The Tutor Profession

"Pickled greens—oh right, they call it 'cai dua' here. I pickled it earlier; Uncle, why don't you give it a taste and see how it is?"

"Ah, I see. Pickled greens, huh? A lot of people eat that over in Jiangzhe, but not many around here." Since it was a pickled dish, there was no need to worry about it being undercooked. Uncle Lin picked up a portion with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

The pickled greens were perfectly salted with a hint of sourness. They were crisp, refreshing, and carried a fresh aroma that was very satisfying. His appetite was instantly whetted, and he couldn't help but pick up his rice bowl, taking several large gulps of rice along with the greens.

"This pickled dish goes so well with rice! It's even better than what Old Wang sells back in our hometown village," he exclaimed. Sichuan pickles are famous nationwide, and Uncle Lin had grown up eating them, so for him to praise a simple salted vegetable meant the flavor was truly extraordinary.

Seeing his rice bowl gradually becoming empty, he quickly stopped. In a daze, he suddenly seemed to realize something, and his gaze shifted to the plate of spicy numbing shrimp on the table. If Bai Yinuo could make even salted vegetables taste this different, this plate of spicy shrimp surely wouldn't be far behind.

However, the plate that was once full of shrimp now only had a few scattered pieces left. He looked at his wife and son; the shrimp shells next to their bowls were piled up like small mountains. Uncle Lin was shocked for a moment before he quickly used all his strength to grab the remaining shrimp, peeling them at top speed and popping the meat into his mouth.

This time, he finally understood why the other two hadn't said a word and were just burying their heads in their food. The shrimp meat was fresh and tender, filling his mouth with a numbing, spicy, and fragrant sensation. The rich flavor was so satisfyingly smooth that he felt like he could swallow his own tongue. This was the best spicy numbing shrimp he had ever eaten.

Aunt Lin and Lin Yu didn't notice Uncle Lin's resentment; they had put all their focus on the table and couldn't be bothered with his feelings. It wasn't until the very end that Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin's chopsticks simultaneously grabbed the last piece of lotus root in the pot.

Uncle Lin pleaded, "Dear, I only managed to eat three shrimp in total. Please let me have this piece of lotus root."

Aunt Lin didn't budge an inch. "Yinuo made this food for me. Besides, didn't you say earlier that you were afraid to eat it?"

Uncle Lin could only watch as his wife took the last piece of lotus root, his heart filled with regret. A plate of spicy numbing shrimp had been placed right before him, but he hadn't cherished it. If time could turn back, he would never doubt Bai Yinuo's cooking skills again. As a consolation, Uncle Lin ended up mixing the leftover sauce from the shrimp plate with his rice and ate every last bit.

The braised dishes originally meant for appetizers, the corn rib soup, and the steamed eggs were barely touched. Only the dishes made by Bai Yinuo were completely cleared out. Those other dishes were normally delicious, but in front of the domineering spicy numbing shrimp pot, they were insignificant and paled in comparison. If he hadn't been concerned about his image in front of the younger generation, Uncle Lin felt he might have even licked the plate clean.

After Lin Yu finished his meal and went to school, Uncle Lin stood up to go to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Aunt Lin pulled Bai Yinuo's hand and said, "I support you opening a shop now, Yinuo. Just go ahead and do it."

"..." Bai Yinuo couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Seeing her smile, Aunt Lin was also happy. She squeezed her hand and said, "I'm serious. I want you to be happy." Bai Yinuo's parents had been gone for over a month, and she had hardly seen the girl smile once. If opening a restaurant could make her happy, then she should let her go for it.

...

Zhang Ke was a tenth-grade student at Haishi No. 2 Middle School. After the school bell rang, he called his classmate Li Fengze to go to the night market for dinner. Although Haishi No. 2 Middle School was a key high school with good funding and decent cafeteria food, eating there every day eventually got boring. Only a few days after the start of the term, Zhang Ke and Li Fengze were already tired of the cafeteria. Before their evening self-study session, they headed straight to the night market to find food.

In Zhang Ke's mind, "homegrown flowers" could never compare to the "wild flowers" outside; the daily cafeteria food naturally couldn't compete with the spicy mixed noodles, snail rice noodles, and barbecue at the night market. During the hottest time of the year, buying a bottle of ice water from a snack stall at the end of the street and then eating a bowl of cold skin noodles or cold noodles was the most comfortable time of the entire day.