Chapter 104: Regret

Chen Liang paid no mind to the frantic and nearly hysterical Xiao Chen Hong. Instead, he gripped Xiao Yu’s hand even tighter.

Hmph! Didn’t I warn you not to tag along and play the third wheel? You just wouldn’t listen. Next time, let’s see if you still insist on coming.

When Xiao Chen Hong caught the meaning in Chen Liang’s eyes, she instantly tried to salvage the situation. She threw herself into Xiao Yu’s embrace. “Aunt, let’s sing together!”

Of course, Xiao Yu, who had been a nursery teacher before marrying Chen Liang, could sing—and her voice was enchantingly beautiful. That night’s “Let’s learn to meow like a cat… meow, meow, meow” had left quite an impression!

“Alright! Let’s sing ‘Let Us Row Our Oars’ together.”

“Let us row our oars,”
“Our little boat pushes through the waves,”
“The beautiful white pagoda is mirrored in the lake,”
“Around us, green trees and red walls…”

Xiao Yu’s gentle, melodious voice—so sweet it was intoxicating—blended with Xiao Chen Hong’s clear, childlike tones. Chen Liang, sitting beside them, listened, utterly enthralled.

When the song ended, Xiao Yu, holding an umbrella, brushed a playful strand of hair behind her ear. In Chen Liang’s eyes, the scene before him was nothing short of the most beautiful painting in the world.

Chen Liang slapped himself lightly, regretting not having brought a camera to capture this moment forever. Truly, it was the greatest oversight he’d made since coming to this world—a careless blunder!

Happy times always slip away unnoticed. The boat had been rowed, the song sung, and after leisurely nibbling on the snacks they’d brought along, hunger finally caught up with them.

Good heavens, it was about time! They’d almost rowed until sunset. Even the old man in charge of the boats was inwardly grumbling non-stop.

As the one who'd kept the boat master from his leisurely lunchtime drink, Chen Liang was not about to be indulged. The old man shot them a sour look, handed back their deposit with clear reluctance—so what if you’re handsome or pretty? Offend the old man, and you’ll get nothing but an eye-roll. That was just how he was—unyielding and proud, always the eternal legend.

Chen Liang didn’t care in the least about the old man’s attitude. As a dashing man with a beautiful wife—a clear winner in life—if he worried about every stray glance, he’d be exhausted.

By the time they left the park, the sun was already high, well past lunchtime. If they went home now, Chen Liang’s mother would surely scold them for being late.

So, Chen Liang simply found a state-run restaurant and led the group inside.

At this hour, the restaurant was empty. The two waitresses inside were idly whispering to each other.

Chen Liang walked over with Xiao Yu and Chen Hong and said to the waitresses, “Hello, comrades. I’d like a serving of braised pork, shredded chicken with cold noodles, crystal shrimp, and yellow croaker in a dry pot. For the staples, two orders of dumplings, please.”

“Are you blind? Do you know what time it is? Coming in to eat now…” The two waitresses, annoyed at having their gossip interrupted, glared up—only to be struck speechless at the sight of Chen Liang’s prominent, manly features and his strong, upright posture. Then they took in his devastatingly handsome face. Their attitude shifted in an instant.

“Ahem—sorry, comrade, could you repeat your order? I didn’t quite catch it…”

Glancing at the wall, Chen Liang saw the bold red characters: “No Beating Up Customers Without Reason.” With the waitresses’ attitude changed, he decided to let it go.

Damn it, a real man doesn’t argue with women. You should be grateful you’re women; otherwise, you’d know whether my fists are made of mud!

“Alright, comrade, I’ll have one braised pork…” He repeated the order, and the waitress, pen in hand, couldn’t help but give him another look. It was her first time seeing a family of three order so much food.

But it wasn’t her place to meddle. After jotting it all down, she extended her hand. “That’ll be nine yuan and fifty-three cents, two jin of grain coupons, and eight liang of meat coupons.” Such a sign of the times: you needed both cash and coupons, or you’d go hungry.

Chen Liang pulled a large ten-yuan note from his small satchel, then handed over the required grain and meat coupons.

Goodness gracious! As a Grade 23 Security Officer earning thirty-four yuan and fifty cents a month, this one meal cost nearly a third of his salary. No wonder most people rarely ate out.

After the waitress left, Xiao Yu wrinkled her nose and said, “Brother, do you think we can finish all this food? And we didn’t bring any containers.”

In these times, wasting food was unacceptable. If you ordered too much, you’d have to pack up the leftovers yourself. Leave food behind, and the cook might come out with a knife—who were you looking down on?

Chen Liang stroked his favorite belt. “Don’t worry, darling. Don’t you know my appetite by now? This is just enough to fill me up about sixty percent!”

Hearing this, Xiao Yu thought of Chen Liang’s bottomless stomach and relaxed. She wasn’t worried about the money—she just didn’t want the hassle of leftovers.

The speed of service in this restaurant was slower than a turtle’s crawl—over ten minutes, and not even a single dish, not even a cup of water.

Chen Liang glanced at the two waitresses behind the counter, gossiping about him, but he dared not rush them. If he did, he’d get scolded for sure; worse, the kitchen might cook his food with dishwater or spit in his dishes.

Best not to dwell on it—the more he thought, the more nauseated he felt. Spending money yet having to put up with such treatment—how humiliating. In the future, in any restaurant, anyone would have flipped the table by now.

But here? Try it and see. Did he think those eight big characters on the wall were just for show? Or that he was possessed by Ip Man, able to take on ten people at once?

Chen Liang, Xiao Yu, and Chen Hong chatted for a while longer, until the waitress finally called out that their food was ready.

Chen Liang stood and went to the window to collect the dishes. In a state-owned restaurant, don’t expect the waitresses to serve you—they’re all comrades, after all, and no one is obliged to wait on you.

Once all the dishes were on the table, at Chen Liang’s call of, “Dig in!” Chen Hong eagerly picked up her chopsticks and started wolfing down the food.

Chen Liang asked the waitress for some soy sauce, dipped a dumpling, and popped it into Xiao Chen Hong’s mouth, then gave one to Xiao Yu, and only then started eating himself.

The chef’s skills weren’t bad. One bite of dumpling, one bite of dish—famished as they were, the three of them ate with relish.

Soon enough, Chen Hong and Xiao Yu, their faces oily with satisfaction, were rubbing their full bellies and couldn’t eat another bite.

Only after his wife and niece were sated did Chen Liang finally let himself eat to his heart’s content.