America: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 21 - Her Husband Doesn’t Allow

Interrupted by an unexpected event, Allen Zhang wasn't in the mood to continue scrubbing himself in the bath, so he just haphazardly scrubbed a couple of times and dried his hair with a hairdryer. He rubbed the pink cloth a few more times and considerately hung it back up.

He went downstairs.

Rena was sitting elegantly at the dining table, legs crossed and holding her phone, acting as if nothing had happened.

When she saw Allen Zhang had finished bathing, she smiled and waved, "Done washing? Come and try if the dishes from your hometown agree with your palate."

"These are all American-Chinese dishes. There was no need to order so much, expensive and not tasty, fast food would have been better." Allen Zhang glanced at the table and felt he couldn't recognize three out of the four dishes.

"What is this?"

"General Tso's chicken," Rena said after a glance.

"If you hadn't told me, I would have thought it was half-done sweet and sour pork with a few pieces of boiled broccoli..."

Allen Zhang was speechless.

"And this one?"

"Braised Beef with Chinese Broccoli."

"And what about this one?"

"Sour and Spicy Soup."

Allen Zhang sat down, picked up a piece of meat - couldn't tell if it was pork or chicken - with his chopsticks, and after tasting it, calmly gave a thumbs up.

American-Chinese cuisine.

Go ahead and eat, see if you won't keep silent.

"If you like it, eat more."

"This was all prepared for you," Rena said with a smile.

That was exactly what Allen Zhang dreaded hearing.

He forced himself to eat two bowls of rice.

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Eating until he was sweating from his forehead.

It was his first time experiencing such an infuriatingly sweet, salty, and sour taste—either too sweet or too sour, and also his first time feeling that eating was such a painful task.

Allen Zhang swore he'd rather eat flavorless boiled chicken breast.

Rena also tried a piece of chicken and then put her spoon down, not moving it again.

Allen Zhang immediately asked her, "Why aren't you eating? The $15 General Tso's chicken with boiled broccoli, you're just going to leave it?"

"I think it tastes bad."

Rena honestly replied.

"Great, I also think it's particularly disgusting!"

Allen Zhang smiled with relief and immediately dropped his chopsticks, no longer forcing himself.

This proved that it wasn't his taste buds that were off, but that this stuff was just purely American cuisine, and other dishes did not make the cut because they weren't pure enough.

An American-Chinese meal had silenced two usually lively and laugh-loving people.

What a bitter-sweet memory meal.

Perhaps Rena was reminiscing about eating potatoes and giant bread loaves back in her hometown.

"Let's never order from there again! Let's blacklist that Chinese restaurant!" Allen Zhang immediately suggested.

"I've already done that."

Rena replied a bit annoyed: "I spent $68 just for this stuff, I will never eat there again."

She angrily pulled out her phone and left a bad review. While writing, she cursed in a Russian accent, incomprehensible slang spilling out.

Look at the food you make, it angers people!

And those local white folks as well, they can really eat this stuff?

They might never eat four proper dishes in their lives.

Rena got up and took two slices of bread from the kitchen's fridge, spread some butter, added pickles and lunch meat, and took a big bite.

"Get me one too, please." Allen Zhang watched eagerly.

Watching a child starve.

The two chewed on their buttered bread in silence, jaws aching a bit.

Silently finished a simple but filling dinner.

After Rena cleaned up, thinking it was all over, she took out a small basket of snacks and chips from the storage room and waved at Allen Zhang.

The two moved to the spacious second-floor balcony, sitting on the chairs.

Watching the sunset, feeling the cool breeze, each with a bag of French fries, nuts, and sparkling water, they started making.

Allen Zhang, wearing sunglasses, lay back on a beach chair, legs crossed, and criticized like a wealthy landlord, "This nut isn't so great, not as delicious as the cashews from Dandy that I used to eat."

"You used to do what?" Rena looked at him skeptically.

What has happened to make you end up homeless on the West Coast?

"Because I fell in love with a woman."

"Pfft." Rena spat out her soda. Suddenly interested, she straightened up, "Tell me, what happened?"

"She said I was the handsomest man in the world."

Rena fell silent.

"I reserved that innocence for her, closing the door on loving someone else."

"It was also this woman I deeply loved who turned me into the dumbest man in the world."

"She said she believed every word I said, she loved my lips the most."

"My demands weren't high, just for her to treat me as well as she used to. But one day, she said the same thing but embraced someone else..."

Rena was fully immersed in the love story and felt a surge of empathy, her eyes reddening.

She pulled out a tissue to wipe away her tears, her voice choked, "Then you must really love that girl."

"I was willing to give up everything for her! But her family wouldn't let us be together."

Allen Zhang sighed.

Rena immediately said seriously, "Love is a matter between the two parties, if you think you are very happy together, there's no need to listen to others' advice! Even if you face marriage failures later, it doesn't erase the fact that you once loved each other."

"Is it her dad or her brother who disapproves, or her mom or sister?"

"It's her husband who disapproves."

"..."

Allen Zhang's single sentence turned Rena silent.

Stunned, she felt like her CPU was overheating.

Her gaze towards Allen Zhang also turned strange.

But soon she realized from Allen Zhang's laughter that he was lying to tease her.

"Great! Allen! I just felt sorry for you for three seconds."

Rena stood up angrily, pulled out 40 US Dollars from her pocket, and threw it at his face.

Hand on her hip, she pointed towards the entrance of the shelter, "Break time's over, Allen, now, immediately, disappear from my sight!!"

"I haven't finished eating yet..."

Allen Zhang held a bag of chips with an innocent face, but before he could finish, he saw Rena turn around and throw two packs of snacks at his face.

"Take these and scram!" Rena scolded.

"Don't forget to take your damn tent with you!"

Seeing Rena a bit angry, Allen Zhang immediately apologized.

"I was wrong, Rena, can I have another chance... hey!!"

The shelter's main door slammed shut and locked from the inside. Rena turned and left, giving him only a universal gesture of 'friendship'.

Allen Zhang stood on the street with a big and small bag of snacks, speechless.

The next second, an unopened tent was thrown from the second floor, landing right in his arms.

Damn, offending the benefactor has no good outcome.

Kicked out, Allen Zhang reluctantly turned and left, ready to go home to set up camp.

At that moment, his phone rang in his pocket. Allen Zhang glanced at the screen, saw a missed call number, and immediately answered, "Hello?"

"Hey! Hello, I'm Catherine, did you find my wallet, Hanberger?"

Hamburger? Who's that?

Oh, it's me.

"Yes, it's me, you're Mrs. Joanne?" Allen Zhang responded.

"Exactly, it's me, thank you so much for finding my wallet! And for kindly notifying me, sir, you really are a good person!"

The voice on the other end sounded a bit excited.

"May I ask if you have time now to return the wallet to me? Or rather, where are you at? Sir, I can drive to you."

Allen Zhang glanced at the shelter, reported his current location and what he was wearing.

"Please wait there for a bit, I'll be there in no more than twenty minutes! But it's better to find an intersection with traffic lights that makes it easier for people to spot you."

"Ok" Allen Zhang said.

"Thank you so much!!"