Chapter 12: Chapter 7: Braised Pork Rib Noodles
’Zhou Yan had a plan.’
’Zhou offended the factory cafeteria’s Director Wang. Once the restaurant’s business takes off, it’ll be competing directly with the factory cafeteria. To prevent any retaliation, it’s absolutely essential to get on good terms with Vice Director Lin.’
’Besides, I’ve already accepted the system’s Side Quest. Bringing this up proactively is just a shot in the dark.’
’If a single bowl of pork rib noodles can complete the quest and also resolve Lin Zhiqiang’s worries, wouldn’t that kill two birds with one stone?’
"You’re so thoughtful, Zhou. I was only thinking about filling my own stomach. These noodles you make are so delicious, Xia Yao might actually be willing to have a few bites." Lin Zhiqiang’s eyes lit up, but then he hesitated. "But how would we pack them to go?"
"There’s a large food container in the back kitchen. It’s just the right size for noodles," Zhao Tieying chimed in.
’She could tell these two were important figures, but she hadn’t expected them to be a vice director and a department head. These were major leaders from the textile factory!’
"Alright, then. Zhou, could you make me another bowl of Braised Pork Rib Noodles to go?" Lin Zhiqiang nodded.
Zhou Yan acknowledged him and turned back to the kitchen. A few moments later, he came out carrying a cloth bag with the food container nestled inside.
"This is for the noodles. You have to take it." Lin Zhiqiang took the bag and placed three yuan on the table before Zhou Yan could refuse. "Old Zhao told me about your restaurant’s situation. It’s not easy for a young man to run his own business. Once you’re on your feet, if you invite me for a meal then, I certainly won’t say no."
"Alright. Thank you, then." Zhou Yan didn’t press the issue. Three yuan was indeed very important to him right now.
"Nothing to thank me for. If Xia Yao eats these noodles, I’ll be the one coming back to thank you," Lin Zhiqiang said with a laugh. He picked up the bag and turned toward the door, adding, "Old Zhao, I’m borrowing your bike to deliver these noodles!"
"Okay, take care," Zhao Dong replied. He gave Zhou Yan a nod and followed him out the door.
After they left, Zhou Yan closed the door behind them.
Once the textile factory’s shift began, there wouldn’t be any more customers until the lunch break.
"What was all that about?" Zhao Tieying finally couldn’t hold back her question.
"That man, Lin Zhiqiang, is Vice Director Lin. He’s the uncle of the girl I saved yesterday. He came to thank me today, and the bicycle was his gift..."
Zhou Yan quickly explained the situation.
"Leaders really are a different breed. So principled, repaying a kindness with such a valuable gift." Zhao Tieying was touched. The Phoenix 28 bicycle they had bought from the black market a couple of years ago had cost them three hundred yuan.
"But you are never to jump in the water again, you hear me? I don’t care how many bicycles it gets you!" Zhao Tieying stared at Zhou Yan, her expression grim. "Or I swear I’ll break your legs!"
"I know, I know," Zhou Yan said with a smile and a nod. ’This feeling of being cared for... it’s pretty special.’
He counted the money in his hand. He’d sold twenty-one bowls of noodles this morning, bringing in a total of 12.6 yuan. It was a much better start than he had anticipated.
By seizing the opportunity presented by Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong this morning, he’d successfully broken into the market, shattering his previously poor reputation in the process.
He could already imagine the word-of-mouth spreading from those eighteen customers. Add to that the people who couldn’t get a bowl this morning due to time constraints, plus his newfound reputation as a life-saving hero, and he was likely to see even more customers at noon.
But the toppings and sauces he had prepared for the day were only enough for another eight bowls of noodles.
"Mom, can you help clean up the shop? I’m going to buy more beef and pork ribs. I think we’ll have even more customers for lunch." Zhou Yan pocketed the money, grabbed a wicker basket, and pushed the Phoenix 28 bicycle that was leaning against the wall as he headed out.
This was a golden opportunity to build his customer base and reputation, and Zhou Yan had no intention of letting it slip by.
’If customers show up and I can’t serve them, they might not come back.’
’But once they taste my noodles, I have a good chance of turning them into regulars.’
"Alright, go on then," Zhao Tieying replied.
"Brother—" Zhou Momo chased him to the doorway, tilting her little head back to look up at Zhou Yan, her eyes full of anticipation. "I want to ride the new bikey, too!"
"Come on, then." Zhou Yan gave her a doting smile, bent down, and scooped her up. He placed her on the crossbar, letting her two small hands grip the handlebars.
