Chapter 719: An Extra Meal
Li Fugui suddenly grinned mischievously. "I don’t think you need to bother. Tan You is trying to lose weight, so she definitely won’t eat much. Knowing her, there’ll be plenty for us."
Teacher Lin chuckled. "That’s true. Whenever she makes an elaborate dish, she really doesn’t eat much of it herself. And yet, she loves to stay busy in the kitchen."
Li Fugui got out of bed and put on his shoes. "I’m going to go wash up. Tan You will be over any minute. She heads to school early, and yesterday she even said she’d make siu mai for Guoguo. We can’t let her catch us still in bed."
Thinking about it, Teacher Lin also climbed out of bed and started washing rice to make porridge. It had to be said, ever since Tan You moved in next door, they had gotten to enjoy a lot of her cooking. She was getting used to it now.
As the rice cooker bubbled away, Tan You’s voice came from outside. "Teacher Li, good morning! I made siu mai, steamed dumplings, and potstickers today. It’s too much for one person to eat."
Li Fugui glanced at the two large food containers in Tan You’s hands, his expression curious. "Did something good happen? You seem to be in a great mood today."
Tan You smiled. "I’m just in a good mood. I solved a few challenging problems yesterday, and it felt really satisfying. When I’m happy, I like to cook, but I have to watch what I eat and can’t have too much. So I was hoping you could help me out, Teacher Li."
"Oh, right, this is braised pork. I kept some for myself. You can have it in a steamed bun or with a flatbread."
"Teacher Li, I’m heading to my classroom now."
Flicking her ponytail, Tan You walked briskly toward Cao Haiyan’s dorm room. She had been in such a good mood this morning that she’d made a little too much food. Now she needed to find someone to help her with it.
’How about Gu Qiuxia?’
The night before, Gu Qiuxia had dreamed of all kinds of delicious food, and she’d woken up drooling with regret that it was only a dream. But after seeing the breakfast Tan You had brought, Gu Qiuxia’s face lit up with joy. "Meat this early in the morning? That’s pretty heavy."
"But I love it."
Tan You reached out and smoothed Gu Qiuxia’s messy bedhead. "Hurry and wash up. I’ll wait for you all to finish eating, then we can go together."
Gu Qiuxia gave Tan You a big bear hug, then shuffled off in her slippers to wash up in the outer room. Soon, Yin Xiu and Cao Haiyan had both gathered in Gu Qiuxia’s little room. The three of them huddled around the small table, their heads close together as they wolfed everything down.
The landlady brought over a few bowls of porridge. "I saw they hadn’t come for breakfast, so I knew you must be here, Tan You. I brought them some porridge."
Tan You took the tray from her. "Let me take that. We’ll bring the dishes back later."
Saying this, Tan You carried the tray back to Gu Qiuxia’s room. Gu Qiuxia’s mouth was already glistening with oil from the food, and when she saw Tan You enter, she could only manage a couple of muffled grunts.
Tan You placed the plain porridge in front of the three of them. "It’s still hot. Slow down, there’s no rush."
Gu Qiuxia swallowed a piece of braised pork. "It’s too delicious, I can’t slow down. Tan You, how are you so incredible? Your grades are amazing, and you’re such a good cook on top of that."
"Can you guys finish all these siu mai? If not, I’ll pack them up and take them to class. They’re still good even when they’re cold."
Watching her, Tan You felt that Gu Qiuxia really had it rough. She got hungry so quickly; no matter how much she ate for breakfast, her stomach was guaranteed to be growling by third period. Tan You marveled at how efficient the girl’s digestive system was.
Yin Xiu and Cao Haiyan couldn’t eat another bite. The two sat on Gu Qiuxia’s small bed and just watched her devour everything in sight. Hearing Gu Qiuxia’s question, they both waved their hands in refusal. "You eat them. We’re both stuffed."
Gu Qiuxia was satisfied. Tan You spotted an insulated food jar in her room. "The siu mai has pork fat in it; eating them cold might upset your stomach. Pack them in the food jar and take them with you. They should still be warm when you eat them later."
This was a solution Gu Qiuxia had come up with herself. High school students didn’t get much of an allowance, and with an appetite like hers, her pocket money wasn’t nearly enough to buy snacks every day.
Therefore, Gu Qiuxia usually got an extra bowl of plain porridge from the landlady in the morning, which she would take to class with some pickled vegetables. This would be her snack during the long break between periods.
Every time Tan You saw Gu Qiuxia drinking plain porridge and eating pickled vegetables in the classroom, she thought it was both cute and a little sad. Gu Qiuxia came from an average family and didn’t have much pocket money. With such a big appetite, she had no choice but to find ways to fill her stomach, right?
Gu Qiuxia considered it and agreed. "Yeah, you’re right! Today during the long break, I finally don’t have to drink plain porridge. My mouth has been so bland I can’t taste anything."
Yin Xiu chimed in, "You actually have it pretty good, you know. Think about it. When we get back, the landlady always asks if we’ve had enough to eat. She even made you egg fried rice last time when she saw you were hungry."
While packing the siu mai into the insulated food jar, Gu Qiuxia said, "I’ve realized something since starting high school—I’ve met so many kind people. You and Haiyan are wonderful, Tan You is wonderful, and the landlady is wonderful, too."
"You have no idea. At home, my mom can’t stand me. She’s always complaining about me and my dad, saying we eat too much." Gu Qiuxia imitated her mother’s voice, "’Just look at the two of you, father and daughter. Even pigs don’t eat as much as you do, and you don’t even gain any weight...’"
Yin Xiu and Cao Haiyan couldn’t help but laugh, and Tan You broke into a smile as well. "You’re at a critical age for growth right now. You can’t afford to go hungry. It’s not good for your health in the long run."
Gu Qiuxia replied, "I know. That’s why my mom, knowing I eat a lot, never lets me go hungry. We just don’t get that much meat, that’s all. There’s always enough regular food to get full on."
When they saw Tan You start to help clear away the food containers, Yin Xiu and Cao Haiyan rushed to stop her. "We’ll do it ourselves! Why don’t you grab our textbooks for us? We’ll leave right after, and we can bring the containers to your dorm at lunch."
Tan You didn’t argue. She waited outside Gu Qiuxia’s dorm room for five minutes, and then the three of them emerged, shaking their wet hands. Gu Qiuxia was carrying the large insulated food jar, her face a picture of pure, smug satisfaction.
’Life is just too good these days,’ she thought. ’Not only do I have an academic ace looking out for me in my studies, but she’s always taking care of me in my daily life, too. How did I get so lucky?’
During the long break, the classroom filled with the sounds of snacking as various smells mingled in the air. But when Gu Qiuxia took out her large insulated food jar, all the students around her couldn’t help but stare.
No matter how many times they had seen it, and despite knowing what a big appetite Gu Qiuxia had, everyone still couldn’t resist looking whenever she had her snack. In the past, she always brought plain porridge. ’Is it porridge again today?’ they wondered.
However, the students all around her were left disappointed. Today, Gu Qiuxia had not brought plain porridge. Inside the food jar, stacked in two layers, were six siu mai. Each one was the size of an adult’s palm, with a paper-thin wrapper through which you could see the glistening, translucent grains of rice.
Mixed in with the rice were diced shiitake mushrooms, bits of meat, and green peas. In no time, the fragrant aroma began to waft through the air.
Gu Qiuxia still had her manners. She first turned to Cao Haiyan, Yin Xiu, and Tan You. "Are you guys hungry? Want some?"
Cao Haiyan and Yin Xiu shook their heads in unison. "No, thanks. I can’t eat another bite."
Tan You waved a hand as well. "I’m full, too."