Chapter 11: Stir-fried bok choy

" Tap tap tap—"

Just as Qu Xiaoxiao was portioning out the soup, she suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps and immediately looked up towards the door.

She saw Qu Yangrong leading the way, followed closely by Lian Yijun, whose steps were light and quick. If there weren't people ahead of her, she would have practically run to get closer.

Qu Xiaoxiao quickly put down what she was holding, glanced at the time, and said happily,

"So Aunt Qu, you've already closed for the day! I've been so busy all morning, I almost forgot the time!"

As she spoke, Qu Yangrong looked around and realized that the entire cafeteria was deserted except for Qu Xiaoxiao.

A heart full of well wishes stuck in her throat, unable to be uttered.

She quickly changed the subject, comforting her, "Shops are always like this when they first open. As long as you have real skills, business will definitely boom soon."

Qu Xiaoxiao knew what Aunt Qu was worried about, her smile unwavering, and nodded in agreement.

“I know all that, so I didn’t make many portions for lunch today. Besides, I’m confident in my cooking skills.”

“We’re confident in you too! Xiaoxiao, your cooking is amazing! It’s so tempting that everyone’s been distracted at work all morning, wishing they could just skip work and come eat.”

“Even though we haven’t tasted it yet, just smelling it makes us know it’s something special. Boss, your business is sure to boom!”

“Those who didn’t come today will definitely regret it later.”

…

Not only Lian Yijun, but other colleagues at the community service center also chimed in with words of comfort.

Qu Xiaoxiao felt the warmth of the group, her smile deepening. She stopped talking about it and turned to walk towards the food area.

Then, amidst everyone’s surprised looks, she stuck her head to the window and reminded them:

“The cafeteria sells set meals, which are fixed at one large meat dish, one small meat dish, and one vegetable dish, totaling ten yuan. If you want to add dishes, you can pay five yuan, three yuan, and two yuan respectively. Soup and rice are free.

You can just come here and swipe your card now. Today’s dishes are braised pork, scrambled eggs with chives, and stir-fried bok choy.”

After saying that, she waved to signal everyone to come and buy their meals.

Qu Yangrong, seeing the lack of customers on Qu Xiaoxiao's smiling face, immediately relaxed.

She slowly approached, tapping her pre-issued card on the card reader.

"Beep!"

Ten yuan instantly disappeared from the balance on the screen. She picked up a tray and held it a little further in through the window.

Seeing this, Qu Xiaoxiao immediately placed three bowls of food on them and reminded her,

"The rice and soup are on the table in the back. Help yourself, eat as much as you want.

I'm worried that when I get busy, I won't have time to refill the rice and soup, and things will get chaotic, so it's best to establish the rules from the beginning."

Hearing this, Qu Yangrong nodded understandingly; it wasn't a big deal.

Compared to her composure, the people behind her were less calm.

As soon as they approached the window, the aroma of braised pork was irresistible, forcefully penetrating their bodies.

If smelling it upstairs was like a babbling brook, it was like standing before a vast ocean, overwhelming and unstoppable.

Just now, Ma Qun, disregarding all decorum, suddenly rushed to stand behind Qu Yangrong.

So, he was the second to get his food.

When he saw the rich, dark braised pork, his genes instantly awakened, and he involuntarily swallowed, standing there dumbfounded, wishing he could taste it right there.

"Hey! Brother Ma?"

It was Lian Yiyun, standing behind him, who reminded him, pulling him out of his daze.

Ma Qun smiled sheepishly, his breathing uneven, and said, "I...I'm sorry, you take it."

He then hurried to the table, his plate landing quickly and steadily. Just as he was about to sit down, he heard a familiar voice again.

"Hey! Brother Ma, you haven't gotten your rice and soup yet."

Lian Yiyun, who was getting her rice and soup, saw Ma Qun preparing to eat and was filled with suspicion.

"Coming."

Ma Qun's knees straightened instantly as he quickly retrieved his rice and soup.

The moment his body touched the chair, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if everything could finally settle down.

He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, then focused his gaze on the long-awaited braised pork.

His gaze was instantly captivated by the intense crimson color. The glistening broth clinging to the meat shimmered under the light, giving it an amber luster, as if the meat had been suddenly enveloped in dripping resin.

At that moment, Ma Qun couldn't resist any longer. His chopsticks flew towards the braised pork.

But the moment they touched the skin, he pierced it, leaving a gash. The skin trembled precariously over the meat, as if a little more force would cause them to separate.

His movements froze.

A mental storm raged, and without thinking, he grabbed the bowl of braised pork and brought it to his mouth.

He forced the meat into his mouth with his chopsticks, even though he had been completely enveloped by the aroma of the braised pork, making him less sensitive to other flavors.

But the moment the braised pork touched his lips, he realized he had underestimated the aroma.

An even more intense fragrance assaulted his nostrils, intoxicating him completely.

He shoved a whole piece of braised pork, the size of an egg, into his mouth. The next second, he immediately closed his mouth, afraid that even a trace of the aroma would escape. His breathing unconsciously slowed, savoring the sensation of his teeth cutting through the pork.

The meaty fragrance poured out with each cut, his brain going completely numb from the aroma.

At that moment, Ma Qun couldn't care less about anything else.

Every part of his body screamed with desire, and only one thought occupied his mind: he had to devour this delicious food.

Between his lips and tongue was the gelatinous pork skin, the almost imperceptible, melt-in-your-mouth fat, and the incredibly flavorful lean meat—a medley of flavors.

