Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 716 - 363: Xu Nuo (Part 2)

In his first life, Shi Dadan was undoubtedly a sincere Dang Kang. Xu Nuo told him to quickly get food and go over to his house, lest he gets caught by Mr. Xu. Shi Dadan really ran the whole way like a wild boar as fast as he could.

He hugged the lunch box and ran against the crowd at breakneck speed, even forgetting that he could put the lunch box and cornbread into his bag, carrying them all the way out of the textile factory.

Qin Huai, following behind, almost couldn’t catch up and nearly got killed by an air wall.

Somehow, the air wall in Shi Dadan’s segment of memory was particularly narrow, and Qin Huai would bump into it if he was just a little bit far away.

Xu Nuo squatted under a big tree outside the textile factory, waiting for him. Seeing Shi Dadan coming out, he quickly waved him over and said directly before Shi Dadan could speak: "Why are you holding the lunch box? Don’t you have a bag?"

"Oh, I ran too fast and forgot." Shi Dadan finally realized, slowly unzipping his satchel. He carefully put the boxed meal in, first the meal, then the cornbread, finally leaving two cornbreads, one in his hand and one in his mouth.

Xu Nuo was somewhat helpless.

"Are all you Dang Kangs like this? Only motivated when eating, and slow as molasses at other times. luckily I put in a word for you to join the fleet. My dad told me last time, with your personality, you’re better off driving in a fleet, cautious and slow, which is better than being rash and careless."

Shi Dadan didn’t understand, just gnawing on his cornbread, trailing behind Xu Nuo as they walked to Xu Nuo’s house.

After walking a while, Shi Dadan finished the two cornbreads in his hand and slowly asked: "Xu Nuo, what does ’maomaomao’, ’xin da’ mean? Are those idioms?"

Xu Nuo: ...

Qin Huai: ...

At this moment, Qin Huai empathized with Xu Nuo, feeling that the expression on Xu Nuo’s face mirrored his own.

Recalling the communication with Shi Dadan in his second life, Qin Huai suddenly felt that Shi Dadan had not had it easy in his two lifetimes. For someone who doesn’t love reading or learning, to be able to communicate normally and reasonably use idioms, how much hardship must he have endured in his studies!

He really must not love reading.

"Did you look at those elementary school textbooks I gave you?" Xu Nuo asked.

Shi Dadan scratched his head with embarrassment, smiling: "I looked at them, but I couldn’t get into it, the moment I opened them, I felt like sleeping. I just barely managed to recognize most of the characters and stopped."

"How about the radio I gave you, did you listen to it?"

"I listened, and immediately felt sleepy. Every night I listen to the radio as soon as I get home, and I sleep very well."

Xu Nuo: ... 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Xu Nuo stopped and looked around. Making sure there was no one around, he raised his voice slightly and said: "Even if you’re a Dang Kang, an auspicious beast, that’s not how you transcend a trial."

Shi Dadan honestly replied: "But the elders told me that to transcend the trial, you just need to be happy. There’s a lot of good food in the human world, if you like it, stay a few more years to eat and drink, if not, find a deep mountain or forest, plant some fields and raise some animals. Every spirit only has one chance to transcend a trial, so make the most of it and enjoy good food that you’ll miss out on when you go back."

Xu Nuo: ...

Qin Huai: ...

Qin Huai could feel Xu Nuo’s helplessness and speechlessness taking shape. He wanted to say something but hesitated, eventually summarizing everything in one sentence: "Do you want to eat a Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns first?"

"Yes, yes!" Shi Dadan happily extended his hand, and Xu Nuo took out a Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns from his satchel, splitting it in two, giving the bigger half to Shi Dadan while keeping the smaller for himself.

Shi Dadan happily took the bun, eating it as he continued walking with Xu Nuo.

The staff quarters of the textile factory were also a series of tube-shaped buildings, looking no different than those at Gong Liang’s house, except the Xu family’s house might be slightly bigger, in a better location, on the third floor.

Not needing to climb too many floors, nor having the troubles of the lower floors, a standard 2-bedroom, 1-living room layout at this time was definitely considered a large floor plan.

Gong Liang’s 2-bedroom, 1-living room was pieced together himself, but Xu Nuo’s was genuine.

At a glance, Qin Huai saw a TV, refrigerator, and washing machine in Xu Nuo’s house — the three essentials that gradually entered common households in the late 1980s. There were even two electric fans, one in the living room and one in Xu Nuo’s room.

Xu Nuo’s room had a desk, although it looked more like a dining table, with not many books but instead, two bananas, two apples, a few cookies, a jar of moldy tofu, a bottle of sour beans, and a bottle of pickles.

Once entering the room, the two moved in sync, one closing the door, the other the windows. Since the windows didn’t close tightly, they stuffed paper in the gaps and then unpacked their bags, taking out the boxed meals.

Each person took out three boxed meals, all identical. Aluminum box meals, the same model, surface pocked and worn, clearly seen many a drop and knock, but durable and reliable, with each one packed full.

Xu Nuo’s three boxed meals contained meat stewed with beans, stir-fried mushrooms with meat, and tangy glazed cabbage. The moment the meals were opened, the aroma wafted, with both the quantity and appearance being commendable.

Tangy glazed cabbage, as a simple stir-fried vegetable dish, still had beautiful colors even after being in the aluminum box for so long. The vinegar aroma was rich but not overpowering, making it irresistible, showcasing the chef’s skill.

These three dishes were clearly cooked by Jinglixiang personally, no wonder Xu Nuo and Shi Dadan stuffed even the window gaps. If the scent drifted to the neighbor’s kids, envy would literally make tears run down into their mouths, filling a bucket.