Jiang Lianyue glanced around. There was nothing urgent to do in the kitchen for the moment.
After a bit of thought, she said, “That bag of soybeans I just put down, if you have time, could you help pick through them and remove the bad ones?”
“Sure,” Zhou Jiajing replied.
Zhou Jiajing returned to the living room and stood there blankly for a moment. He clenched his right fist, then found the bag of soybeans and lowered his head to start sorting.
About twenty minutes later, Jiang Lianyue came out carrying a pot of richly fragrant braised pork bones and called out cheerfully, “Dinner’s ready!”
Zhou Jiajing stood up, went to the kitchen to wash his hands, then brought two rice bowls and two pairs of chopsticks to the dining table in the living room. The two of them began eating.
The marrow bones had been stewed until meltingly tender. The meat was aromatic and fully infused with flavor, and even the bones could be gnawed halfway through. Zhou Jiajing ate two pieces in a row before turning to the water spinach. The water spinach had only been cooked with minced garlic, flash-fried over high heat, then simmered gently over medium heat. It was emerald green and glossy, sliding smoothly down the throat, its flavor in no way inferior to the braised bones.
Zhou Jiajing finished three bowls of rice before finally setting down his chopsticks.
With a satisfied sigh, he suddenly remembered something. He went back to his room, brought out a nylon mesh bag, and placed it on the dining table.
Jiang Lianyue looked at the red apples inside and raised her slender brows slightly. “Where did these apples come from?”
Zhou Jiajing replied calmly, “I saw them for sale when I went to the countryside, so I bought a few. A small return for kindness, you treated me to a meal, so I treat you to apples.”
Jiang Lianyue smiled, showing her teeth. “Thank you.”
Fruit was scarce in this era, and northern fruit was even rarer in Lingnan. Jiang Lianyue really was craving some.
“I’ll wash the dishes,” Zhou Jiajing said.
Jiang Lianyue glanced at the wall clock. It was getting late, and she needed to go grind rice pulp, so she nodded.
Zhou Jiajing went to the kitchen to clean up, while Jiang Lianyue picked up the soaked rice and went out to grind the rice pulp.
After washing the dishes, Zhou Jiajing came out to find the house already empty.
It was so late, why was she still out?
He looked back toward the kitchen, paused for a moment, then turned and went into the study to write.
But for some reason, he could not calm his mind.
When footsteps sounded again at the door, Zhou Jiajing realized that only two lines had been written on the manuscript paper, and even those made little sense.
Jiang Lianyue returned with the rice pulp and began cutting wood ear mushrooms and preserved mustard greens. The rhythmic thud of chopping echoed through the kitchen.
Amid that steady sound, Zhou Jiajing’s restless heart finally settled. He picked up his enamel mug and took a sip of water, crossed out what he had written earlier, and began writing again with a soft rustle of paper.
This time, the words flowed without interruption. When Zhou Jiajing finished the manuscript and looked up, the house was utterly silent.
He listened carefully. Still quiet.
Zhou Jiajing quietly opened the study door. The living room and kitchen were empty, the bedroom door tightly shut. He glanced at the wall clock, it was already past ten.
He froze for a moment, then laughed awkwardly and shook his head.
What was wrong with him?
…
The next day, Jiang Lianyue still got up at five. Business had been fairly good yesterday, so she had ground a bit more rice pulp last night to see if she could sell it all today.
When she pushed her cart to the intersection where she had set up her stall yesterday, she saw two people standing there from afar, one in a white shirt, the other in a gray Lenin-style outfit. A sturdy old bicycle was parked beside them.
Jiang Lianyue’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that her stall yesterday had reached the wrong ears, and someone had come specifically to block her today?
She had read in the newspapers that in many big cities people had already begun setting up street stalls, but in a small county like Hengzhou County, that trend had not yet arrived.
Should she change locations first?
Jiang Lianyue slowed her steps, planning to run at the first sign of trouble.
“Boss, you’re finally here!”
“Yeah, we’ve been waiting for quite a while!”
The two called out to her from afar.
Customers.
Jiang Lianyue let out a breath of relief and put on a smile. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
She quickened her pace, pushed the cart to yesterday’s spot, unloaded the tables and stools, and first invited them to sit down before starting to boil water and steam the rolled rice noodles.
The middle-aged man in the white shirt sat at a folding table not far from the cart. Seeing her sweet looks, brisk movements, and refined demeanor, he asked, “Little sister, with your conditions, finding a job shouldn’t be a problem. Why set up a stall selling rolled rice noodles?”
While working, Jiang Lianyue replied, “I’m used to being free. I don’t like going to work and being managed by others.”
The wages from a job were too low. Who knew how long it would take to save enough to buy equipment? She could not possibly wait until Chen Yimei graduated and reunited with Zhou Jiajing before divorcing him. By then, she would be a pitiful abandoned woman. The original owner’s second brother would surely act on impulse to stand up for her, and she did not want to be saddled with so many debts.
“Isn’t working better than running a stall?” the man in the white shirt said with a smile. “Have Director Su arrange a light job for you. No wind, no sun, how nice.”
Director Su?
Jiang Lianyue looked up at him in mild confusion but smiled without revealing anything. “I prefer freedom.”
Freedom was still a fresh concept in this era. The man in the white shirt clearly did not agree. He opened his mouth, then said nothing in the end.
The man in the Lenin outfit hesitated before speaking. “When does Old Director Su usually come to eat rolled rice noodles?”
Jiang Lianyue: “?”
Why Old Director Su again?