His entire body was filled with the blissful satisfaction of being fully satisfied, radiating happiness.

His teeth involuntarily quickened their chewing pace, and when Ma Qun realized he was savoring the taste, his mouth felt empty, leaving him feeling utterly lost. Because after satisfaction came an even deeper craving.

He subconsciously turned his gaze to the remaining piece of braised pork in his hand.

The others weren't much better off than Ma Qun, especially Zhu Lihua, who had initially been skeptical. Her mind was in turmoil.

One thought told her that she couldn't burn that much fat while dieting.

Another comforted her: "Are you really going to miss out on such a rare delicacy? This is your first time experiencing something like this."

In the end, the craving for the food overcame her already fragile resistance.

She decisively reached for the braised pork, which tasted even better than she had imagined.

The flavor was an exceptionally good sweet and salty taste, perhaps more accurately described as a slightly sweeter, less salty combination – the most authentic flavor in Yuncheng.

However, the sweetness she'd had before was often cloying.

This time, it was different. The sweetness was just right, neither overpowering nor completely absent.

Combined with its rich yet not greasy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, she dared say that even those long-established restaurants with decades-old reputations couldn't match the quality of this canteen.

Just as the community service center staff were enjoying the meal, Grandma Song and her group rushed over.

However, apart from Qu Xiaoxiao, the others were completely oblivious.

Grandma Song watched the young men and women at the community service center eating with gusto, and immediately gave her husband, Grandpa Liu, a reproachful look, whispering,

"I told you, if you're not feeling well, don't eat that junk food. It's all because you have diarrhea that we're late.

Look, everyone else is already sitting there, almost finished eating."

"Yes, yes, I know I was wrong. You can't stand being hungry, eat first.

Besides, didn't I tell you to come first, I..."

Grandpa Liu selectively left out the last sentence, otherwise he didn't know what awaited him.

"Hmph!"

Grandma Song glanced at her husband and hurried towards the window.

Upon seeing the guests, Qu Xiaoxiao immediately reminded them,

"Hello, Grandma! Just stick your meal card on this machine, it's ten yuan per meal, three dishes and a soup. The soup and rice are on the table behind you, you need to get them yourself."

"Okay, okay!"

Grandma Song repeatedly praised Qu Xiaoxiao's smooth movements with satisfaction.

She could tell at a glance that today's food was special.

Putting everything else aside, the bok choy alone looked incredibly fresh and vibrant green; just looking at it in the bowl made one's appetite much better.

After the two of them got their food and sat down, Grandma Song, seeing her husband trying to smile but holding back, warned,

"You can only have these two pieces of braised pork today. Remember the doctor's instructions? I don't want to go to the hospital to keep you company."

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Liu immediately promised, "Don't worry, isn't this supporting the young lady's business? I definitely won't eat any meat this afternoon."

He knew his wife had a sharp tongue but a soft heart; she had been by his bedside when he was sick, which had been very hard on her.

He hadn't dared to break her vow again, and today, being allowed to break it off, he was beaming with joy.

"Eat more vegetables,"

Grandma Song said, placing a large mouthful of stir-fried bok choy from her bowl across from him.

Seeing this, Grandpa Liu looked distressed but had no choice but to comply.

However, before eating the vegetables, he wanted to enjoy the pleasure of meat first!

Grandma Song took a bite, wanting to try the stir-fried bok choy herself.

She gently picked up a piece and slowly put it in her mouth.

The garlicky aroma and the bok choy's own fragrance gradually intensified, mixed with a subtle sweetness.

Therefore, when she truly tasted the bok choy, she was instantly surprised by its sweetness.

Even more astonishing was that while bok choy is known for its tenderness, the tenderness in her mouth reached an even higher level. One bite, and it burst with juice.

The sweet juice instantly exploding in her mouth, and for a moment, her eyes widened, unable to believe what had just happened.

At the same time, the bok choy magically melted in her mouth; a few chews, and it immediately crumbled into pieces, disappearing completely.

If it weren't for the lingering taste, Grandma Song might have thought she hadn't eaten anything at all.

She hadn't tasted bok choy of this quality in a long time.

Only when her family grew vegetables as a child, and needed to thin out the seedlings to promote growth, would they pick the tenderest bok choy to eat.

The taste was just like what she had just tasted—fresh, tender, and sweet, disappearing in her mouth in no time.

The memory, combined with the shock of reality, made Grandma Song unconsciously feed herself mouthful after mouthful of bok choy.

"Clang—"

Only when her chopsticks touched the empty bowl did she snap out of her blissful reverie.

Looking at the empty bok choy she had eaten, and the craving for it in her stomach, she subconsciously shifted her gaze to her husband's bowl.

She couldn't help but regret her decision; she should have known better than to give that gluttonous fellow a single bite.

If only she had eaten it herself.

Grandma Song tried to force herself to look away, but her gaze remained fixed on the last bowl of stir-fried bok choy on the table.

She could even smell the aroma emanating from the bok choy, like a hook, firmly hooking her nose.

Finally, after a long (instant) struggle, she silently consoled herself:

she hadn't taken much; she was just taking back what she had just given away—it was fair.

Grandpa Liu, completely absorbed in the delicious braised pork, was unaware of what was happening.

Just as he finished slowly devouring the pork and turned his gaze back to the plate, a pair of chopsticks that didn't belong to him hovered above it.

The tips of the chopsticks held a large bunch of bok choy. His gaze followed the chopsticks upwards, and there before him was his beloved's smiling face.