Chapter 47: They've All Been Hooked (First Update!)

Hearing the sound, Wang Hongliang and Li Meiling looked toward Zhou Yan, both slightly surprised by his youth.

Zhou Yan wore a white cotton shirt; he was tall and thin, with short, refreshing hair. He looked to be about eighteen or nineteen, possessing a certain youthful vitality.

A young man of this age would mostly still be an apprentice in the factory canteen.

They hadn't expected him to already be the owner of an independent restaurant.

Seeing that Zhou Yan's clothes were clean and free of old grease, and noticing his nails were trimmed short and his cuticles were spotless, Li Meiling felt a sense of goodwill toward him.

Many chefs spent years in the kitchen, giving off an overall greasy impression; their fingers were either yellowed from smoking or filled with grime, which was unpleasant to look at.

"Director, this is Xiao Zhou. He was the one who hosted the teachers and students from Sichuan Fine Arts University last time. The college students said it was so good they ate two meals in a row," Lin Zhiqiang introduced with a smile.

"Then your cooking must be quite excellent to make those kids want a second helping after just one," Wang Hongliang laughed.

"You flatter me, Director. It was my honor that the students and teachers were willing to support me. I am very happy that they enjoyed their meal," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Wang Hongliang nodded. Zhou Yan spoke with humility and politeness, carrying himself with grace, which increased his likability.

Most young people in the factory of this age would get nervous and stumble over their words when meeting him.

Zhou Yan then greeted Lin Zhiqiang and Meng Anhe, calling Lin Zhiqiang "Uncle Lin" and Meng Anhe "Sister Meng."

Lin Zhiqiang had no particular reaction, but Meng Anhe's face lit up with a smile. Who wouldn't like being addressed in a way that made them sound younger? Especially when adults called her "Auntie," it always made her feel old.

*Xiao Zhou is indeed a good lad—sweet-talker and sensible.*

As the group entered, Wang Hongliang first inspected the stove at the entrance. He had previously noticed "Qiaojiao Beef" written by the stove, and a large one-meter cauldron held half a pot of broth. The soup was clear, yet the aroma of the beef was exceptionally rich.

The stove was wiped clean, without a single water stain.

"This Qiaojiao Beef... is it the same as your Zhou Village soup pot?" Wang Hongliang paused, looking at Zhou Yan as he asked.

Having worked at the Jiazhou Textile Factory for over twenty years, he was very familiar with the Zhou Village soup pot.

"This is our ancestral Zhou Village soup pot. I studied the secret recipe passed down from my ancestors and added some minor innovations. I use more than ten kinds of Chinese herbs and spices, simmering them over a low flame for eight hours to produce this broth. It's a bit different from other places; you'll know once you taste it," Zhou Yan explained with a smile. "Soup pot, also known as Qiaojiao Beef, is a traditional name. I feel this name is more distinctive."

"It does sound more intriguing than just 'soup pot,' making one want to try it," Wang Hongliang nodded. Zhou Yan wasn't being pretentious. *Young people these days really have sharp minds.*

The group took their seats at an octagonal table with long benches. One side could seat two people without being crowded; the four adults and three children fit perfectly.

The position Zhou Yan had arranged for them allowed them to see the wooden menu hanging on the wall.

The shop's decor was simple, but clean and tidy, making one feel comfortable.

"Your menu boards are quite interesting. This is the first time I've seen them in Suji. It's just that the selection is a bit small—only five dishes," Wang Hongliang said, looking up at the menu.

"Yes, restaurants in Chengdu are quite common with more variety," Meng Anhe added. This menu was different from the one she saw during her last visit.

"We just started selling cooked dishes and stir-fries today, so the selection is still limited. It will gradually increase," Zhou Yan explained with a smile. "Right now, I'm the only one in the kitchen. If there were too many dishes, I wouldn't be able to keep up. My mother says many people 'knead mud into large Buddhas'—meaning I must perfect every single dish to ensure the customers are satisfied."

"Hmm, whether a chef is good can only be known by eating. But having that mindset means you can be a good boss," Wang Hongliang looked at Zhou Yan with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

Meng Anhe also glanced at him a few more times. Zhou Yan's manner of speaking was indeed much better than that of an average cook; he appeared more steady and reliable than his peers.

"Director, since there aren't many dishes anyway, why don't we just order one of everything to try?" Lin Zhiqiang suggested, also very satisfied with Zhou Yan's performance.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead," Wang Hongliang nodded.

"Please wait a moment, the food will be out shortly," Zhou Yan said before turning into the kitchen.

By this time, many workers had noticed Wang Hongliang and Lin Zhiqiang sitting in the shop.

These were the Director and Deputy Director; they hadn't expected them to come to Zhou Erwa's Restaurant together.

The management of the textile factory saw them and came over to greet them, taking the opportunity to sit down in the shop as well.

If both directors were eating here, they wanted to taste for themselves whether this independent restaurant was actually good.

This made Zhao Tieying extremely happy; she had been worried that the food she prepared today wouldn't sell.

However, no one had ordered the Moschata Carp yet; everyone was waiting to see if the Director's table would try it first.

At two yuan per serving, it wasn't cheap.

While the adults ordered, the three little boys had already fixed their eyes on the little girl sitting on a high stool at the counter, their faces full of wonder and their eyes sparkling.

"She's so small!"

"So cute!"

