Not long after Lin Zhitang sat down, the train started moving, producing clanking sounds as it rolled forward.
Lu Mingan stored away the luggage and placed the food package at the end of the bed.
When he turned around and saw beads of sweat forming on Lin Zhitang’s forehead, he somehow produced a palm fan and began fanning her.
“That’s enough, Mingan-ge. Fan yourself instead,” Lin Zhitang said once she stopped sweating.
Seeing that she was no longer perspiring, Lu Mingan listened to her and put the fan down.
“Alright. If you still feel hot later, I’ll fan you again.”
“Mm.”
It was Lin Zhitang’s first time riding a train in both lifetimes. Leaning against the window, she listened to the sounds of the train and excitedly watched the scenery outside.
Although it was her first time taking a train and traveling far from home, Lu Mingan’s presence made her feel at ease.
When lunchtime arrived, an announcement came through the train that the dining car had begun serving meals.
Lu Mingan took out the dishes Aunt Du Juan had prepared for them. After filling a cup with hot water, he placed the lunch boxes on top to warm them.
After setting the food to heat up, he went to the dining car to buy a small portion of rice and also bought a bottle of soda for Lin Zhitang.
Back then, trains did indeed have dining cars, located between the hard-sleeper and hard-seat carriages.
The meals on the train not only didn’t require ration coupons, they were also cheaper than food at state-owned restaurants. Best of all, you could buy half portions, which was perfect for people who wanted to eat but found full meals expensive.
If Aunt Du Juan had not prepared food for them, they had originally planned to buy directly from the dining car for the next two days.
The weather was too hot for food to keep well anyway, and they weren’t lacking money or ration tickets. Buying meals on the train was simply more convenient.
Just as Lu Mingan and Lin Zhitang began eating, the child in the young woman’s arms across from them started tugging hard on his mother’s hand.
“Mom! Mom! I want eggs! Eggs…”
Children were naturally greedy, and once he smelled the delicious aroma in the compartment, he couldn’t resist anymore. His eyes stared fixedly at the scrambled eggs in front of Lin Zhitang.
Lin Zhitang acted completely unconcerned and even mischievously picked up a huge bite of eggs to eat. Lu Mingan, who rarely smiled in public anyway, lowered his head and continued eating as well.
“Miss, could you give my child a little scrambled egg? He’s making such a fuss…” the young woman asked Lin Zhitang.
Hearing his mother speak, the child stopped crying. His face was covered in tears and snot as he looked at Lin Zhitang expectantly.
“No.”
Lin Zhitang refused decisively. Some behaviors could not be indulged. Once you gave in once, they would only push further.
“What? Such a pretty girl, yet so stingy! It’s only a little scrambled egg. If you won’t share, why even bring it out? You don’t even feel sympathy seeing a child cry. How vicious,” the woman cursed angrily after being rejected so bluntly.
“Our food is ours to give or not give. If you care so much about your child, then go buy him some yourself,” Lu Mingan said flatly.
Combined with his expressionless face, the woman’s arrogance immediately diminished.
The next second, the child’s shrill crying rang out again, making everyone’s ears hurt.
Lin Zhitang ignored him completely and continued eating calmly.
Seeing they truly had no intention of paying attention to her, the young woman muttered, “So stingy,” before carrying the child toward the dining car to coax him.
In those days, food was precious. No one would willingly play the fool for complete strangers.
Beijing — The Lu Family
Lu Xingguo and Lu Mingze sat at the dining table with solemn expressions. Tian Jiaojiao looked at the two of them and secretly laughed.
Seeing her husband and father-in-law’s expressions, Tian Jiaojiao desperately suppressed the smile tugging at her lips, earning a glare from Lu Mingze for enjoying their misery.
Lu Xingguo and Lu Mingze exchanged countless glances before Lu Mingze finally admitted defeat. After all, he couldn’t exactly do anything against his own father. But the power of his mother truly could not be underestimated.
“Mom… today’s braised pork is still sweet?” Lu Mingze cautiously asked his mother, Lan Shaoying.
“Of course. Zhitang is coming to our home for the first time tomorrow. I have to let her feel the taste of home.”
Lan Shaoying naturally noticed their expressions. She knew her Shanghai-style dishes still tasted a little off, but food couldn’t be wasted. Besides, she needed more practice if she wanted to cook delicious Shanghai dishes for her daughter-in-law.
“Here, eat more. Tell me how today’s flavor turned out.”
Lan Shaoying placed a piece of braised pork into each of the father and son’s bowls.
“Sigh…”
Lu Xingguo and Lu Mingze exchanged a glance filled with resignation before placing the meat into their mouths as though marching to their deaths.
They truly didn’t want to eat such unbearably sweet braised pork anymore. A few more meals like this and diabetes wouldn’t be far away.
As expected, both their expressions changed instantly, but they couldn’t spit it out, so they hurriedly chewed twice and swallowed it down.
Tian Jiaojiao laughed quietly at the side, only to be caught by her mother-in-law.
“Jiaojiao, eat more too. Doesn’t my braised pork taste closer to authentic Shanghai cuisine now?”
The smile on Tian Jiaojiao’s face froze for several seconds before she quickly replied, “Mom, I’ve been having morning sickness. I really don’t want meat.”
Lan Shaoying looked extremely regretful. Her future grandchild truly lacked good fortune.
Lu Mingze also felt regretful. Why couldn’t his wife help share a few pieces of meat with him?
Seeing that Lan Shaoying stopped urging her, Tian Jiaojiao rubbed her stomach and thought that pregnancy really was a wonderfully useful excuse.
It wasn’t that the Lu family disliked meat. On the contrary, the Lu men absolutely loved it. If they went several days without meat, they felt miserable.
But ever since Lan Shaoying learned that Lu Mingan was bringing his wife back to Beijing for their wedding, she had begun learning how to cook Shanghai cuisine.
Every morning she woke up early just to buy meat. Lu Xingguo’s salary was high enough that buying meat several extra times a month was nothing.
Unfortunately, Comrade Lan Shaoying simply lacked talent when it came to Shanghai cuisine. Her braised pork always turned out overwhelmingly sweet.
Food couldn’t be wasted—especially meat, which was so precious. So for many days straight, the Lu father and son had been forced to finish every single dish. They were now terrified at the mere sight of braised pork.
“Yingzi, Mingan’s wife grew up eating Shanghai cuisine. Since she’s just arrived in Beijing, maybe she’d rather try some local specialties,” Lu Xingguo once again attempted to persuade his wife to abandon Shanghai dishes.
“That’s right, Mom. Little Sister-in-law probably wants to eat something else,” Lu Mingze added for the sake of his stomach, despite the dangerous look from his mother.
Lan Shaoying wasn’t someone who refused to listen to reason. She genuinely wanted to show her future daughter-in-law how warmly the Lu family welcomed her.
Unfortunately, she truly didn’t understand why Shanghai cuisine was so difficult. She had sincerely tried to learn, even receiving hands-on instruction, yet she still failed.
“Fine then. Tomorrow I’ll make my signature dishes instead.”
Seeing the hopeful expressions from the three people in front of her, Lan Shaoying finally gave up. She wasn’t some heartless outsider who didn’t care about her husband, son, and daughter-in-law.