Wang Wenfeng brought Zhan Chunlan to the restaurant. Zhan Chunlan took a special look at the restaurant's signboard, "State-owned Dexing Restaurant," which should be an old brand.

The shop wasn't particularly spacious, but it was clean and tidy, with gleaming wooden tables and chairs and the air filled with the aroma of food. Wang Wenfeng led her to a table against the wall, skillfully picked up the teapot, and poured her a cup of hot tea. The rising steam, carrying the fragrance of tea, eased her last trace of nervousness.

"Look at the wall, what would you like to eat?" Wang Wenfeng pushed the teacup in front of her, gesturing for her to look at the menu hanging on the wall. "The taste here is very different from that in Jiangcheng, I don't know if you can get used to it."

When this came up, Zhan Chunlan finally found someone to confide in. She wasn't pretentious and frankly admitted with a touch of helplessness, "I'm really not used to it. I've been here for more than half a month and I haven't eaten much chili. I feel like I haven't eaten enough at every meal."

After saying that, she smiled a little embarrassedly, but people's tastes are truly ingrained and hard to change.

Upon hearing this, Wang Wenfeng laughed empathetically, "I understand. When I first went to Jiangcheng, I witnessed firsthand what 'no spice, no life' truly means. Every meal, every dish had chili peppers. I was sweating buckets after each meal, my mouth felt like it was on fire, but ironically, that very energy made me eat two bowls of white rice in one go." His humorous recollection made Zhan Chunlan laugh as well. "If there's nothing in particular you'd like to eat, I'll order for you. I'll try to pick something with local specialties that will go well with rice."

“I couldn’t be happier,” Zhan Chunlan nodded immediately. “I’m really unsure about this menu, so you can decide for me.”

“Okay.” Wang Wenfeng was clearly very familiar with the place, requiring almost no thought. “When you come to Haicheng, you must try our braised fish tail and stir-fried shrimp, classic local dishes. I’ll also order you a Four Happiness Braised Gluten to whet your appetite, sweet and delicious. Finally, a stew of pickled bamboo shoots and pork belly,” he paused, looking at her, his tone gentle and certain, “Although these dishes still don’t have chili peppers, they are savory and rich in flavor, and should be enough to fill you up.”

Before long, the dishes began to be served. The first dish was Four Delights Roasted Gluten, its steam carrying a sweet aroma that made Zhan Chunlan swallow hard.

Wang Wenfeng pushed the dish toward Zhan Chunlan: "You can try it."

Zhan Chunlan picked up a piece of roasted gluten, its surface soaked with broth and glistening with oil under the light: "This is roasted gluten? We call it wheat gluten."

She took a bite; the wood ear mushrooms were crisp, the peanuts fragrant, and the roasted gluten soft, with a hint of saltiness from the soy sauce in the sweetness. It felt like a gentle pat on her tongue, without the burning sensation of chili, yet strangely satisfying. She couldn't resist taking another bite, then suddenly looked up, a little embarrassed, and said, "I've been out for a long time today, and I'm a bit hungry."

Wang Wenfeng: "It's okay, the food was originally meant for you to eat, and the rest of the dishes will be served soon."

Zhan Chunlan took two more bites, then stopped eating. She had some experience with the first bites, but after that, the dish became a bit too sweet and cloying.

The second dish was stir-fried shrimp, served on an oval porcelain plate. The shrimp shells were popped up by the hot oil, like transparent red glass flowers. Zhan Chunlan likes to eat shrimp and knows how to eat them well. She pinched the shrimp head, gently broke it open, and the shell and meat separated with a crisp "crack". The shrimp meat popped into her mouth, and the sweet, fresh, salty and crisp flavors exploded in her mouth one after another. She subconsciously squinted her eyes, as if she had been suddenly hit by sunlight.

This was the first, most, most, most beloved dish she ate after arriving in the 1970s. In modern times, after the incident of people living a comfortable life by littering, she had never bought shrimp to eat again. It was her favorite seafood, and she never imagined that one day she could eat safe and unpolluted shrimp here. It was simply the greatest blessing in her life.

She decided that she must make as much money as possible while there was still time, buy herself shrimp, and try to eat until she got tired of shrimp before that incident happened.

