Chapter 26: His Restaurant is No Ordinary Place

Zhou Momo sat at the entrance of the restaurant eating noodles—clear broth pork rib noodles. She took bite after bite, eating with great relish.

She was too young; a little taste here and there was fine, but usually, the noodles and rice Zhou Yan fed her were never spicy.

The noodles and soup were served in a large bowl, and she took small sips until she had finished every last drop of the broth.

Zhao Tieying and Zhao Hong were chatting at the entrance, planning to return to the washing up after a short rest.

Zhou Yan was also lying flat on a bamboo chair, preparing to take a nap; he had truly woken up too early this morning.

"Grandma!"

"Fourth Great-Grandma!"

Two loud, crisp voices rang out.

Zhou Yan opened his eyes to see two boys, one large and one small, running toward them.

The older one was about 1.6 meters tall, wearing a blue military-style jacket with a cloth bag slung across his shoulder. His hair was cut very short, his head was round, and his eyes were large and bright, making him look very spirited.

The younger one looked about six or seven years old and was the spitting image of the older boy—a complete miniature version. His clothes didn't fit well, with the sleeves and pant legs rolled up several times; it was obvious he was wearing his brother's clothes.

Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan, these two brothers were Zhao Hong's sons and his nephews.

The two ran incredibly fast and reached the restaurant entrance in an instant.

Seeing Zhou Yan, they both shouted crisply, "Little Uncle!"

"Huihui, Fanwa, did you run all the way here? You're covered in sweat." Zhou Yan sat up and asked with a smile, looking at the two boys whose heads were steaming and whose cheeks were glistening with perspiration.

"Hehe." The two gave a sheepish laugh, their eyes stealing glances toward Zhao Hong.

"What are you running for? Running until you're soaked in sweat—if you catch a cold, I'll deal with you!" Zhao Hong grabbed one of them, took a towel to wipe their heads dry, and then wiped down their backs.

The two brothers shrunk their heads like quails, giggling foolishly, not daring to resist at all; they certainly shared some of their father's mannerisms.

Zhou Momo had long since put down her chopsticks and scurried over. She tucked her small hands behind her back and, once the two had been tidied up, she said with an expectant face, "It's my turn, it's my turn!"

"What is it?" Everyone looked at her simultaneously.

Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan had smiles in their eyes, their faces full of joy.

"Call me! Huihui and Fanwa haven't called me yet," Zhou Momo said, looking at the two with a beaming smile.

Zhou Yan froze for a moment before unable to help but laugh; the little one had actually been waiting for this.

"Go on, call her! Don't you even know how to address your Little Auntie?" Zhao Hong also gave them a playful pat, smiling.

The brothers, Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan, scratched their heads, exchanged a glance, and spoke somewhat bashfully, "Little Auntie."

"Aye! Good boys!" Zhou Momo responded loudly, laughing happily.

Seeing Zhou Momo laugh, the two brothers laughed along with her.

Even though Zhou Momo was only three and a half, she truly was their Little Auntie, and the cutest one at that.

"Huihui, Fanwa, have you eaten yet? If not, let your Little Uncle cook some noodles for you," Zhao Tieying asked, looking at the two.

Zhou Lihui replied, "Fourth Great-Grandma, we've already eaten. Mom left us some sweet potato porridge, and the two of us ate half a pot. We're very full."

"Yeah, we're full," Zhou Lifan added, patting his stomach.

"I'm full too! I'll take you to play with the spinning tops!" Zhou Momo grabbed one of their hands in each of hers and said as they walked, "I also have a very fun secret base..."

She actually... had a bit of a "Little Auntie" aura about her.

"Lihui, keep a close eye on your Little Auntie and Fanwa!" Zhao Hong called out.

"Okay!" Zhou Lihui responded.

Zhou Lihui was fifteen this year and was already a little adult; he was quite reliable for taking two kids out to play.

Just as Zhou Yan was about to lie back down, he saw a bus approaching and stopping at the entrance of the textile factory.

The doors opened, and twenty to thirty young men and women stepped off. They were all quite fashionably dressed. Leading them was a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a black Zhongshan suit. He was lean, with his hair neatly parted in a 2/8 style, looking quite scholarly.

Many people from the textile factory hurried out to meet them, led by Lin Zhiqiang, with other factory leaders following.

"Look, isn't that Xia Yao?" Zhao Tieying's sharp eyes spotted Xia Yao in the crowd immediately.

"It looks like these are students from the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts," Zhou Yan also quickly spotted Xia Yao in the crowd. She was tall with fair skin, making her quite prominent among the group.

Xia Yao was also looking toward the restaurant. When her eyes met Zhou Yan's, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly as she gave him a faint smile.

Zhou Yan nodded slightly in greeting; he hadn't expected Xia Yao to return.

Lin Zhiqiang shook hands with the group leader, Su Jun, and then announced loudly, "Teachers and students of the Fine Arts Department of the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, I am Lin Zhiqiang, Deputy Director of the Jiazhou Textile Factory. Welcome to visit, learn, and conduct research on school-enterprise cooperation..."

As the students listened to Lin Zhiqiang, their eyes couldn't help but drift toward Zhou Erwa's Restaurant.

It smelled so good!

A large pot stood at the entrance of the restaurant, and a rich aroma of beef was wafting through the gaps in the pot lid.

Even though they had already eaten breakfast in Jiazhou, the scent was simply too tempting.

Even the leading teacher cast several glances in that direction.

In addition to the large pot, many people also noticed Zhou Yan sitting under the tree.

"Oh! Xia Yao, isn't that the benefactor from your painting?" Deng Hong blurted out. "What was his name? Zhou... Zhou something?"

