Chapter 29: Chaff-and-Bran Wife of the 50s (29)

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Chaff-and-Bran Wife of the 50s (29)

Zhu Yun smiled and nodded without a word. She didn’t ask what or how much he wanted to eat, simply dishing out a generous portion of scallion pancakes, an enamel mug full of thick chicken soup, and a small plate of pickles.

"I’ll wait for you to get off work," Chu Shenyu said softly after a glance at her, taking the food. He then carried his tray to find a place to eat.

Zhu Yun called Sister-in-law Qian over. Before she could even say anything, the other woman smiled and said, "It’s all right, Chef Zhu, I’ll take care of the rest. We’ll have the meat and vegetables prepped by noon, so you just need to come and stir-fry a couple of dishes."

"You’ve barely taken a day off since Cafeteria Number One opened. A person can’t be wound up so tight all the time, you know?"

"You two haven’t seen each other in about a month. You should have a good long talk..."

’A young couple.’ A foolish blush crept onto Zhu Yun’s face.

Everything at work was running smoothly now. Zhu Yun and the two kitchen assistants had developed a good rhythm. They usually planned the next day’s three meals during dinner, which also helped the purchasing department buy the right ingredients.

Zhu Yun didn’t stand on ceremony. She just smiled lightly and nodded. "Thank you for all your hard work."

She paid for two hard-boiled eggs herself, peeled them, and broke them into chunks. She then added aromatic vinegar, sesame oil, chili rings, bean paste, a pinch of white sugar, and a spoonful of thick, fragrant sesame paste, tossing it all together.

"Hey, Chef Zhu, what delicious thing are you making now? Making a special dish just for Mr. Chu? Is there none for us?" someone in line behind her couldn’t help but ask when they saw what she was doing.

They knew there were many ways to eat eggs—hard-boiled, tea-smoked, scrambled, fried—but this was the first time they had ever seen hard-boiled eggs dressed like pickles.

But they didn’t even need to think about it to know it had to be delicious. If it wasn’t, Chef Zhu wouldn’t be making it specially for Mr. Chu.

All at once, everyone started clamoring for an order of their own.

Zhu Yun resignedly explained the recipe to Xu Xiaohui. All the seasonings were readily available, and there was a large basin full of hard-boiled eggs.

The people behind her found it novel and each ordered a portion, also with two hard-boiled eggs.

There wasn’t much skill involved in dressing the hard-boiled eggs. The chef at the next window figured it out with a single glance, asked Zhu Yun for a quick confirmation, then put up a paper sign and started selling his own basin of hard-boiled eggs the same way.

The upstairs and downstairs floors were close, so people on the upper floor who didn’t want to wait in line dashed downstairs. In no time, the kitchen assistants from downstairs had heard the news and come up in a group.

Sister-in-law Qian and the others knew Zhu Yun wasn’t one to keep secrets. Since she’d nodded her approval to the chef next door, she wouldn’t give the downstairs staff a hard time either. So they openly mixed a few bowls of the dressed eggs right in front of the visiting assistants.

Zhu Yun went to change out of her chef’s uniform. She washed her hands and face, then applied some Pearl & Snowflake Vanishing Cream. She stared narcissistically for a good while at the fair-skinned woman in the mirror, who no longer had a wheat-colored complexion.

Young people have a good foundation. Even with such a bad sunburn, just two or three months of her meticulous care had made her look like a completely different person.

The woman’s beautiful, delicate features were now fully revealed. Her foxy eyes shimmered with a watery light, and her thick lashes curled up naturally, fluttering like butterflies and stirring ripples in one’s heart.

A pert nose, small pink lips, and delicate, lustrous ears. Her fair, smooth, oval-shaped face tempered her bright beauty with a comfortable, breathtaking elegance. While not enough to topple nations, she was definitely a stunner who outshone all others.

She smiled, lips pressed together. ’I knew Chu Shenyu was coming today, so I made sure to wear these black tapered pants.’ They made her legs look long and straight.

