RBCT Chapter 342 The Most Precious Memory
Chapter 342 The Most Precious Memory
Early the next morning.
Sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains.
Li Ze got up very early.
Today he specially changed into a very ordinary casual jacket and jeans.
This outfit makes him look like an ordinary office worker, completely lacking the aura of the world's richest man he usually is.
Zhang Ruoran also got up.
She wasn't wearing a very formal business suit today either, but rather a light blue sweater paired with a long skirt.
The two people stood at the entrance of Beichen Garden residential complex.
Li Ze did not have Lao Yi drive over to pick them up.
He looked at Ruoran and said with a smile:
"Let's not take the bus today. I checked, there's a bus at the intersection ahead that goes directly to the university town."
"Let's relive the feeling of squeezing onto a crowded bus back in the day."
Ruoran paused for a moment upon hearing this.
She looked at Li Ze and asked in surprise:
"Are you sure you want to take the bus? Are you comfortable with being a boss like you?"
Li Ze laughed heartily, took Ruoran's hand, and walked towards the bus stop.
"What's there to be uncomfortable about? Eighteen years ago, to save a dollar on bus fare, the two of us would often walk several stops together to the job market to look for work."
"Back then, I didn't feel any hardship. Now, taking a bus is nothing."
Ruoran was pulled forward by Li Ze.
Hearing Li Ze mention his past job search experiences.
Her eyes suddenly became somewhat unfocused.
She remembered eighteen years ago.
Back then, the buses in Han City were the old-fashioned kind without air conditioning.
In summer, the carriages are as hot as a steamer, and in winter they are as cold as an icebox.
Every time they went to the job market to submit their resumes and came back...
When the two of them were squeezed into the back row of the bus, Li Ze would always use his body to shield her in the corner so that others wouldn't bump into her.
Back then, we were very poor, and we would hesitate for a long time before buying even a bottle of mineral water.
But they chat and laugh every day, their hearts filled with hope for the future.
Ruoran sighed, a slight smile playing on her lips:
"Yeah, I was so silly back then. I even got blisters on my feet trying to save that one dollar."
The two walked to the platform, and after a few minutes, a bus arrived.
Modern buses are spacious and bright, and they are heated inside, making them very comfortable.
Because it was morning, there weren't many people on the bus.
They found two empty seats that were next to each other and sat down.
Li Ze sat in the aisle seat, while Ruoran sat in the window seat.
Along the way, I watched the street scenes rushing past the window.
The changes in Seoul over the past eighteen years have been tremendous.
The low bungalows and dilapidated streets of the past have all been replaced by high-rise buildings and wide roads.
About half an hour later.
The bus stopped at a station near the university town in Wuhan.
Li Ze and Ruoran got out of the car.
They walked slowly along a street lined with sycamore trees on both sides.
This street is the main road outside the dilapidated neighborhood where they used to rent.
Although the buildings on both sides have been renovated and many shops have changed their signs.
But that familiar feeling still came rushing back immediately.
"Turn left at that intersection ahead, isn't that the noodle shop we used to frequent?"
Li Ze pointed to a crossroads ahead and asked.
If he nodded:
"That's the place. But that street was renovated a few years ago. I reckon that noodle shop closed down a long time ago."
Li Ze smiled, said nothing, and pulled Ruoran forward.
Turn the corner.
A very clean and distinctive commercial street appeared before us.
The shops on both sides of the street are decorated in a very stylish way.
If I were to say that the noodle shop is definitely gone, then I would say that it is no longer there.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on a shop not far ahead.
The storefront is decorated in a very retro style, with three large characters written on the wooden signboard: Lao Liu Noodle Shop.
Ruoran opened her eyes wide, pointing at the sign with some disbelief:
"This...this shop is still around?"
"And it's decorated so nicely?"
In her memory, Lao Liu's noodle shop was just a tin shed set up by the roadside.
Inside, there were only a few greasy plastic tables and a few broken chairs.
In summer, flies are everywhere.
However, the beef noodles there have a lot of meat, and the soup is very thick.
Seeing Ruoran's surprised expression, Li Ze pulled her into the noodle shop.
The noodle shop is very spacious and clean.
It was peak breakfast time, and the place was packed with customers.
Behind the cashier stood an old man with gray hair.
Although his hair had turned white and his back was a little hunched, he still had that plump figure and smiling face.
Ruoran recognized it at a glance.
That's Lao Liu, the owner of the noodle shop.
Old Liu was busy collecting money and issuing tickets.
He looked up and saw Li Ze and Ruoran walking in.
Old Liu was stunned for a moment, then squinted and looked at it carefully for two seconds.
