Chapter 20 - 19: A Taste of Home

Chapter 20: Chapter 19: A Taste of Home

Ning He returned to the break room, first heading to the wash area for a shower before lying down on her sleeping bag.

There was still the occasional noise from the dining area outside; the customers hadn’t completely left.

The restaurants in the Third Ring had sold a lot today, riding on her coattails. After she closed up, several more groups of customers had arrived, and they all ended up spending their money at those other places.

’They’d already gotten to drink the broth, but now they wanted to scoop the meat into their own bowls. Truly insatiable.’

Ning He grumbled internally, rolled over, and closed her eyes.

Although the indoor temperature was still over thirty degrees, the humidity was thankfully under control, making it bearable. Ning He was exhausted, so even though it wasn’t comfortable, she quickly fell asleep.

While she was sound asleep, in a private room within the shelter’s First Ring, Leitel was happily enjoying his dinner.

"I mean, really, having Jack make a special trip with the shuttle car just for this... you’re too indulgent. Besides, didn’t the logistics department already send us a meal? It was quite lavish. Why bother someone else?"

Mrs. Leitel sat across from him, her face full of disapproval.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong. It won’t happen again. My dear, hurry and try this. I guarantee you’ll like it." Leitel grinned as he admitted his mistake, handing the lettuce wrap he’d just prepared to his wife.

Mrs. Leitel looked at her husband, who was completely engrossed in the food, and sighed helplessly as she accepted the lettuce wrap.

"I can’t imagine what could be so delicious that it’s worth all this trouble."

Mrs. Leitel said, then casually took a bite.

Mmmph—

’This flavor!’

Mrs. Leitel stared at the lettuce wrap in her hand in shock, taking a long moment to process it.

"Where... Where did you buy this?"

Leitel raised an eyebrow smugly. "I told you you’d like it, didn’t I? It’s from some unremarkable little noodle shop. I’d never even tasted this sauce before. That kid Jack is smart; he brought us a few extra boxes. Doesn’t it remind you of the taste of your hometown?"

Mrs. Leitel wasn’t from Beiluo City. In her hometown, everyone loved spicy food; all sorts of chili peppers and hot sauces were local specialties. But ever since coming to Beiluo City, a flavor like this was hard to come by.

To think she would taste it again in this little lettuce wrap.

"It’s very similar, hmm... and yet very different. It has a smoky fragrance, like barbecue."

Mrs. Leitel savored the intense, stimulating, fresh-and-spicy flavor in her mouth, the light in her eyes growing even brighter.

"Besides chili peppers, there must be a lot of other aromatic vegetables in here, right? The flavor is so layered. It’s spicy and fragrant, the saltiness is just right, and there’s even a hint of sweetness."

"Right? I told you you’d love it. Here, try these two as well."

Leitel eagerly pushed the mayonnaise and the pasta with meat sauce in front of his wife. Mrs. Leitel tried a bite of each.

Finally, she put down her chopsticks and sighed.

"No wonder you went through all the trouble to buy this. It’s truly amazing. And it even gets you to eat your vegetables, which solves one of my problems."

Leitel stroked his beard, smiling happily. "Well then, once we can go out, I’ll take you to the shop to eat. Who knows what other goodies they might have!"

Mrs. Leitel covered her mouth with her hand as she smiled. "Alright. When that time comes, I’m buying a lot more of this chili sauce."

Leitel and his wife finished their wonderful meal. Afterward, he lay back on the sofa to rest and casually opened his phone, only to find that his old friends had sent a lot of messages in their group chat.

"Heard that shop we went to this morning came out with a new sauce. A fresh and spicy flavor. You guys wanna go check it out again?"

"Too late. It’s all sold out, they’ve already packed up the stall. Sigh!"

"That fast? No way."

"It’s true. My wife’s cousin’s son just went and couldn’t get any. He could only grab a random bite at the restaurant next door."

"So we missed out?"

"Yup. We’ll just have to find another chance to go in the future."

