Chapter 9 – The State-Run Restaurant

“Hello, comrade. I’ll have one order of braised pork, one order of sweet and sour pork, and one smashed cucumber salad.”
Thinking that Sheng Yanchuan would be arriving soon, Nan Qiao also added four bowls of meat noodles to the order.

The staff member at the state-run restaurant clearly found it hard to believe someone would order so much in one go, so she looked the two of them up and down.

Their clothes were quite stylish—clearly city girls who had come down to the countryside. So, she took the order without further question.

“That’ll be 4 yuan 2 jiao, and 8 liang of grain coupons,” the cashier said flatly, without any emotion.

“Qiaoqiao, let me pay,” Shen Nian said as she pulled a few one-yuan notes from her pocket and was about to hand them over.

“It’s okay, let me. I was the one who asked you both to come out and help carry my luggage, so this meal is on me,” Nan Qiao said as she stuffed the money back into Shen Nian’s hand and handed over her own grain coupons and cash to the cashier.

The cashier took the money, gave them a meal card, and said, “Wait a bit. We’ll call you when it’s ready.” Then she turned to take the next customer’s order.

By the time Nan Qiao and Shen Nian returned to their table, Taohua was staring blankly in a particular direction.

“What are you thinking about, little Taohua?” Nan Qiao asked as she sat down and glanced in the same direction.

Taohua snapped out of her daze and looked at Nan Qiao. “Sister Nan, Sister Shen, look—that girl has been to our house before…”

Nan Qiao followed her gaze and looked at the girl.

A man and a woman were sitting at a table nearby. They must have just ordered and were waiting for their food.

The man looked like he came from a good family—his hair was slicked back neatly, he wore gold-rimmed glasses, a white dress shirt, and had a fountain pen clipped to his pocket.

As for the girl, she had that sweet next-door-girl look, but her eyes carried a hint of calculation and ambition.

Just look at how she kept glancing at the man’s pen—like she was just one breath away from asking for it outright.

“She’s been to your house? Is she a relative?” Shen Nian asked directly.

“She came for a matchmaking meeting with my brother. That girl is the younger sister of another guy in my brother’s transport team.”

“A blind date… So it didn’t work out in the end?” Shen Nian asked with a gossipy gleam in her eyes.

Nan Qiao found the contrast amusing—one was full of gossip, the other full of disdain.

She understood Shen Nian’s curiosity, but Taohua’s disdain made her wonder. Clearly, there was a story here.

So as Shen Nian chatted with Taohua, Nan Qiao also perked up her ears to listen in.

“It didn’t work out, and thank goodness it didn’t! That girl’s mother looked down on my brother because he’s from the village. The truth is, the girl liked my second brother a lot. Her mom only reluctantly came to our house because of her. And even though nothing was decided yet, she was already complaining about us being villagers. She insisted my brother go find someone to help him get registered in the town before she’d agree to marry him. But if he has to live in town, what difference does it make who he marries?”

Taohua spoke indignantly.

“Wow, that’s going too far. Who does that? How did your brother react?” Shen Nian pressed on.

“What could he say? He didn’t even like her to begin with. He didn’t even know she was coming to our house. He only found out when some aunties in the village congratulated him on his engagement after he got off work. He was completely confused.”

“So then your brother turned her down, and she went to find someone else?”

“Not exactly. By the time my second brother came home, they had already left. He didn’t run into her. But after my mom and my second brother made it clear they weren’t interested, my mom still wanted to find a chance to tell the other family in person. But before she could, we ran into her here…”

Taohua pouted and gestured toward the other table.

“So she was just casting a wide net,” Shen Nian said bluntly. She was usually easygoing, but this “hedging bets” kind of behavior really rubbed her the wrong way.

“What are you all talking about?” A male voice came from behind Shen Nian.

“We were… talking about her second brother’s marriage…” As soon as the words left her mouth, Shen Nian clapped her hands over her own lips in horror. She stared wide-eyed at Nan Qiao, who was desperately trying to signal her to stop, and at Taohua, who looked ready to crawl under the table.

That voice… why did it sound so familiar?
No way…!!!
The more Shen Nian thought about it, the more flustered she became. She turned around stiffly to look behind her—

It was definitely Sheng Yanchuan.

“Brother Sheng, your noodles are ready. I’ll go get them for you!”
With that, she grabbed the meal card and ran off to the pickup counter without looking back.

What kind of hellish scene is this?!
Why can’t I ever keep my mouth shut?!
Shen Nian smacked her own lips as she ran, regret surging through her.
She was just a little curious! Surely Brother Sheng wouldn’t want to silence her for that… right?

