AD [QT] Chapter 18

(Word Count: 2442)

 

Today, Han Ze’s purpose was to register his children. He had no plans to set up a noodle stall, and he hadn’t prepared any ingredients, not to mention the old chicken bone soup for cooking noodles, nor did he buy chopped green onions and leafy vegetables. It would take a lot of time to knead the noodles, boil water, buy vegetables, and make bone soup. He said embarrassedly: “Why don’t you come back next time when there is a market?”

 

A vegetable seller said bitterly: “Chef Han, please don’t make us wait any longer. If you have any difficulties, just tell us. There are so many of us, can we not solve it? Do you need to light a fire or wash dishes? Just give us a reply.”

 

“Yes, yes, Chef Han, if you need any help, just tell us. ”

 

I finally waited for Chef Han, and I had to eat that bowl of noodles to satisfy my craving.

 

Han Ze smiled: “I’m going to buy vegetables…”

 

Before Han Ze finished speaking, the vegetable shop owner interrupted him: “Chef Han, my vegetable stall has all kinds of vegetables. I’ll get you the small green vegetables and green onions for cooking noodles.”

 

After saying that, without waiting for Han Ze’s response, he ran out like the wind, turned back halfway, and said: “Chef Han, it’s too late today, so just ordinary noodles, and you don’t need to prepare the soup. What do you think?”

 

Han Ze frowned subconsciously. He could make delicious noodles without soup, but the rules could not be broken. He was about to refuse, but the vegetable seller said, “Chef Han, we don’t care if there is soup or not. We believe that even without soup, the taste of Chef Han’s noodles will not be bad. We just hope you can sell some other food, dumplings or stir-fried dishes? We only eat in the morning, and it’s too hard to have two meals at noon and at night.”

 

Others agreed. They just wanted to eat noodles quickly. They really didn’t care if it was soup noodles or not. Moreover, they believed that with Chef Han’s cooking skills, even without soup, the taste of the noodles would not be bad.

 

Han Ze refused. He would make noodles as they should be made. Cutting corners was not in his nature.

 

The diners were disappointed, but then they were full of admiration for Han Ze. Chef Han’s cooking skills were so good that he was comparable to a god chef, but he was still not arrogant and stuck to his duty. As diners at his noodle stall, it was their blessing to meet such a chef.

 

Han Ze went to the vegetable market to pick out an old hen. When he returned to the noodle stall, a diner was helping to boil water, and several diners next to him were helping to wash vegetables and cut onions, busy and happy.

 

Han Ze touched the back of his head, washed the hen and stewed it in the pot, and began to mix the noodles. The diners who were washing dishes and cutting onions next to him surrounded him eagerly.

 

Han Ze was not in a hurry. After the first bowl of noodles was served, the second bowl of noodles was almost ready… The diners hadn’t eaten such delicious noodles for half a month. How could one bowl satisfy their cravings? After the first bowl was finished, almost everyone ordered a second bowl, thinking that it was almost noon, so they might as well solve the lunch together.

 

After selling noodles and seeing off customers, it was already afternoon. Han Ze fed the diners, but his stomach was empty. Zhang Lei brought meat and vegetables over, threw the vegetables on the table, and said, “Fry two dishes, and let’s have two drinks. I’ll go to the store next door to buy some wine.”

 

Han Ze was about to pack up his stall and go home: “…”

 

Zhang Lei came back from buying wine and saw Han Ze roasting meat. The strong smell of meat hit him. He sniffed and drooled. He was secretly proud. Fortunately, he was smart. He saw that Han Ze had finished selling noodles and seeing off customers, and hurried over to bring the vegetables. Otherwise, he would have no chance to eat Han Ze’s dishes.

 

The food was served on the table, and Zhang Lei searched the cupboard for wine glasses. Han Ze reminded him, “Brother Lei, this is a noodle stall.”

 

Noodle stalls only sell noodles, not wine.

 

Zhang Lei patted his head. If there is no wine glass, a noodle bowl will do. The two brothers toasted each other and drank. Zhang Lei ate the meat, the wonderful taste entered his mouth, and he squinted his eyes happily, and was proud of his cleverness again.

