Chapter 36: The Sachet (Part 1)

The re-education camp was surrounded by wild hemp, yet they refused to clear it, eager only to rush ahead for merit.

In the end, the price they paid was the life of an innocent child.

Seeing how despondent her mother-in-law looked, Chen Yufeng knew it wasn’t the time to console her, but she still brought out a crisp Dacron blouse and repeated the same little lie she’d told Zhou Yafang.

“They won’t eat our food just because we dress plainly?” Wang Guoguo frowned.

Chen Yufeng said, “You have to look presentable inside and out. Here’s your blouse. You’ve also got a white apron—you need to wear that too.”

Wang Guoguo had studied with the re-education camp’s comrades before, so she was somewhat cultured. Unlike Zhou Yafang, she didn’t hesitate. She changed into the new clothes and asked her daughter-in-law, “Well? Do I still look rustic?”

Seeing how straightforward she was, Chen Yufeng handed her another item. “Put this on too. City folks…”

It was a bra.

Chen Yufeng felt too embarrassed to explain, but to her surprise, Wang Guoguo blushed slightly—looking uncharacteristically shy—and said excitedly, “Feng’er, when I was a child, the city women all wore these! I admired them so much. Once, I even carried a wild boar and a rabbit to trade for one, but they took my meat and only gave me a little hairpin instead. Sigh!”

Chen Yufeng almost jumped up in shock. So not only was her mother-in-law not opposed to bras—she actually liked them?

Then she wouldn’t even have to persuade Zhou Yafang!

After all, Zhou Yafang was easily influenced. Whatever Wang Guoguo said, she would agree with.

But a whole wild boar and a rabbit just for a hairpin? Those city girls back then had been too heartless.

Their arrival couldn’t have been more timely.

That afternoon, Ma Lin sent two orderlies over, saying that the military district was hosting a guest banquet. The diners were familiar faces, so there was no need for extravagant cooking. They asked Chen Yufeng to prepare a meal as a trial run, setting her own prices. If the guests were satisfied, she would receive additional funding.

Seeing that there were four people, Chen Yufeng planned a menu of three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, priced at 26 yuan. She reported the menu to Ma Lin for approval.

That night, she took both mothers to the bathhouse. Originally, she wanted them to stay overnight at the officers’ family quarters, but neither was willing to go. They insisted on staying at the restaurant, where they immediately started cleaning—wiping and scrubbing tirelessly.

So, Chen Yufeng simply went home.

There’s a song that says, “A child with a mother is a treasure.”

She had two mothers.

That night, sleeping alone on the spacious double bed, she sprawled out luxuriously and enjoyed the best sleep she’d had in a long time.

The next day, they had to get to work right away.

Zhou Yafang and Wang Guoguo had worked together for years and had excellent coordination—one cooking, the other assisting. However, during their first lunch service, they misjudged the heat, slightly burning the dishes.

It was because they weren’t used to cooking with gas.

But being seasoned cooks, they quickly adapted once Chen Yufeng showed them how to control the flame. Wang Guoguo mastered it almost immediately.

That morning, at the market, Chen Yufeng saw pumpkin flowers for sale and bought a large bunch.

Wang Guoguo cracked an egg, mixed it with some flour, and deep-fried the flowers. Then she called out to the girls, “Come eat!”

Mimi skated in at full speed, while Tiantian walked in slowly. But the moment she saw the pumpkin flowers, she gasped in delight.

Crispy on the outside, tender and sweet inside—the girls devoured more than half the plate in no time.

By evening, the guests had arrived.

Chen Yufeng was serving as a waitress for the first time, so she bought herself a uniform—a white short-sleeved blouse paired with a flared skirt. She even embroidered the words “Sweetness Restaurant Waitress, No. 001” on her blouse.

Looking in the mirror, she thought she looked just as professional as any other server.

That day, four guests arrived—three military officers and a businessman dressed in a formal suit.

Leading them to a private dining room, Chen Yufeng imitated the professional servers outside, pouring tea and refilling their cups.

Sensing her nervousness, one of the military officers reassured her, “We’re just ordinary people. No need to be nervous, just relax.”

The businessman in the suit, however, chuckled and remarked, “When it comes to service, big hotels outside still do it better. An internal restaurant like this is inevitably a bit lacking. For instance, tea should be poured only to seventy percent full, but this young lady here filled my cup to the brim. In a proper hotel, she would have been fired on the spot.”

One of the officers quickly picked up the guest’s cup, poured out the excess tea, and then handed it back with both hands. He politely explained, “Our military district has strict regulations; we’re not allowed to dine outside. Please understand.”

The businessman took the cup, smiling. “I was just making an offhand comment. I used to be in the military myself, so I understand the discipline. The fact that you’ve invited me to this meal already shows your sincerity. Going elsewhere would be against policy, after all.”

