Not long after arriving at the machinery factory, the end-of-get off work bell rang. Lin Li quickly loaded the food from her spatial storage into a cart, and as soon as she opened the lid, the aroma wafted out with the steam, making everyone's mouths water.

"It smells so good! What's that wonderful aroma?"

"It seems to have come from over there."

"Yes, that's where the sound came from. Someone's selling boxed lunches!"

...

As soon as the workers stepped out of the factory gate, they were attracted by the fragrant aroma that wafted for miles around.

Lin Li immediately put the recording speaker on.

"Two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, generous portions to keep you full."

"Two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, generous portions to keep you full."

...

"Auntie, how much is this boxed lunch?"

A young man in a Zhongshan suit, wearing glasses, slurped his saliva, and walked over with a lunchbox in his hand, asking Lin Li politely.

"Two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, totaling 6 jiao."

"Can I choose anywhere?"

"Yes, choose two out of six meat dishes and one out of four vegetable dishes."

"Then...then I'll have one."

The young man handed her his lunchbox and money. Lin Li put the money away, filled his lunchbox with rice first, and then, holding a long spoon, asked, "Which two meat dishes would you like?"

"Kung Pao Chicken and Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens, and for vegetarian dishes, stir-fried bean sprouts with chives."

"Alright!" Lin Li quickly scooped the food into the bowl, pressed it down firmly, and handed it to the young man.

"If you like it, come again tomorrow!"

As soon as I took the lunchbox, the rich aroma of braised pork with preserved mustard greens filled my nostrils.

His Adam's apple bobbed suddenly. Ignoring the heat, he picked up the trembling piece of pork belly with his chopsticks. The moment the meat melted between his teeth, his eyes lit up, and his cheeks bulged as he muttered, "Oh, this meat is even more delicious than the state-run restaurant!"

The glistening sauce dripped down his chin, but he didn't bother to wipe it away. He then picked up a piece of Kung Pao Chicken coated in chili oil. The crispy peanuts exploded in his mouth, savory and spicy, making him sweat. Yet, he couldn't help but shovel two large mouthfuls of white rice into his mouth.

When the young man tasted the stir-fried chives and bean sprouts, his eyes narrowed to slits. The bright green chives were coated with glistening minced garlic, and the bean sprouts made a crisp "crunch" when you bit into them. The refreshing taste perfectly cut through the greasiness of the meat dishes.

He simply put the lunchbox on his lap, held it with both hands, and wolfed it down, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He even mixed the soup with the rice and ate it all up.

Finally, he wiped his greasy mouth with his sleeve and shouted at Lin Li, who was pushing a cart in the distance, "Auntie! Save me some braised pork with preserved vegetables tomorrow! I could eat this for a month straight without getting tired of it!"

A coworker next door came over and teased her, and he immediately held up the empty lunchbox high: "See that? There's not even any soup left! This lady's cooking skills are definitely worthy of being named our factory's 'Unofficial Chef God'!"

He licked his chopsticks with lingering relish, pulled a crumpled banknote from his pocket, clutched it in his hand, and ran towards Lin Li's car: "Sis, order tomorrow's food first! Add extra meat for me!"

After the young man's promotion, Lin Li's cart was soon crowded with people coming to get food.

The sounds of swallowing and chewing were drowned out by the constant calls for more food. Workers coming and going from the factory gate were all captivated by the aroma of the food and joined the scramble for it.

"It's delicious, it's so delicious!"

"Auntie, your cooking is amazing!"

"Auntie, will you come again tomorrow?"

"Come!"

While busy, Lin Li kept answering the workers' questions.

"Can you make shredded pork with green peppers? I love it the most."

"Stir-fried green peppers and pork? Do you want some?" Lin Li asked loudly.

"Auntie's braised pork today must be made again tomorrow, it's so delicious!"

"Okay! I'll see if we need to change the dishes tomorrow!"

"good!"

The deafening roar filled the air, and the crowd was in a frenzy!

In less than an hour, all the food in Lin Li's shopping cart had been sold out!

Seeing the empty thermos, those who hadn't eaten yet looked grief-stricken. "Auntie, is the food all gone so quickly?"

"Yes! They're all sold out!" Lin Li showed them the empty insulated buckets.

"Oh! It's all my fault, I was a little slow! Auntie, will you come again tomorrow?"

"Okay, then I'll definitely come out earlier tomorrow!"

"good!"

Lin Li packed up her shopping cart, smiled and waved to the comrades who hadn't had a meal yet, and then slowly walked towards the market.

Yesterday, when she went to the market, she passed by the vegetable market and saw that there were a lot of ingredients, and the prices were much cheaper than at the supply and marketing cooperative.

The market was set up on the open space of the old cotton mill, and the shouts of vendors could be heard from afar.

The ice cream vendor jingled his bell, and steam rose from his tin box; in front of the window of the state-run grocery store, several elderly men and women were queuing up, clutching crumpled grain coupons in their hands.

Lin Li followed the flow of people and squeezed into the seafood section.

"Comrade, two live crucian carp, please!" she called out to the vendor behind the seafood stall, standing on tiptoe.

In the enamel basin on the cutting board, crucian carp thrashed about, splashing water.

The fishmonger deftly threaded two fish onto a bamboo pole and hung them on a hook: "One pound and two ounces, forty-eight cents, fish ticket required."

Lin Li quickly pulled out a small brown paper package from the inner pocket of her blue cloth shirt. Inside were neatly stacked grain and oil coupons, meat coupons, and a few RMB notes with frayed edges.

She stopped as she passed a tofu stall. The snow-white tofu blocks were stacked on a bamboo tray, gleaming with a warm sheen.

"Cut me half a pound of soft tofu," she said, pulling out a tofu voucher.

"Okay, here you go!"

Lin Li handed over the ticket and money, and carefully put away the tofu.

Walking into the area selling green vegetables, lush green spinach and dewy bok choy were piled high in bamboo baskets.

Lin Li squatted down and carefully selected the vegetables, occasionally pinching the leaves to check their freshness.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up—there were several bundles of fresh, tender water spinach in the corner; this was a good thing.

The old farmer selling vegetables said they were grown in his own garden and didn't require a ration coupon, but the price was a bit higher than at the state-run vegetable market.

Lin Li hesitated for a moment, then bought two bundles directly.

In her past life, her favorite food was stir-fried water spinach, and spicy noodles with water spinach were also delicious.

Thinking of this, a glistening tear appeared at the corner of Lin Li's mouth.

She swallowed the saliva that almost spilled out, craving spicy blood curd and hot pot.

In her previous life, Lin Li was from the four southwestern provinces and had an insatiable love for spicy food.

Since transmigrating here, I haven't eaten spicy food in a long time, and I've been craving it...

Without hesitation, Lin Li immediately squeezed to the counter of the grocery store and stood on tiptoe.

"Comrade, I'd like two ounces of dried chili peppers." She pushed the banknote over.

The salesperson shook open the kraft paper bag with a rustling sound, and the iron measuring spoon made a swishing sound as it scooped up the chilies. The bright red chili skins piled up like a small mountain inside the bag.

Lin Li leaned closer and took a sniff. The pungent spiciness hit her nostrils, and she couldn't help but cough twice. But she also found the spiciness pleasant. It would be great for pickling vegetables or stir-frying twice-cooked pork when she got home.