 

After the two of them had enough wine and food, they put down their bowls and chopsticks. Han Ze said honestly: “Tomorrow there is no market. I was planning to invite you to my house for a drink. Today, we drank together, so you don’t have to buy or kill pigs tomorrow, and I can also work in the fields.”

 

Zhang Lei’s movements were slow, and he looked at Han Ze blankly: “What did you say?”

 

Han Ze looked at him and said, “Brother Lei, I know you like my cooking. You have helped me so much. I have been thinking about cooking for you. I wanted to invite you to my house for a drink tomorrow. Fortunately, I took the time to cook a table of dishes for you today. You should do whatever you need to do tomorrow, and don’t delay your purchase of the pig.”

 

Buying a pig, Zhang Lei wanted to curse. He pointed to the empty plate on the table and said, “I paid for these dishes and wine.”

 

So, he must treat him to a meal and drink tomorrow, and Han Ze must cook for him. Today’s meal doesn’t count.

 

Han Ze suddenly realized that how could he let others pay for a meal? He took out a stack of change from his pocket and asked, “Brother Lei, how much did you spend on the vegetables? I’ll give it to you.”

 

Zhang Lei: “…”

 

……

 

Before Han Ze reached the door, his two older sisters and younger sister came to greet him. He was a little surprised. When did they become so enthusiastic towards him? Han Xilan looked anxious as she stepped forward and said, “Brother is finally back. Mother doesn’t want to eat. She said she wants to eat the noodles you made.”

 

She didn’t think her brother, a farm boy, could make any delicious noodles. Although she had eaten the braised pork made by her brother once and it was really delicious and made people want to eat it again, she felt that it was because of her brother’s extraordinary performance. If she asked him to make it next time, it might not be as delicious.

 

She couldn’t understand why her mother was so obsessed with the noodles made by her brother. She would rather starve than wait for her brother to come back and cook noodles for her despite her sick body.

 

She muttered to herself, could it be that her mother deliberately tortured her brother because he didn’t agree to pay for her to find a job? But then she thought it was impossible. Her brother was also her mother’s son. Even if she was angry with him, she wouldn’t torture him.

 

Han Ze heard that his mother didn’t want to eat, so he hurriedly rode his bicycle to the second brother’s house. Han Xilan looked at her two sisters, and the three sisters looked at each other and followed Han Ze.

 

Han Ze went straight into the kitchen when he arrived at Han Hai’s house. In half an hour, he brought out a bowl of fragrant noodles. Han Xilan glanced into the bowl to see what kind of noodles were worth her mother’s concern. This time, she was disappointed. The fragrance was quite strong, but the noodles, no matter how she looked at them, were similar to the noodles made by her sisters-in-law. There was nothing special.

 

Han Ze ignored her thoughts and took the bowl into Mrs. Han’s room. Mrs. Han was lying on the bed in a daze. A familiar smell of noodles came over her. She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up. The quick movement startled the Han sisters next to her. They were relieved to see that their mother was fine.

 

Han’s eldest sister stepped forward, took the bowl of noodles from Han Ze’s hand, and said, “Mom, let me feed you.”

 

Mrs. Han was so hungry that she wanted to swallow a cow. How could she be willing to let others feed her? Besides, such delicious noodles were only safe in her own hands. Without saying a word, she snatched the bowl of noodles from her eldest daughter’s hand and started eating hurriedly.

 

Han’s eldest sister frowned and advised, “Mom, eat slowly.”

 

Mrs. Han turned a deaf ear to her.

 

Han Xilan looked at her mother’s action, slightly sideways, and said in surprise, “Are these noodles so delicious?”

 

Mrs. Han didn’t care about her at all, and just buried her head in eating noodles.

 

Sister Han smiled as if she had thought of something and said, “Have you been to the market recently?”

 

Sister Han shook her head. She was busy at home and in the fields all day, so how could she have the time to go to the market.

