Chapter 370: Inedible Meal
People trudging through the heavy snow arrive to enjoy a freshly baked pancake, followed by a bowl of steaming porridge, instantly feeling much warmer, and finding it not so cold anymore while walking on the road.
Xiang Nuan trudges to class every day through the deep and shallow snow. Boarding students aren’t greatly affected, but day students, especially those living further away, find it quite troublesome coming and going. Occasionally, students cycling would fall over in the snow. Thankfully, there are few cars around these days, and with more cyclists, serious accidents are less likely.
"Lately, the school cafeteria food is just awful," Li Li stuck out her tongue, "Deathly bland, not even a speck of green vegetables—just plain noodles or rice stewed with napa cabbage every day. Eating napa cabbage day in and day out, I’m close to turning into one."
"Same here," Mao Xiaomei couldn’t help but complain as well, "There’s nothing else to eat but tofu and napa cabbage every day. I’m not demanding meat, but can’t we have some other vegetables? I’m about to gag."
After venting, the two looked at each other and made a retching gesture.
Qin Xiangnuan could imagine their plight. After all, she used to eat the same way when her family was poor and had no choice. Back then, having napa cabbage was considered pretty good. Nowadays, people’s lives have improved, and they’ve started to dislike napa cabbage and tofu. Seasonal vegetables weren’t as abundant back then; nobody had access to greens, cucumbers, and green beans every day like herself. The greenhouse-grown vegetables were thriving with the warmth inside, allowing many summer vegetables to grow. The produce from the three greenhouses was more than enough for several families. Originally, they had no plans to sell it, just for their own consumption. The Jians and the Qiao Family would pull out vegetables to eat here. Of course, they wouldn’t take advantage without giving something in return. Both families were not the type to freeload off others. Each month, they’d give Granny Lu fifty yuan for vegetables. Initially, they wanted to give one hundred yuan, but Granny Lu refused to take it, so they settled on fifty. Even so, the Jians and the Qiao Family felt somewhat embarrassed, as their children were now living here under Granny Lu’s care. Granny Lu adored the children, especially the still young Taotao, whom she accompanied to and from school every day, taking good care of the plump boy, who kept growing taller but somehow never seemed to slim down, probably because of the plentiful food.
With children around, Granny Lu herself felt happier, always busy, which made her feel livelier.
Qin Xiangnuan found herself daydreaming and only snapped out of it after a while, only to find her two friends still grumbling about the lackluster cafeteria food. She glanced at her watch; half an hour had passed. Like their leisurely shopping trips where they might end up buying nothing but shop the whole day in high heels, their gossiping knew no end.
The next day, Qin Xiangnuan asked Granny Lu to make extra dumplings to bring to her two friends, along with a cucumber salad and stir-fried green beans. If only their studies weren’t so intense and other students were allowed to leave campus, she would’ve invited them to dine at her home.