That night, Bai Chuan was wearing a suit. Dai Yao only remembered that the person he slept with was a very handsome man in a suit. Actually, Dai Yao was quite happy because everyone said that a child’s appearance was inseparable from their parents’ genes. Since Xiao Tangbao’s other father was a very handsome man, the child would definitely not be too ugly. Just thinking about having a little angel like Xiao Tangbao made Dai Yao’s lips curl up in a smile.
The benefactor in front of him, dressed casually, was also incredibly handsome, with strikingly defined features. Upon closer inspection, he had a Western air about him. Hmm? Do all handsome men have a Western look? Dai Yao tried to recall the man he’d spent a passionate night with, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember what he looked like. But that wasn’t the point; after all, he was extremely face-blind, and even if he saw someone ten or eight times, he might not remember them.
He had visited the hospital, and the doctor diagnosed him with moderate prosopagnosia (face blindness). However, aside from the facial recognition impairment, it wouldn’t significantly impact his life. Since people’s social circles were continuous, he would naturally remember faces after spending time with them.
Guo Yao, standing to the side, remained calm and simply asked, “Boss, should we… refuse or agree?”
Bai Chuan smiled and said, “Then we’ll have to trouble you, young boss! We haven’t eaten yet.”
Dai Yao grabbed the other man’s arm and said warmly, “No trouble at all, I’m so grateful! It’s just ordinary home-cooked food, nothing fancy.” With that, Dai Yao warmly greeted Bai Chuan and went back to his own home.
A small dining table was set up in the small main room, and Dai Yao quickly cooked several home-style dishes. Luo Bei went to reopen the small steamed bun shop and sold out the remaining hundred or so buns. Dai Yao then served four dishes and a soup: white radish and beef rolls, a cold salad of shredded vegetables, and white radish balls. There was also a white radish and pork rib soup simmering in a clay pot, which would take half an hour to cook. The soup was just ordinary rice porridge[footnote]Raw 米汤(mǐtāng); Rice water, refers to the thick soup produced by boiling rice or millet in water. Also known as rice oil or thin porridge, it is a traditional health drink with nourishing, tonifying, digestive-aiding, and body-strengthening effects. It is often used as complementary food for infants and is also a daily food for nourishing the stomach and intestines. In everyday language, it can also be used metaphorically to mean “giving rice water,” implying flattery and manipulation.[/footnote]; Dai Yao hadn’t added anything, just made it into a clear porridge.
He first placed the rice porridge in front of Bai Chuan and said, “Seeing that you seem to suffer from excessive internal heat, I cooked some rice porridge. Here, please have a taste.”
Bai Chuan took the rice porridge, took a sip, and found it to be just ordinary rice porridge. However, it was cooked to perfection, bringing out its rich aroma. Bai Chuan nodded and said, “Delicious.”
A little embarrassed, Dai Yao said, “Sir, your martial arts are very impressive! What do you do for a living?”
Bai Chuan thought for a moment and replied, “A veteran[footnote]Raw 退伍军人(Tuìwǔ jūnrén); Veteran, refers to a person who has completed their regular or reserve service, left the military, and returned to civilian life and work in society. In different contexts, it is sometimes similar to “demobilized soldier,” and usually refers to personnel who have completed their compulsory military service or are no longer in active military service. Veterans who have served in the Republic of China for more than 10 years can also be called “veterans.”[/footnote].”
Dai Yao pointed, his eyes immediately lighting up with hearts, and said, “Soldiers? Is it special forces? I’ve admired special forces since I was a kid!”
Guo Yao at the side, shook his head and sighed. His boss was acting strangely today! Why had all those prickly traits suddenly disappeared? Shaking his head, he picked up a bite of the cold shredded vegetables. That one bite was enough to make Guo Yao unable to stop eating. He ate one bite after another, sighing as he ate. Then he tried the white radish balls next to him—wow, they were so delicious! And the white radish and beef rolls—fresh, tender beef rolled with finely shredded white radish. My goodness, how could they be so delicious?!
