"There’s nothing we can do about that, a lot of vegetables haven’t hit the market in spring. And even if they are available, the prices are very high right now. The cafeteria dares not make them, fearing that we won’t be able to afford it. You know that the cafeterias are all outsourced these days." An Hao said while eating, "Besides serving the students well, the main goal is to make money!"
"At least they should make some effort, right?" Gu Shuangshuang poked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, "Are they really raising us like rabbits? These various carrots are enough to fill us?!"
Having said that, Gu Shuangshuang stood up, carrying her food tray and headed toward the trash can in the corner of the cafeteria.
"Hey, Shuangshuang! What are you doing?" An Hao called out to her urgently.
"Throwing it away!" Gu Shuangshuang said without looking back.
"You’re throwing it out after barely two bites? Aren’t you afraid of being hungry in the afternoon?"
"Not afraid! Aren’t we going to eat at your place? It’s good to be a bit hungry, I can empty my stomach to enjoy the delicious food!"
Just as Gu Shuangshuang was about to dump her food next to the trash can, the head chef of the cafeteria happened to come out for a breath of fresh air, and to observe how the students were eating – sort of like a survey – to get a grip on the menu for the following day.
He made a round and saw Gu Shuangshuang standing next to the trash can dumping her food as soon as he turned back.
"Hey, student, why are you dumping perfectly good food?" the chef with the ladle asked.
Gu Shuangshuang was in the midst of dumping her food when a booming voice from behind startled her. She turned around to see a cafeteria chef and complained to him while patting her chest, "Chef, can’t you speak a little softer when you’re so close to me? My ears aren’t on my back, you know?"
"Sorry, sorry!" The chef, with a white towel hanging around his neck, holding a big white tea mug, gulped down water, "I just wanted to ask, was the food not to your taste? Why did you dump it all?"
Gu Shuangshuang had a complaint about the cafeteria, and just then, the stir-fry chef came out. Could this be considered her luck?
"Will it make a difference if I tell you about this?" she asked first; if it wouldn’t, she might as well save her breath.
"It makes a difference. Of course, it does."
"Good. Then I’ll have a proper talk with you." Gu Shuangshuang pointed to the potatoes and slices of radish in the food, "I don’t know why you’re so keen on making this dish! Is it that there are no other dishes in the cafeteria besides this, every single day? Can’t you come up with something fresh?"
"Ah! You’re actually right! It’s really like that! Vegetable prices are high right now! After we buy and process them, selling them would be quite expensive, and you guys wouldn’t accept that. Although this dish might be too monotonous to eat every day, haven’t you noticed that the taste is different each day?"
Gu Shuangshuang chuckled twice, "Indeed it’s different. Today they added salt, tomorrow they’ll add sugar! The next day it turns sour, I don’t even need to taste it! I can feel full just by looking at these two things! I suggest you make more variety of dishes and then make them cheaper."
"We’ve been at a loss for a while now. If we keep losing money , I reckon our boss will have to replace us," the head chef was also very distressed.
"Who are you kidding with losses? So many people eat in this huge cafeteria. You’d be doing us a favor if you weren’t ripping us off," Gu Shuangshuang said and turned to walk back.
Having finished her meal, An Hao was waiting for Gu Shuangshuang to join her in washing the dishes. She waited and waited, only to see that Gu Shuangshuang had struck up a conversation with a chef.
What could they possibly be talking about?
An Hao walked over, just as Gu Shuangshuang was coming back towards her, "Come on, let’s go wash the food containers."
"Wait, what exactly did that man talk to you about?" An Hao asked curiously.