Chapter 2 Double Pepper Beef Noodles

Zhou Yan began to survey his restaurant. It covered 200 square meters. Excluding the large kitchen, the dining hall still had about 130 square meters. Even with twenty tables for eight people each table, it wasn't crowded at all. Electrical wiring was installed, and eight light bulbs were hung.

Most of the money he had spent on opening the restaurant went into purchasing these tables, chairs, and benches, made of very solid materials.

There was also a dam at the entrance that extended all the way to the riverbank, which could accommodate dozens of tables.

The kitchen was quite large. Little Zhou, who had learned cooking in the factory cafeteria, had planned it well, with areas for washing vegetables, cutting vegetables, cooking, and a separate cold dish room. All kinds of knives and kitchen utensils were available.

A three-burner earthen stove held two large iron pots and a soup pot, and neatly stacked half-man-high chopped oak wood was placed beside it.

Above the stove is a three-tiered condiment table. The top tier holds oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, the middle tier holds dried ingredients like Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, and the bottom tier contains jars of fermented black beans and pickled peppers—everything is readily available.

There's also an empty area next to it, allowing for great expansion.

That's why poor students have so much stationery.

Over 1,300 yuan was spent on this.

When self-employed individuals start a business, they usually set up a street stall to start their business. They don't need to pay rent or buy any equipment, and their main goal is to save money wherever possible.

But Zhou Yan absolutely loved this kitchen.

These two large iron woks weren't just for stir-frying, they could also easily cook noodles.

[Ding! Main Quest Released: Restaurant Influence Reaches 100 (Gain 1 Influence for Each Customer Approved). Accept: Yes/No]

[Mission Success Reward: A Random Recipe!]

A new quest suddenly appeared, and Zhou Yan decisively accepted it.

Zhou Yan went out and brought in an eight people table, placing it in the open space to the right of the entrance.

The cypress table is still brand new, the wooden boards are joined tightly with dovetail joints, and the table top is planed to a mirror-smooth finish. Carpenter Wang's craftsmanship was excellent.

This was his pastry area. Making hand-pulled noodles required a workbench.

He pulled a bag of flour from the cupboard, weighed it to one pound, added the appropriate amount of salt and water, and began kneading the dough.

Zhou Yan had absolutely no experience kneading dough, and neither had little Zhou ever touched pastry.

But once he placed his hands on the dough, he began to knead it unconsciously. With a deft push and pull, the wrinkled dough deformed freely in his hands, soon becoming smooth and soft.

He placed an enamel basin over the dough. He let it rise for a while before continuing to knead it. Repeat this process three times before can pull out the dough.

During this time, Zhou Yan checked the nearby shelf. There were still a dozen eggs, two bunches of wilted green and red peppers, and some aged ginger, garlic, and potatoes.

The restaurant was closed yesterday, so naturally, no food was prepared.

The restaurant didn't have a refrigerator, and the October weather wasn't cold enough, so the meat had to be bought fresh daily.

Zhou Yan pocketed the meat coupons and money, preparing to go out and buy some beef for the topping and try the dish first.

"Guo Guo! Guo Guo! Open the door! It's Momo!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by a soft, childish voice with a Sichuan accent.

An idea struck Zhou Yan, and he reached out to unbolt the door. The door flung open, and a small, round girl rushed in, about to fall to the ground.

Quick-witted, Zhou Yan grabbed her by the back of the collar and shoved her up.

Tiny and delicate, with big, round eyes, the baby fat still lingering on her face, her cheeks softer than dough, making you want to pinch it.

Zhou Yan looked at the three and a half year old girl in front him.

This is... my sister? So cute!

"Huh?" Zhou Momo glared at her short legs. Realizing she hadn't fallen, she looked up at him eagerly, grinning. "Guo Guo is amazing! You caught me!"

"I might not be able to catch you next time you drop." Zhou Yan reached out and pinched her face; it was indeed soft.

But the little one was a bit slow to react, so silly and adorable.

His parents had a daughter in their old age, and this youngest sister was the only daughter in the Zhou family. She had five older cousin brothers, a true darling.

Holding Zhou Momo, Zhou Yan looked at the two people standing outside the door.

The tall and thin middle-aged man on the left has dark skin and is wearing a navy blue Zhongshan suit. His back is straight and the patches on the elbows are stitched finely and neatly. His clothes are old and white, but they are washed clean. His right hand, which is full of calluses, is holding a piece of beef, which must be more than one pound.

The middle-aged woman on the right was short, wearing a blue Dacron shirt with yellow flowers. Her skin was fairer than that of the average country woman. Although there were a few fine lines around her eyes, her cheeks were rosy, giving her a lively and energetic look.

