Chapter 362 The two gluttonous girls were so hungry they cried. Wang Xiaoya immediately covered her mouth like a duck being choked, only revealing a pair of big eyes that shone brightly in the darkness, staring longingly at Su Tang.

Chen Xiaocao, who was on the lower bunk, also quietly peeked out from under the covers, curious and nervous as she approached.

Su Tang sighed helplessly to herself.

She knew that what happened today couldn't be hidden from Wang Xiaoya's "human police dog" nose.

Instead of hiding it, it's better to be open and honest.

She carefully took out the small square, which was tightly wrapped in oilcloth, from the inside pocket of her coat, which was close to her chest.

This action was slowed down infinitely in the eyes of the two girls.

They held their breath and didn't blink.

Su Tang didn't open it directly. Instead, she first drew the curtains of her bed closer together, and then waved to the two of them.

Wang Xiaoya and Chen Xiaocao understood immediately and quietly climbed off their beds, crouching low, and slipped into Su Tang's "little world".

In an instant, three people were crammed into the small bed space, and the air became warm and crowded.

"Sister Su An, what kind of treasure is it? Why are you being so mysterious?" Wang Xiaoya lowered her voice, but she couldn't hide her excitement.

Su Tang didn't speak, but under the expectant gazes of the two girls, she slowly and methodically untied the oily cloth, layer by layer.

Beneath the oilcloth was a layer of clean waxed paper.

When the wax paper was peeled off, revealing the dark blue iron box lying quietly in the center, Wang Xiaoya and Chen Xiaocao's breaths completely stopped.

It was a beautiful tin box they had never seen before, its deep blue color like the night sky, with a string of smooth and elegant golden foreign letters printed on it, shimmering with a mysterious and noble luster in the faint light of dawn filtering through the gaps in the curtains.

"My goodness..."

Wang Xiaoya gasped, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. She reached out her finger, wanting to touch it but hesitant, and stammered, "Sister Su... Sister Su An... what... what is this? The words printed on this tin box look like... like the talismans drawn by Taoist priests in temples. I can't understand a single one."

Chen Xiaocao's eyes widened, and she whispered in agreement, "It's so pretty... a hundred times prettier than the cookie boxes sold at the supply and marketing cooperative."

Su Tang found it amusing to look at their naive and unworldly demeanor, but casually uttered three words.

"It's chocolate."

"chocolate?!"

This time, the two girls spoke in unison, letting out a suppressed gasp mixed with extreme shock!

This word is too distant and too dreamlike for them.

That was something that only existed in the big picture books of Shanghai and in the occasional foreign films. It was a precious thing that only those "foreign ladies" with pretty dresses and permed hair and "big capitalists" could afford!

It is said that such a small piece is worth more than half a month's salary for a regular worker!

Ordinary people have never even seen it, let alone eaten it.

"Sister Su An, where...where did you get this?" Chen Xiaocao's voice was trembling. She looked at the box of chocolates with awe in her eyes, as if she were looking at a rare treasure in a museum.

"My family sent it through someone," Su Tang lied without batting an eye.

"My God! Your family is amazing! They can even get their hands on these foreign gadgets!" Wang Xiaoya's mouth was practically watering.

She carefully extended a finger and touched the cool, smooth metal box very gently, then quickly withdrew it as if she had been electrocuted, as if afraid of breaking it.

"Sister Su An, I...can I just smell it? Just a sniff! I promise I won't lay a hand on it! Let me learn something..." Wang Xiaoya clasped her hands together, looking pitifully at Su Tang, her eyes like those of a little puppy that had spotted a bone.

She was incredibly curious about what this legendary thing, more expensive than gold, tasted like.

Seeing her like this, Su Tang was both annoyed and amused.

She opened the lid of the tin box.

A soft "click" sounded particularly clear in the quiet night.

An unusual aroma, unlike anything they had ever smelled before, extremely rich and intense, a blend of slightly bitter and sweet, instantly wafted from the tin box and forcefully entered the nostrils of the three girls.

"Waaah—"

Wang Xiaoya and Chen Xiaocao simultaneously let out a satisfied sigh, their eyes squinting comfortably.

"It smells so good... This aroma is so strong..." Wang Xiaoya closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and showed an intoxicated expression on her face. "It smells even better than the fried dumplings my mom used to fry with lard during Chinese New Year!"

Su Tang was amused by her analogy. She broke off a small piece, about the size of a fingernail, and handed it to Wang Xiaoya.

Wang Xiaoya stared wide-eyed at the dark object, waving her hands and shaking her head like a rattle.

"No, no, no, Sister Su An, I can't accept this! This stuff is too precious! Just smelling it is enough for me! Really!"