Chapter 14: Chapter 9: Big Sister, You’re So Cute...

Zhao Tieying sat on the back of the bicycle, humming a little tune all the way back to Zhou Village.

At the village entrance, under a large tree, a group of women were cracking sunflower seeds and laying down a Dragon Gate Formation.

"Slow down." Zhao Tieying tugged on Zhou Miao’s clothes, and the bicycle’s speed immediately dropped.

"The Iron Maiden is in a good mood today, huh? Coming back humming a tune." An older woman spoke up with a smile. Everyone’s gaze fell upon Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao.

Zhou the Fourth was a skilled Cow Slaughterer, and after the restrictions on slaughtering were lifted, he was one of the first in Zhou Village to get a license. Zhao Tieying was a quick and capable worker, and their prosperous life inevitably made others envious.

But then they had to have a black sheep like Zhou Yan, who dared to open his own restaurant and become a private entrepreneur after just two and a half years as an apprentice in the factory cafeteria.

Not only did he drain his parents’ savings, but he also racked up a mountain of debt. Recently, his family had become the laughingstock of Zhou Village, a topic for idle gossip.

It was only because Zhou Miao had many brothers, all skilled in cow slaughtering, and because Zhao Tieying was a sharp-tongued shrew who never held back, that most people didn’t dare to gossip to their faces.

Zhao Tieying was such a proud person, but lately, whenever they passed the village entrance, she’d keep her head down and tell Zhou Miao to ride faster, not wanting to hear the old gossips’ idle chatter.

"Nanny Wang, I suppose you’ve heard that my Zhou Yan saved Vice Director Lin of the silk factory’s niece?" Zhao Tieying tugged Zhou Miao’s hem, and the bicycle came to a halt. Her voice rose a few notches. "Today, Vice Director Lin came to thank Zhou Yan. He brought him a brand new 28-inch roadster and insisted he take it. He even said he was going to nominate him as some sort of ’Spiritual Civilization Model Citizen.’ What’s more, business at the restaurant was great today, so busy we could barely keep up."

The village entrance fell silent. Only Zhao Tieying’s crisp laughter and the crackling of a bonfire echoed in the air.

A 28-inch roadster was a major purchase. Even a textile factory worker would have to save up more than half a year’s salary, and they’d still need to be allocated a bicycle coupon to even buy one.

There were only a handful of bicycles in all of Zhou Village, and only the Cow Slaughterers could afford them.

Looking at the shocked, envious, and jealous faces all around her, the smile on Zhao Tieying’s face grew even wider. She lifted her chin like a triumphant general. "Well, I won’t keep you all. I’m heading home to wash up and sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow to help at the shop."

Zhou Miao immediately pedaled the bicycle away.

"A 28-inch roadster! Zhou Yan really hit the jackpot!"

"The vice director of the silk factory... That Zhou Yan has really latched onto a powerful connection!"

"And his restaurant business is picking up too. No wonder Zhao Tieying is so smug..."

Zhao Tieying pricked up her ears, listening to the discussions behind her. She laughed so hard she shook. All the frustration that had been building up in her heart lately was released in an instant.

"Mom, what are you laughing at?" Zhou Momo asked, looking back at her curiously.

"I just thought of something happy, that’s all," Zhao Tieying replied with a laugh.

"Hee hee hee, then I’m happy too..."

...

Zhou Yan fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Wang the Fifth and his wife, however, tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

"We sold ten fewer bowls today than yesterday. That Zhou Yan has stolen all our customers. What are we going to do?" Wang the Fifth’s wife said, her face wracked with worry.

Wang the Fifth exhaled a puff from his dry pipe and waved his hand dismissively. "It’s nothing. Today was just Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong drumming up support for him. The people who went for noodles were just giving those two face and joining in on the excitement."

"He sells a bowl of noodles for sixty cents. Even if the workers’ wages are a bit higher, they can’t afford to eat like that every day. In a couple of days, they’ll be back here."

"Really?"

"Don’t worry. Wasn’t Zhou Yan Restaurant bustling for a couple of days when it first opened, too? What good did that do? That Zhou Yan just doesn’t have what it takes to be a Chef and run a restaurant."

...

Zhou Yan was up bright and early again. He started by changing the water for the dried bamboo shoots, then washed his face with cold water.

A body used to regular labor was different. He woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy, not at all like a fragile college student.

After strapping the wicker basket to the back seat of his 28-inch roadster, Zhou Yan rode off to buy groceries.

When he arrived at the wet market, he activated [Food Identification]. The quality of all the ingredients became clear at a glance. He even made sure to pick only the chili peppers that were noted as ’Excellent’.

