Chapter 1: Three-Shred Sour Soup Noodles

In the height of summer, the temperature was already high. Today was another sunny day. The scorching sun had baked the asphalt road until it was burning hot, and the heat radiating from the surface felt like it could scorch pedestrians.

Two passersby were taking shelter in the shade under a store’s signboard. One of them said, “Brother Yang, it’s mealtime. Let’s find a place to eat.”

The man called Brother Yang frowned. “It’s too hot. I don’t have an appetite. You go eat by yourself.”

How could Xu Jun eat alone? He immediately pulled Yang Xinzhi along. “I know there’s a noodle shop nearby that’s pretty good. They should have cold noodles or chilled noodles during summer. Let’s just have a bowl to get by.”

Under the blazing sun, they walked halfway down the street and arrived at the location of the noodle shop in their memory. Xu Jun’s heart sank. At some point, the noodle shop’s sign had been taken down. In its place was a board that read “Nanlai Restaurant.”

These days, the food and beverage industry was tough. It wasn’t surprising for a noodle shop to go out of business.

The two of them were already red-faced from the heat and really didn’t want to look for another restaurant. Thinking they’d just eat whatever, they stepped inside.

The restaurant had air conditioning on, and the cool air swept over their bodies. Xu Jun let out a breath of relief and looked toward the server walking over with a menu.

This young female server had such a graceful presence. Her skin was fair, her features delicate, and most importantly, she carried a scholarly air.

Xu Jun explained it to himself in his heart. She was probably a college student helping out at her family’s restaurant during summer break.

The female server spoke up. “Hello, the restaurant is in trial operation. Right now, there are only a few dishes to choose from.”

In this world, nothing is more important than eating.

Xu Jun immediately looked at the menu and was pleasantly surprised to see that even though the noodle shop had closed, this new restaurant also sold cold noodles.

Meat Sauce Cold Noodles – 25 yuan.
Three-Shred Sour Soup Noodles – 19 yuan.
Eight Treasures Tofu…

It was just cold noodles. Even with meat sauce, twenty-five yuan was still way too expensive. The only reason Xu Jun didn’t turn around and leave was because he didn’t want to make his friend stand in the sun any longer.

Yang Xinzhi’s expression remained calm as he ordered a portion of Meat Sauce Cold Noodles. Seeing this, Xu Jun also ordered a bowl of Three-Shred Sour Soup Noodles.

Then the two of them watched as the female server put on a chef’s hat and walked into the kitchen.

So she wasn’t a server, but a chef?

Xu Jun felt uneasy. No matter how pretty a chef was, she couldn’t be eaten. If the chef’s skills were poor, he’d be the one suffering.

Although cold noodles didn’t require much skill, such a young chef still made him nervous. In the short time since they entered, he already regretted not leaving twice.

He looked up at Yang Xinzhi, who had a faint smile at the corner of his lips. One look and he clearly guessed what Xu Jun was thinking. He comforted him, “Just think of it as paying to enjoy the air conditioning.”

Thinking that way, Xu Jun felt a bit better.

——

Nan Tu set one pot to cook the noodles and used another to heat up a beef bone broth.

Even though the restaurant was quiet and empty, with barely any customers, she still made every dish with care. She never cut corners and didn’t want to damage the reputation of Nanlai Restaurant.

That sign hanging at the entrance had been passed down to her from her grandfather.

The old Nanlai Restaurant had once operated a few streets away. Though the place wasn’t large and its decor wasn’t luxurious, it was renowned among the neighborhood. Before it even reached mealtime, all the seats would already be taken. When there were no seats left, the neighbors would bring their own stools just to eat there.

The popularity of Nanlai Restaurant naturally couldn’t be separated from the cooking skills of Nan Tu’s grandfather, Nan Yuanhai. Nan Tu’s parents had died young, and she was raised by her grandfather. Growing up influenced by his example, she began helping in the kitchen as a teenager. At first, the neighbors could still taste the difference between dishes made by Nan Tu and Nan Yuanhai, but later, they couldn’t tell the difference anymore. Everyone praised Nan Tu as a culinary genius and said she was the rightful successor of Nanlai Restaurant.

Nan Yuanhai didn’t think that way. The profession of a cook was called a hard-working trade, not for any other reason but because enduring hardship and toil was the only way to make money. His granddaughter was good at studying and would work in an office in the future. How could she end up like him, circling around a stove all day?

