Chapter 45: You hit me!

The workers at the textile factory had long been suffering from the terrible food in the canteen!

Especially over the last two years, since the stir-fry section was opened. Master Xiao was transferred to be in charge of the stir-fry, and the quality of the large-pot communal dishes plummeted.

That much was one thing; if they wanted a change of pace, they could go to the stir-fry section and pay a little extra, and the taste was indeed quite good.

However, starting from the beginning of this year, the kitchen changed head chefs. Master Xiao was demoted, and the quality of the stir-fry also went into a tailspin, becoming increasingly unpalatable.

Even after paying extra, the food was so revolting it made them sick; this had become a common occurrence in the stir-fry section.

Whether a meal was edible or not depended entirely on luck.

Zhao Dong's words were like a match tossed into a powder keg.

"Are the large-pot dishes not meant for human consumption? The beef with potatoes—the beef is stewed until it's as mushy as cotton, and the potatoes are like sludge; you can't even pick them up with chopsticks!"

"The lotus flowers with pork cracklings are just boiled in plain water. You'd have to starve yourself before feeding that to a pig!"

"The water spinach is all wilted and limp; it's definitely leftovers from yesterday. I bet it wasn't even washed—a small stone nearly chipped my front tooth!"

The long-simmering anger of the crowd was ignited at that moment.

"I'm telling you, it's that son of a bitch Huang Fusheng! He's a parasite, occupying the nest without laying eggs. He's been sidelining and suppressing Master Xiao, causing all this mess."

"That plague of a man couldn't even pass the Level 3 chef exam, yet he managed to push Master Xiao, a Level 2 chef, down just so he could become the head chef. Wang Defa isn't any better; he's just practicing cronyism."

"A turtle hiding on a railroad track, pretending to be a big shot!"

"The factory allocates so much money, and this is what we get to eat? I bet some people are scraping the grease off chicken feet—and stuffing it into their own pockets!"

Soon, the topic shifted from complaining about the bad food to attacking Huang Fusheng and Wang Defa.

The insults were scathing.

"Zhao Dong, you bastard! How dare you curse me like that! And inciting the workers to cause trouble—I'll go out there and hack him to death!" Huang Fusheng, being verbally shredded in the kitchen, flew into a rage. He grabbed a bone cleaver from the knife rack and prepared to charge out.

The other chefs all poked their heads out to watch him, but not a single one tried to stop him.

Huang Fusheng rushed to the door but stopped, turning back to curse at the crowd: "You lot, why aren't you stopping me? If I really go out there and hack him, the canteen will be in huge trouble."

"Your little tricks are like paper lanterns—one poke and they burst. Why would we need to stop you?" Xiao Lei sneered.

The other chefs finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

Flushed with rage and embarrassment, Huang Fusheng eventually dropped the knife.

The commotion was significant, and Wang Defa didn't dare to step forward while being insulted.

In the end, it was the Deputy Factory Director in charge of the canteen, Liu Yusheng, who arrived. It took a great deal of persuasion to calm the workers down.

"We are aware of the needs and voices of our comrades. On behalf of the factory, I promise you that we will hold a meeting immediately to study this issue and ensure it is handled and resolved as quickly as possible," Deputy Director Liu promised solemnly.

"I've heard that same old rhetoric so many times my ears have calluses," Zhao Dong muttered a few words before getting up to leave.

"Zhao Dong, come to my office for a moment," Liu Yusheng called out to him, and they left together.

"Deputy Director Liu, about this matter..."

Liu Yusheng said with a stern face, "Your intentions were not wrong, but your method was somewhat inappropriate. You are a director, after all; you must be mindful of your influence. If things escalate and a collective incident occurs, how would we handle it?"

"You're right. I didn't think it through," Zhao Dong nodded, not arguing further.

...

"This broth is clear, yet the flavor is rich and incredibly savory. No wonder they can sell it for sixty cents a bowl and still sell so many a day," Zhou Jie remarked to Zhou Yan as the customers finished leaving.

He had been counting: they had sold sixty-four bowls of Qiaojiao Beef today, and every customer had praised it.

"I told you they could sell a hundred bowls, didn't I?" Zhou Yan smiled.

He hadn't actually been that busy this noon. He had only stir-fried six portions of minced beef with peppers, reheated four portions of beef with dried bamboo shoots and two portions of braised ribs, and spent an hour chatting with Zhou Momo, nearly falling asleep.

"I believe you. I definitely believe you," Zhou Jie nodded. Having just had a bowl of the soup, the difference in quality was so stark that he had no choice but to be impressed.

The recipe Zhou Yan had developed was far superior to his own.

If he could learn it, no soup stall at the docks would stand a chance!

"I heard from the workers that there was almost a fight at the factory canteen because the food was so bad. The workers were cursing Wang Defa and Huang Fusheng, and a deputy director had to come to control things," Zhao Tieying said, somewhat puzzled. "In such a large factory, how can they not even be able to cook a decent meal?"

The workers who arrived later were also discussing the incident, and both Zhou Jie and Zhao Hong looked at Zhou Yan with curiosity.