"Cuter than the girls in my class!"

Li Meiling followed her grandsons' gaze, and her eyes also brightened.

Zhou Momo was tiny, with a face as delicate as carved jade and large, round eyes. Her baby fat hadn't faded yet, and her cheeks looked softer than dough, making one want to pinch them. She was tilting her head, staring at them, looking incredibly playful and adorable. Li Meiling couldn't help but remark, "This youngest daughter is so well-behaved."

"Pretty Auntie!" Sliding down from the chair, Zhou Momo ran over to Meng Anhe and called out crisply, "Where is Sister Yaoyao? Did she come?"

She remembered this pretty auntie; last time, Sister Yaoyao had come with her to eat noodles.

Meng Anhe hadn't expected the little one to remember her. She smiled and pinched her cheek—it was indeed soft, making her heart flutter. She shook her head and said, "Yaoyao didn't come; she'll come next time."

"Oh..." Zhou Momo looked a little disappointed.

However, she still greeted all the adults at the table.

Her calls of "Grandma" and "Grandpa" made Li Meiling and Wang Hongliang feel wonderful. The grandson was well-behaved, but his voice wasn't as sweet as the little girl's.

"These parents have raised them well. Both children are poised and polite," Wang Hongliang said with a smile.

Meng Anhe nodded slightly in agreement.

Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen had already crowded around her, reaching out their little fingers, wanting to poke her chubby cheeks.

"Big brothers," Zhou Momo looked at the two of them and asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

The two paused and sheepishly withdrew their hands.

Wang Hao also slid down from his stool and crowded in: "I'm a big brother too. Call me one too!"

Zhou Momo looked back at him and nodded. "You are a little big brother."

"Right, right, right!" Wang Hao nodded vigorously, fished three candies out of his pocket, and stuffed them all into Zhou Momo's hands. "Sister, here is candy for you. All of it!"

"Thank you, little big brother," Zhou Momo said with a sweet smile.

The adults watched this scene and burst into laughter.

"He barely managed to beg his mother for three candies before leaving, and he cherished them so much he wouldn't even eat them on the way. One 'little big brother' and he's emptied his pockets. I don't know how much he'll be infatuated with little girls when he grows up," Li Meiling laughed uncontrollably.

"I have candy too!"

"I have a chocolate!"

Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen scrambled to reach into their pockets.

Before long, Zhou Momo was holding both small hands, filled to the brim with snacks.

The four children quickly became playmates.

"Is Xiao Zhou an apprentice of Master Xiao Lei?" Wang Hongliang asked Lin Zhiqiang.

"Yes, Xiao Zhou learned his craft under Master Xiao," Lin Zhiqiang replied.

"Xiao Lei's cooking is decent," Wang Hongliang nodded, his expectations tempered.

His ancestors were cooks, and he had served as a cook in the military when he was young. After being discharged, he joined the textile factory on the production line.

By the time Xiao Lei was an apprentice in the canteen, Wang Hongliang was already a production line leader. Among that batch of peers, Xiao Lei's talent and cooking skills were considered good, but he was still a step behind his master and was currently only a second-class chef.

After becoming a factory leader, Wang Hongliang traveled frequently and had eaten at many famous Sichuan restaurants like Chengdu Restaurant, Rongle Garden, and Yulong Restaurant. Having witnessed the skills of first-class and even special-grade chefs, his standards were naturally high.

Xiao Lei's cooking was good for a second-class chef; if he could make another breakthrough, he might have a chance to be promoted to first-class in a couple of years.

But Zhou Yan was too young; he had likely only studied under Xiao Lei for two or three years. In that time, one might not even master knife skills, so how much of Xiao Lei's culinary skill could he have truly learned?

He knew Zhou Yan had saved Lin Zhiqiang's niece and intended to mentor him; Wang Hongliang fully understood that intention.

Furthermore, the young man's heroic act of risking his life to save someone, combined with the humble attitude he showed today, made him very likable.

Giving young people tolerance and opportunities was something he was always willing to do.

However, he was quite particular about food. In recent years, unless there was an emergency at the factory, he always went home to eat.

His wife would buy the groceries, and he would handle the cooking at home. His son, daughter-in-law, and little grandson all loved his cooking, saying it was better than the state-run restaurants in town.

He would certainly give this meal a thorough critique today, treating it as a way to offer some guidance to the young man.

When it came to cooking, he had a professional level of expertise; he could certainly judge a second-class chef.

As they chatted, Lin Zhiqiang and Wang Hongliang talked heatedly about technical skills, while Meng Anhe chatted with Li Meiling about the latest fashions in the Chengdu Department Store.

Zhao Tieying, while blanching tripe, pricked up her ears to listen to Meng Anhe. When she heard that the wool coat Meng Anhe was wearing cost one hundred and twenty yuan, she couldn't help but gasp.

So expensive!

Zhou Miao would have to slaughter nearly two months' worth of cattle to afford one.

But it truly was beautiful!

On Meng Anhe, with her large wavy curls, it looked incredibly fashionable and stunning.

Zhao Hong came out carrying a tray. The first dish for their table was the "Double Pepper Minced Beef." She placed it in the center with a spoon resting on the side of the plate.

Wang Hongliang sat up straight immediately. Looking at the minced beef, interlaced with green and red peppers and glistening with oil, he sniffed and his eyes lit up. "Oh, this minced beef looks quite delicious!"