1996: Starting from a bankrupt farmhouse restaurant

Chapter 129 Lunch: Instant Noodles (5K)

After making all the stuffed pancakes, Lu Yuan and Zhao Yan went to Baiyang Elementary School together.

He needs to discuss with his second uncle to see which house would be more suitable for the kitchen.

Lu Yuan also graduated from Baiyang Elementary School when he was a child, so he is quite familiar with the area.

To be honest, after weighing the options, Lu Yuan was quite supportive of Zhao Yan's impromptu idea to provide breakfast for the children.

Although he had been through the same thing, the feeling of being hungry was truly unpleasant.

Especially during their growth spurt, many children are so hungry that they become emaciated.

Of course, not everyone avoids them; some people have eaten steamed buns at home.

However, compared to breakfasts in later generations, it was severely lacking in both quantity and nutrition.

Therefore, people in later generations often exclaimed in surprise at the height of primary school students, especially those who were over 1.8 meters tall and still wearing red scarves and jumping around. If you didn't know better, you might think they had gone crazy.

This is the potential that the body can unleash when nutrition is adequate.

After the car pulled into the school, Lu Yuan looked at the poorly equipped campus and joked, "Brother Jing, now that the kids' breakfasts are taken care of, when are you going to get the gymnasium, library, and auditorium?"

Zhao Yan knew this petty guy was still holding a grudge because she had kept him busy all morning, so she wasn't angry at all. Instead, she replied with a smile, "It's not impossible! When Master Jing returns to the capital, we can collect some New Year's money. Maybe Baiyang Elementary School will be undergoing major construction next year!"

"Oh my, these young ladies are really shameless!" Lu Yuan said with a sneer, "You're already in your mid-twenties, and you're still accepting New Year's money?"

"Mind your own business!" Zhao Yan said with a smug look. "As long as we don't get married, we can keep receiving New Year's money!"

Lu Yuan thought to himself that Master Jing was the best. Although he had received New Year's money when he was a child, he didn't even know what it looked like because Wei Yinghong had taken it all.

"Uncle Jing, why don't you postpone your wedding? You can collect more money and renovate our village too."

Zhao Yan stopped the car, glanced at him, and said, "Boss Lu is truly shameless. He earns over ten thousand yuan a day and still tries to exploit a weak woman like me!"

After getting out of the car, Lu Yuan opened the trunk and suddenly said, "Zhao Yan, are you doing this on purpose? You're saying you're a weak woman when it's time to move things? Why didn't you say that when you were kicking someone yesterday?"

"Hurry up and move it!" Zhao Yan grabbed the bag and walked towards the classroom without looking back. Lu Yuan looked at Zhao Yan's tall figure and suddenly had an idea. He also walked towards the classroom.

Zhao Yan had just reached the door when she noticed Lu Yuan following her empty-handed, so she asked, "Why didn't you move anything?"

Lu Yuan chuckled and said, "Never mind that. Let me show you the power of the Lu family!"

So Lu Yuan stuck his head into the classroom, glanced around, and then yelled at the boy in the back row who was pulling the hair of the girl in front and the boy by the window who was imitating a zombie: "Lu Zihao, Lu Zijie, you two get out here!"

The two boys paused for a moment, then ran out excitedly upon seeing Lu Yuan. They were very polite, first greeting Zhao Yan: "Hello, Teacher Zhao! Uncle Yuan, what's up?"

Lu Yuan patted the two little ones' heads and instructed, "Go and call all the Lu family kids over, but don't call the girls or the first and second graders."

"Okay!" The two little ones were very happy after receiving the instruction. They split into two groups and went into each classroom, sticking their heads in and shouting. Then several boys followed them out.

Zhao Yan gave a heartfelt thumbs-up and said, "You're a really good uncle!"

Before long, a dozen or so teenagers gathered around.

The Lu family has strong genes; their children look somewhat alike and are all taller than average children.

"Come on, everyone stand in line. Teacher Xiao Zhao lives in our village now, so she's considered one of us. From now on, if anyone bullies Teacher Xiao Zhao at school, you're all responsible for protecting her, understand?"

"clear!"

