Chapter 47: Master Li’s First Day at Work!

The next day, Li Xia had to start work at the cafeteria, so she got up earlier than usual. 

Although it meant saying goodbye to lazy mornings, Li Xia felt quite good about it. She believed that no matter the circumstances, a woman should have a job. 

Regardless of how much the salary worth, at the very least, it provided her with an income, so she wouldn’t have to rely on a man whenever she needed money. 

Even though Gu Weicheng handed over all his salary to her, what if something unexpected happened? 

The cafeteria paid thirty-five yuan a month. Although employees also received rice, flour, and oil on holidays, it was still nothing compared to Gu Weicheng’s salary of more than One Hundred thirty yuan per month. 

It was only after this comparison that Li Xia realized how high Gu Weicheng’s salary actually was—four times hers! 

If converted to modern times, it would probably be equivalent to a high-ranking executive in a major corporation earning hundreds of thousands a year.

…

After breakfast, Li Xia, as usual, took An An to Sister-in-law Tao’s house. 

She had already discussed it with Sister-in-law Tao the day before—while she was at work, Sister-in-law Tao would help look after An An. 

She also planned to give Sister-in-law Tao some money every month as a childcare fee. Although Sister-in-law Tao refused, Li Xia insisted on paying. 

Once September arrived and school started, things would be much easier, as she would be able to send An An to school. 

…

On her first day of work, Gu Weicheng took a longer route to drop Li Xia off at the Military Family Cafeteria before heading to the regiment. 

“Alright, you go on now. Don’t be late.” Li Xia stood at the entrance of the cafeteria and waved to Gu Weicheng. 

Gu Weicheng replied, “I’ll pick you up after work in the evening,” before finally leaving.

Master Zhao walked over and said with a smile, “Commander Gu personally brought you here? I never expected that—he usually seems so cold and distant, but he treats his wife so well.” 

Well, it seemed she had been noticed after all. 

Li Xia’s face flushed red, and she pressed her lips together in a shy smile. 

Master Zhao chuckled. “Xiao Li, no need to feel embarrassed. It’s a good thing for a husband and wife to have a strong relationship. Others can only envy you. Come on, let me go over some important things with you.” 

“Alright.” Li Xia responded and followed behind Master Zhao. 

“This is Xiao Li,” Master Zhao introduced her to the kitchen staff. “I brought her in to temporarily take over for Old Tan. Everyone, please look after her during this time.” 

Most of the cafeteria staff were in their thirties or forties, and the majority were men. Seeing such a young girl join them, they were visibly surprised. 

“Old Zhao, this is the Xiao Li you mentioned? She’s way too young!”

“This young girl looks really young—she’s not even twenty yet, is she? And she’s already this skilled? Impressive.” 

“Xiao Li, my surname is Niu. Just call me Uncle Niu. If you ever need help with anything, just let us know. Any dirty or tiring work, don’t hesitate to call on us.” 

Li Xia hadn’t expected everyone to be so welcoming. She had assumed that, given her young age, the seasoned cooks would doubt her skills, and test her before finally accepting her. 

Oh, wait—someone might still secretly resent her and make things difficult. 

But the reality turned out to be completely different. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious, with everyone getting along. 

Even the women who served the meals, once they were on break, gathered around her. They complimented her looks and fair skin, even asking what kind of snow cream she used. 

Li Xia found the work environment in the cafeteria to be quite pleasant.

The private cooking window only opened at noon, so before that, Li Xia busied herself with ingredient preparation. 

Around midday, an elderly woman wearing a faded cotton jacket approached. She paused when she saw Li Xia, glanced at the window again, as if uncertain. 

“Young lady, I’m looking for Master Tan. I want to order a stir-fry.” 

Li Xia immediately understood—the woman had mistaken her for an apprentice or helper. 

She smiled and said, “Auntie, Master Tan got injured a few days ago and is currently in the hospital. I’m filling in for him here for now. Just tell me what you’d like to eat, and I’ll make it for you.” 

“You?” The elderly woman stared at Li Xia in disbelief. “Can you even manage? You’re so young! Do you really think your skills can compare to Master Tan’s? He’s been cooking for over ten years!” 

Her eyes were filled with doubt as she looked at Li Xia, clearly suspecting that she had used personal connections to get the job.

Li Xia said, “Auntie, if I weren’t capable, I wouldn’t have been allowed to take this job. Since I’m working here, that means I have some skills, doesn’t it? Just tell me what dish you’d like. If it doesn’t taste good, I won’t charge you. How about that?” 

The elderly woman hesitated, initially ready to give up and leave. 

But after hearing Li Xia’s offer—and thinking about her grandson at home, who was sick and throwing a fit because he wanted this dish—she gritted her teeth and said, 

“Alright then, make me a serving of Ants Climbing a Tree. My grandson is sick, and he keeps insisting on eating Master Tan’s version of this dish. If he doesn’t get it, he won’t take his medicine.” 

Li Xia smiled. “Auntie, you mean stir-fried vermicelli with minced meat? No problem, it’ll be ready in no time.”

The rich aroma of the dish wafted around the elderly woman’s nose, making her involuntarily swallow a mouthful of saliva. The fragrance was truly tempting—but how would it actually taste? 

She had noticed that the young girl had used less oil than Master Tan usually did. The flavor likely wouldn’t be as rich—after all, wasn’t more oil the key to making a dish fragrant? 

