Chapter 16: She Was Too Thin

Before she could continue thinking, Lu Dingquan quickly closed the menu and ordered roast lamb chops and lamb soup.

He explained the reason for coming to this restaurant: “The mutton here is very authentic.”

Jiang Ning asked, “Have you been here before?”

Lu Dingquan casually said, “No, I met a colleague from the city during a break from the meeting, and he recommended it.”

Jiang Ning handed him the washed chopsticks: “Oh, it should be good then.”

The man across from her looked at her for a few seconds before taking them and said softly, “Thank you.”

Jiang Ning took the opportunity to smile sweetly, playing the role of his “dog-legged” assistant: “What are you thanking me for? After all, you gave me an extra ten yuan and took me to eat mutton. It’s only right for me to do these little things. Besides, you’ve been in meetings for so long, you must be tired.”

Lu Dingquan firmly placed the chopsticks on the edge of the bowl with his big hand and slightly lifted his thin lips.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Then she heard him say calmly: “I forgot to mention, I gave you ten yuan in advance in case you get scammed when you’re out, it will be deducted from your next month’s allowance.”

The smile on Jiang Ning’s face froze.

… Her heart died, completely died.

Okay, this man was playing mind games with her, wasn’t he?

…

Soon, the roast lamb chops and lamb soup were served simultaneously, unexpectedly, both were huge bowls, steaming with a delicious aroma. When you were extremely hungry, just smelling the aroma was heavenly!

Jiang Ning almost cried with emotion. From the moment the roast lamb chops were brought out, her eyes never left them.

These days, she had been eating things bought from outside, like buns and sesame cakes. Although they were delicious, it wasn’t a long-term solution.

Hot, fragrant meat! It was the most primitive spiritual food for humans!

Not to mention, in this era, you couldn’t eat meat every day, especially not this kind of big meat.

The aroma of mutton wafted over, making her mouth water. She quickly swallowed and reached out to grab some.

Lu Dingquan, however, acted as if he couldn’t smell the aroma, calmly serving the soup first.

Jiang Ning took a large lamb chop. The meat on the chop looked tender and succulent, covered in a rich, flavorful sauce, trembling slightly in mid-air. She felt her eyes turning red.

Just as she was about to put it in her mouth, through the white smoke rising from the lamb soup, she met Lu Dingquan’s gaze.

What kind of look was that? Did he think she looked greedy and funny?

She sniffed the aroma, then thought for a moment, dryly swallowing, and handed the lamb chop directly to the bowl opposite her.

She reminded him: “Old Lu, eat more. It’s so hard to work outside and earn money to support your family, you need to replenish your energy.”

After a flattering, no, a gentle and considerate smile, she picked up another lamb chop that looked even bigger, this time she couldn’t wait to eat it herself.

Swoosh! This piece of meat was even bigger, and her mouth started to water!

However, a bowl of lamb soup was handed to her.

She looked up in confusion. The man across from her looked at her and said, “Drink the soup first, it’s the custom here.”

Jiang Ning couldn’t get the meat into her mouth. She pursed her lips, looked around at the other guests, everyone was eating heartily. She asked, “Where is there such a custom? I’m starving…”

She could have just started chewing on the meat, but Lu Dingquan held the soup bowl steadily, not afraid of the heat, his deep black eyes fixed on her with a calm look. She couldn’t bear not to take it, so she had to put down the lamb chop and take the bowl.

Drink soup, drink soup. Actually, the soup was also incredibly fragrant.

She couldn’t wait to take a sip, and the first taste was enough to amaze her.

Fresh and not greasy, fragrant and not gamey.

It is slightly hot when entering the mouth, but the fresh, mellow and salty taste immediately fills the entire mouth, with a unique fragrance.

She drank half a bowl and ate the lamb slices inside before sighing contentedly.

It seemed Lu Dingquan was right, you really had to drink the soup first and then eat the meat. Otherwise, the strong flavor of the roast lamb chops would overwhelm the fresh and delicious flavor of the soup, and she wouldn’t find it as delicious if she drank the soup later.

The man across from her was also drinking soup. He put down the bowl and said: “It’s really good, the white pepper is just right, it adds a lot of fragrance.”

Jiang Ning had already picked up a lamb chop and was chewing on it. Hearing this, she glanced at him curiously: “You know about these things?”

Lu Dingquan just looked over, his pair of indifferent deep eyes seemed to be saying she was unsophisticated, and said: “I know a little.”

Jiang Ning chewed heavily on a lamb chop, her soft cheeks puffed up. Was he being arrogant?

