As a native of Shanxi, Lin Zhiqiang absolutely loves noodles.
But the noodles in Jiazhou are almost always laced with lye water, which doesn't quite match the ramen of his hometown.
But as soon as he took a bite of this noodle today, he felt right at home.
It was the taste of home!
Handmade ramen, without lye water, had a pure wheat aroma. Soaked in bone broth, it was chewy and smooth.
Fresh! Fragrant!
Refreshing!
Lin Zhiqiang's thoughts seemed to drift back to his childhood—
At that street level noodle shop, the Mediterranean owner diligently whipped up noodles everyday. The bone broth bubbling on the coal stove simmered incessantly, the aroma wafting halfway down the street. His father often took him there for noodles, always adding plenty of vinegar.
After growing up, he went to study in Moscow, settled down in Jiangnan, and then was transferred to Jiazhou for work. His parents had passed away, so he hadn't been back home for many years. Some memories were hazy, but that mouthful of noodles still stirred some memories.
After finishing the noodles, he took another sip of the broth and nodded repeatedly.
Eating noodles without the broth is like not eating the whole thing!
"These handmade noodles aren't made with alkaline water, yet they're exceptionally chewy and smooth. Comrade Zhou Yan's skills are truly remarkable, comparable to those of the veteran Shanxi noodle masters," Lin Zhiqiang exclaimed in admiration. "And the broth is supposedly made with beef bone broth. It's delicious, with a rich meaty aroma. One sip in the morning warms you up completely—it's truly a delicacy!"
"I've tried every noodle shop in Suji, whether it's a state-owned restaurant or the factory cafeteria, and none of their beef noodles compare to this bowl."
"Of course, it would be even better with a pot of Shanxi aged vinegar."
The workers watching laughed at this. They all knew Lin Zhiqiang was from Shanxi, and his vinegar was his specialty.
He was clearly very satisfied with this bowl of braised beef noodles. After a few comments, he resumed slurping his food, a thin layer of sweat soon forming on his forehead.
Elsewhere, Zhao Dong mixed his noodles thoroughly. The spicy flavor of the two peppers and the aroma of the beef washed over him. The noodles were coated in oily broth and drizzled with beef stew. Based on his years of noodle-eating experience, he knew this was a perfect bowl.
Slurp!
The noodles burst into life, their spicy, fresh aroma making a powerful entrance. The crispy outside and tender inside of the beef, coated in the spicy flavor of the green and red peppers and the tart aroma of the pickled cabbage, intertwined on the tongue. The smooth, oily, and refreshing noodles were exceptionally chewy, indeed a bit different from alkaline water noodles. The flavors were perfectly balanced, offering the ultimate in texture and flavor.
Mouth after mouthful, unable to stop.
In a short while, half the large bowl of mixed noodles was gone.
"Director Zhao, how are these mixed noodles?" someone asked impatiently.
"To be honest, I've eaten at Comrade Zhou Yan's restaurant before, and the cooking was indeed a bit lacking." Zhao Dong swallowed the noodles and sighed, "But today's double pepper beef mixed noodles really amazed me. It's got the perfect spicy, fresh, and fragrant flavor. It's so delicious that you want to swallow it."
"The stir-fried minced beef at the state-owned restaurant in town is pretty good, right? But if you ask me, compared to this noodle stew, it's a bit lacking in both taste and cooking quality."
"If this double pepper beef mince were a dish, I'd definitely order it; it's truly delicious!"
"And the amount of stew in the noodles is incredibly generous. I'm afraid there's about an ounce of beef alone. With this large bowl of noodles, you can enjoy chunks of beef in every bite. And at 60 cents a bowl, it's really inexpensive."
"I won't go into detail about the noodles. Deputy Director Lin has already summed it up perfectly. They're truly chewy and smooth, and they hold the broth. If noodles don't hold the broth, they're not good noodles."
After summarizing the dish, Zhao Dong turned to Zhou Yan and said, "Little Zhou, give me another bowl of braised beef noodles. Seeing Deputy Director Lin enjoying it so deliciously, I'm already craving it."