"Alright, starting today, Teacher Zhao will treat everyone to breakfast every day." Lu Yuan said, then suddenly turned to Zhao Yan and asked, "How should we distribute them? Should we just move them to the classroom? Or should we have a ceremony?"

Zhao Yan quickly waved her hand and said, "There's no need for a ceremony. Let's just go to the classroom and distribute them to the children."

"Yes, yes!" Uncle's voice suddenly came from behind. He came running up, panting, and said, "Teacher Xiao Zhao, your good deed is no less than donating to a Hope Primary School. We can't let this good deed go unnoticed!"

The second uncle then instructed the Lu family's sons: "You all move the breakfast to the playground, under the national flag."

"I'll go inform the teachers." Then, Uncle Er instructed Lu Yuan, "Xiao Yuan, you're responsible for bringing Teacher Xiao Zhao to the flagpole. This kind of thing can't be done anonymously."

Second Uncle was afraid that Zhao Yan would hide, so he arranged this strange task for Lu Yuan.

Zhao Yan actually did have this idea. Ever since she came up with the idea of ​​taking over the children's breakfast yesterday, she never thought about becoming famous.

But now that Lu Yuan was watching her and gesturing for her to follow, she had no choice but to go to the playground with him.

The students were quickly integrated. Baiyang Primary School was set up with 5 grades, 2 classes in each grade, for a total of 10 classes.

As the principal, Second Uncle stood under the national flag with a nervous Zhao Yan, and several boxes were placed next to them.

Apart from the Lu family's children, no one else knew what was going on, since the national flag had already been raised yesterday, and there must be some kind of activity today.

Students love participating in activities because it means they don't have to go to class.

The homeroom teachers accompanying each class were also somewhat curious, because the principal hadn't informed them about any activities planned for the day.

The school only had one microphone in the office. My second uncle, holding a megaphone made from a rolled-up cardboard tube, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Students, I'm thrilled to announce some great news: Teacher Zhaoyan, who came to our school yesterday to teach, has decided to donate a cafeteria to the school after learning about your difficulties with meals. She will provide you with breakfast and lunch every day. Let's all applaud Teacher Zhaoyan's kind act!"

Clap clap clap!

Of all things, eating is the most important. Upon hearing this news, the children applauded enthusiastically from the bottom of their hearts.

The applause continued to thunder and lingered for a long time. Zhao Yan was somewhat flattered and repeatedly bowed to the students in acknowledgment.

Today, each class's homeroom teacher, along with two strong boys, took breakfast home.

My second uncle waved his hand and changed the first morning reading session to breakfast time.

Lu Yuan and Zhao Yan went around to each class, and each child was holding a vegetable pancake and eating it seriously.

The older children ate faster, their mouths covered in sauce, their faces beaming with delight and their smiles radiant.

The younger children had their mouths stuffed full, just like little squirrels, hiding their treasures in their cheeks, and they also had a satisfied expression.

Some children didn't eat the fillings, but instead put them in the table tray, saying they would take them home for their mothers and younger brothers.

Faced with this situation, the second uncle immediately rushed into the classroom and ordered the homeroom teacher to make sure the children had enough to eat.

Seeing the children's reactions, Lu Yuan felt that all the hard work of the morning was worthwhile.

Zhao Yan's eyes even welled up with tears. In the environment where she was born, she had never seen anyone so satisfied with food.

She had only seen scenes of poverty in rural Northwest China in movies, but seeing it with her own eyes was still a great shock.

Especially that skinny little girl, who couldn't bear to eat it and even wanted to take the vegetable pancake home.

Although there aren't many children like this, there's more than one, and she couldn't help herself when she saw them.

Zhao Yan raised her face, trying her best to hold back her tears, and saw the deep blue sky.

But under the same sky, the children's fates are completely different.

She remembered why she chose to teach in a rural area: it was because she had seen that famous Project Hope photo, "Big Eyes."

photo.

Now that she has the ability to change the situation of some children, she feels it's all worthwhile.

After looking around, Zhao Yan's emotions returned to calm.

The three stopped not far from the classroom. Uncle Er pointed to the dilapidated classrooms and said, "Teacher Xiao Zhao, I will submit the documents to the Education Bureau as soon as possible. Since we can't change the school's name, let's name the cafeteria Zhao Yan Charity Cafeteria!"