"When laypeople direct professionals and cronyism takes over, this kind of situation isn't surprising," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Even a chef as skilled as my master can only end up as a prep cook. Chefs with actual talent can't touch a ladle, while those who are good at flattery become masters. Do you think the food will be good?"

Everyone realized the implication and understood.

"How is your learning going with the blanched tripe and beef?" Zhou Yan asked Zhou Jie.

"Almost there. I just blanched a few bowls under Sister Siang's guidance," Zhou Jie said confidently.

Zhou Yan glanced at the system task bar

[Side Quest: Inheritance of Qiaojiao Beef. Apprentice: Zhou Jie. Learning Progress: 1/3]

"Not bad. You have a foundation. Come back for two more days tomorrow and the day after to consolidate, and you'll be ready to graduate," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Will do," Zhou Jie nodded, having no objections.

Just then, a bicycle pulled up outside the door.

Zhou Yan looked up, stood, and went out to greet him: "Uncle."

Zhou Weiguo was wearing his military uniform today—the one he wore when he returned from discharge. It looked quite new. Having changed his clothes, his spirit was completely different from yesterday; he looked upright and imposing, as if the Company Commander Zhou who used to lead charges had returned.

He parked the bicycle and said with a smile, "I just got back from the county and stopped by your restaurant on the way."

"What did the Personnel Bureau say?" Zhou Yan asked concernedly. This matter had been dragged out for four years, and he feared something might have gone wrong.

Zhou Weiguo said, "The Personnel Bureau held a meeting this morning to discuss it. There is no result yet, so they told me to come back and wait for notice. They will arrange the implementation as soon as possible."

"That's good then," Zhou Yan smiled. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? It just so happens we haven't eaten either. Let's have a simple meal together."

"Alright," Zhou Weiguo nodded and followed him inside.

Everyone greeted him.

Zhou Momo slid down from her chair and ran over quickly, her face full of joy: "Uncle! Uncle! Why are you here?"

"I came to see you." Zhou Weiguo smiled and reached into his pocket, handing two golden chocolate coins to Zhou Momo.

"Wow! Gold coins!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. She reached out to take them, looking incredibly happy. "Thank you, Uncle!"

"You're welcome." Zhou Weiguo's smile grew even brighter.

A familiar official at the Personnel Bureau had casually handed them to him, and he had carried them all the way back for Zhou Momo. Seeing her eyes sparkle with joy was sweeter than eating them himself.

"Shiny big gold coins, wow~ wow~ such beautiful big gold coins..." Zhou Momo took her coins and went to play elsewhere.

It was clear she truly loved shiny things.

In this era, showing off two gold coins when going out could make one's playmates envious for a long time. Usually, they wouldn't even dare to eat them once they got their hands on them.

As Zhou Yan went to cook, the others chatted in the shop, mostly about Zhou Hao's upcoming wedding, which was set for this Sunday.

Zhou Hao was Zhou Jie's younger brother, a non-commissioned officer in the army. He was taking leave to get married and would return three days before the wedding. The family was handling all the arrangements.

While the Erwa Restaurant was filled with harmony, the couple across the street, Zhou Liangliang and his wife, were already at each other's throats.

"I said we wouldn't move, but you insisted! Now look! Not a single bowl of noodles sold, not a single bowl of soup sold! Am I supposed to sit here and eat wind?" Wu Guihua stamped her feet in anger.

"Magic cloak..." Zhou Liangliang frowned and smoked. There was a pile of cigarette butts on the floor; even now, he couldn't understand why things had turned out this way.

"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! Just put it out! We spent so much money on this meat, vegetables, and noodles today. If we don't sell them, we've worked for nothing all month!" Wu Guihua slapped the cigarette out of Zhou Liangliang's mouth and gave him a death stare.

"I've spoiled you too much..." Zhou Liangliang raised his fist.

"Go ahead, hit me then!" Wu Guihua stepped forward directly, pressing her face against his fist. "Zhou Liangliang, you've become so mighty that you dare hit your wife?"

Zhou Liangliang's fist clenched and unclenched, but finally, he pulled it back. He cleared his throat twice and said, "I'll find a way. It's impossible that we won't sell even a single bowl. That makes no sense!"

...

After a simple meal, Zhou Weiguo and Zhou Jie headed back.

Zhou Yan stood at the restaurant entrance, watching Zhou Weiguo ride his bicycle alongside Zhou Jie. The wind blew through his empty left sleeve, making it impossible to tell that his leg was lame.

"Once Weiguo's job is arranged, matchmakers will be breaking down the threshold of the old house to propose to him," Zhao Tieying said with a beaming, gratified smile by his side. "He has finally come to his senses."

"Then you have to praise me. It was my idea that worked on Uncle," Zhou Yan said, tilting his head up with a proud smile.

"Is that so?"

"Kid."

"Aren't you my son?"

"Absolutely!"

...

Meng Anhe was wearing a dark brown wool coat today. She emerged from the residential compound with her two sons and reached out to grab Lin Zhiqiang's arm, asking with some doubt, "You're inviting the Factory Director to dinner, why did you choose Zhou Yan? You know his wife—she's so particular about food. If he just eats noodles, won't she spend the next six months badmouthing us?"