Chapter Summaries

After transmigrating to 1984, Zhou Yan inherited a struggling restaurant, crushing debt, and a cooking-game system. He bound Zhou Erwa Restaurant, received recipes for three noodle dishes and Pickled Vegetables, and decided to relaunch the business as a noodle shop to earn the rent due in three days.

• Zhou Yan saved a girl from the Qingyi River, then realized he had transmigrated into the body of a failed young restaurant owner in 1984.
• He reviewed the restaurant's debts and discovered that the cooking-game system had followed him into the past, showing his skills and the business's dire state.
• Zhou Yan bound Zhou Erwa Restaurant to the system and claimed a beginner gift pack containing recipes for three noodle dishes and Pickled Vegetables.
• He absorbed the recipes as practical cooking knowledge and saw how the noodle dishes and their accompaniments could rescue the restaurant.
• Zhou Yan tore down the old menu and decided to start selling noodles the next day, hoping to earn enough to pay rent in three days.

Zhou Yan prepared his restaurant to sell noodles and welcomed his parents and little sister, who came to see him after he saved someone from the Qingyi River. He made Double-Pepper Beef Topping for their taste test, leaving them eager to find out how it tasted.

• Zhou Yan accepted a quest to earn 100 points of restaurant influence and began preparing dough for hand-pulled noodles.
• Zhou Momo arrived with Zhou Miao and Zhao Tieying, and Zhao Tieying angrily defended Zhou Yan from Wang Laowu's gossip.
• Zhou Yan reassured his worried parents and said he planned to switch the restaurant to selling noodles, then offered to cook them Double-Pepper Beef Noodles.
• Zhou Yan prepared beef, pickled chilies, ginger, garlic, and fresh chilies while Zhou Momo watched and helped feed wood into the stove.
• Zhou Yan stir-fried the ingredients into a fragrant, colorful bowl of Double-Pepper Beef Topping, making his parents and sister eager to taste it.

Zhou Yan made hand-pulled Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles for his family, whose praise convinced Zhao Tieying that his noodle business could succeed. He planned to expand his menu and secured beef supplies from Zhou Miao, while his parents and little sister gave him money to support the shop.

• Zhou Yan made hand-pulled noodles and served his family Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles, which Zhao Tieying, Zhou Miao, and Zhou Momo eagerly praised.
• Zhou Yan received customer-recognition notifications from his family and became more confident in the noodles.
• Zhou Yan told Zhou Miao he planned to sell braised beef and pork rib soup noodles and arranged to buy beef and bones through his father and uncle's connections.
• Zhou Miao insisted on charging Zhou Yan only cost price and secretly gave him several yuan, while Zhou Momo offered him her five-cent note so she could eat noodles again.
• Zhao Tieying gave Zhou Yan the family's saved thirteen yuan and forty cents for shop expenses and told him she believed he would succeed this time.

Zhou Yan prepared beef and rib noodle toppings and opened his restaurant for business, but workers avoided it because of his poor reputation. Just as Wang Laowu’s stall drew customers and Zhou Yan feared his food would go to waste, Deputy Factory Director Lin Zhiqiang arrived to thank him for saving his niece.

• Zhou Yan rejected Wang Laowu’s offer to take over the restaurant and warned him that he would start selling noodles.
• Zhou Yan spent most of his savings on ingredients, wrote a menu and sign, and prepared to sell noodles the next day.
• Zhou Yan bought beef, ribs, and greens, then cooked Braised Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots, Braised Spare Ribs, beef bone broth, and Double-Pepper Beef Topping.
• Zhou Yan opened for breakfast, but factory workers passed him by because they distrusted his cooking, while Wang Laowu’s stall attracted customers.
• Zhou Yan traded insults with Wang Laowu and considered ways to attract customers as his unsold food threatened his finances.
• Lin Zhiqiang arrived at Zhou Erwa Restaurant, introduced himself, and thanked Zhou Yan for saving his niece.

After saving Xia Yao, Zhou Yan received a Twenty-Eight Bicycle from Lin Zhiqiang and persuaded him and Zhao Dong to try his restaurant’s new noodles. Lin Zhiqiang tasted the braised beef noodles and praised them, while the watching workers grew eager to see how the meal would turn out.

• Lin Zhiqiang thanked Zhou Yan for rescuing Xia Yao and gave him a Twenty-Eight Bicycle as a reward.
• Lin Zhiqiang told Zhou Yan he would nominate him as a model of spiritual civilization and offer help with difficulties.
• Zhou Yan invited Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong to taste his noodles so their approval could attract customers.
• Lin Zhiqiang ordered Braised Beef Noodles, and Zhao Dong ordered Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles.
• Zhou Yan cooked and served both bowls as the workers watched and commented on their generous toppings and enticing aroma.
• Lin Zhiqiang tasted the beef and bamboo shoots, praised them as delicious, and then tried the noodles.

