Chương 5: The 28-inch bicycle

The traffic in front of the factory gate slowed down. Customers at Wang Laowu's noodle stall all looked over at the sound. Wang Laowu's hand, gripping noodles, paused, staring in surprise at Lin Zhiqiang shaking hands with Zhou Yan, his smile freezing. Two years ago, the silk factory imported foreign looms, and Lin Zhiqiang was transferred to be the deputy factory director, in charge of production technology.

In the past two years, the silk factory's output and profits had steadily increased, and he was quite prestigious in the factory.

"Zhou Yan saved Deputy Factory Director Lin's niece? What happened?"

"Yesterday I heard from the aunt next door that a city girl almost drowned in the Bailatuo section of the river, but was rescued by a young man. Could it be Zhou Yan?"

"Bailatuo?! The water there is deep and swift, with undercurrents. Every year, several people who can swim drown there. Zhou Yan is really brave!"

"Although Zhou Yan's cooking is terrible, I didn't expect him to be so handsome and righteous!" The workers whispered among themselves, no longer in a hurry to enter the factory because they were watching a spectacle.

"Nonsense! Zhou Yan can't swim at all, how could he possibly jump into Bailatuo to save someone?" Wang Laowu muttered, but he was also a little suspicious. He had heard some rumors while setting up his stall yesterday that Zhou Yan came back soaking wet, and he thought the kid had done something reckless and jumped into the river. He never expected that he would actually save Deputy Factory Director Lin's niece?

Zhou Yan was also a little confused when his hand was held, but he quickly thought of the girl who fell into the water yesterday. She really was Deputy Factory Director Lin's niece? The old lady at the town's intelligence center was really well-informed.

"You're too kind. Anyone would lend a hand in such a situation." Zhou Yan smiled.

"It's not just about lending a hand. I heard that you can't swim, but you jumped into the turbulent and dangerous Bailatuo to save someone. We will never forget this life-saving grace." Lin Zhiqiang held Zhou Yan's hand tightly, his face full of gratitude. Xia Yao was his wife's sister's daughter, who came to Jiaozhou with her teacher to sketch and was visiting relatives in Suji on the way. Yesterday morning, she said she was going to paint by the river, but she accidentally fell into the water.

When the news reached her family home, the couple's legs went weak. This was the only daughter of the Xia family; if something had really happened to her, they would have had to jump into the Qingyi River to atone for their sins. Zhou Yan not only saved Xia Yao, but also two families. So yesterday, Lin Zhiqiang asked around about his benefactor's situation, prepared a gift of gratitude, and had Zhao Dong bring him to Zhou Yan this morning to express his thanks.

"Is that girl alright?" Zhou Yan asked with concern. He had just transmigrated yesterday, and his mind was a complete mess; he only remembered pulling her ashore.

"Xia Yao is alright. Your rescue was very timely; she even coughed up the water she had choked on. But she was frightened and isn't in a good mood. She can't eat anything and is a little weak. I'll definitely bring her here in a couple of days to personally thank Comrade Zhou Yan." Lin Zhiqiang looked relieved, but there was still some worry in his eyes.

"It's good that she's alright. Let her rest well; she must have been frightened yesterday." Zhou Yan was quite happy to hear that she was alright. As a young man raised under the red flag, the thrill of being publicly praised for his act of bravery was no less than finding money.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, your selfless act of saving someone is truly admirable!" Zhao Dong praised loudly, his admiration genuine. A native of Jiaozhou, Zhao Dong had worked in the textile factory for over ten years. He would swim in the river in the summer, but he would never dare go into the Bailatuo section. Zhou Yan's act of jumping into the water to save someone was indeed reckless, but it only highlighted his noble character.

"Zhou Yan can't swim but dared to jump in to save someone! He's so brave!"

"That's what selflessness is all about. I certainly wouldn't dare."

"It's a pity the food is so bad, otherwise I would definitely eat at his restaurant often." The female workers looked at Zhou Yan with eyes full of admiration and praise. Lin Zhiqiang also looked at Zhou Yan with admiration. The young man was handsome and dashing, with the same charm he had in his youth, and he was humble and polite, unlike the factory cooks who were all reserved around him.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, this old-fashioned bicycle is a thank-you gift I prepared. Please accept it," Lin Zhiqiang said, releasing Zhou Yan's hand and pointing to the brand-new bicycle adorned with red floral decorations. A collective gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd. A bicycle as a thank-you gift! The gazes of the crowd towards Zhou Yan held a hint of envy. The textile factory had been doing well these past two years; frontline workers earned 38.

