Chapter 4: “Wanting Lots of Chili and Vinegar”

Lou Yuanzhou carefully observed the young police officer in front of him. The officer seemed to be around the same age as him, but it was clear that he was severely sleep-deprived. The dark circles under his eyes were comparable to those of a certain nationally protected animal, making him appear several years older.

“I don’t think I should be called ‘Uncle’ yet…”

The young officer, Shang Zhaoyun, sighed helplessly. He was often addressed this way, as “Police Uncle” had become a common term used by people of all ages.

Last time, a seventy-year-old man had grabbed his hand and called him “Uncle” several times, which was extremely awkward.

He had just been working overtime with his colleagues on some important matters and hadn’t eaten much last night. By this point, he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to go out to grab some food. Fortunately, there was a place nearby where vendors set up stalls, selling breakfast items. He could also bring some back for his busy colleagues. As soon as he stepped out, he noticed a bright red car parked right in front of the police station. It was the first time he had seen something so “bold.”

So, Shang Zhaoyun decided not to walk the extra few dozen meters to another stall and instead came over to take a look. He had also just heard Liu Bating exclaim, “It’s delicious!” and couldn’t help but be curious.

“Ah, my mistake, my mistake… Our wontons are eight yuan a bowl, with twelve in each. The baked cakes are one yuan each. Would you like a bowl?”

Lou Yuanzhou, with stars in his eyes, looked at Shang Zhaoyun, making the officer feel a bit embarrassed. Usually, when vendors saw him in uniform buying breakfast, they would act somewhat “nervous.” This was the first time he had seen someone look at him with such enthusiasm.

“Eight yuan? That’s quite cheap…”

Thinking about how he had paid ten yuan for a bowl of fried rice with eggs yesterday, which only had a few indistinguishable pieces of ham, the eight-yuan bowl of twelve wontons seemed to have rolled back prices to five years ago.

“Honest pricing, Officer. If I weren’t offering genuine quality, would I dare set up a stall right in front of the police station?”

The stars in Lou Yuanzhou’s eyes hadn’t faded yet. He casually moved the basket containing freshly baked cakes forward and picked up the stainless steel basin filled with meat filling to show Shang Zhaoyun. The meat inside was a fresh pink color, mixed with specks of white, clearly free of any strange additives, and the smell was perfectly normal.

“Then I’ll take three bowls of wontons and three baked cakes, to go… with all the condiments.”

Feeling his stomach protest fiercely, Shang Zhaoyun didn’t want to dwell on too many details. After all, being a police officer was physically demanding, and if he didn’t eat enough, he couldn’t focus on anything else. Seeing Lou Yuanzhou’s attitude, he figured the food couldn’t be too bad, so he quickly placed his order and paid.

“Alright!”

Lou Yuanzhou was overjoyed with the order of three bowls. He counted out thirty-six wontons from the tray and slowly poured them into the pot. Then, he packed the three baked cakes into separate bags and handed them directly to Shang Zhaoyun.

“The boss is thoughtful.”

Shang Zhaoyun smiled, clearly appreciating that Lou Yuanzhou had considered he was bringing food for others and had packed everything separately. This way, each person could hold their baked cake through the plastic bag without getting their hands dirty.

After receiving the baked cake, the warmth in her hands gave Shang Zhaoyun a sense of reassurance. She and her colleagues had been working tirelessly without holidays, all for the sake of ensuring that the common people could live stable lives and enjoy delicious breakfasts bought from street vendors.

Thinking of this, Shang Zhaoyun couldn’t help but glance at Lou Yuanzhou, who was busy cooking wontons. He was young, around her age, and his refined appearance suggested he had just graduated not long ago. His looks were quite striking, and she guessed he must have been called the campus heartthrob during his school days.

Lou Yuanzhou, holding a large strainer, lifted the lid of the pot and happened to meet Shang Zhaoyun’s gaze. Noticing that she was sizing him up, he wondered if it was her professional habit kicking in.

