Alright, let's continue with making dinner.
Dan picked up some garlic and started pounding it, then peeled off the skin. Actually, it can also be peeled and chopped, but his grandmother taught him that more oil comes out when you pound it with the skin on. Plus, he likes the taste better when it's pounded more.
While Dan was cooking, Chunn looked interested in what Dan was doing. He kept staring until Dan couldn't help but laugh.
"Chunn, would you like to come to watch me cook from the kitchen counter?" Dan asked.
Chunn, with wide eyes, asked, "Can I?"
Dan nodded and Chunn moved from the dining table to the kitchen counter.
Dan took out a Chinese wok and turned on the stove. He then opened the exhaust fan. When the wok was hot, he added a little bit of oil, and when the oil was hot, he added the pounded garlic to fry until fragrant.
After frying the garlic, Dan added the beaten eggs and let them cook a little before breaking them into pieces. At this point, Dan used the tip of the spoon to add a little bit of sugar.
His grandmother taught him to be patient when adding sugar.
That is, when pouring the sugar, hold your breath.
Dan remembered asking his grandmother if it was really necessary to hold his breath, and he was scolded for not following her instructions. He laughed at himself for remembering this.
While he was cooking the eggs, he glanced at the picture of his grandmother on the fridge. Most people would put pictures of their family in their bedroom or living room, but Dan only had his grandmother's picture in the kitchen.
Every time he couldn't remember a recipe while cooking, he would look at the picture of his grandmother and think of the time she taught him how to cook. He would then remember the recipe.
Dan fried an omelet and mixed it with sugar, as taught by his grandmother. She had said that tomatoes were not a sweet vegetable, but rather salty from sodium and sour from acid.
Therefore, a small amount of sugar should be added, and also the sugar would help the omelet get a better smell.
When the omelet was cooked, Dan turned off the fire but still let the wok on the stove. He poured the tomatoes in and then cooked them for about ten seconds.
When it reached ten seconds, he removed the wok from the stove and let the tomatoes absorb the heat and release some of their water.
He then divided the omelet and tomatoes onto two plates, sprinkled with chopped scallions and cilantro. Normally, the recipe only required scallions, but Dan and his grandmother liked cilantro, so they added it too.
Oh, I forgot to ask if he can eat cilantro, Dan thought.
But that's okay. I saw him eating everything on the plate during lunch, there were hardly any fresh vegetables left. So Dan thinks Chunn can eat cilantro without any problems, Dan concluded.
Dan offered rice to Chunn, saying, "I'm sorry that I only have one side dish."
Chunn took the rice and a spoon and looked at the food in front of him.
"Just this is too much very kind of you. Thank you for sharing your dinner with me," Chunn replied.
"No problem. It's boring to eat alone anyway. Let's eat together," Dan said.
"Sure, let's eat together."
But Dan still didn't eat because he remembered the incident from earlier in the day. He was afraid that if Chunn ate and enjoyed the food, he would slump backward again.
So Dan waited for Chunn to eat first, making sure that Chunn wouldn't get a weird reaction after eating. Then he would eat.
Chunn scooped the food into his mouth and chewed slowly, while Dan watched him.
Fortunately, this time Chunn didn't slump back after eating. He chewed slowly and made a face that showed Dan that he was able to control himself.
But just as Dan was starting to relax, Chunn suddenly put his hand to his chest and acted like he couldn't breathe. Dan immediately knew that Chunn was choking, so he quickly got up to get him some water.
Chunn took the water and drank it, then took a long, deep breath. "It's just that the food was so good that I didn't want to swallow it," Chunn chuckled.
"You were choking, weren't you? Just take it slow and chew properly. If it's good, you can take another bite," Dan said.
Chunn paused, understanding, and then went back to eating. Dan looked at him and asked, "Tough day, huh?"
Chunn stopped chewing and swallowed all the food in his mouth before answering,
"Um... yeah, a little. I had to make a tough decision today, and it was really difficult. I feel bad about it."
"And what did you do?"
"To be honest, I haven't decided yet. I want to find something to eat first," Chunn replied.
