8mi Chapter 53 You want me to eat one serving by myself? Isn't that making things difficult for me?
Chapter 53 You want me to eat one serving by myself? Isn't that making things difficult for me?
When Old Wu pushed open the thick wooden door of "Human Fireworks," his expression froze.
That rich, almost overwhelming fishy aroma, with its sweet, sour, and caramel notes, struck him like a blow to the head, hitting his thick nerves hard.
He then realized that the aroma wafting in the air today was not the same fresh and fragrant smell as the rabbit-shaped steamed buns from yesterday.
All the way there, his mind was filled with that tender, white bun that burst with filling when you bite into it. He even described the soft dough and delicious meat filling to Zhang Weiguo no less than ten times.
But now, what meets the eye is a room full of diners engrossed in eating, their faces flushed, and it seems they are not eating steamed buns.
Old Wu stood frozen in place, one foot stepping over the threshold, the other awkwardly dangling in mid-air. He awkwardly rubbed his calloused hands against his faded work pants.
"Old Wu, what's this? Is this the 'divine bun' you were talking about?" Zhang Weiguo followed him into the house and closed the door behind him.
The first thing Zhang Weiguo noticed wasn't the diners enjoying their meals, but rather the entire wall covered in rabbit paintings.
Those rabbits, with their simple lines yet endearing charm, are particularly eye-catching under the warm yellow light.
He looked around and was secretly surprised. There was such a clean shop hidden in this old street.
The floor was so shiny it could reflect light, the tables and chairs were completely free of any grease, and even the fragrance in the air was clear and pleasant.
"This environment... is really nice," Zhang Weiguo thought to himself.
He turned his head to look at Old Wu. Old Wu looked exactly like a child who had done something wrong; his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Zhang Weiguo is a very insightful person.
Seeing Old Wu's predicament, he knew he was in an awkward situation.
He didn't really care; he hadn't come here for the bunny dumplings in the first place.
Even if it's not Little Rabbit Bun, it won't affect his next plan.
However, he was somewhat disappointed. He knew that Lao Wu had not had an easy time over the years. His family and work depended entirely on his meager salary. He was in a state of high tension and had to stretch every penny to make ends meet.
"This old fellow has probably suffered too much in his daily life. Once he enters such a clean and warm place, his nerves relax, and even eating a stone would probably taste like a delicacy."
"The steamed buns may have tasted really good, but it's highly likely that Lao Wu exaggerated it too much."
Zhang Weiguo sighed inwardly, taking it as a form of "psychological identification" by Lao Wu.
He felt that the restaurant had a pleasant environment that made people feel good, which naturally made the food taste better.
"Old Wu, it's okay if there aren't any steamed buns." Zhang Weiguo patted Old Wu on the shoulder with a smile, defusing the situation in a relaxed tone.
"Look at all these people eating so much they're practically fighting with their chopsticks. There must be a trick to making this shredded pork with garlic sauce."
If you can make something of this stir-fry, then that steamed bun you praised yesterday must have been amazing.
Upon hearing this, Old Wu's face, which had been burning with shame, finally cooled down a little.
He stubbornly retorted, going along with the argument, "Definitely! Even if it's not steamed buns, anything else made by Boss Chen will definitely taste the same!"
Old Wu walked to the cashier and was met with Mengmeng's serious yet adorable little face.
"Uncle, today's dish is shredded pork with garlic sauce, it's thirty-eight yuan a serving." Mengmeng announced the price in her childish voice, pointing to the blackboard next to her with her little hand.
Thirty-eight.
When Lao Wu heard this number, his heart still trembled uncontrollably.
This was almost two days' worth of his usual food expenses. But he had originally planned to treat Zhang Weiguo to a meal.
So the money was gone, but for him, a plate of home-style dishes costing thirty-eight yuan was really like cutting off his own flesh.
He gritted his teeth, his hand trembling as he reached into his pocket, fumbling for the wavy change.
"Then...then give us two portions, one for each of us. It's my treat today, so everyone has to eat their fill!" Old Wu raised his voice a few decibels, as if to bolster his courage.
"etc."
Zhang Weiguo held down Lao Wu's wrist with one hand. He knew Lao Wu very well and naturally knew the weight this price carried in his mind.
"Old Wu, don't waste your money." Zhang Weiguo pointed to the plate that Lu Ming was eating on the next table.
"Look at the amount, it's piled up like a small mountain."
I'm an adult, why would you make me eat a whole serving by myself? Isn't that just making things difficult for me?
Let's order one serving and eat it with rice. That way, we'll both be so full we can't walk.
Don't waste food; wasting food will bring you suffering.
Zhang Weiguo's reasoning was excellent.
Old Wu hesitated for a moment, looked at the plate, then at Zhang Weiguo, and finally said somewhat hesitantly to Mengmeng:
"Well... then I'll start with one serving. Two bowls of rice."
Mengmeng, behind the cashier, blinked and sensibly replied, "Okay."
Meanwhile, Zhang Qiang, who was arranging tableware next to the cashier, witnessed the entire interaction between the two middle-aged people.
Zhang Qiang has been hanging around this old street for many years. What kind of people hasn't he seen?
He could tell at a glance that Lao Wu was struggling financially, and he could also tell that Lao Wu was a very honest person to his friends. Zhang Qiang understood that Zhang Weiguo's words were to save face for his old friend.
