Chapter 104

In order to have a good meal, Song Wen specifically took half a day off at four thirty. Lu Siyu was driving today, and the two of them arrived at a large fresh supermarket not far from the residential area.

Usually, Lu Siyu would place orders from here and have them delivered. This time, he left work early to do the shopping himself.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, the supermarket was decorated with lights and streamers, and every corner was filled with red-lettered discount signs. It seemed like a missed opportunity not to buy something and take advantage of the deals.

Located next to the upscale residential area, the supermarket naturally had a high-end atmosphere.

There were many imported foods here that Song Wen had never seen before, unfamiliar seasonings, various kinds of liquor labeled with foreign languages, and several towering shelves filled with goods.

After navigating through a corner, they entered the fresh produce section, where everything was absolutely fresh, from fruits to vegetables, neatly arranged and emitting a mist of water vapor. The items here were noticeably fresher than those in other places, as if they had just been picked, and even the leaves of the vegetables were crisp.

If there was any downside, it was the high prices. The meat here was more than twice the price of that in regular supermarkets, and there were many live fish and shrimp, with king crabs the size of basin leisurely strolling in the fish tank. The large Australian lobsters were as thick as a child’s arm, and the prices were jaw-dropping.

The poultry section was also very clean, with all the poultry kept in separate glass cages, looking like they were ornamental pets.

There were staff members providing processing services inside the glass houses. Since there had been several outbreaks of avian flu in the past, Song Wen had never seen a supermarket sell live chickens before. Moreover, unlike the live poultry sections in the market, which always had an unpleasant smell, there was hardly any odor here.

Lu Siyu explained, “The meat here is strictly controlled. All these chickens, pigeons, and others are sold alive only after passing quarantine inspections. The beef, lamb, and pork are also very fresh, supplied by dedicated slaughterhouses. Generally, they are slaughtered in the early morning and sold on the same day. Even if they are not bad by night, they will be taken off the shelves. It’s much stricter here than in ordinary supermarkets.”

Song Wen listened with curiosity. “How do you know? I heard that many supermarkets tear off the expiry dates and repackage the items.”

Lu Siyu replied, “Not here. Besides, there’s a difference in taste between frozen and unfrozen. Can’t you taste it?”

Song Wen made a sound of acknowledgment… he really couldn’t tell.

But then again, who among ordinary people could?

Lu Siyu saw the items he wanted to buy and put them in the car, while Song Wen followed behind, scrolling through Weibo on his phone and pushing the cart.

When Song Wen lowered his head, he found that the car was already packed with a small mountain of items. Lu Siyu even bought a live chicken, which was now in a glass cage in front of Song Wen. Seeing the chicken looking back at him, Song Wen blinked. It seemed completely unaware that it would soon become a delicious meal.

Song Wen and the chicken stared at each other, and he joked, “Are you planning to move a whole mall back?”

Lu Siyu said, “Don’t be fooled by the quantity. It won’t last long. When we get busy later, who knows when we’ll have time to come shopping again.”

As he spoke, he handed a bag of Australian prawns to Song Wen. “Be careful with these. Put them on top later. If they get crushed, they won’t be fresh anymore.”

Song Wen took the heavy bag and could still feel the Australian prawns crawling inside. He saw dog food on a shelf nearby and remembered that there was a dog at home. They were improving their lives; they couldn’t let their pet go hungry, especially since this pet shared the same nickname as him. Song Wen said, “Seems like we’re running low on dog food at home. Shouldn’t we buy some to take back?”

Lu Siyu shook his head with some disdain, “Don’t be fooled by the prices here. While the fresh produce is good, the quality of the dog food varies. Many are popular brands, and there’s also North City brand. I’ll buy it online for it later.”

Song Wen, hearing a new term, was a bit curious, “What’s North City brand? Is it food produced in North City?”

Lu Siyu explained while picking up milk, “Some of the dog food here is made from rotten garbage and various additives.”

Song Wen, finding it fresh, asked, “Dogs actually eat that stuff?”

Lu Siyu replied, “They do. It contains appetite stimulants. Even if you put them in glue with appetite stimulants, dogs will eat them.”

Song Wen frowned, “Wouldn’t poisonous dog food kill the dog?”

Lu Siyu nodded, “It would, but eating poisoned dog food isn’t considered a criminal offense. Besides, even for human food, we can’t guarantee complete safety. For dog food, we can only be careful ourselves.” Then he turned to look at the pile of items in the car and said, “That should be enough.”

Song Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief but began to worry about how to transport all these items back home. Just then, his phone rang, and Song Wen was startled, fearing it might be about a case. He quickly picked up his phone, but upon seeing the caller ID, his brows furrowed even deeper. The phone displayed a single word: “Mom.”