"Haha, then I'll have another bowl of double pepper beef noodles, too," Lin Zhiqiang laughed heartily.
People these days don't have much to eat; two strong men can easily finish two bowls of noodles.
[Customer Approval +1]
[Customer Approval +1]
Zhou Yan glanced at the flashing notification, his smile widening.
[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: Lin Zhiqiang's niece, Xia Yao, has lost her appetite after falling into the water and hasn't eaten for a day. Lin Zhiqiang and his wife are deeply concerned. Please help Xia Yao regain her appetite and resume a normal diet. Quest Reward: Unknown. Accept: Yes/No]
The system notification chimed in his mind.
Lin Zhiqiang had just mentioned Xia Yao's situation, but it seemed even worse. Unexpectedly, it also triggered a side quest.
Zhou Yan had just accepted the other person's 28-inch bicycle, so he couldn't just ignore it, especially since there was a recipe reward.
Deputy Director Lin and Director Zhao praised him profusely, and even asked for more after finishing their bowls, which was the best proof.
Several of the workers who had been gathered at the restaurant entrance to watch the excitement immediately walked in.
"Boss, give me a bowl of double pepper beef noodles, too."
"I want a bowl of braised beef noodles."
"I haven't had spare ribs in ages. I want a bowl of braised pork rib noodles."
With someone taking the lead, those still hesitant couldn't resist, rushing in to find a seat and start ordering noodles.
Soon, over a dozen customers were seated in the shop, and more were still coming in.
It was time to start work at 8 o'clock, so they didn't have much time to think. They could sit down and order a bowl right away, or they would have to wait until lunch or dinner.
Zhou Yan took a piece of paper, wrote down the customers' orders, and quickly headed to the kitchen.
Eighteen bowls of noodles were ordered in a flash. The celebrity effect was obvious!
Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong's endorsement immediately dispelled the workers' doubts and gave them a strong recommendation.
He was a leader after all. He was truly talented and spoke well.
But he had to hurry and cook the noodles; he couldn't delay the workers from clocking in.
Many people wanted to come in, but worried they wouldn't be able to wait, so they went to the factory cafeteria first to grab a bite and return for lunch.
Over a dozen bicycles were parked outside Zhou Erwa's restaurant, and most of the tables were occupied. A scene like this hadn't been seen in a long time, except for the first three days of opening.
"Are Zhou Erwa's noodles really that good? Why are they all here?"
"They're probably good. If they weren't already cooked, I'd want to try it too."
Wang Laowu listened to the customer's words, his face grimacing. He sarcastically remarked, "How can it be that delicious? It's just that the boss can't bring himself to give him a thumbs-up. Zhou Yan's previous cooking was despised by dogs, and pigs would go on a hunger strike if fed to them. How could he become a master chef in just two days?"
His worst fears had finally come true. Although he wasn't optimistic about Zhou Yan's cooking skills, the deputy factory director backed him up, and the workers were also willing to support him. Zhou Yan's switch to selling noodles has been much better than he expected.
However, when Zhou Erwa's restaurant first opened, business was only good for three days. But a restaurant relies on reputation and taste. If it's not good, it's not good, no matter how much support it gets.
Just wait and see. This noodle shop won't be open for many more days!
Not far away, Zhao Tieying and Zhou Momo were walking toward the restaurant.
"Mom, look at all the bicycles parked in front of the Guo Guo shop!" Zhou Momo said in a baby voice, shaking Zhao Tieying's hand.
Zhao Tieying looked over, a look of surprise on her face: "Why are there so many bicycles?"
Booming business was a good thing. Zhao Tieying picked up Zhou Momo and quickened her pace. Upon entering, she saw more than a dozen textile factory workers sitting inside the shop. The two sitting by the door, eating noodles, looked like managers, while the tables in front of the other customers were still empty.
"Miss Zhao, hurry up and help in the kitchen! We're all waiting to finish our noodles before going to work." A female worker from Zhou Village, who recognized Zhao Tieying, said with a smile.