Zhang Qiang didn't say anything, but picked up a pot of freshly boiled ginger, brown sugar, and red date soup and went over to pour two bowls for the two of them.
"Uncles, have some hot soup to warm yourselves up. The mountain town is covered in dew today, this soup will help you ward off the cold."
After Zhang Qiang finished speaking, he turned and went into the kitchen, whispering a few words in Chen Feng's ear.
In the kitchen, Chen Feng was staring at the oil pan.
"You mean, those two uncles are planning to share one portion?" Chen Feng didn't even look up, but his hands didn't stop moving, the bright red sauce bubbling in the firelight.
"Hmm, it seems one of the guys wanted to treat, but he wasn't exactly rolling in money, so the other guy was giving him a way out."
Zhang Qiang sighed, "Fengzi, look at this portion..."
Chen Feng remained silent for a moment. He glanced at Old Wu's cramped sitting posture through the transparent glass partition.
He had seen many people exploit themselves to make a living before, and he had done so many when he first arrived in Beijing, so he naturally knew the bitterness of it.
"I see."
Chen Feng took two large white porcelain plates from the side.
He took out a little more than a portion of the shredded pork with garlic sauce, then divided it into two equal portions, making sure that each plate wasn't too "overflowing".
"Qiangzi, take it over. Tell them this is a specialty of our restaurant; serving it on individual plates is more hygienic."
Zhang Qiang paused for a moment, then grinned.
A few minutes later, two steaming plates of shredded pork with amber sauce, along with two large bowls of snow-white rice, were placed steadily in front of Lao Wu and Zhang Weiguo.
"Hey? Young man, well... didn't we only order one serving?"
Old Wu looked at the two plates of food in front of him and was so frightened that he quickly stood up and frantically tried to tug at Zhang Qiang's sleeve.
Zhang Qiang smiled brightly, his tone full of self-assurance: "Uncle, don't worry."
Our boss said that to make it more convenient for you two to eat, this dish is served in two separate plates, so it won't be a problem to eat it that way.
This is one serving; I won't charge you extra.
Old Wu was stunned. He looked at the two steaming dishes, then at Zhang Qiang's sincere smile.
Having lived to such an old age, he naturally appreciates the dignified care shown to him.
"Thank you... thank you boss, thank you so much, young man."
Old Wu sat down, and his eyes inexplicably welled up with tears.
Zhang Weiguo didn't say anything, but he also felt a sense of goodwill, and the two soon started eating.
Zhang Weiguo didn't take it too seriously at first. He was a man of wide experience; what kind of fancy food hadn't he seen?
He picked up the bowl of steaming hot rice and casually picked up a piece of shredded meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
"hiss--"
That was the sound of hot air exploding in the mouth.
Immediately afterwards, the sour, sweet, spicy, and salty flavors, like a tightly orchestrated symphony, erupted in an orderly fashion on his taste buds.
Zhang Weiguo was about to say something to Lao Wu, but the taste of that flavor made him swallow all his teasing words.
He froze for a moment, then his eyes revealed an extremely rare look of shock.
How can shredded meat be this smooth?
The tangy aroma of the pickled peppers somehow made the pork fat taste so refreshing.
"Ugh... Waaah!"
Zhang Weiguo didn't have time to speak. He suddenly lowered his head, and the chopsticks he used left afterimages.
He first scooped a large piece of shredded meat onto the rice, and the bright red broth instantly seeped into the rice grains. He then stuffed a big mouthful of the meat and rice together.
"Old Wu..." Zhang Weiguo chewed voraciously, then looked up somewhat incredulously, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Why didn't you bring me here sooner? Yesterday...you should have dragged me out of the office yesterday!"
Old Wu is enjoying his meal right now.
Looking at Zhang Weiguo's "naive" appearance, the pent-up grievances and awkwardness he had been holding in all morning instantly transformed into immense pride.
"Hehe, Lao Zhang, I told you! Boss Chen's cooking is divine!"
Old Wu wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth and chuckled.
"No, this rice smells so good, boss, another bowl!" Zhang Weiguo raised the bowl to the rice cooker again.
The two of them devoured two large bowls of rice each with the two plates of shredded pork with garlic sauce.
After finishing the last bite, Zhang Weiguo leaned back in his chair with satisfaction and let out a long sigh. He looked at the empty plate, then at Zhang Qiang chatting and laughing with Mengmeng behind the counter, and Chen Feng and Xingruo busy in the kitchen.
"Old Wu, I take back what I just said." Zhang Weiguo patted his stomach, his tone becoming somewhat wistful.
"You have a really good eye. This shop... has a soul."
Old Wu chuckled as he listened to his old friend's high praise.
"Absolutely! When has Old Wu ever made a mistake in judging people or things?"
"Alright, stop showing off." Zhang Weiguo stood up, pretending to look pained, and said:
"Although this shredded pork with garlic sauce has won me over, my wallet is suffering."
"Let's go. Since I lost, it's my treat tonight. I'll take you to a newly opened private restaurant; the owner is a business friend of mine who's been urging me to try it."
"Hey! Let's go!"
Old Wu responded loudly.
Two middle-aged people, bathed in the bright morning sunlight, walked out of the "human world" one after the other.
Old Wu's steps were much lighter than when he came. He glanced back at the signboard gleaming in the morning light, thinking to himself:
"Human Fireworks"—what a wonderful name. Even the hardest days in life seem less unbearable as long as these "fireworks" are there.