What was meant to happen would happen eventually, and there was no escaping what needed to be faced.

Lu Siyu sensed something unusual from Song Wen’s expression and made a questioning sound.

Song Wen gestured to his phone, signaling Lu Siyu to keep quiet for a moment. Then he explained, “It’s my mom.” After saying this, Song Wen answered the call, “Hello, Mom? What’s the matter?”

“What’s the matter? I’m at home right now, don’t you know? You’re not at home, but why are all the cupboards empty? Your clothes and slippers are missing, the succulents I’ve been raising are gone, the refrigerator is empty, there are no takeout boxes in the trash can. You’ve clearly moved out! You have to explain this to me…” Li Luanfang bombarded him with a series of questions and accusations.

Song Wen felt a bit overwhelmed. When he first moved here, he had intended to inform Li Luanfang about it, but then the cases came up, and Li Luanfang didn’t come over, so he forgot about it. Who would’ve expected Li Luanfang to suddenly launch an attack like this? “No, Mom, I picked up your call as soon as you dialed. Some of my stuff is at a colleague’s place. It’s a long story. Anyway, I’ll come over later to accompany you.” Following the principle of safety first, Song Wen thought that even if he went back to accompany Li Luanfang for two nights and fooled her, everything would be fine.

“Why are you lying to me? There’s dust on the table, your usual slippers and clothes are gone, I’ve lost my potted succulents, the fridge is empty, there are no takeout boxes in the trash can. You’ve clearly moved out! You have to come clean about this…” Li Luanfang, with years of experience, had developed a keen sense of deduction and wasn’t easily fooled.

Lu Siyu watched with interest from the side and whispered softly, “You won’t be able to explain this in a few words. Avoiding her isn’t a solution. Just bring her over for dinner and let her stay for a couple of days.”

Li Luanfang continued to ramble on about her speculations and deductions. Song Wen covered the receiver and consulted with Lu Siyu, “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?”

Lu Siyu blinked his attractive eyes and said, “It’s no trouble for me. I’ll set an extra tableware. Having more people around makes it lively. She can stay in any room she likes. The guest rooms are all clean.”

Since the homeowner didn’t mind, Song Wen thought about it and realized it was indeed a solution. He had held hands and hugged Lu Siyu before; he might as well go a step further and pass the test of his parents. Compared to Song Cheng, Li Luanfang was much more open-minded, and this would also be a chance to test Lu Siyu’s attitude.

“So… Mom, don’t move. I’ll come pick you up later, and we can discuss everything over dinner,” Song Wen said into the phone before hanging up. He pushed the shopping cart and said, “Let’s check out quickly.”

Lu Siyu followed, and Song Wen paid for the items. It cost him more than half a month’s salary, and Lu Siyu was worried that Song Wen might feel guilty about Li Luanfang’s visit and didn’t stop him.

After paying the bill, Song Wen found that this supermarket had excellent service. Someone separated and packed the various goods and food, helped carry them to the garage, placed them in the trunk of the car, and even bowed with a courteous “Welcome back next time.”

Song Wen sent Lu Siyu into the car, saying, “Well then, I’ll take a taxi to pick up my mom. It’s okay for you to go back by yourself, right?”

Lu Siyu waved his hand at him, “Don’t worry, I’m quick. You’ll be able to have dinner as soon as you get back.”

Song Wen’s original residence was about a twenty-minute drive from Lu Siyu’s place. With the evening rush hour, there was some traffic congestion. Round trip, it would probably take an hour. Lu Siyu checked the time, sorted out the ingredients, killed the chicken, and processed the Australian prawns efficiently.

By the time the stew was on, the oven was filled, and everything was chopped, Song Wen returned with Li Luanfang. He first helped the old lady change her shoes at the entrance. Li Luanfang was after all the wife of a Provincial Bureau chief, experienced in the ways of the world, but she was still somewhat taken aback by the high ceilings and spacious living room.

Lu Siyu turned around and greeted her, “Hello, Auntie.” After greeting her, he nervously licked his lips.

On the way here, Song Wen probably told Li Luanfang a little. Li Luanfang knew that Song Wen was living with a male colleague, and they were living in a good place.

But in Li Luanfang’s mind, this so-called male colleague should just be an ordinary young man. Her son was so handsome; finding someone similar would be quite difficult. Living well, at most, would be a flat of around a hundred square meters.

But upon arrival and seeing this three-story villa, greeted by such a young and handsome male colleague, exceptionally good-looking even compared to girls, Li Luanfang was momentarily taken aback, expressing, “Hello, you must be Song Wen’s colleague, right? He mentioned you on the way.” After the greeting, feeling like a mere guest wasn’t quite appropriate, she walked towards the kitchen, “I’m intruding suddenly. Let me help you with the cooking.”

