The woman had just put the vegetables into the pot when the man’s call came through: “Honey, are you asleep?”
“No, I’m just about to heat up the food.”
“Don’t heat it up, let’s go out to eat.”
“It’s already midnight.”
“Put on your coat and come downstairs, I’m waiting for you.” The man’s tone was both insistent and full of anticipation. The woman couldn’t refuse and softly replied, “Okay.”
The hallway was quiet. The woman had just gone down half a flight when she heard the man intentionally clear his throat. She asked quietly, “Why did you come up?”
“I was worried you’d be scared.” As he spoke, the man had already reached her, and they held hands as they walked down.
Outside the building, a red taxi was parked at the entrance. As they got into the car, the woman frowned and said, “Why didn’t you lock the car?”
The man patted his head and said, “Oh, I was just worried you’d be scared and rushed to pick you up. Honey, please don’t be mad. Normally, I even lock the car when I step out to spit.”
The woman chuckled, “Don’t be silly. It’s the middle of the night; what are we going to eat? Our child is about to start school, we need to save more money, and Mom isn’t in good health, we should save for that too, and…”
“Don’t worry, we’re just going to have a bowl of noodles. Didn’t I say you should go to sleep first? I could have heated up the food myself.” As the man spoke, he adjusted the car’s heater towards the woman.
“You? You always take the easy route and eat cold food. You work so hard every day, you don’t need to eat lavishly, but you should at least eat something warm.”
“You…” The man shook his head, but his face showed a satisfied and happy smile from being pampered.
The streets were empty and quiet. “There’s hardly anyone around, everyone must be in their warm beds,” the woman said, feeling even more sympathy for the man, and repeatedly urged, “Don’t go out of the city at night, no matter how much they pay!”
“Yes, I remember.” Such reminders were countless, and each time the man answered with firm assurance, wanting to give the woman more peace of mind.
After several turns, the car stopped near a small alley noodle shop. The man locked the car, and they squeezed through the gaps between the numerous taxis parked haphazardly in front of the shop.
“So many drivers come here to eat noodles?” The woman was surprised.
“Yes, this place is famous for its authentic beef noodles and it’s affordable.”
As soon as they sat down, the man enthusiastically ordered, “Boss, two large bowls of beef noodles, a plate of beef shank, a plate of cauliflower, a beer, and a cola.”
The woman was a bit anxious, “Didn’t you say no drinking while driving? Why order such expensive dishes?” The man didn’t explain, just smiled and carefully wiped the cup in front of the woman with a napkin.
When the drinks arrived, the man placed the beer in front of the woman and the cola in front of himself, saying with a smile, “I remember everything you say, the beer is for you.”
“For me?” The woman was surprised. The shop was mostly filled with men, some eating quietly, some chatting about their recent jobs. She was the only woman.
She whispered, “I’m too embarrassed to drink here.”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” The man said as he opened the beer and poured it into her glass. The woman smiled and stopped arguing, pouring cola for the man.
The beef noodles arrived, steaming hot and fragrant. “Smells so good!” the woman praised softly.
“Yes, it’s made with a secret old broth. I searched for a long time to find this place,” the man replied.
The woman picked up a small bunch of noodles and said, “The aroma is so tempting, I’m drooling.”
“Then eat quickly while it’s hot,” the man said eagerly. The woman put the noodles in her mouth, chewed a few times, and nodded repeatedly, “So authentic, it tastes like the beef noodles from my hometown.”
The man seemed to have been waiting for this comment. As soon as the woman finished speaking, he relaxed and leaned back in his chair, letting out a satisfied sigh.
“You should eat too, why are you just watching me?” the woman urged.
“Okay, okay, let’s eat together,” the man agreed but didn’t move his chopsticks. Instead, he took out his phone and checked it.
The woman was about to ask when the man suddenly stood up, his face filled with excitement, and said loudly, “Gentlemen, it’s now 11:59 PM on the 24th, in one minute it will be the 25th. The 25th is a special day—it’s my wife’s birthday, her 30th birthday! The radio always says that women particularly value their 30th birthday and hope for some special celebration on that day. I’m just a taxi driver, with old and young to care for at home, so I didn’t dare to make a big deal of it. I just wanted to take my wife to eat a bowl of noodles that tastes like her hometown’s longevity noodles at the very first moment…”
As he said this, he looked at the woman with deep affection and said, “Honey, happy birthday to you!” With that, he tilted his head back and drank the cola in his cup.
The people in the noodle shop, initially curious, began clapping enthusiastically. They all looked at the woman with friendly smiles. Her face turned as red as an apple, and she felt like she was floating on clouds.
A fifty-something driver came over with a cup and said to the woman, “Happy birthday, sister!”
Then, all the drivers came to congratulate her, holding various cups, some with thermoses, some with bottled water. The boss also came to congratulate her, announcing that tonight’s beef noodles were birthday noodles, and everything was on the house.
In the car, the man asked softly, “Honey, are you happy?”
“Yes,” the woman replied softly. The man drove, humming “Happy Birthday” happily.
The woman’s lips curled into a smile, beautiful ripples of happiness spreading on her cheeks. The usual heaviness and fatigue of life melted away. At this moment, she felt so light, joyful, and blissful.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
