In his early twenties, the young man had a slightly long face with thick eyebrows, a crew cut hairstyle, and appeared quite spirited.
Zhao Mingfang was dressed with great attention to detail, wearing black shoes, blue trousers, a replica green military uniform, her hair weaved into two dark, shiny braids bound by red bands, bangs neatly combed, fair skin, and red lips.
Feng Qingxue was unsure if they were relatives or meeting for a marriage arrangement. Zhao Mingfang hadn’t noticed her, so she had no intention of going up to say hello.
So, she pulled Wang Jiao looking for a table, and they sat far from Zhao Mingfang.
Wang Jiao didn’t know Zhao Mingfang, so she took a glance at her, then touched her own face, pinched her waist, and looked at Feng Qingxue with a bitter face. "She’s not as beautiful as I was before. Is she prettier than me now?"
She spoke in a whisper, afraid of being heard.
Feng Qingxue stifled a chuckle and nodded gently. "If you lose weight, you will be prettier than her. The inherited beauty is right here!"
As for the question of beauty and ugliness, Wang Jiao was somewhat in denial, aware of her own situation yet refusing to let others see and comment on it. Fortunately, after losing a round of weight and stabilizing at around 130 kilograms, her appearance was seen by everyone as pleasantly plump. She no longer had excess fat all over her body and face as she had during her postnatal recovery, making her easy on the eyes.
The slim and graceful Wang Jiao had a delicate beauty, but now she exuded a voluptuous beauty, an aura of blessed contentment.
Having heard Feng Qingxue’s words, the bitterness intensified on Wang Jiao’s sulking face. But when the waiter asked what they wanted to eat, her eyes rolled around, and she held up a chubby finger. "Xiaoxue, can I make this meal an extra big one? Just this one! When I get back home it’ll be just coarse rice porridge, dried sweet potato, and pickles. The bugs in my belly won’t be happy."
"Of course, you can. Order whatever you want, cousin. I’ll pay." Feng Qingxue was well aware that the dishes at the state-owned restaurant were not as varied as she claimed. With the scarcity of supplies, they had menus but no ingredients. It was the dilemma of being a good cook with no rice to cook.
Wang Jiao rejoiced, "Xiaoxue, you really are the best!"
She had a clear understanding of who was truly kind to her and who was pretentious.
"What would the two comrades like to order?" The waiter recognized Feng Qingxue and treated her well.
Such a beautiful woman, once seen, is not easily forgotten, especially considering Feng Qingxue and Lu Jiang had visited the place quite a few times.
"What do you recommend here?" Wang Jiao asked enthusiastically. She and Zhang Yuejin had eaten at the state-owned restaurant before and knew that one needed to enquire the waiter about the dishes, not just select from the menu.
The waiter smiled and said, "Today, we’ve received a large chunk of mutton and a piece of streaky pork."
Wang Jiao’s mouth watered, and she turned to her cousin. "Xiaoxue..."
"Could you please have someone make Braised Pork and cook some mutton, with a little less chili." Feng Qingxue asked about the vegetables; only spinach was available in early spring. "Also, please make egg soup and a cold dish of spinach."
"Sure, we have both rice and steamed buns today, both rice and white wheat buns."
"Steamed buns, steamed buns, steamed buns fill the stomach!" Even though her face had turned round like a steamed bun, Wang Jiao still loved eating them.
Feng Qingxue laughed, "Ten buns."
"Xiaoxue, why do you need so many buns?" Wang Jiao was puzzled. If there were meat and vegetables, she would only eat up to two buns at most. Judging by Feng Qingxue’s appetite, she would be full after one.
"We can take the leftovers home." It’s rare to come across white wheat buns.
Wang Jiao responded with a quick "Oh," and didn’t speak further. She watched as Feng Qingxue paid for the meal, then obediently settled herself, placing her hands on the table.