It was said that police officers tended to observe people’s appearances closely—what if they were fugitives? Catching someone on a wanted list might even lead to a promotion?

“You’re the first one brave enough to set up a stall right in front of our police station, and with such a big truck too.”

Caught in the act, Shang Zhaoyun didn’t feel embarrassed and naturally struck up a conversation.

As they spoke, the wontons in the pot began to emit an enticing aroma, with white steam rising from the edges. Lou Yuanzhou lifted the lid, saw that the wontons had floated to the surface, added a bit more mineral water, and then covered the pot again.

“Ah, it’s too crowded over there, not ideal for business. Besides, I’m planning to open a shop soon. This is just a temporary spot, and I won’t cause any trouble for the police station.”

Taking out three disposable paper bowls, Lou Yuanzhou skillfully sprinkled various seasonings at the bottom. Just as the wontons were ready, he carefully ladled them out, evenly drizzled a few drops of sesame oil, covered the bowls, pulled out a plastic bag, placed a small spoon inside, and neatly arranged all three bowls on the small counter.

“Alright, thanks. Honestly, it’s no trouble at all. You’re just trying to make a living, and as long as the food tastes good… wow, it smells amazing.”

The aroma of the wontons made Shang Zhaoyun feel like her hunger had peaked, and her mouth began to water. She quickly picked up the three bowls with both hands and hurried back to the police station.

“Enjoy your meal! Come visit when I open my shop!”

Lou Yuanzhou called out, already busy with his next task.

Perhaps because Shang Zhaoyun had stood there for a while, a few passersby lingered nearby and eventually stepped forward.

“Wontons are eight yuan, baked cake is one yuan.”

Seeing customers approach, Lou Yuanzhou directly quoted the prices. He thought he should probably write them on a whiteboard to avoid repeating himself for every customer.

“That’s so cheap? But since even the police are buying, it should be fine… I’ll have a bowl of wontons to eat here.”

“I’ll take a bowl too, and two baked cakes!”

“Alright, just a moment! Everything’s freshly cooked and baked.”

Seeing that business seemed to be picking up, Lou Yuanzhou’s enthusiasm grew even stronger.

Meanwhile, Shang Zhaoyun returned to the police station, placed two of the bowls in front of her colleagues, set the baked cake on the lid, and then sat down to start her meal.

“Huh? What did you buy? Baked cake and… wontons?”

Liu Zhen, who had been starving for hours, put down his pen and opened the lid of the paper bowl. Instantly, the air around them was filled with the rich aroma of freshly cooked wontons.

The aroma was refreshing yet not overpowering, instantly revitalizing Liu Zhen after his long night of overtime work. Looking at the bowl, he saw the seaweed and shredded egg intertwined, with plump wontons packed tightly together. The semi-transparent wrappers glistened slightly, and the already large bowl was filled to the brim, as if a caring mother at home feared her child wouldn’t have enough to eat.

Liu Zhen had eaten wontons from many places before, but aside from a few particularly expensive ones, this was the first time he’d seen such generous portions.

“I bought these at the entrance. They smell amazing. Hurry up and eat so we can get back to work.”

Shang Zhaoyun also opened the lid, pulling out a tissue to wipe his hands.

On the other side, Wang Ruowei, who had been silent until now, swallowed hard. The aroma was indeed enticing, though he was a bit disappointed to see it was a clear broth. In his opinion, it needed plenty of chili and vinegar to be truly delicious—after all, that was the flavor he’d grown up with. But the wontons before him emitted an irresistible fragrance, and he thought it might be worth trying.

“These are delicious! These wontons are definitely freshly made! Ruowei, stop just looking and start eating! I’d say this bowl must cost at least fifteen or sixteen yuan, right? So extravagant!”

Liu Zhen, who had been struggling to keep his eyes open earlier, now had them wide and round, shouting without a care for his appearance.