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Psst! We're moving!
1
On the weekend, Lin Zhiyi was busy in the kitchen all morning, preparing three dishes and a soup: braised chicken wings, simmered dried tofu, steamed pork ribs with rice flour, and a small vegetable tofu soup.
At exactly noon, we sat down to eat. The whole family happily gathered around the dining table; my mother-in-law was especially beaming since she hadn’t lifted a finger; Xinbao and I hadn’t tasted Chef Lin’s home-cooked meals for a long time, so we were particularly excited.
Lin Zhiyi spoke up, “Leaders, please start eating and feel free to give your valuable feedback!”
I took a sip of the tofu soup first and said, “Oh, this soup is a bit salty!”
“Then try this simmered dried tofu; there’s some soup in it,” Lin Zhiyi served me a bowl.
“Hmm, this soup is good, but you didn’t add shrimp, which makes it slightly less flavorful.”
“Well, we didn’t have any shrimp at home today. Next time I’ll prepare all the ingredients and make an authentic one for you,” Lin Zhiyi explained while placing a chicken wing in both my and Xinbao’s bowls, “Here, taste these freshly cooked delicious chicken wings.”
Braised chicken wings are Chef Lin’s specialty. After finishing one, I evaluated, “Hmm, this dish deserves an 85. It would be perfect if you used fewer spices.”
Before Lin Zhiyi could say anything, Xinbao, who was gnawing on a chicken wing, suddenly interjected, “Mom, let’s go to the restaurant to eat fish tomorrow!”
I thought: Xinbao, how much do you dislike your dad’s cooking that you’re already planning to eat fish tomorrow?
So I turned to Xinbao and said, “Alright, do you also think Dad’s cooking isn’t as good as before?”
“No, I think Dad’s cooking is pretty tasty.”
“Then why do you suddenly want to eat fish with me?”
“I just think you’re quite good at ‘finding faults.’”
Me: “….”
Lin Zhiyi and my mother-in-law couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
2
After working from home for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my “stomach miss” had become quite delicate. In May, after eating takeout for several days upon returning to work, my “stomach miss” started acting up.
One night, I suddenly experienced excruciating abdominal pain, causing cold sweat to pour down my face. Lin Zhiyi ran back and forth, bringing me a hot water bottle and warm towels, taking care of me for quite a while before I felt better.
The next day, I mustered up the energy to go to work. By noon, recalling the miserable experience of the previous night, I hesitated to order takeout. Just as I was wondering what to eat for lunch, I received a text from an unknown number: “Hello, your takeout has arrived. Please come downstairs to pick it up.”
I was puzzled—I hadn’t ordered any takeout today.
While putting on my coat and mask, the delivery guy sent another message: “Come down and look at the clouds; I’ll look at you.”
Then he sent a multimedia message. When I opened it, it was a picture of yellow roses against a blue sky with clouds painting the sky.
I smiled knowingly—this really was the most romantic delivery guy ever.
When I walked out of the office building, I saw a familiar figure. Lin Zhiyi was holding my lovingly prepared lunch, taking pictures of the sky with his phone.
I approached him and tapped his shoulder from behind, saying, “Hey, delivery guy, playing with your phone while delivering food? Watch out, or I’ll give you a bad review!”
“Don’t do that! Considering you love everything here, give me a five-star review! If you give a good review, I’ve got a gift for you.”
“What gift?”
He said, “Look up at the sky over there. Blue sky and white clouds, free of charge.”
3
During lunchtime, while taking the elevator downstairs to pick up my meal, a colleague asked me, “Which takeout did you order?”
I replied, “It’s delivered by my husband. Call it ‘Dà Lín’s’ takeout.”
“How happy you are! I’m so full from eating dog food instead of takeout.” My colleague said.
During the pandemic, Lin Zhiyi ensured I could eat safely by acting as a delivery guy for my lunch.