On top, she wore a red-and-white checkered shirt. It had been tailored slightly at the waist, and the cuffs and collar were subtly altered, instantly elevating it to a more fashionable and refined level. Although it wasn’t like later eras where women flaunted their curves as a prized asset, it still vaguely outlined her feminine grace.

By the time Zhu Yun had finished styling her hair into two braids, almost everyone getting food in the cafeteria had a bowl of the dressed eggs in their hands!

Chu Shenyu was usually a fast eater. But since he’d been away on business for a month, many acquaintances brought their food over to talk to him. This delay meant that Zhu Yun caught him just as he was finishing his soup.

She smiled lightly, nodding at the people who looked her way, and sat down directly across from Chu Shenyu, pushing the bowl in her hands toward him.

Chu Shenyu paused, glanced up at her, and then, expressionless, went back to his soup.

Everyone getting food on the second floor was stunned by Zhu Yun’s appearance. After a few seconds of silence, they all started discussing in hushed, inexplicably excited tones:

"Where did this female comrade come from? For someone so pretty and well-dressed to appear, how could we not have known about her?"

"Did the Arts Troupe recruit someone new? Her looks are top-notch. She’s got good taste, too, setting her sights on Mr. Chu right away."

"Too bad Mr. Chu is already taken. Tsk, tsk. Is Mr. Chu even a man? How can he face a beauty like that and keep drinking his soup without batting an eye?"

Zhu Yun didn’t understand. She pushed the bowl forward a little more. ’Why is he being so difficult?’

’Has he grown distant after being away for a month?’

’Or maybe he met his true love on his business trip, which is why he’s unmoved even though I’m prettier now?’

But this time, Chu Shenyu drained his soup in one gulp and headed for the washing station without even lifting his gaze.

Zhu Yun went up and grabbed his sleeve. Before she could speak, he rudely brushed her arm away.

’How infuriating!’

Everyone around them had stopped to watch. They wanted to witness how the "Factory Hunk" would reject the newly-crowned "Factory Belle." This was definitely a historic moment, and they were lucky enough to be spectators. It would give them something to talk about for the next week.

"Miss, I’m already engaged. Please conduct yourself with dignity!" Chu Shenyu said, his face cold as he emphasized every word.

Zhu Yun froze, then suddenly realized. ’This pretty boy hasn’t recognized me?’

’Have I changed that much?’

’My nose, eyes, and mouth are the same. All that’s changed is that my skin is a few shades lighter. How does that make me a different person?’

She looked around in a daze. Of the several hundred people in the cafeteria, not a single one had recognized her!

Zhu Yun’s eyes suddenly darted. A mischievous thought came to her. She put on a cutesy, affected voice and said, "Mr. Chu, you’re not married yet, are you? As long as you’re not married, I have the right to pursue my own happiness!"

"Besides, how am I any worse than your fiancée? Am I not pretty enough?"

Mr. Chu kept his gaze fixed downward and said coolly, "I’m sorry, but I’m not a superficial person. I’m afraid I can’t appreciate your beauty."

With that, he turned to leave, not even stopping to wash his lunchbox, and walked directly toward the stairs.

’What is going on?’

’What does he mean, he’s not a superficial person?’

’And what’s this about not being able to appreciate my beauty?!’

Zhu Yun took a deep breath. ’So he’s justified because he can’t recognize me?’

She stepped forward and hissed through clenched teeth, "What’s wrong, Mr. Chu? You don’t even recognize your own wife?"

Now it was Chu Shenyu’s turn to be stunned. The voice just now, the vaguely familiar scent, and the word "wife"—it was all a bit much for him to process.

He finally started scrutinizing Zhu Yun, comparing her features to the ones in his memory. But even though he was an engineer with a decent memory, he couldn’t quite dredge up what she used to look like. All he could recall was a deep tan, a set of white teeth, and... the ever-present century egg tofu.