"Hey!"
Xu Junhui was pulled back to reality by Huang Qinqin's voice, and asked with a silly grin, "You've got everything done?"
"It's all done. What are you thinking about? I told you to wipe your sweat, but you didn't."
Xu Junhui then raised his hand and casually wiped the sweat off his clothes on his shoulder: "It's okay, I'll wipe it now. Remember to try a piece while it's hot later. It tastes best when it's fresh out of the pot."
"I'm going back now. I snuck out. I'll come back to see you on Sunday."
After saying that, Xu Junhui didn't make a move, just quietly watching her. Huang Qinqin said shyly, "Okay, see you on Sunday. Take your time going back, don't rush."
"Okay, all done!"
Xu Junhui left satisfied after receiving Huang Qinqin's reply. Whether he forgot or did it on purpose, Xu Junhui did not return the handkerchief to Huang Qinqin, and Huang Qinqin did not ask him for it back.
After watching Xu Junhui leave, Huang Qinqin closed the door and returned to the kitchen. She originally planned to continue preparing dinner, but then she remembered that Xu Junhui had just said that the sweet and sour pork tasted best when it was fresh out of the pot.
She took out her chopsticks, picked up a piece, and tasted it. The outer skin was crispy, the texture was rich, and the sweet and sour taste was just right—not too sour, not too sweet.
It was much tastier than any sweet and sour pork she'd ever had before; it was truly exceptional. Suppressing her urge to eat more, Huang Qinqin continued preparing dinner. This time, however, she planned to cook more staple food, because this sweet and sour pork was so delicious and went perfectly with rice.
......
Because he had sneaked out, when Xu Junhui returned to the food factory, the work bell hadn't rung yet, but all the food in the canteen was already prepared.
Xu Junhui selected the dishes to pack, went back to his office to get the sweet and sour pork, and was just about to finish work. After saying goodbye to the others, he went home.
Once home, Xu Junhui immediately handed the lunchbox to Zhang Yumei so she could empty the food. He was the first to arrive home today, having ridden his bicycle. He's usually the last, and now he's just waiting for Xu Weiguo and Xu Hongxia to come back so they can eat.
As soon as Zhang Yumei opened the lunchbox, the aroma of sweet and sour pork wafted out. The fried pork was coated in sauce, and its sweet and sour fragrance was irresistible. She praised it from the bottom of her heart: "Chef Cai's sweet and sour pork is really delicious! It's just that he makes it too infrequently. I can only eat it a few times a year."
"That's right. After eating Chef Cai's, the sweet and sour pork at state-run restaurants just doesn't taste as good."
"But even if Chef Cai were willing to cook every day, the canteen couldn't possibly cook that much meat every day. There's a fixed number of meat coupons available each month."
"That's true. It's worth waiting a little longer for delicious food. Besides, who can afford to eat meat every day these days?"
As soon as Xu Hongxia stepped inside, she heard Zhang Yumei's last sentence. Her eyes sparkled as she asked, "What's so delicious that it's worth waiting a little longer? What's good to eat tonight?"
"We're having sweet and sour pork tonight. Your brother brought it back from the food factory."
Wow~ Sweet and sour pork~ I haven't had it in ages, it's amazing!
Xu Hongxia excitedly circled around Zhang Yumei.
Zhang Yumei was so dizzy from being spun around that she quickly said to her, "Okay, okay, stop spinning me. You're making me dizzy. Go wash your hands. Your dad should be back soon."
Okay~
......
"Mom and Dad, you're back. Dinner's ready, second brother, could you bring the dishes out for me?"
When Huang Qinqin saw Chen Zhaodi and Huang Eryuan return home, she greeted them and then asked Huang Jianjun to help her take the groceries out.
Hearing Huang Qinqin call him, Huang Jianjun immediately sprang into action: "Coming! What's good to eat tonight? I think I smelled meat when I got back."
Chen Zhaodi had just finished washing her hands when she heard Huang Jianjun say he smelled meat. She chimed in, "You know what, I smelled it too. I guess the neighbors bought some meat."
"It should smell good, but unfortunately we've used up all our meat ration coupons for the month. How about we go visit our parents another day?"
"That works too. It's been a long time since I've been back to see my parents. I can go and see if I can get some meat and grain in return."
While people outside were still discussing returning to their hometown, they heard Huang Jianjun cheering from the kitchen.
"Wow! It's sweet and sour pork! Little sister, where did you get the meat?"
"As long as there's food, that's fine. Don't ask so many questions. Hurry up and take the food out. Aren't you hungry?"
Huang Qinqin turned to the side and carried the main course out. Seeing that Huang Jianjun was still not moving, she quickly asked him to carry the dishes out.
Huang Jianjun picked up the sweet and sour pork and followed him out happily.
As soon as the sweet and sour pork was served, Chen Zhaodi and the others couldn't help but take a deep breath. It smelled amazing! It was so delicious!
Although the sweet and sour pork had gone cold, its aroma still wafted into their noses.
Seeing everyone staring longingly at the sweet and sour pork, Huang Eryuan picked up his chopsticks and said, "Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready! Where did you find the meat coupons?"
Although Huang Qinqin had already tasted the sweet and sour pork before, she was still amazed when she ate it again. The sweet and sour pork was not as crispy as when it was fresh out of the pot, but the sauce soaked in it even more, making it taste even better.
When Huang Eryuan asked her where she got the meat ration coupons, she whispered, "I didn't buy the meat to cook; Junhui delivered it..."
Upon hearing that the sweet and sour pork was a gift from Xu Junhui, the three men in the family involuntarily stopped eating, their feelings complicated.
She was happy for Huang Qinqin, thinking it was a good thing that Xu Junhui cared about her; but she was also worried that Huang Qinqin might get married soon, and even the sweet and sour pork didn't taste as good anymore.
Chen Zhaodi could guess what they were thinking without even looking at their expressions. She picked up a piece of meat for Huang Qinqin and said with a smile, "Xu Junhui is not bad. He usually thinks of you in these little things, and he's not stingy either."
"Besides, his mother and sister are easy to get along with, so you shouldn't suffer after you marry into their family."
As Huang Qinqin listened to Chen Zhaodi's words, she began to imagine what it would be like if she married Xu Junhui. She blushed slightly and said, "He...he really is quite good."
"By the way, it seems like they bought a bicycle. I saw him ride it here today."
The other three men, after a moment of sentimentality, realized that the two women in their families weren't paying attention to them, so they tacitly buried themselves in their food.
Hearing that Xu Junhui had arrived by bicycle, Huang Eryuan's expression brightened. His tone revealed a hint of satisfaction as he said, "You bought a bicycle? That's alright, it'll do."
Chen Zhaodi felt a little uncomfortable listening to Huang Eryuan's words: "It's barely passable. At least other people have bought bicycles. Our family doesn't even have a bicycle."
How could you even say that?
Huang Eryuan: ......
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