Richard was very upset today.
All the other kids were having delicious peanut butter sandwiches, strawberry jam sandwiches, or beef burgers with patties as thick as their fingers. Some even had flavorful curry and exquisite sushi.
But when he opened his lunch box, he found a strange pale crepe with uneven coloring, seemingly cut in the middle, and a compartment filled with an unidentifiable substance between shredded pork and mince.
Just one look made him lose his appetite, so he quietly closed the lid, put it back in his backpack, and went to the convenience store at the school gate, spending a coin on two slices of bread.
"Hey, my darling, how was school today?"
Facing his mother's smile, Richard pouted and shook his head, "It was terrible, honorable Marian ma'am."
He casually put the backpack at the entrance and took out the lunch box.
"Please don't buy that kind of cheap convenience store food anymore. I'll be laughed at by my friends!"
"Oh my, look what I found, Richard, you didn't have lunch?"
Opening the lunch box, Marian's smile disappeared, "Did you not do as I said and heat it in the toaster?"
"There was no need!"
Richard's eyes turned a bit red, "I didn't even dare to take it out of my backpack, it's so embarrassing! Even poor people in the slums eat better than this!"
Marian held her forehead and sighed deeply, recalling her own reaction when she first saw the thing, suppressing her inner anger and silently reminding herself.
This was the child she had painstakingly raised, she definitely couldn't hit or scold him, because hitting him would mean she'd have to apply medicine, and scolding him would mean she'd have to coax him, which might not even work after a long time.
If he feels this way, it's surely her problem, that she used the wrong method. If only she hadn't slept in for that extra half hour in the morning and got up early to heat this magical Great Xia burger in the oven, maybe Richard would have experienced the deliciousness of this burger and begged her, crying, to bring it for lunch.
She took a step back from her anger, controlled the desire to lash out, turned off the electric stove, and stirred the contents inside.
Richard, upon entering the house, smelled a unique meat aroma, salivating and standing on his toes eagerly.
"Mom, what's for dinner tonight? It smells amazing! It would be great if I could take this for lunch at school tomorrow!"
Without speaking, Marian bent down, opened the oven, took out a perfectly baked pastry, scooped a spoonful of meat sauce from the pot into it, and bit into it, ignoring the heat.
"Crunch"
Rich juices dripped down her chin. Prepared, Marian used her left hand to catch them with a plate, still licking the spot she'd bitten into, and continued to devour it.
"?"
Richard swallowed, looking incredulous.
"No, it can't be true, I must be mistaken..."
"I'm so sorry, my poor Richard, since you don't like this burger, once I'm done eating, I'll take you out to get something nice for dinner and lunch."
Marian swiftly gobbled up the meat-filled bun, then picked up Richard's lunch box, dumped the meat sauce into the pot for reheating, and put the pastry into the oven.
Meanwhile, she quickly made seven more meat buns and placed them on the dining table.
Richard turned to look and saw his grandparents, father, two sisters, and two brothers already around the table, eyes fixed on the strange burger in their mom's hand.
"Oh my, I can't wait any longer!"
"My dear Marian, where on earth did you find such a delicious burger? It's simply unbelievable!"
"Burger! Burger!"
Even his two pickiest brothers were sitting obediently, impatiently tapping their forks on the table, creating a thumping sound.
"Gulp"
He suddenly felt a pang of regret, as if he were missing out on something very important.
"Dear, don't forget there's one in the oven. Remember to take it out and eat, while I take poor Richard out to get some food."
"Mmm mmm!"
The man, devouring the juicy meat bun, nodded an OK sign to her.
"So, um..."
Richard gulped again, looking at the glowing yellow oven, "I think..."
"Come on, let's go get your favorite tuna rice ball!"
Marian grabbed her son's hand and briskly walked out the door.
Even when the car started, Richard hadn't yet snapped out of the disappointment of missing the deliciousness.
Dammit, if only I had listened to Mom and heated the lunch box in the toaster, no need to care about that little pride!
If friends had smelled the aroma, begging me for a taste... I wouldn't have given it to them either!
Unless, unless it's Lisa. If Lisa kissed me, then maybe I'd share a bit for her to taste.
"What are you thinking, my dear Richard? We're here, get out of the car."
"Where are we?"
Richard snapped out of it, looking outside in confusion, but since it was a parking lot, he couldn't tell exactly where they were, just knowing he hadn't been there before.
"City center."
"What?!"
To buy him dinner and lunch, Mom had driven two hours to the city center?
Oh my God!!
She must be the best mother in the world!
All his depression vanished, skipping along behind her as they took the elevator to the ground level.
After traversing a long, unnamed passageway, a wide view opened up before them.
Opposite, on a towering strip club advertisement, a seductive, sultry woman seemed to wink at him, making him unsure where to rest his gaze.
Marian seemed to have a clear goal, walking straight in a specific direction without hesitation.
When she saw the familiar food truck, a satisfied smile bloomed on her face, her pace quickened, her plump body jiggling.
As they got closer, it became evident that the food truck was busier than yesterday, with people crowded around it, each holding a bowl of unfamiliar noodles slurping away.
Moreover, three familiar faces seemed to be those he'd seen there yesterday.
"Hey, good evening, dear handsome man from Great Xia!"
Lin Chen looked up, eyes lighting up.
Whoa!
Sister Haofang!
An esteemed guest!!
Forcing a broad smile, "Good evening, beautiful lady! Care for some delicious handmade noodles from Great Xia?"
Marian nodded without hesitation, her gaze still lingering inside the truck, seemingly searching for something.
Finally noticing the menu hanging outside the window, her eyes flickered with a trace of disappointment.
"No more burgers today?"