Red Oil Cold Noodles

When Bai Yinuo began preparing today's ingredients, Lin Yu watched from the side and suddenly took the initiative to help wash the vegetables. Seeing him washing dishes and wiping tables in the hot weather, with a thin layer of sweat soon forming on his fair forehead like a diligent little honeybee, Bai Yinuo couldn't help but think of her former subordinates back when she was in the Shangshi Bureau, who were also very hardworking.

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

Lin Yu shook his head. "Not yet."

"Then let me make you a bowl of cold noodles. Can you eat spicy food?"

"Yes, I can."

Bai Yinuo made a portion of Red Oil Cold Noodles for Lin Yu. Since she planned to sell cold noodles today, she had prepared many semi-finished portions this morning and placed them in the refrigerator. The method was very simple: after steaming the noodles, she boiled them in a pot, then cooled them in a basin of cold water. Once the noodles cooled to room temperature, she poured sesame oil over them, tossed them evenly, and finally put them in the refrigerator.

She mixed soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, salt, and other seasonings together, added a spoonful of homemade chili oil and hot peppers, stirred well, and poured in the alkaline water. She spread a layer of minced meat and side dishes on top, and finally sprinkled pepper powder and chopped green onions over it, completing a portion of Red Oil Cold Noodles.

Lin Yu smelled the spicy and fragrant aroma of the Red Oil Cold Noodles. He carried the bowl over, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat. The cold noodles were golden-orange, coated in a layer of bright red chili oil. The soybeans, soaked and deep-fried, were incredibly crispy. The bean sprouts had been briefly blanched in boiling water before being scooped out, leaving not a hint of bitterness, only a crisp, tender, and satisfying crunch. The cucumber was sliced into delicate, thin strips, serving as a rather refreshing appetizer. The chili oil was both fragrant and spicy, yet unexpectedly not greasy at all, with a mild, gentle heat.

"So spicy." Lin Yu took a breath. It was spicy enough that a faint mist appeared in his eyes, and he couldn't help but squint.

Thinking he was uncomfortable, Bai Yinuo immediately asked, "Does it not taste good?"

"It's delicious." Lin Yu continued to eat the cold noodles, having absolutely no intention of putting them down, only using brief gaps of time to reply. The Red Oil Cold Noodles dish itself was highly contradictory, being both spicy and carrying a cool sensation. On such a hot day, eating a bowl of Red Oil Cold Noodles like this made Lin Yu feel as if all the cells in his body were awakened, leaving his entire being alert and refreshed.

Lin Yu finished all the cold noodles without leaving a single strand. Satisfied, he said, "The chili oil is delicious. Although it's spicy, it doesn't choke you. I've never had chili oil like this before."

"This is my unique secret recipe," Bai Yinuo said with a smile. "No one who has ever tasted it has failed to praise it."

This was a secret chili oil recipe she had refined over many years. She had selected dozens of chili peppers with different shapes and heat levels, processing them through numerous methods. The resulting chili oil was sufficiently hot and fragrant, yet the spiciness was incredibly gentle. For people who loved spicy food but always suffered from an uncomfortable stomach or a dull ache afterward—such as herself—this was considered a godsend.

After eating, Lin Yu began to work. With him around, Bai Yinuo opened the shop an hour earlier than usual today. Experiencing how much easier things were with someone helping, Bai Yinuo couldn't help but think about hiring an employee. The work in the shop was increasing day by day, and she was gradually becoming too busy to handle it all by herself. But considering her not-so-abundant wallet, she could only decide to think about it later.

Today, there were far more customers than on the first day of the trial business. Bai Yinuo happily brought out the blackboard and added today's new dishes below the fried rice.

"Red Oil Cold Noodles - 15 yuan per portion. Chicken - 30 yuan for half, 50 yuan for a whole chicken."

Many regular customers came to eat fried rice at Baiji Diner, but seeing that the shop had new dishes today, they found it very novel. Therefore, quite a few people who liked spicy food ordered a portion of Red Oil Cold Noodles to see how the cold noodles at Baiji Diner tasted.

Yang Fan was an elementary school student whose home was in the residential community behind the night market. He was only in the sixth grade. Because he loved eating and didn't exercise often, his body was like an inflated balloon, much chubbier than his peers. Because his weight exceeded the limit, his mother had recently been pushing him to lose weight, confiscating all his snacks and not giving him a single cent of pocket money.