a bowl of Braised Beef Noodles."

"I haven't eaten ribs in ages. I'll have a bowl of Braised Pork Rib Noodles."

Once someone took the lead, those still hesitating could no longer hold back. They filed inside to find seats and began ordering noodles.

Before long, more than a dozen customers were seated inside, and more people continued to enter.

Work started at eight, so they did not have much time to think. If they sat down and ordered now, they could still finish a bowl; otherwise, they would have to wait until noon or evening.

Holding a sheet of paper, Zhou Yan noted down the customers' orders before quickly heading toward the kitchen.

Eighteen bowls of noodles ordered at once—the celebrity effect was on full display!

Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong's endorsements directly erased the workers' doubts and gave them a powerful recommendation.

Leaders really were something else. They truly had a way with words.

But he had to hurry and cook the noodles. He could not delay the workers from clocking in.

Quite a few people wanted to enter the restaurant, but worried they would not have time to wait. They could only head to the Factory Canteen to make do for now, planning to return at noon for a taste.

More than a dozen bicycles were parked outside Zhou Erwa Restaurant, and over half the tables inside were occupied. Aside from the first three days after opening, such a bustling scene had not appeared in a long time.

"Are Zhou the Second's noodles really that good? Why did everyone go inside?"

"They must be pretty good. If my noodles weren't already in the pot, I'd want to try them too."

Listening to the customers, Wang Laowu's expression darkened. He said sarcastically, "How good could they possibly be? The leaders are just too embarrassed not to support him. Zhou Yan's cooking used to be so bad even dogs hated it. If you fed it to pigs, the pigs would go on hunger strike. How could he become a master chef in just two days?"

His greatest worry had come true. Though he did not think much of Zhou Yan's cooking, the deputy factory director was backing him, and the workers were willing to show support. Zhou Yan's start after switching to selling noodles was far better than Wang Laowu had expected.

But when Zhou Erwa Restaurant had first opened, business had also been good for three days. A restaurant depended on reputation and flavor. Bad food was bad food—no amount of support would help.

Just wait and see. This noodle shop would not stay open for many days!

Not far away, Zhao Tieying was walking toward the restaurant with Zhou Momo by the hand.

"Mommy, look! So many bikes are parked outside Big Brother's shop!" Zhou Momo said in her soft, childish voice, tugging on Zhao Tieying's hand.

Zhao Tieying looked over in surprise. "Why are there so many bicycles?"

Better business was a good thing. Zhao Tieying scooped up Zhou Momo and quickened her pace. The moment she entered, she saw more than a dozen Textile Factory workers seated inside. The two people eating at the entrance looked like leaders, while the other customers still had empty tables before them.

"Auntie Zhao, hurry to the kitchen and help out. We're all waiting to eat before going to work," said a female worker from Zhou Village who knew Zhao Tieying with a smile.

"Alright!"

Zhao Tieying agreed, set Zhou Momo down, glanced at the brand-new bicycle parked against the wall, took an apron from behind the counter and tied it on, then hurried into the kitchen.

Zhou Yan was pulling noodles. He was surprised to see Zhao Tieying enter. "Mom, why are you here? Weren't you going to sell beef?"

"Your dad was worried you'd be too busy selling noodles, so he asked me to come take a look. Looks like I came at the right time." Zhao Tieying smiled and asked, "Why are there so many customers today? And what's with that new bicycle in the restaurant?"

"Mom, it's hard to explain in just a few words. I'll tell you everything slowly after we finish." Zhou Yan dropped a large handful of noodles into the pot and said with a smile, "Add two sticks of firewood. They're all rushing to work."

"Alright!" Zhao Tieying answered. She asked no more questions and went behind the stove to add firewood and tend the fire.

"Big Brother, I'm here!" Zhou Momo ran into the kitchen, stood on tiptoe to pick up a piece of wood from the pile, and huffed and puffed as she carried it to Zhao Tieying's feet, her little face flushed red from the effort.

"Momo is so capable," Zhou Yan said with a smile. The little girl was not even as tall as the piece of wood, yet she already knew how to help.

"Hehe." Zhou Momo proudly shook her head at the praise, making her little topknot sway back and forth.

Zhao Tieying gave Zhou Yan a surprised look. This boy had never liked his little sister much before, yet today he was actually praising her.

"Little sister, you watch the fire." Zhao Tieying closed the stove door, grabbed Zhou Momo, and placed her on a small stool. "Don't move around. If the fire gets smaller, call me."

"Okay." Zhou Momo nodded obediently, then seriously instructed the stove, "Little stove, you have to be good and keep burning too!"

Noodles for eighteen people boiled in two large pots. Zhou Yan lined up the big bowls across the counter and began preparing the seasonings.

Zhao Tieying did not say much. She simply stood to one side and watched intently, keeping an eye on the order and amounts of the various seasonings Zhou Yan added. Whatever Zhou Yan asked her to do, she did.

The nickname Iron Lady was not just because Zhao Tieying was fierce when she scolded people. She was also exceptionally capable at work. Back when the production team worked in the fields, she always earned the most work points and still kept the house spotless.

Tasks without much technical difficulty, like mixing noodles and ladling out mince, were things she learned after watching once. Though she could not read, as long as Zhou Yan told her which table got which noodles, she never mixed them up.

Bowl after bowl of noodles was quickly delivered to the customers' tables. The efficiency put the workers, who had been worried about being late for work, at ease.

Throughout the restaurant, the sounds of slurping noodles and praise rose and fell one after another.

[Customer Approval +1]...

Meanwhile, Zhou Yan in the kitchen received a steady stream of positive reviews.

"With these three bowls of noodles alone, Little Zhou's restaurant can keep running." Zhao Dong ate his second bowl of noodles, somewhat puzzled. "Why didn't he just open a noodle shop before?"

Lin Zhiqiang smiled. "I don't think Little Zhou's cooking is as bad as you said, either. The Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots and Two-Pepper Minced Beef would both be perfectly fine as dishes on their own. Maybe he simply made too many different things before. It's rare for young people to know how to correct their mistakes."

"You're right. This young man really is quite good," Zhao Dong agreed with a smile.

The workers quickly finished their noodles, paid, and hurried off to work.

"Boss, your noodles are truly fantastic!"

"The ribs are so fragrant—better than what the canteen makes!"

"The soup is so fresh it could make your eyebrows fall off!"

The workers did not forget to offer a few words of praise as they left.

"Take care. Come again next time." Zhou Yan held a fistful of change and saw the customers out with a beaming smile.

"Comrade Little Zhou, come collect our money too," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

"I'll pay, I'll pay." Zhao Dong hurriedly took out his wallet.

"Deputy Factory Director Lin, Director Zhao, this meal is on me today. If it weren't for you two helping promote my place, my little shop might not even have opened today." Zhou Yan quickly waved his hands, then suggested, "Would you like to take a serving of Spare Rib Noodles back for your niece to try? The Spare Rib Noodles are lighter, so perhaps she'll feel like having a taste."