As a Shandong native, Lin Zhiqiang loved noodles more than anything.
But noodles in Jiazhou were basically all made with alkaline water, never quite carrying the flavor of his hometown's hand-pulled noodles.
Yet the moment today's noodles entered his mouth, he found that feeling again.
It was the taste of home!
Hand-pulled noodles without alkaline water had nothing but the pure fragrance of wheat. Soaked full of bone broth, they were springy and smooth.
Fresh! Fragrant!
Refreshing!
Lin Zhiqiang's thoughts seemed to return to his childhood—
At the street-corner noodle shop, the balding owner tirelessly swung hand-pulled noodles every day. The pot of bone broth atop the coal stove burbled without pause, its aroma drifting halfway down the street. His father often took him there for noodles, always adding plenty of vinegar.
After growing up, he went to Moscow to study, started a family in Jiangnan, and was transferred to Jiazhou for work. His parents had already passed away, so he had not returned to his hometown for many years. Some memories had blurred, but after this mouthful of noodles went down, ripples still rose in his heart.
After swallowing the noodles, he took another sip of soup and nodded repeatedly.
Eating noodles without drinking the soup was the same as not eating the whole 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 impressive—on par with Shanxi's veteran noodle masters." Lin Zhiqiang's face was full of praise. "And this noodle soup should be made with beef bone broth. The broth is fresh and delicious, the meat fragrance rich and full. One sip in the morning warms your entire body. It's another masterpiece!"
"I've eaten at every noodle shop in Suji. Whether state-run restaurants or the Factory Canteen, 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 around them all laughed. They all knew Lin Zhiqiang was from Shanxi, and what he loved most was that mouthful of vinegar.
Still, it was clear that he was truly satisfied with this bowl of Braised Beef Noodles. After offering a few comments, he resumed slurping away, and a thin layer of sweat soon appeared on his forehead.
On the other side, Zhao Dong had also mixed his noodles evenly. The spicy fragrance of the two peppers and the rich aroma of beef rushed straight at him. The noodles were coated in oily sauce and covered with beef mince. Judging by his many years of noodle-eating experience, these tossed noodles could not possibly be bad.
Slurp!
The tossed noodles entered his mouth, and numbing spice, heat, freshness, and fragrance made their grand entrance. Crisp outside and tender within, the beef cubes were wrapped in the fresh heat of green and red peppers and the sour fragrance of pickled greens, 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 followed another. He simply could not stop.
Before long, nearly half a large bowl of tossed noodles had disappeared.
"Director Zhao, how are the tossed noodles?" someone asked impatiently.
"To be honest, I've eaten at Comrade Zhou Yan's restaurant before, and his cooking really was a bit lacking." Zhao Dong swallowed the noodles in his mouth and said with feeling, "But today's Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles have truly blown me away. The numbing spice, heat, freshness, and fragrance are all perfectly handled. They're so fragrant you could swallow your tongue."
"The Suihua Beef at the town's state-run restaurant is stir-fried well enough, right? But if you ask me, compared to this noodle mince, both the flavor and the heat are still a little short.
"If this Two-Pepper Minced Beef were served as a dish, I'd definitely order it. It's truly unbelievably good!"
"And they've given such a generous amount of noodle mince. There's probably a tael of beef alone. Even after mixing such a huge bowl of noodles, you can still get beef cubes in every bite. Six jiao a bowl is truly not expensive."
"There's no need to say much about the noodles. Deputy Factory Director Lin already summed them up perfectly—they really are springy and smooth, and they hold the sauce. If tossed noodles don't hold the sauce, then they 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. Seeing Deputy Factory Director Lin eat so deliciously has made me crave them too."
"Haha, then I'll have another bowl of Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles as well," Lin Zhiqiang said with a hearty laugh.
People in this era had little oil and fat in their stomachs. Two strapping men could easily put away two bowls of noodles each.
[Customer Recognition +1] [Customer Recognition +1]
Zhou Yan caught sight of the flashing prompts, and his smile grew even brighter.
[Ding! Side quest triggered: Lin Zhiqiang's niece, Xia Yao, suffered a fright after falling into the water, causing a 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 return to normal eating. Quest reward: Unknown. Accept: Yes/No.]
The system's prompt sounded in his mind.
Lin Zhiqiang had just mentioned Xia Yao's situation, but it seemed to be even worse than he had thought. He had not expected it to trigger a side quest.
Zhou Yan had just accepted their 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, the two leaders, had praised him again and again. And after eating one bowl, they wanted another. That was already the best proof.
Among the workers who had originally gathered outside the restaurant to watch the excitement, several immediately walked in.
"Boss, give me a bowl of Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles too."
"I want a bowl of Braised Beef Noodles."
"I haven't had pork ribs in ages. I want a bowl of Braised Pork Rib Noodles."
Once someone took the lead, those still hesitating could no longer resist. They streamed inside to find seats and began ordering noodles.
In no time, more than a dozen customers were seated in the restaurant, with more still coming in.
Work started at eight, and they did not have much time to think. If they sat down and ordered now, they could still eat; otherwise, they would have to wait until noon or evening.
Holding a sheet of paper, Zhou Yan noted down the customers' orders, then turned and hurried toward the kitchen.
Eighteen bowls of noodles ordered all at once—the celebrity effect was on full display!
Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong's endorsement had directly dispelled the workers' doubts and given the noodles a powerful recommendation.
Leaders really were something else—truly talented, and their words sounded so pleasant.
Still, 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 make do with a quick bite at the Factory Canteen first and come back at noon to try it.