6 yuan a month, plus seniority bonuses and higher wages for senior technicians and managers. Many had saved up to buy bicycles. But an old-fashioned bicycle wasn't cheap—150 yuan a month, and you needed a bicycle ticket to buy one. On the black market, the price exceeded 300 yuan. An ordinary worker would have to save for a year and a half to afford one.

"This bicycle must be the reward Deputy Factory Director Lin received for the provincial technological progress award a while ago, right?"

"It really is! Deputy Factory Director Lin is so generous."

"Zhou Yan risked his life to save someone, he deserves it!" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up when he saw the old bicycle, but he quickly shook his head, "This bicycle is too valuable, I can't accept it."

"Comrade Zhou Yan, you saved the life of a young girl in the prime of her life, nothing is more precious than life." Lin Zhiqiang looked at Zhou Yan and said seriously, "Have you heard the story of Zilu receiving the ox? This bicycle is not only a thank you, but also an encouragement for others to do good deeds." Zhou Yan had certainly heard of Zilu receiving the ox.

Since Lin Zhiqiang had brought up the story, it would seem insincere to refuse again, so he immediately nodded and said, "Then I'll accept this bicycle, thank you Deputy Factory Director Lin." An old bicycle was really useful to him now! It would be much more convenient to buy groceries or go home.

"That's great." Lin Zhiqiang handed the handlebars of the bicycle to Zhou Yan. Wang Laowu, watching this scene, was practically grinding his teeth in frustration. That was a vintage bicycle!

"Wang Laowu, your noodles are overcooked!" a customer watching from the pot pointed out.

"Oh no!" Wang Laowu looked down, his face changing drastically. He quickly scooped out the noodles, sighed at their overcooked state, and grabbed another handful to cook again." Comrade Zhou Yan, I've already had them prepare the materials to submit for your application to be recognized as a model of spiritual civilization. Once it's approved, there will be various preferential treatments," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, patting Zhou Yan's shoulder kindly.

"If you encounter any difficulties in your work or life, the organization will try its best to help you." Stolen story; please report. Zhou Yan was deeply moved by Lin Zhiqiang's thoughtfulness. After thinking for a moment, he said, "If that's how you put it, then I won't stand on ceremony. My restaurant was poorly managed before, leading to a bad reputation and facing closure. Now, after much reflection, I've decided to transform it, starting with selling noodles.

However, there isn't a single customer; everyone is hesitant to try it. I'd like to invite Deputy Factory Director Lin and Director Zhao to come in and have a bowl of noodles, to give them a fair evaluation of how my noodles taste, and to set an example for the textile factory workers, hoping to dispel their doubts. What do you think?"

"This... of course, no problem. I haven't had breakfast yet." Lin Zhiqiang nodded without hesitation, looking at the hundreds of textile factory workers gathered around, and said with a smile, "We should give our young comrades a chance to try and fail. Since everyone is hesitant to try it, I'll taste it for them first."

"Great!" The workers responded with smiles. Zhou Yan's cooking was terrible; they wondered how his noodles were. If they were good, they'd love to try Hero's noodles. Zhao Dong looked troubled but didn't want to refuse. He was a seasoned gourmand at the textile factory, often eating at the canteen and occasionally at the state-run restaurant. He'd eaten at Zhou Erwa's restaurant on its opening day, and the food was so bad it left a lasting impression.

"Please come in, gentlemen." Zhou Yan pushed his old bicycle into the shop and parked it against the wall, welcoming the two men inside.

"Sit at this table by the door so everyone can see what your noodles are like," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile.

"I'm from Shanxi Province, and I'm quite particular about noodles."

"Alright, gentlemen, see what kind of noodles you'd like. The menu is on the wall over there," Zhou Yan smiled, the more particular and professional the better. He had been racking his brains for promotional strategies, but the arrival of Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong gave him a breakthrough. A deputy factory director in charge of technology and a gourmand workshop director held considerable status and authority among the textile factory workers.

If they said it was good, the workers would be willing to try it; that was the celebrity effect they wanted. Zhou Yan was confident in his noodles; once more customers tried them, word-of-mouth would quickly spread.