Usually, when she went to Song Wen’s place, she cooked and cleaned up, so even now, she couldn’t sit still, thinking, what could two men living together possibly eat? They probably ordered takeout usually, at most making scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

Lu Siyu wiped his hands with a cloth and said, “It’s okay, Auntie, almost done.”

Li Luanfang didn’t stand on ceremony, “Let me let you taste Auntie’s cooking.”

Then her gaze shifted to the 2×2 island in the western kitchen, “Ah… what’s this you’re making?”

Lu Siyu explained, “These are just some home-cooked dishes, herbal chicken stew, cheese-covered Australian prawns, tofu and bean curd soup, cod with diced eggplant, and a vegetarian stir-fry.”

On the triple stove, the herbal chicken stew was already simmering with a rich chicken aroma wafting out, the Australian prawns were covered in cheese, just placed in the oven, sizzling away. The tofu and bean curd soup had the ingredients cut and ready, with pristine tofu threads soaking in water, resembling strands of hair. The diced eggplant and cod were cut into one-centimeter cubes, fried in oil, and placed in cups made of golden bean curd skin, just needing a steaming. The water chestnuts, lotus roots, fox nuts, water caltrops, water celery, water bamboo, lily bulbs were all prepared, waiting to be cooked.

Li Luanfang couldn’t help but swallow involuntarily, then nodded.

She looked down at the tofu threads soaking in the basin, cut into about one millimeter in diameter, and calculated that she had only eaten these dishes in restaurants, but she couldn’t make any of them herself…

And then she thought, did her son find a chef to live with?

Indeed, it’s not just any handsome man who is a good policeman…

Song Wen came over and pulled her, saying, “Mom, don’t cause trouble here, I’ll assist.”

Li Luanfang couldn’t sit still, turned her head, and said, “Then I’ll help you guys tidy up…” Turning her head to look at the spotless room, there really wasn’t much to tidy up.

Li Luanfang was momentarily at a loss, not knowing what to do. Song Wen comforted her, “Mom, I’ve brewed some tea for you, and the TV is on. Why don’t you watch some TV for a while?”

Seeing her son’s rare filial piety, Li Luanfang finally emerged from the kitchen and sat on the six-meter-long sectional sofa in the living room. Facing Lu Siyu’s 72-inch TV, her toes tapped anxiously on the luxurious carpet, afraid of stepping on the soft cushion.

Both Lu Siyu and Song Wen were young people who used their phones and computers more often. The TV was just a decoration, rarely turned on. Unexpectedly, Li Luanfang’s visit made it useful.

Lu Siyu finished making the tofu soup, then started stir-frying the vegetables. As the sizzle rang out, he took the opportunity to coordinate with Song Wen, “What did you tell your mom?”

In a low voice, Song Wen replied, “I said it was due to the requirements of work at the bureau. I’ve only been living here for a week and haven’t had time to explain it to her in detail…” Suddenly, he realized that with Li Luanfang here, he was the one in the middle, and the pressure was immense.

While the two were conversing, Li Luanfang noticed the little wolf. The dog, seeing a visitor at home, was very curious, wagging its tail and sticking out its tongue.

Li Luanfang forgot about the TV, put down the remote control, and reached out to touch the dog’s head, then pinched its face. “This dog is so cute, what’s its name?”

Song Wen suddenly remembered that Lu Siyu didn’t know about the dog sharing his nickname. Unsure how to explain to his mother that he and the dog shared the same name, which was somewhat embarrassing, he was afraid Lu Siyu would blurt out the name “Xiao Lang(Little Wolf)”. In a hurry, he made a gesture to Lu Siyu to keep quiet and whispered, “Xu…”

Unexpectedly, Li Luanfang heard it in the living room and turned to ask Song Wen, “What did you say? Xu?”

Thinking of how to smooth things over, Song Wen could only turn back and jokingly say to his mother, “I was telling the dog’s name, it’s… it’s Xu Xu.”

Lu Siyu: “???”

Little Wolf: “???”

Li Luanfang looked at the dog, which now had a bewildered expression, and asked, “Xu Xu? Why such a strange name?”

After a moment of reaction, Lu Siyu calmly explained to the little wolf, “Auntie, its name is Xu Xu, the rising sun in the east’s Xu.”

Li Luanfang suddenly realized, “Oh, that’s why. Come here, Xu Xu, Auntie will hold you!”

TN:

嘘(xū) – hush(shh) – SW sushing LSY

嘘嘘(xū xū) – pee pee – the name SW gives as cover-up

旭旭(xù xù) – (xù) rising sun