Then, a very pleasantly surprised smile immediately appeared on Lao Liu's face.
He came straight out from behind the cashier and greeted them very enthusiastically in a loud voice:
"Hey! Aren't these Xiao Li and Ruoran!"
"You two have finally decided to come back and see an old man like me!"
Ruoran heard Lao Liu call out their names right away.
She felt very touched and also felt a strong sense of connection.
She answered with a smile:
"Uncle Liu, you still remember us? It's been so many years, and you're still so healthy."
Old Liu waved his hand with a smile:
"How could I not remember? You two used to be regulars here."
"Back then, you guys had just graduated and would come to my place for noodles every day. That kid, Xiao Li, would always ask me to add extra noodles, saying that young people need to eat more to have the strength to work."
"Then he couldn't bear to eat the meat himself, so he put all the beef in his bowl on your plate and gave it to you to eat."
Old Liu pointed at Li Ze and laughed loudly, saying:
"I could tell back then that even though this guy was poor, he was definitely a good husband who loved his wife dearly!"
Hearing Lao Liu mention these old stories...
Ruoran's face immediately turned red.
She turned her head and glanced at Li Ze standing beside her.
Li Ze touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly and said with a smile:
"Uncle Liu, you have such a good memory. You still remember such a trivial matter."
Old Liu laughed heartily and very warmly led them to an empty seat by the window.
"Come, come, have a seat. You are honored guests today."
"Same old order? Two bowls of their signature beef noodles, extra cilantro but no scallions?"
Li Ze nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, yes, the same old routine. Uncle Liu, I've missed your cooking for eighteen whole years."
Old Liu happily agreed and turned to go to the kitchen to make the arrangements.
As Ruoran sat in the chair, she looked at the beautifully decorated noodle shop.
She said with a touch of melancholy:
"I never expected Uncle Liu's business to be so successful."
"That old, dilapidated shed has now become such a big store."
Li Ze sat opposite her, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured Ruoran a cup of hot tea.
He didn't tell Ruoran why the store had become what it is today.
It's all because of what Lao Yi did last night.
This shop was indeed on the verge of closing down due to poor business.
Last night, Lao Yi went directly to Lao Liu and bought the shop at a high price.
Moreover, they renovated the store overnight at top speed.
They also hired Lao Liu to stay and work there as the boss, with all the profits going to him.
The only condition is that when Li Ze and Ruoran come to eat noodles this morning, Lao Liu must be in the shop and greet them as warmly as before.
Of course, Lao Liu is a very enthusiastic person.
He was able to recognize Li Ze and Ruoran today entirely because Lao Yi had shown him the photos beforehand, which reminded him of what happened eighteen years ago.
Li Ze, of course, wouldn't reveal the behind-the-scenes operations.
Not long after.
Two large bowls of steaming hot beef noodles were served.
A layer of bright red chili oil floats on the surface, topped with a thick layer of evenly sliced beef.
That familiar scent immediately filled my nose.
Li Ze picked up his chopsticks and very naturally transferred several large pieces of beef from his bowl to Ruoran's bowl.
Ruoran looked at the extra beef in the bowl.
Her hand paused for a moment.
She looked up at Li Ze.
Li Ze was looking down, eating noodles with gusto.
Ruoran's eyes suddenly felt a little sore.
This man.
Eighteen years ago, when I was penniless, I gave her the meat.
Now that he's the world's richest man, sitting in such a high-end noodle shop, he still very naturally puts the meat on her plate.
Some habits, some feelings.
It seems like nothing has ever changed.
Ruoran picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of beef, and put it in his mouth.
The beef was stewed until very tender and flavorful.
She ate her noodles and slowly began to smile.
She looked at Li Ze across from her and said softly:
"Li Ze, do you remember? Once when you received your first month's salary, we ate noodles here too."
"You were so happy that day, you not only gave me an extra serving of beef, but also bought me a bottle of soda."
"On the way home, you were so excited that you missed a step and fell straight into a mud puddle by the roadside. You got covered in mud."
Li Ze heard about this.
He swallowed the noodles in his mouth and couldn't help but burst into laughter:
"How could I not remember! That was incredibly embarrassing."
"Not only did you not pull me away, you stood by the roadside laughing so hard you couldn't straighten up."
"In the end, I had to get up myself and wash my clothes at the public tap before I dared to go home."
The two people were sitting inside the noodle shop.
While eating noodles, I reminisced about those days when I was poor but very happy.
Those hardships we once endured, those embarrassing and awkward moments we once experienced.
Looking back now, they are all the most precious memories.