Free Web NovelChapter 78: Chapter 71: Which Bastard Is Telling Such a Bald-Faced Lie
"I’m heading to work today." Zhou Weiguo parked his bike, smiling as he walked toward the restaurant.
He was wearing a brand-new, navy-blue Zhongshan suit with a white Dacron shirt underneath, the top button fastened meticulously.
He walked with a slight limp, his empty left sleeve swaying gently, drawing one’s gaze. Yet he held his upper body ramrod straight, and that, combined with the scar by his eye, gave him a commanding presence that inspired awe without anger.
Many customers in the restaurant did a double-take when they saw his face. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
He looked so much like Zhou Yan!
A crew cut, a more mature look, and though he had a scar by his eye, his features were so righteous that it wasn’t off-putting at all.
"Heading to work? Wei Kingdom, did your job assignment come through?" Zhao Tieying emerged carrying a bowl of noodles, which she served to a customer before asking in pleasant surprise.
"That’s right." Zhou Weiguo found an empty seat and sat down, smiling. "Fourth Sister-in-law, I’ll have a bowl of dry-mixed noodles with double-pepper beef."
"You got it," Zhao Tieying replied. The restaurant was busy, so she didn’t press for details. She turned back to the kitchen and said with a grin, "Your youngest uncle is here. He wants a bowl of mixed noodles. Said his job assignment came through. He rode up on a new 28-inch bicycle and is wearing a whole new set of clothes. Your grandma must have dolled him up. He looks so sharp."
"Really?" Zhou Yan’s eyes lit up at the news. If he hadn’t been in the middle of pulling noodles, he would have run out to take a look and ask his uncle what kind of job he’d been assigned.
His uncle’s job placement after leaving the military had been dragging on for over three years. Every holiday, the leaders would visit and discuss it with him, even asking the family to help persuade him. So, they had a rough idea of the rank he might be offered.
Before his transfer, Zhou Weiguo had been a captain and company commander. Veterans with a first-class merit award from wartime received preferential treatment. When he first returned, he was offered a position as deputy director of a state-owned factory, in charge of the security department with a deputy section chief rank, but he had turned it down.
Zhou Yan figured this new arrangement probably wouldn’t be much different.
Bowl after bowl of noodles was carried out of the kitchen, and the rush gradually began to die down.
"Fourth Auntie, look, what are those people doing? What are they inspecting?" Zhao Hong stood at the entrance, whispering as she watched a group of uniformed people making their way down the line of stalls, inspecting them one by one.
"Looks like people from the health department. It’s a routine inspection; they come once a month." Zhao Tieying glanced over and said in a low voice, "Quick, let’s clear the bowls and chopsticks we need to, wipe the tables, and let Zhou Yan know."
"Got it." Zhao Hong nodded and immediately got to work.
In truth, the sanitation at Zhou Yan Restaurant was already excellent.
Zhou Yan had established strict hygiene standards for them. Beyond just sweeping, the restaurant was mopped twice a day. They used two cloths—one for greasy tables and a second for a final wipe-down, ensuring that every customer sat down to a fresh, clean surface.
This alone was something even the state-owned restaurants couldn’t manage.
Customers have their own standards. After a visit or two, they could naturally tell the difference.
"It’s fine. It’s a routine inspection. Just act normal," Zhou Yan said, completely unfazed after hearing the news.
Zhou Yan kept his workstation spotless, wiping up any grease spatters immediately. By now, he had finished cooking the noodles. He tidied up the dough-making area, washed his hands, and walked out of the kitchen just in time to see three people from the epidemic prevention station enter.
It wasn’t just the health inspectors; two "hat uncles" were following behind them.
This procession was quite different from the usual routine inspection.
In Suji, sanitation and epidemic prevention were mainly handled by the local health center. Two of the three were from the health center, while the man in the lead was from the county’s Epidemic Prevention Station. He was the same one who had been with Gao Tianlei last time. His name seemed to be Zhu Liqiang.
"Who’s the owner of this restaurant?" Zhu Liqiang asked.
"I am," Zhou Yan said, stepping forward.
All eyes fell on Zhou Yan, their gazes a mixture of scrutiny and surprise at his youth.
Zhu Liqiang’s eyes narrowed slightly. The young man looked familiar, though he couldn’t recall where he’d seen him. He nodded slightly and said, "Routine inspection. Show me your hygiene permit and the last month’s purchase ledgers. My colleagues will also inspect the sanitation of your establishment."
"Okay," Zhou Yan replied, pulling the documents and ledgers from under the counter and handing them to Zhu Liqiang.
The other two inspectors began to check the restaurant’s sanitation, from the stove at the entrance to every corner of the dining area and into the kitchen. Each held a flashlight, their inspection exceedingly thorough.
