Chapter 28: Good Boy? Glasses? Chubby Kid?

The gazes of the crowd at the restaurant entrance fell squarely upon Zhou Yan.

The surrounding workers found it curious; instead of going inside to eat, these university professors and students were gathered around a traditional earthen stove, chatting animatedly.

Was there something so special about Zhou Yan's stove?

Xia Yao looked at Zhou Yan with a beaming smile. She didn't find it strange; Zhou Yan's way of thinking had never been like that of a cook—it was more flexible and more intelligent.

Zhao Hong had long since ducked to the side, terrified of being noticed.

Zhao Tieying, having no place to hide while guarding the pot, had no choice but to look toward Zhou Yan as well.

She didn't understand terms like "traceability" or "brand building," but what the university professor was saying was indeed what Zhou Yan had done, and the effect of attracting customers was undeniably good.

But Zhou Yan hadn't even finished high school; how could he command such respect even from a university professor?

Zhao Tieying felt a slight numbness in her limbs. She hadn't even graduated from primary school, having only attended a month of literacy classes, and she still felt instinctively nervous whenever she saw a teacher.

Zhou Yan, however, wasn't nervous at all. Ever since he started competing with aunties and uncles for bottles at the age of seven, he had lost the ability to blush in public. After four years as a food blogger, his skin had been further toughened; his psychological resilience was rock solid.

"Yes, Professor, that is indeed the logic behind my approach. You are very professional," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Lin Zhiqiang nodded slightly beside him. Zhou Yan's words were skillful, both praising Su Jun and affirming his own abilities.

Hearing this, Su Jun smiled and asked, "How did you think of writing the signage on the stove?"

"I originally planned to make a neon sign. That would be even more eye-catching and would definitely stand out in town, attracting plenty of curious onlookers. But I went to Jiazhou to inquire, and the price was quite expensive—I simply couldn't afford it," Zhou Yan explained. "So, I had to buy brushes and paint to hand-write a sign myself."

"Just as you said, building such a raised earthen stove at the restaurant entrance is eye-catching enough. Once the aroma of the simmering broth wafts out, everyone will subconsciously look for the source. Writing the sign and the brand story on the stove provides the best advertising effect."

Upon hearing this, the looks the university students gave Zhou Yan changed.

Wait, he actually knows his stuff!

In the last two years, advertising design had been undergoing a renaissance. Professors had added related courses to their curriculum, and even advertisements on television were becoming more frequent.

They hadn't expected that in a small-town restaurant, a young owner would be designing his own signage for advertising, even attempting to build a brand.

"Not bad, that is true street wisdom," Su Jun nodded repeatedly, looking at Zhou Yan with full appreciation. "Did you write these characters yourself as well?"

"I did," Zhou Yan nodded.

Su Jun smiled. "The handwriting is standard and steady, but the signage has a clear hierarchy, the color coordination is appropriate, and the overall effect is excellent. You are quite talented."

"You flatter me," Zhou Yan said hurriedly.

The students were somewhat surprised. Professor Su rarely praised anyone; he was known in the department as "Iron-Faced Su." His classes were extremely strict; one was lucky if they didn't get scolded.

"Eh? Even the university professor says Zhou Yan is talented. He's pretty impressive."

"This kid is like a monkey from Mount Emei—incredibly shrewd."

"Most people would struggle to speak clearly in a situation like this, but he isn't nervous or intimidated at all."

The surrounding workers were also whispering among themselves.

The corners of Zhao Tieying's mouth curled upward. The fact that this boy could earn a professor's praise made her, as his mother, feel immensely proud.

"Alright, let's go in and eat. I see everyone is already swallowing hard from the smell of this beef soup," Su Jun said, leading the way into the restaurant.

Everyone responded and followed him inside. Having toured the factory all morning and smelling the meat, they were indeed famished.

Zhao Tieying hurriedly ushered everyone to sit down. "Come, come, come, be good children. You sit here, or you can sit there..."

"Thank you, Auntie," the female students responded, following Xia Yao's lead.

"Glasses, you sit here," Auntie Zhao called out to a boy.

"Huh? Auntie, you call all the others 'good children,' but you call me 'Glasses'?" Wang Chen pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose and asked back with a smile.

"We only call the female students 'good children.' Look at them, they are all so well-behaved," Auntie Zhao explained with a laugh, then called to another boy, "Handsome, can you sit here?"

"Then why do you call Ma Xingye 'Handsome'?" Wang Chen looked wounded.

"Oh, Fatty, don't mind that. Look at him, he's tall and sturdy; he really is as handsome as my son," Auntie Zhao said, waving her hand.

