It was past ten o'clock, and the bus to Nanling Village wouldn't depart until noon. With over an hour to spare, there was enough time to find a small restaurant for a meal.
Xie Nan had no appetite and had initially intended to refuse.
However, seeing the exhaustion on Su Xiaotian's face, she finally nodded. Su Xiaotian had accompanied her on this long journey, and the trip had been arduous. Children needed to eat, especially at their age when they were growing.
The county town wasn't particularly prosperous, so there weren't many dining options. Scattered small eateries mostly served noodles. The two found a beef noodle shop nearby, which appeared to have been there for quite some time.
"This place has been open for several years, ever since the policies were relaxed. The taste is quite good," Su Xiaotian said as she led Teacher Xie into the beef noodle shop and ordered two bowls of beef noodles.
Teacher Xie hadn't eaten the beef noodles here before, but she had heard of them.
"Teacher Xie, shall we have the thin noodles? Do you have any dietary restrictions, like not eating garlic sprouts or cilantro?" Su Xiaotian asked Teacher Xie after buying the tickets.
Teacher Xie's mind was not on eating, so she nodded casually and then found a seat. In the small noodle shop, seven or eight people were speaking in their local dialect while eating noodles. Simple words, simple people.
"Teacher Xie, our noodles are ready," Su Xiaotian said, carrying a bowl of noodles over. In the large bowl, there was red chili oil, green garlic sprouts, and cilantro. The soup was clear, with thin noodles in it. This bowl of noodles was different from what Teacher Xie usually ate. It was robust yet refined, looking very appetizing and stimulating the appetite.
"This is a very local specialty, Peng Hui beef noodles, and they are very chewy." Su Xiaotian placed the bowl in front of Teacher Xie, then went back to the counter to get the second bowl before sitting down in front of Teacher Xie.
Teacher Xie was still staring at the noodles in front of her. Su Xiaotian picked up the vinegar bottle, poured some for herself, and suggested that Teacher Xie also add some.
"Teacher Xie, after getting off the train, there's nothing more comforting than a bowl of beef noodles with vinegar."
In her life, Teacher Xie had visited this small county town six times. The first time was when she was stranded there and gave birth to her daughter. She was very poor, so poor that she couldn't even afford a steamed bun. The subsequent five times were all in search of her daughter. Back then, there were only state-run restaurants, no small noodle shops like this.
The vinegar fully brought out the aroma of the beef noodles, and Teacher Xie suddenly felt hungry. She followed suit, pouring in some vinegar, and then picked up her chopsticks to start eating. The noodles, with their slight sour and spicy flavor, were very chewy and warm, making her feel comfortable and invigorated.
Su Xiaotian took two cloves of garlic from the large bowl on the table and offered one to Teacher Xie. Teacher Xie asked in surprise, "You eat garlic raw like this?" She had never eaten raw garlic cloves in such large quantities, and the experience felt quite novel.
"Teacher Xie, I guarantee you'll want to eat it a second time after trying it once! Sister Xiaocao loves eating garlic with her noodles. She says that without garlic, the meal is only half as flavorful." Hearing that Xiaocao liked it, Teacher Xie unhesitatingly took a clove of garlic and began to peel it with her fingers. She thought that perhaps, on some day in the past, Xiaocao had sat in her current spot, eating noodles with raw garlic. Thinking of that scene, Teacher Xie smiled.
"The beef noodles taste really good, Xiaotian. Thank you." Teacher Xie ate gracefully, like a painting, completely different from the people around her who were eating heartily.
"We should come in the morning sometime. The taste is even better than at noon," Su Xiaotian said with a smile, watching Teacher Xie momentarily forget her worries.
Teacher Xie nodded. "If a noodle shop like this opened in Beijing, it would definitely be as popular as clouds. It might even make more money than your Yiming Pavilion."
Su Xiaotian thought of the many ramen shops that would later spread across the country, many of which were criticized but still made money.
"Teacher Xie, you teach philosophy, I didn't expect you to understand economics."
Teacher Xie smiled and said, "What economics do I understand? I just think the taste is good." Su Dan Novel Network.
Su Xiaotian nodded and agreed with a smile. "Teacher Xie, you're right, beef noodles are simple and quick, a type of fast food."
"It's just that, even though it's just a bowl of noodles, the taste seems different when it's away from here. I don't know if it's the water and soil, or what the problem is."
It was indeed true; beef noodles, when away from their hometown, had an indescribable taste. Teacher Xie said thoughtfully, "Even a bowl of noodles is reluctant to leave its homeland, let alone a person." Su Xiaotian didn't quite understand what Teacher Xie meant, but she didn't ask.
After they finished eating, they walked towards the station, carrying their bags. "The station is still in the same place as it was back then, but everything has changed!"
The bus to Nanling Village was an old model, swaying and moving slowly. Sitting by the window, Teacher Xie watched the winding dirt roads and desolate countryside after leaving the county town, and her heart ached. Had Xiaocao really grown up in such an environment for over twenty years? Had she suffered a lot? No, it shouldn't be. After all, the Su Xiaotian family she knew treated everyone very well, so the people in this village must also be very good people.
This was a dirt road, and dust flew up as the bus passed. The car windows were not sealed, and the dust, rising up, flew into the car through the half-open windows, making the entire carriage dusty. Soon, both Su Xiaotian and Teacher Xie Nan were covered in dust.
"Xiaotian, did you used to take buses like this to go to school in the county town?"
"Teacher Xie, when Sister Xiaocao and I went to the county town for school, there weren't buses like this yet." Teacher Xie Nan was even more surprised. If there were no buses, how did they get there?
"We all walked. The county town was very far, and it took a long time to walk."
"Walk?" Xie Nan stared at Su Xiaotian in disbelief. Just a few children had to walk such a long way to go to school.
"We had a house in the county town. Sister Xiaocao and a few others boarded at school during the week and would stay at our house for a day on the weekend. They didn't return to the village frequently." Since the topic had come up, Su Xiaotian decided to mention some small details from the past, such as occasionally encountering ox carts going into town, or sometimes catching a ride in her uncle's jeep.
"Sister Xiaocao and the others only attended high school for one year before taking the college entrance examination."
"Sister Xiaocao's grades were actually very good, but she wasn't very confident, so her exam scores were slightly lower." As Su Xiaotian chattered about these things along the way, she focused on Su Xiaocao. It was quite dull, as Su Xiaocao was a reserved and sensible girl. When they were mischievous, Su Xiaocao would always watch from the side. But Teacher Xie Nan listened with great interest.