Chapter 22: Egg Burgers and Fried Skewers
After school, Xia He ran over again, wanting to go home with Gu Qinghuan. When he found out the three girls were going to eat fried skewers, he wanted to tag along.
Jiang Chuchu wanted to refuse but didn’t quite dare, still hesitating when Gu Qinghuan said, “Next time we’ll bring you along. Today is our girls-only dinner.”
Xia He tilted up his cute face. “I can treat you, big sister.”
“We have money,” Gu Qinghuan refused without hesitation.
Xia He’s expression immediately fell. With his hands behind his back, he scuffed the ground with his toe and muttered, “I just wanted to spend more time with you.”
“But I already have plans today, so let’s wait until next time. Next time, send me a message first and wait for my reply — that way you won’t have to make a wasted trip.” Gu Qinghuan shook her phone slightly.
Though they’d only known each other for a few days, Xia He already understood that once Gu Qinghuan made a decision, she wouldn’t change her mind.
With a well-behaved and understanding tone, he said, “Then I’ll go home by myself today.”
Gu Qinghuan nodded, then held out her hand. “Your arm — let me check.”
Xia He passed his arm over.
Today there were still seven scars. The one closest to his wrist looked old now, and the scab would probably fall off after the weekend.
Satisfied, Gu Qinghuan let go of his arm. “Keep it up, and maybe on Monday I’ll treat you to fried chicken and milk tea.”
Xia He was a little surprised. He’d thought he had to wait until all the scars were gone. He hadn’t expected her to mean she’d treat him each time one disappeared.
A pity — he should’ve carved over a dozen lines back then. Wouldn’t that mean more treats?
His regret was written all over his face. Gu Qinghuan was speechless, decided not to bother with him, and after saying goodbye, she caught up to Jiang Chuchu and Yu Xin. They got into Jiang Chuchu’s family car and headed for the snack street.
Since it was right after school, the street was bustling. They got out one intersection early, and the driver went to park in the lot on the other side.
Yu Xin was sandwiched between Gu Qinghuan and Jiang Chuchu, a little nervous and about to lower her head, when Gu Qinghuan called out, “Xin Bao, besides fried skewers, is there anything else you want to eat?”
“What’s that?” Jiang Chuchu pointed to a stall.
“Egg burgers.” Yu Xin instinctively glanced over and answered.
“Burgers?” Jiang Chuchu made a doubtful gesture. The burgers she knew didn’t look like that.
Gu Qinghuan immediately dashed over and bought three non-spicy egg burgers, shoving them into Jiang Chuchu and Yu Xin’s hands. “Eat!”
Since they’d been sitting out for a bit, the egg burgers weren’t very hot, and with the weather being cool, the temperature was just right.
Jiang Chuchu took a skeptical bite. The crispy grilled shell broke with a crack, revealing chewy dough inside, tender egg whites and soft, powdery yolk, layered with a savory meat patty. This stall even added some pickled mustard greens — fresh, sweet, and crunchy. All the flavors blended in her mouth for a rich texture.
Yu Xin finished first. Gu Qinghuan ate slowly, waiting until Jiang Chuchu was done so they could drag her to buy fried skewers.
By the time they reached the fried skewer stall, Jiang Chuchu had just swallowed her last bite. “Not bad. From the filling, I guess it does count as a burger.”
Gu Qinghuan shoved the basket from the stall into her hands. “Pick your skewers!”
The result: Jiang Chuchu chose a huge pile she could never finish by herself.
After Gu Qinghuan and Yu Xin picked theirs, they went to the next stall to buy hand-shaken lemon tea. When they came back, they saw Jiang Chuchu had two baskets stacked like small mountains.
“You got so many! You can’t finish all that!” Gu Qinghuan was shocked.
“I’ll take them home,” Jiang Chuchu said without blinking.
“Will your mom let you?” Gu Qinghuan poked her arm.
Her own family was already pretty lenient about takeout, but she wasn’t sure about Jiang Chuchu’s.
Jiang Chuchu thought about her family’s meals, feeling a little guilty, but still said, “I’ll just hide in my room to eat.”
Luckily, the driver soon came to help carry the bags. Without him, that many skewers would’ve been impossible to hold.
The three chatted and snacked in the car. Jiang Chuchu dropped off Gu Qinghuan and Yu Xin first before heading home herself.
When the butler came to meet her, the moment the car door opened, the strong, heady scent of fried skewers hit him, making the corner of his mouth twitch.
Jiang Chuchu poked her head out. “Is Mom back?”
“Madam is already home,” the butler said with a touch of sympathy.
Jiang Chuchu froze but braced herself, asking the butler to take the skewers as she tiptoed toward the house.
The moment she stepped inside, she called, “Mom, I brought food home!”
Jiang Chuchu’s mother was Zhu Qinglan. Back when the families arranged the marriage, the Zhu and Jiang families had been a strong match. But when the Jiang family ran into trouble, the Zhu family found an excuse to switch the bride, replacing their most favored daughter with the less-noticed Zhu Qinglan.
After Zhu Qinglan married into the Jiang family, their problems were resolved and their standing rose higher. Jiang Youwei and Zhu Qinglan got along well, and the Jiang family thought highly of her, so no one made a fuss about the switch.
But Zhu Qinglan knew she had been thrown out as a shield by her own family, so she’d always been cautious, trying hard to play the role of “Madam Jiang.”
Hearing from the servants that her daughter was back, Zhu Qinglan had been about to greet her with a smile — until she heard that shout.
What followed was the dominating, rich aroma of fried skewers.
Zhu Qinglan’s expression froze, though she couldn’t help taking a breath.
In the past, her elder sister Zhu Manyu had been the most favored. Because Zhu Manyu pursued extreme thinness, the whole family catered to her, making sure meals were nutritious yet low in salt and fat. For Zhu Qinglan, it had never been tasty.
She used to sneak food after school, since her father only cared about accompanying Zhu Manyu and didn’t pay attention to her.
It wasn’t until the Jiang family ran into trouble and her father decided Zhu Manyu couldn’t be dragged into the mess that he ordered Zhu Qinglan to replace her in the marriage — but first, she had to lose weight, because he thought she was too fat.
After marriage, the Jiang family wasn’t harsh, but there was still the occasional complaint about the bride switch. Nervous, she lost her appetite. Later she had severe morning sickness during pregnancy, and after giving birth, she had to regain her figure. The bland, light diet became a long-standing habit.
But now, smelling the fried skewers her daughter had brought home, Zhu Qinglan couldn’t help wondering — had it really become a habit, or was it just obedience?
For her daughter’s health, she’d read up on the subject. At her height of 1.7 meters and 60 kilograms, how was she fat? Why had her father forced her to lose weight?
It was only because Zhu Manyu, at the same height, weighed just over 40 kilograms — thin to the point of being unhealthy.
“Mom?” Jiang Chuchu asked cautiously. Was her mother going to be angry over fried skewers?
Zhu Qinglan came back to her senses, feeling a sudden lightness. “It’s fine. What did you buy? Let me try a bite too.”
Relieved, Jiang Chuchu urged the butler to bring them over. “Fried skewers! My classmate took me to buy them — she says that shop makes the best.”
Zhu Qinglan picked a fried tenderloin skewer. The moment she bit in, the juicy, savory flavor filled her mouth.
This is still the best, she thought, taking another big bite.