Bai Chuan frowned and glanced at Guo Yao, cleared his throat, and said in a low voice, “Xiao Guo, mind your manners!” His soldiers were really too outrageous!
Bai Chuan replied, “Yes, I have been in the special forces.” He then picked up a piece of the white radish and beef roll, his expression immediately freezing. The rich, flavorful broth soaked into the entire roll, and the white radish inside was stewed to perfection. Fresh, fragrant, and crisp, it left a lingering aroma on his lips and teeth! He had eaten countless delicacies at the Bai family’s and his maternal grandfather’s houses since childhood, but this was the first time he had tasted such delicious home-cooked food.
Dai Yao wiped his hands on his apron, clearly pleased with the diners’ expressions. His family’s white radishes really did make everything taste better. While wiping his hands, he said to the two, “The white radish and pork rib soup in the kitchen is ready; I’ll go get it for you.” With that, he turned and went to the kitchen.
After he left, Guo Yao ate while saying, “Boss, sister-in-law’s cooking is absolutely delicious!”
Bai Chuan: “…Don’t talk nonsense!”
To be honest, Guo Yao was quite satisfied with this sister-in-law; he could often get free meals from him in the future!
Guo Yao said with a grin, “Boss, this time it’s definitely true, right? But why is he pretending not to know you? Has he forgotten you?”
Bai Chuan picked up a piece of cold shredded vegetables with his chopsticks, ate it, and then slowly said, “No doubt about it, I’ll never forget that look in his eyes for the rest of my life.”
He recognized the look in his eyes; this time, he was the right one.
Guo Yao was quite happy. If his boss drove to Xicheng District for dinner every day from now on… wouldn’t that mean he could eat this level of home-style cooking every day? Just thinking about it made his mouth water.
Just then, the sound of Dai Yao talking to an old woman came from the courtyard. The old woman asked him worriedly about his condition, and Dai Yao repeatedly assured her that he was fine. Only then did the old woman give him a few eggs and leave. It was clear that Dai Yao was well-liked in the village, and he seemed completely different from that Dai Yao he knew before. Bai Chuan was still troubled by the matter of the two Dai Yaos, so he asked Guo Yao, “Have you investigated the matter of the previous Dai Yao?”
Guo Yao said, “We’re investigating, but it’s a bit troublesome to retrieve the students’ files. We should have results this week.”
Bai Chuan nodded and said, “Okay, you’ll have to pay attention.”
Guo Yao nodded, and Dai Yao’s pork rib soup was also served. He ladled a bowl for each of them, and then ladled another bowl for Luo Bei. Guo Yao slurped down the soup and gnawed on the ribs, praising Dai Yao’s cooking all the way back. While driving, he chatted with his boss, “Boss, why is sister in law’s cooking so delicious? I wonder how well he ties the tie.”
Bai Chuan: “…Shut up!”
Guo Yao couldn’t help but chuckle. His boss only stopped getting seriously angry when he was joking with him like this. What was that called? Emotional Heartbeat?
After seeing Bai Chuan and Guo Yao off, Dai Yao began cleaning up the leftovers. Actually, there wasn’t much left; even the beef soup had been completely consumed by Guo Yao. In contrast, Mr. Bai was quite proper. He said his name was Bai Chuan, a simple and pleasant-sounding name that suited him well.
It was a bit rude to admit, but he stared at Mr. Bai’s face for a long time, trying to remember him. What if Mr. Bai came back again and his face blindness flared up again? That wouldn’t be good. Come to think of it, had he even seen him before? Why did he ask him so earnestly before leaving if he really didn’t remember him?
Dai Yao thought and thought, maybe he really had meet him somewhere before?
Anyway, with his face blindness level nine memory, even if he had met him before, he might not remember it.