She raised her brows slightly, glanced at the man in the Lenin outfit, blinked, and said, “I usually set up from six in the morning to twelve noon. Once everything’s sold, I pack up.”
She only ran her stall during that time. When customers came it was self-explanatory.
As she spoke, Jiang Lianyue placed a plate of freshly steamed rolled rice noodles beside the dipping sauces and called out, “Boss, the egg-added portion is ready. The sauces are here, yellow peel sauce and chili sauce. Add whatever you like.”
The man in the white shirt stood up, added some yellow peel sauce, carried the plate back to the folding table, and started eating.
“Little sister, your cooking is really good!”
He finished a strip of rice noodle in the blink of an eye and praised her as soon as he was done.
Just then, Jiang Lianyue set down another plate of rolled rice noodles. Hearing this, she smiled faintly. “If it’s good, come eat here often.”
He joked, “If I come often, I’ll eat myself poor.”
Jiang Lianyue laughed. “How could that be? Smoke one pack of cigarettes less and you can afford it. Smoking less is also good for your health.”
“Haha, you’re really good with words,” the man in the white shirt laughed heartily.
Listening to their casual chat, the man in the Lenin outfit wanted to join in but did not know how to.
At that moment, the short-haired woman from yesterday came over with her son and called out, “Boss, give me two portions with egg.”
After speaking, she glanced at the two occupied tables. Seeing that the man in the Lenin outfit was eating and that the man in the white shirt’s plate was already empty, she led her son to sit beside the man in the white shirt.
Jiang Lianyue was busy making the woman and her son’s rolled rice noodles when another elderly man arrived and sat opposite the man in the Lenin outfit.
The customers kept coming, and Jiang Lianyue grew busier and busier. The man in the white shirt realized he was already getting in her way, so he quietly got up and left.
After finishing his rolled rice noodles, the man in the Lenin outfit sat silently for a while. Seeing that he truly had no chance to speak, he also stood up and left.
Jiang Lianyue glanced at the retreating figure of the man in the Lenin outfit and raised her brows in puzzlement. Everyone had come asking about Director Su. Who exactly was this Director Su?
That day, Jiang Lianyue had ground half again as much rice pulp as yesterday, yet she sold out even earlier. By a little past ten, the buckets were empty.
She looked at the empty iron bucket, secretly touched the money pouch at her waist, and could not help but smile.
At this rate, in less than two months she would have saved enough to buy the equipment.
Humming a tune as she packed up the stall, she sensed someone stop in front of her and called out loudly, “Sold out for today. Come earlier tomorrow!”
“So early and already sold out?” came a slightly aged voice.
Jiang Lianyue looked up and saw an elderly man wearing a white shirt, slightly plump, with a square face and a kind smile.
She smiled back. “Customers came early today, so it’s all sold out. Please come earlier tomorrow.”
“Business is good,” the old man said.
“Thanks to everyone’s support,” Jiang Lianyue replied.
The old man nodded and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.
Jiang Lianyue continued packing her things, putting the bowls, chopsticks, tables, and stools back onto the cart, and headed home.
As she neared the machinery factory dormitory area, she encountered the old man again.
“Uncle, do you also live around here?” Jiang Lianyue greeted him.
The old man smiled and nodded. “Yes, my home is just ahead.”
“I live up ahead too,” Jiang Lianyue said.
The old man nodded with a smile.
At the entrance of the dormitory area, Jiang Lianyue stopped and said, “Uncle, I’m here, goodbye.”
The old man nodded. Before he could speak, Old Meng called out from the guardroom, “Old Director Su, you’re back.”
So this was Old Director Su?
Jiang Lianyue’s eyes widened, and she looked up at the old man.
Old Director Su smiled slightly at her. “I live here too.”
At that moment, Old Meng came out of the guardroom. Seeing Jiang Lianyue slightly behind, he smiled. “Little sister, you’re back too.”
Jiang Lianyue came back to herself and showed Old Meng her white teeth with a smile. “Uncle Meng.”
Old Meng reached out to help her push the cart and said as he did, “Old Director, this is Zhou Jiajing’s wife. She just went out to sell rolled rice noodles.”
Jiang Lianyue added with a smile, “Old Director Su went to my stall, but when he arrived, I’d already sold out.”
Old Director Su laughed. “No luck today, I’ll definitely go earlier next time.”
“If you want to eat, I can bring some back for you tomorrow,” Jiang Lianyue said.
Several customers had mentioned Old Director Su while eating rolled rice noodles today. Jiang Lianyue guessed they had all gone because of him.
A patron like this had to be treated well.
Old Director Su shook his head. “No need, no need. I’m retired and bored anyway. It’s good for me to take a walk.”
Jiang Lianyue did not insist. “Then whenever you want to eat, just tell me, or have Uncle Meng pass along the message. I’ll save some for you.”
“Good, good,” Old Director Su agreed with a smile.
After chatting briefly, Old Director Su went home.
As Jiang Lianyue took down the items that needed washing, she asked Old Meng in a low voice, “Uncle Meng, several customers mentioned Old Director Su today while eating rolled rice noodles. How do people know I live in the same compound as him?”
Old Meng said, “Yesterday the old director saw the rolled rice noodles you brought me. He said they looked delicious and wanted to try them too. Those people probably heard he was going to eat rolled rice noodles, so they went there to wait for him.”
Jiang Lianyue recalled the original plot of the book. In the original story, the female lead never encountered this old director, nor was he ever mentioned.
She took out a small portion of the leftover stir-fried preserved mustard greens with meat from the morning and handed it to Old Meng. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Uncle Meng, what kind of background does this Old Director Su have?”