A charming widow in her 70s married a factory manager and raised his children.

Chapter 4, Meal 1

Lu Congyue and several technicians from the factory were repairing a malfunctioning machine in the workshop, and they got so busy that they forgot about the time.

He didn't remember that there were still people at home until someone reminded him that the food was getting cold.

Lu Congyue frowned. That woman wasn't stupid; she should know how to cook for herself, right?

"Director Lu, it seems the machine problem won't be resolved anytime soon. The food is getting cold; let me take it to the cafeteria to reheat it for you," Lin Wei said softly as she approached.

Lu Congyue was about to agree, but then changed his mind, took his lunchbox, and said in a deep voice, "You guys go ahead with your work, I have to go back."

He walked in a hurry, not even glancing at Lin Wei, who bit her lip in frustration.

Feng Wenhua approached with a boxed lunch, grinning, "Technician Lin, could you please heat this up for me?"

Lin Wei rolled her eyes at him: "It's not cold, eating some cold food is no big deal. Didn't you see everyone else is eating it straight away? Are you the only one who's special?"

As he spoke, he angrily opened his lunchbox and took a big bite.

Feng Wenhua sat next to her, eating and chatting: "Director Lu has a child at home, and he just hired a nanny to take care of the child. I guess he's worried about going back to check on him."

Lin Wei turned her head: "A nanny? At home? Didn't we say we'd find a breastfeeding woman and leave the baby with her? How come the baby's at your house?"

"I don't know either." Feng Wenhua shrugged.

Unable to get any information, Lin Wei poked at the food in the lunchbox with a spoon.

I really don't know what Lu Congyue is thinking. She's so old and doesn't want to get married and have children. She would never agree to let her adopt someone else's child!

When Lu Congyue hurried home, he saw that the gate was open and there was light coming from inside the house and kitchen.

He walked over and saw Zhuang Qingxiang rolling out noodles in the kitchen.

She rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing her fair forearms. Her shirt was tucked into her apron, making her waist appear slender. A strand of hair fell beside her face, swaying slightly with her movements, along with...

Lu Congyue immediately shifted his gaze and coughed lightly.

Zhuang Qingxiang was filled with anxiety when she heard the noise and was startled. She exclaimed in surprise, and when she saw that it was Lu Congyue, she patted her chest and said, "Director Lu, you're back."

She quickly explained, "I'm sorry, my child and I were starving after not eating all day, so I thought I'd make something to eat. I didn't use anything else, just some flour... I'm so sorry I didn't ask for your permission first."

A fire was burning in the stove, and the water in the pot was boiling, steaming hot. Even before Lu Congyue went in, he felt sweating profusely.

There were things I wanted to say but didn't know how to begin, when the child's wailing cries rang out.

Zhuang Qingxiang hurriedly put down her work and walked out while wiping her hands.

Lu Congyue stepped aside to let her out. After she went inside, the child stopped crying in no time. Instead, a woman hummed softly. He didn't know what tune it was, but it sounded pleasant and comforting.

Lu Congyue looked down at the lunchbox in his hand, stepped into the kitchen, put the hand-pulled noodles that Zhuang Qingxiang had prepared into the pot, thought for a moment, then cracked two eggs into it. While the noodles were cooking, he put his aluminum lunchbox on top to steam.

The thin, hand-pulled noodles cooked quickly. Lu Congyue scooped up the noodles and found that there was only enough for one bowl. With two eggs added, it made a bowl and a half.

Lu Congyue frowned slightly: Is this enough for her and the child? It's not even enough for him alone.

As I carried my rice bowl and lunchbox into the house, I heard a childish voice speaking.

"Mom, Yueyue isn't hungry. Yueyue is going to sleep. She won't be hungry when she falls asleep."

Then came the woman's gentle voice: "Yueyue is such a good girl, but if Yueyue falls asleep, who will eat the noodles that Mommy made? Yueyue hasn't eaten all day, she needs to eat before she can sleep."

"Mother hasn't eaten yet, Mother, you should eat first."

A surge of anger welled up inside him, and Lu Congyue slammed his chopsticks down.

The noise inside the room immediately ceased; you could hear a pin drop.

A moment later, there were rustling noises and the whimpering of a child protesting, but thankfully there was no loud crying.

The curtain was lifted, and Zhuang Qingxiang came out of the house holding Yueyue's little hand.

Lu Congyue spoke first: "Haven't you eaten all day?"

He left around 11 a.m., which wasn't lunchtime yet, and then he was busy until now before coming back. That means they came over without having breakfast and have been waiting until now.

The nameless fire in my heart burned even brighter for some reason.

Zhuang Qingxiang kept her head down and didn't say a word. Lu Congyue couldn't see her face clearly, but his tone was already angry: "I'm not some old landlord anymore. You're here to help me feed the baby, so why shouldn't I cook for you? There's food in the kitchen, isn't there? Can't you cook something yourself?!"

Zhuang Qingxiang thought to herself that she wanted to, but she was afraid that using the master's things without permission would be frowned upon, and what if she was kicked out?

She wouldn't have touched his family's flour if she wasn't afraid he really wouldn't come home all night and she and her child would go hungry.

However, does Director Lu mean that she is allowed to stay and can eat at his house?

Zhuang Qingxiang encouraged herself and mustered her courage to speak: "Director Lu, I know you're busy. Don't worry about the child. I'll take care of him as if he were my own. Please let me stay."

She spoke with her head down, honest and unassuming. Lu Congyue thought about the thorny issues at the factory and how he wouldn't be able to go home that night. He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, you stay. I have to go back to the factory in a bit. Take good care of the child. I don't know when I'll be home. You can cook three meals a day as you see fit. If you don't have time, just buy some from the factory canteen."

Zhuang Qingxiang breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems she was lucky; Lu Congyue was busy at the time, otherwise she probably would have been kicked out by noon.

As soon as I relaxed, hunger surged up, and my stomach started growling loudly, along with Xiao Qianyue's.

Zhuang Qingxiang clutched her stomach, her face burning.

Lu Congyue glanced at the two bowls, one big and one small, pursed his lips into a straight line, raised his hand and scooped two pieces of braised pork from the lunchbox into the large bowl and one piece into the small bowl, and then divided the vegetables into the two bowls.

"Let's eat," he said in a deep voice.

He wasn't used to eating with strangers, let alone a woman, so he took his lunchbox and ate in the yard.

Only after he left did Zhuang Qingxiang dare to raise her head, glance at the figure in the courtyard, sigh, and quickly pull Xiao Qianyue to sit down at the table, handing her a pair of chopsticks.

"Yueyue, eat quickly."

Little Qian Yue's eyes sparkled: "Mommy, there's meat!"

"Yes, it was given to me by my uncle. Remember to thank him," Zhuang Qingxiang said softly. "Eat up."

The two of them were eating noodles with gusto when they noticed a poached egg nestled underneath. They looked at each other, their eyes sparkling.

They hadn't finished eating yet, but Lu Congyue had already finished, rinsed his lunchbox with water, and walked out.

"I won't be back tonight, so lock the door and go to sleep," he instructed without turning his head.

Zhuang Qingxiang quickly responded, then asked, "Director Lu, are you coming back for breakfast tomorrow morning?"