More than a dozen bicycles were parked outside Zhou Erwa Restaurant, and over half the tables inside were occupied. Other than the first three days after opening, such a grand scene had not appeared in a long time.
"Are Zhou the Second's noodles really that delicious? Why did everyone go in?"
"They're probably not bad. 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. In a strange, sarcastic tone, he said, "How good could they possibly be? The leaders just can't refuse to give him face, so they're supporting him. Zhou Yan's cooking used to be so bad even dogs disliked it. If you served it to pigs, the pigs would go on a hunger strike. How could he become a master chef in just two days?"
What he feared most had still happened. Although he did not think highly of Zhou Yan's cooking, the deputy factory director was backing him, and the workers were willing to patronize him. 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. If it was no good, it was no good—no one's support could change that.
Just wait and see. This noodle shop would not last more than a few days either!
Not far away, Zhao Tieying was walking toward the restaurant, holding Zhou Momo's hand.
"Mommy, look! So many bikes are parked outside big brother's shop!" Zhou Momo said in her soft, childish voice, swinging Zhao Tieying's hand.
Zhao Tieying looked over at her words, surprise appearing on her face. "Why are there so many bicycles?"
Better business was a good thing. Zhao Tieying scooped Zhou Momo up in one hand and quickened her pace. The moment she entered, she saw over a dozen Textile Factory workers seated inside. The two people eating noodles at the entrance looked like leaders, while the other customers still had empty tables before them.
"Auntie Zhao, hurry to the back kitchen and help out. We're all waiting to eat noodles before going to work," said a female worker from Zhou Village who knew Zhao Tieying, smiling.
"Alright!"
Zhao Tieying agreed, set Zhou Momo down, glanced at the brand-new bicycle parked against the wall, then took an apron from behind the counter and tied it on before rushing into the kitchen like a whirlwind.
Zhou Yan was swinging hand-pulled noodles when he saw Zhao Tieying enter, and looked somewhat surprised. "Mom, why are you here? Weren't you supposed to sell beef?"
"Your father was worried you'd be too busy selling noodles, so he asked me to come take a look. Looks like I came at just 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, I can't explain this clearly in just a few words. I'll tell you slowly after we're done." Zhou Yan put a large bundle of noodles into the pot and said with a smile, "Add two pieces of firewood. They're all rushing to work."
"Alright!" Zhao Tieying answered. She did not ask further, instead moving behind the stove to add firewood and tend the flames.
"Big brother, I'm here!" Zhou Momo ran into the kitchen. Standing on tiptoe, she hugged a piece of wood from the woodpile 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 thing was not even as tall as the log, yet she already had work in her eyes.
"Hehe." Praised, Zhou Momo proudly shook her head, making the little pigtail sticking up from her head sway back and forth.
Zhao Tieying gave Zhou Yan a surprised look. This brat had not liked his little sister much before. Today, he was actually praising her.
"Little sister, you watch the fire." Zhao Tieying shut the stove door, then grabbed Zhou Momo and pressed her onto a small stool. "Don't move around. If the fire gets smaller, call for me."
"Okay." Zhou Momo nodded obediently, then earnestly instructed the stove, "Stovie, you have to burn nicely too!"
Noodles for eighteen people boiled in two large pots. Zhou Yan lined up the large bowls across the stove in a row and began seasoning them.
Zhao Tieying did not say much. She simply stood to one side and watched carefully, observing the order and portions in which Zhou Yan added the various seasonings. Whatever Zhou Yan told her to do, she did.
Iron Lady was not a nickname Zhao Tieying had earned merely because she was fierce when scolding people. She was even more skilled at work. Back when the production team worked, she could always earn the most work points, while still keeping the home spotless and orderly.
Tasks without much technical difficulty, like mixing noodles and ladling out mince, were things she could learn with a single look. Though she could not read, as long as Zhou Yan told her which table got which noodles, she would never mix them up.
Bowl after bowl of noodles was quickly delivered to the customers' tables. The high efficiency made the workers, who had been worried about being late for work, all breathe a sigh of relief.
Throughout the restaurant, the sounds of slurping noodles and exclamations of praise rose and fell one after another.
[Customer Recognition +1]...
What Zhou Yan received in the kitchen, meanwhile, was one glowing review after another.
"With these three bowls of noodles alone, Little Zhou's restaurant can stay open." As Zhao Dong ate his second bowl, he was somewhat puzzled. "Why didn't he just open a noodle shop from the beginning?"
Lin Zhiqiang smiled. "I don't think Little Zhou's cooking is as bad as you said, either. This Beef Braised with Dried Bamboo Shoots and Two-Pepper Minced Beef would both be perfectly fine as standalone dishes. Maybe he was just making things too mixed-up before. It's rare for a young person to have the ability to correct his mistakes."
"You're right. This young man really is not bad," Zhao Dong echoed with a smile.
The workers quickly finished their noodles, paid, and hurried off to work.
"Boss, your noodles are truly unbelievably good!"
"The ribs are so fragrant—better than what the canteen makes!"
"The soup is so fresh my eyebrows are about to fall off!"
Even as they left, the workers did not forget to offer a few words of praise.
"Take care. Come again next time." Zhou Yan held a handful of loose change, his face beaming as he saw the customers out.
"Comrade Little Zhou, come collect our money too," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.
"I'll pay, I'll pay." Zhao Dong hurriedly pulled his wallet from his pocket.
"Deputy Factory Director Lin, Director Zhao, today's meal is on me. If you two hadn't helped spread the word, my little shop wouldn't even have opened for business 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? Spare Rib Noodles are a little lighter, so perhaps she'll have the appetite to give them a taste."
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