How was this possible?
A simple bowl of plain noodles—nothing more than the most basic yangchun noodles, without any extra toppings—yet the flavor was richer and more delicious than the braised noodles made by veteran chefs in state-owned restaurants.
The noodles were springy and smooth.The broth was rich but not greasy.The aroma of fat wrapped perfectly around every strand of noodle, and with each bite it felt as if his entire body was being soothed from the inside out.
Lu Huaizhou had lived more than twenty years, but he had never eaten a bowl of noodles like this.
He raised his head. His sharp eyes were filled with scrutiny as he stared straight at Su Hongxia.
How could a “fool” from the countryside—someone who could barely get enough to eat—make noodles of this level?
Su Hongxia felt a jolt in her heart when he looked at her like that.
Oops. I overdid it.
She instantly switched back into her “simple-minded big sister” act. Tilting her head, she gave a silly smile and pointed at the bowl.
“Pot… pot good. Then noodles good,” she said vaguely.
The pot is good?
Lu Huaizhou followed her finger and glanced at the brand-new iron pot in the corner. Then he looked back at her innocent, foolish smile. The doubt in his heart only deepened.
But he said nothing.
Lowering his head, he ate the entire bowl of noodles at an astonishing speed—like a storm sweeping through—finishing both noodles and broth without leaving a single drop.
When he was done, he set the empty bowl on the table and returned to his usual cold expression.
“Clean up.”
As if the man who had just been shocked by a bowl of noodles wasn’t him at all.
Su Hongxia curled her lips inwardly.
Men. They say no, but their bodies are very honest.
She quietly carried the bowl outside while thinking to herself that she needed to hold back from now on. She couldn’t reveal too much too quickly.
..
The next day, Lu Huaizhou told her they would leave for his army base.
They packed their simple luggage—really just Su Hongxia’s few shabby belongings and Lu Huaizhou’s military-green canvas bag filled with books and documents.
Before leaving, Su Hongxia used the remaining flour and lard to make several flat scallion pancakes.
She couldn’t find scallions, so she used some wild garlic growing in the yard instead. The aroma was even stronger and better than regular scallions.
They took a bus to the train station and squeezed onto a southbound green train.
In the 1970s, trains were always packed and chaotic.
The carriage was filled with travelers from everywhere. The smells of sweat, cigarettes, instant noodles, and other indescribable odors mixed together, making people dizzy.
Lu Huaizhou’s leg made walking difficult. Leaning on his crutch, every step was hard. The crowd pushed and shoved around him—no one made way for a “cripple.”
Just as a man carrying a huge sack was about to slam into him, Su Hongxia’s eyes sharpened.
Without thinking, she stepped in front of Lu Huaizhou.
Her thin body suddenly became like a wall.
Bang!
The sack crashed solidly into her shoulder.
She didn’t even move.
Instead, the man carrying the sack stumbled backward from the recoil and nearly fell.
“Ow! Are you blind?!” the man cursed.
Su Hongxia raised her head and stared at him with her empty, lifeless eyes.
She said nothing—just stared.
The look made the man feel uneasy. The rest of his curse died in his throat. Muttering under his breath, he hurried away into the crowd.
Lu Huaizhou stood behind her and saw everything clearly.
His hand tightened slightly on the crutch.
This woman… why is she so strong?
And she… protected me?
..
After much difficulty, they squeezed into the sleeper carriage. Their berth was the lower bunk.
Once Lu Huaizhou sat down, Su Hongxia started arranging their luggage.
The heavy military canvas bag was difficult even for him to carry.
But Su Hongxia lifted it easily with one hand and slid it neatly under the bunk.
Lu Huaizhou’s eyelid twitched again.
Across from them sat a woman around thirty years old. She wore a fashionable synthetic floral blouse and had permed hair. She waved a handkerchief in front of her nose with a look of disgust.
When she noticed Lu Huaizhou’s injured leg, a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes.
“Comrade, are you also heading to the Forward Base?” she asked with a tone of urban superiority.
Lu Huaizhou nodded.
