Facing the disdain of his coworkers, Zhou Ming smiled and pointed at the lunchbox in his hand.
"With this box of noodles, I wouldn't trade it for anything," he said.
"Oh really? I wouldn't eat that even if you paid me fifty yuan!"
"Forget it, just eat your noodles. I was going to offer you some of my lunch—guess I was being too kind. I won't interrupt your 'delicacy'."
"Saving money by eating hand-pulled noodles isn't shameful, but acting like it's some gourmet dish? That's just too much."
"Even if you boiled it in abalone sauce, it's still hand-pulled noodles. No way it's better than my twice-cooked pork over rice!"
"Zhou Ming, eat somewhere else, I can't stand the smell of cilantro!"
…
Finally, it was Zhou Ming's turn to heat his lunch.
He placed his lunchbox in the microwave, set the timer, and stepped aside to wait, scrolling through his phone.
A few people already eating in the break area glanced at him, exchanged knowing looks, and all rolled their eyes.
Five minutes later, the microwave dinged.
Zhou Ming opened the door, and a wave of fragrant steam wafted out.
"What is that smell?!"
"Damn, that smells amazing!"
"Zhou Ming, what the heck did you put in those noodles? That's crazy!"
"Yeah, Zhou Ming, what spices are in that? Smells like a five-star restaurant!"
The same coworkers who had just mocked him now stared at Zhou Ming's lunchbox, eyes wide, mouths watering.
Su Zhu's signature hand-pulled noodles had a unique quality: they maximized flavor stimulation, triggering intense cravings and hunger with just the aroma.
Zhou Ming gave a small smile without saying a word. He walked to a table in the corner, unwrapped a pair of chopsticks, and took a bite of noodles. His face immediately showed a look of blissful satisfaction.
The aroma was simply irresistible.
Finally, one coworker couldn't take it anymore. Holding his own lunchbox, he came over and sat beside Zhou Ming. With a sheepish grin, he asked, "Zhou Ming, your noodles smell incredible—can I try a bite?"
Zhou Ming gave him a wary look. "One bite. That's it."
"Sure, sure, just one!" the man promised as he eagerly reached over and picked up a bite of noodles.
As soon as the noodles touched his tongue, his eyes widened in shock.
"Holy crap, that's amazing!"
"What is this flavor?!"
"Zhou Ming, where did you buy these noodles?"
The exclamation drew in the rest of the coworkers, who had been salivating from a distance.
"Zhou Ming, let me have a taste!"
"So good! I just want one strand!"
"Let me try a spoonful of the broth!"
All the mockery was forgotten. One by one, they extended their chopsticks and spoons toward Zhou Ming's lunchbox.
Soon, cries of amazement echoed through the room.
"This is incredible!"
"The flavor is insane!"
"Zhou Ming, where did you get these hand-pulled noodles? Tell us!"
"It's so good, I nearly bit my tongue!"
"Are you sure this is just hand-pulled noodles?"
"Quick, where can we buy it? First thing after work, I'm going there!"
"Count me in!"
"Let's all go together!"
…
Meanwhile, in the dining room of Villa 26 at Zifeng Manor, the table was filled with delicious dishes. At a corner sat a plate of braised beef slices—easily overlooked.
"Yunjian, do we need any dipping sauce for the beef you brought back?" He Xiujuan asked as she set out dishes.
"No, no," Ouyang Yunjian quickly replied, "Adding sauce would ruin it. The original flavor is the best, Mom. Please don't mess with it—I brought it especially for you and Dad to try!"
"Really? Can beef without any dipping sauce taste that good?" He Xiujuan looked skeptical.
"It's great, I promise!" Ouyang Yunjian said, though he didn't mention that more than half of the beef had already been devoured—by him.
Just as he finished speaking, the doorbell rang.
The housekeeper went to open the door, and in walked a young man in a black T-shirt and faded denim shorts, with a buzz cut and a roguish charm.
"You've really got perfect timing," Ouyang Yunjian said, glancing at him. "Go wash your hands—we're about to eat."
"Wow, it smells amazing!" the young man laughed as he changed shoes. "Lucky me—arrived just in time for the feast!"
At that moment, He Xiujuan came out of the kitchen holding a pot of hot and sour soup. Upon seeing the guest, she smiled.
"Meng Yu, you're here! We're about to eat—go wash up."
The young man was none other than Meng Yu, who had eaten at Su Zhu's noodle shop the day before.
"Hi Auntie!" Meng Yu greeted cheerfully, then hurried over to the table.
"Wow, braised turbot, sweet-and-sour pork, boiled shrimp... all my favorites! Auntie, this is amazing—I love you!"
"You silly child, since when did you get so polite? Treat this like your own home. Go wash your hands," she said.
"Ouyang Yunjian, go call your father down for dinner!"
"No need, I'm already here."
A refined middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses appeared at the top of the stairs. It was Ouyang Yunjian's father, Ouyang Shan.
"Hello, Uncle!" Meng Yu greeted him after returning from washing his hands.
"Meng Yu, welcome. You've tanned and lost weight since your last visit," Ouyang Shan said with a chuckle.
"Enough standing around—let's eat before the food gets cold," He Xiujuan urged.
Meng Yu and Ouyang Yunjian were college classmates. During university, Meng Yu had visited many times, and over the years, the family had come to treat him like one of their own.
The four of them sat down and began to eat, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed the meal. He Xiujuan kept encouraging Meng Yu to try more dishes.
"Auntie, no need to serve me—I'm not a guest." Meng Yu grinned and reached for the beef. "Let me try some of this."
As soon as the beef touched his tongue, he froze. He chewed quickly and swallowed, nearly choking. He grabbed a glass and took two large gulps of water.
His strange reaction startled both He Xiujuan and Ouyang Shan.
Before they could ask, Meng Yu pointed at the beef slices and blurted out, voice filled with astonishment:
"Auntie, where did this beef come from?"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]