indianbanksassociation Chapter 58 Waiting for a plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce
Chapter 58 Waiting for a plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce
As the peak gradually subsided, the noise inside the store, like the receding tide, slowly dissipated into the deep alleys of the old street.
Diners who were rushing to work or clocking in left one after another, leaving behind only a few clean and bright empty tables.
Ma Guoliang then dusted off his trousers and stepped over the threshold that held countless memories for him.
He walked straight toward the pink figure standing behind the bar stool, diligently tidying something.
Upon closer inspection, this little face looks even more like the one I remember.
He's practically a carbon copy of the young Chen Feng who used to follow Old Master Chen around all day more than twenty years ago.
"Little girl."
Ma Guoliang lowered his voice, his eyes revealing a loving gaze towards his junior.
"You are... Chen Feng's daughter, right?"
Mengmeng was doing the counting when she heard the sound and looked up.
The grandfather in front of me is quite old, and he is wearing a slightly worn-out set of work clothes.
The light shining from her eyes was warm and gentle, just like how Grandma Liu looked at her.
When Mengmeng first heard someone mention her father's name outside and ask if she was his daughter, the pride in her heart instantly shone through her face.
"Yes! My father is Chen Feng."
Mengmeng puffed out her little chest and answered crisply.
She stretched out her chubby little hand and pointed to the kitchen where steam was rising not far away.
"Dad is cooking inside!"
Grandpa, how do you know my dad?
Mengmeng tilted her little head, her eyes sparkling, as if she had discovered some incredible secret:
"Could it be... that my dad used to be a big star here?"
Ma Guoliang was taken aback when he heard this, but then burst into laughter at the child's innocent words.
The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes have smoothed out, like a blooming yellow chrysanthemum.
"I wouldn't call myself a big star."
Ma Guoliang smiled and touched the edge of the cash register, his tone becoming somewhat serious.
"However, in Grandpa's eyes, your father was indeed quite capable in the past."
I'm your father's... old friend, the kind you've known for many years.
"An old friend?" Mengmeng pursed her lips and thought for a moment.
Although she didn't understand what "many years" meant, upon hearing the words "old friend," she felt that this grandfather must be a good person.
"Grandpa, you have excellent taste!"
Her adorable little mouth was as sweet as honey, and she didn't forget to show off her "business skills."
"My dad's shredded pork with garlic sauce is super delicious!"
And Mengmeng helps out too! I just served food to the little girls at that table!
Looking at her pleading expression, Ma Guoliang's heart melted.
He smiled even more broadly and nodded earnestly to Mengmeng:
"Grandpa saw it at the door just now."
Your name is Mengmeng, right?
Mengmeng is amazing; she can help her dad with chores at such a young age.
Your father is so lucky to have such a precious child like you.
Mengmeng was a little embarrassed by the praise. She grabbed the ears of her pink bunny costume with her little hands, her cheeks were flushed, but she smiled brightly.
"Grandpa, would you like a plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce?" Mengmeng got back into character.
"I'll have a serving of shredded pork with garlic sauce."
Ma Guoliang took out his wallet from his pocket, counted out the money, and handed it over.
While Ma Guoliang and Mengmeng were talking, Chen Feng in the kitchen was wiping the cutting board during a break.
Hearing someone talking to Mengmeng at the cashier outside, Chen Feng assumed a customer had arrived and habitually looked up.
Upon seeing this, he froze on the spot, completely unaware that the rag in his hand had slipped to the ground.
The old street has reopened these past two days, and there are definitely some old customers, but he can't quite remember most of their faces.
But the figure before him was like an old key, instantly unlocking the valve deep within his memories.
In a blurry, old photograph, there is always a silhouette.
That was more than twenty years ago, a filthy laborer whose back was soaked with sweat.
That figure always sat in the corner of the old shop, guarding a large bowl of white rice, wolfing down the home-style stir-fry cooked by his grandfather.
He remembered that the man always liked to smile at him while wiping his mouth after finishing his meal.
Sometimes she would slip him a half-melted, cheap candy.
"Little Ma... Uncle Ma?"
Chen Feng silently repeated it to himself, feeling as if something was blocking his throat, and his nose felt sore.
Although the man in front of me was much fatter than I remembered, his black hair was now streaked with thick white frost.
Even his back isn't as straight as it used to be, but his silhouette is clearly that of the simple, hardworking Ma Guoliang from back then.
Chen Feng took a deep breath and blinked hard to suppress the warm, humid air.
He did not go out to acknowledge them.
He knew that the best reunion wasn't about words, but about a dish that tasted just like it did back then.
He lowered his head, picked up the rag, and did not start the fire immediately.
He washed his hands again, and from the prepared ingredients, he selected the tenderest shredded meat and chopped the freshest pickled peppers.
This time, his expression was very serious.
Ma Guoliang chose a secluded spot where he could see the kitchen clearly and sat down.
The store was much quieter by then.
Some customers, unable to bear the sight, noticed the store was busy and voluntarily moved their empty plates to an empty spot next to the cashier before leaving in twos and threes.
Zhang Qiang was carrying a kettle around when he saw that things weren't so busy anymore, so he breathed a sigh of relief and started tidying up the rest of the table.
Ma Guoliang leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the busy figure in the kitchen.
"They look so alike."
Ma Guoliang muttered to himself.
In the rising steam and firelight, he saw Chen Feng and the figure from more than twenty years ago overlap.
That familiar rhythm, that focused gaze, even the way Chen Feng occasionally wiped his sweat, all made him feel a little dazed.
Time seemed to stand still.
It was as if he were still that poor boy who had just carried 500 jin of rice and came running hungry, begging for a hot meal.
His gaze shifted and landed on Zhang Qiang, who was diligently wiping the table.
Ma Guoliang remembers this kid.
This mischievous boy used to come to the store to play with Chen Feng quite often, and the two of them would always get covered in mud.
Looking at Zhang Qiang, who was sweating profusely but working with great enthusiasm, I could see that...
A satisfied smile appeared on Ma Guoliang's lips.
"This friendship, like this old shop, is solid and reliable."
He looked around.
Although many modern elements have been added to the store, its deep-rooted cleanliness remains unchanged.
Even the table legs in the corners weren't greasy at all.
Ma Guoliang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Besides the rich aroma of fish, there also seemed to be a hint of aged wood in the air.
"Uncle Chen, did you see that?"
Ma Guoliang silently muttered to himself.
"Xiao Fengzi didn't ruin your reputation; he caught up with this down-to-earth atmosphere."
Just then, a crisp "sizzle" sound came from the kitchen.
Ma Guoliang opened his eyes and looked at Chen Feng, who was faintly visible amidst the rising steam from the pot. The hunger in his stomach intensified.
This is not only a craving for food, but also an urgent pursuit of that youthful period and the warmth that was lost and then regained.
At that moment, Zhang Qiang walked over carrying a rag and politely asked, "Uncle, is there enough water? Shall I get you some more hot water?"
Zhang Qiang did not recognize Lao Ma.
Back then, Old Ma was as dirty as a mud monkey, but now Boss Ma has completely changed his appearance.
Ma Guoliang smiled and waved his hand:
"That's enough, young man. You go about your business, I'm not in a hurry."
He is waiting.
He longed for that plate of Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) that would transport him back to the real "human touch" of thirty years ago.