“Your dumplings are ready. Do you want some vinegar?” Li Shuping placed the dumplings on the table.

The young man looked up at her and nodded, “Yes, please.”

Li Shuping then poured half a small dish of vinegar.

The dish was quite large, and if she poured a full dish, it would be wasteful if he couldn’t finish it.

The young man picked up a dumpling, dipped it in the vinegar, and took a bite.

The unique aroma of chives filled his mouth—fresh and fragrant.

The dough was also very chewy, much better than the dumplings served at the state-run restaurant.

The three mao he spent was well worth it, and a smile appeared on the young man’s face.

Wang Xueming was a retired teacher who, many years ago, had been labeled a rightist.

After his name was cleared, he retired early.

His wife had passed away years earlier from illness caused by worry.

Their children had their own jobs and families and no longer lived together.

Wang Xueming, who didn’t know how to cook but had money and free time, walked two streets every day to eat at the state-run restaurant, treating it as exercise.

Today, as he was walking past Pear Blossom Alley with his hands behind his back, he suddenly smelled the fragrance of dumplings filled with chives and eggs.

He stopped and saw that at the entrance of the alley, a dumpling stall had appeared, though he wasn’t sure when it had been set up.

The smell was good.

Wanting to try something different, he turned and walked over.

“How much for the dumplings?”

Li Shuping glanced at him and smiled, “Three mao per serving. Each serving has fifteen dumplings, filled with chives and eggs.”

Wang Xueming saw that the stall was simple but clean and tidy, and the woman running it looked neat and efficient.

He nodded, “Then I’ll have one serving.”

“Sit down first. The dumplings will be ready soon.”

There were two tables; one was occupied, so Wang Xueming chose the empty one to sit.

While waiting for the dumplings, he couldn’t help but glance at the young man at the neighboring table. The young man, just over twenty, was eating dumplings dipped in vinegar one after another, savoring them delightfully.

Could they really be that good?

The young man noticed someone watching him, smiled shyly, swallowed the dumpling, and said, “It’s just that these dumplings are really delicious.”

He didn’t usually eat like this.

Wang Xueming smiled and grew a bit more eager for his dumplings to arrive.

When the dumplings were served, the vendor asked if he wanted vinegar.

Wang Xueming didn’t usually like vinegar, so he shook his head.

The dumplings were indeed very tasty, and they reminded him of his late wife.

Although her dumplings weren’t as good as these, she made them well.

Both the elderly and children at home loved them.

The whole family used to gather together often to make dumplings, competing over who made the best ones.

But ever since his wife passed away, they had never gathered again to make dumplings.

Wang Xueming took a deep breath, blinked away the moisture in his eyes, and continued eating.

“Auntie, can I have a bowl of dumpling soup?” The young man who had finished eating held out his bowl.

“Of course,” Li Shuping said.

She ladled some dumpling soup into the young man’s empty bowl and sprinkled a few scallions and a pinch of fine salt on top.

The young man stood by the pot and drank the soup, rubbing his belly contentedly afterward. “There really is nothing better than dumpling soup. That saying is definitely true.”

“Auntie, your dumplings are really delicious. If I get the chance, I’ll come again,” the young man said, pulling three mao out of his bag and handing it to Li Shuping.

She pointed to the iron box on the tricycle, signaling him to put the money inside.

“You’re welcome anytime,” Li Shuping said, smiling broadly as she watched the three mao drop into the box, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Gu Zhenyuan, carrying a briefcase, walked out of the quilt factory’s staff housing with Xiao Liu.

They were here to investigate a case.

“Captain Gu, shall we have lunch at the state-run restaurant?” Xiao Liu suggested.

They needed to visit Zhang Kexin’s school in the afternoon, so they wouldn’t return to the bureau at noon.

“Okay,” Gu Zhenyuan agreed.

The alley in the quilt factory residential area was narrower and difficult for parking, so they left the car on the main road outside Pear Blossom Alley.

Xiao Liu said, “Hey, when did a stall get set up at the alley entrance? It wasn’t there this morning.”

Gu Zhenyuan, who had been focused on the case, looked up and saw a familiar figure busy at a small stall.

Li Shuping?

Why was she running a roadside stall?

“Captain Gu, why aren’t you leaving?” Xiao Liu asked.

Gu Zhenyuan turned and headed toward the stall. “We’re not going to the state-run restaurant anymore. We’ll have dumplings here for lunch.”

Xiao Liu’s face fell. If he had known, he wouldn’t have said anything.

How could a roadside stall be as good as the state-run restaurant?

As he got closer, Gu Zhenyuan realized the woman running the stall was the person who had found Zhang Kexin.

“Ah, Comrade Li Shuping.”

Li Shuping was putting dumplings into the pot. Hearing someone call her name, she looked up and saw familiar faces.

“Captain Gu, Xiao Liu from the police!”

The customers eating dumplings nearby perked up their heads at the mention of “police.” Indeed, two police officers were here, and the dumpling vendor even knew them.

“Comrade Li Shuping, why are you selling dumplings at a stall?” Xiao Liu asked curiously.

The last time he saw her, she was digging for shepherd’s purse by the river to make dumplings.

Li Shuping smiled calmly, “I handed my job over to my son. I’m still capable, so I set up this little stall to earn some money.”

Xiao Liu nodded, “That’s right. People in their twenties are in their prime to work hard.”

Their captain, Gu, was already in his forties. He was the head of the criminal investigation team and could just sit in the office giving orders, but he couldn’t sit still and always came down to the front line with them.

“We’ll have two bowls of dumplings,” Gu Zhenyuan said.

Li Shuping replied, “Okay, find a seat. The dumplings will be ready soon.”

“Police comrades, please sit here,” an elderly man and his grandson, who had finished eating, moved to another table and offered their seat.

“Thank you,” Gu Zhenyuan nodded in appreciation.

Gu sat on the folding stool, his hands resting naturally on his knees.

After his habitual scan of the surroundings, his gaze landed on Li Shuping.

She wore a dark blue collared shirt and a brown apron with some flour stains.

Looking down at the dumplings in the pot, her lips pressed slightly together, her expression focused, as if what she was cooking wasn’t just dumplings but a precious delicacy.

Noticing someone watching her, Li Shuping looked up and saw Captain Gu, then smiled at him.

Gu Zhenyuan was momentarily stunned but then gave a slight nod with a faint smile.

Li Shuping thought: Captain Gu is really serious—his lips are always tight no matter when or where.

When the two bowls of dumplings were served, Li Shuping asked, “Do you want vinegar?”

Xiao Liu said, “Yes.”

Gu Zhenyuan said, “Please.”

Li Shuping laughed and waved her hand, “Not a problem.”

Providing vinegar with dumplings was the norm anyway.

She poured two small dishes of vinegar and placed them down but didn’t leave. Instead, she quietly asked, “Captain Gu, are you here investigating a case?”

“Can’t disclose that,” Gu Zhenyuan said coldly.

Li Shuping felt the atmosphere suddenly chill and realized these matters weren’t to be pried into.

She quickly apologized, “Sorry, sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Seeing her so apologetic, Gu rubbed his fingers, thinking maybe he was too harsh.

They had discipline; case matters couldn’t be casually discussed.

“Take your time eating. I’ll get back to work,” Li Shuping said as she turned around, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

From now on, she learned not to ask about things she shouldn’t.