Chapter 52: Down the Memory Lane (2)

The middle-aged lady's cooking skill came from decades of home cooking and her specialty was traditional Chinese desserts or Tong Sui. She specialized in Zhima Hu or Black Sesame Soup, Dou Hua or Tofu, bean curd Pudding, Hong Dou Sa or Red Bean Soup and many others.

She served all these at her shop and they soon became her customers' favourite.

The lady's surname was Xiao and her customers, which consisted mostly of students, referred to her fondly at Auntie Xiao.

Technically speaking, a small enterprise like Auntie Xiao's had no use for helpers. Her shop was small enough for her to handle it alone but after she learned Joann's story, the kind-hearted woman took her on as a part-time helper.

Joann was to report for work at the shop every day after school to help serve the customers, wash the dishes and collect the payment.

This meant that after Xu Jing started pursuing Joann, he became one of Auntie Xiao's most loyal customers. He would follow Joann after school and dined there while she worked.

In other words, this small shop was the location where their relationship evolved from strangers to something slightly more than friend.

…

The car skidded to a stop and Joann was jolted back from her reverie into the present. Xu Jing reached his left arm over to press firmly on Joann's chest to prevent her from knocking into the windshield.

Then, he smiled apologetically at her and said, "I am sorry, the light suddenly turned red. Joann, are you alright?"

"I am fine. Thanks."

Xu Jing pulled his arm back and while he waited for the light to turn green, he tapped leisurely on the steering wheel. After a second or two, he turned back to ask Joann, "Earlier, you looked like you were very much lost in thought, what was on your mind? A penny for your thoughts?"

Joann smiled and answered, "It's nothing. I was simply thinking about the past and how we met…" Joann allowed her words to trail off.

"Those were the days," Xu Jing sighed before adding, "I was so young, fit and muscular back then."

Joann could not help but deliver a good-natured jab, "I will give you young but you were never fit and muscular. You were more of a wiry and lanky type." Joann made a show of studying Xu Jing up and down before adding jokingly, "I would say not much has changed."

"Hey," Xu Jing groused in mock offense, "I would like to have you know your husband still goes to the gym weekly. Perhaps you simply do not understand the beauty of male musculature."

"Sure, sure." Joann said to brush him off.

Joann turned to look out at the city at night and a sense of melancholy gripped her. She sighed with heavy nostalgia, "I wonder if Auntie Xiao's is still open."

"If it is, it should be taken over by her daughter already. Auntie Xiao would be ancient by now."

"You underestimate her. I suspect she is fitter than either of us even at her current age with the way she bustles about that shop."

"You are probably right," Xu Jing conceded. "Maybe we should find a day to pay her a visit, after all, it was because of Auntie Xiao that we end up together. I would probably still be harassing you in that little shop if not for a little push from Auntie Xiao."

Joann smiled from memory.

"Do you still remember how big of a fool I was on that first day I visited you at Auntie Xiao's?" Xu Jing asked.

"How can I forget?"

…

The young Joann kept an eye on Xu Jing who trailed behind her as she walked into Auntie Xiao's. She greeted Auntie Xiao who was busy serving a table of customers before going into the kitchen to grab the apron to put it on.

When she came out, Xu Jing had found himself a table by the corner.

Joann glanced at Auntie Xiao who was still busy with the customers and she knew it fell on her shoulders to serve Xu Jing. She knew Xu Jing was not really there for the food but she could not chase him out without reason, after all, he was a customer.

With resolute determination to not allow the man to disturb her work, Joann walked over to Xu Jing's table to take his order.

With a tone that was more polite than necessary, she asked, "Sir, how can I help you? What do you want?"

Since this was his first time there, Xu Jing turned to study the menu that was written on the wall in large letters to familiarize himself with the options. Joann who stood beside him tapped the notepad in her grasp impatiently. Careful to not make her wait any longer, Xu Jing selected the item he was reading then, "I will have the… Dou Hua."

"You want them with brown sugar or white sugar?" Joann asked.

Xu Jing thought about it for a while before answering, "Both."

"Both?" Joann repeated in confusion before clarifying, "You want two types of sugar in one bowl of Dou Hua?"

"No, I want two separate bowls of Dou Hua. One with brown sugar and the other with white sugar."

"Okay then. Anything else?" While Joann was curious why the young man would order two bowls of Tong Sui since he was there alone, she did not ask. She simply assumed the man had a bigger appetite than his slight frame suggested.

"That's all. Thank you." Xu Jing smiled at her. Joann ignored him and turned back to the counter to prepare his order.

Joann scooped the bean curd pudding out from the tub into two bowls. She then added peanuts and a healthy splash of sugar water to both. She placed them on a tray and carried them to Xu Jing.

After serving the food, she told Xu Jing, "Enjoy."

However, as she was about to turn and walk away, Xu Jing called after her, "Wait, the other bowl is for you."

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