While speechless at Shen Shi's theory, Song Jiajia was mostly moved.
She never expected that Shen Shi would buy her such an expensive dress.
With a choked voice, Song Jiajia said to Shen Shi, "Thank you, Shen Shi. I'm so touched. I like you even more today."
Shen Shi was stunned by Song Jiajia's sudden sweet words and fell head over heels into the sweetness of love.
"Silly girl, there's nothing to thank me for. I'm your boyfriend, so who else should I be nice to if not you?" Shen Shi gently rubbed Song Jiajia's head, soothing her emotions.
"Give your brother a smile." Shen Shi imitated the tone of a hoodlum and lifted Song Jiajia's chin.
"Pah, you little rascal!" Song Jiajia burst into laughter through her tears and scolded Shen Shi playfully.
The two flirted back and forth, and their relationship became even sweeter.
Next, Shen Shi led Song Jiajia to various places in the county and bought a lot of things.
Finally, I went to a recycling center and found a lot of useful old books.
They were busy until noon, and the two decided to have a good meal at a state-run restaurant.
They arrived a little late, and there weren't many people in the store at that time; some of the dishes were already sold out.
Fortunately, the braised pork and steamed buns that Shen Shi wanted to eat most were still available.
Shen Shi first ordered a plate of braised pork and eight large pork-filled buns. Then he asked Song Jiajia, "Jiajia, what would you like to eat?"
"I'd like a bowl of shredded pork noodles, a serving of stir-fried chicken, and a plate of spicy stir-fried bok choy," Song Jiajia ordered three items without hesitation.
Since she had decided that she had to treat everyone to this meal, she was determined to make sure that Shen Shi ate well.
As soon as Song Jiajia finished announcing the names of the dishes, she went to pay the bill, afraid that if she was too slow, Chen Shi would try to take it from her again.
Shen Shi found it somewhat amusing to see Song Jiajia give him the money and then act like a sly little fox who had gotten a good deal.
After sitting down, Chen Shi started looking around aimlessly.
Judging from the sign on the wall that reads "No beating customers without cause," Shen Shi felt that the chefs and waiters in state-run restaurants must all be quite individualistic.
So when Shen Shi and Song Jiajia waited for a while but the food still hadn't arrived, neither of them dared to urge them.
Fortunately, someone arrived while we were getting bored.
Two men in their forties came in.
The first one to come in was chubby and always had a smile on his face; he looked just like Maitreya Buddha.
The one who came in later was very thin, with a square face that never smiled, and he looked very upright.
After the two entered, they sat down at the table next to Chen Shi and the others.
The chubby guy was the first to speak up, shouting, "Waiter, I need a braised pork belly, a sweet and sour fish, a stewed chicken, a plate of twice-cooked pork, a pork rib soup, two bowls of shredded pork noodles, ten big steamed buns, and a bottle of liquor."
The eldest brother arrogantly rattled off a string of dishes, leaving the waiter completely bewildered.
Seeing that the waiter didn't respond, the older man couldn't help but roar, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and do it!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll go inform the kitchen right away," the waiter replied repeatedly, and ran into the kitchen.
Shen Shi guessed that the waiter might have been intimidated by the older brother's imposing manner, and thus abandoned his own personality.
Just as I was hesitating about whether I should also show some spirit, the dishes they ordered were finally ready.
In state-run restaurants, the waiters don't bring the food to the table; you have to go to the window to get it yourself.
Shen Shi and Song Jiajia went to the window together and brought the dishes they ordered to the table.
The aroma was irresistible as soon as it was served, and Shen Shi and Song Jiajia were practically drooling with envy.
Shen Shi held a steamed bun in one hand and picked up some vegetables with the other, while Song Jiajia was eating so much that her head was almost buried in her bowl.
Aside from occasionally serving each other food, the two barely spoke and ate in silence.
The two devoured their food quickly, and after satisfying their cravings, their eating speed slowed down.
After all, you have to savor it carefully to appreciate its flavor.
Chen started eating while listening to the two people next to him chatting.
It wasn't that Shen Shi was particularly gossipy, but rather that the fat guy on the other end of the line was speaking with an overly boisterous voice.
After ordering, the chubby guy started chatting with the person across from him.
She's been talking non-stop ever since, her emotions growing stronger with each passing moment, making it hard to ignore her when she's so engrossed.
Just as I was listening to the background noise while eating, I suddenly heard a loud bang.
When Shen turned his head, he saw that it was the fat man who had taken off his watch and thrown it on the table.
It's an old Shanghai brand. You have to understand that watches were a rare commodity back then, and old Shanghai watches were the Hermes of watches.
I became genuinely curious as it sank, so I pricked up my ears and listened carefully.
After throwing the watch on the table, the chubby man grabbed the arm of the square-faced man next to him and forced the watch onto his wrist.
The square-faced man next to him, though saying it wasn't good, didn't struggle.
The portly man clearly sensed his wavering and pressed his advantage, saying, "Brother! This old Shanghai watch was a gift from my youngest son who joined the army. Look, it even has a red star printed on the dial; it's one of a kind. I've always treasured it, but now that I'm giving it to you, you'll help me get through this difficult time, okay?"
The square-faced guy's face turned bright red, but he didn't refuse.
Then the chubby guy put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Let's have a good drink together today, brother."
Just then, the dishes arrived, and the two enjoyed their drinks and conversation.
After realizing that the two were making a deal, Shen Shi suppressed his curiosity; such things were not uncommon in a society based on personal connections.
However, Shen Shi was genuinely a little angry about the waiter bringing the food to their table.
Isn't it said that state-run restaurants don't serve food?
How can this be done? Why treat this group differently?
However, Chen Shi didn't, and stubbornly went to question the waiter.
After finishing the meal, there were still three steamed buns left. We couldn't eat anymore, so we asked for some oil paper to wrap them up and then left with Song Jiajia.
When Chen Shi left the state-run restaurant, he checked his watch and it was already past 1:50. Including the waiting time, they had spent over an hour eating.
They had already finished shopping in the morning and bought quite a lot of things, filling their baskets to the brim, which was quite a burden.
After discussing it with Song Jiajia, Shen Shi decided to take a bus back to town.
It wasn't rush hour when we went back, and the car smelled much fresher than when we came. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all during the journey.
After arriving in town, Song Jiajia took the cookies she had just bought and planned to visit her third brother, who was working as a carpenter's apprentice in town.
Chen Shi went to the street where the oxcart was parked, told Grandpa Niu, and put his and Song Jiajia's baskets on the oxcart.
Then I went to the post office to ask if there were any packages for him.
When Chen arrived at the post office, he asked, and the clerk replied, "Yes, a huge package just arrived yesterday. Wait for me to go find it for you." Then he dragged over a large sack.
When I lifted it, it was quite heavy, probably thirty or forty pounds.
After receiving the package, Shen Shi spent five cents to buy a stamp and mailed the letter he had written home.
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