With Nan Yuanhai’s expectations, Nan Tu first went to another province for university. After graduating, she worked at a big company and completely distanced herself from the smoke and grease of the kitchen.

Until a month ago, when the company’s layoff reached her. In order to save a bit on severance, the seemingly decent company played all sorts of tricks to force Nan Tu to leave. The once-friendly supervisor and colleagues suddenly showed their true faces overnight.

Lost and confused, Nan Tu walked the bustling yet unfamiliar streets and realized that this city was not her home, and she didn’t even like the job.

But there was no Nanlai Restaurant left for her to inherit either.

Not long after she started university, a subway station was planned near the original location of Nanlai Restaurant. The whole area was demolished. The demolition didn’t make the Nan family rich overnight—the storefront had been rented.

At that time, Nan Yuanhai felt he could still handle the wok and didn’t want to retire. He found another storefront a few streets away. It was more spacious and brighter than the old one and reasonably priced, within the family’s means. In contrast, the location was less favorable—one could even say it was a bit remote—but Nan Yuanhai was full of confidence. Good wine needs no bush, and the neighbors all recognized the Nanlai Restaurant sign.

No one expected that before the renovation was even complete, Nan Yuanhai was diagnosed with a lung disease. Although he actively received treatment and rested, he still passed away two years ago.

The shop left behind was rented out to someone who opened a noodle shop. A few months ago, that noodle shop went out of business. Before Nan Tu could find a new tenant, she herself lost her job.

Only when she was completely alone did she truly understand the feeling of loneliness. She missed the Nanlai Restaurant that could no longer return, missed the smoke and fire of the kitchen, and missed the slightly stooped, busy figure etched in her memory.

Nan Tu made a decision. Since Nanlai Restaurant was gone, she would reopen a Nanlai Restaurant.

The noodles were cooked. Snapping out of her thoughts, Nan Tu took them out and rinsed them under cold water for later use.

The two kinds of noodles ordered by the customers weren’t difficult to make. This was Nan Tu’s first time running a shop all on her own. She didn’t dare to take big steps. For now, the menu only included quick and easy dishes.

The three shredded ingredients in the sour soup noodles were shredded wood ear mushrooms, shredded fried tofu puffs, and shredded egg pancake. After adding the three types of shredded ingredients into the seasoned soup base, Nan Tu turned around to prepare the meat sauce cold noodles.

The meat sauce was made from her own homemade beef sauce. The beef cubes were fried until crispy and fragrant, then mixed with pine nuts and white sesame seeds that were slow-roasted over low heat. The flavor was rich and intense. Whether with rice or noodles, this sauce could instantly elevate the taste of any dish.

She scooped a big spoonful of beef sauce, sprinkled on a handful of pre-fried soybeans—these had to be cooled before they were crispy, and Nan Tu had already fried them in advance and set them aside. Lastly, she added a handful of fresh green scallions, and the meat sauce cold noodles were done.

———

It didn’t take long before the dishes ordered by Xu Jun and Yang Xinzhi were served.

It seemed that although the chef of this restaurant was young, she worked quickly and efficiently.

Xu Jun looked at his Three-Shred Sour Soup Noodles. The soup base was slightly thick, the cilantro bright green, the egg pancake strips a soft yellow, the wood ear mushrooms dark and shiny, with bright red chili oil dotting the surface. The mix of colors in the bowl immediately sparked his appetite.

He instantly forgot about the money he spent for the air conditioning and eagerly picked up his chopsticks. He grabbed a large mouthful of noodles and took a bite, his eyes lighting up at once.

The noodles were cooked just right. They broke with a simple squeeze of the chopsticks yet retained some chewiness, not overly soft to the point of being mushy.

The soup was sour and spicy with a rich flavor. After thickening with starch, it clung to the noodles. The sourness was fresh and invigorating, while the spiciness hit the taste buds just right. It instantly chased away the stuffiness of summer, making the whole experience refreshing and satisfying.

Eating the noodles with the side ingredients, the wood ear mushrooms were smooth, tender, and crisp. The egg pancake strips were soft and delicate. The best part was the shredded tofu puffs, whose hollow centers soaked up the soup, chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, flavorful and delicious.

He buried his head in the bowl, eating ravenously, and for a moment, even forgot about Yang Xinzhi across the table. It wasn’t until the aroma of meat drifted to his nose that Xu Jun remembered Yang Xinzhi had ordered the meat sauce cold noodles.