“Thank you, dear, for the loving lunch. You’ve worked hard,” I said, taking the loving bento box from Lin Zhiyi.
“No trouble at all. It’s actually easier than before. Before, I missed you once a day for eight hours, which was tiring. Now, I miss you twice a day for four hours each time—it’s much easier.” Lin Zhiyi said.
“...”
“Dà Lín, do you know the biggest difference between you delivering lunch and ordinary takeout?”
“What difference?”
“Since you started delivering lunch, I’ve been looking forward to it every day.”
“Aren’t they all just home-cooked dishes?”
“Because I can see you.”
Thus, every time I ate lunch, I did it with great care and felt good afterward. This was the most relaxing moment of my workday.
That day, Lin Zhiyi prepared cherries for my lunch dessert. Savoring the exquisite red cherries, letting their sweet and sour flavors spread in my mouth, I couldn’t help but think: when lunch is adorned with cherries, life becomes vivid and colorful; when life is embellished with love, it becomes vibrant and diverse.
4
Perhaps due to the busyness of year-end work, my stomach went on strike, forcing me to live on porridge.
Under the care of my moxibustion teacher, my stomach gradually returned to normal function, but my appetite remained poor.
One evening after work, Lin Zhiyi asked me what I wanted to eat. I couldn’t answer immediately.
He said, “How about red soup noodles with a poached egg?”
Just hearing that reminded me of the red soup noodles my mom used to cook early in the morning when I was little, instantly boosting my appetite.
He cooked the noodles and served them on the dining table. Even Xinbao, who usually eats distractedly, looked at the noodles with shining eyes and eagerly picked up her chopsticks.
“Dad, your skills are good enough to open a restaurant—one where people line up!” Xinbao said while eating.
“I think the ones from restaurants aren’t as good as yours,” I said.
“Be careful with your praise! Don’t blow it out of proportion.” Lin Zhiyi laughed.
“We’re telling the truth—they’re really delicious. Xinbao, in the future, if we become freelancers, Dad can treat our stomachs! We’re so lucky!”
When I was young, my stomach relied on my mom; now, it relies on my husband. Meeting two people who are “stomach” for me is my lifelong blessing.
I hope you meet someone who’s “stomach” for you too. If you haven’t yet, remember to treat yourself well!
5
When I have no appetite, I watch Li Ziqi’s videos. Her tranquil and self-sufficient rural life fills me with longing.
I asked Xinbao, “Do you want to live like Li Ziqi?”
She said, “No. I want to live like Li Ziqi’s grandma, getting to eat the food Li Ziqi cooks without doing anything. Or being Li Ziqi’s puppy would be nice too, just needing to be cute to sleep under Li Ziqi’s quilt.”
“….”
Last weekend, to stimulate Xinbao’s appetite, we watched Li Ziqi’s videos.
Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, Lin Zhiyi “snatched” my mother-in-law’s job and volunteered to cook.
He bought ingredients from the supermarket and spent two hours in the kitchen, presenting homemade tomato beef stew and braised beef noodles.
I originally didn’t plan to eat dinner, but seeing the delicious food, I unhesitatingly removed my braces and enjoyed the feast heartily.
Xinbao also became addicted to the beef.
Lin Zhiyi was deeply gratified. He said, “I was thinking whether to order tomato beef stew takeout, but considering takeout usually arrives within forty minutes, either reheated pre-cooked food or something quickly stewed in a pressure cooker, it wouldn’t be as fragrant. Only slow-cooking over low heat for a sufficient amount of time allows the flavors to penetrate.”
“You’ve never made this dish before, how did you learn?” I asked curiously.
“Learned from watching videos.”
“Indeed, you have culinary talent; it’s so delicious! It seems my retired life will be rich and fulfilling!”
Thinking of retirement and a pastoral life where Lin Zhiyi cooks for me, I am filled with longing.
Now I don’t need to envy Li Ziqi; I envy myself.
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