"Zhou Yan!" Zhu Yuyu added. "He's even more handsome in person than in the painting! He looks so tall."

As their words reached the ears of the other students, everyone turned to look at Zhou Yan.

They had all heard that Xia Yao had met with an accident a few days ago; they didn't know the specifics, but it seemed to be related to that young man.

Zhou Yan was wearing a white chef's uniform. His features were deep and well-defined, looking clean and handsome, quite different from the chefs they usually saw.

Hearing this, Su Jun's gaze also fell upon Zhou Yan. Just as Lin Zhiqiang's speech concluded, he asked, "Deputy Director Lin, is this a restaurant run by your factory?"

Lin Zhiqiang introduced with a smile, "Zhou Erwa's Restaurant is a privately owned establishment. The owner, Zhou Yan, is a fine young man who responded to the call to develop the private economy. Their noodles and Qiaojiao Beef are delicious. If you have the chance, students can go and try them."

"Qiaojiao Beef? What kind of dish is that? A specialty of Suji?" Deng Hong whispered into Xia Yao's ear.

She was a foodie; since starting university in the mountain city, she had gained ten pounds in a year.

"I don't know either. It wasn't here the last time I visited," Xia Yao shook her head. She was also curious about what kind of dish it was.

"Alright, we'll try it if we get the chance. It smells quite fragrant," Su Jun nodded with a smile, staring at the stove at the restaurant entrance for a moment.

Zhou Yan thought to himself; so they were university students here for a study visit.

In his eyes, this represented thirty potential opportunities to refresh his reputation.

Unfortunately, the textile factory's reception would certainly be arranged at the factory canteen; it would be hard for him to "snatch" such customers.

What a pity, what a pity!

"The aura of university students is truly different; they all look so fashionable," Zhao Hong whispered in admiration, her eyes full of respect.

"Indeed, educated people speak differently," Zhao Tieying nodded in agreement.

Lin Zhiqiang led the group from the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts into the factory, guiding them through the workshops, production areas, and the exhibition zone.

This visit was an initiative he had proposed to the factory director, who took it very seriously and had arranged a high standard of reception.

The Jiazhou Textile Factory produced silk products. Last year, they had introduced imported automatic reeling machines, placing their craftsmanship in the top tier domestically. Their products were mainly sold abroad, with their foreign exchange earnings accounting for 60% of Jiazhou's foreign trade.

Although the export situation was currently good, the old director had also approved his proposal regarding brand building and had extended an invitation to the Fine Arts Department of the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, who were currently in Jiazhou for field research.

The invitation had been sent to the Academy at the beginning of the month, but they had only received a definitive response two days ago.

Talent that understood brand building and advertising was extremely rare. Lin Zhiqiang was somewhat surprised that the teachers and students of the Fine Arts Department could come, and he naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to establish a partnership.

They had chartered a bus this morning to pick up the twenty-seven students and three teachers from Jiazhou and bring them to the factory.

The tour lasted all morning.

At 11:30, approaching the workers' off-duty time, it was also lunchtime.

Lin Zhiqiang led the group toward the factory canteen. The factory had approved a meal subsidy for the teachers and students—two yuan per meal, which was a high standard.

As the director of the factory canteen, Wang Defa was already standing at the entrance. Lin Zhiqiang had informed him that they would be hosting university students from the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts today, so the kitchen had made extensive preparations.

Recently, the business for the canteen's stir-fry dishes had been declining, so he planned to use this group of students as an advertisement: "Even university students say it's good!" in an attempt to win back customers.

Seeing the group approaching, Wang Defa straightened his collar and stepped forward with a beaming smile: "Welcome, teachers and students of the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, to dine at the factory canteen."

Su Jun paused, and the students behind him stopped as well.

"Deputy Director Lin, has our morning tour concluded?" Su Jun asked, looking at Lin Zhiqiang.

"Yes," Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile. "It is now lunchtime, so I have brought the teachers and students to the factory canteen for lunch. The factory has provided a meal subsidy."

"Our factory canteen is also fully prepared. We have pork belly, salted braised pork, steamed ribs with rice flour, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and various stir-fry dishes, all prepared personally by our master chefs. We guarantee the students will eat with peace of mind and satisfaction," Wang Defa interjected with a smile, attempting to usher the students into the dining hall.

Su Jun did not respond to him. Instead, he looked at Lin Zhiqiang and asked, "Deputy Director Lin, can this meal subsidy be used anywhere, or must it be spent here at your factory canteen?"

"This..." Lin Zhiqiang was momentarily stunned, then replied, "Of course, it can be used anywhere. Does Director Su not wish to dine at the factory canteen? If you would prefer to eat at a state-run restaurant, I can have the bus take you there."

Hearing this, Wang Defa grew anxious. It just so happened to be the end of the shift, and the workers coming to the canteen to eat were all looking curiously at this group of students.

If the department head led the students away from the canteen to eat at a state-run restaurant, wouldn't that be a slap in his face, implying that the food at the factory canteen wasn't good?

Ever since that fellow Xiao Lei went to work as a laborer, the skill level of the remaining chefs was indeed a bit inferior to that of state-run restaurants, but this was their first time in Suji; they shouldn't know about that.

"No need for such trouble. We will have lunch at Zhou Erwa's Restaurant right at the entrance. We have a seminar to attend this afternoon, so it's more convenient," Su Jun said with a smile. "His restaurant is quite extraordinary; I intend to give my students a lesson."

"Huh?"

A wave of surprised voices immediately erupted at the entrance of the factory canteen.