Chapter 3: Chapter 2: Double Pepper Beef Noodles
"You son of a bitch! You’re nowhere to be found when things are good, but you’re front and center when there’s trouble. If I ever hear you talk bad about my son again, I’ll rip your fucking mouth off!" Zhao Tieying continued her tirade, letting loose another torrent of curses.
Wang the Fifth’s fists clenched, and he looked ready to charge forward.
Zhou Miao took a step forward, shielding Zhao Tieying. His face was cold as he lifted a corner of his tunic, revealing the Bone Knife tucked at his waist.
Wang the Fifth froze. He gave a sheepish laugh. "Fourth Brother, your wife is really something else." He turned and left.
Who would dare provoke Zhou the Fourth from Slaughter Ox Zhou Village?
"Get the hell out of here!" Zhao Tieying spat at Wang the Fifth’s retreating back.
"Get out!" Zhou Momo echoed, shaking her little fists with a squeaky voice.
It was the first time Zhou Yan had ever been protected like this, and a warmth spread through his chest. In his past life, he’d always faced bullies alone and had never experienced this kind of familial love. The words slipped out before he could stop them:
"Dad, Mom, what are you guys doing here?"
Having driven off Wang the Fifth, Zhao Tieying turned to look Zhou Yan up and down. "We came to see the hero. I heard some hero jumped into the Qingyi River to save a girl. Zhou Yan, how come I never knew you had it in you?"
Right. The Sichuan and Chongqing T-rex had transformed into a master of sarcasm.
"I just happened to be passing by. I couldn’t just stand by and watch someone die," Zhou Yan said, scratching his head.
"Our boy was just doing a good deed. The important thing is that everyone’s okay," Zhou Miao chimed in.
Zhao Tieying shot him a glare. Before she could say a word, Zhou Miao quickly turned and said, "Your mother is right."
Zhou Yan: ???
When it came to family hierarchy, Zhao Tieying clearly had him wrapped around her little finger.
"You can’t bite off more than you can chew. You don’t even know how to swim, so how could you dare jump into the Qingyi River to save someone..." Zhao Tieying’s words trailed off as her eyes reddened, her voice choking with emotion.
In her, Zhou Yan felt a concern and familial love that had always been just out of reach.
He could just imagine how frantically Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao must have rushed to find him when they heard the news.
’Their son, ’Zhou Yan,’ was already dead. From this day forward, he—who had inherited ’Zhou Yan’s’ memories and some of his emotions—would be their son.’
’He had both a mother and a father, and a cute little sister. At that moment, all of Zhou Yan’s resentment about his transmigration completely vanished.’
"Mom, you’re right. I’ll be sure to act within my abilities next time," Zhou Yan said, nodding earnestly.
"You dare let there be a next time? I’ll break your legs!" Zhao Tieying threatened, shaking her fist.
"I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare." Zhou Yan immediately backed down. He put Zhou Momo down and took the beef from Zhou Miao’s hand. "I was just about to cut up some beef for a topping. You guys probably haven’t had lunch, right? I’ll make you all some Double Pepper Beef Noodles."
"Yay, yay! Momo loves noodles!" Zhou Momo cried, following Zhou Yan toward the kitchen.
"We haven’t had a chance to eat yet, no. But when did you learn how to make noodles?" Zhao Tieying asked, following them inside with a puzzled look.
"I learned a long time ago, I just never made them for you before," Zhou Yan said casually.
When Zhou had been learning to be a Chef, he lived and ate at the factory and rarely came home. Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao didn’t actually know much about his cooking skills. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have lent him so much money to open this restaurant.
Zhou Miao closed the door behind them and said thoughtfully, "Why don’t you save this beef for the customers? For family, some plain noodles will be just fine."
"That’s right. This is such a nice piece of sirloin tip. Your dad saved it for you specially. Our family can’t really afford to eat meat right now," Zhao Tieying added with a nod.
"I’m planning to switch to selling noodles starting tomorrow. I need someone to taste-test them before I start selling, or I won’t feel right about it," Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao fell silent at his words. They glanced at the empty wall where the original menu had been, leaving only a few faint marks from the adhesive.
"Why the switch to a noodle shop now?" Zhou Miao asked in a low voice.
"Who the hell knows," Zhao Tieying muttered, pursing her lips. "I guess you only learn the cost of things when you’re the one in charge. At least by selling noodles instead of all that fancy stuff, he might lose a little less money. But does he really know how to make noodles? This town isn’t exactly short on noodle shops."
Zhou Yan carried the beef into the kitchen. First, he gave the proofing dough another knead, then covered it again to let it rest before starting on the beef.
