Richard was feeling down today.
Even worse than the day before yesterday.
Although there were no classes at school today, there was football practice, which he had signed up for before, so he had to attend.
The noodles his mom bought earlier had been devoured by the family by morning, so there was nothing left for lunch. Marian gave him 5 euros of pocket money to buy a sandwich at the convenience store.
After eating noodles for two consecutive days, he still wasn't tired of it and wanted more.
What kind of junk is a sandwich anyway—just some sliced bread with cucumber, tomato, and smoked ham stuffed in. How could that compare to the flavorful noodles?
The most important thing was, they were about the same price!
If a sandwich cost 2 euros, he might buy it to fill his stomach, but at 5 euros, it was just too much.
He planned to save the money and join his family for a tasty meal in the city tonight.
Fortunately, Lisa came to the school to hang out with him. Seeing the other guys looking like they wanted to kill him, Richard figured, why bother with practice? I'll just sit on the stands and chat with a girl all afternoon!
Just as he was staring at Lisa's fair small hands, hesitating whether to make a move.
"Hey! Richard, are you done? We need to go to the city for dinner."
It was Mom!
He jumped up in a flash, looked down at Lisa, and said, "My mom's here to pick me up, so I'm off. See you on Monday~"
At the thought of tasting some hot, delicious food, he wished he had a turbo under his feet to blast right into the city.
"Huh?"
Watching Richard's quickly retreating figure, Lisa felt a bit dumbfounded.
Seriously? One second he wanted to hold her hand, and the next he's dashing off at the mere mention of food?
What could possibly be so tasty to make him that eager?
Remembering yesterday's exquisite box of sushi, Lisa couldn't help but secretly swallow her saliva.
It was the best thing she'd ever eaten in her life.
If it's on that level, she could understand.
If it were her, she'd definitely choose the good food too.
But her family didn't have a car, so going to the city required taking a bus, which would take nearly five hours round trip. She didn't have that much pocket money, and her mom certainly wouldn't allow her to go far on her own.
"Sigh... I'm so envious of Richard..."
She took out her phone to check the time, intending to ask him later what delicious food he ate—maybe he'd bring some for her to try.
"Mom, mom, are we going to eat at the Great Xia Food Truck?"
Marian shook her head, "No, that food truck starts at ten in the evening. Today is family outing day, so we're going for a fine dining first, remember to buckle up."
George had already taken the grandparents and two younger brothers ahead, leaving just Marian, two sisters, and Richard in the car.
"Noodles! Noodles!"
"Burgers! Burgers!"
The two younger sisters, still small, were strapped in the back seat, babbling, forcing Richard to squeeze back there as a babysitter.
Over two hours later, just as the car stopped, there was a 'ding' from his phone in his pocket.
It was Lisa.
Richard looked up at the sign in front of him and snapped a photo to send over.
"God's Kiss?"
Lisa lay on her bed, her big eyes wide with envy.
The restaurant was highly popular now, reportedly requiring reservations to dine on weekends, and she drooled just looking at the posted sign.
"Richard's family must be wealthy, how can they eat so well all the time?"
Another twenty minutes went by.
Vanilla-nut roasted baby lamb ribs, black truffle lobster seafood rice, pan-seared sea bass with tequila cream sauce, family burger steak, handcrafted tomato meatball pasta...
One beautifully plated dish after another, making her eyes turn green with envy, yearning to lick the screen.
"Have you finished sending photos? Any comments?"
Richard anxiously peered over, Marian casually passed the phone back to him, shaking her head.
"Don't be hasty, focus on eating. Whatever she's responding with, ignore until you finish your meal."
"That's right," George, twirling some pasta onto his fork, winked at his son. "Your mom was the prettiest in school back then, with tons of admirers. Trust her judgment, if you want to date, start by having dinner."
Initially restless, after trying a piece of juicy tender lamb rib roast, Richard instantly relaxed.
A table of nine, four adults and five kids, with a scant selection of meats and mains to taste; no appetizers or desserts were ordered, meaning each person only got a bite or two.
But nobody complained since there was still a second round to come.
Fine dining was indeed delicious but pricey, and not filling; even the cheapest meat dish cost over forty euros, with the expensive ones reaching seventy, eighty, or more. Tasting was good enough, no need for everyone to have a plate. The main point was the ambiance and experience.
If you wanted to be full, it was better to eat several-euro Great Xia food instead, delicious, affordable, and satisfying.
After dining, they chatted for a while. It was already 9:30 p.m., and the restaurant started closing.
The group split into two, with clear goals, driving straight to the parking lot near the city center cinema.
At the thought of soon being able to eat delicious Great Xia food, Richard excitedly led the way.
"This way, this way, hurry up, or we won't get any!"
From a distance, he could see the familiar red food truck by the roadside.
In front of the window, a blonde figure in a super-short leather skirt, baring long white legs, a slender waist, and a creamy back caught his attention.
As if sensing his gaze, the woman turned and smiled seductively at him.
"Hello there, handsome~"
"Gulp"
Richard's eyes were glued to the woman's chest, practically bursting out of her top.
In addition to her flowing blonde hair, captivating eyes, and bright red lips.
"Oh my...is she an angel?"
"Yes, for a handful of bills tucked into her top, you can take her back to the hotel for a delightful dance."
George patted his son's shoulder, "You're too young to handle an angel like that, let daddy do it..."
"Hmm?"
Marian appeared next to them, frowning.
"Let daddy help you buy food!"
"Then please, dear George, get enough for six meals over two days."
Marian stopped, smiling, yet her gaze was icy cold.
George wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and promptly nodded, "Buying, I'm buying right now!"
He jogged to the window, not paying attention to what was being sold, shouting, "Boss, pack me fifty portions!"
Just as he spoke, Lin Chen handed a fruit-filled ice treat.
The blonde received it, accidentally spilling some syrup on her hand, instinctively licking it off.
She glanced up, gave George a flirty look, then licked her lips.
Feeling Marian's icy stare burning his back, George quickly scowled, "What are you looking at? Never seen someone packing from a food truck?"