Zhou Yan’s hand-pulled noodles won praise from Lin Zhiqiang, Zhao Dong, and the factory workers, bringing a rush of customers to his restaurant. After accepting a quest to help Xia Yao regain her appetite, he suggested sending spare rib noodles for her to try.

• Lin Zhiqiang praised Zhou Yan’s Braised Beef Noodles, and Zhao Dong praised the Double-Pepper Beef Tossed Noodles before both ordered another bowl.
• Zhou Yan accepted the quest to help Lin Zhiqiang’s niece Xia Yao recover her appetite after she stopped eating following a fright in the water.
• Workers followed Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong’s example and filled Zhou Yan’s restaurant with orders.
• Zhao Tieying came to help Zhou Yan serve the customers, while Zhou Momo carried firewood and watched the stove.
• The workers praised the noodles as they left, and Zhou Yan offered to send Lin Zhiqiang a serving of Spare Rib Noodles for Xia Yao to try.

Zhou Yan sent Braised Pork Rib Noodles to Xia Yao, whose appetite returned after she tasted them. The system declared his side quest complete and rewarded him with the Food Appraisal skill.

• Lin Zhiqiang bought a bowl of Zhou Yan’s Braised Pork Rib Noodles to take home for Xia Yao and paid him three yuan.
• Zhou Yan counted his morning earnings, then set off with Zhou Momo to buy more beef and ribs for the expected lunchtime crowd.
• Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe urged Xia Yao to try Zhou Yan’s noodles, and their aroma stirred her appetite.
• Xia Yao ate the entire serving, regained some color, and decided to visit Zhou Yan’s shop for noodles the next morning.
• The system announced that Zhou Yan had completed the side quest and awarded him the Food Appraisal skill.

Zhou Yan used his new Food Appraisal skill while shopping, then helped his family sell noodles at Zhou Erwa Restaurant, bringing in 36 yuan from sixty bowls. After a successful day, he reviewed his growing skills and looked forward to serving more customers and earning more money.

• Zhou Yan discovered that Food Appraisal could judge ingredients and bought Dingding Candy for Zhou Momo and his family.
• Zhou Yan prepared noodle toppings while Zhao Tieying defended his reputation against gossip from women at the wharf.
• Workers flocked to Zhou Erwa Restaurant at noon, and Zhou Yan and his family sold twenty-eight bowls of noodles.
• The family ate Braised Beef Noodles with Zhou Yan's sour and spicy Pickled Vegetables, and the restaurant sold all eleven bowls prepared for dinner.
• Zhou Yan counted 36 yuan in sales, checked his upgraded skills and restaurant influence, and went to bed planning to make and sell more noodles the next day.

Zhou Yan’s restaurant drew a growing crowd after he rejected diseased pork and prepared fresh ingredients, while Zhou Momo charmed the customers at the door. The morning rush was winding down when a young woman arrived, and Zhou Momo stared at her in awe.

• Zhao Tieying bragged to the village women that Zhou Yan had saved Deputy Director Lin’s niece, received a new bicycle, and had a busy restaurant.
• Wang Laowu dismissed his wife’s worries about losing customers to Zhou Yan’s restaurant.
• Zhou Yan spotted diseased pork at Wang Qi’s stall, refused to buy it, and reported the butcher to the market management office.
• Zhou Yan prepared noodles with fresh ingredients, and Zhao Tieying and Zhou Momo joined him for breakfast before the restaurant opened.
• Workers flocked to Zhou Yan’s restaurant while Wang Laowu’s stall barely sold any noodles, and Zhou Momo entertained customers at the entrance.
• A young woman arrived on a ruby-red Phoenix Brand bicycle, and Zhou Momo exclaimed that she was beautiful.

Xia Yao visited Zhou Erwa Restaurant with her aunt, Meng Anhe, to thank Zhou Yan for saving her life and brought gifts for his family. Zhou Yan accepted Xia Yao’s Parker fountain pen, and she and her aunt stayed to eat his noodles.

• Xia Yao complimented Zhou Momo, and Meng Anhe gave the little girl two White Rabbit Creamy Candies.
• Xia Yao introduced herself to Zhao Tieying and thanked Zhou Yan for rescuing her from the river; Zhou Yan wondered whether her Zhejiang accent reminded him of someone he had met before.
• Xia Yao gave Zhou Momo malted milk, Zhao Tieying skin creams, and the family cigarettes, then insisted Zhou Yan accept her Parker fountain pen.
• Xia Yao told Zhou Yan that she and Meng Anhe had come to eat his Spare Rib Noodles, and Zhao Tieying welcomed them inside.
• The vendors marveled at Xia Yao’s expensive gifts, while Wang Laowu and his wife grew jealous of Zhou Yan’s good fortune.

