In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

As the sun began to set and the sky grew darker, the lights in the kitchen were turned on.

A 60-watt incandescent bulb hangs directly above the stove, its shade covered with a thick layer of grease, casting a dim, yellowish light.

Chen Wei stood in the halo of light, his shadow stretched extremely long.

On a sweltering summer night, beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

But his hands never stopped moving.

Under his palm, pieces of tender tofu were transformed into small cubes, each one centimeter square, perfectly uniform, as if cut by a machine.

Although it was just a late-night snack, Chen Wei didn't skimp on the food at all.

He didn't lessen his strength, the old cleaver slamming against the cutting board, making a "thud thud thud" sound.

In one go, he cut both slabs of tofu into small pieces, instantly creating a small mountain of white jade on the cutting board.

Then she turned around and went to prepare the ingredients for the hot and sour shredded vegetables.

Wu Xiaochun watched in disbelief. Why did Chen Wei's knife skills seem to have improved a little compared to the past two days?

I don't know if it's just my imagination.

As he was muttering to himself, Chen Wei suddenly spoke up and asked.

"How many people are working overtime at the factory today? Will we be able to sell all 200 servings of vegetables?"

"What a joke!" Wu Xiaochun's eyes widened, seemingly quite surprised that Chen Wei could ask such a question.

"Everyone's waiting to eat your food! How could you possibly not sell it all!"

Just now, when he went to the workshop to make the announcement, the group of people in the workshop cheered in unison, even happier than if they had received a bonus!

That makes sense; the work on the steel mill production line is inherently quite tiring.

When Chen Wei is not around, the canteen occasionally provides late-night snacks and extra meals, but they are usually just steamed buns, porridge, and pickled vegetables.

Everyone just made do with one bite.

Unlike today, when someone even cooks a meal for everyone.

Who wouldn't want to enjoy a delicious, juicy Mapo Tofu when they're working themselves to the bone and feeling dizzy with hunger?

Thinking of Chen Wei's cooking at noon, Wu Xiaochun couldn't help but lick his lips, savoring that unforgettable taste.

Then, a sizzling sound was heard from Chenwei's side, and the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns immediately wafted out—the hot and sour shredded vegetables had already been stir-fried!

Wu Xiaochun quickly went over.

With a flick of his wrist, Chen Wei drew a perfect arc with the large ladle, and a large spoonful of vegetable oil slid directly into the bottom of the pot.

The Sichuan peppercorns tumbled twice in the vegetable oil at the bottom of the pot, releasing a strong aroma.

"Sizzle—"

The shredded potatoes, still glistening with water droplets, were thrown into the pot, and Chen Wei stirred them vigorously with a large ladle in his hand.

Next came shredded carrots and shredded kelp!

"Flip the wok!"

As Chen Wei murmured softly, the shredded vegetables of three colors drew a perfect arc in the double-eared pot, flipped in the air, and obediently fell back into the pot.

After tossing the wok three times, the familiar, pungent, sour, and spicy aroma immediately filled the air, making Wu Xiaochun's mouth water.

He couldn't help but swallow hard, and quickly pressed his lips against hers.

"Chen Wei! You can't handle it all by yourself, I'll stay and work overtime with you tonight!"

By staying to work overtime, one can legitimately enjoy this free extra meal.

He couldn't miss such a good opportunity.

"Okay!" Chen Wei said with a smile.

As he said this, his hands continued to move.

He quickly washed the pot and put the large double-handled pot back on the coal stove.

Not long after, it was time for the next dish: Mapo Tofu.

The tofu in the pot trembled gently in the red broth, as if it had come to life.

While busy working, Wu Xiaochun kept glancing into the pot.

The aroma was so enticing that he couldn't concentrate on his work!

Finally, when Chen Wei's dishes were ready, Wu Xiaochun rushed over and hurriedly filled the two large enamel basins with the dishes into the insulated container.

"I'll take it to them! You can rest!"

The steel mill's rule is that workers eat in the canteen during the day, which naturally costs money.

This late-night snack is free.

The food I like to eat isn't anything fancy. Usually, the kitchen helpers just prepare whatever's available, enough to fill my stomach.

Today, however, is an exception.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work!" Chen Wei said, helping Wu Xiaochun pack both dishes into the thermos.

Then, a cotton cloth was laid in another large bamboo basket before a large basket of mixed grain steamed buns was put into the large bamboo basket.

Wu Xiaochun pushed a cart over, loaded 200 servings of vegetables onto it, and pushed it towards the production line.

Having finally escaped Chen Wei's sight, Wu Xiaochun could no longer hold back.

He quickly and quietly lifted the lid of the two insulated containers containing the food, leaned in, and took a deep breath.

"It smells so good!" he murmured to himself, taking a large spoon out of the bamboo basket.

That thing is usually used to hold soup, but right now Wu Xiaochun used that big spoon to scoop up a huge spoonful of Mapo Tofu and poured it into his mouth.

He looked like he hadn't eaten for days.

Chen Wei's dishes are always in high demand, and apart from the hot and sour shredded vegetables on the first day, he hasn't had a chance to properly taste the Mapo Tofu on the second day! He's been craving it for ages!

Wu Xiaochun shivered as a large spoonful of Mapo Tofu was poured into his mouth, the heat making him tremble.

But he couldn't bear to spit it out at all, and he forced it down while hissing out hot breath.

"It smells so good!" Wu Xiaochun squinted his eyes as he ate, praising it repeatedly.

He turned around and scooped out another big spoonful.

Almost everyone in the kitchen steals food, but Wu Xiaochun's blatant act of stealing is a bit too much.

The boy ate until he was half full, then let out a satisfied burp and put the thermos back on.

At this point, at least five servings of Mapo Tofu had disappeared from the thermos.

The workers on the production line were naturally unaware of all this. As soon as Wu Xiaochun delivered the insulated buckets, they cheered and surrounded him.

When they saw the two dishes neatly arranged in the insulated container, everyone cheered like wild monkeys.

"Chef Chen is so dedicated! When have we ever received this kind of treatment while working overtime online! I'm so glad I worked this overtime today!"

Inside the thermos, the bright red tofu glistened under the light, and as soon as the thermos was opened, the aroma of Sichuan peppercorn powder hit you right in the face.

The workers could no longer contain themselves and practically swarmed forward, each one like an old dog hunting for food, as the insulated buckets were about to be snatched up by this pack of hungry wolves.

Finally, the line manager shouted it out.

"Stop! Stop! Stop fighting! Haven't you ever seen food before?! Everyone line up, one serving each!"

So what if there's a queue! As long as there's food to eat, that's all that matters!

Muttering to themselves, they obediently began to form a long queue.

Those who received their food were naturally overjoyed, while those waiting in line looked anxious.

Of course, the stale smell in these scenes on the production line is completely unknown to them.

He just sat in the kitchen staring at his system panel, looking at the numbers that kept overflowing, and felt a little strange.

[Ding—Reputation Points +1]

[Ding—, Reputation Points +1]

Current Reputation Points: 620/500

"What's going on? My reputation points are clearly overflowing, but I haven't leveled up yet?"

Chen Wei scratched his head in confusion.

But as soon as he said those words, a notification sound he had never heard before popped up in his mind.

[Ding— Multiple overflows of reputation points detected. Overflow title awarded: Somewhat Famous]