Zhu Liqiang carefully examined the hygiene permit and purchase invoices, placed them on an empty table, and then took a flashlight to begin his own inspection.
Today, Deputy Director Gao was leading the inspection. They had just come from the state-owned restaurant and had inspected numerous street vendors along the way.
The state-owned restaurant was slightly better, as it had regulations for daily cleaning, so its overall sanitation was passable.
But problems like washing cleaning cloths and mops together still persisted. They never corrected it, no matter how many times they were told—a true sign of arrogance.
The sanitary conditions of the roadside stalls were even worse. Filth was ingrained in the tables and chairs, and the stoves and cookware were extremely greasy. The deputy director’s face had grown darker and darker as they made their way here.
Right now, he was still outside, explaining to the wonton stall owner why you can’t chop green onions on the same cutting board used for raw meat. He had told Zhu Liqiang’s team to go ahead and inspect Zhou Yan Restaurant first.
He swiped a finger across a nearby empty table. It came away clean and cool, without a trace of grease.
A large pot stood by the entrance, the stove wiped perfectly clean without a single water spot. The ashes beneath the stove had been thoroughly cleared out, and a dozen or so logs of Chestnut Wood were neatly stacked beside it.
The morning rush wasn’t over yet, but the floor was still quite clean, free of the sticky, built-up grime of old oil.
As Zhu Liqiang headed for the kitchen, he was already rather astonished by the hygiene standards of this private restaurant.
The busiest part of the morning had just ended in the kitchen. Steam was still rising from the noodle water in the pot, but the entire kitchen looked fresh and tidy. All the utensils were neatly arranged, and even the stove had been wiped clean.
The noodle toppings were stored in large enamel basins, all covered with lids. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
The two other inspectors looked at him with strange expressions.
’Clean and sanitary.’ That was probably what they were thinking right now.
They couldn’t find a single fault.
Forget about other places; even their own homes couldn’t be kept this clean.
Today’s inspection was a complete surprise, with no prior notice. This meant this was likely the restaurant’s normal state.
"The hygiene standards are indeed incredibly high. You won’t find another place like this in Suji," Zhu Liqiang said with a slight nod.
Never mind Suji; even in all of Jiazhou, it would be hard to find a restaurant with better sanitation than this small, private establishment.
With this level of cleanliness, it could even serve as a model restaurant for hygiene!
This left Zhu Liqiang a bit puzzled. They were here to assist an investigation at the request of the police station. But would a restaurant that held itself to such incredibly high hygiene standards really use meat from diseased pigs?
"Comrade, is there anything else you need our cooperation for?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at Zhu Liqiang.
Zhao Tieying and Zhao Hong also watched him, a little nervous. This situation seemed very different from the usual routine inspections.
At a nearby table, Zhou Weiguo had already finished his mixed noodles and was sipping the noodle water, his attention also on the scene.
Zhu Liqiang glanced at the dozen or so customers still eating in the restaurant, then looked at Zhou Yan and said, "Our Epidemic Prevention Station received a request from the Suji Police Station to assist in an investigation. Someone has reported that your restaurant uses diseased pork. We are here to investigate and require your cooperation. If the allegation is true, you will be penalized. If it is a malicious and false accusation, we will clear your name."
"Diseased pork!"
Celestial Bodhisattva!
Zhou Yan Restaurant uses diseased pork too?!
The moment those two words left his mouth, the customers in the restaurant all stopped eating and turned to look at Zhou Yan in shock.
"Which goddamn idiot is spouting such bullshit with their eyes wide open! Spitting venom like that, aren’t you afraid of being struck down by lightning?!"
"Our ribs and pork belly are bought fresh every morning from Zhang the Third by the bridge for one-eighty a jin! What kind of fool would pay one-eighty for diseased pork?!"
Zhao Tieying shot to her feet, her eyes red with fury. "You officials! You come in here with no proof and just start spouting nonsense! Do you have any idea how hard it is for us private business owners to build a reputation?"
"You could destroy all my boy’s hard work with just a single sentence!"
Zhu Liqiang subconsciously took half a step back. The woman was like a mother tigress protecting her cub, the ferocious glint in her eyes was chilling.
He edged a little closer to the two "hat uncles" before speaking again. "Ma’am, we haven’t reached any conclusions yet. We are just asking for your cooperation in an investigation. Please, calm down."
Zhou Weiguo’s brow furrowed, and he was already rising to his feet.
But Zhou Yan couldn’t help but laugh. He looked at Zhu Liqiang and said, "Comrade, the ones who reported me were Wang Qi and Wang the Fifth, weren’t they?"