"Great!"
Zhao Tieying agreed, set Zhou Momo down, glanced at the brand new bicycle parked against the wall, grabbed an apron from behind the counter, put it on, and rushed into the kitchen.
Zhou Yan was shaking ramen noodles when he saw Zhao Tieying enter, a little surprised. "Mom, why are you here? Aren't you selling beef?"
"Your dad was worried you'd be too busy selling noodles, so he asked me to come check on you. I'm glad I came." Zhao Tieying asked with a smile, "Why are there so many customers today? And what's with that new bicycle in the shop?"
"Mom, this can't be explained in a few words. I'll tell you slowly after I'm done." Zhou Yan dropped a handful of noodles into the pot, smiling, "Add two more sticks of firewood. They're all rushing to work."
"Okay!" Zhao Tieying replied, not asking any more questions, and went to the stove to add more firewood and start the fire.
"Guo Guo, I am coming!" Zhou Momo ran into the kitchen, tiptoed to grab a piece of wood from the pile, and grunted as she carried it to Zhao Tieying's feet, her face flushing red.
"Momo is so capable," Zhou Yan said with a smile. The little girl was no taller than the wood, but her eyes were full of life.
"Hehe." Zhou Momo shook her head proudly at the compliment, her ponytail swinging back and forth.
Zhao Tieying glanced at Zhou Yan with some surprise. This kid had never really liked little sister, but today he was actually praising her.
"Little sister, you come watch the fire." Zhao Tieying closed the stove door, then grabbed Zhou Momo and pressed her onto a small stool. "Don't move. Call me if the fire gets low."
"Okay." Zhou Momo nodded obediently, then earnestly instructed the stove, "Stove, you have to keep the fire going!"
Eighteen servings of noodles were simmering in two large pots. Zhou Yan lined up the large bowls on the stove and began to season the food.
Zhao Tieying said nothing, simply standing by and watching intently, scrutinizing the order and amounts of various seasonings Zhou Yan added. She followed whatever Zhou Yan asked her to do.
The nickname "Iron Lady" wasn't just because of Zhao Tieying's harsh words; she was also a skilled worker. She always earned the most work points in the team and kept the house tidy.
She learned simple tasks like mixing noodles and scooping sauce at a glance. Though illiterate, Zhou Yan could tell her which noodles were on which table, and she wouldn't get them mixed up.
Bowls of noodles were quickly served to the guests' tables, their efficiency so high that the workers, who had been worried about being late, breathed a sigh of relief.
The entire restaurant was filled with the sound of slurping noodles and exclamations of praise.
[Customer Approval +1]...
In the kitchen, Zhou Yan was receiving countless praises.
"With these three bowls of noodles, little Zhou's restaurant can survive." Zhao Dong, savoring his second bowl, wondered, "Why didn't he just open a noodle shop?"
Lin Zhiqiang smiled and said, "I don't think little Zhou's cooking is as bad as you say. The braised beef with bamboo shoots and the double pepper minced beef are perfectly fine as standalone dishes. May be he just messed around a bit too much before. It's rare for young people to have the ability to correct mistakes."
"You're right, this young man is indeed quite good," Zhao Dong agreed, smiling.
The workers quickly finished their noodles, paid, and hurried back to work.
"Boss, your noodles are absolutely amazing!"
"The spare ribs are so fragrant, even better than the ones in the cafeteria!"
"The soup is so delicious, it's enough to make your eyebrows drop."
As they left, the workers couldn't help but offer their praise.
"Goodbye, come back next time." Zhou Yan, clutching a handful of change, smiled as he escorted the guests out.
"Comrade Zhou, come and take our money too," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.
"I'll do it, I'll do it." Zhao Dong hurriedly pulled his wallet from his pocket.
"Deputy Director Lin, Director Zhao, this meal is on me. Without your help promoting this little shop, I wouldn't even be open today." Zhou Yan quickly waved his hand and suggested, "How about bringing some pork rib noodles back for your niece to try? They're a bit lighter, may be she'll have an appetite."