The woman's eyes, like Zhou Momo, were large and bright, and she smiled as she looked at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan opened his mouth. "Dad, Mom," the words were so unfamiliar to him; he had never called them that in his past life. Although little Zhou's memories and lingering emotions made him feel close to them, the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter them.

At this moment, Wang Laowu, who was selling noodles at the factory gate, came over and glanced into the restaurant. He muttered, "Didn't Zhou Erwa jump into the Qingyi River because his restaurant couldn't survive?"

The smile on Zhao Tieying's face suddenly froze. She turned to stare at Wang Laowu, pointed her finger at him, and angrily cursed, "You idiot! You look like a scabby bastard. You're incompetent, yet you're crooked and kicking. Take off your pants and hang yourself! Shame on you!"

"You have two balls hanging from your eyebrows. You can only blink but not see. How dare you make up stories about my son for no reason?"

"You...you bi**h..." Wang Laowu's face flushed red from the scolding.

"You son of a bi**h! You're so lucky to be rich that you won't see me, and you're so unlucky that you won't be happy together. If I hear you say bad things about my son again, I'll tear your mouth apart!" Zhao Tieying continued her outburst, lashing out at him again.

Wang Laowu clenched his fists and was about to charge forward.

Zhou Miao stepped forward, standing in front of Zhao Tieying. His face was stern, and the corner of his Zhongshan suit was lifted, revealing the boning knife hanging from his waist.

Wang Laowu paused, smirking, "Fourth brother, your wife is truly crooked." He turned and walked away.

Who dared to mess with Zhou Lao Si from Sha Niu Zhou Village?

"Get down!" Zhao Tieying spat at Wang Laowu's back.

"Get down!" Zhou Momo also cried out in a childish voice, clenching her fists.

Zhou Yan, feeling protected for the first time, felt a surge of warmth in his heart. In his previous life, he had always been bullied by others, and he had never experienced this kind of family affection. He couldn't help but blurt out:

"Dad, Mom, why are you here?"

After scolding Wang Laowu away, Zhao Tieying turned around, looked Zhou Yan up and down, and said, "Come see a hero! I heard a hero jumped into the Qingyi River to save a girl. Zhou Yan, why didn't I know you had such a skill before?"

Well, the Sichuan-Chongqing Tyrannosaurus transformed into a Yin-Yang Master.

"I just happened to be passing by and saw it. I couldn't just stand by and watch someone die," Zhou Yan scratched his head.

"Erwa did a good deed, too. I'm glad he's okay," Zhou Miao chimed in.

Zhao Tieying gave him a glare, but before she could say anything, Zhou Miao turned and said, "Your mother is right."

Zhou Yan: ???

Zhao Tieying clearly had a firm grasp in family status.

"There's enough mud to make a giant Buddha. You can't even swim, how dare you jump into the Qingyi River to save someone..." Zhao Tieying was halfway through her words when her eyes welled up and her voice choked.

Zhou Yan felt the care and affection he had once felt so elusive.

He could imagine how Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao had rushed to find him upon hearing the news.

Their son, Zhou Yan, was dead. From this day forward, he, having inherited Zhou Yan's memories and some of his emotions, was their son.

With both his parents and a lovely sister, Zhou Yan's resentment about his time travel completely dissipated.

"Mom, you're right. Next time I'll do what I can." Zhou Yan nodded solemnly.

"You dare do it again? I'll break your legs!" Zhao Tieying waved her fist.

"I wouldn't dare." Zhou Yan immediately admitted defeat. He put Zhou Momo down and reached out to take the beef from Zhou Miao's hand. "I was just planning to go get some beef for the toppings. You guys probably haven't had lunch yet, right? I'll make you some double pepper beef noodles."

"Okay, okay! Momo loves noodles!" Zhou Momo followed Zhou Yan into the kitchen.

"Yes, we haven't had lunch yet, but when did you learn how to make noodles?" Zhao Tieying followed him in, a puzzled look on her face.

"I learned it a long time ago, I just didn't make it for you all before," Zhou Yan said casually.

When little Zhou was learning to cook, he lived and ate at the factory and didn't go home often. Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao didn't really know much about his cooking skills, otherwise they wouldn't have lent him so much money to open this restaurant.

Zhou Miao closed the door and said thoughtfully, "Why don't you keep the beef and cook it for the guests? We're just family, so we can just serve it with some plain noodles."

"Yes, such a good piece of sirloin! Your dad saved it for you. We can't afford meat anymore." Zhao Tieying nodded.

"I'm planning to start selling noodles tomorrow. I have to get some people to taste them before I sell them, or if no I won't feel comfortable," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao fell silent upon hearing this. They glanced at the bare wall. The original menu had vanished, leaving only a few glue marks.

