1996: Starting from a bankrupt farmhouse restaurant

Chapter 142 Stir-fried Noodles

While Lu Yuan and Zhao Yan were painting the mural, they noticed that their uncle's recent behavior was strange.

One moment he'd be squatting there grinning like an idiot, the next he'd be staring blankly at the phone in the convenience store across the street.

Lu Yuan, crouching at the shop entrance, shouted to his third grandfather who was working inside, "Third Grandfather, are the ingredients you're using poisonous? Why has my uncle gone mad?"

Grandpa San curled his lip and exclaimed, "You kid, you can't talk nonsense. Grandpa San uses only the best stuff. Your uncle is waiting for a phone call. That guy, once he starts making a call, it never ends. One minute he's scratching the wall, the next he's digging a hole in the ground."

Making a phone call? And making such a racket? Then there's only one truth.

Lu Yuan glanced at his uncle with disdain and said to Zhao Yan, "I know why now. The only reason this street is filled with such a sour smell is that Uncle is in love!"

The sight of the old tree blossoming made Zhaoyan gasp as she looked at her uncle, then whispered, "You mean Uncle finally found a girlfriend? Auntie can finally be happy! But you're in for a world of hurt!"

"How am I in such a bad situation?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Think about it, before, with your uncle covering for you, your aunt wouldn't notice you. Now that your uncle's problem is solved, isn't it your turn?"

Seeing Zhao Yan's smug little expression, Lu Yuan suddenly leaned closer and said mischievously, "I'm not afraid. I'll lock you in the house and I'll have a wife, right? Then I'll sell your Jeep and get the money! Don't forget, the principal is my second uncle. We'll work together from the inside and outside, concealing information, and who will know where you are!"

Zhao Yan looked at Lu Yuan's mischievous grin and pinched his nose, causing Lu Yuan to groan and become unable to move.

Zhao Yan pulled Lu Yuan closer, raising an eyebrow and teasing, "You, Lu Yuan, I knew you couldn't come up with anything good! It's a pity you're the only bad guy in the whole village!"

After Zhao Yan released Lu Yuan, she looked at the nearly completed mural and suddenly had an inspiration. She squatted down in the corner and began to draw something.

Lu Yuan rubbed his sore nose and watched Zhao Yan doodle. After a while, Zhao Yan clapped her hands and stood up.

Two little lambs have appeared in the corner. One is quietly beautiful, and the other looks like my uncle.

Lu Yuan clicked his tongue and said, "What a saccharine scene!"

He then glanced at the position of the sun, quickly packed up his paintbrushes and other tools, and said to Zhaoyan, "Quick, I'll take you to a good place!"

Zhao Yan looked wary: "You're not going to take me somewhere to do work again, are you?"

Lu Yuan didn't explain much, urging as he got into the car, "Hurry, we'll be late!"

Zhao Yan got into the car with some doubt, and Lu Yuan stepped on the gas, driving onto the winding country road and heading up the mountain.

Not long after, Lu Yuan parked the car on a slope halfway up the mountain, unbuckled his seatbelt, and quickly got out of the car.

He opened the back seat, grabbed the camera, and slung it over his shoulder—he'd specifically left it in the car that afternoon—while urging, "Hurry up!"

Lu Yuan was acting mysteriously, and Zhao Yan didn't have time to ask any more questions. She followed Lu Yuan out of the car and then climbed up the edge of the hillside via a side path.

When Zhao Yan stood next to Lu Yuan, she couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!"

Her mouth gaped open in surprise, stunned by the magnificent sunset before her, which even made her pupils appear red.

Lu Yuan raised his camera, intending to capture the beautiful sunset, but the moment he turned his head, he was captivated by Zhao Yan's stunningly beautiful and warm profile.

So, almost as if possessed, he pointed the camera at Zhaoyan, and click! The wind-blown hair and her sparkling eyes were captured in a single frame.

Then Lu Yuan turned his gaze to the scenery before him, a place he had longed for in his past life but could never return to, a place of regret.

Below the mountain stretched endless fields and the winding Baiyang River, the setting sun painting everything in sight with a golden-red hue.

The evening breeze in the northwest is refreshing and dry, blowing away the daytime heat.

The sun had completely disappeared behind the mountains, but the afterglow did not immediately dissipate; pink, purple, and orange-red hues still filled the sky, magnificent and soothing.

When the sun's radiance completely faded, darkness enveloped the earth.

"What a beautiful sunset!" Zhao Yan murmured, feeling as if she had been baptized.

Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Don't rush, there's more to come."

The colorful clouds came and went quickly, and the moon took over the sky, instantly illuminating the dark night sky to demonstrate its authority.

