“Gu Ye… Gu Ye, looking at you, one would think you’re treating that iron pot like an enemy…”
Lin Wan muttered to herself, fretting over the battered old pot, wishing she could drag Gu Ye back and give him a good scolding!
She was just figuring out how to use the old soldering iron when she heard a knock at the courtyard gate.
Looking up, she saw Wu Hongxia, who had been on duty at the cafeteria last night, standing at the door with a bowl in her hands.
“Sister-in-law? Please come in,” Lin Wan hurriedly stood up and invited her inside.
Wu Hongxia waved her hand with a smile. “No need, I’m just passing by on someone’s behalf to bring you something to eat.”
She handed over the steaming bowl. “Gu Ye has something urgent to do right now. He’s worried you might be hungry, so he asked me to deliver this on my way.”
Lin Wan took the warm bowl, feeling both grateful and a little embarrassed. “This… really troubles you, Sister-in-law. Since I came here, I haven’t helped with anything, and yet people are bringing me meals all day long.”
She quickly set down the bowl and wanted to pour some water. “Please, sit, Sister-in-law. I’ll make you some tea.”
“Don’t bother!”
Wu Hongxia stopped her. “I still have to hurry home to cook for my little girl. Really, no need to sit.”
“Little girl? You already have a child?” Lin Wan asked in surprise.
“Yes, a lively little one, five years old, probably causing a ruckus at home.”
Mentioning her daughter, Wu Hongxia’s face lit up with the glow of a mother. She looked Lin Wan over, her tone warm with a teasing air only an experienced parent could have.
“You two are in a good place in your relationship, so make the most of it! After marriage, give Gu Ye a strong, chubby boy, and then I’ll bring my daughter over to play with your child!”
Lin Wan instantly felt two rosy patches bloom on her cheeks, silently laughing at the absurdity. This was completely premature! She and Gu Ye had only just settled into being fiancés — thinking about children was far off. Besides, she wasn’t really interested in kids.
She quickly waved her hands, finding an excuse to brush it off. “Sister-in-law, don’t tease me. It’s too early for that. No rush, really.”
Worried that Wu Hongxia might continue the topic, she quickly picked up two red hair ribbons she had bought earlier and handed them over.
“Sister-in-law, these are for your daughter’s hair.”
Wu Hongxia hesitated and tried to decline. “Oh, no, that’s not right! It’s such a small thing; I can’t take your gift!”
“Please, just take them,” Lin Wan insisted with a sincere smile. “Just two hair ribbons, not worth much.”
“Besides, if you came all this way to deliver food, I’d feel even worse refusing them.”
“Think of it as a little gift for my daughter. Don’t be polite!”
Unable to refuse and seeing how bright and pretty the ribbons were — surely her daughter would like them — Wu Hongxia smiled and accepted them.
“Alright then, I’ll thank you on behalf of my little girl!”
She paused, then looked at Lin Wan with genuine admiration. “You really have great taste. You’ve found someone who knows how to care for you. Gu Ye may seem a bit cold, but he’s thoughtful and reliable. A man like that, once you’ve got him, don’t let him go. He’s steady!”
After Wu Hongxia left, Lin Wan stared at the porridge and side dishes on the table and the battered pot beside them, her thoughts stirred by the last sentence: Great taste? Found someone who knows how to care for me?
What is Gu Ye busy with now?
Could it be… he’s tinkering with his “cooking skills” again?
So eager to learn?
“Gu Ye! What’s going on with you!”
By evening, the cafeteria was mostly empty, but the kitchen was brightly lit and filled with smoke.
Gu Ye, wearing that out-of-place little apron, stood at the stove with a serious expression, gripping a spatula like he was facing a formidable enemy.
In his pot was simmering fish soup; on the cutting board lay unevenly chopped radish pieces.
Chef Old Chen stood beside him, arms behind his back, murmuring instructions:
“How many times have I told you, control the heat! Yes, yes, now put the radish in…”
“I’m telling you, Comrade Gu Ye, the way you’re chopping radish, it’s almost like chopping firewood.”
Gu Ye stiffened, following the instructions to the letter, sweat beading on his forehead.
He had always strived for precision and efficiency in everything he did. But the uncertainties of cooking, and the “feel” it required, were frustrating. It only fueled his stubborn determination.
He had to prove to Lin Wan that whether he was like this now, or the Gu Ye before his amnesia, he was skilled!
Wang Lei and two other young miners leaned at the door, watching with fascination.
“Brother Ye is taking this so seriously, I’ve never seen him this nervous, even more than when he went on blind dates!”
“Do you think Sister-in-law knows he’s trying this hard for her?”
“Definitely not! If she knew, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”
“Just a few days ago, I couldn’t have imagined this scene. This is Ye Ge…”
Gu Ye, entirely focused, paid no attention to the whispers. His mind was consumed with heat control, the order of ingredients, and whether Lin Wan would say he wasn’t as skilled as before when she tasted his cooking.
Old Chen shook his head at Gu Ye’s stubborn dedication to a fish and some radish but felt a bit impressed. This Gu Ye really cared for his fiancée — mining coal for love before, now cooking fish for love.
“Alright, done! Serve it!” Old Chen called.
Gu Ye carefully placed the fish soup into an aluminum lunchbox and arranged the stir-fried cabbage with vinegar on the side.
Seeing the reasonably presentable dishes in the lunchbox, he finally allowed his tense expression to relax.
Now Lin Wan couldn’t possibly criticize him, right?
“Wow! Smells amazing!”
Wang Lei rushed over first, sniffing eagerly, eyes fixed on the lunchbox.
“Brother Ye, let us try just a bite! See if you’re ready!”
The other two miners chimed in: “Yeah, yeah! Let us judge!”
A large hand firmly swatted away Wang Lei’s reaching fingers.
Gu Ye held the lunchbox close, glancing at the eager companions with no hint of compromise:
“No.”
“Why not!”
Wang Lei clutched his reddened hand, exaggerating his grievance. “We’ve been breathing all that smoke for you, that counts for something! Just one bite. Consider it a quality check for Sister-in-law — what if it only looks good?”
Expressionless, Gu Ye walked out with the lunchbox, leaving only two firm words:
“For her.”
Meaning: this meal is for Lin Wan; no one else touches it.
Wang Lei stared at his resolute back for two seconds, then jumped and teased:
“Brother Ye! Your possessiveness is too much! Forgetting friends for a girl!”
The others laughed, joining in: “Brother Ye’s being unfair!”
At the cafeteria door, Gu Ye didn’t even pause, only raising a hand behind him in a parting wave.