"Zhou Yan, the pork belly and ribs are real nice today. If you want them, I’ll give you a good price." As Zhou Yan passed a meat stall, the Knife Maker called out to him, speaking mysteriously, "One-sixty a catty. If you buy it all, I’ll knock off another ten cents."

One-sixty a catty was indeed a cheap price.

Zhou Yan glanced over. The pork on the stall was pale, but its label was a bright, vivid red: [A pile of un-fresh, diseased pork]

Zhou Yan used a lot of meat for his restaurant, so all the Knife Makers in town knew him.

"Why is the meat a little pale?" Zhou Yan asked nonchalantly.

"This is from a pig my own grand-uncle raised! The meat’s fantastic, don’t you worry. I, Wang Qi, have been selling meat for years. Would I cheat a kid like you?" the Knife Maker said, patting his chest.

"A pity I’ve switched to selling noodles. I don’t have a use for this meat," Zhou Yan said with a look of regret, then turned and left.

’Selling noodles?’ Wang Qi scratched his head, then turned his gaze to the next sucker.

In this era of scarcity, selling meat from diseased pigs or sick cows wasn’t unheard of. But trying to swindle a youngster like Zhou Yan who he assumed didn’t know better was going too far. It was possible the old Zhou had been ripped off like this before.

Zhou Yan hadn’t planned on getting involved, but as he was about to leave after buying his groceries, he saw Wang Qi trying to push his wares onto an old granny. He moved to an empty spot, took out a notebook and pen, and scribbled a few lines. He tore out the page, folded it, and as he rode past the market administration office, he casually tossed it inside. It landed squarely on a desk.

Whether the people in the administration office would do anything, and whether Wang Qi would be punished, was beyond his control.

Zhou Yan went to Zhang the Third’s stall to pick up the three catties of ribs he had ordered. The price was still one-ninety a catty, and the Identification gave its assessment: [A cut of fresh, high-quality pork ribs]

It was thirty cents more per catty, but it meant his customers could eat high-quality ribs. Zhou Yan felt better about the money he was earning this way.

"You kid, you’re really something else, huh? A life-saving hero now. After I finish selling my meat at noon, I’ll come to your shop for some noodles," Zhang the Third said, looking at Zhou Yan with genuine admiration. This wasn’t just empty politeness today.

"Sounds good," Zhou Yan replied with a smile and rode away. The big red flower on his handlebars seemed even more vibrant.

First, he set the bone broth to simmer, then he put the beef brisket and ribs on to stew. Only then did he start kneading the dough. With yesterday’s experience, Zhou Yan was now able to manage his time effectively.

With his mother helping out now, selling noodles was manageable. But if he planned to add new items later, like reintroducing stir-fry dishes, he would have to seriously consider how to make the restaurant run more efficiently.

Of course, Zhou Yan wasn’t going to be satisfied with just running a noodle shop.

Zhao Tieying also arrived very early today. Zhou Momo was still asleep, carried on her back in the wicker basket, wrapped in a small blanket.

"Mom, you should come a little later next time. It’s dark and the roads aren’t safe," Zhou Yan said as he carefully lifted Zhou Momo out and placed her on his own bed to continue sleeping.

"Oh, so you *do* know the roads aren’t safe? Then why didn’t you think to swing back from the slaughterhouse and pick the two of us up? You were certainly pedaling fast enough," Zhao Tieying shot him a look.

"Right, will do next time," Zhou Yan said, scratching his head in embarrassment. He had been so focused on buying groceries that the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

While Zhou Yan kneaded the dough, Zhao Tieying was in charge of watching the fire. She also watched him intently when he was braising and stir-frying the ingredients.

"Mom, do you want to be a Chef too?" Zhou Yan asked casually.

"One Chef in the family is enough. I’m just watching how you masters cook so my own cooking can get a little better." Zhao Tieying looked at the meat in the pot, a little worried. "You’ve prepared so much meat today. Will you be able to sell it all?"

"It’s not that much. As long as the morning rush is good, it’ll be fine," Zhou Yan said confidently.

Today he had prepared ingredients for ninety bowls of noodles, only thirty more than yesterday. It wasn’t too aggressive.

The toppings and meat sauces were ready, two large pots of water were boiling, and between them, the stockpot of bone broth was simmering on low heat. GURGLE GURGLE... The aroma was overwhelming.

After working hard all morning, they couldn’t keep going on an empty stomach. Zhou Yan cooked two bowls of noodles.

"Just put some leafy greens in mine. I want to eat something light in the morning," Zhao Tieying said, bringing over two large "sea bowls".

"Then why are you adding so much chili oil?" Zhou Yan scoffed. After pulling the noodles from the pot, he ladled a big spoonful of braised beef with dried bamboo shoots into her bowl.

