Volume One, Chapter Eight: Scallion and Ginger Soup

“Hurry up and get Vice County Chief Zhou inside. I’ll make him a bowl of ginger soup to warm his stomach!”

Zhang Shengli pushed his bicycle into the backyard of the township government building and entered the kitchen, only to find the place in utter chaos, as if it had been ransacked. The stove was a mess, pots and pans were unwashed, and the floor was littered with onion skins, garlic peels, charcoal, and ash—complete disorder.

A chubby young man sat slouched on a stool, smoking a cigarette. His hair was as wild as a bird’s nest, and his eyes were ringed in black like a panda—clearly, he hadn’t slept a wink all night.

When he saw Zhang Shengli come in, he looked as if he’d been saved from drowning. He stood up quickly and said, “You… you’re finally here!”

Yesterday, he’d been desperate to get rid of Zhang Shengli. Now he’d been counting the moments until he arrived.

Zhang Shengli said nothing. He took an apron from his military satchel, tied it on, lit the stove, and began cleaning. In no time, the kitchen was spotless.

“Um… Brother Zhang, have a cigarette!”

The chubby youth took out a shriveled pack of “Great Front Gate” cigarettes and offered Zhang Shengli one.

“Thank you, but I don’t smoke.”

Zhang Shengli declined politely.

“Brother Zhang, could you… maybe say that I was just filling in yesterday because of a family emergency? Otherwise… my brother-in-law is doomed!”

The chubby young man pleaded with all his might.

“Alright.”

Zhang Shengli replied mildly.

“Thank you, thank you so much! I’ll get going now!”

The chubby fellow, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly took off his new apron and bolted for the door.

“Take your apron with you!” Zhang Shengli called after him.

“You keep it, you’ll need it. I’m not cut out for this, and won’t be needing it again…”

The young man smiled awkwardly, scratched his wild hair, and sighed, “Honestly, I never wanted to cook here. My family forced me. I thought cooking would be easy, but I never imagined I’d make such a mess of things…”

“Go on, then.”

Zhang Shengli waved him off and quickly boiled some water. He made a soup with ginger peels and scallion whites, and brought it to Zhou Yun’s office for him to drink.

Zhou Yun’s stomach gurgled; he rushed to the bathroom again. When he returned, he gratefully said, “Xiao Zhang, what did you give me to drink? It worked better than anything from the township clinic—my stomach feels much better already!”

“It was just scallion and ginger soup…”

Zhang Shengli smiled. “You’re often out in the field, eating irregularly, so you’ve developed a cold stomach. That’s why raw or hard food gives you pain and diarrhea. Scallion and ginger soup warms the stomach and drives out the chill, so you’ll feel better.”

“How do you know these things? Did you study traditional medicine?” Zhou Yun asked.

“No, no… I just read it in a book,” Zhang Shengli said, blushing.

“Good, you’re eager to learn from books—that’s a sign you have potential!”

Zhou Yun nodded his approval at Zhang Shengli.

“Zhang Shengli, you should really listen to my father and enroll in a correspondence technical college. You’ll have a shot at a job or even a promotion!” Zhou Ling said, her eyes bright.

“I’m just a farmer. How could I dream of a job or a promotion?” Zhang Shengli lowered his head.

Seeing Zhou Yun’s appreciation for Zhang Shengli, Zhao Changqing turned to Huang Shigui and said, “Section Chief Huang, arrange a dormitory for Xiao Zhang. Let him stay here and cook, so he doesn’t have to run back and forth every day.”

“Well… we only have a few dorms, and they’re all full…” Huang Shigui said awkwardly. “The kitchen’s too small and too hot, and not sanitary for living…”

“Isn’t the broadcasting room vacant? Let Xiao Zhang stay there!” Zhao Changqing said.

“The broadcasting room is empty, but I need to use it for broadcasts and announcements every day. If Xiao Zhang lives there, it might be inconvenient…” Huang Shigui frowned.

“From now on, let Xiao Zhang handle the broadcasting and announcements. He’s a junior high graduate—his Mandarin is better than yours!” Zhao Changqing said sternly.

“But… Xiao Zhang is just a temporary worker. Is it really appropriate for him to be in charge of the broadcasts?”

Huang Shigui protested.

Having issued orders over the loudspeaker to the entire township, Huang Shigui had come to see himself as a household name. Even if he didn’t have much authority, it was still a source of pride—how could he let a temp like Zhang Shengli replace him?

“It’s the era of reform and opening up—we’re streamlining and promoting capable people. Xiao Zhang may be a temp, but he’s competent. Why can’t he handle the broadcasting?”

Zhao Changqing glared at Huang Shigui, leaving no room for argument.

“Yes, yes! I’ll vacate the broadcasting room for Xiao Zhang today and let him take over the broadcasts from now on!”

Seeing Zhao Changqing was truly angry, Huang Shigui dared not protest further. He hurriedly agreed, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Um… I’ll go start boiling water and cooking, then.”

Zhang Shengli left Zhou Yun’s office and returned to the kitchen. He boiled a large pot of water and delivered it to the various offices, where he found everyone clutching their stomachs and groaning.

“What did Section Chief Huang’s brother-in-law put in our food last night? We’ve all been running to the bathroom nonstop!”

“He must not have washed the vegetables properly. I found roots in my food… That black-hearted Huang Shiren—trying to get his brother-in-law a job nearly cost us our lives!”

“It’s bad enough for us, and even Vice County Chief Zhou ended up in the clinic!”

The staff grumbled bitterly, calling Huang Shigui “Huang Shiren” behind his back.

After delivering the water, Zhang Shengli kneaded dough and steamed several trays of buns. With ginger, scallion, and garlic, he made a big pot of tomato and vinegar noodle soup and tossed a bowl of tender baby greens.

As usual, he first brought two servings to Zhou Yun’s office.

“Oh, my father said he wanted some tomato and vinegar noodle soup today, and you actually made it! Thank you so much!”

Zhou Ling exclaimed with delight.

“You’re welcome… Please eat while it’s hot.”

Zhang Shengli served steaming soup for Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun drank a bowl, ate a bun, broke into a sweat, and immediately felt better. Smiling, he said, “Xiao Zhang, you really are a promising talent. It would be a shame to waste your abilities! The correspondence technical college entrance exam is in October. Hurry and sign up, study hard, and if you have any questions, ask Zhou Ling or me!”

“Well…”

Zhang Shengli hesitated, but Zhou Yun added, “I’ll pay your tuition. Now that you have a dorm, you can focus on work during the day and study at night—no conflict at all!”

“No need, I can pay with my own wages!” Zhang Shengli replied quickly.

“Then sign up soon, and if you have trouble studying, ask Zhou Ling for help!”

Zhou Yun nodded approvingly.

“Alright, thank you… I’ll leave you to your meal.”

Zhang Shengli returned to the kitchen, where the staff were already lining up with their lunch boxes and mugs. He hurried to serve them.

“Ah, Xiao Zhang’s noodle soup is so tangy and delicious—my stomach stopped hurting right away!”

“Xiao Zhang’s food is great, and he’s a good guy. I heard he’s in charge of the broadcasting station now. We’ll have to call him Director Zhang from the Cultural Station!”

“Huang Shiren tried to get his brother-in-law to replace Xiao Zhang, and ended up making us all sick. Serves him right…”

The staff showered Zhang Shengli with praise and cursed Huang Shigui, but when he walked in scowling, everyone lowered their heads and ate in silence.