Xia Yao and Meng Anhe enjoyed Zhou Yan’s noodles, praised his handwriting, and left with a jar of pickled radishes. As Zhou Yan’s restaurant grew busier, he completed a mission and received the Qiaojiao Beef recipe.

• Xia Yao and Meng Anhe ate Zhou Yan’s noodles, and Meng Anhe was impressed by the beef noodles and pickled radishes.
• Zhou Yan packed pickled radishes for Meng Anhe and accepted payment for the meal after she and Xia Yao insisted.
• Meng Anhe asked about Zhou Yan’s handwriting and education, and he said he had dropped out during his second year of middle school.
• Xia Yao said goodbye to Zhou Yan and promised to bring Zhou Momo something tasty, while Zhao Tieying hoped Xia Yao would become Zhou Yan’s wife.
• Zhou Yan and Zhao Tieying counted fifty-two bowls sold that morning, and Zhou Yan received the Qiaojiao Beef recipe after completing the restaurant influence mission.

Zhou Yan learned the recipe for Qiaojiao Beef and persuaded his parents to help him add the dish to his shop, planning to distinguish it with medicinal herbs and a story about its heritage. After a tiring day and a night spent calculating his earnings, he rode to the slaughterhouse for ingredients and was approached by two butchers.

• Zhou Yan absorbed the Qiaojiao Beef recipe and decided it could expand his business without hurting noodle sales.
• Meng Anhe warned Xia Yao not to mistake her gratitude toward Zhou Yan for romantic feelings and said she would take Xia Yao to Jiazhou City the next day.
• Zhou Yan persuaded Zhou Miao and Zhao Tieying to help him test Qiaojiao Beef, and they agreed to set aside beef and offal for the dish.
• Zhou Yan bought Chinese herbs, planned to build an outdoor stove, and sold out of ninety bowls of noodles that evening.
• Zhou Yan counted his earnings, recorded his accounts with Xia Yao's fountain pen, and went to bed in his cramped room.
• Before dawn, Zhou Yan rode to Yankantou Slaughterhouse, where two burly butchers carrying knives called out to him.

Zhou Yan visited his relatives while collecting beef and clarified that he had not married the city girl who gave him a bicycle as thanks for saving her. His cousins offered to teach him their soup-pot business, and he planned to learn from Zhou Jie before taking his mother and sister back to his restaurant.

• Zhou Hai and Zhou Jie asked Zhou Yan about rumors that he had married the city girl, and Zhou Yan explained that her family had given him gifts only to thank him for saving her.
• Zhou Jie rode Zhou Yan's new bicycle, then offered to teach him the soup-pot recipe so he could sell it alongside his noodles.
• Zhou Yan agreed to meet Zhou Jie at eight and told him that his noodle business had been doing well.
• Zhou Miao prepared beef for Zhou Yan and confirmed that Zhou Jie was skilled at making soup pots.
• Zhao Tieying returned with beef offal, and Zhou Yan gave her and Zhou Momo a ride back to the restaurant.
• Zhao Tieying told Zhou Yan to keep or sell the cigarettes instead of smoking them, and warned him against taking up the habit.

Zhou Yan prepared Qiaojiao Beef broth as Wang Laowu began a low-price campaign to steal customers from Zhou Erwa Restaurant. Zhou Yan accepted the system’s challenge, while Zhou Momo’s appetite attracted more diners; the chapter ended with Xia Yao offering to draw Momo in exchange for a taste of cola.

• Zhou Yan prepared an eight-hour beef bone broth and planned to teach Zhao Tieying the careful process.
• Wang Laowu advertised larger noodle portions at lower prices, drawing customers away from Zhou Erwa Restaurant with Wang Defa’s support.
• Zhou Yan accepted the system quest to defeat Wang Laowu’s noodle stall.
• Zhou Momo ate spare rib soup noodles at the restaurant entrance, attracting workers who then came in to order.
• Xia Yao found Momo adorable, began sketching her, and offered her cola while asking her to sit for a picture.

Xia Yao recommended Zhou Yan’s restaurant while drawing Zhou Momo, then rode with Zhou Yan to the Textile Factory compound before leaving for Jiazhou. At the docks, Zhou Yan discovered Wang Laowu was selling noodles made with diseased pork and leftover toppings, and met his brothers at their popular hotpot stall as he began learning Qiaojiao Beef.

• Xia Yao drew a lifelike picture of Zhou Momo and recommended Zhou Yan’s restaurant to factory workers, bringing him new customers.
• Zhou Yan gave Xia Yao a ride to the Textile Factory compound, where she told him she was leaving for Jiazhou to sketch from life.
• Zhou Yan spotted appraisal notes revealing that Wang Laowu used diseased pork and mixed leftover toppings with fresh ones.
• Zhou Yan reached the docks and saw that Zhou Jie and Zhou Hai’s Zhouji Hotpot stall was busier than the other vendors.
• Zhou Jie introduced Zhou Yan to the customers as a hero and praised his cooking and restaurant.