“Exactly! Dining out would be extravagant and go against our principles,” the officers agreed, raising their cups in a toast to their guest. “Mr. Xu, our barracks construction is counting on you.”

The guest exuded an air of importance. He lifted his cup slightly and said, “I know you guys don’t have much funding. Taking on this military district project is my way of repaying a debt. But what can I do? The leaders in your military district—many of them used to be my subordinates.”

The three officers exchanged glances. If their own leaders were this man’s subordinates, did that make them mere underlings of underlings?

They sat up straighter, eagerly taking on the task of refilling his tea and serving him with great attentiveness.

As for Chen Yufeng, she was just getting started in the service industry.

She had no knowledge of etiquette like the “seven parts tea, eight parts wine” rule or how drinks should flow down the inner wall of the cup.

Since the guest clearly didn’t need her assistance, she headed to the kitchen to check on the food.

Inside, Wang Guoguo was handling the wok, pouring sauce over a crispy golden fried fish. The sauce was a blend of fermented chili paste, sugar, soy sauce, minced ginger, and garlic—rich in color and both sweet and spicy in aroma.

“Fermented chili crispy fish—smells amazing!” Chen Yufeng took a deep whiff.

Zhou Yafang carried another dish over and said, “Smell this—it’s even better.”

It was a plate of Kung Pao Chicken, made with free-range chicken that Chen Yufeng had specially purchased. The glutinous chili peppers were freshly brought from the countryside, and she had already tasted them—this year’s batch was even more fragrant than last year’s.

Another dish was stir-fried beef with coriander, one of Wang Guoguo’s specialties. The beef was stir-fried just until tender, with cucumber and fresh chili added for a quick toss in the wok. Right before serving, a fresh squeeze of lemon was added, making the aroma even more enticing.

One dish after another was plated and brought to the table by Chen Yufeng.

The two older women, excited about cooking for city customers for the first time, crowded near the kitchen door, eager to see how the guests would react.

After delivering another round of water and refilling a few tea cups, Chen Yufeng could see the two women were anxious for an update. She stepped out and reassured them, “No need to worry! They cleaned their plates, and they ate over half the pot of rice.”

For a restaurant, the best sign of success was guests with hearty appetites who left nothing behind.

Zhou Yafang beamed, “That proves our cooking is up to standard, doesn’t it?”

Wang Guoguo confidently lifted her ladle and said, “My cooking has never been wrong!” Being able to help her daughter-in-law brought her immense pride.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed upstairs, and the two women quickly retreated into the back kitchen.

The two little girls also scurried inside, following their grandmothers.

At the front counter, Chen Yufeng waited as one of the military officers approached to settle the bill.

“Was the food to your liking? How was the taste?” she asked.

The officer gave a thumbs-up and praised, “The food was really good! Tomorrow, I’ll bring my wife for a meal.” But then he shook his head and added, “Mr. Xu, on the other hand, is used to dining in high-end hotels, so he found this place a bit too simple.”

If he called it “too simple,” that meant no glowing review.

But that was fine. The meal cost 26 yuan, with a food cost of only 12 yuan, leaving Chen Yufeng with a tidy 14-yuan profit.

She took the signed bill—she could collect the payment from the finance department at the end of the month.

The next day was the weekend, and to her surprise, guests arrived by noon—three full tables.

It was none other than the three officers from the previous night, this time bringing their families.

Since the restaurant had just opened, Chen Yufeng had no printed menu yet and hadn’t stocked many ingredients. So rather than letting guests order, they simply ate whatever the kitchen prepared.

Each table was served the same dishes—spicy stir-fried chicken, braised pork belly, and a large pot of smoked pork ribs stewed with root vegetables, plus a side of stewed greens.

Initially, she worried that the limited selection might not suit everyone’s tastes, but after the meal, all the officers gave her a thumbs-up.

Private orders were even better than official ones since these military officers paid in cash.

They were all high-ranking officers, evident from the three-star insignia on their uniforms. That meant they were well-paid. Following the set prices, Chen Yufeng charged 12 yuan per table.

Each officer handed over the money without hesitation.

“The food is excellent. Next weekend, I’ll treat my fellow soldiers to a meal,” one officer said.

A military wife added, “You should open during the weekdays too—I’d love to bring my colleagues here.”

“Today was just a soft opening. Starting next Wednesday, we’ll officially be open,” Chen Yufeng announced.

By midday alone, she had earned 36 yuan. Since they had run out of ingredients, she locked the restaurant in the afternoon, sent the two older women upstairs to rest, and braved the scorching sun to buy fresh supplies.

Meanwhile, ever since getting her roller skates, Mimi had been zipping around at lightning speed. In just a few days, she had learned not only to skate on both feet but also to glide with her hands behind her back and even spin on one foot.

