A Taste of Soup Noodle in Luzhou

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Feelings

A Day of a Soup Noodle Shop
During our interview with Mr. Chou, the shop owner of Damiaokou Noodle Shop, he was explaining to us while serving customers. It was already over 3 o'clock in the afternoon, but Mr. Chou and his three employees had not yet had lunch.
We could see their hard work. Hence, we decided to present the work of a Soup Noodle shop for a whole day in order to make people aware that a bowl of sweet-smelling Soup Noodle is hard-won.
At five in the morning, the earth had not yet woken up. Mr. Chou with his two nephews rushed to the shop. The sound of sliding open the iron gate broke the quietness and opened their busy day. They start to carry gas and ingredients for the day, boil pork bone soup, and put all the tools needed in place so that when customers came at six, they could enjoy a bowl of hot Soup Noodle directly without wait.
Their work seemed like a race with time. They were busy cooking the noodles ordered by customers. Even drinking water or having a meal became luxury leisure for them. At half past two in the afternoon, the customers in the shop became fewer, so Mr. Chou and his two nephews could finally sit down to dine. Occasionally, they would be interrupted with a few customers who had their meals late. For them, it was no trouble. After having their meals disjointedly, they began to clean the floor, wash the tools, and check the remaining ingredients till dusk. When Mr. Chou pulled down the iron gate, it meant a period for the busy day.

Mr. Chou's Bitterness and Sweetness—Bitterness
Mr. Chou told us with a smile that selling catering industry was of course hard work. One needed to endure the high temperature near a stove during summer and carry heavy loads. Many practitioners in the industry suffered from pain in the spine after middle age. Abnormal meal times and heavy mental stress due to too many guests, stomach pain was also common. Nowadays, young people liked to work in an office with an air condition, while a few were willing to work in a noodle shop.

Mr. Chou's Bitterness and Sweetness— Sweetness
Mr. Chou said that selling noodles was hard yet with a sense of accomplishment. Some guests, after having their noodles and appetizers, praised them happily. Seeing the smile on the faces of customers, he felt that all the bitterness was rewarding. Such a sense of accomplishment was the driving force to the improvement of ingredients. In addition, he made many good friends and saw the vicissitudes of life. Some customers shared their stories, complaints, and joy with him, which enriched his life. He believed that it was something that the industry could not have.