Then, without giving Zhaoyan a chance to refuse, her second uncle called Lu Yuan to discuss how to prepare the kitchen.

Lu Yuan and his second uncle took a walk around the school and found an empty room next to the playground, which was used to store sports equipment such as jump ropes and basketballs.

This room is quite large, and most importantly, it's far from the classroom, so the cooking fumes won't affect the children's classes.

There are also two water taps on the side, which solves the water problem.

My second uncle immediately found several teachers and had everything removed from inside.

"Xiao Yuan, your second uncle has never asked anyone for a favor before, but today I have a request for you." The second uncle suddenly spoke with a serious tone.

Lu Yuan was a little confused, and immediately replied, "Second Uncle, don't be so serious. I will definitely agree to anything I can."

Second Uncle patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder and said, "Take good care of Teacher Xiao Zhao for Second Uncle. What she did is a great deed. Life in the countryside is already inconvenient, so we should take good care of her."

Lu Yuan thought it was something serious, but after hearing the story, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Second Uncle, you can rest assured. Zhaoyan is my mother's darling now. I'm practically treating her like she's the Empress Dowager."

"Haha, then I'm relieved." Uncle strolled towards the classroom with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune, in a very cheerful mood.

Lu Yuan was walking towards the school gate when Zhao Yan came running up to him. Her cheeks were flushed, and she said to Lu Yuan anxiously, "Lu Yuan, the principal announced it too hastily just now, and we didn't have time to tell him that we would start again next week."

"Now you're getting anxious?" Lu Yuan teased Zhao Yan with a faint smile, "Don't worry, I've got everything prepared. The kids will be fed as usual this week!"

"But won't this affect your business?" Zhao Yan asked apologetically.

"Hey, not bad!" Lu Yuan said with a slightly exaggerated tone, "You've already learned to care about my business."

Zhao Yan's mood was already somewhat volatile this morning, and now Lu Yuan's words made her blush to the roots of her ears.

Her eyes were glistening, her brows slightly furrowed, and she said somewhat angrily, "I've already apologized to you, so please stop insulting me!"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Jingye is too easily teased!" Lu Yuan didn't have much experience communicating with girls, but he didn't expect Zhaoyan to get impatient with him.

Zhao Yan pouted, took a few deep breaths, and then asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

Lu Yuan didn't answer her. Instead, he took out two vegetable pancakes, handed one to Zhao Yan, and said, "Don't rush, fill your stomach first, and the solution will come later."

Zhao Yan took the vegetable pancake with some skepticism, opened the bag, and found that the pancake was shaped like a chubby little boy, making it impossible to eat.

So she pinched the very top with her hand to flatten it a little before finally taking a bite.

With one bite, you can immediately feel the chewiness of the fennel white cake and the aroma of wheat.

Then comes the spicy flavor of the cold dishes. This spicy flavor is fragrant but not spicy. It is not greasy at all, and there is almost no oil. It is purely a complex aroma of vegetables and sauce.

In between, there's the texture of fried ham and a fried egg, which, with the support of the spicy sauce, blend perfectly with the fennel flatbread.

In short, after taking that bite, Zhao Yan felt like she had wasted most of her breakfasts in the first half of her life.

If you eat a filling pancake like this in the morning, with its rich ingredients and outstanding flavor, your mood will be pleasant all day long.

As the two were eating, Lu Yuan heard the sound of a tractor, so he pointed to the school gate and said, "Here comes the solution."

Lu Hua drove his tractor into the campus, and when he saw Lu Yuan, he turned around and sputtered, leaving a trail of black smoke in his wake.

After the tractor came to a stop, Lu Hua jumped off and patted the cargo box, saying, "Xiao Yuan, everything's been brought over. Where do you think we should unload it?"

Lu Yuan pointed to the house next to him and said, "Let's unload here, so the children can learn where the cafeteria is."

Then Lu Yuan and Lu Hua began unloading goods into the cafeteria, carrying cardboard boxes one by one.

Upon seeing the words on the cardboard box, Zhao Yan exclaimed in surprise, "Lu Yuan, you actually fed the children instant noodles?"

