TMLFDN 95
The boss also found the couple somewhat inexplicable, but the money to be earned must be earned.
The boss handed over two paper bowls from his side. Xie Li took one, and the other was placed by the cart. He picked up his own, picked out some food for himself, and handed it to the boss. "Slightly spicy, no cilantro, add some chopped scallions and garlic, and a bit of vinegar. We’ll eat it here." He quickly finished his own portion before picking up the other paper bowl.
He first picked some of the dishes that Jiang Yuying usually enjoyed, then asked her, "Do you want to add anything else?"
The cold wind was biting, and even though she was wearing Xie Li's coat, Jiang Yuying still felt a bit chilly. However, the hot steam coming from the cart in front of her made her feel much warmer.
She leaned forward, her slender neck stretching out as she curiously looked at the small compartments on the cart and the skewered food inside.
"What's that triangular one in the corner?"
Xie Li glanced at it, and before the boss could answer, he spoke up, "Those are swallow dumplings."
"Are they tasty?"
"They're okay."
Jiang Yuying hesitated, so Xie Li just grabbed a skewer and put it inside.
This kind of conversation repeated five times. Xie Li filled a bowl full of skewers for Jiang Yuying before handing it to the boss. "Add a bit of sesame oil, less chili, even less than 'slightly spicy,' a little cilantro, and just a tiny bit. No vinegar, no garlic, and a little scallion, split between the two sides. Add more broth, to make it hotter."
He instructed the boss about Jiang Yuying's order even more carefully than his own. While the boss was preparing it, Xie Li sat with Jiang Yuying on the nearby plastic stools. He even took the extra step of wiping the stool clean with a few napkins before letting her sit down. Then, he rolled up his sleeves, fetched their skewers, and placed them on the table. He brought over the stool from the opposite side and placed it next to Jiang Yuying before sitting down.
The opposite side was too far away; the adjacent side was just right.
The tables the boss set up were folding tables, small squares with nothing on them except a drawer of napkins. Now they had two bowls of skewers, emitting hot steam, making them look delicious.
The paper bowls were filled with soup, with skewers immersed in brown broth. On top were sprinkles of scallions and garlic paste, as well as chili oil, making one's mouth water.
Xie Li picked up a seaweed knot from his own bowl and started eating. Jiang Yuying was a relatively clean eater. She wrapped a skewer in a napkin before bringing it to her mouth. The first skewer she picked up was the swallow dumplings. Immersed in the broth, the dumplings were crystal clear. As she ate them, the warmth dissipated the winter cold.
However, the skewers were a bit hot, and she couldn't help but exhale a few times after putting them in her mouth.
Xie Li chuckled beside her, then instructed her to eat slower. Jiang Yuying glanced at him, then used the skewer she had finished eating to mix the contents of the bowl evenly before picking up a new skewer and continuing to eat.
Although the bowls were filled to the brim, they were relatively small paper bowls, so there were only so many skewers in each bowl. Therefore, the two of them finished eating relatively quickly.
In less than fifteen minutes, they had finished all the skewers in the two paper bowls. Xie Li went to settle the bill with his phone. Jiang Yuying instinctively started cleaning up, collecting the skewer sticks and the paper box and throwing them into the small trash can that the vendor had brought. She even wiped the table with a napkin before considering it done.
Xie Li came over and put the plastic stool he had moved back in its original position.
After doing all this, the two of them walked hand in hand back to the car.
As the car restarted, the couple, who had been watching on the side, finally cleaned up as Jiang Yuying did. The girl was meticulous and even secretly took a picture of the couple. Later, while lying in bed at night, she edited it and posted it on her Weibo.
Xie Li was a familiar figure, but most people would find him recognizable rather than remember who he was. The girl had just seen relevant reports a while ago, so she recognized Xie Li. After returning home, she checked on Baidu and confirmed that the woman she saw tonight was Xie Li's wife before posting on Weibo.
The next day, when Xie Siyun woke up and checked her phone, she saw the trending topic #NationalCouple#. Looking at the Weibo posts under the trending topic, she immediately got out of bed and ran downstairs to her mom.
Xie Siyun held up her phone in front of her mom. "You guys went to eat something delicious last night and didn't take me!"
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