She smiled while chewing: “Oh, when will I have the honor of tasting Factory Director Lu’s cooking? Ah, I’m being silly, you’re so busy outside, how could I dare to trouble you so easily? I just eat some steamed buns and pickles every day, just make do.”

“I was just saying, hehe, don’t take it to heart.”

She just blurted it out, playing the role of a seemingly considerate and sensible little wife, and continued to bury herself in chewing meat.

She quickly finished a large lamb chop, her mouth was like a shredder, one after another, quickly going down her throat.

Two weren’t enough, three weren’t enough, she continued…

Until there was only one lamb chop left in the big bowl, Jiang Ning finally pursed her lips, reluctantly stopping her eager paws.

Lu Dingquan also noticed the last lamb chop, picked up a tissue to wipe his hands: “You eat it quickly, we have something to do later, it’s not early.”

He also ate quickly, but obviously different from Jiang Ning’s speed. She ate so deliciously, but occasionally she would glance at the man across from her, feeling like he was a emotionless bone-gnawing machine, eating silently in large bites, without any expression of enjoyment or otherwise, completely like a cold, predatory leopard.

Hearing him being so kind, Jiang Ning felt a little embarrassed. Actually, once she stopped, she felt full.

She pushed it back: “You eat it, I can’t eat anymore.”

She felt like Lu Dingquan was a leopard gnawing on food to satisfy its hunger, but she didn’t know that the man’s dark eyes looking down at her saw her as a greedy and pitiful little squirrel.

As if she hadn’t eaten meat for days, she was holding the bone with both hands, eating. One side wasn’t finished, she couldn’t help but gnaw on the other side, her snow-white face puffed up, looking like she hadn’t eaten for a hundred and eighty days.

He saw the image he saw on the window of the guest house this morning.

The woman on the bed, her soft waist sinking into the white cotton mattress, her skin was even whiter, her bones were thin, and her whole body looked slender enough to be grasped in one hand.

For the first time, Lu Dingquan looked at a woman like this.

He felt that she was too thin.

Didn’t he give her allowance? She bought some snacks every day, but didn’t eat properly?

He thought about this while concentrating on the meeting, unconsciously frowning slightly, then he asked someone to find a local restaurant.

His gaze fell back on the person in front of him, Lu Dingquan’s voice was gentle, but there was a hint of commanding authority: “Eat it.”

Jiang Ning looked at him suspiciously, eat, eat, why was he suddenly being so fierce?

It was free, she might as well eat it, even though she was full, she could still eat more.

However, she felt a subtle gaze, as if it was falling on her… in the wrong place.

She looked up again, the man just looked over quietly, as if he was just patiently waiting for her to finish eating.

Jiang Ning’s slender white fingers held the lamb chop, subconsciously glancing at the collar of her skirt.

Nothing wrong, the collar was fine, neither loose nor revealing.

She felt like she was overthinking.

She carefully chewed the last lamb chop, not even letting go of the meat scraps in the crevices, even sucking up the sauce, before she finally relaxed, put down the bone, and shook her head contentedly.

“It’s so delicious.”

It was just a bit too much at once.

Of course, Lu Dingquan paid for the meal. When he paid, Jiang Ning was surprised, it was so expensive!

Prices were very low in this era, she had been used to sesame cakes costing a few cents, two yuan was enough to eat for a day.

Yet he took her to a restaurant, and this mutton meal cost over ten yuan.

Half a month’s allowance gone in one go!

Fortunately, he was paying.

Jiang Ning was glad she didn’t bring enough money with her, otherwise, she had been thinking about earning money today and treating Lu Dingquan to a meal, but she didn’t bring much money because she was coming here temporarily.

Lu Dingquan paid readily, she smiled beside him, almost wanting to praise him.

As expected of a future big shot, look at his aura, ten yuan is nothing to him, he didn’t even blink.

The meal lasted a long time, when they came out of the restaurant, it was already afternoon.

Jiang Ning thought he had something else to do, she was full of meat and satisfied, so she didn’t mention going shopping, and was ready to go back honestly.

Lu Dingquan raised his hand to look at his watch, his tall figure turned towards her: “Go back to the guest house to rest for a while, or go directly to the department store?”

Jiang Ning almost thought she had heard wrong: “Ah…? You want to go shopping?”

Lu Dingquan: “Don’t you want to go? Then go back directly, Shi Tou is waiting at the guest house.”

“I want to, I want to.”

She quickly agreed, giggling, her face blooming.

So what he had to do was take her shopping!

Lu Dingquan suppressed the curve of his lips: “Have some ambition.”

Jiang Ning pretended not to hear.