One, two, three...

Countless stars instantly lit up the night sky, and the sky shone with light in a different way.

Bathed in starlight, Zhao Yan jumped up happily. She couldn't help but stretch out her arms, close her eyes, and spin around.

She stood on tiptoe, her arms tracing beautiful arcs, her figure delicate and graceful.

Lu Yuan was stunned; she really could dance!

As night deepened, the temperature dropped rapidly, and the croaking of local rock partridges filled the air.

Zhao Yan clasped her hands tightly to her chest, looked up at the starry sky, and lingered there for a long time, unwilling to leave.

"Let's go, it's getting a bit cold," Lu Yuan said.

Zhao Yan nodded and followed Lu Yuan down the mountain, her eyes filled with reluctance.

On the way back, Zhaoyan was all smiles, in a very good mood.

"Back in the capital, we could see the stars too, but it wasn't nearly as spectacular as it is today," Zhao Yan remarked with a sigh.

Having lived in both the capital and the northern frontier for many years, Lu Yuan understood this feeling very well.

The northern part of the northern border is all plains, and you can see a beautiful sunset if you climb to a higher place.

The starry sky in the northern frontier is also beautiful, especially in the wilderness, where there is no light and no pollution.

The wind dispersed the clouds, creating the most favorable conditions for stargazing. The northern border region was later even known as the hometown of stars.

The sunset and starry sky later became a tourist attraction in the northern frontier, something Lu Yuan could never have imagined in his youth.

"Lu Yuan, thank you for letting me see such a beautiful sunset and starry sky." Zhao Yan leaned against the car window, smiling as she looked at the starry sky.

Lu Yuan glanced at Zhao Yan's black hair blowing in the wind and replied with a smile, "You're welcome. I'll be better off today so I can pick her up tomorrow."

"Get to work!"

"Huh?" Zhao Yan pulled her head back, pouting and looking at Lu Yuan with a resentful expression. "You're such a spoilsport!"

"hey-hey!"

The car turned off the national highway in the darkness and came to a steady stop in front of Xiao Lu's farmhouse restaurant.

After getting off the bus, the air was still filled with the rich aroma of roasted mooncakes; it seemed that this would be the only smell we would be able to enjoy for the next few days.

Because the flavor is so strong, many customers started asking about it during lunchtime today.

The food at Xiao Lu's farmhouse restaurant is so delicious that everyone is willing to trust everything Lu Yuan produces.

The popularity of braised dishes shows that this was originally a cold dish in the restaurant.

However, because they are easy to carry, spicy and delicious, and perfect as a side dish or with drinks, people often take some home with them after eating out.

Braised dishes have now become the store's second best-selling item, second only to stir-fried lamb.

After Lu Yuan got out of the car, he said to Zhao Yan, "Go and rest for a bit first, then come back for dinner in 20 minutes."

Zhao Yan's eyes lit up when she heard about the meal.

She hasn't eaten anything since she finished eating spicy hot pot at noon.

There was also a mural in the middle. After watching the sunset and the starry sky, I was starving.

Lu Yuan could already hear her stomach rumbling in the car. After all, she had been his servant for half a day, and this gluttonous girl still needed to be fed.

After entering the kitchen, Lu Yuan washed his hands and looked around, finding that there was still a lump of dough left.

In families in northern China, when someone comes home late, the family usually leaves a lump of dough behind.

If you haven't eaten yet when you get back, you can quickly roll out the dough and stir-fry some tomato sauce to eat with it, or you can make a sour soup with vinegar and chives to eat with it.

While Lu Yuan was checking the ingredients in the kitchen, he had already planned how he would make it: stir-fried noodles!

Actually, the full name should be stir-fried beef with hand-pulled noodles, which is a popular noodle dish in the border area of ​​northern China, Gansu Province, and Shaanxi Province.

Its characteristic is that all the ingredients are sliced ​​and eaten with a spoon. It's not so formal and is a very relaxed way of eating, which is perfect for this relaxing evening.

Lu Yuan took out a piece of beef and cut it into thin slices about one centimeter in size.

Cut the onion, potato, and green and red bell peppers into slices of the same size.

The only special thing about this dish is that it includes rice noodle strips, cut to the same length as the meat slices.

Tomatoes are chopped as usual; this is the soul of northern Chinese noodles.

Then prepare some green vegetables, which will be cooked with the noodles later to increase the color richness.

Before frying the soup base, boil water in a pot first.

While waiting, Lu Yuan rolled out the dough thin and cut it into one-centimeter-wide pieces, making it easier to pinch off pieces of dough later.

Heat oil in a wok, add the beef slices and stir-fry quickly until the moisture evaporates, then add minced garlic and ginger to the wok to sauté.

