Even though the plate-making workshop was the closest to the employee cafeteria, by the time they spent a few extra moments chatting in the workshop, the cafeteria was already packed wall-to-wall with people.
As if long accustomed to scenes like this, Ge Yanqing swiftly grabbed Zhang Yunqing and squeezed toward the busiest serving window.
A rich aroma of meat drifted into Zhang Yunqing’s nose, instantly awakening every craving in her body.
A small blackboard hung above the window, listing today’s dishes:
Braised pork — 20 centsBraised tofu — 10 centsStir-fried cabbage — 5 centsCold cucumber salad — 5 centsPickled mustard soup — 3 cents
Through the gaps between people, Zhang Yunqing could see the cafeteria auntie wielding a long-handled aluminum ladle, scooping braised pork into workers’ lunch tins one portion at a time after they paid.
The glossy, reddish-brown chunks of meat gleamed with oil, making Zhang Yunqing swallow hard.
Although the Zhang family didn’t live badly by the standards of the era—with both Zhang Junzhong and Zhang Hongwei earning stable wages as workers—the family had been saving desperately to buy work positions for the children, and Zhang Hongwei was already old enough to marry.
Since there were no other income sources in those days, the only way to save money was by cutting back on food.
As a result, in the original owner’s memories, Zhang Junzhong used to occasionally bring meat dishes home from the cafeteria when she was little, but during the past two years, that had completely stopped.
If they wanted meat now, they could only hope Zhao Pinglan might loosen her grip a little during holidays.
Since transmigrating here over half a month ago, Zhang Yunqing had only eaten meat once at the Zhang house.
A tiny strip barely two fingers wide had been stir-fried together with half a cabbage.
That first time, lacking experience, she’d only managed to grab a couple bites of the cabbage-and-meat dish before the rest of the Zhang family completely wiped the plate clean.
She had barely tasted the meat before it was gone.
Now, with plump chunks of pork right in front of her, she couldn’t care less about manners anymore. Zhang Yunqing squeezed through the crowd even more fiercely than Ge Yanqing, pushing her way to the very front in just a few moves.
“Auntie, two portions of braised pork and one braised tofu!”
As she spoke, she pulled fifty cents from the money Zhang Xinmin had given her and handed it over, then thrust both her and Ge Yanqing’s lunch tins forward.
The cafeteria worker skillfully scooped out two ladles of meat, each portion containing around four or five chunks, and dropped them into the aluminum containers.
Afterward, at the staple food window, Zhang Yunqing spent another eight cents and four liang of grain coupons to buy two steamed buns before sitting down with Ge Yanqing on a long bench to eat.
“Xiao Zhang, your hands are way too fast. You just started work today—how could I let you pay?”
Ge Yanqing sounded slightly reproachful. She had originally insisted on treating the meal herself.
Who would’ve thought that Zhang Yunqing’s skill at charging through a crowd for food was even better than that of an old factory worker like herself? The moment she blinked, Zhang Yunqing had already squeezed to the front.
By the time Ge Yanqing got her own meal, she still hadn’t even reached the serving window.
“What’s the big deal? We’ve got plenty of time ahead of us. Sister Ge, are you worried I won’t have future chances to eat meals you treat me to?” Zhang Yunqing joked.
She knew Ge Yanqing had genuinely intended to pay, but in these times, everyone lived frugally.
Although Ge Yanqing’s clothing showed her family conditions were fairly good, they had only just met today. Plus, Ge Yanqing had generously taught her many things all morning without holding anything back.
No matter how thick-skinned Zhang Yunqing might be, she couldn’t shamelessly let her treat her to lunch on the first day.
“Fine, but next time you absolutely can’t refuse.”
Ge Yanqing wasn’t the type to fuss endlessly over such matters. Thinking about it, she agreed Zhang Yunqing made sense, and since there would be many days ahead, she simply picked up her chopsticks.
“This braised pork tastes best while hot. Hurry and try it. The chefs in our cafeteria are no worse than the masters at the state-run restaurants.”
