Come and Eat, Shan Shan-Chapter 7

(translated by lidge and edited by peanuts)

On Monday, Xue Shan Shan is in great spirits as she walks into Feng Teng. A smile is on her face all morning, she is very happy.

Her colleagues joke: “Shan Shan is in a good mood today, did something good happen?”

If she says she is happy from not having to eat pork liver anymore, would that sound silly? Shan Shan scratches her chin thoughtfully and says mysteriously. “Good things happen to those who wait.”

Pork liver, she used to always have to eat all of it!

Happy until noon, Shan Shan clears her desk and intends to go with her colleagues to the company’s cafeteria for lunch. Hahaha, grilled ribs, I have missed you.

Once the desk is cleaned and she stands up, the phone rings. Shan Shan smoothly answers it. It is Ah May from the 22nd floor.

Shan Shan asks nervously: “Ah May, you will not bring me lunch, will you?”

Ah May says: “From now on, not anymore.”

Shan Shan breaths out in relief and says gratefully: “That’s good. I’m going to lunch now. I’ll invite you out for a meal when you have time.” Ah May often brings lunch to her so Shan Shan and Ah May have gotten to know each other.

“All right, we can go shopping this Sunday since I need to buy new clothes.” Speaking of food and shopping, Ah May becomes excited. Then she adds: “Shan Shan, the President (Zong Cai – 总裁) told me to stop bringing you lunch, but he wants you to come up here to get it.”

Thunderbolt out of the clear blue sky!

Shan Shan has been hit by a thunderbolt. She is being burned to a crisp. After a long silence, she hangs onto her last hope: “…… Get what?”

“Lunch.”

“Ah May …… you didn’t hear wrongly, right?”

“No.” Ah May answers confidently.

“……”

Shan Shan breathes in deeply, not enough, breathes in deeply again. Shan Shan says courageously: “Ah May, can you connect me to the President (Zong Cai)?” ƒ𝑟𝐞𝗲𝘄𝙚𝚋𝑛ｏ𝙫𝒆𝒍.𝒄𝘰𝓂

“Well, hold on, let me check first.” After awhile, Ah May says: “I’m connecting you.”

The company’s generic waiting music comes on. Shan Shan clenches the phone. Although she has met him two times, this is her first time speaking to him at the company, very nerve-wrecking.

After one minute, the other side answers the phone. Feng Teng’s deep voice is heard: “Hello.”

“President (Zong Cai), I …… I’m Xue Shan Shan.”

“Umm, what is it?”

Shan Shan vaguely hears the sound of shuffling papers, guesses he is working in his office so she quickly makes the long story short: “President (Zong Cai), about lunch, Miss Feng said ……”

“About lunch.” Feng Teng interrupts. “Miss Xue, I think I told my secretary to stop bringing you lunch.”

Yes, yes. Shan Shan is excited. Big Boss (Zong Cai) has finally seen the light, he will never give her food anymore, ah ……

“From now on, you have to come up here to get it.”

Without waiting for her answer, Big Boss (Zong Cai Da Ren -总裁大人) hangs up the phone.

On the other end of the phone in the Finance Department on the lower floor, Xue Shan Shan freezes into a statue with a phone in her hand.

Her colleagues urge: “Xue Shan Shan, didn’t you say you’re going to lunch with us? Are you coming or not?”

“You guys go ahead.” Shan Shan puts the phone down and smiles back at her colleagues as if in a daze.

“You’re not going? Then where are you eating?”

“The 22nd floor.”

Shan Shan walks woodenly out of the Finance Department, leaving behind her colleagues who look at each other. Colleague A says enviously: “No wonder she’s so happy all morning. She has been promoted from concubine to empress.”

When she steps into the elevator and presses the button to the 22nd floor, Shan Shan comforts herself. Forget it, forget it, it is just going to Ah May to get lunch. Miss Feng probably forgot to talk to the cook so it is better to call and remind her. But how to call her, ah, ask Big Boss (Zong Cai) for the phone number?

At the 22nd floor, stepping out of the elevator, Shan Shan’s eyes brightens – This place is worthy of being Big Boss’s (Da Boss) lair. The extravagance is different from the lower floors.

