A Young Woman's Heart

"...Is there anything to eat?"

"Can I have instant noodles? The kind in a large cup. I have hot water in my car."

Packaged food generally doesn't have any problems.

Zuo Ziya didn't hesitate this time. Although she nodded reservedly, she couldn't help but lick her lips.

"Wait a minute, I'll get it for you in the car. Uh—what flavor do you want?"

"Whatever." Zuo Ziya didn't know much about instant noodles. She hadn't eaten them many times, and the ones she ate weren't the cheap ones from China, but the expensive ones she bought from abroad.

"Do you want it spicy?"

"No."

"Then let's have braised beef!" Huang Zhengyang shouted, opening the passenger door and jumping into the car.

For drivers who travel medium to long distances, instant noodles are an indispensable and convenient food in their vehicles. While other tasty snacks can fill their stomachs, they are definitely not as satisfying as a 'main meal' without them...

……

Chapter Twenty-Five: Left and Right

(One)

In fact, instant noodles already existed in ancient times.

It's just that back then it wasn't as convenient as it is now, with so many seasoning packets available. You could just steep it in a pot of boiling water and start eating right away.

Master Kong Braised Beef Noodles is one of the most common instant noodles in this vast country.

They can be found everywhere, from supermarkets to roadside stalls and trains.

However, this is ultimately a cheap food that only the poor eat.

If convenience is the priority, wouldn't it be more convenient for Zuo Ziya to eat at a restaurant or have the chef she hires cook in advance?

If portability is a priority, then bringing some bento boxes in advance is more suitable. Besides, as long as you have money, you can buy the food you want anywhere in the city.

As for the taste...

Then there's no need to even mention it.

So Zuo Ziya had never eaten such ordinary instant noodles.

I only eat it a few times, just to try it out, and even if the price is affordable for the average person, I would never waste the money.

A bucket costs several hundred yuan, and it has long since lost its original 'meaning' as instant noodles.

She watched as Huang Zhengyang took a stainless steel thermos from behind the passenger seat and poured water into two packets of instant noodles.

Spicy is his, braised beef flavor is hers.

A large amount of oil melted, with a pitifully small amount of ingredients floating on top.

Onions, carrots, corn chips... and thin slices of beef that, when added together, are no bigger than a fingernail.

Poverty and shabby conditions were evident everywhere.

The instant noodles that Zuo Ziya had eaten before, which had a lot of added ingredients, tasted completely different from the instant noodles that were similar to those bought directly from the store after being cooked.

"Haha, I'm hungry too, do you mind if I eat with you?"

Zuo Ziya brushed her slightly messy purple hair back and said, "Of course not, thank you."

"Come sit down and eat in the back of the truck; there are two small stools inside."

The sky, which had been calm just moments before, was suddenly swept in by the wind, with several dark clouds drifting in.

The typhoon seems to have finally affected this area.

However, the wind wasn't very strong; it was just enough to make one feel refreshed.

"By the way, do you have any hair ties or hair clips?" Zuo Ziya wanted to tie her hair up, but she had brought a new bag today and didn't have any of these little trinkets in it.

But as soon as she asked the question, she realized she had said something pointless.

Perhaps I was too tired, because I didn't think things through when I spoke.

How could a truck driver possibly carry something like that that women use?

"Let me look, maybe?" Huang Zhengyang's answer surprised her. He nimbly climbed back into the car and took out a very plain black backpack.

His wheat-colored right hand rummaged around inside for a bit, and pulled out a delicate little box.

The box was semi-transparent and looked very clean, with various women's items neatly arranged inside.

Hair clips, hair ties, combs, small mirrors, hair accessories... and even a few headbands.

Zuo Ziya's gaze turned strange; she even felt as if she had encountered someone of her own kind.

Seeing the expression on her face, Huang Zhengyang quickly explained, "Uh, this is for my younger brother. He sometimes rides with me on long trips, and since he often needs these things but can't find them, he saved a copy here."

"Your brother?"

"Haha, he's very cute. By today's popular standards of beauty, he'd be considered a pretty boy, right? Hmm... Anyway, he always dresses up quite meticulously and carefully, completely different from me."

