NOVPUB
Chapter 105: Chapter 101 State-owned Restaurant
The state-run restaurants of today simply can’t compare with the restaurants of the future.
It had a room of about a hundred square meters with six round tables. Right opposite the entrance was the kitchen, separated from the dining area by a window in the middle, probably used for serving dishes.
When Shen Yunfang and her two companions entered, there were already two tables occupied, and the only girl who looked like a waitress was standing in front of the window, chatting with someone in the kitchen. She glanced over when she saw a few people come in, then turned back around and continued her engrossed conversation.
Shen Yunfang felt quite displeased, but Uncle Yougen and Jianjun’s wife seemed to think it was perfectly normal. Shen Yunfang shrugged her shoulders and coolly found a table to sit down at.
"Yunfang, girl, we’re all family here. There’s no need for such formalities. Eating at home is just as good, or you could head to the supply and marketing co-op to buy some steamed buns to tide you over," Shen Yougen, a genuine farmer who had rarely ever dined out in his life, felt quite out of place since entering.
He had insisted on not coming all the way here, but Shen Yunfang had dragged him along by hook or by crook.
"Oh, Uncle Yougen, just relax, I have money. I’ve just exchanged some Food Coupons, let’s treat ourselves to a good meal as a reward," said Yunfang. After all, how could they leave without eating anything? Besides, she really did have money. "Waitress, we’d like to order."
After sitting for a while with the waitress still not coming over, Shen Yunfang had to call out; they couldn’t just keep waiting there indefinitely.
"Hey, don’t call out just yet, child. The money you have didn’t come easy, you must spend it wisely. You’ll have to rely on yourself for things like marriage in the future. Uncle didn’t come all this way just for this meal." Gaijiatun wasn’t that big, and Shen Yougen was surely aware of Shen Yunfang’s family having to sell their sick pig for a low price. The thought of spending money on a meal truly pained his heart for the girl.
"I know, I know, it’s just that I got a craving, just accompany me for a little snack," she pleaded. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
"What’ll it be? Just say it," the young waitress said impatiently, not bothering to come closer and raising her voice instead.
Shen Yunfang choked up a bit, truly unaccustomed to this kind of service.
"Well, what do you have here?" she asked. Even though she had plenty of money in her pocket, she couldn’t act like a spendthrift—best to ask clearly.
"Can’t you read for yourself?" the waitress glared at Shen Yunfang and inwardly cursed her as a country bumpkin.
Following the direction indicated by her chin, Shen Yunfang then noticed a large white paper posted on the left side of the door with a list of dishes and prices.
Shredded potatoes 22 cents per dish
Sautéed eggplant 45 cents per dish (crossed out to indicate it was not available)
Mu Shu Pork 63 cents per dish
Braised pork...
Plain noodles 8 cents per bowl requires 3 ounces of Food Coupons
Steamed buns 4 cents each requires 2 ounces of Food Coupons
Rice...
After looking at the menu, Shen Yunfang genuinely found it affordable. She thought that people at the time were sincere and that surely the dishes wouldn’t skimp on ingredients—the portions had to be generous.
"It’s too expensive, we should just eat at home instead." Jianjun’s wife had been to school for a few years and could recognize basic characters. After reading the menu, she was touched by frugality and joined in persuading everyone to leave.
"Give me a plate of braised pork and a plate of shredded potatoes, a plate of beef in soy sauce, and a large bowl of mutton soup," ordered Shen Yunfang, ignoring what the others were saying and making her choices.
"Enough, enough, that’s too much, we can’t eat all that," Uncle Yougen quickly interrupted after hearing several dish names called out by Shen Yunfang, with his heart leaping to his throat at the thought of how much it would all cost.
Three dishes and a soup seemed about right. Shen Yunfang then asked, "What staple food will you two eat, rice or steamed buns? Or there are also buns and noodles available."
The other two didn’t dare let her order more and quickly said, "Let’s just have the steamed buns." That was the cheapest option.
Shen Yunfang nodded in agreement. As her family grew rice, they didn’t eat much flour, but she was quite fond of steamed buns.
"Okay, waiter, bring ten more steamed buns," she said.
Only then did the waiter walk over leisurely and say, "That will be four yuan and forty-eight fen, plus two jin of Food Coupons."
Having said that, he waited for the payment.
Oh, at that time, you had to pay before getting your food.
Shen Yunfang nodded understandingly and pretended to reach into her pocket—but actually from her space—to take out a five-yuan note, then she took out the Food Coupons she had just exchanged, handing over two one-jin coupons.
The waiter took the money, gave change, and then went back to chat at the window.
It wasn’t long before her food was served.
Before she even tasted it, Shen Yunfang gave her assessment, "What a deal!" The braised pork wasn’t served on a plate but in a wide-mouthed enamel bowl, filled with genuine braised pork and hardly any side dishes.
The soy-sauce beef was sliced thin and piled high on a plate, accompanied by a bowl of garlic paste.
The shredded potatoes were so abundant they were overflowing from the plate, fried to a shiny golden brown.
The last dish, the mutton soup, was served in a basin, brimming with meat and sprinkled with a layer of green onions on top, making it look very appetizing.
"Come on, let’s all eat, don’t be shy. Let’s dig in quickly, otherwise, it won’t taste as good once it gets cold," Shen Yunfang urged the other two to eat.
She grabbed a steamed bun and started eating, alternating between bites of meat, vegetables, and soup.
However, she soon realized that among the three of them, only she was eating freely while the other two barely touched their food with their chopsticks.
"You two, eat up! Take big bites. There’s so much food; it would be a waste not to finish it," Shen Yunfang quickly urged them.
"If we can’t finish, you can take it home and eat it slowly, it’s all the same," Uncle Yougen whispered.
"Oh, Uncle Yougen, our home is so far from here, how can I take leftovers back? Plus, should I go and buy some plates and bowls now? That’d cost even more. I’m telling you, we really can’t take it back, so you might as well eat all you can. If we don’t finish, we can’t take it with us, and it would have to be thrown away, what a waste," she argued.
Hearing her say this, the other two thought it over and stopped holding back, letting loose and starting to eat heartily.
In less than half an hour, the three of them devoured the three dishes and the basin of soup like a whirlwind, even ordering five more steamed buns in the process.
In the end, two steamed buns were left, which Shen Yunfang tucked into her hands and left with.
Unknown to them, after they left, the waiter came to clear the table and, seeing how cleanly they had eaten, curled his lip and muttered "country bumpkins."
Having eaten their fill, the three of them left the restaurant and headed to the supply and marketing co-operative, which was bustling with activity, as it was almost New Year and many people were out buying festive goods.
Not seeing Xue Jialong, Shen Yunfang followed the crowd and squeezed through to buy two packs of pastries and two bottles of white liquor. These items cost her over four yuan and two jin of Food Coupons.
Jianjun’s wife and Shen Yougen thought she was buying these for her sweetheart, so they didn’t ask any questions. After shopping, they rode the horse cart back, dragging sacks of soybean oil cakes back to the brigade, and returned home covered in dust.
That evening, Shen Yunfang took advantage of the dark, carrying the two packs of pastries and two bottles of white liquor she had bought at the supply and marketing co-operative, and went to the Women’s Director’s house.
Twenty minutes later, she left the Women’s Director’s house and headed for her own home, thinking that she would probably be able to keep sheep for another year.
