However, he was afraid of trouble, but Widow Zhang was not; she grabbed Ye Cheng and pulled him aside.
"You must not have eaten since you came back from the sea. Let's go to Auntie's house to eat."
Ye Cheng was embarrassed. He couldn't break free, but he also couldn't stay put. He could only be dragged home by Widow Zhang.
Although her home was still dilapidated, it was clear that Widow Zhang was in a much better mood now.
Especially Xiao Liang, this child is almost like a normal person now, jumping and skipping around.
"Xiao Liang is recovering well from his surgery," Ye Cheng said.
Widow Zhang looked at her son with affection, "Hmm, you're recovering very well. You're completely fine now. It's all thanks to you for lending me the money. You were nagging me about just letting me come over for a meal. Are you afraid I'll eat you up?"
Ye Cheng was a little overwhelmed. This middle-aged woman could be quite bold at times, and he was genuinely afraid. He could only sit there properly.
"Acheng, what would you like to eat?" Widow Zhang sat down opposite Ye Cheng with great enthusiasm.
"Auntie, just make whatever you like, I'm not that picky." Widow Zhang wasn't wearing much to begin with, and when she lowered her head, her breasts were visible, making Ye Chengdu feel embarrassed.
Widow Zhang knew it herself, and chuckled, "Then Auntie will make you some oil-splashed noodles, would you like some?"
"What? Oil-splashed noodles? You can make this too?" Ye Cheng looked astonished.
Oil-splashed noodles are a local specialty of Northwest China. Although they are sold here in the South, not many people know how to make them properly.
A look of reminiscence crossed Widow Zhang's face as she remarked, "My aunt is from the Northwest, and she makes pretty good handmade noodles. Just wait, it'll be ready soon."
Hearing about eating oil-splashed noodles, Ye Cheng was somewhat looking forward to it. In his previous life, he went to university in the Northwest, where the rice was really not good and the dishes were mainly Sichuan cuisine.
But he truly loves noodles. Pulled noodles, oil-splashed noodles, and sour soup noodles are all types of noodles where the focus is on eating the noodles themselves, unlike the southern style where noodles are mainly served with toppings and seafood.
Ye Chengcheng likes this kind of pure noodles, especially oil-splashed noodles. Don't be fooled by the simple seasonings, they are just delicious.
"Auntie, can you stretch the noodles a little wider?" Ye Cheng called out.
“Okay, Auntie can make all the noodles in my pocket, just wait here.” Widow Zhang was busy in the kitchen.
Xiao Liang glanced at Ye Cheng, still feeling a bit unfamiliar with him, and didn't dare to speak to him. He slipped inside to help his mother make noodles.
Widow Zhang's house was fairly clean, but the furniture was quite old.
The kitchen was also piled with a lot of things used for cooking crayfish, neatly arranged and clean.
Handmade noodles are something that can't be made without knowing how, but those who know how can make them very quickly. Widow Zhang brought out a large bowl of noodles in just over ten minutes.
It was served in a large soup bowl, containing only half a bowl of noodles. The noodles were very wide, like standard belt noodles, and topped with chili peppers and greens drizzled with hot oil.
Ye Cheng mixed the noodles like this, and the color came up instantly; the color is just right.
"Acheng, eat up, your auntie's noodles are absolutely delicious." Widow Zhang and Xiao Liang had already eaten and were sitting to the side watching Ye Cheng eat.
Slurping the noodles, the aroma of chili and the sourness of vinegar mingled together, coating the noodles and making Ye Cheng's eyes light up. This was the taste!
The noodles themselves are well-pulled, very chewy, and the thickness is just right—not too thin and they'll fall apart when cooked, nor too thick and they'll be undercooked.
"Auntie, that's really good! You should open a shop with your skills," Ye Cheng praised.
Widow Zhang brushed her hair, which was stuck to her forehead with sweat, and said, "Auntie also wants to open a shop, but our village is not big, so not many people come here. Besides, you can't make much money selling noodles."
"If it weren't for Acheng helping me come up with this crayfish business, I would have gone out of business long ago."
Speaking of crayfish, Ye Cheng casually asked, "Auntie, are crayfish still selling well these days?"
"It sells well, city people love to eat it, but now the stock is getting smaller and smaller. The Chen brothers have gone quite far, covering several nearby villages, but the stock is still limited. Now they can only sell about 80 jin a day."
Ye Cheng nodded. These crayfish are seasonal, and since there was no farming before, the wild ones would eventually be sold out.
However, these noodles reminded Ye Cheng of two other delicacies that were popular for a long time. If crayfish sales ever stopped, he could ask Widow Zhang to open a restaurant.
However, this raises another issue: the village committee. If you want to make such a big change, the village committee must have a voice.
A couple of days ago, Li the Cripple said that Chen Jinhai was going to run for office again, so I should start preparing.
Seeing that Ye Cheng had suddenly fallen silent, Widow Zhang assumed it was because her cooking wasn't good. She quickly took out two cloves of garlic and tentatively said...
"Why don't you add some garlic? We say that eating noodles without garlic is like missing half the flavor."
Ye Cheng took one look and exclaimed, "Damn, purple-skinned garlic! This is the spiciest stuff!"
"Auntie, you really have a complete set of accessories."
Before Ye Cheng went to university in the Northwest, he didn't understand why people ate garlic. But after going there and trying it a few times, he instantly fell in love with it.
The texture is stimulating, the aroma is unique, and it's perfect with grilled meat and noodles.
Ye Cheng picked up a clove of garlic, took a bite, and almost burst into tears. Damn, purple-skinned garlic truly lives up to its name.
You have to take a bite of noodles while it's still spicy; the taste is absolutely amazing.
Some people say that eating garlic is unsophisticated, but the wasabi in sushi tastes just like garlic. Why is eating sushi or sashimi not unsophisticated? It's all because of the worship of foreign things.
Ye Cheng ate a whole bowl of oil-splashed noodles and felt completely satisfied.
"Ah Cheng, would you like some more?" Widow Zhang was very happy to see Ye Cheng finish his meal.
Ye Cheng has helped me so much, and I haven't had a chance to repay him. Seeing that Ye Cheng seems to really enjoy noodles, I'll make him more next time.
"Auntie, I can't eat anymore. Do you have noodles with minced meat sauce or cold noodles next time?" Ye Cheng joked casually.
"Sure, next time you come, I'll prepare something for you." To everyone's surprise, Widow Zhang readily agreed.
It's good to have something to eat; consider it interest.
After eating and drinking his fill, Ye Cheng patted his behind and left under the reluctant gaze of Widow Zhang, behaving like a scumbag.
After finishing his meal, Ye Cheng went to his older brother's place. As soon as he entered, Jiang Yunxiang asked him if he had eaten.
"I ate. I had a bowl of noodles at Widow Zhang's place, and it was quite delicious." Ye Cheng didn't hide anything.
But as soon as he spoke, Jiang Yunxiang frowned. "You ate garlic?"
"Ah, I ate two pieces, the taste is a bit strong, isn't it?"
That's the downside of garlic; it makes your breath too strong.
"It is a bit big." Jiang Yunxiang was not used to the smell.
Ye Cheng quickly stepped back two paces. "Brother, sister-in-law, are you free tomorrow? If not, let's go out to sea together?"
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