As Zhou Qiqi and her friends were talking, a kind voice came from the entrance of the stall.
"Ping, Da Mei! Take a rest, Mom has brought you food!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than an elderly woman with gray hair walked in carrying a bamboo basket. This woman was Li Ping's mother-in-law.
The old lady deftly took two heavy enamel mugs out of the basket. As soon as the lids were lifted, the rich aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of green beans and braised noodles instantly filled the air.
"Hey Mom, I said I wanted braised noodles last night, and you made them today! They smell so good!"
Li Ping immediately greeted her with a smile and took the basket from her mother-in-law.
"That's right. Knowing that you two are busy from morning till night, I specially added extra meat and stewed it in the pot until it was very tender, so it wouldn't hurt your teeth."
The old lady pushed the enamel mug towards Li Ping and Zhao Damei, then took out a cloth bag from the bottom of the basket, opened it, and inside lay several clean apples and jujube paste cakes wrapped in oil paper.
Zhao Damei's eyes lit up immediately, and she reached out and picked up a piece of jujube paste cake.
"Oh! This jujube paste cake is my absolute favorite! Every time the grocery store gets it, there's a long line to get a piece! Mom, are you in line again?"
As she was talking, she took a big bite, not even bothering to brush off the crumbs that fell on her clothes.
The old lady patted her head, her face full of concern, "Look at you, all sweaty. Eat slowly, don't choke."
The tenderness in her eyes was worlds apart from the coldness and disdain that Granny Wang showed towards Sister-in-law Wang.
Zhou Qiqi watched from the sidelines, filled with emotion. The two were about the same age and both had mothers-in-law, so why was there such a big difference between them?
One man treats his wife like a daughter, while the other treats her like an object without personality.
Li Ping greeted Zhou Qiqi.
"Qiqi, why don't you have some? My mom always brings us a lot of food, she's always worried we won't have enough, there's enough for the three of us!"
Zhou Qiqi glanced at the two enamel mugs on the table and felt too embarrassed to actually keep them, so she quickly waved her hand.
"No, no, you guys eat while it's hot. I have an appointment with Deputy Factory Director Zhang at the state-run restaurant to discuss some business, so I have to go now."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Guoqiang's slightly thin figure appeared at the stall entrance, carrying a lunchbox and a cloth bag.
He saw Zhou Qiqi there, paused for a moment, and said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Sister Ping, I'd like to confirm the details of the number of the old models that were modified with you. It's not very late, so I brought some of the dishes I made myself, thinking that you might be too busy to eat anything hot at noon."
Li Ping, with her sharp eyes, had already spotted the lunchbox in his hand, and a smile crept onto her lips.
"Oh dear, Director Zhang, this is such a small matter, and you've already made this three times in person? Couldn't the factory have just sent someone else?"
As she spoke, she glanced, intentionally or unintentionally, at Zhao Damei, who was pouring water beside her.
Zhang Guoqiang's dark face flushed slightly. He scratched his head awkwardly, his eyes quickly sweeping over Zhao Damei before looking away.
"Well, the factory's been incredibly busy lately, and I happen to have some free time..."
Li Ping turned to look at Zhou Qiqi, her smile deepening.
"And Qiqi, didn't you say you made an appointment with Factory Director Zhang at the state-run restaurant? What's going on?"
Zhou Qiqi also felt her face getting hot. Just as she was about to speak, Li Ping waved her hand first.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that. Zhang Guoqiang, what dishes did you bring? Do you have any steamed buns?"
Zhang Guoqiang nodded hurriedly.
"Yes, yes, yes! There are several steamed buns made of white flour. I cooked the dishes myself, including braised pork and stir-fried minced pork with pickled cabbage. I even bought the pickled cabbage from Deng Meizi..."
"That would be wonderful!"
Li Ping grabbed Zhou Qiqi's arm.
"Qiqi, don't run away. Let's eat here, the four of us! It'll be more lively! We've tried Director Zhang's cooking, it's amazing!"
Seeing Zhang Guoqiang's expression of wanting to look at Zhao Damei but not daring to look at her too much, Zhou Qiqi understood and sat down with a smile.
"Alright, I'll take advantage of Sister Ping and Sister Da Mei's reputation and try Director Zhang's cooking too."
Four people were suddenly squeezed into the back of the small stall.
The braised noodles brought by Li Ping's mother-in-law were indeed plentiful, and with the two main dishes and steamed buns brought by Zhang Guoqiang, it was quite a feast.
However, the atmosphere of this meal seemed rather strange to Zhou Qiqi.
Zhang Guoqiang used his chopsticks to put braised pork into everyone's bowls, but his eyes were fixed on Zhao Damei, and his voice was softer than usual.
"Try it, I stewed it in the factory kitchen, simmered it on low for two hours, I guarantee it will be perfectly tender."
Zhao Damei acted as if she hadn't heard anything, keeping her head down and picking at the braised noodles in her bowl with her chopsticks, eating very quickly with her cheeks bulging.
Not long after, she slammed her chopsticks down on the table and stood up.
"You guys take your time eating. A batch of goods just arrived at the warehouse, and it's all piled up in a mess. I'll go and tidy it up first so it can be put on the shelves this afternoon."
After saying that, he walked out without waiting for anyone to reply.
Zhang Guoqiang held his chopsticks, looking in the direction where Zhao Damei had disappeared. His eyes were filled with disappointment, and the chopsticks holding the food hovered in the air for several seconds before he awkwardly put them back down.
Zhou Qiqi and Li Ping exchanged a knowing glance.
Li Ping shook her head and muttered to herself, "An old tree sprouts new branches, but it's a pity that Da Mei is so hard-hearted."
Zhou Qiqi pursed her lips in disapproval and lowered her voice.
"They're only in their early thirties, how come they're considered old? They're at the perfect age to find a partner!"
After the meal, Zhou Qiqi and Zhang Guoqiang left the stall together.
Zhang Guoqiang pushed the factory's tricycle, which rattled everywhere except for the bell, while Zhou Qiqi sat in the back, heading towards the First Garment Factory.
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