Chapter 122: Sweet Grapefruit

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“Pomelo.” Yan Rushan carried a bag made of oiled paper and approached her, placing it on the table. “This pomelo is very sweet and juicy—perfect for the winter season.”

Zhong Yuxiu rummaged through the oiled paper bag and pulled out a pomelo. The bag wasn’t very large, yet it held two pomelos, each weighing over four jin.

“The soil and climate in Province C have been good this year; these are really big.”

“They are quite large. I heard this year’s harvest tastes great. In previous years, they were either dry or only watery and somewhat astringent—hardly enjoyable. But this year, they’re sweet and juicy. Try it, and if you like it, I’ll send you more.”

Yan Rushan sat beside her.

“Alright, you go ahead and cut it open,” she said with confident authority.

Yan Rushan smiled gently, indulging her request, lifted one pomelo, and headed to the kitchen. Goudan glanced at him briefly, then turned back to his tasks; the noodles were already boiling and would be ready soon.

Yan Rushan’s gaze lingered a moment on the range hood before he looked away. He fetched a kitchen knife and made four evenly spaced cuts along the pomelo’s surface, peeling the skin away from the edges without damaging the flesh. The peel came off smoothly, revealing evenly sized, brightly colored segments that looked appetizing.

He separated the flesh from the peel, placed it on a porcelain plate, filling it generously, then took chopsticks and left the kitchen.

“Yuxiu, try some.”

The plate of pomelo flesh appeared before her eyes. Zhong Yuxiu put down her medical book, and Yan Rushan offered her the chopsticks. She pinched a bit of the fruit and tasted it—the sweetness exploded in her mouth, just as Yan Rushan had said, juicy and sweet.

“Delicious.”

A smile flickered in Yan Rushan’s eyes. “Even if it’s delicious, don’t eat too much. This fruit is cold in nature; eating too much cold stuff can upset your stomach.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t concerned about the cold. It had been a long time since she’d had such a tasty pomelo—she wanted to savor it first.

“Eat slowly,” Yan Rushan said as he sat beside her. Seeing the young lady so satisfied made him happy. “Since you like it, I’ll bring you more later.”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded repeatedly. “Keep the pomelo peel for me. Take it home every day.”

“That’s fine.”

That saved the trouble of peeling it herself.

After finishing a plate of fruit, Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo returned from outside. Goudan brought two bowls of noodles and placed them in front of Yan Rushan and Zhong Yuxiu before heading back to the kitchen. Shortly after, he brought two more bowls.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo washed their hands, then quickly devoured their bowls of beef noodles.

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Zhong Yuxiu and Yan Rushan’s bowls were also empty; they had drunk much of the soup, and traces of seasoning were visible at the bottom.

“Brother Yan, have you seen the range hood in the kitchen?”

“Yes, it looks quite good. The kitchen is free of smoke and grease,” Yan Rushan replied honestly. The motor was a bit noisy, but it effectively kept the kitchen clean and prevented oil stains from clinging to one’s clothes.

Zhong Yuxiu nodded slightly, then shook her head. “It’s still not perfect. Ideally, the range hood should be quieter—preferably soundproof. It should have stronger suction. Its sound control system isn’t sophisticated enough; it can’t recognize human commands or respond accordingly.”

Yan Rushan looked away from the kitchen. “You want the range hood to be like Goudan?”

“Exactly. Both operate via chips. If Goudan can do it, the range hood can too. It’s just a matter of installing the right chip.”

The little robot had been delivered a long time ago but still hadn’t appeared.

“Take your time,” Yan Rushan said. “If you handle it personally, results might come quickly. For others, I can’t say. Over the years, very few breakthroughs have been made. That’s just how it is.”

There was nothing more to do.

After resting, the group left the house and headed to Huada University. Upon arrival, they arranged for the students in their class, then went to the conference room to continue grading exams.

The grading lasted three days, during which the students were sent off. Once the results were finalized and recorded, they would serve as the basis for next semester’s assessments.

When the year-end tasks were done, Huada officially went on holiday. Zhong Yuxiu visited the medical college. Principal Xu had recently been free, and she had some time too.

In the late 1970s, the New Year atmosphere was rich and vibrant, unlike later years when social ties grew thin and the holiday lost its flavor.

She recalled that in a previous life, she had read a post online describing how people in the 70s, 80s, and 90s greeted each other with smiles and blessings during the New Year. But after the 2000s, the holiday’s warmth faded, and social gatherings lost their meaning.

Zhong Yuxiu stayed at home, Hao Nan went out to buy New Year’s goods, and Tian Shangguo helped Goudan with some chores.

Such leisurely days were rare, and Yuxiu cherished them.

“Comrade Zhong, I’m back. There were so many people buying New Year’s goods these days. At the supply and marketing cooperative and the department store, it was so crowded I almost couldn’t get in,” Hao Nan said, laden with bags and goods hanging from his body.

“Thank you for your hard work. Put everything down,” she said, rising from the sofa to help.

After unloading, Zhong Yuxiu helped carry the food items into the kitchen. Gifts for presenting were stored separately, and candies and snacks went into the storeroom for guests during the New Year.

“Why did you buy so many snacks?” She saw large bags of sunflower seeds and roasted peanuts, as well as dried fruits, soft candies, hard candies, and milk candies. The Eight Immortals table in the storeroom, which used to hold only writing supplies, was now overflowing.

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Hao Nan replied, “You can’t avoid serving guests during the New Year. These candies and snacks can also be taken to the Yan household as gifts. It’s better to have more. I heard from the supply cooperative that candies are running low. Whether they’ll last through the holiday is uncertain.”

They’d sell until there was nothing left.

“Really?” She slyly slipped two milk candies into her pocket.

Hao Nan was speechless.

Though uncertain verbally, his actions betrayed him.

“Ahem.” Hao Nan lowered his head, covering his mouth with one hand and coughed lightly. “Comrade Zhong, I’ll bring over a serving tray to arrange some candies and snacks outside. You can have them whenever you like.”

Zhong Yuxiu’s hand froze. She had wanted to reach for the sunflower seeds but withdrew it, maintaining a stern expression. “Alright, thank you.”

“No trouble at all,” Hao Nan said quickly as he left the storeroom. Moments later, he returned carrying a wicker tray filled with candies, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and dried fruit.

“I’ll take it,” Zhong Yuxiu said, reaching out. Hao Nan glanced at the tray and obediently handed it over. “Comrade Zhong, remember to drink plenty of water when you eat snacks.”

“I know.”

Holding the tray full of snacks, Zhong Yuxiu turned to leave. Hao Nan shook his head and followed her. When they reached the main hall, Tian Shangguo came out of the kitchen and immediately noticed the snacks in her hands.

“Comrade Zhong, it’s time for dinner. Goudan made quite a bit of meat today. Eat fewer snacks.”

Zhong Yuxiu looked down at the snacks and pursed her lips. When there were none, she was fine, but seeing the snacks made her crave them. It had been too long since she had eaten such treats. It was nice to nibble when bored. The peanuts and sunflower seeds in this era were especially well-seasoned and fragrant.

Unlike in later times, when everything tasted artificial.

Even food was fake—not to mention everything else.

“Comrade Zhong, if you want to eat, just eat less and save room for the meat,” Tian Shangguo said, unable to find words to stop her upon seeing her disappointed expression.