“I’m going there to live with my husband,” she continued proudly. “He’s Officer Wang from the logistics department.”
She emphasized the word officer.
“Looking at you… were you in the army before?”
“Mm.”
“Oh, what a pity,” she said, examining him like a defective product. “With an injury like that, what will you do in the future? Your wife is going to the base too? Let me see—oh!”
Her eyes landed on Su Hongxia, who was making the bed. Seeing her patched clothes and messy hair, her expression became even more disdainful.
“Brother, don’t mind me saying… finding someone like that—how are you going to live like this? A cripple and a fool. Isn’t that just dragging each other down?”
She spoke loudly enough that people in nearby bunks heard. Strange looks were directed at them.
Lu Huaizhou’s face darkened instantly. The air around him grew heavy.
He hated that kind of pitying, mocking gaze.
Just as he was about to respond, another voice spoke first.
“My man… strong!”
Su Hongxia had stopped working and turned around, standing between Lu Huaizhou and the woman.
Puffing out her chest, she glared at the woman.
“He hero! Your man—not!”
Her words were clumsy and illogical, but the meaning was obvious.
The woman was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“Oh? The fool is protective! A hero? Your hero is still a cripple now. A cripple and a fool—perfect match!”
That was too harsh.
Cold fury gathered in Lu Huaizhou’s eyes.
At that moment, Su Hongxia moved.
She didn’t curse or fight.
She simply grabbed the iron railing of the upper bunk with the same hand that had lifted the heavy bag earlier.
Then, under everyone’s stunned gaze, she tightened her fingers.
Creak—
A painful metallic sound rang out.
The thumb-thick solid iron bar bent under her grip, leaving five clear finger dents.
The entire carriage fell silent.
Everyone stared at Su Hongxia like she was a monster.
The mocking woman froze. Her eyes widened like bells, her mouth hanging open. Sweat rolled down her forehead.
Su Hongxia released the railing, dusted off the rust on her hands, and turned to Lu Huaizhou with a bright grin like a child seeking praise.
“Brother, I strong!”
Lu Huaizhou: “…”
He looked at the deformed iron bar, then at her thin wrists.
His Adam’s apple moved slightly.
That kind of strength couldn’t be explained simply by “being strong.”
After that scene, no one dared to mock the “cripple and fool” pair again. The talkative woman shrank into her berth and didn’t dare look at them anymore.
At lunchtime, the carriage filled with the smell of food.
Some people ate hard steamed buns. Others chewed cold pickled vegetables.
The talkative woman took out an aluminum lunchbox filled with white rice and scrambled eggs, drawing envious glances.
Lu Huaizhou took out two coarse corn buns from his bag and handed one to Su Hongxia.
But she didn’t take it.
Instead, she proudly pulled out a bundle wrapped in oil paper from her bag.
When she opened it—
Boom.
An indescribably powerful aroma exploded throughout the carriage.
It was a rich combination of wheat fragrance, lard aroma, and the sharp scent of wild garlic. Thick, tempting, almost like hooks that grabbed everyone’s sense of smell.
Inside the oil paper lay several golden pancakes.
They were layered thin like paper, dotted with green wild garlic bits.
Just looking at them made mouths water.
“Grrr…”
Someone’s stomach growled first.
Then the sound of people swallowing saliva echoed through the carriage.
All eyes locked onto the pancakes in Su Hongxia’s hands.
Suddenly, their own food—corn buns, steamed buns, pickles, even the rice and eggs—seemed tasteless.
The talkative woman stared at the pancakes, completely forgetting to eat.
Su Hongxia tore off a large piece and held it to Lu Huaizhou’s mouth, smiling foolishly.
“Brother, eat. Smells good!”
Lu Huaizhou looked at the sparkle in her eyes, then at the hungry wolf-like gazes around them.
For the first time in his life, he felt a strange sense of… pride.
He opened his mouth and took a bite.
Crispy.Savory.Layered with flavor.His mouth instantly filled with saliva.
Delicious.
Looking at Su Hongxia again, the question that had been circling his mind resurfaced.
How… exactly did she make this?