The portion of the stir-fried meat slices was quite large, and when looking at it, it was obvious that most of it was meat, with only a few pieces of green pepper and carrot scattered in between, unlike other lunch boxes where you have to search for the meat among the vegetables.
Director Chen picked up a piece of the stir-fried meat.
The meat was neither too big nor too small, just the right size. Taking a bite, the exterior was coated perfectly, with the starchy crust being crispy yet soft. The thickness was just right, enough to keep its crispness and hold the sauce well.
Chen raised an eyebrow. The meat was fried to the right level, and the seasoning was good. It could rank among the mid-to-high level dishes in a small restaurant.
He took a few more bites and then grabbed a mouthful of rice, sighing in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the driver had already finished half of his lunch. Hearing a noise, he turned to glance at his boss. "Director Chen, how do you like it?"
"It's good. How old do you think this young chef is?"
"Probably around 20? Definitely much younger than me, looks quite young."
"This dish doesn't seem like the kind of taste you'd get from a culinary school; it's more like a family recipe. After you finish, go and leave him a business card."
"Boss, are you sure...?" The driver looked surprised.
As a lunch box, it was definitely above average, but it wasn't good enough to warrant handing out a business card, was it?
"This kid is quite genuine, and the taste, I like it," Director Chen said lightly.
"Alright, I'll go right after I finish." The driver quickened his pace while eating. After finishing, he went out to find Bai Ye.
In the back seat, Director Chen slowly finished his entire lunch box.
When the driver came back to collect the lunch boxes, he was a bit taken aback.
He thought to himself, "Looks like the boss really was hungry. He's never eaten this much, no matter how good the food is."
Little did he know, Director Chen had tasted a flavor from Bai Ye's dishes that reminded him of his memories.
These were common northeastern dishes, but every family has slight differences in how they make them. Whether they taste good or not doesn't depend on the size of the restaurant, but rather on which family's recipe you prefer.
For Director Chen, the best taste was his mother's cooking. But since his mother passed away a few years ago, this was the first time he had tasted a flavor so familiar.
On the other side, Bai Ye received a business card and exchanged phone numbers with the driver.
It was a transaction that satisfied both parties. The driver even handed Bai Ye a pack of cigarettes.
The cigarettes were a high-end brand, costing dozens per pack. Bai Ye didn't really want to accept, but after some polite refusal, he happily took them.
He planned to let his father try them when he got home.
About half an hour after Bai Ye had packed up, the traffic that had been stalled for so long finally started moving.
While on the road, Bai Ye called home, telling them he would arrive in about an hour after passing through the next county.
His village was a bit far from the county, but they had built a road in recent years, making things a little easier.
It had been a year since he left home at the beginning of the year, and he hadn't gone back yet. He left part of his salary for living expenses and sent the rest back home.
The village didn't have many specialties, and farming didn't bring in much money. The reason he chose to work as a cook was partly because his old boss took him in and was willing to teach him. Plus, the restaurant provided meals, so he could save some money.
For the past two years, he had worked as an apprentice in the restaurant. His boss was the head chef, and Bai Ye was his assistant, learning the craft.
After his old boss passed away, Bai Ye took over as the head chef, and his salary was raised to 6,000. Unfortunately, he hadn't received a penny of it yet.
The closer he got to home, the more anxious he felt.
But perhaps it was just the usual feeling of nervousness when nearing home. Thinking of his parents and sister waiting for him, Bai Ye pressed harder on the gas pedal and sped up.
Because of the traffic delay, it was already getting dark when the car finally reached his house. Bai Ye honked the horn twice.
His old house may not be as nice as one in the city, but it was really big.
Inside, Bai Ye's younger sister, Bai An'an, was helping their mother make dumplings when she suddenly perked up her ears.
"Mom, Dad, I think I hear a car honking outside."
"You must have heard wrong. It's probably from next door. How would a car come here?" Their father, Bai Laodad, didn't even look up as he rolled the dough.
"How could that be? Didn't my aunt's family get a car?" Bai An'an said.
"An'an," their mother, Jiang Lan, gave her a look.
An'an knew that her aunt's family always looked down on theirs and wouldn't suddenly come here at night. She was just speaking out loud.
Seeing her mother's look, An'an quickly said, "I think my brother is probably close to the village. I'll go meet him."
Bai An'an ran out of the house, just in time to hear the horn honk again. She quickly quickened her steps, opened the small gate, and peered outside.
Bai Ye immediately saw his sister. "An'an, open the door for me!"
"Brother!" Bai An'an called out in surprise, not even caring what Bai Ye said as she ran towards him. "Why are you so late? Where did this car come from?"
"Go open the door first, then come up!"
"Got it!" The little girl responded cheerfully, turning and running into the house to open the door.
The gate creaked open, and she quickly ran to the car and hopped into the passenger seat.
"Wow, this car is so comfortable! It's so warm inside!" Bai An'an chirped excitedly.
"This is nothing. When I get a good car, I'll take you out to play!"
"Yay!"
Inside the house, Jiang Lan looked outside. "Why did An'an open the courtyard gate?"
"What's going on?" Bai Laodad turned around, but the only light in the courtyard came from a bulb under the eaves, so he couldn't see clearly.
"I'll go check!" Bai Laodad put down the rolling pin and went outside.
In the yard, Bai Ye had just parked the car. "Dad!"
"Good boy, did you drive this car back?" Bai Laodad said in surprise, widening his eyes. "Where did this come from?"
"Well... we'll talk about it when we go inside." Bai Ye paused.
Bai Laodad furrowed his brow but didn't ask any more questions.
"Do you have anything to bring inside?"
"Yes." Bai Ye opened the back door, and the three of them started unloading the car. They also covered the car with an old quilt that was used for covering the tractor.
At this point, Jiang Lan knew her son had returned, and her smile hadn't faded since.
She poured hot water into a basin. "Son, wash your face!"
"Hey, Mom!" Bai Ye washed his hands and face. Actually, the trip wasn't too cold because he had been in the car most of the time, except for cooking.
After drying his face, Bai Ye noticed the board and curtains on the kang (a heated bed platform) in the east room. "Are we having dumplings tonight?"
"Yes, your favorite sauerkraut dumplings!" Bai An'an replied.
"That's great!" Bai Ye smiled widely. "Dad, let me roll the dough."
"You rest." Bai Laodad wasn't talkative, and life's heavy burdens had made him less inclined to smile, but his love for his son was no less than his wife's.
"I've been driving for half the day, it's good to move my wrists. Let's make dumplings together; I'm starving."
"Ah, you didn't eat?"
"No, I was stuck in traffic at Hujiaji for two or three hours, and only had two packs of noodles." Bai Ye took the rolling pin from his father and began rolling the dough expertly.