"I'll have a braised beef noodle soup," Lin Zhiqiang decided after glancing at the menu. Zhao Dong looked at the menu, surprised. The original menu, densely packed with various dishes, had been torn out, replaced by a new one with only three noodle dishes, which seemed much more practical. However, a serving of noodles cost six mao, twice the price of the canteen and a few mao more than Wang Laowu's noodle stall. He wondered how it would taste.

He quickly made his choice too: "I'll have a double-pepper beef noodle soup."

"Okay, please wait a moment," Zhou Yan turned and walked towards the kitchen. Finally, business was open! A small fire was kept burning in the stove. Adding a piece of oak wood and pulling the bellows a few times, the flames roared up, and the hot water in the large pot began to bubble. Zhou Yan moved to the square table, pinched off a lump of pre-kneaded dough, and with a few pulls and flicks, quickly turned it into noodles, dropping them into the boiling pot. He took two large bowls and prepared a base seasoning.

When the noodles were about 70% cooked, he added a few small green vegetables to the pot for a quick blanch. Once the noodles were done, he lifted the lid of the broth pot, ladled a ladle of rich, white beef broth into the left bowl, scooped out the noodles and placed them in the two bowls, and put all the green vegetables in the broth bowl. For the dry noodles, he first mixed the base seasoning with the noodles.

He topped the broth with a ladle of braised beef and bamboo shoots, and topped the dry noodles with a ladle of minced beef and chili peppers. Carrying the two bowls on a tray, Zhou Yan carried the noodles out of the kitchen. If there are few customers, it's manageable, but if there are many, one person will definitely be too busy to tend the fire, cook the noodles, serve the dishes, and clear the tables. Recruiting employees has become Zhou Yan's next consideration.

"These noodles aren't cheap, are they? Sixty cents a bowl, that's enough for two bowls of beef noodles in the cafeteria."

"They are cheap, and there aren't many kinds of noodles, only three kinds. Even Wang Laowu's noodle stall has six or seven kinds of noodles."

"It's understandable that they're a bit expensive, after all, the rent for this shop isn't cheap. Wang Laowu doesn't have to pay rent for his stall."" If it's delicious, that's fine, but if the taste isn't good, who would want to be ripped off?" The workers peeked at the menu and discussed among themselves. Seeing Zhou Yan bring out the noodles, everyone looked at him. Zhou Yan placed two bowls of noodles on the table. The large bowls looked very generous. The soup was topped with braised beef and bamboo shoots.

There were five or six large pieces of beef and quite a few bamboo shoots. The red meat broth and milky white soup blended together, glistening with oil, looking very tempting. A ladle of stir-fried beef with green and red peppers was poured over the dry noodles. The beef, stir-fried with green and red peppers, was vibrant in color, and the steam carrying the aroma of meat wafted out of the shop.

"Gulp." A chorus of swallowing sounds filled the air.

"So fragrant! This beef smells amazing!"

"The toppings are generous too, big chunks of beef, more than three times the amount at Wang Laowu's place, plus dried bamboo shoots, it looks delicious!"

"This stir-fried beef with green peppers looks amazing! It's much more appetizing than pork toppings, and the portion is huge."

"I initially thought 60 cents a bowl was a bit expensive, but with this much meat, I'm worried the owner will lose money." The workers chattered amongst themselves. People in Sichuan and Chongqing are very particular about food; they can tell if something is good just by looking at it and smelling it. Lin Zhiqiang's eyes lit up when he saw the soup noodles in front of him. From the presentation alone, it was impeccable.

The bone broth had simmered until it was thick and white, slowly blending with the beef broth, releasing an irresistible aroma. He first picked up a piece of beef. His chopsticks sank into the tender beef, releasing its juices. With a gentle bite, the marbled beef brisket melted in his mouth, yet remained intact, the tender tendons adding a touch of softness. The rich sauce, spicy yet sweet, was incredibly satisfying! He then tried a piece of dried bamboo shoot.

Soaked in beef fat and gravy, the bamboo shoot was a delightful delight, its crispness and chewiness a delightful contrast.

"This braised beef with dried bamboo shoots is amazing! The beef is tender and juicy, and the bamboo shoots are crisp and chewy—delicious! So delicious!" Lin Zhiqiang couldn't help but exclaim. Next, he stirred the noodles, picked up a mouthful, and put it in his mouth. Instantly, a look of delight appeared on his face.