Chapter 78: Tenderness Hidden in the Details
"What kind of place?" Su Yuqing was a little curious.
"A wonton and dumpling shop. It’s a nice place for a late-night bite." After speaking with a smile, Chen Mo put an arm around Su Yuqing to guide her out of the crowd, only letting go once they were clear.
After all, he knew that Su Yuqing was shy about such intimate contact.
Even though she didn’t seem to resist, Chen Mo was still very considerate of her feelings.
The shop Chen Mo mentioned was rather well-hidden, tucked away in the residential area near his home.
It was a hidden gem of a restaurant that only the local residents knew about.
It only opened at 8:00 PM each night and closed at 2:00 AM the next morning.
The owner was very laid-back, but his skills were excellent. Both the wontons and dumplings were delicious.
Whenever Chen Mo had a late-night craving, he would come here for a bite.
Su Yuqing followed Chen Mo as he turned into a narrow alley, where the bluestone path glowed with a warm yellow halo under the streetlights.
Old buildings on both sides of the alley were covered in ivy, which rustled when the night breeze blew past, making the surroundings seem all the more tranquil.
"We’re here." Chen Mo stopped in front of a wooden door with a bamboo curtain. A faded red lantern hung above the door, and from the smudged ink, one could just make out the two characters for "Xu’s."
As he lifted the curtain, a small bronze bell on the doorframe chimed softly. A cloud of steam, thick with the aroma of noodles, rushed out to greet them.
Inside, there were only four square elm tables in total, with a yellowed price list pasted on the wall.
A bald old man peeked out from behind the counter. Upon seeing Chen Mo, his face broke into a smile full of wrinkles. "Well now, Xiaochen, you brought your girlfriend today? The usual?"
As the cheerful owner looked her over, the tips of Su Yuqing’s ears instantly burned. She lowered her head, staring at the old flour particles embedded in a crack at the corner of the table.
After they sat down, Chen Mo leaned closer to Su Yuqing and whispered with a laugh, "Elder Xu’s eyesight is bad. Last time, he even mistook Zhou Hao, who had long hair, for a girl. It made him so embarrassed he hasn’t dared to grow his hair that long since."
Imagining the scene, Su Yuqing couldn’t help but laugh.
After that, Chen Mo turned to Elder Xu and said, "Elder Xu, two bowls of wontons, please. And a small order of fish balls and dumplings."
"You bring your girlfriend here and only get her a bowl of wontons? Is that enough for her to eat?" Elder Xu said immediately. "I’ll throw in some extra dumplings for you and charge you for a small portion."
"No, no, that’s okay. We have to get up early tomorrow. Eating too much this late won’t be good for digestion. Just the normal portion is fine," Chen Mo quickly stopped him.
"Then come by on a Friday and eat your fill next time," Elder Xu said with a smile.
"Okay, we’ll eat more next time," Chen Mo nodded with a smile.
Elder Xu skillfully prepared two bowls of wontons for them. The wontons cooked quickly, but the dumplings and fish balls needed a little more time.
When the blue-and-white porcelain bowls, filled with large, thin-skinned wontons, were placed on the table, Su Yuqing immediately leaned in to look at the scene within.
Translucent wonton skins enveloped pink shrimp, floating up and down in the clear broth. Golden fried lard bits and vibrant green scallions were sprinkled on top. It looked rather unremarkable.
But the aroma was incredibly fragrant.
Chen Mo scooped up a spoonful of broth, blew on it, and brought it to Su Yuqing’s lips. "Be careful, it’s hot," he said gently. "Elder Xu simmers this broth with eel bones for six hours. Have a sip of the soup first to moisten your lips and get used to the temperature, then you can eat the wontons."
Su Yuqing glanced around shyly. Seeing that the other customers weren’t looking their way for the moment, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaned forward, and gently sipped the wonton broth from Chen Mo’s spoon, which he had already cooled down a bit.
"Mm, it’s so savory and light," Su Yuqing said, her eyes lighting up with pleasant surprise.
