F{h*F 5.+ V hapter 52 Fiery-Tempered Lu Jiaxin
Big Uncle Lu felt that Lu Jiaxin had become quite temperamental now, but that was good too, since it wasn’t easy for someone to bully her when she was away from home. He said to the waitress, “Miss, my child was a bit rash just now, but your behavior was indeed inappropriate.”
The round-faced waitress was nearly furious. To her, someone of Jiaxin’s age could be married and have children in the countryside. Considering that neither Zhao Dajun nor Lu Jiaxin were easy to provoke, she held back her anger and prepared to enter the kitchen.
Lu Jiaxin watched her back and shouted, “Are you going in there now to spit in our food?”
The few customers dining nearby heard this and lost their appetite.
The face of the round-faced waitress stiffened. How could this damn girl be so troublesome? “What nonsense are you spouting? I’m going in to wash my face.”
Lu Jiaxin snorted coldly and said, “Who knows? In the Forty-Nine City, someone did such a despicable thing and got caught by the customers on the spot. They got what they deserved and were fired that very day.”
Seeing that the other customers were all looking at the round-faced waitress, she was so angry that she threw the rag on the window sill, sat down without speaking, but obviously backed down.
Big Uncle Lu ordered eight steamed buns and two dishes, one braised pork and one hot and sour shredded potatoes.
After a while, the food was ready, and the chef inside brought it to the window. Full of anger but knowing she had met her match, the round-faced waitress grudgingly announced with a sullen face, “The braised pork is ready.”
Big Uncle Lu prepared to get up to pick up the food.
However, Lu Jiaxin stopped him and raised her voice, “I have eaten uncountable times at state-owned restaurants in the Forty-Nine City, where the waiters always bring the dishes to the table. I’ve never thought that waitresses in Feng County would act so high and mighty. I’ll have to make a point of mentioning this when I get back.”
The round-faced waitress’s heart skipped a beat. Unable to swallow her pride, she called out to the skinny waiter, “What are you standing there for? Bring over the dishes.”
Anyone who could dine frequently at state-owned restaurants and receive good service from the waiters was definitely no ordinary person. Even though Jiaxin was not a local, the round-faced waitress dared not provoke her.
The skinny waiter, rarely seeing her boss in such a position, didn’t hold a grudge. She walked to the window, brought over the food with a smile, and said, “Miss, our master chef’s braised pork is his signature dish. I guarantee you’ll want more after you try it.”
Lu Jiaxin, seeing no malice in her, responded in a friendly manner, “Then I must give it a good try. If it’s as delicious as you say, I’ll come back next time.”
“Then please come often.”
After tasting it, Lu Jiaxin said to Big Uncle Lu, “The braised pork Fifth Brother cooked at our place last time tastes pretty similar to this.”
Upon hearing this, Big Uncle Lu immediately took a piece of the braised pork and bit into it—it was sweet without being cloying, tender, and aromatic, “Is your Fifth Brother’s cooking really this good?”
Lu Jiaxin said cheerfully, “Big Uncle, you should have confidence in Fifth Brother’s culinary skills. After all, it was his cooking that won over Fifth Sister-in-law.”
The braised pork Lu Jiajie had made at her place was delicious because she had prepared enough spices. But if he were to make it now, without such a variety of spices, the taste would undoubtedly be much worse.
Although the food at the state-owned restaurant was a bit pricey and the waiters’ attitudes left something to be desired, the dishes were genuine. Both plates were full, and the steamed buns were the size of an adult man’s fist. Jiaxin was full after one bun, and Big Uncle Lu ate two, leaving the rest for Zhao Dajun to polish off.
Seeing his huge appetite, Lu Jiaxin thought to herself that if he really went to work at a factory, his wages might barely be enough to feed just him. If he wanted to get married, he’d have to settle for coarse grains and still watch his portion sizes. This thought just flashed through her mind; it had nothing to do with her, and she didn’t bother herself with it.
After leaving the state-owned restaurant, Big Uncle Lu said, “Xinxin, your temper is too hot. When you’re out, you need to keep your temper in check, or you’ll easily suffer for it.”
He hadn’t intervened earlier because the attitude of the waiter was really too bad. Of course, what’s more important is that it wouldn’t matter if things got heated in Feng County, but it would be different elsewhere.
Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “Big Uncle, rest assured, I know what I’m doing.”
If she were traveling far from home without anyone to back her up, she would definitely have endured it. But now, with Big Uncle Lu and Zhao Dajun around, she wasn’t really afraid of the waiter causing trouble.
Big Uncle Lu looked up at the sky and said, “Let’s head back first. If there’s still no news by today, tomorrow have your brothers and nephews inquire at other cooperatives.”
Going around showing the portrait and asking people was purely a matter of luck. He thought that it would be more efficient to follow Lu Jiaxin’s leads and search at various cooperatives.
Lu Jiaxin nodded and said, “Big Uncle, I want to go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy some things.”
Once at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Lu Jiaxin bought cups, basins, canned sugar water, soda, and other items.
Big Uncle Lu said she shouldn’t buy canned goods and soda, saying, “It’s fine to buy cups and basins, but don’t buy the rest, it’s a waste of money.”
“Big Uncle, I want to eat them.”
She actually wasn’t interested in those things at all; she just wanted to buy them for the children at home. However, Big Uncle Lu wouldn’t have objected if she had said so.
Seeing a pile of goods on the counter, Big Uncle Lu regretted only bringing a few bills, which now meant he couldn’t even help pay for them.
Lu Jiaxin paid for the items, then took the portrait out of her canvas pouch and showed it to the salesperson, “Sister, have you seen the person in this portrait?”
The salesperson beamed when she heard this address. She was already twenty-nine this year, with her oldest child being eight. Since having children, this was the first time a young girl had called her “sister.” She took the portrait and studied it seriously for a while before shaking her head to indicate she hadn’t seen the person.
Lu Jiaxin was not disappointed and said, “Sister, could you please ask your colleagues? Maybe they have seen the person in the portrait!”
The salesperson was impressed with her fluent Mandarin and the way she spent over thirty dollars; no one from a county girl would be so liberal with money. “Girl, you’re not from around here, are you?”
“No, I’m from the Forty-Nine City. My dad is the general manager of a department store in the Forty-Nine City, so you could say we’re from the same family!”
Although a county official is not as influential as a current manager, just knowing her background would make the salespersons’ attitude better. She didn’t want to experience what happened at the state-owned restaurant again.
The salesperson’s demeanor warmed immediately, “Young sister, you wait here for me, I will now go and call my colleague over. Perhaps she has seen the person in the portrait.”
Lu Jiaxin expressed her gratitude, “Thank you, sister. We’re not in a hurry, we can wait as long as it takes.”
The salesperson’s colleague lived nearby, and after Lu Jiaxin and Big Uncle Lu waited for more than ten minutes, she arrived.
The salesperson who came looked to be about forty years old. She was straightforward and said upon seeing Lu Jiaxin, “I see so many people every day; I may not remember all of them.”
Her words were to prevent Lu Jiaxin from getting her hopes too high. After all, with so many people coming and going from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative every day, even if someone had come by, it was not a guarantee they would be remembered.
Lu Jiaxin first expressed her thanks, then said, “Big Sister, I’m already very grateful that you were willing to come. Please have a look for me, and if you haven’t seen this person, we’ll continue searching.”