Xu Junhui then came to his senses and quickly greeted Chen Zhaodi and Huang Qinqin: "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Comrade Huang."

After the two young people greeted each other, Zhang Yumei left with Chen Zhaodi. Before leaving, she instructed, "Ahui, remember to take Qinqin home safely, okay?"

Xu Junhui earnestly assured her, "Mom, Auntie, don't worry, I will definitely get Comrade Huang home safely. Take care."

After Zhang Yumei and Chen Zhaodi left, Xu Junhui and Huang Qinqin felt somewhat awkward, unsure of what to say.

Finally, Xu Junhui broke the silence first: "Um, Comrade Huang, take a look at what you'd like to eat, let's order first."

Huang Qinqin glanced at the menu, which listed today's dishes: braised pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and hot and sour shredded potatoes; staple foods included shredded pork noodles, dumplings, and meat buns.

"How about a plate of braised pork, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and a few meat buns?"

“Okay, then wait here for me for a moment, I’ll go order first.” After saying that, Xu Junhui walked over.

Huang Qinqin was initially quite nervous, but seeing Xu Junhui walking with his arms and legs moving in unison, she knew she wasn't the only one who was nervous. Suddenly, she wasn't so nervous anymore.

After ordering, Xu Junhui returned and said somewhat nervously, "Comrade Huang, I'm twenty-two years old and currently work as a purchasing agent in the canteen of a food factory. My family members are my parents and a fifteen-year-old sister. Do you have any other questions for me?"

"You can ask me anything, and I will answer you seriously. I hope you can give me a chance to continue our contact."

After saying that, he stared nervously at Huang Qinqin, waiting for her reply.

Huang Qinqin was actually only meeting Xu Junhui twice, and they didn't even talk much during their first meeting. So when she heard Xu Junhui say so directly that he wanted to get to know her better, she blushed uncontrollably.

She stammered a little as she spoke: "Uh, I have two older brothers, I, I am the youngest in my family, I am eighteen years old this year, I graduated from high school and I don't have a job yet."

At this point, the waiter called them from the window to pick up their food. Nowadays, state-run restaurants don't deliver food to the table; customers have to go and get it themselves.

Xu Junhui originally planned to pick it up by himself, but Huang Qinqin insisted on going with him. They ordered several dishes, which were difficult for one person to carry.

Looking at the tempting braised pork on the plate, Huang Qinqin's mouth watered. The last time she ate braised pork was during the Chinese New Year. Usually, her family rarely buys so much meat when it's not a holiday.

Xu Junhui told Huang Qinqin to pick up some meat and not to be shy. Afraid she might feel awkward, he picked up a piece himself and ate it first.

Seeing that Xu Junhui had started eating, Huang Qinqin no longer stood on ceremony. She picked up a piece of braised pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. The pork was so tender that the fat melted in her mouth.

The rich flavor seems to dance on the tip of your tongue. Fatty yet not greasy, lean yet not dry – that's the charm of braised pork.

In this era of scarcity, being able to eat a big piece of fatty meat can truly make one feel happy.

After eating braised pork, a bite of hot and sour shredded potatoes is refreshing, helps cut through the greasiness, and whets the appetite.

The meat buns at state-run restaurants are their signature dish; almost everyone who comes in to eat will order them.

One reason is that it contains meat, which is in short supply in every household these days. The other reason is that it is really delicious, with a thin skin and a generous filling, and it is so juicy that it is incredibly satisfying.

After Huang Qinqin and the others finished eating, the state-run restaurant gradually became more crowded. Xu Junhui, seeing that they had almost finished eating, suggested, "Comrade Huang, how about we go for a walk at the supply and marketing cooperative or in the park to digest our food?"

"Okay, I'm a little full too."

Xu Junhui told Huang Qinqin to sit there and wait while he went to get something.

Xu Junhui walked to the window and called out to the chef inside, "Old Li, have you packed the dishes I asked you to reserve for me?"

Although the braised pork at the state-run restaurant was delicious, this kind of pure meat dish was usually limited in quantity. However, Xu Junhui knew the head chef at the state-run restaurant, so he could still buy an extra serving by pulling some strings.

Because he didn't know the state-run restaurant was serving braised pork when he left home this morning, he didn't bring a lunchbox and had to borrow one from Lao Li.

Old Li walked over with a box of braised pork and teased, "You're lucky, kid. I think that girl is pretty nice."

Xu Junhui nodded in agreement: "Yes, it's very good, but I don't know if it will work out."

Then he added, "Give me five more meat buns, and take them with me."

After taking their things, they walked out of the state-run restaurant together with Huang Qinqin.

The two walked and stopped, and finally sat down on a stone bench in the park.

Huang Qinqin felt that she got along well with Xu Junhui today, at least she felt good about it, so she planned to tell him about her situation.

"Comrade Xu, I'd like to tell you about my family's situation."

"I don't do much housework at home. I'm usually responsible for preparing three meals a day. Other chores are usually shared by my family."

“Unlike other women, I’m not very hardworking and can basically take care of all the housework. Even if I get married in the future, I don’t think it will change much. Can you accept that?”

Xu Junhui was initially a little nervous, fearing that Huang Qinqin was planning to reject him, but hearing that she was willing to say these things proved that she had a good impression of him.

So he quickly stated his position: "In my family, we won't let one person finish all the work either. In our family, the men also have to do the work, and the household chores are all shared by everyone."

He glanced at Huang Qinqin somewhat shyly and continued, "If... if you marry into my family and don't want to do any work, no one will say anything to you. If you marry me, I will definitely treat you well. How you are in your family is how you will be in mine."

Huang Qinqin was somewhat surprised. She thought that there would be very few families like his, because even if they were not particularly sexist, the men in the family were basically not required to do any work.

Many people think that since they work outside to earn money to support their families, they should be waited on at home.

This made Huang Qinqin have even higher expectations for Xu Junhui's family.

Huang Qinqin continued, "Also, I'm currently unemployed. Would you mind that?"

"Of course I don't mind! I earn 35 yuan a month now. I give 10 yuan to my family for household expenses every month, and I manage the rest myself."

“I am fully capable of supporting a family. Even if you don’t have a job, don’t worry about it.”

Xu Junhui could sense that Huang Qinqin was quite satisfied with him, so he mustered up his courage and asked, "Comrade Huang, I had a very pleasant time with you today. What do you think of me? Would you be willing to work together with me to make progress?"