Chapter 65 - 64: Why Didn’t I Notice Before?

Chapter 65: Chapter 64: Why Didn’t I Notice Before?

Jiang Yunhai’s eyes lit up. "So it’s the ’Sauerkraut Fish Beauty’! Let me go buy it this time!"

Yi Ronghao knew Jiang Yunhai was frivolous and laid-back, so he warned him, "Yun Hai, buying sauerkraut fish is one thing, but don’t do anything out of line. We just arrived at the base, so don’t cause trouble for us."

Jiang Yunhai replied with dissatisfaction, "What kind of person do you take me for? At the very least, I used to be a campus heartthrob. I, Jiang Yunhai, never actively pursue girls; they’re the ones throwing themselves at me, okay?"

The other buddies at the table all let out a collective scoff at Jiang Yunhai.

He smoothed his hair and sauntered over to the sauerkraut fish counter. By this time, there were already four or five people lined up waiting to buy the dish.

Chen Momo was busily focused on preparing the sauerkraut fish. Since she had undergone specialized culinary training at home, making the dish was a walk in the park for her. She quickly finished another customer’s order.

The customer was a young man who looked like a white-collar worker.

"This sauerkraut fish smells amazing." He accepted the bowl from Chen Momo with satisfaction. Unable to wait, he carried it to a table and immediately began devouring it, completely immersed in the experience.

Although there were still four people in line ahead of him, the aroma had already wafted to Jiang Yunhai’s nose.

Unable to resist, he swallowed hard and called out to Chen Momo, "Excuse me, get me a serving of sauerkraut fish too!"

Chen Momo glanced up at him. Seemingly unswayed by his good looks, she methodically continued preparing the next customer’s order while telling him, "Please go to the back of the line."

Seeing that Chen Momo was entirely uninterested in his appearance and had merely given him a fleeting glance, Jiang Yunhai couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

He thought back to before the blizzard. Although his grades had been poor and he had only gotten into a junior college, he was a prominent figure on campus. Coupled with his wealthy background—driving luxury cars even during his school days—Jiang Yunhai had always drawn the gazes of countless girls wherever he went.

But now, that charm didn’t seem to work on the Sauerkraut Fish Beauty standing in front of him.

"Here is your sauerkraut fish. Please be careful holding it," Chen Momo said, finishing another serving and handing it to the customer before her.

This customer was a plump middle-aged woman who clearly looked like a food enthusiast. As the aroma of the dish reached her nose, the woman beamed with joy. She took the bowl from Chen Momo and eagerly found a table to savor her meal.

From behind the two remaining customers in line, Jiang Yunhai quietly observed this Sauerkraut Fish Beauty.

She was not very tall, with her hair tied up in a bun, looking to be only around twenty years old. Her fair little face bore a serious and earnest expression, entirely focused on the sauerkraut fish in her hands. She sliced the ingredients with practiced, skillful movements, as if nothing else existed in her world besides the dish right in front of her.

While her features weren’t breathtakingly stunning, they were highly appealing the longer one looked. This was especially true when she was earnestly preparing the fish; she exuded a unique charm that seemed to draw Jiang Yunhai into her world of culinary focus.

She was so absorbed in her work that she didn’t even notice Jiang Yunhai staring at her for a long time.

He felt that this girl was different from any other girl he had met. She clearly could have relied on her looks, yet she chose to rely on her own hard work.

"Hello, your sauerkraut fish." It was finally Jiang Yunhai’s turn, and Chen Momo handed him his serving.

However, Jiang Yunhai just stared at her, seemingly lost in thought, and didn’t respond.

Chen Momo frowned and couldn’t help but raise her voice. "Hello?"

"COUGH, COUGH." Jiang Yunhai snapped out of his daze. He cast an awkward glance at Chen Momo, took the sauerkraut fish from her hands, and unexpectedly uttered, "Thank you."

He had never said the words "thank you" since he was a child. Yet just now, facing this girl, they had inexplicably slipped out.

Carrying the sauerkraut fish, he returned to his table and sat down. Yi Ronghao and his childhood friends could no longer suppress their rumbling stomachs. Seeing Jiang Yunhai approaching with the dish, the rich young men eagerly picked up their chopsticks, ready to dig in the second the food hit the table.

This was undoubtedly the most delicious meal they had encountered since the blizzard disaster began!

Yang Shunsheng felt that something wasn’t quite right. No matter how he looked at it, Chen Momo didn’t seem like she was working for someone else. He decided to find out exactly what was going on.

Thus, he made an excuse to have Huang Yuqing carry their son back to the living center first, while he headed straight for the cafeteria manager’s office.

Liu Hui Chun was wearing glasses and holding a pen, carefully calculating something in a ledger. Seeing Yang Shunsheng walk in, Liu Hui Chun paused for a moment and stood up. "Hello, how may I help you?"

Yang Shunsheng quickly fabricated an excuse. "Oh, it’s like this. I just saw Counter 52 in the cafeteria earlier and wanted to ask if it’s still available for rent?"

Liu Hui Chun chuckled. "That counter has already been rented out! A young lady rented it. When I passed through the dining hall earlier, I saw her selling sauerkraut fish. It seems she’s attracted quite a few customers."

Yang Shunsheng was taken aback. "A young lady?"

Liu Hui Chun smiled and replied, "That’s right, a young lady with her hair tied in a bun."

Yang Shunsheng instantly understood. His ex-wife looked so youthful that despite being a divorced mother, she was still mistaken for a young girl.

He realized his guess had been right all along. His ex-wife had actually rented a counter to start her own business. This took him completely by surprise. After all, renting a counter required a substantial amount of money.

"Let me ask one more thing. What’s the rent for Counter 52 like?" Yang Shunsheng inquired.

"Five thousand base credits a month, with a three-month advance and a one-month deposit," Liu Hui Chun replied cheerfully.

Yang Shunsheng did the math in his head. Five thousand base credits a month, with three months’ rent paid upfront plus a deposit, meant a total of twenty thousand base credits. He was astonished that his ex-wife dared to fork out twenty thousand base credits at once to do business during times like these. In the past, she had never possessed this kind of boldness. After experiencing the blizzard disaster, he felt as though he barely recognized her anymore.

"Thank you, I understand." Weighed down by his thoughts, Yang Shunsheng stood up and left Liu Hui Chun’s office.

He stood in a corner of the cafeteria, silently watching Chen Momo as she bustled about at the sauerkraut fish counter. She seemed even more independent now than before they were married. In the past, Chen Momo had been highly dependent on him, letting him make all the decisions, big or small. Now, however, she seemed to exude an icy aura that warned strangers to keep their distance. Moreover, throughout this snow disaster, she appeared to have lost a lot of weight.

With her hair tied up in a bun, she truly looked like a young girl. While not breathtakingly beautiful, she was incredibly appealing to look at. Her earnest and focused demeanor, in particular, carried an indescribable charm.

He wondered why he had never noticed this before.