Chapter 9: Master Chef Level Fried Noodles

What leaves the Book of Changes perplexed is that the catkins capable of producing such a sauce have a stir-frying skill that is utterly abysmal. As one watches, the pieces of cold noodles are reduced to shreds, charred beyond recognition, and even emit a hint of burnt odor. Such stir-fried noodles are not only inedible; just a whiff is enough to declare abandonment.

Hmph, our business was originally very good, but ever since that bad uncle from across the street came, it has not been the same. All the customers have been taken away by him

"Why don't you believe me?" Zhou Yi chuckled, rolled up his sleeves, and walked to the stall behind: "Actually, I am quite talented; making cold noodles is just a small matter."

Let's go and take a look

Hmm?

Oh, I see. Zhou Yi noticed that she was unwilling to say more, so he did not press further. He merely glanced at the cool jelly soaking in several buckets and said, "If these jellies don't sell, they will spoil by tomorrow, right?"

It is so wonderful

Liu Xu soon widened her eyes, staring blankly at Zhou Yi, unable to utter a word

Compared to the "Three Generations Fried Noodles" across the street, the difference is striking, no wonder her business is so poor

"Hehe, what's so impressive? It's just that I've eaten a lot, and I've learned to watch it myself. Ultimately, it's still your sauce that's good." Zhou Yi smiled and said, "The cold noodles are all sold out. Let's tidy up and leave. We're just on the way..."

You?

Liu Xu looked at Zhou Yi with some disbelief, clearly not believing that the seemingly refined man in front of her would fry noodles

Liu Xu stared blankly at the Book of Changes, and even now this girl still thought she was dreaming

This stir-fried noodles looks so appealing that it makes one want to eat it

"Yezi, do not speak nonsense. The uncle across the street makes better fried noodles than we do, so it is only natural that his business is good"

Ding, the master has prepared a total of 248 servings of food, earning a total of 25 upgrade potential points

Liu Xu felt her eyes welling up; Zhou Yi's culinary skills reminded her of the first time she had her father's fried noodles, a cherished memory from her childhood

It is so fragrant! How can it be this aromatic? With the same sauce and the same cold noodles, how is it that Brother Zhou can stir-fry it so deliciously... Could it be that his family also sells stir-fried noodles?

The willow catkins were so shy that they nearly buried their heads in the iron plate used for frying noodles, revealing a long stretch of snow-white neck as they busily went about their tasks

The words of the mischievous little spirit, Yezi, nearly struck at the heart, exposing the lingering negative thoughts that were still brewing within the essence of the I Ching. Despite having over twenty years of experience in enduring the harshest winters and the hottest summers, and having once joked in university about desiring the fragrance of young women, he could not help but feel his old face flush: "What kind of world is this, with a child not even three years old? It's all the fault of those Korean dramas..."

This statement from Liu Xu was merely an education for Ye Zi, yet it left Zhou Yi momentarily stunned, prompting him to reassess her. He did not expect that this seemingly fragile girl possessed such insight.

Zhou Yi was taken aback. According to the system's secondary profession settings, for every dish prepared, he could earn 0.1 potential upgrade points. Initially, he did not pay much attention to it, as 0.1 points seemed too insignificant. However, once he actually started cooking, he realized that the speed of earning potential points was quite rapid. In just a short while, he had accumulated enough points that would normally require 25 days of passive accumulation. This could be considered a case of good deeds being rewarded. He had originally helped Liu Xu out of kindness, not expecting to benefit himself in the process.

Willow catkins admonished the leaves: "Remember what your aunt said, when others are stronger than you, you should find a way to surpass them, rather than complain or harbor hatred, do you understand?"

Such a girl is indeed worth lending a helping hand to

As the pieces of cold noodles turned a焦 yellow, Liu Xu's gaze tightened even more, for they were actually焦 on three sides! This is the highest realm of stir-fried noodles,焦 yellow on three sides! The remaining side still retained its original vibrant green color, each piece of cold noodle resembling jade wrapped in gold, captivating the onlookers.

Undoubtedly, this plate of cold noodles was instantly snatched up by the diners. Liu Xu and Xiao Yezi, by virtue of their status as stall owners, were able to enjoy the first taste, each taking a small dish and squatting to savor it with great delight.

In this short period, I have produced over 200 servings of cold noodles and earned 25 potential points

Yes, but there is nothing that can be done. Liu Xu smiled faintly, feeling somewhat helpless

The breath of the willow catkins began to quicken, and even under the hands of her father, who had been stir-frying noodles for decades, she had never seen such skillful hands. At this moment, in her eyes, Zhou Yi, who was stir-frying the noodles, seemed to transform into a painter and a calligrapher; he was not merely frying noodles, but creating art, embodying life.