 

Sister Han smiled and said, “Recently, a noodle stall has been set up next to the vegetable market in town. I heard that the boss sells noodles for ten yuan a bowl. What do you think the noodles are made of that can be sold for ten yuan a bowl?”

 

Sister Han turned her head and looked at her. Although she didn’t go to the market, she had heard about this and joked, “Is it made of dragon meat?”

 

Han Ze: “…”

 

Han Xilan curled her lips: “How can noodles that cost ten yuan a bowl be sold in town? Could it really be dragon meat noodles?”

 

She thought that even if it was dragon meat noodles, no one could afford it, and no one in big cities would sell such expensive noodles.

 

Han Ze suddenly said: “It’s not dragon meat noodles, it’s just ordinary chicken bone soup noodles.”

 

Han Xilan turned her head and looked at her eldest brother and asked: “How do you know? Have you eaten it?” The eldest brother doesn’t seem to be such a generous person.

 

Han Ze said: “Because I set up that noodle stall.”

 

“What?”

 

Han Xilan, the eldest sister Han, and the second sister Han all looked at Han Ze in disbelief.

 

Han Ze explained again: “I set up that noodle stall, it’s not dragon meat noodles.”

 

Han Xilan looked at her eldest brother as if he was a fool, and said: “Brother, noodles are so expensive, can you sell them?”

 

Han Ze didn’t say anything.

 

Han Xilan believed that he had not sold any noodles, and said earnestly: “Brother, this is not how you do business. Ten yuan a bowl of noodles, isn’t this cheating people? Who is stupid enough to eat such expensive noodles instead of the cheaper ones? Business is not good, right?”

 

Han Ze thought about it. He only sold sixty bowls of noodles a day. Compared with other restaurants, business was indeed not good, so he nodded honestly and said, “Business is indeed not good.”

 

Han Xilan frowned: “Brother, I think you should either close the noodle stall or lower the price of noodles, otherwise you will not make money, but lose money.”

 

She will teach at Shuangji High School in the future, and she doesn’t want to see a brother who is heavily in debt.

 

Han Ze was not very happy, and said in a muffled voice: “The noodles made by my cooking skills are worth ten yuan. I never complain to anyone. It doesn’t matter if the business is not good. As long as others can eat the noodles I make, I will be satisfied. I don’t think about making money.”

 

He really didn’t care much about the business. If he cared, he wouldn’t sell only sixty bowls of noodles a day.

 

As soon as he said this, not only Han Xilan was unhappy, but also the eldest and second sisters of Han frowned. Only Mrs. Han, who was eating noodles, did not react.

 

Han Xilan snorted: “Okay, in this case, if the noodle stall of the eldest brother loses money in the future, don’t ask other brothers and sisters for money.”

 

The most important thing is that she will go to work and get a salary. She is afraid that the eldest brother will ask her for money.

 

Han Ze’s face was full of sadness, and he said: “We are brothers and sisters, shouldn’t we help each other?”

 

Han Xilan rolled her eyes and said: “Brother is determined to do it, how can we help you?”

 

Han Ze seemed to be hurt by his sister’s words, and said angrily: “Okay, I won’t ask you for money. In the future, when I make money, you shouldn’t come to borrow money from me.”

 

Han Xilan said disapprovingly: “Don’t worry, we brothers and sisters will never ask you for money.”

 

With the eldest brother’s loss-making noodle stall and the little money earned from farming, it is not enough to support five girls, so how can he lend money to others? Besides, the second brother’s family owns a sales agency, and the third brother is a worker. They are better off than the eldest brother. Only the eldest brother would borrow money from others. The other brothers and sisters would never borrow money.

 

Han Ze looked at his two sisters. Although the two sisters thought it was not good for the siblings to quarrel like this, they thought Han Ze’s stubborn temper should be changed. If the noodle stall didn’t make money, why did he stubbornly open the noodle stall?

 

So they nodded and said they would not lend money to Han Ze in the future. They planned to teach Han Ze a lesson and make him remember it, so that he won’t go down the same path and not turn back.

 

“I understand.”

 

Han Ze looked at the three people sadly, turned around and walked out. There was a sense of loneliness in his back that was not understood by his family.