"Why is this a noodle shop again?" Zhou Miao whispered.

"Who knows?" Zhao Tieying curled her lips. "Only the boss knows how expensive oil and salt are. Without all those fancy things, selling noodles can save some money. But does this kid really know how to make noodles? We have no shortage of noodle shops in town."

Zhou Yan carried the beef into the kitchen. He kneaded the risen noodles again, then covered them again to let them rise again before beginning to process the beef.

This grass-fed yellow beef was of excellent quality, and the long cut was a highly sought-after cut, suitable for stir-frying or blanching, and impossible to find at the supply and marketing cooperative.

His father was a butcher from Zhou Village, a renowned butchering village in Jiazhou. He had five brothers, four of whom were butchers. As the fourth of the five, he was known as Zhou Lao Si, known for his skill and reputation.

Butchers made their living from their craft. His father earned sixty or seventy yuan a month butchering cattle, more than an average worker at the textile factory. His family was well-off, so they were able to give him five hundred yuan in savings to open a shop and raise the plump little Zhou Momo.

Zhou Yan had squandered his and his wife's savings opening this restaurant, even accumulating a debt.

He also knew what it felt like to cause trouble for his father.

However, having a father who was a butcher made buying beef much easier, and the prices were more reliable than in the black market.

This pound of beef sold for 1.2 yuan at the supply and marketing cooperative, but 2.8 yuan in the black market—more than double the price.

Meat at the supply and marketing cooperative was hard to come by without a ticket, and even queuing up in the early morning hours wasn't guaranteed to get the cut you wanted.

First, cut the beef into strips and then into small dices. Grab a handful of pickled peppers and ginger from the kimchi jar and dice them finely. Smash the peeled garlic before chopping it to ensure a nice, grainy texture.

The bright red chili peppers and emerald green twigs were first cut into rings and then chopped finely, then placed on a plate and set aside.

Zhou Yan's knife skills were truly impressive now; his hands could perfectly keep up with his mind.

"Guo Guo is amazing!"

Zhou Momo pulled a small stool to the side and watched, exclaiming in amazement, her emotional value overflowing.

After preparing the dishes, Zhou Yan kneaded the dough once more, until it had become soft and smooth.

Two pots burned simultaneously: one boiling water, the other wok frying the vegetables.

Zhou Momo couldn't sit still any longer. She ran over, grabbed a piece of oak wood about her own height, and sauntered over to Zhou Yan, glancing triumphantly. "Guo Guo, look how capable I am."

"Amazing!" Zhou Yan complimented with a smile.

Zhou Momo, energized by the compliment, stuffed the wood into the stove, muttering, "I'm feeding the stove."

Once the wok was hot, he poured in a spoonful of rapeseed oil. Zhou Yan then scooped a small spoonful of glistening lard from a nearby enamel basin.

Zhao Tieying, standing at the kitchen doorway, craned her neck to watch, a look of pain on her face. "That kid! Two spoonfuls of oil is enough for us to cook for a week."

"More oil makes food more fragrant. It's definitely different at home than at a restaurant. Erwa's a professional chef, after all," Zhou Miao said with a smile.

"Professional, what's that? Twice-cooked pork isn't as fragrant as mine," Zhao Tieying muttered.

"That's right," Zhou Miao nodded hurriedly.

Zhou Yan was completely focused on the wok in front of him. He knew the recipe for double pepper beef by heart, but since it was his first time, he was still a little nervous.

Heat the oil and add the ground beef.

The wok sizzled, and the spatula quickly slid the diced meat, instantly filling the air with a fragrant aroma.

The ground beef quickly changed color in the hot oil. Once lightly browned, pickled ginger, pickled chili peppers, and minced garlic were added, along with a dash of soy sauce. The aroma instantly blossomed.

"Gulp."

Zhou Momo swallowed loudly, tiptoeing to peek over the stove, revealing only a small portion of her head. "What a nice smell!"

"Don't let the oil splash on you." Zhao Tieying hurried over and scooped her up, unable to resist peering into the wok. The aroma was truly enticing; Zhou Yan's cooking had never smelled like this before.

Season with salt and a dash of MSG, then add the chili peppers and chopped Er Hu Tiao chili and stir-fry until evenly combined. Remove from the wok and place in a clay bowl. A double pepper beef stew is ready.

The glistening green and red peppers were vibrant, the slightly browned minced meat was distinct, and the spicy and meaty aroma blended together, creating an incredibly tempting experience.

Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao, who had been busy all morning, couldn't help but gulp.

This noodle stew looks delicious! They wonder what it tastes like?

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***