ChonDan chuckled at the response. "You remind me of my grandmother," he said.
Chunn made a puzzled face. "Do I look like your grandmother?"
Dan quickly denied it. "No, it's your words. It's like what my granny used to say: If you can't think of anything, just find something to eat. I used to work at a bank and come home stressed every day. My granny would make food and say, 'Eat first, stress later.' "
Chunn looked at the rice on his plate. "Did you learn how to cook all this food from your grandmother?"
Dan nodded. "Yes, my grandmother raised me and taught me how to cook. When I feel stressed or anxious, she would make food for me. Now that she's not with us anymore, whenever I miss her, I cook the recipes she taught me. Sometimes, I miss her so much that I cook every day. Eventually."
Dan finished his story, still laughing.
"Your food is really delicious, Dan."
"Thank you. Everyone who cooks would love to hear that."
Chunn stopped eating and looked at Dan.
"Dan, may I ask you something strange?"
"What is it?"
"If the world ends tonight or tomorrow, what would you regret the most?"
When Chunn said he wanted to ask something strange, Dan prepared himself for a strange question, but he didn't expect it to be this strange. What would he regret if the world ended?
"Oh... that's difficult. Why ask such a question?"
It's not difficult to find an answer, but it's difficult to decide which answer to give.
What would he regret the most? Dan thought, there are so many things.
If he had to give the simplest answer, it would probably be that he would regret losing the world, but that's not really the question. He asked what he would regret if the world ended.
"Then think of it as a psychological question. Can you answer it?"
Chunn's face showed tension as he waited for the answer, like someone in a job interview. It's not like a casual question at the dinner table at all. But then again, can it be casual? Dan thought. It was already strange from the question itself.
When everything is regrettable, what comes to mind first? He chose to answer that.
Dan looked around his house and remembered the old days when he used to live there with his grandmother. The house used to feel cramped, but now it was spacious and almost lonely.
Then his gaze fell on the refrigerator and a thought occurred to him.
"Hmm...but I have to answer truthfully, it would be a shame to waste the eggs in the fridge."
"Huh?" Chunn looked confused. "Eggs in the fridge?"
Dan chuckled. "There are still plenty of them left. I just got them today, and they're really fresh. If the world ends tomorrow and we still have eggs left, it would be a shame. Plus, eggs can be used to make many delicious dishes."
After he finished speaking, he smiled warmly. If his grandmothers were asked this question, they would probably answer the same way.
They would be sad to waste food ingredients and even scold him for throwing away carrot peels, saying that they could be used to make Western-style soup. Food was the thing that connected him to his grandmother, who had passed away.
Chunn still had doubts. "Uh...can eggs be used for other dishes?"
Dan's face lit up. "Of course! There are so many egg dishes!"
At the end of the sentence, Dan let out a long laugh and wondered what Chunn, the young office worker, had eaten to prompt such a strange question.
Chunn's anxiety gradually dissipated, perhaps due to Dan's straightforward answer, the delicious taste of the food, or a combination of both. He took another spoonful of rice, chewed, and smiled, and when he swallowed, he met eyes with Dan.
"Understood, then I'll let this world go for another day," Chunn said.
That wasn't the sentence Dan expected to hear (again).
"What... let this world go for another day? What do you mean?" Dan asked.
Chunn's inexplicable words left Dan confused. Chunn lowered his voice almost to a whisper and said, "Well, just between you and me, I'm actually an engineer sent here to destroy the world. In fact, the world should have already exploded at noon today."
This explanation only added to Dan's confusion. "Whaaat...really? The world should have exploded today?"
Chunn confidently nodded his head. "Yes, that's right. It was predetermined."
Dan asked, "Then why hasn't it exploded yet?"
Chunn smiled and pointed his spoon at Dan's plate of food. "Because of you, Dan. You're helping to save the world."
"Did I? Do what?"
"You make me regretful."
"Regretful, regretful of this world?"
"No, regretful of the opportunity to eat your food again in the future."
"Opportunity... for my food?"
"Yes, your food is delicious. It's so delicious that I wonder if it's worth postponing destroying the world
...