Xu Jun enthusiastically recommended, “Brother Yang, this three-shred sour soup noodle is delicious. The soup is really fresh. You have to try it next time.”

Yang Xinzhi was stirring his cold noodles. The aroma just now came from the moment he mixed in the beef sauce.

Once the noodles were mixed, the smell made his stomach growl with hunger. He couldn’t wait and picked up a big bite of noodles. As soon as he tasted it, he said, “This twenty-five yuan was worth it. The beef sauce in here is excellent.”

The noodles were chewy and elastic. Once mixed, each strand was coated with meat sauce and seasoning. The noodles were cool and smooth. Every bite included crispy beef bits and carried a unique aroma. There were also crunchy soybeans and refreshing bean sprouts, giving the dish a rich texture that made it irresistible.

With Yang Xinzhi’s level of discernment, he could only identify that the beef sauce contained pine nuts and sesame. Being able to eat such solid beef chunks with expensive pine nuts at a small roadside eatery like this made the twenty-five yuan not seem expensive at all. On the contrary, it felt like a great deal. This was truly a conscientious business!

Crunch, crunch. Crisp sounds echoed in his mind like a symphony. The juices from the bean sprouts and cucumber strips burst out, the refreshing flavor filling the mouth. The specially blended sour and spicy sauce stimulated the cerebral cortex, triggering a strong appetite.

The two of them devoured their noodles, thoroughly satisfied, and even grew curious about what the other had ordered. They secretly planned to try the other dish next time.

What was puzzling was that despite the owner’s amazing skills, the restaurant remained quiet and empty, with only the two of them the whole time.

During this period, a few customers did walk in, but either hesitated upon seeing the overly young owner or turned away after looking at the menu prices.

Xu Jun couldn’t stand it and even helped recommend the food, but the departing customer’s glance clearly said, “This idiot wants to cheat me, no way!”

“Tch, these people!” Xu Jun muttered in annoyance, “It really is delicious though!”

At some point, Nan Tu walked over to them and set down two cups.

“To celebrate the grand opening, I’m giving each of you a cup of lemon cold brew tea.”

A few customers had just walked out, and Xu Jun, worried she might feel discouraged, quickly said with encouragement, “Boss, your noodles are really delicious. We’ll definitely come again.”

Nan Tu gave a faint smile. Running a restaurant was indeed much more difficult than she had imagined. After years of inactivity, not many people remembered Nanlai Restaurant anymore. Her age also made it hard for customers to trust her. The current business situation was far from good, but she would continue to persevere.

The noodles were finished, but Yang Xinzhi still couldn’t forget the beef sauce. He could say that this bowl of cold noodles was delicious, and the rich but not greasy beef sauce accounted for 80% of the credit.

Some street-side cold noodles, as soon as you taste them, you can immediately guess the seasoning used, almost always being the same.

However, the beef sauce in this cold noodle was mysterious and irresistible. It made people yearn for more, and no replacement could be found. The only option was to keep thinking about it and hope to come back next time.

If the cold noodles were easier to pack, he would’ve bought two more portions to take home for his wife to try.

But the noodles were hard to pack, what about the sauce? A thought crossed his mind, and Yang Xinzhi asked, “Boss, how much is the beef sauce?”

Nan Tu replied, “An additional serving of meat sauce is eight yuan.”

“What about a separate jar of it?”

“Selling beef sauce separately?” Nan Tu understood what Yang Xinzhi meant and shook her head firmly. “My small shop doesn’t have the credentials for that.”

Selling pre-packaged beef sauce required a special license, and without it, there would be fines if caught. Nan Tu didn’t want to take that risk.

Xu Jun, who was sitting next to them, advised, “Boss, you need to be flexible in business.”

Nan Tu still refused.

An idea suddenly popped into Yang Xinzhi’s mind. He slapped the table. He absolutely had to take the beef sauce home today!

“I’ll have another bowl of meat sauce cold noodles, with ten extra servings of beef sauce.”

The beef sauce was delicious, but… wasn’t it a bit too salty? Nan Tu looked at him in confusion.

Then, Yang Xinzhi said, “Put the meat sauce in a separate bowl.”

After a while, the meat sauce cold noodles were ready. Yang Xinzhi and Xu Jun divided the noodles. After finishing the noodles, Yang Xinzhi pointed to the untouched ten servings of beef sauce and said, “Boss, can you pack the leftovers?”

It was no trouble for him at all!