Xinhua Media | The Warmth of a Bowl of Noodles

Xinhua News Agency, Taiyuan, October 26 (Reporter Wang Feifei, Chai Ting, Ma Xiaojie) On Caiyuan Street in Yingze District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, there is a noodle shop called Laojunying for marinated noodles. Over the past six years, this noodle shop has not only provided sanitation workers with free and unlimited warm meals, but also one warm story after another.

At 4 o'clock in the morning, the bleak autumn wind blew off the leaves, and sanitation worker Wang Shuwei had already started the cleaning operation. "It's colder today. The ground is frozen hard." After whispering a few words, he waved his broom and continued sweeping.

After finishing the morning cleaning, it was already 7 o'clock in the morning, the temperature was still very low, and the sweat-soaked clothes were blown by the cold wind, which made Wang Shuwei's body a little cold.

At this time, the old barracks marinade noodle hall also opened the door, and the boss Yao Xiaorui called Wang Shuwei to enter for a hot meal. After a bowl of hot noodles, Wang Shuwei felt warm.

According to Yao Xiaolui's recollection, Wang Shuwei was very shy and was embarrassed to enter the store at first, so he had to give him the noodles out and then dragged him into the store. "It's cold outside, and the noodles are cold before they are finished." Yao Xiaorui said.

Yao Xiaorui, 57, and his wife, Wang Linzhen, were laid-off workers. In 2006, the thoughtful couple decided to open a restaurant. "We will make marinated noodles, and our relatives and friends say that we have done a good job, so we have started this business." Yao Xiaorui said.

The hardships of opening a shop made the couple more aware of the difficulty of life, and also gave them the idea of helping others. Seeing that the sanitation workers outside the door were tired and could only sit on the steps of the door for a while in the cold wind, Yao Xiaolui volunteered to invite them in to warm up. At first, he poured a cup of hot water, and then he began to provide free marinated noodles for the sanitation workers nearby.

On October 21, sanitation worker Zhu Qiangen helped throw out the garbage after eating the marinated noodles. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chai Ting

"At first, they were very restrained and felt embarrassed to eat for free. I left some work for them to do so that they felt better." Yao Xiaorui said, slowly, often come here to eat six or seven sanitation workers always see what work to help do, choose vegetables, clean the table, take out the garbage... years get along, we have become a mutual help family.

"I don't think your pot is too good. I guess it's still an old problem. I'll fix it for you and it will last for a few more months." Ma Xiwang, a sanitation worker, has the ability to repair pots. When he sees that there are often problems with the rice cooker in the noodle shop, he always takes the initiative to help repair it.

In the past six years, Ma Xiwang has repaired four or five electric rice cookers for the noodle shop. "Save us a lot of money." Wang Linzhen said with a smile.

Yao Xiaorui and his wife are particularly concerned about the business of the noodle shop. Although the shop is not large, they tidy up the shop every day. In order to reassure customers, they washed vegetables over and over again.

Sanitation worker Zhao Haiqiao saw in his eyes that he would come to help choose and wash vegetables in his spare time. "I washed my hands several times before, which is more serious than washing vegetables in my own home." Zhao Haiqiao said that Yao Xiaorui's husband and wife were very warm-hearted and felt very comfortable eating here. Seeing that they were too busy, they were willing to help.

During the interview, the reporter found that almost every sanitation worker carried one or two bags of garbage in his hand when he left after eating. "The noodle shop has a lot of kitchen waste. Thanks to their help, the waste can be disposed of in time." Wang Linzhen said.

"When you are busy, you can't help but come in and take a bite and leave." Sanitation worker Chang Hongmei said that every time at this time, the boss's mother, Wang Linzhen, would make hot water and hand it to her, telling her to get busy and leave it alone. Family-like communication makes Chang Hongmei, who works in a foreign land, feel warm.

On October 21, sanitation worker Chang Hongmei greeted her with a smile with a hot water cup handed to her by Wang Linzhen. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chai Ting

Once, Yao Xiaorui's father was hospitalized. He had to take care of his sick old father while running a noodle shop. After Ma Xiwang's wife heard about it, she took the initiative to help Yao Xiaorui take care of the old man. "I really appreciate the Ma family. I didn't expect that a bowl of noodles could be exchanged for so many friends. Everyone understands and takes care of each other." Yao Xiaorui said.

Give me a peach and give me Qiong Yao. In the past six years, the noodle shop has sent more than 20000 bowls of noodles to the sanitation workers, and the sanitation workers have silently done what they can for the noodle shop. "As long as I can do it, I will keep this noodle shop open. Even if I retire one day in the future, I will let my son continue to do it." Yao Xiaorui said, because here has become a big family.