If Lu Jingming hadn't followed Xu Yanxia all the way today, he wouldn't have known that there was a lively little street not far from the Lu Group headquarters office building.
It was filled with many long-established small shops.
It was right at lunchtime, and business was booming at every eatery. Diners spilled out from the shops onto the street—office workers in suits, high school students in uniforms, and casually dressed local residents.
People chatted in small groups while eating, and the rich aromas of various dishes wafted from every shop, giving the little street a vibrant, lived-in atmosphere.
The potsticker shop was at the very end of the street. Its storefront wasn't large, with only six tables, but it looked reasonably clean.
When they arrived, a table had just been vacated. The proprietress swiftly cleared it, and Xu Yanxia quickly led him over to sit down.
Perhaps because his demeanor, attire, and appearance were all quite striking, nearby diners couldn't help but glance his way.
Lu Jingming didn't pay it any mind, instead asking Xu Yanxia curiously, "How did you find out about this place?"
Xu Yanxia said, "My old internship company, Fangda, was nearby. I used to eat here often back then."
As she spoke, she showed him the laminated paper menu. "What kind of potstickers do you like? The shrimp, scallop, and yellow croaker ones here are all good. The beef ones are also decent."
Lu Jingming said, "I'm fine with anything. You order."
"Okay."
Xu Yanxia went to the kitchen to place their order with the owner.
When she returned, she explained to Lu Jingming, "Their potstickers are made to order, so we'll have to wait a little while."
"That's fine,"
Lu Jingming said with another self-deprecating smile. "It's normal to wait a bit longer for something made with real, quality ingredients."
He then asked her, "Fangda is also a fairly large domestic food company. Given your abilities, they probably wanted to hire you after your internship, right?"
"They did,"
Xu Yanxia said frankly. "But the salary for fresh graduates there wasn't very high, and it didn't really meet my expectations."
Lu Jingming nodded and asked her, "Did you apply to other companies?"
"No,"
Xu Yanxia smiled, fetching two cups of water from the water dispenser and placing them in front of them. "Actually, I originally planned to continue with a master's degree at my own university. I passed both the preliminary and re-examination rounds. But right before graduation, that thing happened with my family, so I reassessed my plans and didn't go."
This puzzled Lu Jingming a bit. "Financial reasons? From what I know, getting into your school's graduate program isn't easy. Why give it up so readily?"
"It wasn't really about the money,"
Xu Yanxia said seriously. "My grandfather suddenly fell ill because of that incident, and it made me realize that the time I have left to spend with them isn't actually that much."
"Besides, my grandparents raised us when we were little, and for the past few years, it's been my brother supporting the family. As an adult and a member of the family, I should also share some of the responsibility. Also, there's no age limit for graduate studies, but some things, once missed, are gone for good."
That did make some sense.
After listening, Lu Jingming nodded and said with a smile, "Not many people your age think that way."
Xu Yanxia also smiled. "Then I'll take that as a compliment."
Just as she finished speaking, the cold appetizer she had ordered arrived.
Xu Yanxia handed chopsticks to Lu Jingming and urged him, "This is pickled radish skin. It's made from a type of radish specific to the north, hard to find elsewhere. Please try it."
Lu Jingming picked up a piece and tasted it. It had the unique sweet-spicy flavor of radish, well-seasoned, pleasantly sour and appetizing, without too many additional condiments.
"A very home-style taste,"
he said. "It reminds me of something I had back in my hometown."
Xu Yanxia asked curiously, "Did you live in Qicheng before?"
Lu Jingming gave an affirmative hum. "When my mother was pregnant with Jingxi, I was at a mischievous age. My mother had limited energy, so she sent me to Qicheng to stay with my grandmother for over half a year. After that, I spent almost every summer and winter vacation back in Qicheng, right up until my grandmother passed away."
"So you were a left-behind child too,"
Xu Yanxia said half-jokingly, then introduced another dish. "I'm not sure if you're used to this either. It's also uncommon locally—toon shoots mixed with tofu."
"Of course I'm used to it."
Lu Jingming said, "I actually really like toon shoots. There used to be some behind the old house. My grandmother even fried 'toon fish' for me. It's just that besides my dad and me, no one else in the family likes the taste. Later, after Grandma passed away, I've hardly had it since."
"Is that so,"
Xu Yanxia said between bites. "Then next time we have toon shoots, I'll make a separate plate for you and Chairman Lu. It's not spring now, but there are greenhouse-grown ones. The flavor might not be as strong, but it can satisfy a craving."
"That would be great."
Lu Jingming took a bite and continued chatting with her. "I remember there was also a kind of white flower that grows on trees. My grandmother used to wrap it in dumplings for me. It had a light, fragrant taste."
"Locust flowers."
Xu Yanxia said with a smile. "Those bloom in early summer. It's a shame they haven't managed greenhouse cultivation for those yet. If you want to eat them, we'll have to wait until next year."
As her words fell, the slightly plump proprietress brought the freshly cooked potstickers to their table and chatted with her. "Haven't seen you for a few months, young lady. I thought you'd changed jobs."
Xu Yanxia smiled. "I did actually change jobs. I was here on business today, so I dropped by for a meal."
"Boyfriend?"
The proprietress glanced at Lu Jingming and winked at her. "Very handsome!"
"No,"
Xu Yanxia quickly explained. "My boss."
"Oh."
The proprietress nodded, complimenting Lu Jingming as well. "Handsome boss too. Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you."
Lu Jingming nodded politely at her and went back to eating the toon shoots with tofu.
Xu Yanxia felt a bit awkward and could only urge him to try the newly arrived potstickers. "These just came out of the pan, they're a bit hot. Be careful of the soup inside."
"Mhm,"
Lu Jingming obediently picked one up, tasted it carefully, and the flavor of seafood immediately filled his mouth. It was indeed very fresh and delicious.
What mattered most was that the ingredients were clearly fresh too.
Indeed, following someone who knows food when eating out ensures you won't be disappointed.
While they were eating, Xu Yanxia's phone suddenly vibrated.
She took it out and looked. It was a voice message from Luo Jiajia.
She tapped the voice message and heard Luo Jiajia asking with some urgency, "Xiao Xia, are you free to talk right now?"
Xu Yanxia quickly sent a voice reply. "I'm free. What's up?"
A reply came quickly, also a voice message.
As soon as she played it, she heard Luo Jiajia say angrily, "You have no idea how outrageous Jiu Shan is being! They actually turned it around and accused us of spreading rumors about them! They're even inciting netizens to cyberbully them! Just now, someone even called your brother and threatened him!"
The voice came through the speaker, and Lu Jingming, sitting across from her, also frowned.