The herd effect is quite terrifying; soon, half the people on the snack street were drawn over, surrounding the area in layers. The crowd occasionally erupted in waves of admiration, making one wonder if a major celebrity had arrived.

The aroma of the sauce wafted into his nose, and Zhou Yi subtly nodded in agreement. Just by the scent, he could tell that the sauce used by Liu Xu was definitely not something from the supermarket, but rather a custom blend. Moreover, the quality was quite high, roughly equivalent to the pinnacle of Level 6 culinary skills; if converted to chef levels, it would be that of a Special Level 3 chef.

Hehe, since it's already bad, why not let me give it a try? To be honest, I am also a foodie and have a bit of insight into stir-fried noodles.

Zhou Yi picked up a piece of cold jelly and brought it to his mouth, nodding slightly as he said, "Liu Xu, did you prepare this sauce? It's excellent"

The emergence of the Book of Changes can be considered a chance encounter. Although Liu Xu felt a bit shy, she couldn't help but think, "Why is he here? Is he here to see me?" Such thoughts are typical of a young woman, yet they do not amount to any significant embarrassment. After all, the flea market is a public space, not her private boudoir. Moreover, in this day and age, even a young woman's boudoir is not heavily guarded; it is not like the feudal society where the separation of genders was as strict as a tiger's defense. If a man's gaze falls upon her delicate hands and feet, she would not be reduced to tears, crying out to marry him, claiming it to be a 'loss of virtue'.

This is no longer just stir-fried noodles, but rather a form of artistic expression in literature.

Little Yezi was very excited, her big eyes blinking eagerly as she looked at Zhou Yi with great anticipation

While controlling the pieces of cold noodles, Zhou Yi also remembers to add the sauce at the appropriate moment. With his ability to control the heat, the timing for placing the sauce on the iron plate is just right, allowing the sauce's flavor to be fully realized without causing any damage. The dancing pieces of cold noodles resemble obedient little sprites, each coated with a precise amount of sauce, as if calculated by a computer, neither more nor less.

Xiao Yezi no longer had so many sentiments; in just a few bites, she finished her portion and ran over to snatch the willow catkins. However, when she arrived, she discovered that her aunt's home also had no provisions left

It smells so good

As the liangfen fell onto the iron plate, it turned a light golden brown almost immediately. Zhou Yi gently lifted it, creating a beautiful parabola in the air, before skillfully letting it fall back onto the iron plate. In that moment, the air was filled with translucent blocks of liangfen, all under the control of the small spatula, with not a single piece broken or burnt.

This is my father's recipe... This stall originally belonged to my father...

After taking the shovel from Liu Xu, he weighed it in his hand, poured two ladles of oil onto the iron plate, and then began to stir-fry the noodles

Little Yezi, feeling indignant, clenched her small fists again. Zhou Yi began to feel a bit worried; could this little girl have violent tendencies? Why does she keep raising her fists?

Uncle Zhou is so impressive, truly remarkable, wow! Little Yezi is even more starry-eyed, her little hands are all red from clapping.

Brother Zhou, you are truly remarkable

"Um, has your business always been like this, Liu Xu?" Zhou Yi couldn't help but ask as he took the fried noodles.

The sauce is quite good, not inferior to the "Third Generation Fried Noodles" across the street, and may even be slightly better, but the frying technique...

The hands of the vendor at the Zhouyi stall moved continuously, and the fried noodles were sold out in a steady stream. In less than an hour, over fifty pounds of cold noodles brought by Liu Xu were completely sold out. The customers who were unable to purchase any could only gaze longingly at the stall and left in great disappointment.

Those who tasted the first batch of "Zhouyi Noodles" immediately became the most steadfast supporters and live advertisements for "Central Plains Fried Noodles," and each of them was very determined to linger and prepare to purchase a second serving; however, as more and more people arrived, conflicts arose over seating, leading to physical altercations, and some even began to argue loudly, nearly coming to blows. Ultimately, it was the market management personnel who intervened to barely maintain order

Really? I knew Uncle Zhou was the best!

The Book of Changes does not simply place all the cold noodles onto the iron plate at once; rather, one hand holds the spatula while the other tosses the cut cold noodles onto the iron plate. It may appear to be a casual scattering, but in reality, the quantity tossed each time seems to be calculated with precision, neither exceeding nor falling short by even a single piece

Girls who are often shy tend to be more sensitive

A strange fragrance wafted from the willow fluff stall, quickly overpowering the "Three Generations Fried Noodles" across the street. Many diners who were originally queuing on the opposite side were drawn over, gathering around Zhou Yi, expressing their astonishment with exclamations of wonder.