Back at the table, Nan Qiao couldn’t help but chuckle at Shen Nian’s retreating figure. Still, she apologized to Sheng Yanchuan with a bit of guilt, “Sorry, we were talking about your personal business. We just happened to see her and brought it up. Once we’re back in the village, we won’t gossip.”

When Sheng Yanchuan walked in, he had seen the three girls whispering and occasionally glancing toward the other table.

He had only seen that girl once before, so he didn’t recognize her at first. But after hearing Shen Nian and Nan Qiao, he quickly understood the situation.

He placed three bottles of soda in front of Nan Qiao, Taohua, and Shen Nian, then sat down and said calmly, “Don’t worry about it. It was never going to work out anyway.”

Taohua, seeing that her brother didn’t seem upset, finally raised her head and gave a sheepish smile. “Brother, you’re here! Sister Nan Qiao paid for lunch today. I didn’t spend the money you gave me—here, I’ll give it back.”

She took out the big unity note from her pocket and offered it to Sheng Yanchuan.

“Keep it. Just make sure you store it safely and don’t wave it around.”

“Don’t let Mom and Dad find it,” Sheng Yanchuan added after a pause.

Hearing that, Taohua quickly put it away without protest. In her heart, she made a silent vow: she would save this big unity note and use it to buy Sister Nan Qiao a birthday gift in the future.

Then Sheng Yanchuan pulled some grain coupons and cash from his pocket and placed them on the table, pushing them toward Nan Qiao.

“Here, take this.”
He didn’t know exactly what they had ordered, but judging by how generously Comrades Shen and Nan had been spending, it couldn’t have been cheap. So he estimated and gave a reasonable amount.

“What’s this for? I was the one who asked everyone to come out and help me with my luggage. How could I let you pay for the meal?” Nan Qiao replied.

“Then if anything comes up in the village and you need help, feel free to come find me,” Sheng Yanchuan said when he saw that she wouldn’t take no for an answer, and gave up trying to refuse.

“By the way, Brother Sheng, do you often go up the mountain to hunt wild game?” Nan Qiao asked casually.

At her words, Sheng Yanchuan glanced briefly at Taohua, then replied, “I usually go when I’m not driving. After all, the village doesn’t give out much meat ration each year…”

It had only been a morning, and this Taohua had practically sold him out completely… Maybe he needed to keep a bit of distance between them.

But seeing Nan Qiao’s lovely, charming face, Sheng Yanchuan gave up on that thought. Taohua talking a bit about him in front of Comrade Nan wasn’t a bad thing. As for matchmaking… absolutely unnecessary. While there was no need to keep a strict distance, a little reminder might still be in order.

After hearing him speak, Nan Qiao was deep in thought about whether she might have the chance to go up the mountain herself and didn’t respond right away.

Seeing her thoughtful look, Sheng Yanchuan asked, “Are you thinking about going up the mountain to hunt?”

This girl didn’t seem like someone short on money or coupons. If she wanted to hunt, it was probably just for fun.

“I was thinking about it. I wanted to send my family some rare and tasty food. But it’s been so hot lately, I was worried it’d spoil. So I figured once it’s colder, I could make some preserved game and send it to them.”

“That’s doable. If you need it, I can go get it for you. It’s not safe for you to go up the mountain.”

“Great! I can pay you, or if you need any coupons, just let me know. I can ask my family.” Nan Qiao agreed readily, aware of how scarce ration coupons were in the village, and added that extra bit.

It wasn’t that she was being lazy by not going up the mountain herself—it was simply that she didn’t have that skill…

Singing or dancing? Sure, no problem. But hunting in the mountains? That was far beyond her capabilities.

“No need for money or coupons. Didn’t you already treat me to lunch?” Sheng Yanchuan replied.

“That’s different! Meat is expensive! If you won’t take it, I’ll have to find someone else…” Nan Qiao didn’t like taking advantage of others, and she certainly didn’t plan to get something from him for free.

“Alright then, let’s wait until the weather gets cold and talk again,” Sheng Yanchuan said, resigned. For all her sweet and delicate looks, this girl’s principles were surprisingly firm…

“Careful, careful—it’s really hot!” Just as the conversation ended, Shen Nian’s voice came from behind them.

Sheng Yanchuan quickly got up and took the two bowls of meat noodles, placing them on the table. Then he said to Shen Nian, “Comrade Shen, give me the card. I’ll go get the rest. You all just sit and wait.”