This grass-fed yellow cattle beef was of excellent quality. The sirloin tip was a highly sought-after cut, perfect for stir-frying or blanching, and impossible to get at the supply and marketing co-op.
His dad was the Cow Slaughterer of Zhou Village. Slaughter Ox Zhou Village was well-known throughout the Jiazhou area. Among the five brothers in his family, four were Cow Slaughterers. Since his father was the fourth oldest, people called him Zhou the Fourth. He was highly skilled and had a great reputation.
A Cow Slaughterer lived by his craft. His dad could earn sixty to seventy yuan a month butchering cattle, more than an ordinary worker at the silk factory. The family wasn’t poor, which was why they could afford to give him five hundred yuan in savings to open his restaurant, and also raise a chubby little Zhou Momo.
Zhou Yan’s restaurant had swallowed all of his parents’ savings, and he had even ended up in debt.
’He was finally getting a taste of what it felt like to be a mooching son.’
Still, having a Cow Slaughterer for a father made buying beef much simpler, and the price was more reliable than on the black market.
A *jin* of beef sold for 1.2 yuan at the co-op, but on the black market, it went for 2.8 yuan—more than double the price.
But at the co-op, you needed ration tickets to buy meat, and it was hard to get. Even if you lined up before dawn, you weren’t guaranteed to get the cut you wanted.
He first sliced the beef into strips, then into tiny dice. He grabbed a handful of pickled peppers and pickled ginger from the pickle jar and diced them as well. He smashed the peeled garlic cloves before mincing them, making sure to leave some texture.
The bright red Thai chilies and vibrant green Erjingtiao peppers were first sliced into rings, then minced and set aside on a plate.
Zhou Yan’s Knife Skills were truly excellent now. His hands could perfectly keep up with his thoughts.
"Brother is so amazing!"
Zhou Momo had brought over a small stool to sit and watch, exclaiming in constant amazement. She was providing more than enough emotional support.
Once the ingredients were prepped, Zhou Yan kneaded the dough one last time. It had become soft and smooth.
He lit the fires under two woks simultaneously—one to boil water, the other for stir-frying.
Zhou Momo couldn’t sit still any longer. She ran to the side, picked up a log of Chestnut Wood almost as tall as she was, and came waddling over with a "heave-ho." She looked proudly at Zhou Yan. "Brother, look how helpful I am!"
"Very impressive," Zhou Yan praised with a smile.
Energized by the praise, Zhou Momo shoved the log into the stove’s firebox, muttering, "I’m feeding the stove-stove."
Once the wok was hot, Zhou Yan poured in a ladle of rapeseed oil, then added a small scoop of snow-white lard from an enamel basin.
Zhao Tieying stood at the kitchen door, craning her neck to see. Her face immediately twisted in pain. "That boy... those two scoops of oil are enough for our family’s stir-fries for a whole week."
"More oil makes the food more fragrant. A restaurant is different from home, of course. Our boy is a professional Chef, after all," Zhou Miao said with a smile.
"Professional, my foot. His Twice-Cooked Pork isn’t even as good as mine," Zhao Tieying grumbled.
"Of course," Zhou Miao hastily agreed with a nod.
Zhou Yan’s focus was now entirely on the wok in front of him. He knew the recipe for the Double Pepper Beef by heart, but this was his first time actually making it, so he was still a little nervous.
When the oil was hot, he added the minced beef.
The wok let out a loud SIZZLE. He quickly used the spatula to break up the diced meat, and a rich, savory aroma immediately filled the air.
The minced beef quickly changed color in the hot oil. Once the bits of meat were lightly browned and crisp, he added the pickled ginger, pickled peppers, and minced garlic, followed by a splash of soy sauce. The fragrance exploded from the wok.
GULP.
The sound of Zhou Momo swallowing her saliva was incredibly loud. She stood on her tiptoes, pawing at the stove to get a look, her little head peeking over the edge. "It smells so good!"
"Careful you don’t get splattered by the oil." Zhao Tieying hurried over and picked her up, but she couldn’t help peeking into the wok herself. The aroma was truly tempting. ’Zhou Yan’s cooking never smelled like this before.’
He added salt and a pinch of MSG for seasoning, then tossed in the minced Thai chilies and Erjingtiao peppers, stir-frying everything evenly. He then transferred it from the wok to a nearby earthenware bowl. One serving of Double Pepper Beef topping was ready.
The glossy red and green peppers were vibrant, and the lightly browned, crispy bits of meat were distinct. The mingled aroma of spice and meat was utterly irresistible.
Having been busy all morning, Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao couldn’t help but swallow hard as well.
’This noodle topping looks amazing! I wonder what it tastes like?’