I won't add scallions to this noodle dish, because I'll be adding onions later.

When cooking, more seasonings are not necessarily better; a reasonable combination is sufficient.

Once the oil has cleared, add chili powder and seasoning powder, stir-fry briefly, and then add soy sauce.

Then add the onions and sauté until fragrant.

Add the potato slices and stir-fry until slightly browned.

Then add diced tomatoes and green and red bell peppers, and stir-fry over high heat until they become sandy.

Once the temperature rises, drizzle in a little vinegar along the edge of the pot to release its aroma.

People in northern China also like to add vinegar when cooking, but they usually use 3-degree or 3.5-degree balsamic vinegar, which is fragrant but not sour, mainly to enhance the flavor.

Finally, add water, then add the glass noodles, season with salt and MSG, and simmer for a while after the soup boils.

While the soup base was simmering, Lu Yuan picked up a long noodle, draped it over his wrist, and began to pinch off pieces of dough.

The process of pinching dough involves shaping the noodles one last time, which stimulates the gluten development of the noodles.

While pulling the dough, throw the greens into boiling water to blanch them at the same time.

The dough I kneaded myself cooked very quickly; it was ready to be taken out of the pot as soon as it floated to the surface.

Another advantage of this type of hand-pulled dough is that it doesn't clump together easily, so there's no need to rinse it with cold water.

First, fill the large bowl halfway with the hand-pulled noodles, then scoop a spoonful of the stir-fried topping from the other side onto the noodles.

Stir-fried noodles, all done.

When Lu Yuan brought out the two bowls of noodles, Zhao Yan was already sitting obediently on the table, waiting expectantly.

The sizzling heat of the wok, carrying a rich aroma, instantly wafted over, making Zhao Yan's mouth water.

Before Lu Yuan could put it on the table, she reached out and took it, immediately using a spoon to mix the noodles and toppings together.

Lu Yuan didn't rush to mix it. Instead, he picked up the chili oil on the table and asked, "Do you want some chili?"

"want!"

Lu Yuan scooped a small spoonful into Zhao Yan's bowl, but Zhao Yan continued, "More!"

So Lu Yuan scooped another small spoonful into Zhao Yan's bowl, and Zhao Yan quickly mixed the chili oil.

Then the bowl of noodles was stained an enticing red, making it incredibly appetizing.

After Zhao Yan mixed it well, she scooped up a spoonful, blew on it twice, and then eagerly put it into her mouth.

"Mmm~~ It smells so good!" Zhao Yan gently shook her head, feeling extremely comfortable.

The characteristic of stir-fried noodles lies in its rich texture, as all the ingredients are the same shape.

When you bite into it, you not only experience the texture of hand-pulled noodles, but also the softness of potatoes, the aroma of onions, and the rich flavor of sliced ​​meat.

The chewy texture of the rice noodles.

This complex texture is something that noodles cannot achieve.

When eating noodles, the sauce is usually wrapped around the noodles, and it's difficult for the side dishes to stick to the noodles, so the texture isn't as rich.

People in Northwest China are masters of eating noodles, and the forms of hand-pulled noodles and flat noodles are the most common in Northwest Chinese noodle dishes.

A bowl of stir-fried noodles was devoured by two people in no time.

When they looked up and saw each other's empty bowls, they couldn't help but smile like foodies.

After several days of intensive production, the mooncake gift boxes were officially launched.

From Xiao Lu's farmhouse cuisine to Uncle Lu's home-style dishes, every household had mooncake gift boxes displayed at their doorsteps.

In addition to the mooncake gift box, there was also a GG sign next to it that read: "Full Moon Mid-Autumn Festival - Gifts of Beauty".

The smaller print below reads: "Multi-flavor premium mooncake gift box, high-end packaging, a presentable gift. Suitable for family gatherings and business thank-yous."

Lu Yuan even laid out a red carpet in this area.

These mooncake gift boxes instantly elevate the overall quality.

However, what's displayed outside are all regular mooncake gift boxes, priced at 100 yuan per box.

Lu Yuan did not intend to open up the market by selling cheap products in large quantities. Instead, he raised the basic price and anchored the products of Lujiacun Authentic Flavor in the mid-to-high-end quality position from the very beginning.

In terms of cost, Lu Yuan's mooncake gift boxes are much more expensive than other mooncake gift boxes on the market.

Because all the packaging was custom-made by him, and custom packaging is very expensive these days.

However, judging from the presentation, it looks very high-end and sophisticated.

The horizontal tote bag, with its simple pattern design, exudes an extraordinary feel.