“Sure, be careful then.” Shen Nian plopped onto a bench and pushed the two bowls toward Taohua and Nan Qiao.

“Hurry up and eat—try it and see if it tastes good. The way they make noodles here is really different from back home.”

Seeing Sheng Yanchuan already bringing back another bowl, Nan Qiao didn’t insist on helping.

Taohua looked a bit embarrassed. “Sister, you eat first. I’ll wait for my brother.”

“You little rascal, just eat already.” Shen Nian playfully tapped Taohua on the head. When she saw Taohua holding her head and looking at her with wide eyes, she burst into laughter. This little girl really was too amusing.

“Then I’ll try it. The north and south are so different, it must taste unlike anything back home.” Nan Qiao took a bite.

Where she was from, noodles were usually thin and had a slightly sweet flavor.

But this was the true north. The toppings were hearty—chunks of meat, potatoes, and eggplant—salty and flavorful. So good.

Nan Qiao’s eyes lit up after one bite. She looked at Shen Nian and Taohua with excitement.

“So good! It’s way better than the ones we have back home!”

“Really?” Shen Nian, hearing that, seemed a bit impatient to try. As she looked back, Sheng Yanchuan just returned with another bowl.

Shen Nian took it and thanked him, then eagerly took a bite. It was indeed delicious! And generously portioned too.

Once Sheng Yanchuan brought back all the dishes, the four of them started eating happily and chatting.

Every dish tasted surprisingly good and was made with quality ingredients.

“Wow, Comrade Sheng, you’re eating well! But your salary probably can’t support too many meals like this, huh?”

As they were enjoying their meal, an unfriendly voice came from the side.

Sheng Yanchuan looked up. It was that same girl they had been gossiping about earlier.

“Sorry, and you are?” he asked.

“You!!” The girl fumed when she realized he didn’t recognize her. It was bad enough he didn’t like her—but now he was insulting her on top of that?

She came from a dual-income family in town—was she not good enough for him? He had his brother relay the message that their family wasn’t willing to accept this marriage proposal, and now everyone knew about it. It made it look like she was desperate to marry him.

And now, she even greeted him personally, and he was pretending not to know her? Just as she was about to explode, her gaze shifted to the man beside her and her anger instantly dissipated.

So what if he’s just a bumpkin from the village? Nothing to get worked up about, Huang Yali told herself.

She changed her tone and said, “Comrade Sheng, you really are forgetful. We met at the transport depot once before. Let me introduce you—this is my fiancé, Bai Kaixuan.”

At her words, Bai Kaixuan gave a small nod to Sheng Yanchuan, Nan Qiao, and the others. But when his eyes landed on Nan Qiao and Shen Nian, he paused slightly. A flash of amazement and possessiveness passed through his eyes.

He didn’t bother hiding the way he looked at Nan Qiao. Even someone as oblivious as she was could tell something was off.

Whether in modern times or in this novel world, her looks were of the seductive, enchanting kind. As her aunt used to say, she could’ve easily passed as a Daji-like beauty in ancient times.

So she was very used to men’s odd stares—and Bai Kaixuan’s look didn’t escape her.

But thinking about Huang Yali’s intentions, Nan Qiao secretly chuckled. These two really were something. Birds of a feather, huh? Let’s see who plays their hand better in the end.

She gave Bai Kaixuan a glance in return, then ignored him and went back to eating her noodles.

Sheng Yanchuan only responded to Huang Yali’s introduction with a noncommittal “Mm,” but when he noticed Bai Kaixuan’s gaze lingering on Nan Qiao, his eyes darkened a little.

Huang Yali, oblivious to all of this, continued to show off with a smug face.

“Our Kaixuan is the director of the personnel department at the county steel factory. If Comrade Sheng ever runs into trouble, he could ask Kaixuan for help. After all, as someone from the village, you don’t have many connections.”

“Yali, don’t say that. Even though my uncle is the factory director, personnel matters at the steel factory aren’t something just anyone can decide. After all, not just any random country bumpkin can get into the county steel plant—it requires exams. A village guy who can’t even read is better off sticking to farming,” Bai Kaixuan said smugly, as his eyes continued to roam over Nan Qiao and Shen Nian.

He thought to himself: Judging by their clothes, they don’t seem like locals. Most likely educated youths sent down from the city. These days, families with any influence wouldn’t let such pretty daughters be sent down.

And since they were sent here, their families must not be able to support them. If that’s the case, how could these two beauties be left for some village brute? If I, Bai Kaixuan, don’t claim them, wouldn’t that be a total waste?