"Who is that girl?" asked Mother Chen.
Chen Jianyu turned to look at the girl she pointed to.
Outside, they saw a girl running behind a small boy, trying to catch him. The boy giggled and then took a handful of mud and threw it on the girl's dress. Clearly, he was still in the mood to play. The girl got surprised, but she didn't get angry. She smiled and ruffled his hair.
"That girl...she is so pretty. And her temper is also so nice. Had it been some other person, she would have surely scolded him for making her all dirty."
Chen Jianyu stared at her. Her beauty was certainly refreshing than those so many socialites he met until now. She was smiling like there was nothing to hide. What she felt in her heart was on her faceexpressing those same thoughts without any filter.
He came back from his stupor.
"And you know that just after a single glance?" He asked.
"Of course! Had not been the case, I would have already tied you to marriage with one of those many hypocrite girls." Mother Chen said.
He sighed. No matter what, the topic always ends up going in the marriage direction.
"Is she single? Should I talk to her about you?"
"Mom!"
Just then, the food arrived.
The aroma itself was so inviting. The waitress laid out the dishes, and they started to dig in.
Both of them were visibly stunned.
Mother Chen felt like she had missed this taste for ages. It instantly struck a chord with her heart. It took her back to the time when she, along with her whole family, used to enjoy her grandma's food for dinner. Her grandma had loved cooking. But later on, her brother went abroad for further studies for business management, and she too got busy in her life. So family dinner became a less occurrence. Things became stable again after their marriages, but by that time, their grandma wasn't there anymore to make those delicious meals. So yes, it had been a long time since she felt like this.
Chen Jianyu's thoughts were also on a similar wavelength. But in his case, it was Mother Chen. She loved the family bonding over dinner, which she had experienced during her time, so she used to try to replicate her grandmother's dishes. He still remembers how her first trial was a complete failure. He was five years old at that time. But she never gave up.
He smiled faintly, reminiscing those fond memories.
"Did you remember something?" Mother Chen asked smilingly.
"Yes. Your failed attempts in trying to copy great-grandma." He mocked.
She was horrified. "Don't make me remember those horrifying memories! It was such a disaster. I am still so embarrassed." She cried. "It's like my dark past."
Father Chen had eaten her food with a gentle smile on his face...which he managed not to crack in despair.
She always wanted to cry, remembering it.
"Forget it! Can you please appreciate the food instead of mocking your mother?"
"You are the one who asked me what I was thinking. You started it."
She gritted her teeth. "Of course. My mistake." She glared. "Anyways, I want to meet the chef. He must be one great cook who could evoke those memories with the food. Now I understand why the place is named Natsukashi."
She was busy appreciating the delicacies when suddenly they heard a commotion.
"How dare you!" a man shouted.
Just diagonally opposite to them was another table where there were three customers. The man sitting on the left was the one who had started with the yelling.
"I-I am sorry, sir. Mam, it's okay." cried He Xiaoli. She was the same waitress who had greeted Mother Chen and Chen Juan.
"No. It's not okay." came a voice.
Mother Chen saw that the voice belonged to the same girl whom they just saw outside with the child.
"What is not okay? And why are you gripping my hand? Leave me!"
"Is this how you serve your customers?" His other friend yelled.
"Sir, you very well know what you were doing.", the girl said.
By this time, she had the attention of all the customers.
"What do you mean!"
She said, "Sir, weren't you trying to touch her inappropriately?"
All three friends were shocked including all the other customers.
"You, you..how dare you say that?"
The customers started whispering among themselves.
"Yes, sir. I saw myself. You were squeezing her hand when she was serving, and she wanted to free herself, but you didn't let her. And both of your friends were leering and laughing at her." she said with a hint of anger. "So, I will have to ask you to apologize to her and leave from here."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" He was enraged. And panicked. He was sure that nobody noticed him and also equally sure that the waitress won't open her mouth.
"And who are you to tell me that?" his voice seething in anger.
"I am the owner of Natsukashi."