As Chen Yufeng carried her groceries back, she spotted Mimi in the distance, spinning in place on one skate. Tiantian stood nearby with arms outstretched, running back and forth, sweating profusely in her efforts to catch her sister in case she fell.

Zhao Wen, Zhao Wu, and a group of little boys watched enviously, their eyes practically glowing with admiration.

“Han Mimi, that’s really dangerous! You’re going to fall. You’re not allowed to skate like that,” Chen Yufeng called out.

Mimi wore three small embroidered pouches around her neck, all containing protective charms. She beamed with delight and said, “Mom, you don’t need to worry. These are charms Grandma gave me—they will protect me.”

Zhou Yafang was superstitious. The fertility charms she had obtained were of no use to Chen Yufeng, so she hung them around her daughters’ necks instead.

Not just Mimi—Tiantian also had three of them hanging around her neck.

Chen Yufeng pulled her two daughters into her arms and whispered, “These were charms your grandmother got so I could have a son. But I’ve already had a tubal ligation, so I can’t have any more children. That just proves these charms don’t work, right?”

Having lived in the city for a while, both girls had grown to dislike the idea of their mother having a son.

Mimi immediately yanked off the pouches and huffed, “I don’t want a little brother.”

“You need to take better care of yourself,” Chen Yufeng said. “You’re always dashing around so fast, zipping everywhere, and at night, I end up having nightmares. I can’t even sleep properly, you know?”

Mimi protested, “But I know how to protect myself! I know how to avoid danger.”

Chen Yufeng sighed. “Still, I worry about you. Because I worry, I can’t sleep at night. I keep dreaming about you getting hit by a car. So, please, slow down a little, okay?”

Though reluctant, Mimi pouted and let out a small “Oh,” then skated away—much slower than before.

Tiantian, always the more considerate one, noticed her sister slowing down. She turned back and said, “Mom, my grandma has a protective charm too. She puts it under her pillow at night to help her sleep. I’ll go ask her for it so you can sleep better.”

Chen Yufeng quickly stopped her. “We can’t take Grandma’s things. She needs it to sleep well.”

Tiantian waved her hand dismissively and ran off. “It’s fine! Grandma sleeps well now—she doesn’t need it anymore. I’ll go get it for you.”

“Only if she agrees to give it to you,” Chen Yufeng called after her.

By all logic, since it was the weekend and both their mothers had come to visit, Han Chao should have been home early. But he wasn’t. Apparently, he was still working overtime, investigating the source of some illicit magazines that had been circulating.

However, at five in the evening, an orderly specifically came to the restaurant to inform Chen Yufeng that Han Chao would be home that night.

Since her husband was coming back, of course, Chen Yufeng wanted both her mother-in-law and her mother to come home with her for a family meal.

But Wang Guoguo and Zhou Yafang weren’t interested in seeing Han Chao. Even the two little girls wanted to stay behind.

Wang Guoguo said, “The girls will sleep with us tonight. You should head back early. Tell Han Chao not to worry about his mom. This place is perfect—I love it here. We’re getting old and don’t like seeing too many people. Having this small little corner to live in is just right for us.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Yafang agreed, hugging Tiantian and kissing her on the cheek. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just stay here for the rest of my life.”

Though they had been here for three days, the two women never stepped out beyond the small area behind the restaurant.

Whenever they had free time, they would sit by the window and stare outside.

And whenever an older military officer passed by, Wang Guoguo would always watch him a little longer than usual.

Chen Yufeng secretly guessed—was she looking for someone? Could she be hoping to see Commander Xu?

Of course, that was just her wild speculation.

Dinner was eaten at the restaurant. Before heading home, Chen Yufeng filled an enamel food jar to the brim with home-cooked dishes made by Han Chao’s mother.

Halfway home, she suddenly remembered something. She quickly crossed the street from the restaurant and rushed into the military district’s supply store just before closing time.

She reached out and said, “Comrade, I’d like three boxes of condoms.”

Since buying condoms was usually a man’s responsibility, the salesclerks exchanged incredulous glances. A woman buying them, and not just one box but three? They stared at her in disbelief.

“Are you sure you need three boxes?” one of them asked.

Chen Yufeng hesitated, then changed her mind. “No, give me five boxes instead.”

After she left, the salesclerks looked at each other again.

One joked, “Her husband must be a breeding bull for the whole commune.”

Another, more experienced, replied, “Maybe she only buys them once a year?”

Yet another, clearly jealous, muttered, “Even if it’s once a year, that man must be something else—five whole boxes? My husband bought one last year, and it’s still unopened!”

Back home, Chen Yufeng boiled a pot of water and placed the food jar inside to warm up the meal. Then she went to the bedroom, rearranged the bed, and brought over Han Chao’s buckwheat pillow.