"Fatty? Why did it change again?" Wang Chen sighed, feeling even more wounded.

The classmates nearby were nearly dying of laughter.

"Let's go, Fatty. Sit at our table," Ma Xingye laughed, pulling Wang Chen down to sit beside him.

"Sit down, sit down," Wang Chen laughed as he sat, looking at Ma Xingye. "Let me see just how handsome this 'good son' of yours really is."

"Get lost!" Ma Xingye cursed playfully, though his eyes drifted toward the table next to them.

"Is it just noodles and Qiaojiao beef? Isn't this a restaurant? Why is it a noodle shop!" Wang Chen muttered, staring at the menu on the wall.

At the next table, Xia Yao was sitting with Deng Hong, Zhu Yuyu, and another female classmate, discussing what to order.

"Xia Yao, you've eaten here before. Which noodles are good?" Zhu Yuyu asked.

"I like the Braised Pork Rib Noodles. The braised pork ribs Zhou Yan makes are definitely the most delicious I've ever had—even better than my dad's," Xia Yao said with a smile. "But the other two noodle dishes are also very good, especially the Double-Pepper Beef Mixed Noodles; they are very popular."

"The Qiaojiao beef smells so good. Should we order a portion to try?" Deng Hong suggested.

"Sure, I want to try it too," Xia Yao nodded.

"Zhou Yan is so handsome. Does he have a girlfriend?" Zhu Yuyu asked with a gossipy look.

"Yeah, have you felt a little spark?" Deng Hong leaned in as well.

"Shh, don't talk nonsense," Xia Yao glared at them and whispered, "My uncle is sitting right behind us."

Deng Hong and Zhu Yuyu glanced toward Lin Zhiqiang's table and couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle.

Lin Zhiqiang, Su Jun, and the two other teachers were at a table, enthusiastically recommending what to eat.

The simplicity of Zhou Erwa's Restaurant's menu took Su Jun and the other two teachers by surprise.

The sign at the door said "Restaurant," but the menu only had three types of noodles and one Qiaojiao beef dish?

Lin Zhiqiang hadn't warned them before they entered.

Now that they were seated in the shop, it wasn't easy to say much more.

"Then I'll have one portion of Qiaojiao beef and one portion of Double-Pepper Beef Mixed Noodles," Su Jun ordered, then began chatting with Lin Zhiqiang about Zhou Yan.

In truth, Su Jun had originally declined the invitation from the Jiazhou Textile Factory.

His main destination for this sketching trip to Jiazhou was Mount Emei and the Jiazhou Giant Buddha; he had no plans to visit enterprises, and as the department head, he didn't intend to add anything to his itinerary on a whim.

However, last week when Xia Yao fell into the water while visiting her relatives in Suji, her aunt's phone call to him to request leave had left him breaking into a cold sweat.

Xia Yao's mother, Meng Zhilan, was his senior at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and they shared the same mentor. Although they hadn't been in much contact in recent years, if something had happened to Xia Yao, he would have found it truly difficult to face her.

Furthermore, he was the person in charge of this activity. If something had actually happened to Xia Yao, his position as department head would certainly be gone, and he would have faced disciplinary action.

Fortunately, Zhou Yan had saved Xia Yao, minimizing the impact of the incident.

After Xia Yao returned, she reported the circumstances of the event, and this brave young man had left a deep impression on him.

They were scheduled to return to the Mountain City tomorrow, so he had made a last-minute confirmation with the school to visit the Jiazhou Textile Factory for a day to discuss the possibility of school-enterprise cooperation.

Of course, his primary motivation was to meet Zhou Yan in person.

When Lin Zhiqiang praised Zhou Yan, he was not at all reserved; even Zhou Yan, who was boiling noodles in the kitchen, felt embarrassed hearing it.

But Zhao Tieying loved hearing it. To her, the Deputy Factory Director praising Zhou Yan meant he had gained the recognition of leadership, which was a testament to Zhou Yan's ability.

The restaurant was filled with university students, and many workers also followed them in to taste how delicious this Qiaojiao beef—which even university students were eating—really was.

The shop had nineteen tables, and by noon today, they were all full.

With only noodles and Qiaojiao beef on the menu, most of the students hadn't held high expectations.

But as the noodles and beef were brought to the tables one after another, exclamations began to ring out through the restaurant

"Wow! This Double-Pepper Beef Mixed Noodle is so fragrant!"

"This Braised Pork Rib is the real deal! The meat falls off the bone with just one bite; the flavor is incredible!"

"The Braised Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots is delicious! It's heavenly!"

"Drink the soup, you guys! This beef broth is truly delicious!"

"Auntie, can we have some more pickled radishes? They're so good!"

...