"Elder Xu’s wontons are famous for their savory flavor. Try a wonton next, but make sure to cool it down a bit," Chen Mo said, smiling at Su Yuqing without rushing to eat from his own bowl.
Suddenly, the roar of a motorcycle came from outside. Elder Xu grabbed a long-handled ladle and banged it on the stovetop. "You brats! How many times have I told you not to rev your engines in the alley!"
Turning back, Elder Xu came to Chen Mo’s table with a small bag of dried shrimp and sprinkled a handful into their bowls. "Freshly sun-dried. Very flavorful."
Soaking in the local flavor and human warmth, Su Yuqing felt that this kind of life was truly peaceful and wonderful.
’Being with the person you like makes even the most ordinary days feel sweet and beautiful.’
Seeing Chen Mo waiting for her verdict, Su Yuqing picked up a wonton, blew on it gently to cool it down, and then slowly brought it to her mouth.
The moment she bit into it, the soupy filling immediately burst out, splattering onto the cuff of Chen Mo’s sleeve across from her.
She hurriedly fumbled for a napkin, only to see Chen Mo playfully take one out and first wipe the greasy corners of her mouth.
"Elder Xu’s wontons are the only ones that burst with juice like this. You’ll have to be more careful next time," Chen Mo said, before casually wiping the broth from his own cuff.
An old-fashioned radio in the corner crackled with the song "Innumerable Songs," and Elder Xu’s off-key humming mingled with the steam from the noodle soup, filling every corner of the shop.
After they had enjoyed half their bowls of wontons, Elder Xu came over with a small bowl of fish balls and dumplings.
Chen Mo took the steaming small porcelain bowl and placed it in front of Su Yuqing.
There were two types of fish balls in the dish: round ones and oblong ones. The round fish balls looked plump and cute as they rolled in the milky broth, while the oblong ones floated like little boats. Four shepherd’s purse and pork dumplings, their jade-green pleated edges showing, were nestled among them.
The portion didn’t look large, but the contents were quite rich.
"Here, try some," Chen Mo said with a smile.
Just as Su Yuqing picked up a fish ball with her chopsticks, a drunkard at the next table suddenly staggered to his feet. The sharp scrape of his bamboo chair against the floor tiles made her jump, and the fish ball fell back into the soup with a PLOP, splashing up oily droplets.
"Careful you don’t get burned." Chen Mo calmly moved her bowl inward by half an inch, his fingertips brushing against the back of her cool hand. "Elder Xu makes these fish balls by hand. It’s his own secret recipe. When you bite into it, you can see the threads of dried tangerine peel mixed inside."
Before he had even finished speaking, Elder Xu was already walking around to the drunkard’s table, rolling pin in hand. "Liu San! How many times have I told you? Get up steadily! Stop all this racket! If you cause any more trouble, I’m calling your wife!"
Amid the roaring laughter of the other diners, the man instantly deflated, shrinking his neck and slinking out through the curtain.
Su Yuqing couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle. Seeing her become more cheerful, Chen Mo subconsciously began to smile along with her.
Soon, Su Yuqing’s attention returned to the food in front of her. She was genuinely curious about what the strange combination of fish balls and dried tangerine peel would taste like.
As she bit into the fish ball in her spoon, her eyes widened. Golden oil oozed out from between her teeth, and the fresh fragrance of tangerine peel blended with the savory sweetness of mackerel, exploding on her tongue.
She was just about to speak when Chen Mo suddenly used a napkin to gently wipe a speck of oil from the tip of her nose. "Not bad, right? I’ll bring you here again tomorrow."
The warm yellow pendant light cast a delicate shadow beneath his eyelashes. Su Yuqing watched him roll up his sleeve to help her, and she suddenly recalled something she’d read about horoscopes during evening self-study. ’Cancer men hide their gentleness in the details.’
She could deeply feel the gentleness and thoughtfulness of the boy before her.
This feeling was even more intoxicating than the delicious food.
Su Yuqing’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and nodded.