But since the girl had promised that if the dish wasn’t satisfying, she wouldn’t charge for it, there was no harm in trying. If it didn’t taste good, she could always bring it back for a refund—she wouldn’t be at a loss either way. 

…

After paying with cash and meal coupons, the elderly woman took the lunchbox home. 

Her grandson, Da Mao, had been waiting at the door, eyes full of anticipation. As she nervously opened the lid, an irresistible aroma rushed out. 

Da Mao sniffed the air like a curious puppy and exclaimed, “It smells amazing!”

The rich aroma teased his taste buds, making his mouth water uncontrollably. Unable to resist any longer, Da Mao dug in, devouring the food with enthusiasm. 

Seeing her grandson’s cheeks puffed out as he chewed, the elderly woman asked, “My dear boy, how does it taste?” 

Da Mao mumbled through his full mouth, “So good! Grandma, it’s really delicious! Even better than before! Next time I get sick, I want to eat this again!” 

The elderly woman immediately scolded, “Peh, peh, peh! What kind of nonsense is that? Don’t go cursing yourself to get sick!” 

But curiosity got the best of her. “Is it really that good?” she wondered skeptically. Taking a bite for herself, her taste buds were instantly won over. “This really is delicious!” 

Meals from the private cooking window were pricier than the communal meals. During this time, most people were frugal—even dual-income families usually opted for communal cooking instead.

…

People who came to the private cooking window for stir-fried dishes usually had a reason—either a sick family member at home or, like the soldier in front of her, a pregnant wife. 

“My wife just got pregnant. The smell of meat makes her nauseous. In just half a month, she’s lost ten pounds. I just want to make her a meat dish that isn’t too heavy so she can eat something,” the man said, his face filled with worry. 

“Then how about steamed pork with rice flour?” Li Xia suggested. 

Pregnant women often couldn’t tolerate the smell of meat, and a lot of the time, it was due to the oil fumes. Pregnancy did make the sense of smell more sensitive than before. 

Some people thought pregnant women were just being dramatic, wondering how such a mild smell could make someone vomit so badly. But the man in front of her clearly cared about his wife. 

For steamed pork with rice flour, they used pork that was half-fat and half-lean. The pork was cut into chunks, and the rice flour had to be stir-fried until golden before being mixed with fermented bean sauce and coated onto each piece of pork. A layer of cabbage was placed underneath, and the dish was then steamed in a bamboo steamer.

Since the dish was for a pregnant woman, Li Xia approached Master Niu and said, “Master Niu, I noticed you had some sour plums this morning. Could you lend me a few?” 

Master Niu immediately handed her more than a dozen. “Why are you being so polite, little girl? What’s there to borrow? It’s just a few sour plums. If you like them, I’ll bring more tomorrow. Your auntie made them herself—far cleaner than the ones sold outside.” 

“Thank you, Uncle Niu. Auntie’s skills are truly impressive,” Li Xia said gratefully. 

However, she didn’t take the sour plums for herself. Instead, she added them to the steamed pork with rice flour. 

Once it was fully steamed, the moment she lifted the lid, a refreshing aroma filled the air. 

The sweetness of the cabbage combined with the subtle fruity fragrance of the sour plums. Although it was a meat dish, it didn’t carry an overwhelming meaty smell. 

“Pregnant women who experience severe nausea can eat a little something sour. I placed a few sour plums beneath the cabbage in the steamed pork dish. This will add a subtle fruity fragrance to the aroma of the dish,” Li Xia explained. 

“But since the cabbage acts as a barrier, the sour plums won’t alter the flavor of the meat. Take it home and let your wife try it—see if she likes it.” 

The man hadn’t expected that sour plums could be used in a meat dish, but the fragrance truly seemed much fresher and more pleasant. 

…

Holding onto a glimmer of hope, he returned home, feeling uneasy as he stepped inside, worried that the smell of meat might make his wife nauseous again. 

Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, his wife sniffed the air and curiously asked, “What dish did you bring home today? It smells really good!” 

Overjoyed, he quickly opened the food container. “I got you a serving of steamed pork with rice flour from the special kitchen at the cafeteria today!”

“This is steamed pork with rice flour? Didn’t you buy it for me from the state-run restaurant before? The aroma is different. Why doesn’t this one smell bad at all? I can barely even detect the meat smell.” 

She took a bite and confirmed that it was indeed pork—tender and flavorful. 

Yet, the taste was light and fragrant. Instead of feeling nauseous, she found her appetite stimulated. Holding onto the food container, she ate enthusiastically. 

…

After work, Li Xia returned home and immediately enjoyed Gu Weicheng’s attentive care. 

“Let me massage the other side for you,” Gu Weicheng said. 

Ever since Li Xia started working at the cafeteria, Gu Weicheng had made it a routine to massage her shoulders every day when she got home.

In truth, Li Xia’s workload wasn’t heavy, and her arms weren’t sore. But with Gu Weicheng being so considerate, she really couldn’t bring herself to refuse. 

If he wanted to massage her, then so be it—after all… it did feel pretty good. 

Gu Weicheng’s hands were strong, yet fearing he might hurt her, he only used about ten or twenty percent of his strength. 

Even so, that level of pressure was enough to make Li Xia feel an addictive soreness. 

Occasionally, when he pressed on a particularly tense spot, soft sounds escaped her lips—sounds that could easily make one’s mind wander. 

Each time that happened, Gu Weicheng’s hands would freeze momentarily. 

He had to take a deep breath before continuing. 

Just like now—Li Xia let out a soft “Mm, ah,” and Gu Weicheng’s breath hitched instantly.