A Phoenix 28 was tall; most people had to get on their tiptoes to start riding. But at one-point-eight meters tall, Zhou Yan could stand with his feet flat on the ground. With one push of the pedal, he was off.
Zhao Tieying stood in the doorway, watching Zhou Yan’s retreating figure with a look of deep satisfaction.
’That boy is finally acting like a grown-up,’ she thought. ’He’s playing with his little sister, learning how to interact with important people, and the restaurant is getting busier.’
...
Riding the bicycle and carrying the noodles, Lin Zhiqiang was back at the Silk Factory’s residential complex in five minutes.
As a vice director and one of the factory’s key technical experts—he had even won a provincial award for technological advancement this year—he had been allocated a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, which was considered quite spacious.
"Weren’t you going to thank Comrade Zhou Yan? What are you doing back so soon?" Meng Anhe was surprised to see Lin Zhiqiang as she came out of a side bedroom.
Lin Zhiqiang glanced at the plate of dumplings in her hand and whispered, "Yaoyao still won’t eat?"
Meng Anhe nodded helplessly. "Tofu pudding, steamed buns, fried dough sticks, wontons, dumplings... she won’t touch a thing. She won’t even drink soy milk." Her eyes filled with distress.
Lin Zhiqiang sighed as well, then held up the cloth bag in his hand. "I brought her back some Braised Pork Rib Noodles. Let’s see if she’ll try this."
He made sure to add, "They’re the best noodles in all of Suji Town."
"She’s not used to lye-water noodles. She didn’t take a single bite of the bowl from last night," Meng Anhe said, shaking her head.
"These aren’t lye-water noodles. They’re authentic, hand-pulled noodles made by Comrade Zhou Yan himself. They’re incredibly fragrant; neither the cafeteria nor the state-run restaurants can match this flavor. I had two bowls at his shop this morning!" Lin Zhiqiang said confidently. "Take them in and let Yaoyao try. She just might eat them."
"Are they really that good?" Meng Anhe asked, surprised.
She knew her husband all too well. Once he was outside of Shanxi, there were very few noodles that could satisfy him. He was always going on about how "the pulled noodles back home don’t need any toppings." For him to praise a bowl of noodles this highly was practically unheard of.
"Here, you eat these dumplings. I’ll take this in and give it a try." She handed the plate to Lin Zhiqiang and took the cloth bag from him. Her hand dipped from the weight. "Wow, this is heavy! Go get a small bowl from the kitchen."
"You got it," Lin Zhiqiang replied.
Carrying the food container, Meng Anhe knocked and entered the side bedroom once more.
On the small bed, a young woman was leaning against the headboard, reading a book.
Her eyebrows were gracefully arched like distant mountains, her lips like a small cherry. Her features were delicate, exuding an air of simple, otherworldly elegance.
She was stunning in both looks and bearing, but her face was visibly pale.
Yesterday’s accidental fall into the river had given Xia Yao a terrible fright.
She had already forgotten the specific details, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being on the brink of death.
The rushing current, the inability to breathe, the helpless struggle... she could only let the water swallow her whole.
’It was terrifying.’
’But wait... I remember that hand. It was slender and strong.’
’He was the one who pulled me back from the jaws of death.’
Hearing the knock, Xia Yao looked up, her gaze landing on the food container in Meng Anhe’s hand. Her delicate brows furrowed in distress. "Auntie, I really don’t feel like eating."
"Your uncle brought you back some Braised Pork Rib Noodles. They were made by Comrade Zhou Yan, the one who saved you yesterday. It’s not every day your uncle raves about noodles like this, so you should at least try a little," Meng Anhe said as she came in and placed the container on the small table by the bed.
Xia Yao set down her book, a flicker of surprise on her listless face. "Comrade Zhou Yan made these noodles?" The image of a tall, lean, and agile figure flashed through her mind.
She had wanted to go with her uncle this morning to thank her savior, but her aunt had made her stay home because she was still too weak. Still, the matter had been weighing on her mind.
She never expected he would make noodles for her.
Xia Yao shook her head weakly. "But I really can’t eat..."
Meng Anhe had already opened the container. A cloud of steam billowed out, carrying the rich, intoxicating aroma of braised pork ribs and beef bone broth. It was fragrant but not greasy. A rich, milky-white broth glistened with a light sheen of oil. Large chunks of braised pork ribs, coated in an amber-colored sauce, were piled on top of the noodles, with a few tender green vegetables scattered about for color. It looked incredibly appetizing.
GULP.
Xia Yao swallowed involuntarily.
The dullness in her eyes cleared, replaced by a spark of interest.
