Chapter 34

The name of the guoluo noodle shop on Yuhua Road and Funan Street is quite unique, called "A Bowl of Fragrant Guoluo Noodles." On the shop's sign, there is also a riddle: "Three tiles cover a temple, inside lives a little old Taoist," which requires guessing the name of a crop. Ye Feng naturally knew what it meant, but he pretended not to know and asked Qin Yan, "Lawyer Qin, do you know the answer to this riddle?"

"It's buckwheat. I've eaten guoluo noodles before and know that the best guoluo noodles are made from buckwheat. The three tiles covering a temple describe its external shape," Qin Yan said without hesitation, giving the correct answer.

This guoluo noodle shop is an old establishment, usually with many customers. However, since Ye Feng and Qin Yan arrived late, most of the diners had left. At this moment, the shop owner and the staff were not busy. Seeing new customers, the waiter quickly came over, smiling broadly, and greeted them, "Welcome to our small shop. Small wine and small dishes are not our specialty. Exotic delicacies would lose their authenticity. A mouthful of guoluo noodles leaves a lingering fragrance. Please sit down and try our famous Dongguan buckwheat guoluo noodles. I guarantee that you won't feel it was a waste to come once, you'll want to come twice, you won't want to leave after three times, and you won't want to go back after four times. Ha ha ha."

The waiter spoke in a local dialect, full of enthusiasm and clever words, making the customers feel at home.

The restaurant was not large, but the setting and environment were meticulously arranged, with both regular and private rooms. Ye Feng and Qin Yan chose a quiet spot. As soon as they sat down, the hospitable waiter came over and said with a smile, "Would you like to have some small dishes and drinks first, or would you like to order the guoluo noodles to fill your stomach? Do you want white, yellow, or black?"

Qin Yan was a bit confused. Although she had eaten guoluo noodles before, she had never eaten such refined ones. Ye Feng just smiled and didn't explain, so Qin Yan had to ask the waiter, "Excuse me, are there many details to the guoluo noodles? The ones I've eaten before were either white flour guoluo or buckwheat guoluo, similar to noodles but more chewy."

The waiter chuckled and shook his head, unable to resist introducing the guoluo noodles to Qin Yan, "Madam, you are mistaken. When it comes to guoluo noodles, ours are the most authentic and genuine, especially our traditional Northern-style guoluo noodles, which originated in the Qing Dynasty and have been passed down for a hundred years, renowned in all directions. Our guoluo noodles are divided into three types based on the main ingredients: white flour, corn flour mixed with white flour, and buckwheat flour. The colors after pressing are what I mentioned earlier: white, yellow, and black. Based on the soup, there are two types: thick soup and thin soup. Some customers prefer the main dish, guoluo noodles, which are served with a small amount of soup, mixed, and the soup is fully absorbed. When you pick up a chopstick, you only see the noodles, not the soup. This is called thick soup guoluo. Other customers like to eat guoluo noodles with oil cakes, where the oil cakes fill the stomach and the guoluo noodles fill the gaps, so they prefer more soup and less noodles, which is called thin soup guoluo. Additionally, based on the season, there are cold soup and hot soup, with additions like garlic, mustard, pepper, and chili, each with its own flavor. In terms of texture, there are also water-passed and non-water-passed types, with the former being sticky and the latter being clear, each with its own unique taste."

The waiter spoke eloquently and in great detail, not only impressing Qin Yan but also Ye Feng, who had visited the shop a few times before.

Qin Yan couldn't help but admire the owner's eloquence. After his speech, she was eager to eat, almost drooling. She then said, "Alright, let's start with a large and a small bowl to fill our stomachs. After hearing your introduction, I can't wait anymore. We'll order more dishes and drinks later. Please have the kitchen make me a bowl of thick soup guoluo noodles."

"Sure thing, I'll bring it right away." The waiter shouted and turned to leave.

Qin Yan looked at Ye Feng and said with a smile, "This shop is nice, even though it's small, it gives a good feeling. To be honest, it's my first time eating at a place like this."

Although Ye Feng didn't know Qin Yan's family background, he could guess that her living conditions were probably good. He then said, "Lawyer Qin, the noodles here are indeed delicious, but the environment is not very good. Don't mind it."

Qin Yan frowned and said, "What? Do you think I'm some pampered lady? I've been to places with worse environments. When I said I rarely eat at places like this, it's not because I dislike the environment, but because I was too busy before, either eating fast food or ordering takeout. It's been a long time since I've had a proper meal at a restaurant."

Ye Feng was taken aback by Qin Yan's words and didn't know how to respond. He thought to himself, no wonder she's a lawyer; she can shut people up with just a few words.

