Published at 23rd of January 2021 11:48:15 AM
Chapter 322
Chapter 322: Improved!
Zhang Xun came to the small noodle shop to eat noodles as usual .
He usually came in early as the small noodle shop opened for business at 6am and there was a sea of people queuing at 6:30am .
But there was no need to queue at 6am, especially with the 30 places on the benches outside .
The small noodle shop also specially made a retractable roof so it would be extended when it was raining or too much sun .
Like that, sitting outside in the cold winter and eating a bowl of warm plain noodle was also a form of satisfaction .
The satisfaction was the highest especially when there were dozens of people queuing while watching you slurp noodles with open mouths .
But Zhang Xun felt that the plain noodle in the small noodle shop was too plain and not satisfying enough .
The beef noodles, ribs noodles, ham noodles and dried pork noodle were much better .
So he usually came for those noodles .
The noodles from the small noodle shop weren’t expensive anyway . There were many internet celebrities that queued for it but their noodles with a few pieces of meat was only 10 yuan . It wasn’t the cheapest in Lin’an but definitely not expansive .
The ingredients used by the chefs were fresh and good .
Every day he could see those chefs making and cutting noodles with other chefs cooking the other ingredients .
If they came even a little earlier, they could see people with butcher uniforms bringing fresh meat and other fresh ingredients from their minivan .
There weren’t many people at 6am as only ten to twenty places were taken and it was much more relaxed than at 6:30 .
So Zhang Xun was able to buy a ticket as he found a seat on the bench outside .
At that moment, he saw his surface friend, Uncle Wu .
Surface friend meant dancing friend or fellow card player, it was basically friends on specific occasions .
Zhang Xun and Uncle Wu met at the small noodle shop as they usually came at 6am and both liked to sit outside so they became familiar with each other over time and sometimes would chat if they had time .
But unlike Zhang Xun, Uncle Wu’s favorite dish was plain noodle .
As Uncle Wu said, the small noodle shop’s plain noodle was similar to the most famous noodle shop 60 years ago so it bought him back to when he was young .
And people in their sixties didn’t like to eat meat that needed a lot of chewing so plain noodles were best .
Uncle Wu bought a ticket and also sat next to Zhang Xun to chat, “Little Zhang, didn’t you say you wanted to buy a house? Why didn’t I hear you mention it recently?”
“Don’t mention it . ” Zhang Xun said with a bitter face, “I was interested at Cyan Waterfront estate not far from here and originally thought with my mom’s 500k and my savings of 500k will be enough for down payment… but they suddenly increased the price! They increased one thousand in one go! Do they still want people to live?”
“I know that estate, it’s the one Chen Huan bought from!” Uncle Wu said, “I often pass by it when it takes a walk . The environment is good but it’s too big and expansive . ”
“Everyone says so . I originally thought of buying a family house as I have to consider about marriage at my age and being big is good since I won’t have to change later . ” Zhang Xun gritted his teeth, “There was still room for discount at the beginning but then Chen Huan won the IMO and came back to show up there . The discount was harder to get at first and now they even increased the price!”
“Haha, people just like to jump on the hype train . ” Uncle Wu then asked again, “Then do you still plan to buy it or not?”
At that moment, an aunty called Zhang Xun’s number . He rose up his hand to respond and the aunty served the noodle to his table .
“I still want to buy it! But I’ll look at the estate around and if there’s nothing I like, I’ll return to take a look again . ” Zhang Xun suddenly frowned, “As for this house…huh?”
“What’s going on?” Uncle Wu curiously asked after seeing Zhang Xun holding his noodle with his chopsticks without moving, “Is the noodle not tasty today?”
“No…” Zhang Xun shook his head and took another mouthful as well as sipping the broth .
After a moment, he showed a satisfied smile and said, “Uncle Wu, their noodles are especially delicious today! Weird… is it because they changed their special powder?”
“How does it taste?” Uncle Wu asked .
“I don’t know how to describe it, it’s very fragrant but not at the point of being pungent, it gave a very gentle feeling…” Zhang Xun ate while describing it .
Zhang Xun finished his beef noodles in two minutes and after some thoughts, he ordered a bowl of dry pork noodles .
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When Zhang Xun returned to his seat, Uncle Wu already started to eat his plain noodles .
Uncle Wu’s expression wasn’t as exaggerated as Zhang Xun but he stopped after a bite and tears flowed out after a few more bites .
“Uncle Wu, Uncle Wu…” Zhang Xun lightly shook him, “Are you alright? Don’t scare me!”
The other customers nearby also saw this .
“I’m alright!” Uncle Wu put down his bowl and wiped away his tears, “I… I remembered the first time when my mom took me out to eat plain noodles when I was a kid… it tasted like that, warm and filled with noodle aroma with a very fresh taste…”
“The old man is right!” A female office worker in her thirties also agreed as she ate her noodle, “When I eat the noodle, the flavor from the seasoning seems particularly light but the noodle itself has a very pleasant aroma, pretty nice to eat and not dry . ”
“That’s right, I used to think that the flavor was a bit strong but today’s flavor is pretty refreshing . I love this taste!” An aunty in her fifties said .
“…”
It wasn’t just Zhang Xun and that group who felt that way .
Anyone that ate the noodle there could easily taste that the noodle made by the small noodle shop today was different .
It wasn’t as simple as an upgrade by a level since it was twice as delicious .
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This kind of taste couldn’t be brought by just spice but by elevating the taste of the noodles .
There were people who went to ask and their answer was, “The boss improved the recipe after arduous research . ”
Within two days, the information spread quickly .
The small noodle shop became even more popular as they sold at least 5k bowls a day and that number was still increasing .
The online gourmet reviewer in Lin’an also went crazy for the small noodle shop .
“I’m being honest, I used to think that the noodle shops downstairs from my house were delicious but yesterday, my girlfriend asked me to accompany her to eat at the popular small noodle shop . The first thing I thought after the first bite was, what kind of fucking noodle I’ve been eating in the past 20 years!? This is what truly good noodles are!”
“I definitely agree with you! ‘A Bowl of Plain Noodle’ really deserves its reputation, it’s the most comforting dish I’ve eaten in Lin’an! It’s not even some special dish!”
“Don’t boast that hard! I have already eaten seven or eight times in the small noodle shop and although it’s delicious, it’s not to that point! You guys stop over flatter our Lil’ Sis Shui’s shop!”
“Poster above, you should go eat it again! I used to think it was around 80 points but Uncle Shui improved the recipe recently and it’s much better! It’s at least two level more tasty than previously, I’ll eat a fly if I’m lying!”
“Aiyo, Uncle Shui is working so hard in that singing competition and still have time to research noodle cuisine, respect, respect!”
“Food reviewers group, I can take you guys to have a taste and if it’s not good, you guys can smash the noodle bowls on my head!”