1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

"How many?" he asked with a smile. The boss was short and slightly overweight, wearing a white apron, and his hands were still covered in flour.

"Three people."

"Sit down, sit down," the owner said, wiping the table with a cloth. "What would you like to eat?"

Xie Lu handed the menu to Zhao Wanwan and Liu Zhenyu: "You guys order whatever you like, it's on me today."

The menu was handwritten, a red sheet of paper with the names and prices of the dishes written on it in calligraphy.

Zhao Wanwan glanced at the menu; the meat dishes were all quite expensive. After looking at it several times, she whispered, "How about some stir-fried greens? And some scrambled eggs with tomatoes?"

Liu Zhenyu was also secretly taken aback when he saw the prices on the menu, and then followed up with Zhao Wanwan's words: "Yes, vegetarian dishes are fine. You don't earn your writing fees easily, don't spend them recklessly."

Although Liu Zhenyu and Zhao Wanwan kept saying they wanted to treat Xie Lu to a good meal, once they got to the restaurant, they were only thinking about saving Xie Lu money.

Xie Lu witnessed all of this.

Seeing that the two were hesitant to order, Xie Lu took the menu and looked at it.

Lawyer Xie laughed and said, "You promised to rip me off, and this is all you're ordering?"

Braised pork slices: 1.2 yuan.

Sweet and sour pork: 1.5 yuan.

Pickled cabbage and pork hot pot: two pieces.

Blood sausage: Seven hairs.

Stir-fried greens: 2 mao (0.2 yuan).

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes: 6 mao (0.6 yuan).

Rice: Free.

......

Xie looked up at the boss and said, "Stir-fried pork slices, sweet and sour pork, sauerkraut and pork hot pot, blood sausage, stir-fried greens, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and three bowls of rice."

The boss noted it down: "Okay."

Zhao Wanwan quietly tugged at Xie Lu's clothes under the table.

Xie Lu turned to look at her.

"Too much," Zhao Wanwan muttered softly. "We can't finish it, and it's expensive."

"Yeah, Ritsuko, how much will it cost with all this meat and vegetables?"

Xie Lu smiled and said, "It's alright. We can pack up the leftovers. We're happy today, so we should eat something good."

The boss, who was listening nearby, chuckled and said, "Young man, you're straightforward. Don't worry, I'll cook it well for you; I guarantee it will be delicious."

After he finished speaking, he turned and went into the kitchen. Soon, the sounds of chopping vegetables, stir-frying vegetables, and the aroma of oil wafted out.

Zhao Wanwan was still feeling the pinch of the money, quietly calculating: "The braised pork slices are 1.2 yuan, the sweet and sour pork is 1.5 yuan, the sauerkraut hot pot is 2 yuan, the blood sausage is 0.8 yuan, the greens are 0.4 yuan, and the eggs are 0.6 yuan. That's 6.5 yuan, which is almost a month's salary for my dad."

Liu Zhenyu was also astonished: "Six yuan and fifty cents...that's enough for my living expenses for several months."

Xie Lu felt a warmth in his heart as he watched the two whispering to each other.

That's what friends are like. They might say they're going to rip you off, but when it comes to actually spending money, they're even more reluctant than you are to spend it.

Xie Lu, the one who was being ripped off today, actually came over to comfort the two of them: "It's okay, the manuscript fee is six hundred, spending six yuan and fifty cents is not much."

"You can't just spend it recklessly. There will be many places where you'll need money when you go to Wuhan."

"Okay, okay, just this one meal, and don't let it happen again."

As they were talking, the dishes were served one after another.

The first dish served was braised pork slices. The pork was cut into chunks, coated with starch, and deep-fried until golden brown. Then it was stir-fried with green peppers and carrots, drizzled with a thickening sauce, and looked glossy and fragrant.

Next up is Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork), large slices of pork tenderloin, fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce, and sprinkled with shredded scallions, ginger, and carrots—it looks incredibly appealing.

The pickled cabbage and pork belly hot pot was served in a small pot. The pickled cabbage was finely chopped, the pork belly was thinly sliced, and there were also glass noodles and frozen tofu. The soup was boiling and steaming.