"Not so much, can I even eat all that..." Zhao Tieying picked up her bowl as if afraid Zhou Yan would add more, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but turn up.

’This son of mine has really become sensible and filial,’ she thought. ’Raising him wasn’t a waste after all.’

Just as Zhou Yan was about to fish out the remaining noodles from the pot, Zhou Momo, drawn by the smell, appeared at the door. She stood there rubbing her sleepy eyes, a happy look on her face. "Is it time to eat?"

"Yup, time to eat." Zhou Yan got her a small bowl and served her first.

"Momo is super hungry, I’m gonna eat three bowls today!" Zhou Momo came closer, holding up a small hand in a V-sign.

Zhou Yan helped her unfold another finger. "This is three."

The little one wasn’t bluffing. She polished off three small bowls of noodles, her little face shiny with oil. As she got down from the table, she didn’t forget to give Zhou Yan a thumbs-up. "So yummy! I’ll eat three bowls next time too!"

After breakfast, Zhou Yan opened the restaurant’s main doors. Outside, the sky was already bright.

Across the street, Wang the Fifth’s noodle stall had a pot of water boiling. It was steaming, and he was setting up tables and chairs.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Wang the Fifth looked up, made eye contact with Zhou Yan, and immediately turned his head away with a huff.

People in the same trade are rivals, and this is even more true when their shops are right across from each other.

Zhou Yan just smiled, not paying Wang the Fifth’s reaction any mind.

’When you run a restaurant, you let your skills do the talking. The customers themselves will decide who’s better.’

After six-thirty, workers started arriving for their shifts.

Today, Wang the Fifth and his wife, Liu Fang, had deliberately changed into new aprons. They stood in front of their noodle stall with forced smiles, ready to greet customers with a fresh look.

However, they wouldn’t be smiling for long.

The bicycles were all parking in front of Zhou Yan Restaurant. In no time, there were six or seven of them.

Even two of their own regulars showed up. For some reason, they were wearing hats today, walking with their heads tilted as if afraid of being recognized, and slipped into Zhou Yan Restaurant.

"What’s going on? They’re all going across the street! And that Wang Jianming and Liu the Eighth, deliberately wearing hats... I recognized them in a second! Don’t they only eat our noodles?" Liu Fang stomped her foot in frustration.

Normally, they would have made their first sale by now, but today they didn’t have a single customer. They could only watch the lively scene across the street.

"They’re just joining in on the excitement. Don’t panic, don’t panic," Wang the Fifth said in a low voice.

But his lowered hands were trembling slightly. A bitter feeling welled up in his heart, as if his wife had run off with another man right in front of him.

He’d been cuckolded.

Whether they were just there for the novelty or not, his business today was definitely ruined. The noodles and toppings he had prepared were all going to go to waste. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Why do we have to be so sneaky just to get a bowl of noodles? It’s like we’re having an affair."

"Did you see the look on Wang the Fifth and his wife’s faces? Thirty percent shock, thirty percent confusion, and forty percent rage. He was one step away from grabbing us and asking, ’Didn’t I give you a discount?’ Who could stand that?"

"Gah! Hurry up, you slowpoke!"

Wang Jianming and Liu the Eighth walked quickly into Zhou Yan Restaurant and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In one morning, Wang the Fifth only managed to sell three bowls of noodles, and all of them were to relatives or close acquaintances who felt too awkward to go to the opposite stall under his watchful gaze.

In contrast, Zhou Yan’s side hadn’t stopped for a moment. He cooked pot after pot of noodles. The "sea bowls" returned to the kitchen had already filled four wooden tubs.

Even the "child laborer" Zhou Momo was assigned to greeting duty at the door.

"Welcome, come eat noodles."

"Big sister, you’re so pretty."

"Big sister, your skin is so fair."

"Come eat noodles again next time, okay?"

"Bye-bye."

...

Zhou Momo was a little chatterbox and a social butterfly who could strike up a conversation with anyone. She was cute, knew how to give compliments, and provided plenty of emotional value. She had the female workers completely charmed, and some even gave her candy.

With her pockets full of candy, Zhou Momo’s chatter became even more frequent.

Zhou Yan came out with noodles a few times and felt that the little tyke was just there to scam people for food and drinks. But her cuteness was an unbeatable weapon, and her success rate was remarkably high.

As eight o’clock approached, the workers hurried off to clock in for their shifts, and the number of people in the shop gradually dwindled.

Just then, a ruby-red Phoenix-brand bicycle stopped in front of the restaurant, and a young woman hopped off the back seat.

Zhou Momo, who was sitting on a small stool by the door eating candy, looked up. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell slightly agape. "Big sister, you’re so... so pretty..."