’Braised pork ribs... my absolute favorite.’
The force of the aroma was overwhelming, and the sight of the ribs was a finishing blow. Her stomach, which had been on strike for a day and a half, began to rumble.
"RUMBLE—"
Not wanting to eat was one thing, but her stomach wasn’t going to lie. It was staging a loud protest.
Meng Anhe took in all of Xia Yao’s subtle reactions, a small smile playing on her lips. ’This might just work!’
KNOCK KNOCK!
A knock came from the door.
Meng Anhe knew it was Lin Zhiqiang. "Come in."
Lin Zhiqiang came in holding a small bowl, a pair of chopsticks, and a soup spoon.
"Yaoyao, you should try the noodles. If you wait any longer, they’ll lose their texture and the broth won’t taste the same," Lin Zhiqiang said, walking over to the table. He ladled a portion into the small bowl and set it in front of her.
Xia Yao didn’t immediately reach for her chopsticks. Instead, she looked at Lin Zhiqiang with concern. "Uncle, what about Comrade Zhou Yan...?"
"I’ve already expressed our gratitude to Comrade Zhou Yan. He accepted the bicycle, and I told him that once you’re feeling better, you’ll go thank him in person," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.
"He was very concerned about how you were doing. In fact, it was his idea for me to bring these noodles to you. The young man isn’t just handsome; he’s thoughtful, too. A good person."
"That’s good." A smile graced Xia Yao’s lips, and some of the gloom in her heart lifted.
’Once I’ve recovered, I have to go thank him in person. The sooner, the better.’
"Eat it while it’s hot. You won’t have the strength to go out if you don’t eat," Meng Anhe said, helping Xia Yao sit up on the edge of the bed and pressing the chopsticks into her hand.
"Mm," Xia Yao murmured. She leaned over the bowl, blew gently on the surface, and took two small sips of the broth. The savory bone broth glided over her tongue—the distinct, rich umami of beef bone, warm and delicious, rinsing away the dullness that had coated her palate for a day.
As the broth settled in her stomach, a warmth spread through her, even reaching her icy fingertips.
Her taste buds awakened, and a wave of hunger crashed over her. In that moment, her stomach completely overrode her mind.
Xia Yao eagerly picked up a piece of the stewed-till-tender pork rib and took a gentle bite. The sauce and meat juices exploded in her mouth. The melt-in-your-mouth texture was so exquisitely divine it made her scalp tingle.
Even after she swallowed, the rich, meaty flavor lingered, full and satisfying.
’Ah! This is so good!’
Xia Yao wanted to scream. These were, without a doubt, the best pork ribs she had ever eaten in her entire life!
For eighteen years, the number one braised pork ribs in her heart had always been the ones her dad made. But today, there was a new champion.
She finished the rib in a few bites, set the clean bone aside, and then took a bite of the noodles. Even though she was famished, she ate with small, quick, and perfectly silent bites.
The hand-pulled noodles had soaked up the bone broth. They were delightfully chewy and smooth, completely different from the lye-water noodles sold in other shops.
’Delicious!’
’The noodles are so good, too.’
A bite of noodles, a bite of rib, a sip of broth... in no time, the small bowl was empty.
A light sheen of sweat had formed on Xia Yao’s forehead, and her pale complexion had gained a healthy, rosy tint.
Meng Anhe quickly refilled her bowl, exchanging a glance with Lin Zhiqiang. Neither could suppress a smile.
As long as Xia Yao was willing to eat, everything would be alright. Once her stomach was full, her mind wouldn’t wander to dark places.
One small bowl after another, she ate until the entire, large food container of noodles was finished, down to the very last drop of broth.
"Hic."
Xia Yao covered her mouth, looking slightly embarrassed.
It was just that she hadn’t eaten in a day, and these noodles were so incredibly delicious that once she started, she simply couldn’t stop.
"Walk around the apartment for a bit, and then get a good night’s sleep. I’ll call you for lunch," Meng Anhe and Lin Zhiqiang said, smiling as they collected the empty bowls and closed the door behind them.
"I can’t believe his noodles are so good. Those braised pork ribs were divine." Xia Yao pulled back the curtains, letting sunlight flood the room. Looking out at the Qingyi River, a smile spread across her face. "I’m going to his shop for noodles tomorrow morning!"
...
[Ding! Side Quest complete. After eating the Braised Pork Rib Noodles you made, Xia Yao’s mood has improved and she has resumed a normal diet. Quest Reward: Skill—Food Identification.]
Zhou Yan was on his way back to the restaurant after buying meat when the system’s notification suddenly rang in his mind.
