Chapter 307 - 176: The Best Mapo Tofu in Jiazhou

Chapter 307: Chapter 176: The Best Mapo Tofu in Jiazhou

Watching Zhou Yan run his restaurant—turning the small eatery at the entrance of the textile factory into a booming success—had made Huang Ying restless. New ideas for running a restaurant popped into her head every day.

Feiyan Restaurant was a century-old establishment in Jiazhou, passed down through four generations. Its foundation was much, much better than Zhou Yan Restaurant’s.

If she were the one in charge, she was confident she could do a great job.

At least, she’d definitely be more reliable than Huang Bing.

She used to think of herself as just a kid, spending her days eating and playing, her pockets always full of candy and chocolate. Life had been pretty happy.

But Zhou Yan’s appearance had changed some of her views.

’Zhou Yan is only twenty, after all.’

’She’s eighteen. That’s not a kid anymore.’

’It’s time to start her own career, to get things done!’

This newfound passion even surpassed her admiration for Zhou Yan’s good looks.

Lately, when she wasn’t at Zhou Yan Restaurant, she spent all her time at her family’s restaurant, learning bookkeeping from her mom and how to receive important guests from her father.

The more she was exposed to it, the more she realized how many tricks of the trade there were, but this only made it more interesting.

’She didn’t know if it would work out, but she made a mental note to go back and discuss it with her mom and dad to see what they thought.’

In the kitchen, Zhou Yan heard Wang’s voice, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

’Wang Yu is doing better too,’ he thought. ’He can even come out for a meal with Qiu Qi now and then. They must be writing to each other often.’

’That’s good.’

’Isn’t the point of reuniting to stay in touch?’

The bell signaling the end of the workday rang at the textile factory. Workers poured out, their eyes invariably drawn to the car parked at the entrance, their pace slowing unconsciously.

Cars were a rare sight in this day and age.

Let alone a brand-new, imported car like this one, which even had black license plates.

"Black plates are for cars owned by foreign investors, right? Are they here to inspect the factory?"

"I don’t think so. When foreign investors come for an inspection, their cars are always driven right into the factory grounds. They always park in the lot by the office building, not out here at the main gate."

"Maybe they’re here to eat at Zhou Yan Restaurant. I heard yesterday that Zhou Yan’s Kneeling Beef was featured on the cover of *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine. They must be customers who came because of its reputation."

The customers chattered among themselves, their gazes shifting toward the restaurant and landing on Duan Yu Yan.

She wore a brown leather jacket over a beige wool sweater, a black skirt, and Mary Jane shoes. Her hair was lightly permed, and she wore a hat. Her diamond earrings and necklace sparkled, making her seem to glow where she sat.

The eyes of the female workers lit up.

In Suji Town, and even in all of Jiazhou, the women from the Jiazhou Textile Factory were always at the forefront of fashion.

Although they had to wear work uniforms on weekdays, as soon as a holiday or a group performance came around, they would all dress up in their most colorful outfits, competing to be the most stylish.

But their fashion sense seemed to fall short in front of the woman before them.

In the last couple of years, many families of the textile workers had bought televisions, and the outfits worn by stars in Hong Kong and Japanese dramas had become the trend.

Blouses inspired by TV heroines, bell-bottom pants... these were all fashion trends learned from television.

Compared to her leather jacket and skirt, the trendy clothes made by local tailors who copied styles from TV shows looked somewhat clumsy.

She was like a star who had walked right out of a television set, with her beautiful and stylish clothes, permed hair, fair and smooth skin, elegant and composed demeanor, and sparkling jewelry.

With just one glance, everyone was certain that the car at the entrance must belong to this fashionable young woman.

On TV, socialites and heiresses like her always traveled by car.

It made perfect sense.

The customers began to file into the restaurant.

Many of the young women chose to sit at tables near Duan Yu Yan’s, hoping to get a closer look at her Hong Kong-style fashion and learn from it.

Others, however, saw it as a "bourgeois invasion" and kept their distance, avoiding her table as if it were contagious.

Duan Yu Yan didn’t mind. In Jiazhou, she was stared at wherever she went to eat. She was used to it.

’What can you do? Being this beautiful has its own little troubles.’

’She’d known that since she was a little girl.’

"Mapo Tofu? Is that a new dish?!"

"I saw it this morning when I was here for noodles! I was planning to eat at the canteen for lunch, but I just had to come try Boss Zhou’s Mapo Tofu."

"Mapo Tofu is a famous dish from Rongcheng! My third uncle went to Chen Mapo Tofu last year and bragged about it for six months when he got back. He said the tofu was even better than meat and the flavor was absolutely perfect!"

"I wonder if Boss Zhou’s version is authentic. I’ve eaten at the canteen for years and I’ve never seen Master Xiao make Mapo Tofu."

"Eighty cents a serving—that’s not cheap. Tofu only costs twenty cents a jin."

The customers looked at the new Mapo Tofu on the menu, their interest piqued. Some were already preparing to order it.

Just then, Zhao Hong came out of the kitchen carrying two servings of Mapo Tofu and placed them on the tables for Duan Yu Yan and Huang Ying.

The other customers’ gazes immediately shot over, their eyes lighting up.

Duan Yu Yan’s eyes were drawn to the bright, red sheen of the Mapo Tofu. "This Mapo Tofu looks really good!" she whispered.

"A glistening sauce, a glossy oil, white tofu showing through the red, and you can smell the numbing and spicy aroma... this Mapo Tofu does indeed look excellent," Wang agreed with a nod.

At the next table, Huang Ying had already ladled a bowl of rice for herself. Her eyes shone as she stared at the Mapo Tofu in front of her. "The thickening on this sauce is perfect! The tofu cubes are all intact, not a single one has broken apart. And he used minced beef. It just looks so satisfying!"

Every time she went to Rongcheng, she made it a point to eat at Chen Mapo Tofu. Sometimes, even if her father had other plans, she would go by herself.