Ep. 1: Xiao Ming reflects on his grandmother and San Xian noodles in Hunan and Beijing.

1

Set in Hunan Province and Beijing, Xiao Ming recalls his childhood memories with his grandmother centered on San Xian noodles. He remembers a local shop that closed due to rumors of jealousy or a client's request. Xiao Ming then visited another shop selling pre-made noodles with many toppings, which pleased him. The owner's husband attempted to convert the business to fishing, but after poor sales and the son's hospitalization from a school knife fight, the noodle shop reopened with the husband and son working there. Years later in Beijing, Xiao Ming found a San Xian noodle shop with fewer toppings and higher prices unsatisfactory. Upon hearing his grandmother was dying, he returned home immediately. He spent his final minutes with her before she passed away. Returning to the town shop, he felt nostalgic and content about his future while eating San Xian noodles.