Chapter 11: “State-Run Restaurant”

There were two state-run restaurants in Jiangcheng: the Red Star Restaurant in the east of the city and the Peace Restaurant in the west.

The Peace Restaurant was closer to the machinery factory, and the original owner had been there a few times with her family. The Xu family was well-off for Jiangcheng, but they still couldn’t afford to eat out all the time. On her mother, Jiang Lan’s, birthday, her stepfather would insist that the birthday person couldn’t cook, and he would take the family to the Peace Restaurant for a meal.

But this time, Shen Tingjun took Jiang Wanwan to the one on the east side of the city. The Red Star Restaurant was close to the City Hall, so it hosted a lot of official banquets. The dishes were more plentiful, and the taste was even better. He ordered braised beef, red-braised pork hock, sweet and sour carp, stir-fried cabbage, and two bowls of plain noodles.

“We’re only two people. Why did you order four dishes?”

Jiang Wanwan felt like it was too wasteful. Three of the four dishes were meat, and the six-inch plates were overflowing. There was no way they could finish it all.

“Didn’t you tell me to order whatever I wanted? Besides, this is our first official date. I have to order some substantial dishes so you can’t complain about it later.”

Shen Tingjun had a whole story to tell about that. “The first time my older brother and his wife went on a date, she was too shy, and when he asked her what she wanted to eat, she said anything was fine. So, being a simple man, he took her out for a bowl of plain noodles. From then on, every time they fight, she brings up that bowl of noodles, saying that from that moment on, she knew he didn’t have her in his heart.”

Jiang Wanwan looked at the bowl of plain noodles in front of her. She thought it was funny but also a bit strange. “Then why did you have to eat plain noodles? What about buns, steamed buns, or rice?”

“Because it’s a custom where I’m from for a couple to eat noodles on their first date. It symbolizes a long and smooth life together.”

As he spoke, Shen Tingjun put two big mouthfuls of stir-fried cabbage into his noodle bowl and started eating with great relish.

Jiang Wanwan was taken aback by his words. She felt a strange guilt, as if this was just a casual fling for her, but he was taking it very seriously. She ate a few bites, distracted, and then heard Shen Tingjun stand up.

She looked up when she heard him get up and saw that he was finished. But of the four dishes on the table, only the stir-fried cabbage had been mostly eaten; the three meat dishes were almost untouched.

“Why didn’t you eat any of these?” Jiang Wanwan asked, looking up at him.

“I get tired of eating meat and fish every day. You go ahead and eat. I’m going to go buy something,” Shen Tingjun said, pointing to the supply and marketing cooperative across the street. He waved at her and left.

A little while later, he returned with two aluminum lunchboxes: a large, two-tiered one and a small, common one.

“Why did you buy lunchboxes?” Jiang Wanwan asked, surprised.

“To put the food in so you can take it home. These dishes were expensive. It would be a waste to just leave them here, wouldn’t it?” Shen Tingjun said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, as if she were a wasteful, spoiled wife who didn’t know the value of money. When he saw Jiang Wanwan put down her chopsticks, he asked, “Are you finished?”

Jiang Wanwan nodded, and Shen Tingjun quickly put the three meat dishes into the two lunchboxes. He stacked them neatly and set them aside.

“So now you’re suddenly frugal? It’s like you’re not the same person who was bringing me roasted chicken every other day. A whole roasted chicken is even more expensive than this meal.”

This meal of three meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and two bowls of plain noodles only cost a total of six yuan. A roasted chicken from that famous century-old shop cost over nine yuan.

“That’s different,” Shen Tingjun said, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Wanwan and launching into another one of his life philosophies. “Back then, I was pursuing you, so I needed to show off my financial strength. It’s the same thing as a peacock spreading its tail feathers. What’s our situation now? We’re dating with the purpose of getting married, so showing off my wealth is secondary. Now I should be showing you the side of me that’s good at running a household.”

“Besides, look at how thin you are. Of your family’s three children, you’re the only one who doesn’t have the surname Xu. You probably don’t get to eat much good food, do you? I didn’t touch these meat dishes. When you take them home, you can heat them up and get two or three more meals out of them. From now on, I’ll take you out once a week to spoil you and help you get some meat on your bones.”

Jiang Wanwan didn’t know how to respond. She couldn’t very well tell him, “My stepfather is actually quite nice to me; it’s my biological mother who doesn’t treat me well.”

After dinner, Shen Tingjun walked Jiang Wanwan home. But he stopped as they got close to the residential area.

“What’s wrong?”

“If I take you all the way in, everyone in the factory will know we’re dating tomorrow,” he said.

“So what? We’re not dating just for a day. They’ll find out sooner or later anyway,” Jiang Wanwan said, sounding nonchalant. “Just ride in. I’m carrying two lunchboxes, and it’s a pain to walk.”

Shen Tingjun grinned. He rode his bike right into the residential area, ignoring the stares of the onlookers, and dropped Jiang Wanwan off at her doorstep.

Next door, Aunt Han’s daughter-in-law, Yao Cui, was chatting with a few other young wives, her bowl of rice in her hand. She saw Shen Sanqian turn into the alley on his bicycle. She raised her chin and gestured for the others to look.

“See that? Director Shen’s son is here again.”

The young wives leaned forward, their faces alight with excitement. But when the bicycle got closer and they saw Jiang Wanwan on the back, they were all stunned.

“What’s going on? Are they really together?” one of them asked.

Yao Cui was confused, too. Her mother-in-law, Aunt Han, had gone to visit Accountant Jiang in the hospital and came back saying the Shen Sanqian’s problem had been taken care of. But these two didn’t look like a problem that had been resolved.

After Shen Sanqian rode away, Yao Cui called out to Jiang Wanwan, who was about to go inside.

“Huiwan, don’t go in yet. Your sister-in-law wants to ask you something.”

Jiang Wanwan turned and saw Yao Cui and the other women, their faces filled with gossip. She knew exactly what they wanted, but she put on a straight face and smiled. “What is it?”

“Are you and Shen Sanqian… together?” Yao Cui stared at her, but the girl who was normally so shy looked completely at ease.

“We’re dating,” Jiang Wanwan said in a normal voice, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Yao Cui was so flustered she didn’t know what to say.

“If that’s all, I’m going inside. I need to get ready for work.”

Yao Cui gave a forced laugh. “Oh, go on then.”

Jiang Wanwan smiled and went inside, completely unbothered by the gossiping wives outside who would soon spread the news with their own colorful additions. There was nothing shameful about her dating life.