Chapter 624: A Chicken Whose Status Isn't Below an Egg

I heard the Railway Bureau Cultural Palace opened a ballroom, and Lu Cheng really wants to go take a look.

Especially with Jiang Mengmeng as dance partner, that ordinary Railway uniform, after being specially tailored, looks sexy and alluring on her.

I'm afraid that once Jiang Mengmeng steps onto the dance floor, many male comrades will come forward to invite her, so she is confident she can invite Lu Cheng over.

She even took the initiative; this is an opportunity that no amount of male comrades' pleas could obtain.

But Lu Cheng unhesitatingly refused: "Sorry, Comrade Jiang Mengmeng, I really have no time today; I have a date tonight."

Lu Cheng isn't being pretentious; he truly has something tonight—he plans to see Yang Yin to inquire about her brother who is abroad.

The Induction Cooker has already been handed over to Zheng Guoping and his team; they're confident they'll soon grasp all the principles, and then the next step is how to open overseas market channels.

Xiao Yang once mentioned that her brother does business abroad; maybe she could make a connection.

Revitalizing the Lu family is Lu Cheng's unwavering lifelong goal.

Jiang Mengmeng naturally doesn't know Lu Cheng's grand ambition and assumes he's deliberately avoiding her.

"Yo, now you're Deputy Captain, a leader, you've got an air about you, so you need to keep your distance from us ordinary revolutionary folks, huh…"

The young woman complains outwardly, but it sounds more like a whine; especially her full bosom almost made Lu Cheng's revolutionary resolve waver.

"It's true, I really have something tonight. I advise you to be honest these days; you're at a critical moment, try to make a good impression on the leadership."

Hearing Lu Cheng say that, Jiang Mengmeng can't help feeling a bit disappointed.

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Deputy Captain Lu!"

……

Riding his bicycle back to Hu Tong, many neighbors were sitting under the big locust tree at the doorway, fanning themselves with palm fans and chatting idly.

Among them was Yue Min's wife; Lu Cheng suspected that his fate and hers were mismatched, because whenever they meet, the young woman always rolls her eyes at him.

This time was no exception—she rolled her eyes and turned her head away.

Today Yue Min's wife paid no attention to her image, wearing big shorts—probably Yue Min's—and her exposed slender legs were incredibly bare.

Lu Cheng didn't bother with her, dragged his bicycle into the front yard, and happened upon Da Hu, who was hurrying out, clutching a few toothpaste tubes.

"Da Hu, where are you off to?"

Da Hu raised the toothpaste tubes he'd been saving for a while: "Going to exchange them for ice lollies."

Lu Cheng laughed: "Don't exchange them. Tomorrow I'll bring a whole box from our unit, and they're red bean flavored."

Every summer the Railway Bureau makes ice lollies and distributes them to employees' families.

"Really?" Da Hu exclaimed excitedly: "Dad, you're so kind to me; I'll take care of you in my old age."

Lu Cheng, satisfied, patted Da Hu's head: "Your dad just got bullied; what will you do?"

Da Hu immediately straightened his chest: "Whoever dares to bully my dad, I'll beat them up!"

Lu Cheng nodded: "Good. Since Yue Min's wife bullied me, go to the doorway and twist her thigh; I'll bring you an ice lolly tomorrow."

Da Hu suddenly felt reluctant; Yue Min's wife is like a tigress—if you twist her thigh, you'll surely be chased and beaten.

"I won't go; she'll go to the Street Office and accuse me of being a hooligan."

Lu Cheng, holding his bicycle, set a stern face and said: "You're just a kid, you have a protection period; the Street Office can't do anything to you. Do you still want that ice lolly?"

Da Hu hesitated a moment, but thinking it was a whole box of ice lollies, he immediately nodded resolutely.

As Da Hu ran out, sharp shouts from Yue Min's wife soon echoed from outside.

"Hey, you little Turtle, how dare you twist my thigh! Stay right there, see if I don't beat you to death!"

Da Hu made a goofy face: "Who let you bully my dad! I'll not only twist your thigh, I also saw your little shorts—you're wearing red."

Da Hu's words made the neighbors burst into laughter, while Yue Min's wife's face turned bright red as she chased Da Hu for three streets.

In the Inner Courtyard, in the kitchen beside the West Wing Room, Lu Cheng leaned against the doorframe: "Mom, I got promoted to Deputy Captain today; shouldn't we improve the meals tonight?"

Chen Xianglan, busy rolling noodles without looking up, said: "Alright, I'll add an extra egg for you; today we'll have cold noodles."

"Just an egg? No need for a whole plate of braised pork…?" Lu Cheng felt something was off; his mother showed no reaction to his promotion.

"Mom, didn't you hear me? I said I got promoted—to Deputy Captain, deputy division level."

Chen Xianglan finally sat up straight: "Heard you. You say this promotion is more diligent than our chickens laying eggs; Mom's gotten used to it."

Lu Cheng glanced at the chicken coop beside him and was speechless.

"No, Mom, why compare me to an egg! If not the braised pork, we could just slaughter a chicken to eat."

Chen Xianglan instantly glared: "Dream on. I'm still keeping the chickens for laying eggs; if you even think about harming our chickens, I'll slaughter you first."

Damn, this guy's status is lower than a chicken now.

But Mom's cold noodles are truly outstanding.

Even though there aren't many complex seasonings now, that's exactly why the pure taste shines through.

First, the boiled noodles; the crucial step is rinsing them in cold water, and the underground water in Capital City is good and cool in summer.

Then prepare the sesame sauce: scoop two big spoonfuls of sesame paste into a small bowl, add salt, and gradually add cool boiled water while stirring clockwise with chopsticks.

Add water after it's absorbed, repeating until it becomes a thin slurry that clings to chopsticks; it's a skill—adding too much water at once makes it watery.

The essential cucumber strips, plus today's special egg shreds, are drizzled with sesame sauce, garlic juice, and vinegar, spread over the cucumber; once mixed, you can eat it—no amount of gold could make me change the recipe.

Peel two more garlic cloves; they'll make enough for two big bowls of that slurpy broth.

Finally, after finishing the noodles, sip the remaining thin sauce at the bottom of the bowl, adding a splash of noodle broth—called 'slippery smooth'.

Two big bowls of cold noodles down the hatch—that's pure satisfaction.

After the family ate and drank their fill, the courtyard TV turned on on schedule; neighbors gathered around the yard to watch, chatting about daily life—that's the life of ordinary people in Jingcheng Huchong.

Compared with the bustling summer Hu Tong, the little western-style house where Professor Yang lives is much quieter.

Lu Cheng went down to the ground floor, picked up a small pebble, and tossed it at the second‑floor glass.

A moment later, a girl in a light, flowing dress ran out.

"I knew it was you; the day you smash my house's glass, you'll have to pay."

"Fine, I'll compensate you tonight."

Lu Cheng gave a slight signal, and Yang Yin, delighted, sat sideways on the bike's rear seat.

"Where to?"

Lu Cheng said nothing, drove his foot down hard, and pedaled toward a nearby small park.

In the clearing at the entrance, many old men and Big Aunties were strolling after dinner.

He stopped the bike at the entrance, took Yang Yin's hand, and walked further inside.