Leitel scrolled through the messages, his eyes darting around. Then, he also sent a message.

"Yeah, what a shame. Guess we’ll have to make do with whatever for the next few days."

After sending the message, he put his phone aside and began to rock his chair leisurely.

’He couldn’t be blamed. He was just that farsighted.’

’He’d sent Jack to buy some ahead of time.’

’And Jack was a smart one, knowing to buy him a few extra containers of the sauce.’

’Mhm, I’ll have to make a point of praising the kid another day.’

’As for his old buddies...’

’There just wasn’t enough to go around. Better to just eat it himself.’

***

Ning He didn’t wake up until eleven the next day. She washed her face and got ready to eat.

Now that she had money in her pocket, she could afford to be a little extravagant with her meals.

Before she left, Connie had left her two steamed buns, a small box of sliced braised pork liver, and a spoonful of roasted chili sauce.

Ning He felt like something was still missing, so she took her food to the dining area and found a seat near the entrance of the Golden Pomelo Restaurant.

With the noodle stall gone, the number of customers who had come seeking it out had plummeted. The area in front of the Third Ring’s restaurants was sparse once again.

The moment that chef saw her, he let out a cold snort and ignored her. A waiter, smiling a bit awkwardly, came over to ask what she would like to eat.

"I’ll just have one of your salad meals. Nothing else."

"Of course. Please wait a moment."

’I’m a paying customer, not here to cause trouble. It’s not like they can kick me out.’

The salad was served quickly.

It was a palm-sized portion: lettuce, kale, corn kernels, diced cucumber, and a countable number of chicken pieces.

’Twenty original coins for this? They’re making a killing!’

Ning He’s gaze fell on the small dish of vinaigrette.

’The customers’ innovative ways of eating yesterday were pretty good, but I can take it to the next level.’

Ning He picked up the vinaigrette and poured it into her roasted chili sauce. The already fresh, spicy, and intense sauce combined with the flavor of vinegar was the perfect finishing touch. It made the sauce’s profile even more complex; the sour and spicy notes attacked in tandem, providing the ultimate stimulating and appetizing experience.

She used a lettuce leaf to wrap up some kale and diced cucumber, added two slices of the old man’s braised pork liver, and then a dab of the newly mixed roasted chili sauce before rolling it all up.

She took a huge bite.

The clean crispness of the vegetables was a polite greeting to her taste buds. The soft, dense texture of the braised pork liver immediately shifted her teeth into a new mode of attack. At the same time, a long-missed braised aroma swept through her mouth and nose, and, propelled by the upgraded roasted chili sauce, it instantly conquered the passages of her sinuses, occupying her entire stomach and even her brain.

It was so good it could make you cry!

The unique texture and flavor of the braised pork liver complemented the roasted chili sauce perfectly, making it even more delicious than Ning He had imagined.

Before she knew it, her bowl was empty.

After having the waiter heat up her two steamed buns in the microwave, she finished them off. Ning He had enjoyed a meal more satisfying than any before. She paid her bill and strolled slowly back toward the break room.

Meanwhile, the chef of the Golden Pomelo Restaurant had just learned from a waiter that several more customers had left without even drinking a glass of water, simply because the restaurant didn’t have the rumored chili sauce.

The chef was so angry he gritted his teeth.

’When had a high-class restaurant like theirs ever encountered such a situation?’

’In the past, didn’t everyone end up eating at their restaurants anyway? Since when did customers get so picky?’

’It was all that woman’s fault!’

’She’d spoiled the customers’ palates and refused to cooperate with them, leaving them in this awkward position where they’d only sold half the ingredients they brought!’

Their own homemade chili sauce was always lacking some flavor. After a few customers in a row gave it mediocre reviews, they didn’t dare sell it anymore.

’How infuriating!’

The chef’s expression was ugly. He beckoned a waiter over and whispered a few instructions in his ear.

He was determined to find out just who this girl really was.