Li Meiling was completely stunned by the enormous spread of delicious food covering the table before her.
Her mouth hung open and her eyes widened as she stared blankly at the dishes, as though she had been frozen in place. For a long moment, she couldn’t even come back to her senses.
She couldn’t help thinking about the bland, watery meals they usually ate at the educated youth compound. Compared with the lavish feast before her, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Seeing Li Meiling’s dumbfounded expression, Yun Yixuan couldn’t help finding it amusing. A brilliant smile blossomed across her face, revealing a neat row of white teeth.
She gently patted Li Meiling on the shoulder, her clear voice breaking the silence.
“Stop staring and hurry up and eat while it’s hot. If you wait any longer, the food will get cold.”
With that, Yun Yixuan picked up her chopsticks first, grabbed a mouthful of noodles, and eagerly began eating.
After swallowing a few bites, she narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, her face filled with happiness.
“Mmm! This is so delicious. It tastes absolutely amazing!”
When Yun Yixuan looked up again, she realized that Li Meiling was still staring fixedly at the food without moving.
She smiled helplessly, picked up a glossy piece of braised pork belly with a perfect balance of lean meat and fat, and gently placed it into Li Meiling’s bowl.
The rich sauce slowly dripped from her chopsticks onto the noodles below, making them look even more appetizing.
“Hurry up and eat. Don’t be shy,” Yun Yixuan urged. “We still have to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a few things after this. If we keep wasting time, we’ll miss the ox cart back to the village. If that happens, we’ll have to walk all the way back. We’d be exhausted after walking such a long distance.”
Hearing this, Li Meiling finally snapped out of her daze.
A faint blush appeared on her face as she nodded somewhat embarrassedly.
She quickly picked up her chopsticks and, following Yun Yixuan’s example, lifted the piece of braised pork belly from her bowl and carefully took a bite.
The moment the meat entered her mouth, its rich aroma burst across her tongue.
The tender, melt-in-the-mouth fat blended perfectly with the firm lean meat, while the savory juices flooded her taste buds.
Li Meiling’s eyes widened in astonishment, her face filled with surprise and delight.
Then she tried the egg noodles.
The smooth, springy noodles were coated in a delicious broth, and every mouthful left her craving more.
She ate bite after bite until her cheeks bulged with food, occasionally making little sounds of satisfaction as she savored this rare and precious meal.
She had never eaten such delicious meat before.
And the egg noodles were just as wonderful.
Everything tasted so good that she felt as though she were dreaming.
She had never felt so fortunate.
Before they realized it, the enormous bowl of egg noodles and the tempting plate of braised pork had been completely devoured. Only a little broth and a few tiny scraps of meat remained.
Yun Yixuan stared at the empty dishes in surprise before rubbing her round, stuffed belly.
Her appetite had certainly grown compared with when she lived in modern times.
But after thinking about it, she quickly understood why.
Ever since transmigrating to this era, she had eaten nothing but coarse grains, wild vegetables, and bland watery meals. After several days of such food, it was no wonder she had eaten so much today.
She had simply been craving something delicious for far too long.
Yun Yixuan couldn’t help laughing as she rubbed her full stomach again.
The braised pork and egg noodles had truly been wonderful. Every bite had been bursting with flavor, leaving her longing for more despite being completely stuffed.
Her gaze shifted toward the few meat buns still remaining on the table.
Just looking at them made Yun Yixuan feel as though food had already reached her throat. She couldn’t possibly eat another bite.
She looked across the table at Li Meiling.
Li Meiling was also gently rubbing her overstuffed stomach, her eyes narrowed contentedly.
Clearly, she was just as full and couldn’t possibly squeeze in anything else.
“Looks like the two of us did a pretty impressive job,” Yun Yixuan said with a laugh. “But there’s no way we can finish these buns. Let’s pack them up and take them back. We can have them as a late-night snack.”
Li Meiling immediately nodded in agreement.
Yun Yixuan went to the counter and asked the attendant for some clean oil paper. She carefully wrapped the meat buns one by one before placing them inside the cloth bag she carried with her.
