The old man's face was very kind, as he had aged and his face was withered, the flesh on his cheeks sagged down a little, like a laughing Maitreya Buddha statue.
He looked expectantly at the door curtain where Gong Sister-in-law had just come out, muttering to himself, "This fried sauce noodles is exquisite, authentic old Beijing fried sauce noodles. Eating the noodles is not just about the noodles themselves, it's complicated..."
Just as he was speaking, Zhuang Auntie called Gong Sister-in-law to serve the dishes.
Lifting the curtain, Gong Sister-in-law carried a rather large tray and walked out.
On the tray were several bowls and dishes. She poured a pot of water for the old man after laying out each dish, then Gong Sister-in-law went back to the kitchen to do her own thing.
The old gentleman couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks first and look at the fried sauce served separately in a bowl. The oil was smooth and fragrant, "Wow, green onion and pork fried sauce, not bad, smells so good!"
Saying that, he dipped a little with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, "Delicious!"
He poured the sauce into the noodle bowl. The noodles were neither too thick nor too thin, and you could tell they were handmade noodles just by looking at them.
The neatly arranged side dishes included cucumber shreds, radish shreds, eggs and shrimp, and the essential yellow beans, all of which he dumped into the big noodle bowl and mixed.
The old gentleman couldn't wait to pick up a big mouthful and stuff it into his mouth, "The meat is fragrant, the green onions are also fragrant, and the sauce is the most fragrant!"
He ate very boldly, eating with his head down, looking very happy.
Gong Sister-in-law couldn't help but lift the curtain and ask Zhuang Auntie when she heard the slurping sounds, "Let's have fried sauce noodles for dinner tonight too. This old gentleman really seems to enjoy it!"
Zhuang Auntie smiled and said, "Xiao still has plenty of sauce left, go ahead and make noodles for yourself to eat at night."
The old gentleman's mouth was full of oil by the time he finally stopped eating, "It really was delicious!"
He called Gong Sister-in-law, "Little sister, can I meet the chef here?"
Gong Sister-in-law scratched her head, "Please wait, I'll ask the boss."
After she left, the old gentleman waited happily in place. He reckoned that this boss must be a chef with decades of cooking experience, he just didn't know why he would be hiding his identity and running a shop in this small place...
Could it be that he had encountered... Eh?
The old gentleman was stunned when he saw Xiao Jun walk out.
Xiao Jun was also a little confused. He heard from Gong Sister-in-law that the old gentleman enjoyed the meal, so why did he suddenly ask to see him?
"Is there anything wrong with the noodles?" Xiao Jun looked at the neatly arranged empty bowls on the table, "Did you find anything unsatisfactory as you ate?"
"Young boss, did you make this noodle?" The old man asked in disbelief.
In his imagination, a chef with decades of experience had suddenly turned into a handsome young man, and he was a little slow to react...
"Yes, I made it." Xiao Jun nodded.
Ding Sha also heard the commotion and walked out from the back, "What's the matter? Jun?"
The old gentleman was startled when he saw the girl with a bulging belly, "Oh, take it easy, sit down..."
Xiao Jun helped her sit down, "It's okay."
The old gentleman breathed a sigh of relief, "I just thought the noodles were authentic, and wanted to meet the chef. I thought he would be a fellow townsman and old friend... didn't expect the young man to be so young..."
Xiao Jun was relieved that he didn't come to find him because there was a problem with the food, "As long as you enjoyed the meal, that's good."
"Young boss, can you make other Beijing dishes?" The old gentleman rubbed his hands, "I'm too old to travel far, but I still crave the taste. I haven't had such authentic Beijing cuisine in Nanjiang..."
Xiao Jun thought for a moment, "What else would you like?"
"Roast duck!" The old gentleman said immediately.
Xiao Jun: "..."
The old gentleman reacted and rubbed his hands awkwardly, "Or pancakes and crispy pork slices would do too, best with some rice noodle rolls..."
Xiao Jun thought about it, they weren't difficult to make either, "Come again another day, I'll make them for you, but with your age, ordering all this fatty meat, aren't you worried about the three highs?"
The old gentleman paused and thought of his wife's reminder at home, feeling a little guilty, "I won't... eat it all in one day..."
Xiao Jun knew exactly what was going on, "Okay. Come once every few days, I'll make it for you, but not every day."
"No problem, no problem," the old gentleman was very happy, "next time I'll bring my wife to come together."
The old gentleman paid the bill and left humming happily.
Outside, the sky was misty, as if it was going to snow.
Seeing people passing by the door coughing and sneezing from the cold, Ding Sha said worriedly, "It's getting colder, many people have caught colds..."
Xiao Jun couldn't help but hug her a little tighter, "Well, I'll make some ginger soup with brown sugar and have it ready in the lobby for customers to have a bowl to ward off the chill."
Ding Sha touched his forehead, "Drink more yourself, don't get sick."
Xiao Jun held her hand, "I won't get sick, I promise you."
Ding Sha laughed at him, "You say you won't get sick, so you won't get sick?"
Xiao Jun also smiled lightly, "Yes, what I say goes. By your side, I'll never get sick."
According to experience, saying things too confidently will lead to getting slapped in the face. Not a few days after Xiao Jun said this, he fell ill aggressively.
Lying in bed with blurred eyes, a red nose, he couldn't even see clearly.
Ding Sha kept watch at his side, not knowing whether to be worried or mock him.
The shop closed temporarily.
Zhuang Auntie was now fully responsible for the meals of several people. With her bulging belly, Ding Sha couldn't even take care of Xiao Jun.
At night, in a muddle-headed state, Xiao Jun asked for water. After sitting up, he couldn't even stand steadily. With great effort, Ding Sha got up from the bed to pour him water.
After drinking a couple sips, Xiao Jun was a little more clear-headed. Seeing Ding Sha standing there in her pajamas in front of the bed, he asked "Cold?"
He lifted the quilt, "It's warm inside."
Drowsy, Ding Sha crawled in without thinking anything.
Xiao Jun casually put the cup on the bedside table and lay down too, tucking Ding Sha in and hugging her from behind as he fell asleep.
When Ding Sha woke up, she felt the quilt was warm. Usually every morning when she woke up, the quilt would be icy cold, making her reluctant to get out of bed even if she wanted to.
She moved her feet, then moved her arms, before realizing her feet were enveloped by a pair of big feet, and her belly was gently covered by a pair of hands.
Her mind blanked for a second before Ding Sha realized she was lying in Xiao Jun's bed. As she gradually woke up, her memories also gradually surfaced. She recalled that in her sleepy state last night, she had lain down in the quilt following Xiao Jun's words.
At that moment, Ding Sha really wished she could go back to last night.
Having just moved a little, Xiao Jun woke up too.
He lifted his hands to help Ding Sha lie flat, "Is this okay? Does it feel too cramped?"
"It's fine." Ding Sha said.
In fact, no matter which position she was in, she felt uncomfortable in late pregnancy. It was just a matter of which affected her less.
Xiao Jun still had a bit of a headache. He gently covered his mouth and nose, "Let me help you up in a bit, remember to drink some ginger soup instead of taking medicine."
He was a little angry with himself, how could he have hazily allowed such close contact between Ding Sha and himself? What if he passed the infection to her?
