When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 38: Chapter 34: 1950s Chaff Wife (34)

Everyone nodded and showered her with praise. ”Chef Zhu is truly a miracle worker! She could run our entire machinery factory’s ice pop operation all by herself.”

Director Wang clapped his hands and said, ”Today, let’s start by delivering these summer treats to the leaders and staff in the office building. Let everyone see how thorough our work is. Once the factory’s new competitive system is in place, we’ll deliver them to the model workers every day.”

Zhu Yun chuckled and said, ”In that case, Director, you’ll have to get creative. For instance, the delivery cart could be decorated with a big red flower and have a banner saying which workshop is receiving the delivery. We could also post it on the factory’s notice board. It would be even more exciting if we played some music from a loudspeaker!”

”Since the leadership is willing to provide the resources, why not also appeal to everyone’s pride and stir up some friendly competition? That’s how we’ll get the best results.”

Director Wang nodded and clapped repeatedly. ”That makes sense. That makes perfect sense!”

”Our cafeteria is only busy during mealtimes. In the hours between, we’re so idle we could be swatting flies. We all need to be more proactive. Since we’re collecting a salary from the factory, we should make full use of our work hours and do everything we can.”

”From now on, we’ll take turns delivering warmth to the workers... no, wait, delivering coolness!”

With that, Director Wang directed some workers to pack the four hundred ice pops into a foam box wrapped in a cotton quilt. After telling Zhu Yun to continue making more, he prepared to head over to the office building with two strong young men, timing their arrival for the start of the workday to deliver the ”coolness.”

Zhu Yun went back to making the same five varieties as before, planning to introduce one new flavor each week.

Everyone headed to the cafeteria’s second floor as usual, but when they didn’t see the familiar figure, they felt like something was missing. Today’s special was meat buns. Sister-in-law Qian had learned how to make the filling from Zhu Yun, and Xu Xiaohui was skilled at kneading dough. The combination of their efforts managed to replicate about seventy percent of Zhu Yun’s mastery.

Someone getting food took a bite of a bun and asked with their mouth full, ”Why haven’t we seen Chef Zhu for the past two meals? Is she mad at Mr. Chu for being unfaithful?”

Sister-in-law Qian explained with a chuckle that Chef Zhu had a more important task, and that everyone would probably find out what it was in a day or two.

Just then, Zhu Yun emerged, having used the ham that arrived last night to fry up a stack of old-fashioned ”chicken leg bread.” They were a brilliant golden-brown, with a savory, chewy texture—an indelible childhood memory for anyone born in the eighties!

The mere sight and savory, fried smell were enough to make people reach for their wallets. Many bought one for their kids or significant others back home to try. After all, it contained a whole sausage and the ingredients were generous, so the price was a little steep.

Just as Chu Shenyu arrived on the second floor, he saw a young man enthusiastically wielding a mop, as if determined to polish the terrazzo floor until it shone like a mirror.

He stepped to the side and was just about to head up the stairs.

The young man looked up at him, immediately stood at attention, and shouted, ”Good morning, Grandmaster!”

Chu Shenyu nearly stumbled. He instinctively glanced left and right—the young man was, indeed, staring right at him as he shouted.

Confused, he gave the man a slight nod and didn’t bother trying to figure out what he meant. He had just reached the second floor and was heading toward the serving window when he ran into a young girl wiping tables with a rag.

The young girl also acted as if she were facing a formidable dignitary, standing ramrod straight and shouting with a sincere smile, ”Good morning, Grandmaster!”

The girl’s voice was high-pitched, yet startlingly loud, piercing through the clamor of the bustling cafeteria.

Every single head snapped in his direction.

The story of Chu Shenyu and Zhu Yun leaving the cafeteria together had fermented for a day, and by now, numerous versions were circulating.

Even though Sister-in-law Qian and Xu Xiaohui had done their best to explain—even pulling in a witness from the next window over—their words were futile against the power of word-of-mouth.

Gossips have always only believed what they want to believe.

So...

’Isn’t that Mr. Chu, the one who left with the new ”factory belle” from the arts troupe yesterday?’

’And now he’s getting friendly with this young girl?’

’Look how excited she is. You’d have to be blind to think there’s nothing going on between them!’

’So this is the real you, Mr. Chu! Weak in the knees at the sight of a pretty young thing. That whole ”uninterested in women” act was just a front, wasn’t it?’

”Mr. Chu, how dare you show your face here?”

”Chef Zhu is so angry she hasn’t cooked for the last few meals...”

Chu Shenyu raised an eyebrow but continued to wait in line, still not quite understanding the situation.

The people in line in front of and behind him started giving him advice. ”Mr. Chu, we can all see you love Chef Zhu’s cooking, so why are you being so dense? Even if you’re not planning to date her, you can’t just be all lovey-dovey with another woman right in front of her, can you?”

”Chef Zhu might be a little tan, but she’s straightforward and generous, and her cooking is top-notch. Marrying her would be a great deal! What can that ’factory belle’ from the arts troupe even do? Sing a few songs, dance a little? A wife like that is just someone to put on a pedestal. She’s not a practical choice at all!”