"So what if we're eating instant noodles?" Lu Yuan continued holding the cardboard box, nonchalantly saying, "Do you believe these kids would jump for joy if they knew we were having instant noodles for lunch?"

"How is that possible?" Zhao Yan pouted, looking incredulous.

Lu Hua added from the side, "Teacher Xiao Zhao, in our rural area, instant noodles are considered a treat, the kids will definitely love them!"

Since Zhao Yan came to school yesterday, she feels like her worldview is being challenged every day.

Curious, she squatted down, turned the box over, and discovered it was a White Elephant brand.

She opened another box, took out a package labeled "White Elephant Double-Sided Braised Beef Instant Noodles".

Zhao Yan asked curiously, "Why did you buy White Elephant instead of Master Kong?"

Lu Yuan squatted down beside him, took out a bag, and explained, "Those cheaper than this don't have as much, and those with more aren't as cheap. Do you understand the concept of value for money?"

Zhao Yan stuck out her tongue awkwardly, then tapped her head in annoyance, thinking to herself that she had asked such a silly question again.

"But how do you prepare instant noodles?" Zhao Yan asked again.

Lu Yuan simply took another unmarked box, opened it, took out a white single-eared enamel rice bowl, and handed it to Zhao Yan, saying, "See this? This rice bowl. Not only can you use it to make instant noodles today, but you can also use it to get rice in the future."

"Wow, thank you, Lu Yuan, you're so thoughtful." Zhao Yan looked at the rice bowl curiously; she had seen her classmates use the same kind when she was in college.

Lu Yuan chuckled and said, "No need to thank me. The rice bowl is 2 yuan, and the instant noodles are 7 cents each. It'll all be deducted from your money!"

After saying that, Lu Yuan stood up, patted the dust off the box on his chest, and said, "I'm going back to the shop to get busy. Hua Ge, you can save it to help Second Uncle and the others organize lunch."

O

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After the last class in the morning, the teachers kept the students behind and announced some good news: "Those who don't want to go home for lunch can go directly to the cafeteria next to the playground."

The little ones were full and energetic after a hearty breakfast, and they were so excited to have lunch that they couldn't wait to rush out of the classroom.

However, their restless behavior was stopped by the teacher.

The biggest fear in schools is safety accidents, so standing in formation and going to collect supplies as a group is the safest thing to do.

Some of the children who lived nearby went straight home for dinner. Although they wanted to stay and eat, they were afraid of being beaten by their parents if they didn't go home.

The remaining students lined up and were led to the cafeteria by the teacher.

When they saw the food being distributed in the cafeteria, they jumped up excitedly, their reaction no less intense than when they received the vegetable pancakes in the morning.

The little ones jumped excitedly as they lined up to receive their food containers and instant noodles.

This overwhelming, uncontrollable excitement left Zhao Yan completely dumbfounded.

After the class received their instant noodles, the teacher led them back to the classroom.

After all, it's too much trouble to soak each student individually in the cafeteria. It's much faster for the teachers to take them back, boil water with an electric kettle, and then soak them in their respective classrooms.

Ten boxes of instant noodles and rice bowls were distributed to ten classes in a short time.

Lu Hua had completed his task. After starting the tractor, he said to Zhao Yan before leaving, "Teacher Zhao, my third aunt asked me to call you back for dinner. She's prepared it for you."

Zhao Yan felt a warmth in her heart, and she was filled with gratitude for Wei Yinghong's enthusiasm.

However, she didn't rush back. Instead, she headed towards the classroom to see if, as Lu Yuan had said, the children really liked instant noodles.

When she arrived at the classroom, the children had already prepared their noodles and started eating.

The rich aroma of instant noodles wafted out of the window, and Zhao Yan actually found it quite delicious.

Then she witnessed a shocking scene: the children picked up the instant noodles, blew on them, and then slurped them down with great relish, their satisfied expressions as if they were eating the most delicious food imaginable. It was truly delightful.

She then visited several other classes and discovered that it wasn't just one child who was like this, but all the children were.

This made her doubt herself: Was her previous method of preparing instant noodles wrong?

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