Chapter 82: An Unexpected Encounter at the Restaurant

The water was cool and sweet, surpassing even the finest drinks in the world; nothing could compare to this bowl’s taste. It was like that first, thirst-quenching sip after days of dryness in the sweltering summer—utterly addictive. Xiao Weiguo gulped it down greedily, but still unsatisfied, he drew up another bowl and continued drinking.

With the second bowl, he sipped slowly, savoring each mouthful, feeling as though every cell in his body was ravenously absorbing the spiritual energy within the water. The exhaustion that had plagued him for days vanished entirely; his mind grew sharp and clear, his body light and relaxed.

“This truly is marvelous,” Xiao Weiguo murmured to himself. For the human body, this was an unrivaled elixir. Yet, glancing at the well, he saw little water remained and wondered how it might be replenished.

Meanwhile, Wangcai, having drunk its fill, was sniffing about, letting out soft whimpers, perhaps calling for its mother. Xiao Weiguo gathered the puppy into his arms, gently stroking its back, and Wangcai licked his arm with its tiny tongue.

Then, Xiao Weiguo took the medicinal seeds he had just obtained and planted them in the medicine plot, waiting for them to grow. Here, a single year was equal to a dozen elsewhere; in ten years, he would reap countless century-old ginsengs. If he were impatient, he could even hasten their ripening with the well water.

Leaving Wangcai in the courtyard of his secret realm, Xiao Weiguo decided to go out for a meal, too lazy to cook inside, and tired of cold leftovers; he craved something hot.

Exiting the space, he tidied himself up and headed out to a nearby state-run restaurant for dinner. He found the nearest establishment; it was still a little early for the dinner rush, so there were only a few diners inside. Upon entering, he saw a small blackboard in the main hall listing the day’s dishes.

To his delight, red-braised pork was on offer today, costing eighty cents and requiring seven meat coupons. He ordered a portion, along with a plate of stir-fried green beans for twelve cents, and a pound of rice for nineteen cents.

Handing over his money and coupons, the server simply said, “Wait,” and passed his ticket to the kitchen—a person not to be trifled with.

Xiao Weiguo found a seat by the window and idly watched the comings and goings on the street.

At that moment, a young girl entered. Her attire was doll-like, instantly drawing the attention of the few patrons present.

Xiao Weiguo recognized her at once: it was Quan Linglan. What was she doing here instead of cooking at her family’s house? He hurried over and greeted her as she examined the menu board.

“Linglan, what a coincidence to see you here!”

“Weiguo? It’s been a long time. Ever since we last parted, so much time has passed, and you never visited us,” Quan Linglan replied, a faint ripple in her heart as she looked at the handsome young man before her. She still remembered how he used to share stories from his extracurricular books, especially about that Russian, and had been waiting to hear the next installment, but he had disappeared for so long.

She continued, “Mother often mentions you, saying she didn’t entertain you properly last time and would love another chance to make up for it.”

“Auntie is too kind. The meal last time was already wonderful—there’s nothing to make up for. I’ve just been busy with work, stationed in the countryside these days, and only returned to the city today.

Linglan, are you here to eat as well? Why don’t we dine together? My food hasn’t arrived yet,” Xiao Weiguo suggested.

“Sure! Mother had work today and gave me money in the morning to eat on my own. Let me treat you this time,” Quan Linglan replied, glancing at the menu board, intending to order more dishes to host Xiao Weiguo.

Her family lacked for nothing but had plenty of money and ration coupons.

Xiao Weiguo quickly stopped her, saying, “I’ve already ordered; one more dish is more than enough for the two of us. Let me treat you today, and you can host me another time.”

Quan Linglan tilted her head, pouting at Xiao Weiguo’s refusal to let her pay—how mean of him! But then she thought, she could always invite him to a better restaurant, like Lao Mo’s, which was much grander than this simple Bayi State Restaurant.

“All right then, you’ve ordered for today, but next time, I’ll treat you at Lao Mo’s.”

Xiao Weiguo led Quan Linglan to his table, then went back to add a few more dishes.

He had already ordered red-braised pork and stir-fried green beans.

Now, he requested stir-fried pork slices (forty cents, three meat coupons), stir-fried eggplant (twelve cents), and an egg drop soup (twenty cents), making up a simple four-dish meal with soup.

He also ordered two bottles of Arctic Ocean soda (fifteen cents each). Since there was already plenty of rice, he didn’t add more.

After paying, he returned to his seat and began chatting with Quan Linglan.

It must be said, conversing with a beautiful girl was a pleasure, no matter the topic.

Soon, the server called Xiao Weiguo to collect their dishes.

When all the food was laid out, Quan Linglan was startled.

“Weiguo, you ordered so much! We can’t possibly finish it all. Usually, I’m full with just a dish and some rice.”

Xiao Weiguo smiled, “This isn’t much. It’s been so long since we last met—seeing you again makes me happy. We can eat slowly; there’s no rush.”

Hearing him say he was happy to see her again, Quan Linglan felt a flush of shyness and lowered her head, eating quietly.

Xiao Weiguo wondered why she suddenly fell silent after they’d been chatting so well, but he didn’t press her and simply focused on his meal.

After a while, Quan Linglan recovered and resumed chatting as they ate.

In truth, Quan Linglan’s situation was quite difficult. All her classmates knew her family had once been capitalists. The poorer students often looked down on her, barely stopping short of outright insults. Those from official families ignored her entirely, drawing clear boundaries.

The children of workers had their own circles and paid her no heed. Each day, she could only spend time with a few others in similar circumstances, but even among them, resentment ran deep, and tempers flared at the slightest provocation.

This society was becoming less and less welcoming to families like hers.

It wasn’t until she met Xiao Weiguo that she felt a sense of equality from someone—no contempt for her or her family, just a simple, genuine friendship. She cherished his company for that reason.

“Mother and the elders always say that we must seek alliances with families that are truly red and loyal to the cause. Only then will former capitalist families gradually improve their standing and be accepted by mainstream society. If that’s the case, Xiao Weiguo would be a perfect match,” Quan Linglan thought, her cheeks flushing again.

“Linglan, are you all right? Your face is red—are you feeling unwell?” Xiao Weiguo asked with concern.

“Ah, no, not at all. It’s just the weather—it’s a little warm,” Quan Linglan replied, quickly fanning herself with her small hand.