Qin Yan ordered a plate of braised beef and some cold dishes and asked Ye Feng, "Do you want to drink white wine or beer?"

Ye Feng waved his hand and said, "No, let's skip the drinks. I have a job interview this afternoon, and drinking isn't good."

When the dishes were served, a large and a small bowl of beef buckwheat guoluo noodles arrived, emitting a fragrant aroma.

Qin Yan rolled up her sleeves, picked up the sanitary chopsticks, and said, "Ye Feng, I'm going to start. It smells so good, it must taste even better."

She took a bite, but it was a bit too hasty, and the hot soup burned her mouth, making her open her mouth and hiss.

At that moment, Qin Yan, who usually exuded elegance and sophistication, looked completely different to Ye Feng, more like a neighbor's daughter from his hometown.

But Ye Feng also felt that Qin Yan looked very beautiful and genuine at that moment.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ye Feng poured a large amount of vinegar into his noodles, mixed it well, and started eating.

Qin Yan, seeing Ye Feng's actions, was curious and asked, while chewing, "Ye Feng, does pouring so much vinegar taste good? Isn't it too sour?"

Ye Feng smiled and said, "Vinegar can remove the gamey taste of the beef, making it taste better."

Qin Yan followed his example, poured a small amount of vinegar, mixed it well, and took a few bites. She smacked her lips and said, "It's really good. The sour and spicy flavors are intense, and the hot soup makes it even better. No wonder you told me you can eat several bowls."

Before Ye Feng finished his bowl, Qin Yan had already finished hers, leaving no soup behind.

Looking at the empty bowl, Qin Yan seemed to be still savoring the taste, licking her lips. After the hot soup, some fine sweat appeared on her face, and her cheeks turned red. She took a wet tissue from her bag and gently wiped her face, looking extremely beautiful and relaxed.

Ye Feng, looking at Qin Yan, suddenly felt a surge of emotions that had been suppressed deep inside after the Liu Meimei incident. One Liu Meimei had made him feel moved and excited, let alone Qin Yan, who was far superior to Liu Meimei in every way.

For a moment, Ye Feng was lost in his thoughts. He knew it wasn't good, but he couldn't control the fluttering in his heart.

Qin Yan also noticed Ye Feng's expression and deliberately coughed, saying, "Ye Feng, are you full? I'll get you another bowl."

Ye Feng felt embarrassed, lowered his head, and quickly finished the noodles and soup in his bowl, stammering, "No, no... I... I'm already full."

For Ye Feng, who came from a rural area and had never been in love, this situation was really awkward.

"If you're not hungry, let's order two bowls of noodle soup. The original broth helps digest the original food, which is good for the stomach." Qin Yan also felt a bit awkward and got up to go to the serving counter, calling the waiter to bring two bowls of noodle soup, using this opportunity to dissipate the awkwardness between them.

After Qin Yan left, Ye Feng's heart relaxed. He felt he had failed, realizing his mental state needed much improvement. He decided to find more opportunities to train and enhance his mental fortitude.

A moment later, Qin Yan returned, sat down, and her expression had returned to normal. She looked at Ye Feng and asked, "Ye Feng, tell me about your past working life. How was the food? How was the accommodation?"

Ye Feng wiped his mouth and said, "When I first started working, the food wasn't very good, with a daily food allowance of less than five yuan. After a few years, with improved skills and experience, I became a senior worker, and my food allowance increased to ten yuan per day. Later, as a team leader, my treatment improved significantly, with a food allowance of twenty-five yuan per day and a special team leader's meal. As for the accommodation, it can be described in four words: hot in summer and cold in winter. In the summer, a group of workers would crowd into a tent, which was stuffy and smelly. In the winter, it was cold at night."

Qin Yan squinted her eyes and sighed, "It seems that what the TV and newspapers say is true. Migrant workers are at the bottom of society. Not to mention the issue of unpaid wages, even the living conditions are pitiful and heart-wrenching. I don't know how you managed to persist for so many years."

Ye Feng sighed and said, "Actually, the conditions for migrant workers have improved a lot compared to before. The government now pays attention to the living conditions of migrant workers, and the issues of unpaid wages and extreme methods to demand payment have decreased. However, there are so many migrant workers in China that the government can't possibly take care of everyone. My mother often told me, 'People are divided into different classes, and you are what you are. You can't force it.' I used to disagree, but after many years of struggling in society, I've come to understand. My mother's words may be biased, but the truth is real. Different people have different fates, and there's no point in blaming heaven or others."

[Already dropped out of the new author ranking, tears for all kinds of support to push it up! Also, the last two chapters are transitional, a bit bland, but it will soon transition, and the protagonist will soon encounter a truly powerful opponent.]

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