"Three bottles of milk, Aunt Li!"

“It’s me, I’m Li Sao, and these are my three bottles of milk.”

Lin Li had Lin Laosan hand the milk to Li Sao, and after receiving 2 yuan and 4 mao, she started calling out names again!

...

It took almost ten minutes to distribute the milk that had been ordered yesterday. Then, looking at the crowd that hadn't left yet, I smiled at everyone.

"Milk is still 8 jiao per bottle, and chicken eggs and duck eggs are 5 jiao per jin. You can also exchange 10 jin of grain coupons for 10 chicken eggs or duck eggs."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. In other places, 10 jin of grain coupons could only be exchanged for 9 small eggs, but for 8 standard-sized eggs.

But the eggs in this old lady's basket were a size larger than standard eggs. She could exchange 10 jin of grain coupons for 10 eggs, and even if she bought them with money, they would only cost 5 jiao per jin. That's such a good deal!

then……

A frenzy of buying ensued!

Thirty minutes later, Lin Laosan grinned as he looked at the empty basket!

"Let's go, my son and I will have a big meal at the state-run restaurant today!"

Eating at a state-run restaurant was something Lin Laosan had always dreamed of. He had heard so many people say that the food there was delicious, and that there were many fresh dishes that he had never tried before, such as roast duck and seafood.

When he heard people who had eaten there talking about it, his mouth watered.

Today, he—Lin Laosan—is also going to eat at the state-run restaurant!

Seeing Lin Laosan constantly swallowing his saliva, Lin Li raised the corners of her mouth, thinking how much the kid was drooling.

The red paint on the signboard of the state-run restaurant gleamed in the sunlight, the words "State-run Restaurant" worn and faded by time, and the neon light box shaped like an enamel mug at the entrance flickered with a warm yellow light.

Lin Li's gaze swept over the saleswoman wearing a white hat behind the counter.

The girl with short, ear-length hair was organizing receipts with a tin clipper, and a few curled tea leaves floated on the strong tea in the enamel mug.

The price list on the wall was painted in red: stir-fried liver tips cost 35 cents, braised pork cost 48 cents, and the most expensive four-happiness meatballs cost 60 cents. Lin Laosan wanted to get closer to take a look, but his mother tugged at his clothes, so he had no choice but to stand obediently in line.

"Comrade, two servings of four-happiness meatballs, two servings of stir-fried liver tips, and two servings of braised pork." Lin Li pushed over the neatly stacked tickets and coins.

The waiter didn't even lift his eyelids, tore off two oil coupons, snapped them into four pieces, and tossed out a bamboo sign with his other hand: "Table five."

After receiving the bamboo plaque, Lin Laosan began looking for a seat in the hall: "Mom, there's an empty seat here."

Lin Laosan ran over quickly, sat down, grinned at Lin Li, and waved his hand back and forth.

Lin Li smiled and sat down next to him, looking at his excited face, and jokingly asked, "Are you still happy?"

Lin Laosan nodded vigorously, then leaned close to Lin Li and whispered, "I always heard them say that the food at the state-run restaurant is delicious, and that there are novel dishes like roast duck and seafood, but when I looked at the menu today, none of them were on it. They were lying to me."

Lin Li followed his example and said in a low voice, "That's not necessarily true. Seafood is a seasonal dish, and you can't eat it all the time!"

After listening, Lin Laosan nodded.

Mom knows so much!

The sound of oil sizzling came from the kitchen, and the aroma of meat mixed with the scent of star anise and cinnamon instantly filled the main room.

At the long table, workers in overalls were gnawing on braised pork ribs while drinking Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), with a crumpled copy of the People's Daily pressed under a glass; at the round table by the window, a technician wearing glasses was carefully wrapping a steamed bun in a handkerchief and eating it earnestly with the free noodle soup.

After glancing at the people sitting in the hall, Lin Li and Lin Laosan continued their discussion about the roast duck and seafood dishes.

The sounds of stir-frying came from the kitchen, and the aroma seemed to have wings and entered the nostrils.

The first dish served was Four Happiness Meatballs. In two white porcelain bowls, fist-sized meatballs gleamed with an enticing amber color, their skin fried to a golden brown and crispy, trembling slightly as they were coated in a thick sauce.

When you poke it with chopsticks, the tender and juicy meat filling with a perfect balance of lean and fat releases an aroma of star anise and cinnamon that mingles with the meat's fragrance, while the garnish of bright green scallions sways gently in the steam.

Next up is stir-fried liver tips, where pork liver is sliced ​​into even, thin slices, coated in a glossy sauce, and piled up like a small mountain on a blue and white porcelain plate.

Each slice of liver is tightly coated with sauce, glistening red and adorned with green peppers and wood ear mushrooms; when you pick up a slice, you can even pull out glistening, thin strands.

The cooking time was just right; the meat was tender and chewy, with a slightly sweet and sour taste that made your mouth water.

The braised pork belly, which made its grand entrance last, was truly stunning. In two large bowls, six square pieces of pork belly were stacked layer upon layer.

The dark red chunks of meat lay trembling in the thick sauce, their skin so glossy it reflected a person's image, the marbling between the fat and lean meat clearly visible.

With a gentle touch of the chopsticks, the trembling fat almost melts in the bowl. The soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture blends with the firmness of the lean meat, and the sweet and salty flavors explode on the tongue, while the aroma of star anise and rock sugar lingers for a long time.

Lin Laosan looked at the table full of dishes, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times. Lin Li picked up the largest meatball and stuffed it into her son's bowl: "Eat quickly, before it gets cold."

Lin Laosan also put a piece of braised pork into Lin Li's bowl, "Mom, eat some too, this is delicious!"

The mother and son exchanged a smile and began to enjoy their meal.

In her previous life, Lin Li hadn't eaten such greasy meat dishes in a long time in order to maintain her figure. She originally planned to eat a bite and save the rest for Lin Laosan to take to work the next day.

But when she put the braised pork in her mouth and chewed it, the fragrant meat flavor, with its soft, chewy, and sweet taste, completely won over her taste buds.

One piece, two pieces, and in no time she had finished the whole large bowl of meat.

Feeling great! They asked Lin Laosan to buy another big bowl of rice, and the mother and son ate two large bowls of dishes with four-happiness meatballs and stir-fried liver tips.

Then, I used the broth from the braised pork to eat with white rice, and finished another bowl.

The two of them ate almost all the food on the table.

He patted his round belly and let out a comfortable burp.

This meal was very enjoyable!

"Mom, I'm so full, let's walk back slowly!"

Lin Laosan leaned back in his chair, patted his stomach, making a loud popping sound, and his eyes were slightly dazed.

I ate too much.

"Okay, then let's walk back."

Lin Laosan helped Lin Li slowly walk out of the state-run restaurant.

The two walked slowly back to Xinhe Village as the sun set.

"We still need to find a bicycle ticket, so it will be more convenient for you to ride a bike to work in the future."

"But bicycle tickets are hard to find, and bicycles are too expensive!"

"It's much more convenient. You can go home anytime. Cycling is faster than walking, and you don't have to wait for the bus."

Lin Li reiterated the advantages of bicycles and dispelled his concerns: "Don't worry about the tickets and money. You saw how I was doing business today. If I work for a few more days, I'll raise the money."

"Okay, I'll listen to Mom!"