Chapter 67 State-run Restaurant

After her bath, she went upstairs and gave Gou Dan some instructions, asking it to prepare lunch and dinner the next day. Only then did she return to her bedroom and lie down on the bed Gou Dan had made for her, drifting into a night of sound sleep.

The next morning, she was awakened by a knock at the door from outside.

“Comrade Zhong, are you up yet?”

Zhong Yuxiu blinked for a few seconds, rubbed her face, and felt much clearer. She tilted her head toward the door and called out, “I’m up.”

The corridor fell silent. Zhong Yuxiu reluctantly got out of bed, her mind still groggy. She dragged her feet to the wardrobe, found a thick set of clothes to put on, making sure to wear warmer trousers as well. She quickly tied her hair back, yawning as she made her way downstairs.

“Yuxiu, good morning.”

“Good morning, Comrade Zhong.”

“Good morning, Comrade Zhong.”

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo were waiting for her in the main hall.

Her eyes still hazy with sleep, Zhong Yuxiu gave another delicate yawn and lazily replied, “Morning, you two.”

“Still sleepy? Want to rest for a bit longer?” Yan Rushan stood up from the sofa, put down his newspaper, and walked toward the stairs, reaching out his hand to her. “You came home late last night. It’s best to sleep in a little—lack of rest is bad for your health.”

If this went on, her sleep quality would get worse.

Zhong Yuxiu shook her head, placed her small hand in his palm, stepped down the last stair, then released his hand as she headed to the bathroom. When she emerged again, she felt more energetic. Though her delicate face still betrayed a hint of laziness, she was now fully awake.

“Still sleepy?” Yan Rushan walked up to her, asking softly.

“Not anymore,” she replied. Whether she’d get sleepy again later, she couldn’t say. Subconsciously, Zhong Yuxiu started toward the dining room but halted suddenly. “I forgot to ask Gou Dan to make breakfast.”

Yan Rushan smiled gently, his eyes full of indulgence. “Let’s eat out. The state-run restaurant near here should be open by now.”

“That’s fine,” Zhong Yuxiu said, a little embarrassed as she retracted her step. “Let’s go, it’s getting late. We still have to get to the university.”

After locking the main door, the four of them left the compound and headed straight for the state-run restaurant near Huada University.

The restaurant before them was old, with quite a history, and was called the State-run Renewal Restaurant. Despite the name, it was really just a shop selling meals, and people ate at the tables set up outside. The tables lined the edge of the street, with crowds constantly passing by, and bicycles and buses in abundance.

“Comrade Zhong, why don’t we buy breakfast and take it back to the university?” Hao Nan frowned. “It’s dusty here, and there are no seats left.”

The few simple tables were already packed.

“All right.” Zhong Yuxiu had no objections. In her first life, she was just an ordinary orphaned student who had endured all kinds of hardships. Eating snacks by the roadside was common for her, so she remained composed in such surroundings.

The food at the state-run restaurant was considered a luxury for most people at this time—many couldn’t afford to eat out every day.

“Yuxiu, I’ll go buy breakfast. What would you like?” Yan Rushan asked.

“What do they have?” The serving window was crowded, so Zhong Yuxiu had to stand on tiptoe to peer inside, catching a glimpse of a few baskets of steamed buns, plain buns, soy milk, and what looked like fried dough sticks.

Yan Rushan, being tall, craned his neck and took in the whole scene. “Soy milk, fried dough sticks, steamed buns, plain buns, twisted rolls, and there are also stir-fried dishes. The stir-fried dishes are made in a big pot—not very appealing. What would you like? I’ll get it.”

“One serving of soy milk, two of each: twisted rolls, vegetable buns, and sweet buns.” She hadn’t yet tried the food from a state-run restaurant and wanted to give it a proper taste.

“All right.” Yan Rushan turned to Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo. “And you two?”

Hao Nan shook his head. “I’ll go buy mine. What about you, Comrade Yan?”

“No need, just tell me,” Yan Rushan insisted. Hao Nan didn’t push further. “A few plain buns for me.”

“Same for me, thank you,” Tian Shangguo chimed in, then fell silent.

Yan Rushan nodded slightly, stepped into the crowd, and managed to buy several portions of breakfast. The soy milk came in a paper cup, while the buns and such were wrapped in oil paper. He returned and handed everyone their share.

“Thank you.” Hao Nan dug into his pocket, pulling out three yuan and two ration tickets. “For our meals and Comrade Zhong’s.”

“No need for Comrade Zhong’s,” Yan Rushan said, taking one ticket and refusing the rest.

So be it.

Hao Nan rubbed his chin, feeling a bit full, though he hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet.

Tian Shangguo gave him a little tug, grabbed the money and ration tickets, stuffed them back in Hao Nan’s pocket, and turned to Zhong Yuxiu. “Comrade Zhong, it’s time to get to the university.”

“Mm.” Zhong Yuxiu responded softly, clutching her oil-paper package and cup as she walked off with Yan Rushan and the others.

On the way, Zhong Yuxiu sniffed the oil-paper package—a rich aroma of white flour wafted out. She pressed her lips together in a slight smile. “Smells so good.”

“Try it. If you like it, I’ll buy it for you every day.” Walking beside her, Yan Rushan glanced down, his gaze softening as he slowed his pace to match hers.

“All right.” She unwrapped the oil paper, revealing two palm-sized plain buns, four stuffed buns, and two twisted rolls—not the most attractive sight, but the sweet scent lingered, probably because they were fresh from the steamer.

“Can you eat the crust?” Yan Rushan asked.

“I can. I’m not picky.” As long as it wasn’t too unpalatable, she could eat anything.

Zhong Yuxiu took a bite of one of the plain buns. It was soft and fluffy—though not much to look at, the texture was decent.

“Not bad. Sweet and fragrant.” It wasn’t easy to ferment the buns to this degree.

“Do you like it?”

She nodded lightly. “I do. It’s nice now and then, but eating it all the time would get old.” So, no need to buy it every day.

“As you wish.” What mattered most was her preference.

Yan Rushan walked her to the gate of Huada University. “Have a good day at work. I’ll come pick you up at noon.”

“All right. You take care as well.” She walked past him, then suddenly stopped, turned, and waved. “See you.”

“See you at noon.”

Zhong Yuxiu turned and entered, her figure disappearing through the school gates. Yan Rushan stood there for a long while. Since they had met, this was the first time she had expressed concern for him, and his heart felt warmly content.

Hao Nan shook his head with a laugh and dragged Tian Shangguo away. They still hadn’t eaten breakfast and needed to head to their usual hiding spot to fill their stomachs.

Yan Rushan seemed oblivious, absently rubbing his fingertips at his side. He lowered his head with a slight smile, cleared his throat, and when he looked up, the smile was gone. After standing for a moment, he turned and walked away.

Inside Huada University.

Zhong Yuxiu entered the office. Professor Ding had already arrived and was sorting through his textbooks, apparently about to go teach a class.

“Good morning, Professor Ding.”

“Good morning.” Professor Ding lifted his eyelids slightly and smiled. “You’re early, Comrade Zhong. You must have gotten home quite late last night. Weren’t you afraid, walking at night?”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded. “It was a bit late, but I had company, so there was nothing to fear.”

Only then did Professor Ding recall that she had security assigned to her, always accompanying her wherever she went. At night, when she came to class, her guards would be even more vigilant. Her intellect was too valuable—a single mishap would not only cost the guards their jobs but would also be a significant loss to the country’s scientific community.

No one could bear such a heavy responsibility.