Chương 26: This restaurant is no ordinary place.

Zhou Momo sat at the restaurant entrance eating noodles, clear broth pork rib noodles, one bite after another, enjoying it immensely. She was too young, so she could only occasionally taste a little; usually, Zhou Yan didn't put any spice in the noodles or rice he fed her. The large bowl of noodles and soup was filled with small sips, and she finished the soup completely. Zhao Tieying and Zhao Hong chatted at the entrance, taking a break before washing the dishes.

Zhou Yan also lay down on the bamboo chair, preparing to take a nap; he had gotten up far too early that morning.

"Mom!"

"Fourth Grandma!" Two loud, clear voices rang out. Zhou Yan opened her eyes and saw two boys, one big and one small, running towards her. The older one was about 1. 6 meters tall, wearing a blue imitation military jacket, with a cloth bag slung across his shoulder. His hair was cut very short, his head was round, and his eyes were big and bright; he looked very energetic. The younger one looked about six or seven years old, and he looked exactly like the older one, a miniature version.

His clothes didn't fit him well; the sleeves and pant legs were rolled up several times, clearly wearing his brother's clothes. Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan, these two brothers are Zhao Hong's two sons, his nephews. They ran incredibly fast, arriving at the shop entrance in no time. Seeing Zhou Yan, they called out crisply, "Uncle!"

"Huihui, Fanwa, did you run here? You're all sweaty." Zhou Yan sat up, looking at the two boys, their heads steaming and faces still damp with sweat, and asked with a smile.

"Hehe." The two chuckled, their eyes furtively glancing towards Zhao Hong.

"Why are you running? You'll get all sweaty and catch a cold, or I'll give you a piece of my mind!" Zhao Hong grabbed one of them, grabbed a towel, and first dried their heads, then their backs. The two brothers huddled like quails, grinning foolishly, not daring to resist at all, quite like their father. Zhou Momo had already put down her chopsticks and came over, her little hands behind her back. After the two boys were cleaned up, she said expectantly, "My turn! My turn!"

"What?" Everyone looked at her simultaneously. Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan's eyes were filled with laughter, their faces beaming with joy.

"Call me! Huihui and Fanwa haven't called me yet," Zhou Momo said, smiling at the two. Zhou Yan paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh; the little guy had been waiting for this.

"Call me! Don't you even know how to call your auntie?" Zhao Hong also patted the two with a smile. The two brothers, Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan, scratched their heads, exchanged glances, and said somewhat shyly, "Auntie."

"Yes, good boy," Zhou Momo responded loudly, laughing happily. Seeing Zhou Momo smile, the two brothers laughed along with her. Although Zhou Momo was only three and a half years old, she was indeed their auntie, and the cutest auntie at that.

"Huihui, Fanwa, have you eaten yet? If not, ask your uncle to cook you some noodles," Zhao Tieying asked, looking at the two. Zhou Lihui replied, "Fourth Grandma, we've eaten. Mom left us some sweet potato porridge, and we ate half a pot. We're so full."

"Yeah, we're full," Zhou Lifan said, rubbing his stomach.

"I'm full too. I'll take you to play on the seesaw," Zhou Momo said, taking their hands on either side as they walked.

"I have a really fun secret base..." She was quite the auntie.

"Huihui, keep an eye on your auntie and Fanwa!" Zhao Hong said.

"Okay!" Zhou Lihui replied. Zhou Lihui was fifteen this year, practically a little adult, so taking the two kids out to play was quite reassuring. Just as Zhou Yan was about to lie down, she saw a shuttle bus arrive and stop at the textile factory gate. The car door opened, and twenty or thirty young men and women stepped out, all dressed quite fashionably.

Leading them was a middle-aged man with glasses, wearing a black Zhongshan suit, slender, with his hair neatly parted in a side parting, exuding a scholarly air. Several people from the textile factory quickly came out to greet them, led by Lin Zhiqiang, with the others also being leaders from the factory.

"Look, isn't that Xia Yao?" Zhao Tieying, with her sharp eyes, spotted Xia Yao in the crowd at a glance.

"Looks like these are all university students from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute." Zhou Yan also quickly spotted Xia Yao in the crowd; she was tall and had fair skin, making her quite conspicuous. Xia Yao was also looking towards the restaurant. Her eyes met Zhou Yan's, and she smiled slightly at him. Zhou Yan nodded slightly in greeting, surprised that Xia Yao had returned.

Lin Zhiqiang shook hands with the teacher in charge, Su Jun, and then said loudly, "Dear teachers and students of the Arts and Crafts Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, I am Lin Zhiqiang, the deputy director of Jiaozhou Textile Factory. Welcome to visit and learn, and to investigate school-enterprise cooperation..." While listening to Lin Zhiqiang's words, the students couldn't help but glance towards Zhou Erwa's restaurant. It smelled so good!

A large pot stood at the entrance of the restaurant, and the rich aroma of beef wafted from the gaps in the lid. Although they had already eaten breakfast in Jiaozhou, the smell was truly too tempting. Even the teacher in charge glanced over a few times. Besides the large pot, many people also noticed Zhou Yan sitting under the tree.

"Hey! Xia Yao, isn't that your savior from the painting?" Deng Hong blurted out, "His name is Zhou... Zhou something again?"

