Xu Nianhua set the soaked noodles aside, grabbed an unopened bottle of the returned but unsealed spicy chili sauce, spooned some into the noodles with a fork, mixed it up, and began to eat voraciously.
The cooked noodles, with most of the water drained, became just like stirred noodles once mixed with the chili sauce—fragrant and spicy as the scent wafted into the surroundings.
The elderly folks processing the returns couldn’t help but swallow their saliva. Someone asked, "Young lady, aren’t you afraid that this chili sauce will kill you if you eat it?"
"That’s right, young lady, we’ve all heard that eating this chili sauce has killed someone," another old lady added, unable to help herself from speaking out as she looked at Xu Nianhua’s beauty and youthful appearance.
"Uncle, auntie, thanks for your concern, but I’ve never heard of anyone dying from eating chili sauce," Xu Nianhua said, not only not stopping but also quickly finishing the entire bowl of noodles. She then looked up, showing a bright smile, and said, "The chili sauce mixed with noodles is really delicious. It’s made by my mother."
That old lady looked at Xu Nianhua, visibly shocked, and asked uncertainly, "Your mother made it?"
"Yes." Xu Nianhua nodded confidently. As more and more people paid attention, she explained calmly and composedly, "Auntie, may I ask, who died from eating our family’s chili sauce?"
"I don’t know, I heard it from someone else," the old lady shook her head, looking toward the others who were returning the goods.
They shook their heads in turn, everyone talking at once, "I also heard it from someone else."
Xu Nianhua asked around and summarized, "So, all of you heard it from someone else, and none of you have actually seen anyone die from the chili sauce?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Taking the opportunity, Ji Shuyuan said, "There has never been a case of death by chili sauce. In Gaoliang County, there hasn’t been any such incident in the factory that produces the chili sauce. However, the day before yesterday, someone had vomiting and diarrhea, claiming it was after eating our family’s chili sauce. He’s now recovering at Gaoliang County People’s Hospital, safe and sound, healthy and well."
"Really?" Some were skeptical.
"I am a student from the Law School at South City University, my name is Ji Shuyuan. If I tell a single lie, everyone can come find me at my university!" Ji Shuyuan stated each word deliberately, making it crystal clear where he studied, convincing most of the people.
"That’s right. Does anyone know someone from the TV station or, perhaps, a journalist?" Xu Nianhua inquired.
Indeed, someone from the crowd spoke up, saying they knew someone, and Xu Nianhua immediately discussed getting a journalist to cover the entire event.
The person was very enthusiastic and agreed to take care of it. While waiting for the journalist to arrive, Xu Nianhua shared her basic information with everyone.
"Are you the one who got the highest score in English last year?" someone asked uncertainly; his son also took the college entrance examination last year and heard of the person who scored full marks in English, named Xu Nianhua. His son kept saying how impressive that girl was, having been admitted to Beining University in Ningbei.
The name was right, and it was a university in Ningbei; the person suddenly remembered, primarily because he had also found her name rather pleasant at the time.
"Yes, that’s me." Xu Nianhua nodded affirmatively. At this moment, she felt incredibly relieved that this part of her identity might make everyone a bit more convinced.