Zhou Yan learned Zhou Jie's beef offal soup techniques and proposed developing a medicinal version, then reported market butcher Wang Qi for selling diseased pork. The chapter ended with customers angrily confronting Wang Laowu over sour, rotten meat at his noodle stall.

• Zhou Jie taught Zhou Yan how to prepare his popular beef offal soup and secretly shared the seasoning ingredients and exact quantities.
• Zhou Liangliang mocked Zhou Yan for selling soup, but Zhou Jie defended him, and Zhou Yan proposed combining the soup with a medicinal cuisine method.
• Zhou Yan spotted health inspector Gao Tianlei at Suji Farmers' Market and submitted an anonymous report accusing Wang Qi of selling diseased pork.
• Gao Tianlei ordered an investigation into Wang Qi after reading Zhou Yan's report.
• Customers discovered that Wang Laowu's noodle toppings smelled sour and rotten, and they angrily accused him of serving spoiled leftovers.

After Wang Laowu's customers discovered his noodles contained spoiled leftovers, he tried to repair his reputation with free food and help from Factory Canteen Director Wang Defa. The chapter ended when epidemic prevention officers arrived and accused him of repeatedly buying meat from diseased pigs.

• Customers confronted Wang Laowu after his leftover toppings and sauce turned sour, and many left for Zhou Erwa Restaurant.
• Zhou Yan and Zhao Tieying watched as Wang Laowu admitted his mistake, dumped several basins of food, and offered free noodles to win customers back.
• Wang Defa joined Wang Laowu at the stall and praised his noodles, persuading more workers to eat there.
• Gao Tianlei and other epidemic prevention officers arrived and ordered Wang Laowu to come in for questioning over suspected purchases of diseased-pig meat.

Wang Laowu and Liu Fen were arrested for using diseased pork, while Zhou Yan’s restaurant gained customers after the scandal. The chapter ended with Zhou Miao arriving sick, warming up with Zhou Yan’s beef bone soup, and being served a hotpot.

• An officer arrested Wang Laowu and Liu Fen after Wang Qi’s confession linked them to long-term purchases of diseased pork, and Zhao Tieying loudly scolded them as they were taken away.
• The epidemic prevention staff seized Wang Laowu’s toppings and Noodle Mince, shut down his stall, and recorded the names of customers who feared they had become ill.
• Zhou Yan received the Perfect Steamed Bamboo-Trough Rice Guide as his mission reward, while workers flocked to Zhou Erwa Restaurant and praised Zhao Tieying’s pickled radish.
• Zhou Miao returned to the restaurant looking unwell, and Zhou Yan served him Chinese-medicine beef bone soup to warm him up.
• Zhou Miao enjoyed the soup, and Zhou Yan brought out a pot filled with beef, tripe, tendon, and vegetables.

After the family approved Zhou Yan’s Qiaojiao Beef hotpot, he arranged to build a stove and decided to hire help so the restaurant could manage its growing workload. Zhao Tieying suggested Zhao Hong for the job, and the chapter ended with Zhao Hong arriving at the restaurant early the next morning.

• Zhou Yan’s family ate his Qiaojiao Beef hotpot and agreed it was delicious enough to sell at the restaurant.
• Wang Wei collected fifteen yuan in rent, and Zhou Yan calculated his earnings before arranging for a mason, supplies, and a large cast-iron pot.
• Zhou Yan decided to hire a worker, and Zhao Tieying suggested her niece by marriage, Zhao Hong, for the position.
• Zhou Yan offered Zhao Hong a monthly wage of twenty yuan, and Zhao Tieying agreed to speak with her.
• Zhao Hong arrived at the restaurant before dawn and greeted Zhou Yan and Zhao Tieying.

Zhou Yan prepared his restaurant to launch Qiaojiao Beef, training Zhao Tieying, building and painting a prominent stove, and setting a sixty-cent price for each bowl. As he began cooking for the first day of sales, Zhao Tieying worried that customers would not pay so much.

• Zhou Yan hired Zhao Hong for twenty yuan a month, and she quickly learned to serve customers and help at the restaurant.
• Zhou Yan arranged for bricklayers to build a large stove at the restaurant entrance while Wang Defa and Sun Meili discussed hiding their altered accounts and continuing to buy meat.
• Zhou Yan taught Zhao Tieying to prepare Qiaojiao Beef, and she became capable of running the stove on her own.
• Zhou Yan painted a sign explaining the origins and supposed benefits of Qiaojiao Beef, then counted his savings and checked his improving skills and wealth on the panel.
• Zhou Yan bought beef offal, tendon, and other ingredients for the launch, but Zhao Tieying questioned whether sixty cents per bowl was too expensive.