But this meal was quite an eye-opener for everyone. For instance, they learned that Chef Zhu loved compliments. If you praised her until she was over the moon, not only would her hand stop shaking when serving food, but she'd also pack your lunchbox to the brim.
They also learned that Chef Zhu had zero tolerance for anything related to the Wang Family. Her powers of observation were also terrifyingly sharp—she had even seen right through Wang Xianbing's secret attempt to get outside help.
Furthermore, not only was Chef Zhu a master in the kitchen, but she was also a master of words. She could spin any topic around in circles, and yet, somehow, what she said always sounded perfectly reasonable to everyone listening!
After work, Zhu Yun was walking home, chatting and laughing with a few other family members who lived nearby, when she was blocked by Wang Xianbing at the factory gate.
She raised an eyebrow, told the others to go on ahead, and slowly walked over. "What is it?"
Wang Xianbing never looked pleased to see her. His face was a familiar palette of dark colors—black, blue, and purple. This time was no exception. He shoved a piece of paper into her hand and said coldly, "This is the remaining one thousand eight hundred yuan. The post office is right over there. Go withdraw it, and we can consider our past grievances settled."
Zhu Yun looked at the remittance slip, her own name written on it alongside the amount—one thousand eight hundred yuan, spelled out in both formal characters and numerals. The corner of her lip curled into a cold smirk.
"I was worried it was too much money for you to count, and it wouldn't be safe to carry. So I just got a remittance slip. You can withdraw it and immediately get a passbook for it," Wang Xianbing explained, feeling a little guilty for some reason.
"Was this Lin Jin's idea?" Zhu Yun asked flatly.
He nodded. "Lin Jin is very thorough. This way, you don't have to worry about getting dirty or damaged bills in such a large sum of cash, which might be hard to spend. Leaving it at the post office is just more convenient for everyone."
"How considerate of her," she drawled. "Now everyone will know how generous you are, spending a fortune to get rid of your long-suffering first wife. And they'll also know that I, a single woman, have a huge sum of money. Maybe tomorrow your wish will come true, and someone will finish me off in the middle of the night. Then I'll be dead, and the money will be gone!"
"Zhu Yun, can you just be normal for once? Stop thinking everyone is out to get you, that they're all malicious!" The veins on Wang Xianbing's forehead throbbed. 'How can anyone in this world be so infuriating?'
"The people at the post office have professional ethics. They're not going to go around telling everyone. Besides, the money will be in your passbook. Who besides you can withdraw it?"
"Lin Jin really did this for your own good. What happened between us has nothing to do with her. Can't you just let go of the past and live your life? Wouldn't that be better?"
"There's no deep-seated hatred between us. I've given you all the compensation you're owed, down to the last penny. From now on, let's just act like we're from the same hometown. We can help each other out if there's trouble. You have to look forward in life, don't you?"
Zhu Yun scoffed. "Let's be honest, you just want to shamelessly freeload off my cooking. You almost make it sound believable."
"It'll be a blessing if you two just stop trying to trip me up. Help me? I bet you're dying to shove me into a mud pit."
"Your wife is much shrewder than you think. Don't mistake her for some pure snow lotus from the high mountains, raised on nothing but morning dew. For the sake of the seven years I slaved away for you, let me give you a piece of advice: wise up!"
Wang Xianbing stared. 'What was that supposed to mean?' As a man of science and engineering, he couldn't comprehend it. All he could do was stammer, "Then what do you want?"
"Nothing. We'll just treat each other like enemies. Don't you two come near me again. If one of you comes, I'll smack one. If you come as a pair, I'll beat you both!" With that, Zhu Yun turned and walked to the post office.
Wang Xianbing had failed to secure his right to a normal serving of food. Now, he couldn't even get a bit of soup. Feeling utterly stifled, he dejectedly bought a few cans of fruit and went home.
April was the lean season before the summer harvest, so there were only a few types of fruits and vegetables available. Since becoming pregnant, Lin Jin had become incredibly picky. Nothing had any flavor for her. Aside from Zhu Yun's cooking, she was surviving on canned fruit and plain rice porridge.
Money went a long way in this era. Zhu Yun didn't withdraw the cash; instead, she had the clerk deposit all of it into her passbook. Clutching the passbook on her way home, she wrapped it in layer after layer before hiding it away.
The weather wasn't too hot yet, so Zhu Yun grabbed her basket and headed up the mountain again.
Ever since discovering that first trap, she had found several more. Each one was well-hidden and placed on paths frequented by small animals. If not every day, she could at least count on a catch every few days.
Zhu Yun felt no guilt about taking the fruits of someone else's labor. Finders keepers. She usually only took the prey from one trap and left the others alone.
Today, her luck was incredible—she found a young wild boar!
The land here was fertile, and the game it sustained was exceptionally plump. It had only been about two months since the snow and ice had melted, but the omnivorous boar had already eaten its fill, becoming perfectly round. Though it was called a "young" boar, it had to be close to two hundred pounds.
The trap was large and deep, and the boar was stuck halfway, unable to climb up or fall further down. It was unclear how long it had been struggling, but its tusks were ground down and bloody. It had resigned itself to its fate and was panting heavily, looking as if it was about to die of sheer frustration.
The moment Zhu Yun appeared, before the boar could even see her, she brought a stone slab down on its head, knocking it unconscious.
She carried rope with her whenever she went up the mountain now. She tied the boar securely and hoisted it up onto a tree branch. After getting off work that evening, she bought a large amount of seasonings before dragging it down the mountain to butcher.
She was busy for most of the night before she finally finished butchering the boar. She only kept the offal, the ribs, and about five pounds of meat. The rest she made into two different flavors of jerky.
As long as the jerky was stored properly, it would last for a long time.
As the weather grew warmer, many things wouldn't keep for long. She remembered Lin Jin mentioning that her family, the Lin Family, was well-off and owned a refrigerator.
Domestic refrigerators for home use had only been in production for a few years and were extremely rare. The Lin Family had also bought theirs by calling in favors, spending several hundred yuan on the connections alone.
The Machinery Factory was wealthy and influential, so Cafeteria Number One had been outfitted with a lot of modern equipment: ovens, warming tables, a ventilation system, and, of course, freezers.
'I should ask the director later,' Zhu Yun mused. 'See if he can get a home refrigerator for me.'
***
Guo Meiyun carried a can of malted milk and two cans of fruit in a net bag to the Wang Family's home.
Lin Jin happily welcomed her in. "Oh, you shouldn't have. We're such good friends, you don't need to bring anything when you visit."
"You're wrong. This isn't for you, it's for the little baby in your belly—my godson!" Guo Meiyun said with a smile.
"Oh, and how would you know it's a boy in my belly?" Lin Jin teased as she busied herself with putting out snacks and pouring water.
Guo Meiyun looked at her still-flat stomach, nodded, and laughed. "Of course I know! Judging by how much trouble it's giving you, if it's not a mischievous little boy, what could it be? A little spitfire of a girl?"
"You were the fairest and most well-behaved girl in the residential compound when we were kids. Your daughter would definitely be just like you."
The two of them laughed and bantered for a while before Guo Meiyun sighed softly. "You've all found your happy endings. I'm the only one left all alone!"