Chapter 156 - 126: One Must Suffer in Private to Shine in Public
"That’s right, there’s not a single bit left," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Besides, you were actually full from that first bowl. You just ate so fast your brain hasn’t caught up yet. You’ll feel full in a moment. Eating too much puts a strain on your body and is unhealthy."
"Alright, we’ll come earlier next time," Huang Ying said with a nod. "So, what time do you open for lunch?"
"The factory workers get off at eleven-thirty, so we open at eleven-thirty," Zhou Yan said.
"Okay." Huang Ying nodded, pulled a wallet from her small pink purse, counted out six mao, and handed it to Zhou Yan. She smiled. "He’s paying for his own."
"Huh?" Huang Bing’s eyes widened in a panic. He slapped his pockets—empty. His heart sank.
"Dearest sister, could you spot me?" Huang Bing whispered, sidling up to Huang Ying.
"Mom just gave you ten yuan yesterday. I saw it." Huang Ying stared him down. "You must have gone drinking with that gang of yours again. Got money for booze but none for food, huh? Fine, you can stay behind and wash dishes for the owner."
Huang Bing gritted his teeth. "I’ll pay you back double when we get home."
"You promised! If you don’t pay me back, I’m telling Mom you’ve got a new girlfriend." Huang Ying pulled out her wallet.
"Wait, how did you know?" Huang Bing stared, his face a picture of shock.
’I just got a new one yesterday! Who squealed?’
"Don’t you worry about that. Just make sure you pay up when we get back." Huang Ying handed over the money and walked out the door, looking smug.
"We’re leaving," Huang Bing called out to Zhou Yan before hurrying to catch up.
The siblings got on their bikes and left the textile mill, then, as if by unspoken agreement, they stopped in front of a noodle shop in Suji Town.
The two exchanged a look.
"Another bowl?"
"Your treat?"
"Let’s go!"
The two sat down, and each ordered a bowl of noodles.
Before long, the noodles arrived.
They both picked up their chopsticks, took a bite, and fell silent.
"How am I suddenly not hungry?" Huang Ying asked, surprised. ’This doesn’t make sense. I can usually polish off at least two bowls like this.’
’Huang Ying, Huang Ying! What’s wrong with you? You were starving a moment ago, so how can you not eat now? Did someone put a hex on me?’ Huang Ying tried to figure it out.
"I’m not hungry either..." Huang Bing poked at the mixed noodles in his bowl. He had taken one bite, and the difference in quality was honestly staggering.
’The minced pork topping is watery and bland, with a slightly gamey smell. Plus, the noodles are overcooked and mushy, and they don’t even hold the sauce.’
’Even though this bowl was two mao cheaper, the quality was worlds apart.’
The two exchanged another look, paid, and left.
The owner came to clear the table and looked at the barely touched bowls of noodles, puzzled. "That’s weird. Why’d they leave after one bite? Is there something wrong with the noodles today?"
He even grabbed a clean pair of chopsticks to try a bite, which only made him more confused. "Tastes fine to me."
"Zhou Yan is incredible! He said we were full, and we really couldn’t eat another bite. Wasting a whole bowl of noodles... the last time I did that was three years ago!" Huang Ying said with admiration as they pedaled along slowly.
"You only weighed a hundred and thirty pounds back then; one bowl was enough for you," Huang Bing said with a laugh, riding beside her. "But Zhou Yan’s noodles really are something else. Too bad his shop isn’t in Jiazhou. It’s such a hassle coming all the way out here just for a meal!"
Huang Ying squeezed her brakes and nodded. "You’re right! This trip is too much trouble. I’m going to find a riverside teahouse, lean back in a deck chair, and take a nice long nap. Then I’ll head straight to the restaurant when it’s time for lunch. How perfect is that!"
"No, wait! Mom said I only get my allowance if we both report back to her for all three meals. You have to come home with me," Huang Bing said, getting anxious.
"That’s your problem. What’s it got to do with me? I have plenty of spending money," Huang Ying said smugly.
"So you’re not coming back, is that it?" Huang Bing sneered. "Fine. I’ll go home, unwrap all your chocolates, melt them down, and pour them into the toilet!"
With that, he slammed his foot on the pedal and took off.
"Huang Bing, you dare! I’ll kill you!" Huang Ying furiously pedaled in pursuit.
...
"Grandma, if we split this pot of braising liquid in two, won’t the flavor get too diluted?" Zhou Yan asked the old woman, pulling out a second aluminum pot.
"It won’t be a problem. You’re braising seven or eight pig heads and more than a dozen trotters a day now. That’s a huge volume, and this liquid is more than concentrated enough. You can split it, just make sure to replenish the spices, caramelized sugar, and salt." The old woman brought over a jar she’d carried in that morning. "Come on. Today, I’ll teach you how to caramelize sugar."
The first batch was already done. The beef, pig’s head meat, and pig ears, having soaked for the proper amount of time, were removed and placed into baskets lined with clean cheesecloth. Comrade Zhou was in charge of delivering them.
Zhou Yan washed the iron wok and leaned in for a look. The jar was filled with rock sugar, a good four or five pounds of it.
"Those two kids from earlier," the old woman asked casually, "how is it one is so chubby and the other is rail-thin? Does their family favor the girl over the boy?"
Zhou Yan chuckled. "I doubt that’s it. Their family owns a restaurant, Feiyan Restaurant at the Jiazhou City Wall. It’s supposedly one of the four major restaurants in Jiazhou."
"Feiyan Restaurant?" The old woman looked at him. "You don’t mean Huang Silang’s Feiyan Restaurant, do you?"
Zhou Yan: Huh?