When Tessie and Erica returned, Owen was sitting in the dimly-lit yard and playing on his cell phone. When he saw them, he stood and greeted them.
Erica had wanted Tessie to meet Matthew, but she was afraid of the man. And so, after much insistence, Erica let her friend retire to her room. She figured it might be better if the two met each other the next morning.
After bidding Tessie good night, she walked to the door to her bedroom and pushed it open. Matthew was sitting on the chair in her room, waiting for her.
When he saw his wife enter, the worry niggling at his heart gradually disappeared.
Erica ran forward and hugged the man who was sitting upright. "Matthew, why haven't you slept yet?"
He sat motionless and let her hold him, but he did not respond.
Erica didn't mind his attitude. After all, she hadn't seen him in years. And, he had just saved her from Pike and his men. She glanced at him and asked, "How about we go to bed now?"
It was late, and after all the events that had transpired, she was exhausted.
However, Matthew said flatly, "I'm hungry."
"What?" she exclaimed. She scratched the back of her head. It was late at night, and her kitchen was quite bare. What was she going to feed her husband? Finally, she stuttered, "I…I can cook noodles. Is that okay?"
'She can cook noodles?' Matthew shook his head. "I'm afraid your cooking will poison me."
"Okay. Then perhaps I can ask Tessie to cook for you. She is good. Your sons always enjoy meals prepared by her," Erica offered. She had volunteered to make him a bowl of noodles, but he didn't seem to trust her culinary abilities.
'Let Tessie do it? Never!' The man pinched the bridge of his nose and ordered, "You can make the noodles!"
'Me?' Erica was stunned with how quickly Matthew had changed his mind. "Aren't you afraid of getting poisoned?"
"Cut the crap and do as I say!" Whatever little patience Matthew had left seemed to have disappeared. He glared at his wife as he waited for her reaction.
"Okay, okay, I'll do it right now!" Erica ignored his tantrum, turned and ran out of the room.
Their kitchen was small, but it was spotless and orderly because Tessie would clean it every day.
Erica placed the water to boil before hunting for dried noodles in the cupboard. Then, guided by the beam of her flashlight, she scoured the corner of the yard for some vegetables. On the way back, she found a few mushrooms that Tessie had placed on the shelf to dry.
Curious, Owen followed her into the kitchen. After looking around the small shabby space, he couldn't help asking, "Mrs. Huo, why did you choose to stay here? This place is so…" He had inquired about the village before bringing Mr. Huo here. He hadn't believed the reports. But now that he was here, Owen could see that it was not much better than the slum.
While washing the vegetables, Erica raised her head and answered with a smile, "Technology in big cities is advanced. I was afraid that I would be caught on surveillance cameras less than two days after my escape and then be taken home!" Such a premature return would ruin all her plans.
After careful consideration, Erica had decided that only a poor and backward village, where even the phone signal was weak, would be a safe place to hide from Matthew and her family.
Owen had to admit that sometimes Erica was quite smart.
She threw the washed vegetables into a clean basin, tilted her head, and thought for a while. "Owen, I'll find a place where you and the others can sleep in a little while. We don't have the luxuries that you and the others are accustomed to. So, please make do with what I can offer."
"Thank you, Mrs. Huo. I'm not picky," Owen replied as casually as possible. Since his boss hadn't grumbled about this place, he didn't dare to complain.
Back in Y City, it was Owen's job to do odd jobs for Matthew. He, thus, felt very uncomfortable standing by while Erica was cooking. And so, he offered, "Mrs. Huo, let me help you."
"No, I'm good. Just wait outside. The noodles will be ready soon!" Erica replied with a smile. About ten minutes later, the noodles were ready.
Just as Owen was about to say something, he heard his boss summoning him. "Owen," Matthew called out.
"On my way!" Owen answered as he spun on his heels and left the kitchen.
Several minutes later, Erica returned to her room with a bowl of steaming noodles. With a smile, she placed the bowl in front of Matthew.
Then, she turned to Owen and said, "I've cooked a lot. If you are hungry, help yourself to some food."
Upon hearing this, Owen glanced at Matthew, hoping for a reaction that would help him decide. But his boss kept his eyes on the bowl of noodles. So, he politely refused. "Thank you, Mrs. Huo. I had some food earlier, but Mr. Huo hasn't eaten anything since noon."
Previously, when the couple were making out in the alley, Owen, the drivers, and the bodyguards had found something to eat. They were afraid that Matthew would dislike it, so they didn't bring any for him.
"It doesn't matter. I have made a lot. Even if you eat a large bowl of noodles, there will still be plenty left. Well, I'll get you a bowl." Afraid that he was shy, Erica turned and headed for the kitchen.
Owen immediately followed her and refused in fear. "No, no, no. I can do it myself!" He was afraid that his boss would teach him a lesson if Erica had to serve him.
"Okay." Erica didn't force him. She stood by as he went to the kitchen.
A few moments later, she turned to look at Matthew. The man was still glaring at the noodles in his bowl. It appeared as though he didn't want to eat.
Erica walked forward. After sitting next to him, she urged, "Eat while the noodles are still hot."
Matthew lifted his head and gazed at her. "Is this what you usually eat?" She had placed some chopped green onions, vegetables, and mushrooms above the noodles. There was no meat in the food.
"Yes." Erica was accustomed to eating like this. She propped her chin on her hands and said, "Don't worry. The noodles are definitely cooked. When Tessie was away, I would cook for our sons. They enjoyed my noodles very much. Well, sometimes I would prepare two extra dishes for them. But it's too late now, and I don't have the ingredients to make those dishes for you. Tomorrow, I will buy you some beef and mutton." The meat in this place was famous, and almost all families raised cattle and lambs.
The thought of his wife and sons living in this squalor and eating meager meals sent such a pang of anguish through his heart that his hands balled into fists.
He shot up from the chair. Erica frowned and asked, "Where are you going? Don't you want to eat?"
The man turned. He suppressed his emotions and said, "I'm going to wash my hands."
"Okay. I'll show the way." She heaved a sigh of relief. Her heart almost broke when she thought that he wouldn't eat the noodles she had made. However, it turned out that he was just a neat freak.
There was a tap outside the house, and it was connected to a pipe that was fed by cold spring water. When Erica came here, there hadn't been such a tap in the village, and every household had to fetch their water from the river. She had paid someone to install this tap.
She quickly fetched a basin of water and put it in front of him. "Wash your hands!" she said.
The weather was neither hot nor freezing. The spring water was cool, but it could be used to wash hands.
After Matthew finished, Erica handed him a yellow towel and said, "This is Adkins' towel. This little guy is also a neat freak like you, so his towel is the cleanest one. You can use your son's things!"
Now that she had cared for four boys, Erica had become good at taking care of people. She carefully wiped the water on Matthew's hands.
She guessed that Matthew like the noodles she had cooked. After all, he ate in silence till all the noodles were finished.
Just like the four little guys. They never said a word from beginning to end while eating the noodles made by their mother.
In the kitchen, Owen picked up some noodles and asked Tessie, who had quietly come out to clean the kitchen, "How often does Mrs. Huo cook? And have you tried her noodles before?"
Tessie glanced at him and answered briefly, "Yes."
"What do you think about them?" Owen asked cautiously. He didn't say that the noodles tasted awful.
Tessie didn't say anything. Instead, she busied herself with cleaning the kitchen.
Since she stayed silent, Owen got her point. "Did the four boys grow up by eating these noodles?" That would be miserable! To be honest, he had never eaten such terrible noodles before. He really felt bad for the boys.
