Chương 71: Which idiot is lying through his teeth!

"Going to work today." Zhou Weiguo parked his car and walked into the shop with a smile. He was wearing a brand-new navy blue Zhongshan suit with a white polyester shirt underneath, buttoned up to the top, meticulously. He had a slight limp, and his empty left sleeve swayed slightly, drawing attention, but his upright posture and the scar near his eye gave him an imposing and dignified air. Many customers in the shop were stunned when they saw his face. He looked so much like Zhou Yan!

A buzz cut, more mature, and although there was a scar near his eye, his upright appearance didn't make him repulsive.

"Going to work? Weiguo, you've got your job arranged?" Zhao Tieying came out with a bowl of noodles, served the customers, and asked with some surprise.

"Yes." Zhou Weiguo found an empty seat and smiled, "Fourth Sister-in-law, give me a bowl of double-pepper beef jerky noodles."

"Sure." Zhao Tieying responded. There were many customers in the shop, so she didn't ask any further questions. She went into the kitchen and said with a smile, "Your uncle is here. He ordered a bowl of noodles. He said he got a job. He rode a brand new old bicycle and changed into a new set of clothes. Your grandma must have dressed him up. He looks so dashing."

"Really?" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up when he heard this. If he hadn't been holding noodles, he would have definitely run out to take a look and ask his uncle what job he had been assigned. His uncle's resettlement had been delayed for more than three years. His superiors would talk to him about it every year during the holidays and even asked his family to do some persuasion. So they had a general idea of what rank he could be assigned. Before his demobilization, Zhou Weiguo was a captain and company commander.

He received preferential treatment upon demobilization due to his first-class merit during the war. When he first returned, he was offered a position as deputy director of a state-owned factory, in charge of the security department, with the待遇 of a deputy section chief, but he refused. Zhou Yan guessed that this arrangement would be similar. Bowls of noodles were being carried out of the kitchen, and things were gradually getting quieter.

"Fourth Aunt, what are those people doing? What are they checking?" Zhao Hong stood at the door, noticing a group of people in uniform inspecting the stalls, and asked softly.

"They look like the health department, doing a routine inspection. They come every month." Zhao Tieying glanced at them and whispered, "Quickly, let's collect the bowls and chopsticks, wipe the tables clean, and tell Zhou Yan too."

"Okay." Zhao Hong nodded and immediately got to work. Actually, the hygiene of Zhou Erwa's restaurant was already excellent. Zhou Yan set strict hygiene standards for them. Besides sweeping, the restaurant had to mop twice a day. They had two rags, one for wiping oily tables and the other for a second layer, ensuring that every customer's table was clean and tidy when they sat down. Even state-run restaurants couldn't meet this standard.

Customers have their own standards; after a couple of visits, they would naturally notice the difference.

"It's nothing, just a routine inspection, treat it normally," Zhou Yan said calmly. While cooking, Zhou Yan kept the counter spotless, wiping away any oil stains. Now that the noodles were ready, he tidied up the kitchen, washed his hands, and came out to see a group of three people from the health and epidemic prevention station enter. Not only were there epidemic prevention workers, but also two men in hats following behind. This setup was quite different from their usual routine inspections.

The health and epidemic prevention work in Suji was mainly handled by the health center. Two of the three were staff members of the health center, and the one leading them was a staff member from the county health and epidemic prevention station. He was the one who had been with Gao Tianlei last time; I think his name was Zhu Liqiang.

"Who is the restaurant owner?" Zhu Liqiang asked.

"I am," Zhou Yan stepped forward and said. All eyes fell on Zhou Yan, scrutinizing him and somewhat surprised by his youth. Zhu Liqiang narrowed his eyes, feeling the young man looked familiar, but couldn't quite place him. He nodded slightly and said, "Routine inspection. Show me your health permit and your purchase ledgers for the past month. The staff will also inspect the hygiene of your shop."

