When Xu Weiguo returned home, he saw Zhang Yumei and the others already sitting and waiting for him to eat. He quickly pushed his bicycle into the yard and put it away, then washed his hands and prepared to eat.
Zhang Yumei glared at him, annoyed: "I thought you didn't need to eat anymore, and that you could get full just by going out and showing off."
"How could I! You work so hard to cook for me, I definitely have to come home for dinner on time, hehe..." Xu Weiguo said with a smile as he put some food into Zhang Yumei's bowl.
Zhang Yumei said proudly, "I didn't make this for you, I made it for myself. You're just something I did on the side."
"It's fine if you bring some too. Anyway, it's your hard work, so please eat more."
Xu Junhui watched his parents bickering childishly despite their advanced age and felt a pang of envy. He began to imagine whether his marriage to Huang Qinqin would be like that...
As he thought about it, he started to chuckle to himself. He felt a sense of urgency and suddenly wanted to marry Huang Qinqin as soon as possible.
Xu Weiguo and Zhang Yumei ignored their son, who was laughing like a fool. After finishing their meal, they tacitly put down their chopsticks and said in unison, "We're done eating. Ahui, clean up the dishes after you finish eating!"
Then the two of them walked to the bicycle together, and Xu Weiguo said to Zhang Yumei, "Why don't we take advantage of the time we still have and I'll teach you how to ride a bicycle?"
Looking at the huge machine in front of her, Zhang Yumei felt a little apprehensive: "Can I do it? It looks a bit difficult to ride."
She quietly gestured with her hand and realized that the bicycle was taller than her legs; if she sat on it, her feet wouldn't even touch the ground.
Zhang Yumei was even more hesitant to learn, and immediately gave up: "Forget it, I'd better not learn it. I don't need it in my daily life."
"Weiguo, just take me out for a stroll, and while we're at it, we can go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some soy sauce and vinegar."
Seeing that she really didn't want to learn, Xu Weiguo didn't force her. He got on the bicycle first and then said to Zhang Yumei, "Get on, I'll take you for a ride now."
Although the bicycle seat was a little short, it was still a bit too tall for Zhang Yumei, who is only 1.58 meters tall.
Zhang Yumei carefully straddled Xu Weiguo, supporting herself with her hand on his waist. Once she was settled, she said to him, "I'm ready, let's go."
Xu Weiguo looked back to make sure she was seated, then pushed off with his foot and rode his bicycle out the door.
She added, "If you're worried about not being able to sit still, just hold onto my clothes, or you can just put your arm around my waist."
Zhang Yumei patted him on the back: "What are you saying! You shameless old man!"
Seeing that she was angry and embarrassed, Xu Weiguo stopped teasing her and slowly rode his bicycle to the supply and marketing cooperative.
When Xu Junhui came to his senses, he was left alone in the house with only the dishes and chopsticks on the table.
After skillfully putting away the remaining dishes and washing the bowls and chopsticks and putting them back in the kitchen, Xu Junhui went back to his room for a nap.
......
When it was time to go to work in the afternoon, Xu Weiguo left his bicycle with Xu Junhui because it was closer for him to get to his workplace than it was for Xu Junhui to get to the food factory.
Xu Junhui rode his bicycle to the food factory. When the gatekeeper, Lao Xie, saw him, he said in surprise, "Oh, you bought a bicycle?"
"Yes, I just bought it today. It's more convenient to have a bike, since the bicycles in the factory are all shared, and it's not very convenient when you're in a hurry."
The gatekeeper, Lao Xie, nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it's definitely more convenient to have your own car."
Xu Junhui parked his bicycle in the parking shed. Yes, although the food factory only had five bicycles in total, the factory had specially built a large iron shed to park them.
The reason is that leaders from food factories often come to inspect the facilities, or cadres from other factories come to exchange ideas and hold meetings, so having a designated parking area would be better.
Xu Junhui didn't have much to do in the afternoon. The purchasing was done by confirming the types and quantities of goods for the next day in advance every morning, and then the meat processing plant and the vegetable market would deliver them directly. He was only responsible for checking and paying.
With nothing else to do, Xu Junhui could only wander into the kitchen and chat with them to pass the time.
"Master Cai, what's good for dinner tonight?"
When Chef Cai saw Xu Junhui come in, he casually handed him a tomato to eat and then replied, "Didn't you order the dishes? How could you not know what's served?"
Xu Junhui took the tomato, wiped it on his casual clothes, and took a big bite. He thought to himself with satisfaction: "Hmm, this tomato is good, juicy enough, and not too sour."
Hearing Chef Cai's words, he wasn't annoyed: "I'm only responsible for buying the ingredients, but what dishes to make is entirely up to you."
"You're a natural at purchasing; you're quite the smooth talker."
"I'm planning to make sweet and sour pork today. What do you think? Should we eat it in the cafeteria today?"
When Xu Junhui heard that there was sweet and sour pork on the menu today, his first thought was to let Huang Qinqin try it too. Chef Cai's cooking skills were very high; although not as good as those in state-run restaurants, his sweet and sour pork was exceptional.
Everyone who has tried it has praised it, but Chef Cai doesn't make it often. First, it's quite troublesome; second, the sweet and sour pork needs to be deep-fried first, which uses a lot of oil; and third, although the sweet and sour pork is delicious, it is still a pure meat dish, and even though the factory provides subsidies, workers still need to pay extra for meat coupons if they want to eat it.
For various reasons, Chef Cai only makes sweet and sour pork once a month at most, and sometimes only once every two or three months.
Although meat coupons are required, Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork) is still not in high demand. Basically, anyone with a little extra money will buy it, and some people who don't usually eat in the cafeteria will also buy a portion to take home and eat with their families.
So when Xu Junhui heard that they were cooking sweet and sour pork tonight, he immediately said to Chef Cai, "Chef Cai, when the sweet and sour pork is ready, please save two portions for me. I'm going home now to get my lunchbox!"
Xu Junhui asked for the sweet and sour pork, which wasn't surprising, as it was one of his specialties. However, Chef Cai was a little curious as to why he wanted two portions today: "Two portions? Who are you planning to save the other one for?"
Xu Junhui scratched his head shyly and said, "I plan to give it to my girlfriend to try. Master Cai, please remember to save some for me. I'll go home now to get another lunchbox."
Seeing Xu Junhui leave in such a hurry, Master Cai was a little surprised. He hadn't heard that Xu Junhui was dating anyone. Not long ago, Xu Junhui had said that he didn't plan to find a partner.
Zhang Yumei was startled to see Xu Junhui suddenly return home: "Why are you back at this time? Did something happen?"
"It's okay, the cafeteria has sweet and sour pork tonight. I was just planning to come back to get a lunchbox and get some to go."
"By the way, Mom, you don't need to cook tonight. I'll just get two dishes from the cafeteria."
"Okay, that saves me the trouble."
"Wait a minute, don't you have a lunchbox at the factory?"
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