“And you got lucky too. They only make braised pork once every half month, and you happened to catch it.”
Zhang Yunqing didn’t stand on ceremony either. She immediately reached into the lunch tin with her chopsticks.
Feeling the slight resistance as the chopsticks pierced through the pork skin, she applied a little force, lifted the entire chunk of meat, and stuffed it straight into her mouth.
The fatty pork belly burst with rich juices the moment she bit down, mixed with the savory-sweet sauce. The unprecedented fragrance completely overwhelmed Zhang Yunqing’s taste buds, nearly leaving her dizzy from happiness.
After swallowing the meat in two quick bites, her eyes widened slightly.
“So delicious!”
“See? I wasn’t lying. Our cafeteria chef also makes excellent fried pork slices, crispy pork, sweet-and-sour fish… you’ll get to try them eventually.”
Every dish name Ge Yanqing listed made Zhang Yunqing swallow another mouthful of saliva. Finally unable to endure it anymore, she raised a hand in surrender.
“Okay, okay, Sister Ge, stop talking. If you keep going, I’m going to drool all over the place.”
Her gluttonous expression made Ge Yanqing burst into loud laughter.
In the end, the two women cleaned every last bite of food from their tins, even using the steamed buns to wipe up every trace of sauce before reluctantly going to wash their lunch containers.
Wiping her mouth, Zhang Yunqing sighed inwardly.
Life really was all about comparison.
In her previous life, even though she never worried about food or clothing, she still constantly felt her life was difficult compared to others and was never satisfied.
Yet now, after eating nothing more than one meal of braised pork, she genuinely felt life had become unimaginably beautiful.
At the same time, she silently memorized the cafeteria’s next braised pork day, determined to eat her fill next time.
Back in her previous life, she had read plenty of novels where transmigrated or reborn protagonists only ate lean meat and gave the fatty parts to their families. Every time she read scenes like that, Zhang Yunqing completely understood.
Because she herself had always preferred lean meat too. She normally wouldn’t touch fatty meat at all.
But now that she had truly arrived in an era like this, her former food preferences held absolutely no meaning.
The body’s craving for fat and calories was instinctive.
Forget fatty meat—even organ meat she once refused to touch, she could now eat without changing expression.
After lunch, there was still more than an hour before work resumed.
After saying goodbye to Zhang Yunqing, Ge Yanqing swung one leg over her bicycle and pedaled rapidly toward home.
Watching her carefree departing figure, Zhang Yunqing took a deep breath and started walking home herself.
Once upon a time, she had wished she could practically ride her electric scooter right into bed with her.
Now she could only rely on “Route 11”—her own two legs.
One day, she absolutely had to get herself a bicycle too.
Otherwise, with all this walking to and from work every day, the little food she ate would be digested before she even got home.
Naturally, when Zhao Pinglan learned she had eaten before coming home, another round of nagging followed.
She repeatedly reminded Zhang Yunqing to inform the family beforehand if she wasn’t coming home for meals in the future.
Otherwise, they might prepare food for her and waste grain for nothing.
This time, Zhang Yunqing didn’t argue.
It really had been her mistake today.
In her previous life, she had lived alone after starting work and was used to doing everything independently, so she simply hadn’t considered such things.
Although she knew perfectly well that in this household, aside from money, food was the one thing least likely to ever be wasted, she still promised Zhao Pinglan it wouldn’t happen again.
Only then did Zhao Pinglan stop grumbling.
Rubbing her temples, swollen from all the lecturing, Zhang Yunqing helplessly collapsed onto the heated brick bed.
Seriously… it had been such a long time since she’d experienced this kind of lack of freedom.
Thinking about the apartment she had just bought in her previous life made her heart ache again.
If she were in her own home now, nobody would nag her like this.
In the end, it all came down to living under someone else’s roof.
Zhang Yunqing let out another deep sigh and buried her face in the pillow.
Forget it. No more thinking.
Time for a nap.