In the morning, Dai Yao and Luo Bei cleaned up the tables, chairs, and benches that had been smashed by those thugs. Earlier during lunch, Bai Chuan had mentioned his business license and given him a business card, telling him to call this number and get it done as soon as possible. Dai Yao knew that opening a small steamed bun shop required a business license, so he spent the entire day working on it.
In the morning, he went to get the health permit; in the afternoon, he went to get the business license; and the next day he still had to get the tax registration certificate. It was the first time Dai Yao had ever known that opening a steamed bun shop required so many permits. However, the business card Mr. Bai had given him seemed very useful. The man made several phone calls throughout the process, and as soon as Dai Yao arrived, they started processing his paperwork without any delays.
After running around all day, Dai Yao’s legs were almost giving out. He sat back down in a chair, panting heavily, the small fan creaking loudly. Summer was over, but the midday heat lingered. He was considering buying an air conditioner; the single-story house was quite cold in winter, and the urban village didn’t have central heating. He used to be too poor to afford one, but now that he had the money, he felt it was time to plan for his future.
Luo Bei had finished his preparations for the day and was reclining in a deck chair eating watermelon, watermelon juice spilling all over himself, making Dai Yao frown. Wasn’t this little radish spirit supposed to be the Crown Prince’s beloved, ethereal beauty? How come his personality was more like the Crown Prince himself…
Dai Yao tapped the armrest of the chair and said, “If your clothes are dirty, wash them yourself!”
Luo Bei get up and sat properly, he said, “Yaoyao, let’s buy a washing machine! I saw that Grandma next door has one.”
The washing machine at Second Grandma’s house was bought by her son, who was worried that it would be inconvenient for the elderly woman to do laundry. Dai Yao mentally calculated that a regular fully automatic washing machine would cost over a thousand yuan, and an air conditioner would cost over two thousand yuan, so it would add up to four or five thousand yuan. Just thinking about it made Dai Yao’s heart ache. So, he shook his head and said, “We’ll…we’ll see!”
Luo Bei rolled his eyes and said, “You stingy little thing! Yaoyao, you know what? A person’s lifestyle motivates their ability to make money. That’s a virtuous cycle and a vicious cycle, getting better and better, and getting worse and worse. Do you understand?”
Although Dai Yao felt it was a bit inappropriate for such words to come from the mouth of a little kid, he thought about it and realized that this jade had lived here for two thousand years. In those two thousand years, he must have witnessed all sorts of vicissitudes of life, right? So, he seriously considered it and said, “Bai Lin Department Store is having an autumn electronics sale. How about we go check it out tomorrow?”
Luo Bei tossed away the watermelon rind, beaming, “okay! Great! Eldest cousin has finally figure it out!”
That evening, Dai Yao prepared two light dishes, and the two ate a little before washing up and resting. Dai Yao lay in bed and chatted on the phone with Yuan Xiaoyuan, telling him about the day’s adventures and excitement, including how someone had come to his rescue—and a very handsome one at that.
On the other end, Yuan Xiaoyuan exclaimed in surprise, asking repeatedly, “Are you hurt, Yaoyao? How’s Xiao Tangbao? Did they bully you?”
Dai Yao said, “No, no, Xiao Yuan, don’t worry, I’m fine. Xiao Tangbao is fine too. Thanks to that Mr. Bai’s rescue[footnote]Raw 相求(Xiāng qiú); plea, request( it did not fit the context). I supposed this is typos for 相救(Xiāng jiù); rescue[/footnote], otherwise I might have really suffered a loss. But he was talking a bit strangely, he kept asking me if I knew him. I’ve only seen two handsome guys of this caliber, one is him, and the other is the guy I was with that night…” Suddenly, Dai Yao’s mind flashed back to the image of that handsome guy who was naked during their passionate night, and instantly he imagined Mr. Bai naked as well.
The two faces were seamlessly merged together, perfectly identical.
Finally he remember lol