It's just that the trademark we finalized with Director Liu this time came too late. Otherwise, if we had designed the original Lujiacun logo and printed it on, the effect would have been even better.

Today, when the diners came to eat, they were all attracted by Lu Yuan's grand entrance.

Those with the means immediately bought several boxes to take home; this mooncake gift box would be a very impressive gift.

Whether it's a gift from a prospective son-in-law to his father-in-law, or a gift from a business partner, it looks very classy.

For the most high-end batch, Lu Hua directly chartered a van from the town, loaded it with gift boxes, and delivered a set to each of the local customers in Wu County who had booked private banquets.

Mr. Wang is currently riding high on his success, boasting to several colleagues about how he secured two seven-figure deals over just two meals.

His peers were furious, but unfortunately, Mr. Wang had indeed started two projects recently.

At that moment, Lu Hua happened to come to visit.

Mr. Wang thought something had happened to Lu Yuan, and that he had no choice but to come to him for help.

Unexpectedly, it was Lu Yuan who sent him the Mid-Autumn Festival gift box, and he couldn't help but regard Lu Yuan as his lucky star once again.

Both deals were made through Lu Yuan. This time, he was showing off and Lu Yuan gave him a helping hand. What else could this be but a lucky star?

The outer packaging of this gift set exudes an extraordinary feel, with a jet-black bag printed with only a bright moon, and the gold foil stamping gives it a very high-end look.

Lu Hua was also wearing a suit today, but he wasn't wearing a tie. Instead, following Lu Yuan's advice, he unbuttoned his top button, looking very casual.

Lu Hua respectfully presented the gift box to Mr. Wang, saying, "Dear Mr. Wang, a valued client of Lu Family Private Banquet, on behalf of Mr. Lu Yuan, the manager of Lu Family Private Banquet, I would like to extend my holiday greetings and wish you all the best and good health to your family!"

Lu Hua behaved calmly and confidently, neither humble nor arrogant, which made Wang's colleagues envious.

I thought to myself, "This must have been arranged by Boss Wang. What kind of restaurant would give gifts to customers on its own initiative?"

But this show-off really had a blast; look at how big a grin Mr. Wang had on his face!

President Wang was indeed very happy. He personally escorted Lu Hua to the door and even arranged for his secretary, who was wearing black stockings, to give Lu Hua a return gift.

Sitting back in the main seat, Mr. Wang took out the mooncake gift box from the bag, intending to put on a show of bravado.

He had complete confidence in everything Lu Yuan produced.

As expected, the exquisitely carved box immediately attracted everyone's attention, with its openwork carvings depicting flowers in full bloom and a full moon.

To be honest, Mr. Wang has already won by simply taking out this box. Even if it contained just a few mooncakes, it would still be a rare and exquisite piece.

But Mr. Wang knew that Lu Yuan wouldn't just focus on the packaging, so he confidently opened the box.

The box has an old-fashioned lock on it, which can be opened easily but has a very ceremonial feel.

The box was very thick, unlike a typical flat box. Only after Mr. Wang opened it did everyone understand why it was so thick.

The mechanism inside the box is ingenious; once opened, hollowed-out, carved trays immediately extend to the left and right sides.

Each tray holds an exquisite mooncake, with designs that differ significantly from those on regular gift boxes.

The designs on high-end gift box mooncakes are simpler and more exquisite, making it clear at a glance that they are not ordinary products.

In terms of ingredients, high-end gift box mooncakes use only the finest ingredients, and the taste feedback won't lie.

In addition, Lu Yuan placed three small glass bottles at the bottom of the box.

This was added by Lu Yuan later; it was a top-grade sauce that he specially prepared.

30-year-old preserved radish and beef sauce, Nuodeng ham and wild mushroom sauce, Hong Kong style XO sauce.

Especially X0 sauce. After getting the ham, Lu Yuan ordered another batch of seafood, which is how this classic sauce was made.

He learned this recipe from a senior apprentice who worked at Lei Garden Restaurant years ago. The taste is unparalleled; it's the most authentic kind.

Mr. Wang took out three small glass bottles. Although he didn't know what the words on them meant, they certainly didn't look like ordinary things.

At the bottom of the box is a handwritten card with elegant and powerful handwriting.

Dear Mr. Wang, VIP Guest No. 001 of Lu Family Private Banquet:

The autumn moon is full, and the festival is approaching.

I am deeply grateful for your continued kindness and support. Wishing you and your family good health, all the best, and a joyous Mid-Autumn Festival.

When Lu Yuan, the CEO of Lu Family Private Banquet, saw this, he couldn't stop smiling. Although he was the second person to make a reservation, Lu Yuan still gave him the number 001.