MGTSSSR Chapter 4

After promising Mr. Gu, Song Xiaoci started to panic — because she… didn’t know how to cook!

 

“Ahhh! Why did I agree to this in a moment of impulsiveness?!”

 

Rolling around on her bed in frustration, Xiaoci finally picked up her phone and turned to her foodie group on WeChat for help.

 

[Help Request from Xiaoci! How can I become a master chef in one day?! How do you make delicious sweet and sour spare ribs?!]

 

And so, the latest update of her light-hearted foodie blog turned into a desperate plea for help, leaving her followers utterly bewildered.

 

Foodie A: Didn’t you swear you’d never cook in your life???

Foodie B: After waiting so long for an update, this is all we get???

Foodie C: Am I the only one who thinks Xiaoci is evolving into a perfect wife and mother???

 

…

 

Clearly, they weren’t reliable. Left with no choice, Xiaoci turned to her best friend. Following a mix of text, voice instructions, and tutorial videos, she memorized the steps but didn’t have a chance to practice. With a look of sheer determination, she set out.

 

“I’ve bought the groceries. I’m coming to pick you up.”

 

“Okay…”

 

“Why do you sound so lifeless? Did you get heatstroke?”

 

“No, I’m just waiting for you in the hotel parking lot.”

 

After hanging up, Xiaoci opened her friend’s tutorial video one last time, frantically memorizing the steps.

 

But when she finally made the sweet and sour spare ribs at Mr. Gu’s place, the result was… hard to look at. A plate of charred, unrecognizable spare ribs was reluctantly placed on the table.

 

Even though Mr. Gu had braced himself for this moment upon smelling the unusual aroma, seeing the dish in person brought on a peculiar mix of emotions.

 

Pouring Xiaoci a glass of lemon water, Mr. Gu cleared his throat as she fidgeted with embarrassment, her delicate side-eye adding to her charm. “Come on, sit down and eat.”

 

As he spoke, he uncovered the three dishes he had prepared beforehand: sweetened tomatoes, stir-fried beef with tea tree mushrooms, and blanched Chinese broccoli.

 

Seeing Xiaoci’s growing embarrassment and hesitation to sit down, Mr. Gu smiled slightly and joked, “A poetic feast: Volcanic Snowflakes, Mushrooms Caressing Beef, and Pristine Broccoli. Don’t laugh too hard at my amateur attempt, Miss Song.”

 

Hearing this, Xiaoci couldn’t help but laugh. Her embarrassment melted away, and she sat down, clinking glasses with Mr. Gu. Though he used a wine glass, it only held grape juice—Mr. Gu wasn’t much of a drinker.

 

Still slightly self-conscious, Xiaoci watched as Mr. Gu picked up his chopsticks and reached for her charred and burnt ribs first. Underneath the dark coating, the ribs seemed properly cooked with no blood, so at least it wouldn’t cause food poisoning.

 

One bite later… This girl didn’t need seasoning; she needed a miracle for those teeth!

 

By the end of the meal, however, Mr. Gu had miraculously polished off the entire plate of sweet and sour ribs with rice. Meanwhile, Xiaoci devoured the other three dishes!

 

Patting her now-rounded belly, Xiaoci looked at Mr. Gu, who was cleaning up. “I didn’t expect you to know how to cook.”

 

“I didn’t expect a foodie like you to not know how to cook,” he replied.

 

Leaning casually against the kitchen door, Xiaoci waved a small fist at him. Mr. Gu pretended to surrender like a knight to a warrior maiden before donning an apron and washing the dishes.

 

The meal of charred and burnt sweet and sour ribs—seasoned with who-knows-what—left Mr. Gu reminiscing about a line he’d once read.

 

It was poetic and utterly fitting.

 

—Some come from mountains, rivers, and seas, yet they find themselves bound by days, nights, kitchens, and love.