"Zhou Yan!" Zhu Yuyu followed, "He's even more handsome in person than in the painting! He looks so tall." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Their words reached the ears of the students, and everyone looked at Zhou Yan. They had all heard that Xia Yao had an accident a few days ago, but they didn't know the specifics. It seemed to be related to that young man.

Zhou Yan was wearing a white chef's uniform, with deep and defined features, looking refreshing and handsome, quite different from the chefs they usually saw. Su Jun's gaze also fell on Zhou Yan upon hearing this. Just then, Lin Zhiqiang's speech ended, so he asked, "Deputy Factory Director Lin, is this the restaurant run by your factory?" Lin Zhiqiang smiled and introduced, "Zhou Erwa Restaurant is a privately run restaurant.

The owner, Zhou Yan, is a good young man who responded to the call to develop the individual economy. Their noodles and 'Qiaojiao Beef' are very delicious. If you have the chance, you students can try it."

" Qiaojiao Beef? What's that? Is it a specialty of Suzhou?" Deng Hong whispered in Xia Yao's ear. She was a foodie, and when she went to university in the mountain city, she gained ten pounds in a year.

"I don't know either. This dish wasn't on the last menu," Xia Yao shook her head, also curious about what it was.

"Okay, we'll try it sometime. It smells really good," Su Jun nodded with a smile, staring at the stove at the restaurant entrance for a while. Zhou Yan seemed thoughtful; so these were university students visiting to learn. In his eyes, these were thirty new opportunities to boost his reputation. Unfortunately, the textile factory would definitely host them in the factory canteen, making it difficult for him to secure such guests. What a pity!

"College students have such a different air about them, they all look so sophisticated," Zhao Hong murmured, her eyes full of admiration.

"Absolutely, cultured people speak differently," Zhao Tieying nodded in agreement. Lin Zhiqiang led the group from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute into the factory, showing them around the factory buildings, workshops, and exhibition area. This visit was initiated by him after reporting to the factory director, who took it very seriously and arranged a high-level reception.

Jiaozhou Textile Factory produces silk products and introduced imported automatic silk reeling machines last year, placing its technology among the top tier in China. Its products are mainly sold abroad, accounting for 60% of Jiaozhou's foreign trade. Although the export situation is currently good, the former factory director also approved of his suggestions on brand building and extended an invitation to the Arts and Crafts Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, who were in Jiaozhou for research.

The invitation was sent to Sichuan Fine Arts Institute at the beginning of the month, but they only received a definite reply the day before yesterday. Talented people who understand brand building and advertising are rare, so Lin Zhiqiang was somewhat surprised that the teachers and students of the Arts and Crafts Department could come, and naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to establish cooperation.

In the morning, a shuttle bus was chartered to pick up twenty-seven students and three accompanying teachers from Jiaozhou and bring them to the textile factory. The visit lasted all morning. At 11: 30, nearing the workers' lunch break, Lin Zhiqiang led the group to the factory canteen. The factory had approved a meal allowance for the teachers and students—two yuan per meal, a very generous amount. Wang Defa, the canteen director, was already standing at the entrance.

He had been informed that he would be hosting students from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute for lunch today, and the kitchen had made considerable preparations. Recently, the canteen's stir-fry business had declined, and he planned to use these students as advertising: "The students all say it's delicious!" in an attempt to win back some customers.

Seeing the group approaching, Wang Defa straightened his collar and greeted them with a broad smile: "Welcome teachers and students from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute to the factory canteen for lunch." Su Jun paused, and the students behind him also stopped.

"Vice Director Lin, is our morning visit over?" Su Jun asked Lin Zhiqiang.

"Yes," Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile, "It's lunchtime now, so I brought the teachers and students to the factory canteen for lunch. The factory has approved a meal allowance."

"Our factory canteen is also ready. Braised pork belly, salted pork belly, steamed spare ribs, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and various stir-fries are all personally prepared by experienced chefs, ensuring that the students eat with peace of mind and satisfaction." Wang Defa added with a smile, preparing to lead the students to the canteen. Su Jun didn't respond to him, but looked at Lin Zhiqiang and asked, "Deputy Factory Director Lin, is this meal allowance applicable anywhere?

Or does it have to be eaten at your factory canteen?"

"This…" Lin Zhiqiang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Of course, you can eat anywhere. Director Su doesn't want to eat at the factory canteen? If you want to eat at a state-run restaurant, I can arrange for a shuttle bus to take you there." Wang Defa became a little anxious upon hearing this. It was just after work, and the workers who came to the canteen for lunch were curiously observing this group of college students.

The department head was leading his students to eat at a state-run restaurant instead of the factory cafeteria, which was a slap in the face, implying the food was bad. While it's true the chefs at the state-run restaurant were a bit less skilled after Xiao Lei went to work as a cook, they shouldn't know that since it was their first time in Suji.

"No need for that," Su Jun smiled, "we'll just have lunch at Zhou Erwa's restaurant near the entrance. We have a seminar this afternoon, so it's convenient." He added, "That restaurant is quite special; I'm planning to give my students a lesson there."

"Ah?" A surprised exclamation rang out at the factory cafeteria entrance.