The braised fish tail was served next, its tail nestled in a dark sauce, the skin crispy and the flesh tender, the collagen brought out by the heat, trembling precariously when picked up with chopsticks. Zhan Chunlan unceremoniously picked up a piece of the fattest fish, the sauce dripping down onto the rice, instantly turning the white rice an enticing dark brown.

Zhan Chunlan stirred it, then took a bite. The sweetness landed on her tongue first, followed by the richness of the soy sauce, the freshness of the fish, and finally a hint of spiciness from the ginger shreds—still not chili, but it brought tears to her eyes, as if someone had reached out and gently rubbed the most wrinkled part of her stomach.

The final dish, braised pork and bamboo shoots, was served in a small earthenware pot, no bigger than the palm of your hand. A few bright green scallions floated on the surface, the bamboo shoots were snow-white, the salted pork was pink and tender, and the pork hock was stewed until soft and falling apart. Zhan Chunlan first ladled a bowl of soup into it, gently blew on the rising steam, and then carefully sipped it. The soup slid down her throat like a warm, gentle river, carrying an exquisitely salty and savory flavor, warming her from her mouth all the way to her stomach, and then softly spreading to her limbs, as if completely soothing and dispelling all the chill and unease she had felt earlier.

The meal left her feeling a rare sense of relaxation, both physically and mentally. Especially with Wang Wenfeng across from her, he was truly a man of impeccable manners. Zhan Chunlan silently thought to herself that she had only met him once or twice, yet he had taken the initiative to invite her, someone she barely knew, to dinner on a street in a foreign land. During the meal, he would gently explain the origin and characteristics of each dish, yet he was extremely tactful, never offering her food, striking the perfect balance between concern and distance.

This thoughtfulness didn't make her feel burdened or embarrassed at all. Compared to the suffocating and incomprehensible "enthusiasm" she had just experienced in that little house, this simple yet authentic home-cooked meal, and the well-mannered and polite "acquaintance" in front of her, made her feel more real and comfortable.

She put down her spoon, looked up, and met Wang Wenfeng's questioning, smiling gaze.

"How is it? Is it to your liking?" he asked.

“It’s delicious,” Zhan Chunlan replied sincerely, a relaxed smile unconsciously spreading across her lips. “The soup is warm and tastes great. Thank you, Brother Wenfeng.”

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting warm dappled patterns on the table. Amidst the dishes and cups, the shadows of the strange experiences from earlier seemed to have quietly faded away in this comforting and warm atmosphere.

As the two walked out of Dexing Restaurant, it was already dusk. Twilight gently enveloped the area, and the streetlights along the street lit up one after another, spreading out warm yellow halos in the deepening night.

As Zhan Chunlan touched her slightly swollen stomach and looked at the street scene with the lights just coming on, she felt for the first time that the night in Haicheng, besides its dazzling prosperity, could also bring a comforting warmth from the bottom of her heart.

She turned her head and saw Wang Wenfeng put his wallet back into his pocket. When paying the bill earlier, she felt really bad and wanted to pay her share of the money and food coupons, but he firmly stopped her, his tone decisive and straightforward: "You're going to give me such a precious orchid later, what's wrong with treating you to a meal now? If we're really talking about it, ten meals wouldn't be enough to pay you back."

Hearing him say that, Zhan Chunlan stopped insisting. She considered it in her mind; although the flowers and plants she cultivated cost almost nothing, the sentiment behind them and the value of the rare varieties on the market couldn't be measured by a single meal. Thinking this way, she felt more at ease accepting the meal.

“Let’s go,” Wang Wenfeng glanced at his watch, then naturally turned to her. “At this hour, the bus to your guesthouse is still fifteen minutes away. I’ll take you back, and while I’m at it…” He paused, a perfectly balanced expectation in his eyes, “and pick up my orchid too.”

Upon hearing this, Zhan Chunlan smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay."

The evening breeze carried a slight chill, but no longer felt cold. The two walked side by side toward the bus stop, their figures blending into the warm and flowing night of Haicheng. The relaxed atmosphere from the dinner table continued silently.