After leaving the state-run restaurant, the two hurried toward the supply and marketing cooperative, braving the bitter cold and harsh winds of a northeastern winter.
Along the way, people dressed in simple clothing hurried toward their respective destinations, their faces sallow from the hardships of life.
It wasn’t long before the two women spotted a building with the distinctive architectural style of the 1970s.
Above the entrance were large red characters that read:
“Red Flag Town Supply and Marketing Cooperative.”
A huge red five-pointed star was displayed prominently above the sign.
When Yun Yixuan and Li Meiling entered, they found very few customers inside, perhaps because the weather was simply too cold.
Behind the counter, a saleswoman was knitting a gray sweater stitch by stitch. She briefly looked up when Yun Yixuan and Li Meiling entered before returning her attention to her knitting.
Yun Yixuan walked over to the counter and looked at the various candies displayed behind it.
The wrappers of the fruit candies were decorated with colorful pictures of fruit, making it seem as though she could smell their fruity fragrance even through the packaging.
The milk candies gave off a rich, creamy aroma that made them irresistible just to look at.
Yun Yixuan politely addressed the saleswoman.
“Comrade, please give me half a kilogram of fruit candy and half a kilogram of milk candy.”
The saleswoman clearly hadn’t expected the plainly dressed young woman, who even looked somewhat poor, to buy so much candy.
She immediately put down the sweater in her hands.
“Right away.”
She quickly began weighing the candies for Yun Yixuan.
Most people in this era were still simple and sincere. The saleswoman at the cooperative, for instance, greeted every customer with a smile and served them attentively.
Soon, she finished weighing the candy.
“The fruit candy is one yuan and fifty cents, and the milk candy is two yuan. You’ll also need one kilogram’s worth of candy coupons.”
Yun Yixuan promptly paid.
Besides the candy, she carefully selected several snacks that were characteristic of the era.
There were beautifully wrapped peach crisps. Even picking one up was enough to catch the rich fragrance of sesame seeds.
There were also sweet, soft mung bean cakes. Their pale green color made them especially tempting.
Whenever Yun Yixuan picked up a new snack, she discussed it with Li Meiling, sharing how much she looked forward to tasting it.
Li Meiling smiled beside her and occasionally offered her own opinion, her eyes filled with longing for the delicious treats.
Yun Yixuan wandered between the counters, examining the different snacks until her attention finally settled on the peach crisps and mung bean cakes.
She thought of her parents living in the cowshed.
They worked hard every day, yet never had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear.
Her heart ached at the thought.
Without hesitation, she said to the saleswoman, “Comrade, please give me one kilogram of peach crisps and one kilogram of mung bean cakes.”
The saleswoman quickly weighed and wrapped everything.
“Ten yuan in total, plus two kilograms’ worth of pastry coupons.”
Yun Yixuan immediately handed over the money and coupons.
After receiving the neatly wrapped pastries, she gently ran her fingers over the paper package.
She imagined how surprised and delighted her parents would be when they received these treats, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
Watching Yun Yixuan, Li Meiling was tempted as well.
It had been a long time since she had eaten pastries, and since she had earned some money today, she finally decided to treat herself.
“I’ll take one kilogram of peach crisps too.”
After paying, Li Meiling joined Yun Yixuan again.
With their hands full of purchases and satisfied smiles on their faces, the two slowly walked out of the supply and marketing cooperative.
Sunlight fell gently upon them as the cold wind brushed against their cheeks and stirred their hair.
Since ancient times, there seemed to be something magical about shopping and spending money. It could bring people a simple and genuine kind of happiness.
That feeling was even stronger in an era when supplies were scarce.
Being able to purchase treats that were normally considered rare luxuries didn’t merely satisfy their appetites. It was like adding a splash of color to their otherwise plain and difficult lives.
Their moods became as bright and cheerful as flowers blooming beneath the spring sun.
As they walked, the two happily discussed how they could earn even more money in the future.