As she looks around for Ah May, Senior Assistant Fang smiles and walks up: “Miss Xue, the President (Zong Cai) asked for you to go to his office.”

“Ah, shouldn’t I look for Ah May?”

“Ah May probably went to lunch in the cafeteria already. Go inside quickly, don’t keep the President (Zong Cai) waiting.”

“Oh, no.” Her face falls. Big Boss (Zong Cai Da Ren) is busy, why concern himself with an employee’s lunch?

For some reason, Senior Assistant Fang looks very happy going to lunch. Shan Shan finds Big Boss’s (Zong Cai) office, hesitates then raises a hand to knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Shan Shan peaks in to look inside out of habit.

Big Boss’s (Zong Cai Da Ren ) personal lair is bigger than she had imagined, lit brightly with an open flow, simple but still has all the essentials. Big Boss (Da Boss) is at the far corner of the office, sitting behind a large desk and looking down to review a report.

Feng Teng works with a seriousness. The sunlight outlines his body highlighting his youth. Shan Shan could not help but stare in awed.

Feng Teng’s eyes are still on the report. “Don’t just stand there, come over here.”

“Oh.” Shan Shan snaps out of it. She realizes Big Boss’s (Boss Da Ren) “beauty” has made her confused and breaks into a cold sweat. Of course, dangerous animals usually look a certain way. Big Boss (Zong Cai Da Ren) is one such example.

Turning to close the door, Shan Shan walks to Feng Teng’s desk. Feng Teng is still reviewing the report. “Wait a minute.”

Shan Shan nods, afraid to disturb him and standing stiffly waiting for him to finish.

After a while, Feng Teng signs his name on the last page and closes the report.

Glancing at Xue Shan Shan, Feng Ten gestures with his chin to another table in the reception area on the right.

“The lunch is there.”

Shan Shan looks that way, her jaw almost dropping open.

Good heavens, Miss Feng is becoming extravagant. Previous lunches were in an ordinary disposable lunchbox. Now it is in a bamboo box with three layers.

And surprisingly, there are two!

Does Miss Feng think she has a bottomless stomach = =

Shan Shan is shocked, murmuring: “Two lunchboxes…… President (Zong Cai), I cannot eat that much.”

Feng Teng coughs: “One is mine.”

Shan Shan is feeling more scared. How can she be treated the same as the President (Zong Cai Boss) …… Perhaps …… There is also pork liver in his lunch? – –

Shan Shan says uneasily: “President (Zong Cai), I …… I can’t continue to eat this. I’ve already told Miss Feng that there is no need to bring me lunch. She has probably forgotten to talk to the cook. The blood I donated has been replenished. You see my face is very red now.”

Almost as red as pork liver.

Feng Teng looks at her and laughter flashes in his eyes. Immediately his face turns cold and he says indifferently: “I don’t care what she does, you tell her yourself.”

“Uh, President (Zong Cai), can you let me know how I can contact her?”

“She flew to Europe yesterday.” Feng Teng says coolly. “She’ll come back in about a month.”

Shan Shan is dumbfounded. She probably has to eat for another month.

“Miss Xue, you don’t need to feel grateful.” Feng Teng says dismissively.

“I’m not grateful ……” Shan Shan wants to cry.

Feng Teng questioningly looks at her: “Miss Xue, are you embarrassed to eat free food?”

“Ah, President (Zong Cai), you’re right, I’m very embarrassed.” Shan Shan nods.

“Really?” Feng Teng falls silent. Shan Shan nervously looks at him, almost shouting out loud for Big Boss to show her some mercy.

“That’s it.” Feng Teng thinks for a moment, then makes a decision, his eyebrows relaxing. “You can do something to earn the lunch.”

“……What can I do?”

“Bring the lunchboxes over here.” Feng Teng commands. Shan Shan brings the two lunchboxes over.

“Open this one.”

Shan Shan opens one lunchbox.

Feng Teng glances at the food then says: “Uh, you can pick out the carrots in this dish and the green peppers in this other dish.”

Looking at a bewildered Xue Shan Shan, Feng Teng’s happy mood grows: “Do it carefully, like the day you picked out the parsleys.”

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Author’s Note: Shan Shan’s life as a servant has begun.