Zuo Ziya nodded in understanding.

In peacetime, women's aesthetic preferences will gradually shift from liking masculinity to liking beauty, and the popular styles for men will also change accordingly.

Zuo Ziya had been to South Korea and Japan many times and had seen too many guys like this, so she wasn't surprised at all.

—The prerequisite is that she has to be beautiful. If she is like Huang Zhengyang, then she will really be a little surprised.

Can I choose one?

"Sure, you can choose whichever you want. My brother and I don't mind, haha."

"Thank you." Being rich doesn't mean being arrogant. In fact, the kind of people depicted in novels are only a minority. Most people are like her, very cultured and civilized.

—At least on the surface, that must be the case.

She picked out a black hair clip to hold her bangs back, and then took a white hair tie to tie a long ponytail.

After doing all that, Huang Zhengyang nimbly climbed into the truck bed.

"Need any help?" he shouted, putting down the two buckets of instant noodles he had just brought over.

Zuo Ziya silently looked at the truck's massive tires, which were half her height, and nodded gently.

So Huang Zhengyang stretched out an arm toward her.

She was still worried about whether it would be difficult to climb up when she felt a tremendous force coming from that not-so-thick arm.

Like taking an elevator, it went up quickly and steadily.

……

(two)

Even through the gaps in the clouds in the night sky, one can still see a dazzling Milky Way.

The moon seemed to be shrouded in a thin veil, yet it still shone with its bright light.

Zuo Ziya's ponytail swayed in the wind, bobbing back and forth on her back.

Huang Zhengyang and Zuo Ziya each sat on a small stool.

The seat he was sitting on was rather worn out; one of the legs was missing a corner, making it wobbly when he sat down.

The instant noodles hadn't even fully dissolved when he impatiently tore off the lid, stirred them a few times with his fork, manually broke them up, and started slurping them down.

It was as if it were some kind of rare delicacy.

Zuo Ziya lifted the lid with some curiosity, but even though she was starving, she still felt that the strong aroma was particularly cheap.

Reality is not fiction. Missing one or two meals wouldn't make a rich young lady who grew up in luxury and doesn't usually eat this kind of food think instant noodles are delicious.

It's even less likely that someone would be moved to tears or be amazed by a simple bowl of instant noodles.

Of course, there was still warmth in my heart.

This is the gratitude one should show to a stranger who is willing to help them.

Perhaps it was because I was hungry. Although I didn't think it tasted very good, after trying it, I still felt that this thing was edible—as long as I didn't drink the soup.

Zuo Ziya had only taken one bite when Huang Zhengyang had already slurped up all the noodles. He then tilted his head back, poured all the broth into his mouth, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and let out a satisfied "ha".

"It's good to fill my stomach, but if I eat too much, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

"..."

"By the way, what's your last name? Shall I take you straight home later?"

"No need, I'll take a taxi once I get into the city. Trucks this big aren't allowed to pass through my neighborhood."

"That's okay too."

Zuo Ziya looked at the capable man in front of her and gave him a grateful smile: "Thank you, my surname is Zuo and my given name is Ziya."

"My surname is Huang! Huang Zhengyang!" He smiled and poked his chest with his thumb. "Are you a model?"

"what happened?"

"She has a great presence and is quite tall."

"No." Zuo Ziya smiled and shook her head. "I'm a piano teacher."

"Oh, no wonder, you do have a very elegant air about you." Huang Zhengyang glanced at the instant noodles in her hand. "Sorry, I don't have anything good to eat here..."

"No, as long as there's food, that's fine." Zuo Ziya smiled faintly and casually started a conversation, "Is driving a truck always this hard?"

"Occasionally... but there are also drivers who specialize in driving at night."

"Are the goods you deliver different every time?"

"They're mostly the same, vegetables and such..." Huang Zhengyang's words were interrupted by a sudden clap of thunder in the sky.

In a short while, dark clouds filled the sky.

Now we can't even see a glimmer of moonlight or starlight.

There were almost no warning signs, and no gradual changes from childhood to adulthood; it was as if a bucket of water had been poured on it all at once.