Chapter 1 (2/2)

Lin ShuYi pointed to the house in the near distance, “I live there.”

The old grandpa squinted his eyes as if he couldn’t see the house clearly, “Oh, I’ve always thought that there was no one living in that house. Did you just come back after studying away from home then?”

Lin ShuYi didn’t know what to say so he just nodded his head.

“You look like a pretty handsome young lad. You have a good heart too. A very likeable character indeed.” The old grandpa mumbled to himself before he patted Lin ShuYi’s shoulder and halted in his steps, “Up to here is fine. I came to water the crops here. You’ve still got things to do right? If you’re still busy then you can head off first.”

Lin ShuYi shook his head. He didn’t actually have anything important to do. Plus, the main thing was that even if he headed off first, he didn’t know where to go. What business could he possibly have to attend to?

“You’re not busy? If you’re free then help this old grandpa water the vegetables. Grandpa will treat you to some noodles after we’re done.”

Lin ShuYi smiled as soon as he heard food. He then laughed joyfully, revealing a row of white teeth, “Okay.”

The garden wasn’t big, but there were quite a few different crops. Different sorts of vegetables were organised clearly into small sections. The red patch was tomatoes, the purple patch was eggplant and the yellow patch was sweet peppers. They all seemed to be growing extremely well.

The old grandpa grabbed a ladle and watered the sweet peppers scoop after scoop. Lin ShuYi copied his actions.

Although he could cook, he didn’t know how to grow crops. This was indeed a first for him.

A bucket of water wasn’t enough for the whole garden. Lin ShuYi had to help carry a number of more buckets before all the crops were properly watered. He was so hot from the exercise that there were beads of sweat on his forehead.

“You’re tired now, aren’t you? As expected, I don’t see any more kids who still work in the fields nowadays. Let’s go, grandpa will treat you to noodles.”

They left the bucket inside the garden and the old grandpa locked the door. He then took Lin ShuYi down another street before stopping at the front of a small restaurant.

[XiQin Restaurant.]

These words were written at the top.

“This is grandpa’s restaurant. Grandpa doesn’t know how to make anything else, but my noodles are very delicious. Grandpa isn’t bragging, after all there isn’t anyone who hasn’t eaten my noodles in this neighborhood.” The old grandpa opened the door with a smile on his face and told Lin ShuYi to sit wherever he liked. He then went to the back to wash his hands before he started to make the noodles.

“Young lad, can you eat spicy food?”

Lin ShuYi shook his head.

“Then we’ll eat braised beef noodles. That one’s not spicy.”

Lin ShuYi secretly swallowed his saliva, before he suddenly remembered an advertisement that was constantly being broadcasted on television.

“Braised beef noodles with added meat and egg for no added price! That’s the taste ~ ”

In reality, he had always wanted to try it. Was this grandpa going to make this dish?

After approximately twenty something minutes, the noodles were ready. The large bowl full of noodles was still steaming hot.

However… why did it look different compared to the advertisement?

Lin ShuYi lowered his head and gazed at at the contents of the bowl.

“Eat up, I promise you it’s tasty.”

The broth was crystal clear and there were a few fresh and green bok choy along with thin, white noodles. A large spoonful of tender braised beef was placed inside the bowl and topped with a sprinkle of chopped spring onion. The garnish nicely contrasted against the dark reddish color of the beef, making the dish seem extremely appetising. Lin ShuYi looked at the dish for a long time before he swallowed his saliva as he finally grabbed a pair of chopsticks and ate a big mouthful.

Fresh, tender, aromatic beef and bouncy chewy noodles. Lin ShuYi’s eyes were crescent-shaped from the enjoyment of eating.

Not only did he finish the noodles, but he also drank all the broth. Even though the broth looked clear, it tasted delicious as if it had been boiled for a long time.

“You like it? If you do, then come back often and grandpa will make it for you.”

The old grandpa smiled. This caused all the wrinkles in his face to scrunch together, yet this made Lin ShuYi remember his teacher.

“Grandpa, I can cook. I’ll cook for you in the future.”

The old grandpa was taken back for a second before he burst out into jolly laughter, “Good, good. I’ll make you noodles, and you can cook other dishes for me.”

The grandpa only laughed it off as a joke because he didn’t believe the boy at all. How could this seventeen to eighteen year old young lad know how to cook? His grandson was already twenty something and still couldn’t make anything other than a cup of instant noodles.

Speaking of his grandson, it had been a long time since he last came to visit…