"Okay," Zhou Yan replied, taking out the documents and ledgers from the counter and handing them to Zhu Liqiang. The other two epidemic prevention officers began inspecting the shop's hygiene, from the stove at the entrance to every corner, and then to the kitchen, each carrying a flashlight, checking very carefully. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Zhu Liqiang carefully checked the health permit and purchase ledgers, placing them on an empty table, then personally inspected them with the flashlight. Today, Deputy Station Chief Gao led the inspection team; they had just come from the state-run restaurant, inspecting many vendors along the way. The state-run restaurant was slightly better, as it had daily cleaning regulations, and its overall hygiene was acceptable.

The problem of washing rags and mops together persists, a blatant disregard for regulations and a display of arrogance. The hygiene conditions at the roadside stalls are even worse; tables and chairs are filthy, and the stoves and pots are extremely greasy. The deputy station chief's face had darkened considerably by the time he arrived. He was still outside, explaining to the wonton stall owner why a cutting board used for meat shouldn't be used to cut scallions.

He told him to lead a team to inspect Zhou Erwa's restaurant first. He ran his fingers across an empty table; it was clean and spotless, without a trace of oil. A large pot stood at the entrance, the stove spotless, without a single water stain, and the ashes under the stove were also cleaned thoroughly. A dozen or so oak logs were neatly stacked beside the stove. The restaurant wasn't closed for the morning yet, but the floor was quite clean, without any sticky, years-old grease.

Zhu Liqiang walked towards the kitchen, already somewhat surprised by the hygiene standards of this small restaurant. The kitchen had just finished its work; the noodle soup in the pot was still steaming, but the entire kitchen looked spotless. All the kitchen utensils were neatly arranged, and even the stove was wiped clean. The noodle toppings were in large enamel basins, all covered. The two epidemic prevention officers looked at him with somewhat strange expressions.

Clean and hygienic—that was probably their immediate thought. They couldn't find a single flaw. Not to mention outside, even in their own homes, they couldn't maintain this level of cleanliness. Today's inspection was very sudden, without prior notice, so this was probably the norm for this restaurant.

"The hygiene standards are indeed very high; you won't find another restaurant like this in Suji," Zhu Liqiang nodded slightly. Not to mention Suji, even in Jiaozhou, it would be difficult to find a restaurant with better hygiene than this small establishment. With this level of cleanliness, it was good enough to be a model hygiene restaurant! This puzzled Zhu Liqiang.

They had been notified by the police station to assist in the investigation, but would a restaurant that maintained such high hygiene standards really use diseased pork?

"Comrade, is there anything else we need to cooperate with?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at Zhu Liqiang. Zhao Tieying and Zhao Hong also looked at him, slightly nervous; this seemed different from their previous routine inspections. Zhou Weiguo, who had finished his noodles and was sipping his soup, was also watching the situation closely.

Zhu Liqiang glanced at the dozen or so customers still eating noodles in the shop, then looked at Zhou Yan and said,"Our epidemic prevention station received a notice of assistance from the Suji Police Station. Someone reported that your restaurant used pork infected with disease, so we're here to investigate. We need your cooperation. If the allegations are true, you will be punished. If it's a false accusation, we will clear your name."

"Pork infected with disease!" Good heavens! Zhou Erwa's restaurant also uses pork infected with disease?! As soon as those three words were uttered, the customers in the shop stopped eating and turned to look at Zhou Yan in shock.

"Who's the idiot who dares to lie through their teeth! They're spouting nonsense and won't be punished by heaven!"

"Our spare ribs and pork belly are bought every morning from Zhang Laosan at the bridgehead for 1. 8 yuan a pound. Which brute sells diseased pork for 1. 8 yuan?!" Zhao Tieying suddenly stood up, her eyes red with anger, and said, "You officials, without any evidence, you just spout nonsense! Do you know how hard it is for us small business owners to build a reputation?"

"You can ruin my son's life's work with just one sentence!" Zhu Liqiang subconsciously took a half step back. This woman was like a fierce tigress protecting her cubs, her eyes filled with a chilling ferocity. He moved closer to the two men in hats before speaking, "Madam, we haven't reached a conclusion yet. We're just asking you to cooperate with the investigation. Please calm down." Zhou Weiguo frowned and stood up.

Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh, looking at Zhu Liqiang, "Comrade, it was Wang Qi and Wang Laowu who reported me, right?" (End of Chapter)