Chapter 29: Encountering Him at the State-Owned Restaurant

After Niu Da-pang left, Iron Orchid also prepared to go out.

She didn’t want to cook lunch.

She had been here for so long, and she hadn’t eaten at a state-owned restaurant yet.

She was going to the countryside tomorrow, so she had to treat herself today.

The houses in the 1970s were mostly brick and tile houses, they looked dusty at first glance.

The state-owned restaurant was a state-owned enterprise, so the decoration was different.

It was made of blue bricks and tiles, with a small red flag inserted, and a five-pointed star carved on top. In the middle was written “State-Owned Restaurant” in four large characters, and on both sides were slogans like “Self-Reliance” and “Hard Work” (as shown in the picture).

It looked very grand.

There was also a small blackboard at the entrance, listing the menu for the day.

Dishes: Braised Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, Roast Duck, Stir-Fried Potato Strips, Vermicelli Stewed with Vegetables

Main Foods: Rice, Noodles, Steamed Buns, Wontons

The ordering window was right at the entrance, which was quite convenient.

“Comrade, please give me a serving of braised pork, a serving of Kung Pao chicken, a serving of stir-fried potato strips, and two bowls of noodles!”

Iron Orchid took out money from her pocket, along with a ration coupon and a meat coupon.

The waitress was a young woman, with a haughty look on her face.

Well, she had a secure job, so she naturally looked down on everyone.

She didn’t take the money or the coupons, instead, she looked at Iron Orchid with a disapproving look:

“Comrade, you’re ordering three dishes for one person, can you finish so much?”

Iron Orchid: “I can finish it.”

Anyone who has read period dramas knows that the portions at state-owned restaurants are very large, they are served in stainless steel bowls, two or three times the size of a normal plate.

Iron Orchid always had a big appetite, she could finish three dishes.

But the waitress didn’t believe her: “We have a fixed amount every day, if you order too much, others won’t have any.”

Iron Orchid was speechless, what she said made it sound like Iron Orchid was taking advantage.

“I say, comrade, you’re so funny, this state-owned restaurant is open for business, I paid money to eat, isn’t that my right? You’re stopping me again and again, are you afraid that I’ll order all the dishes and your friends won’t have any to order later?”

Iron Orchid’s words hit the nail on the head, the waitress immediately became angry and embarrassed:

“What are you talking about, it’s shameful to waste, I was just kindly reminding you!”

Iron Orchid snorted: “I won’t waste it, even if I burst, I’ll finish it, okay!”

“You!…”

The waitress’s face flushed with anger.

Iron Orchid threw the money and coupons on the counter: “Okay, go tell the kitchen, if you don’t serve the food, I’ll complain about you!”

Humph, who’s afraid of who.

Hearing the word “complain”, the waitress immediately cowered: “Then you wait a moment!”

Iron Orchid raised her eyebrows.

Little thing, I’ll crush you.

Iron Orchid casually found a seat and sat down.

It was noon, and there weren’t many people eating at the state-owned restaurant. It was a workday, everyone either ate at the factory or at home, who had the money to eat out?

Not long after, the window announced that the food was ready.

When Iron Orchid went to get the food, the waitress didn’t even dare to look up.

She was a bully who picks on the weak.

But it has to be said, the portions were really generous.

A large bowl of braised pork, at least two jin, and the only ingredients were scallions, ginger, and garlic, nothing else.

Unlike in later generations, when you order a dish of stir-fried meat, it’s all green peppers, with only a few pieces of meat.

The key was that it looked delicious, it was red and shiny, and the aroma was intoxicating.

She poked it with her chopsticks, and it bounced back like jelly, it was quite springy.

The Kung Pao chicken was also good, it was sour, sweet, spicy, and delicious with every bite.

The potato strips were stir-fried, light and refreshing, and the texture was also very good.

The noodles weren’t just boiled, they were also seasoned with sesame oil, they were fragrant.

This trip was worth it.

Iron Orchid ate until she was full.

She almost couldn’t finish it.

In the end, she finished it all with a strained throat.

She had made a big promise, she couldn’t lose face.

Just as Iron Orchid finished the last bit of soup, a tall figure walked in from the door.

This person was strange, it was summer, but he was wearing a black trench coat, his whole body was covered in dirt. His hair looked like a bird’s nest, and he had a scraggly beard, he looked very unkempt.

The waitress had been holding back her anger from Iron Orchid, and she was looking for an outlet.

Seeing this man who looked like a beggar, she immediately became disgusted:

“Comrade, this is a place to eat, not a shelter, don’t get our place dirty!”

The tall man paused, his voice a little hoarse: “I’m here to eat.”

The waitress sneered: “Do you have money to eat?”

“Yes.” The tall man took out a few yuan from his pocket and handed it over, “Please give me three bowls of noodles and a serving of braised pork.”

The waitress rolled her eyes: “Where are your ration coupons and meat coupons?”

The tall man looked embarrassed: “I only have money, I forgot to bring the coupons, can you make an exception, I can pay more.”

The waitress decisively refused: “No, we keep track of everything at the end of the month! How much grain we use, how many ration coupons we get, it’s all clear, I can’t make the decision.”

The tall man: “I…”

“What are you saying, you want to eat without coupons, you want to eat for free?”

The waitress was impatient and directly chased him away:

“Get out of here, don’t affect the other customers ordering, or I’ll call someone!”

This attitude was too bad.

Even Iron Orchid couldn’t stand it anymore.

She was really annoyed by the waitress’s attitude.

So she walked forward and threw a ration coupon and a meat coupon over:

“I’ll give this comrade’s coupons, you quickly serve him his food, or I’ll complain about you!”

The waitress was speechless, she glared at Iron Orchid like an enemy.

“Okay, wait.”

In the end, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

“Thank you, I’ll use money to exchange with you.”

The tall man turned around and thanked Iron Orchid.

Only then did Iron Orchid realize that his features were quite good, it was just that his full beard completely covered his original appearance.

Iron Orchid: “No need, uncle, consider it my treat, just do a good deed!”

She had a lot of gains last night, and she was in a good mood today, and she had just confronted the waitress.

Iron Orchid was simply radiating a saintly aura.

After saying this, she turned and left.

Looking at her departing figure, Song Baiyuan was dumbfounded.

Did he hear wrong just now?

That woman called him uncle?

He had just been on a mission, he hadn’t taken care of himself for a few months, was he that old?

For a moment, Song Baiyuan fell into deep doubt…