News from Taiwan

Chapter 67 Blood Ties

Lu Qing covered his mouth with his phone, wishing he could slap himself. His mouth was so useless; he was just too excited and accidentally shouted it out.

Now that's bad, we've been exposed, and we can't see it anymore.

No matter how much reluctance and regret you feel, it cannot change the facts.

To ease the awkwardness, he scratched his head and said, "Senior brothers, you can continue, continue, hahaha..." Under Shen Huaizhou's murderous glare, he reluctantly put down his phone, revealing a face that looked worse than crying.

He didn't mean it either... Who knew, that stubborn mouth!

The moment Jiang Guier turned her head and saw the person, she quickly pulled her hand back.

This is terrible! Just now... just now...

She shifted her gaze slightly to the side, not daring to meet Shen Huaizhou's eyes. Her emotions were surging, and she was being led astray, which was why she was...becoming too close to him.

However, as long as she isn't embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed. For example, right now, facing a dozen or so onlookers, she smiled gently, which made the few people who were trying to stir things up look around awkwardly.

Especially Liu Yu, the youngest, blushed because of Jiang Guier's laughter, but dared not laugh out loud and could only hold it in, which was quite amusing. This discovery made Jiang Guier's smile even sweeter.

"Um, senior brother, what were you guys talking about just now? You were so engrossed in it!" Lu Qing shamelessly tried to make amends.

Shen Huaizhou glared at him and said calmly, "We were just saying that the taste of this braised pork rice is similar to what we eat in Shanghai. The taste of the food is not much different. We were also saying that the strait cannot separate us from the fact that we are one family with the same roots."

If looks could kill, then this group of people on the other side wouldn't even exist right now.

That guy has absolutely no sense of propriety.

"That's right! Oyster omelet is just oyster omelet, the method is exactly the same. And the sweet potato starch sold here, the sweet potato seeds in Taiwan originally came from Fujian, so they are all from the same source."

Lu Qing echoed excitedly. He had initially had some expectations for this Taiwanese night market, but now that he looked at it, it was just so-so. It contained the same things that could be found and eaten in Shanghai, nothing special.

Eating here is just about trying something new; there's nothing particularly special or different. In terms of taste, he still prefers the flavors of Shanghai. Of course, the dishes that the vendors have modified according to the local dietary structure are more suitable for Shanghainese palates.

Upon hearing this, the stall owner paused, then looked up and said firmly, "We've always been one family." His weathered eyes shone with an astonishing light.

He is very old and has been selling braised pork rice at the night market for decades. He would never participate in the conversations of his customers.

At this moment, he took out his phone to show everyone a photo of his two elderly relatives. Pointing to the photo with his rough fingers, he said, “Look, the one on the left is my great-aunt. She has always lived in Zhangzhou. A few years ago, when cross-strait family visits were allowed, I finally met her. Unfortunately, my husband passed away early and I was unable to see her sister again. It is a great pity that we cannot reunite.”

But when I ate my aunt's oyster omelet, it tasted exactly the same as my husband's, even the dipping sauce was the same. I was a little unfamiliar with it at first, but after tasting it, everything was perfect. I truly understood what it means to say that home is where family is—it's the taste of memories… It's the legacy of a family. Although there are regrets, family is still family.

The crowd huddled together around the stall owner's phone, looking at the two elderly people in the photo, and couldn't help but sigh, "So, no matter how many years have passed, no matter how wide the strait is, the family's craftsmanship hasn't been broken, the taste hasn't changed, and the bond between relatives will never change. This is what it means to share the same roots!"

"We eat the same food, follow the same customs, and bleed the same blood."

The stall owner nodded emphatically, his tone somewhat emotional, "Fortunately, technology is so advanced now. We occasionally mail things to each other, and we also use video to discuss the new dishes we've made recently, teaching each other how to cook them. It's a lively and fun atmosphere, as if we're all sitting together, cooking and eating together. This is how compatriots on both sides of the strait should be, thinking of each other, supporting each other. What barriers can stand in the way of kinship?"

“In the past, travel was slow, and it was difficult and time-consuming to wait for a letter to cross the strait. Now, the internet connects us all, and as long as we can find each other, we can get in touch!” “Yes, it’s just the strait; how can it stop our family ties?”

"They're all one family."

"We're all family!"

“Miss Jiang, you will definitely get your wish this time and find your family.” Lu Qing turned to Jiang Guier, who was standing at the edge of the crowd, and said.

This remark drew the attention of those around them.

"Oh dear, that little girl is here to find her relatives."

“Oh my, so young, the person being searched for is so lucky.”

"The person she's looking for must be in his forties or fifties. I don't even know if we know him."

Jiang Guier suddenly received a lot of kindness, and she nodded and smiled in gratitude.

You can hear many different dialects among these people. The only thing they have in common is that they have a strong Taiwanese accent, but it is this unique Taiwanese accent that makes their words more endearing.

"You will get what you want!" Shen Huaizhou's voice rang in her ears.

"I got what I wanted."

"May all your wishes come true."

Success is imminent!

Liu Yu had barely finished saying "immediate success" when he was hit on the head. "What do you mean 'immediate success'? 'Success upon arrival'!"

"It should be 'immediate success! Immediate success!'" Liu Yu grumbled. "You old folks don't understand the language of young people." He was hit on the head as soon as he finished speaking.

"Listen carefully to what your elders are teaching." Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Lu Qing whispered in Liu Yu's ear, "Be good, okay?"

Liu Yu is the youngest in the team, a typical Gen Z, and has a very strong sense of self and his own opinions. He might argue with outsiders, but it's a different story with his own people.

At this moment, he raised his head, straightened his back, and said firmly, "We should listen to our elders, but only if they are correct. If our communication is completely unrelated, then there's no point in listening to them. Boss, you're a software developer, you work on AI, how could you make such a basic mistake?"

He stared with wide, bewildered eyes, feeling that everyone around him had become strange since he came to Taiwan, especially his boss.

"Kid, you're really pushing your luck." Lu Qing ignored him.

Such a perfect retreat route was shattered, which infuriated him. He decided to go back and properly "train" Xiao Liu.

"Alright, Xiao Liu is right. How can we communicate if we can't even understand each other? We've been here for a while, so let's not disturb their business." Shen Huaizhou said as he led the group out, walking alongside Jiang Guier as they passed by.

Lu Qing, who was following behind, raised an eyebrow. "Senior brother, what a brilliant plan!"
(End of this chapter)