CME Chapter 10: Veggie Pot Stickers

 

Translated by Crystal of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Life showed that Lin ShuYi not only had a foodie’s heart but also a stomach of steel. When the two left Fisherman’s Dwelling, Lin ShuYi was already full with a round stomach, but when they came across a sweets shop, Lin ShuYi still turned around, throwing it multiple glances. For that, Shen Fu could only look on in awe.

When they got back, Lin ShuYi was only able to take a shower before falling asleep. As per usual, Shen Fu nested on the sofa and slept while aching all over. This wasn’t a long term solution. Shen Fu widened his eyes, stretched out his arms, and then…got a cramp.

The next day, Lin ShuYi woke up early and saw for once Shen Fu waking up before him while carrying two massive dark eye circles. “I’m going to the restaurant,” said Lin ShuYi.

Shen Fu didn’t talk nor tease, simply nodded seriously.

Lin ShuYi wasn’t surprised with his sudden change of attitude. Shaking the keys in his hand, he said, “Should I lock the door?”

Shen Fu shook his head seriously.

After yesterday afternoon, Lin ShuYi felt that Shen Fu wasn’t as annoying as before, so he didn’t bother him anymore and left. Just as Lin ShuYi left, Shen Fu sat on the sofa with a grunt and pulled out his phone. He swore he was never going to sleep on the sofa again.

By the time Lin ShuYi arrived at the restaurant, old man Yang was already up. He probably thought that Lin ShuYi was going to be late, but who knew that his internal alarm was scarily accurate.

“Xiao Yi, where’s that brother of yours?”

It took a while for Lin ShuYi to realize who this ‘brother’ was and by the time he figured it out, his face darkened, “Still sleeping.”

Old man Yang smiled, “Youngsters these days should be like that, how come you’re always up so early?”

Before Lin ShuYi could say anymore, Shen Fu walked inside, smiling and fully refreshed.

“Grandpa.”

“Oh, you’re here. We were just talking about you and now you’re here. Why are you up so early as well?”

Shen Fu walked beside Lin ShuYi and suddenly wrapped his arm around his shoulder saying, “I saw both grandpa and Xiao Yi were working hard, so I thought I should come by and help.”

Now Lin ShuYi’s expression was even darker than before. He wanted nothing more than to throw the arm around his shoulder into a pot and boil it into soup.

In old man Yang’s eyes, this was a scene of brotherly love. He didn’t notice Lin ShuYi’s uncomfortable expression at all and said what a smile, “There’s nothing I need help with, it’s just the usual. I thought Xiao Yi was going to sleep a bit more, but who would’ve thought that you both got up so early. You brothers really have a good relationship.”

Shen Fu replied with a smile, completely ignoring Lin ShuYi’s silent protest, “Of course.”

Lin ShuYi thought that Shen Fu was just making small talk when he said he was going to help, but to think he really did grab a knife and start cutting after watching them for a bit. His hands didn’t look like a pair of working hands, but he was so efficient that it even took old man Yang by surprise.

Even the most difficult to cut meat was well-behaved in his hands. From slices, to strips, to finally uniformed cubes, it was perfect for the Minced Pork Noodles. Even Lin ShuYi looked at him with new eyes.

“Couldn’t tell that you would be really good with a knife.” Old man Yang praised him from the bottom of his heart.

“Of course grandpa, I used to help out a lot, cutting things.” Shen Fu replied jauntily.

Lin ShuYi swallowed back his compliment of ‘good knife work’.  Actually, it wasn’t just that Lin ShuYi was surprised about Shen Fu, Shen Fu was also becoming more and more surprised about Lin ShuYi. He didn’t think it was weird that Lin ShuYi never gone to school and worked at the restaurant, he was surprised by how good of a cook he was though. He had the form and skill. When he remembered that all of the past noodles he ate came from his hands, Shen Fu couldn’t help but give Lin ShuYi a thumbs up, “Couldn’t tell that you’d be the one cooking and such a good one at that.”

Lin ShuYi ignored Shen Fu’s praise.

For breakfast, the three got together and had a huge plate of pot stickers. It was made by old man Yang, there was no meat inside, only vegetables like cucumbers, eggs, black fungus, and carrots. It was clean and refreshing but still flavorful.

Shen Fu kept praising old man Yang as he ate, so the old man smiled the way through. By the time customers started rolling in, the new addition, Shen Fu, became the new focus of everyone’s attention, without much surprise.

There was no reason other than Lin ShuYi was handsome, Shen Fu was handsome. So when you got two handsome dudes together, it was a sight to behold. Not only that, Shen Fu kept a smiling face, enchanting the young ladies dizzy.

“Old man Yang, what happened to this store? What’s with all these handsome boys? Look at these young girls unable to pay attention even to the food~” Aunty Zhou, who brought along her granddaughter, teased as she ate.

Old man Yang poked his head out from the kitchen, “Of course, the two kids were born this way, liked by young girls.”

The young girls being teased didn’t take offense either, instead, they laughed along with the joke. However, all jokes aside, Shen Fu wouldn’t cooperate when a young girl tried to take his photo. His face was blocked by one thing or another, so after two failed attempts, the young girl stopped, thinking he didn’t like being photographed.

After a days work, Shen Fu finally returned home with Lin ShuYi.  Once he opened the door, Lin ShuYi was dumbfounded.

The original (very old) sofa has been pushed aside to the corner, replaced with a massive, huge, and soft sofa that could be used as a bed. Behind him, Shen Fu crossed his arms in front of his chest and said, “How’s that? Much better than the one before, right?”

Lin ShuYi turned around, “Where did you get this?”

Shen Fu felt his mouth twitch, “I bought it of course.”

Where else was he going it from?

Lin ShuYi narrowed his eyes and looked at him, “Didn’t you spend the whole day at the restaurant?”

Now Shen Fu felt his head pinch as well, “Ummm, do you not know a thing called TaoBao? (Chinese Amazon) And a thing called delivery?”

Lin ShuYi was silent.

Shen Fu said no more and simply walked up, pulling Lin ShuYi to the sofa. The soft cushion sank in then bounced up, it was so comfortable that Shen Fu let out a sigh. Seriously speaking though, he never thought there would be a day where he thought a sofa would feel this good. It’s all because of that aggravating tiny sofa.

Lin ShuYi, who had been dragged forcefully on to the sofa, widened his eyes, then quietly wiggled a bit. With the corner of his mouth raised, he asked, “How about we switch for the night?”

It was Shen Fu’s turn to be silent.

In end, he still gave the first use of this sofa to Lin ShuYi. When Shen Fu went into the room, Lin ShuYi still sat on the sofa with an upright posture. When he walked in, remembered he left something and came out to grab it, Lin ShuYi had already made himself comfortable. His lips made a wide smile, clearly in a good mood.

Shen Fu couldn’t help but feel his own lips curl up. He thought to himself, how is this little thing so easy to please?

The only source of information to this world was the TV for Lin ShuYi. In reality, he barely experienced anything from this world. Old man Yang was also not someone who went shopping often, thus no one could take Lin ShuYi on a tour of this world. It was a good thing Shen Fu came along.

Lin ShuYi was simple minded, after the char-coaled grilled fish and sofa incident, Lin ShuYi thought that Shen Fu wasn’t as annoying as before, so he reluctantly agreed to him stay for a few days longer.