The blood sausage was sliced ​​and arranged on a plate, with a small dish of minced garlic and soy sauce on the side.

Stir-fried greens are vibrant green, while scrambled eggs with tomatoes are a beautiful mix of red and yellow.

Three bowls of steaming hot rice.

Seeing that all the dishes were served, Zhao Wanwan and Liu Zhenyu stopped grumbling and were both drooling over the sumptuous dishes in front of them.

The three of them picked up their chopsticks.

Liu Zhenyu first picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, and found it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a savory and delicious flavor. His eyes lit up immediately: "Delicious!"

Zhao Wanwan picked up a slice of sweet and sour pork, which was crispy and delicious. She nodded in agreement, "It really is delicious."

Xie Lu smiled and served everyone a bowl of sauerkraut soup.

The pickled cabbage is tangy and refreshing, the pork belly is fatty but not greasy, and the soup is piping hot, making your stomach feel comfortable after drinking it.

The three of them ate and chatted.

Liu Zhenyu said that he will be admitted to university next year and wants to become a physics teacher in the future.

Xie Lu was not surprised by Liu Zhenyu's idea, after all, Liu Zhenyu was a physics teacher in his previous life.

"Hello, physics teacher. You have a good foundation in physics. Study hard and you will be able to teach good students in the future."

"I hope so. But I think the most important thing for a teacher is not how deep their knowledge is, but how well they can teach. Some teachers know the material, but they can't explain it clearly, so their students can't understand it."

Hearing Liu Zhenyu say this, Zhao Wanwan quickly chimed in:

"That's true. I also want to be a teacher in the future, but I'm afraid I won't be able to teach well."

"You can definitely do it. You're patient and diligent, which are two very important qualities for a teacher," Xie Lu said, giving Zhao Wanwan his unwavering support.

Hearing Xie Lu's undisguised agreement, Zhao Wanwan blushed and quickly lowered her head to eat.

As we chatted, the topic turned to Wuhan University and East China Normal University.

"I heard that Wuhan University has a very large campus, with mountains and lakes, like a park."

"Yes. Luojia Mountain and East Lake both have beautiful scenery."

"East China Normal University is not far from Wuhan University, just a few bus stops away."

"Then we can visit each other often from now on. Ritsuko, you have to take good care of Wanwan. She's a girl, living so far from home."

"I know."

Zhao Wanwan blushed even more and whispered, "I'm not a child..."

The three chatted and laughed until they had almost finished eating.

We definitely ordered too much food; there's still quite a bit left.

Xie packed up the leftovers: braised pork slices and sweet and sour pork in one box, pickled cabbage and pork hot pot in another, and blood sausage and green vegetables in yet another.

"Take it back, we can reheat it and eat it tonight." Xie Lu gave all the leftovers to Liu Zhenyu.

These days, giving someone such a lavish amount of leftovers isn't considered disrespectful.

Although Liu Zhenyu's family is a dual-income family, they can only afford to have such a sumptuous meal during the Chinese New Year.

"I'm so sorry."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Xie Lu stood up and went to the counter to pay.

The shopkeeper calculated: "It'll be six yuan and fifty cents in total."

Xie Lu took out his money, counted out six one-yuan bills, and then took out a fifty-cent bill and put it on the counter.

The shopkeeper took it, smiled, and said, "Young man, you're honest. Come again sometime."

"Yes."

The three of them carried the packed groceries out of the restaurant.

The sun was shining brightly outside. It was already past one o'clock in the afternoon. The three of them ate for an hour. The streets were getting busier, bicycle bells were ringing, and occasionally there was the roar of a tractor.

"Where do we go next?"

"Let's go back. I have to go back to the village. I still need to pack my things tomorrow."

"Okay, you two need to be careful. I'll take you there on the 4th."

The three of them got on their bikes and parted ways at the intersection.

Liu Zhenyu headed east and went home.

Xie Lu and Zhao Wanwan headed west, first taking Zhao Wanwan home, and then Xie Lu returned to Shuangshui Village.

After riding for a while, Xie Lu looked back.

Liu Zhenyu's figure had already disappeared around the street corner.

He then turned his head and continued riding forward.