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Chen Rui smiled helplessly. "Don't think I enjoy this; I just don't want to put you in a difficult position."
Li Li nodded, revealing a knowing smile as he patted Chen Rui's shoulder and sighed, "You really are too similar; even I can hardly tell you apart."
Chen Rui feigned surprise, quickly brushing Li Li's hand away and jokingly said, "Don't talk nonsense. I'm not the kind of person you think I am. My orientation is perfectly normal..."
"Get lost!" Li Li found it amusing and exasperating, but mostly nostalgic.
The two waited for the four yachts to return. In the brief moments of silence, neither spoke until the girls returned.
"Hey, how was it? Did I win?" Li Xue laughed as she poked Zhou Yan's backside. Zhou Yan, dressed in jeans, shot her an annoyed glare but remained silent.
"I'm not satisfied! Why is it always you driving? I'm not happy!" Zhou Zhi chimed in with a mischievous grin as he leaned closer to Zhou Yan.
"Get lost! If you're not happy, go play by yourself. What does it have to do with me? Go where it's cool," Zhou Yan retorted, her cheeks flushing slightly as she scolded Zhou Zhi.
Zhou Zhi maintained a smiling face. "What's the point of playing alone? Come play with me!"
"You're so annoying!" Zhou Yan waved her hand dismissively, pouting. "I'm tired. Maybe later, but right now..." She glanced around and her gaze landed on Li Li. A smile spread across her face. "Right now, I want to eat the food that Mr. Li cooked."
"Exactly! I think that's a great idea. After all, it's not easy to buy groceries here, so it's better to prepare early," Wang Xinzhuo chimed in with a grin.
Li Li smiled wryly; cooking for them in this place was indeed no easy task. Not only did they have to buy everything themselves—since the hotel wouldn't provide basic ingredients—but fortunately, places selling Chinese seasonings were usually found in Korean markets, where they could also find some Asian products that weren't available in regular stores.
"Alright, alright! I'll cook for you all, but you have to come with me to buy groceries; I can't carry everything by myself," Li Li said with a helpless smile.
The group laughed as they walked toward the parking lot. Li Li lingered behind, watching the beautiful 'coach' standing there in a daze. He waved his hand and tilted his head, making a few gestures.
The beautiful 'coach' smiled and nodded back at him, waving her hand before heading toward the yacht after he turned away.
Once on the bus, everyone silently stared at Li Li, who felt a chill run down her back. She asked, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"There's nothing on your face, but your heart is blooming," Zhou Zhi said with a mischievous grin. "It seems you’re not planning to confess, so what are we going to do about him?"
Li Li glanced around with a stern expression, her icy gaze causing the eager crowd to settle down instinctively. After confirming her suspicions, she asked in a low voice, "Did you all see it?"
"…"
"Of course! With such a big commotion, only a blind person wouldn't notice!" Qin Xin declared with righteous indignation.
"Everyone saw it," Li Li said with a frown.
Chen Rui nodded with a smile and changed the subject. "We didn’t give any heads-up at the hotel, so they probably won’t have anything prepared for us. It looks like we’ll have to buy quite a bit."
"Speaking of which, I haven’t spent much time in the U.S. Although there are many varieties of food here, it’s still not like back home. There are definitely some things that can’t be found here, especially certain Chinese seasonings that ordinary markets don’t sell," Wang Xinzhuo pointed out, highlighting this crucial issue.
Qin Xin smiled and asked, "Isn’t there a market run by our people? If it's run by our folks, they should have what you need."
Seeing that the topic had successfully shifted, Li Li smiled at Chen Rui and said, "There are definitely Chinese markets here, but they’re few and far between. Most of the markets are localized and won’t meet all my needs. So we must find a Korean market."
"A Korean market? Why?"
"While Korean markets may not be as comprehensive as Chinese ones, they generally have the essential ingredients. After all, both countries are in East Asia and their cuisines are somewhat similar. Moreover, there are far more Korean markets in the U.S. than Chinese ones; many Chinese expatriates shop for daily necessities and food at Korean markets."
Li Li glanced at Qin Xin and teased, "You’ve been in America for how long this year and you don’t even know this? President Qin really is out of touch with reality."
Qin Xin coughed twice and shot an annoyed look at Li Li. Even though they were friends, was it really necessary to undermine her like this? But then she recalled how often she had teased Li Li in the past…
"Brother Li, you are our spiritual leader. In front of you, I know I must pretend to be unaware, just to show your importance and irreplaceable status."
Looking at Qin Xin shamelessly making this statement, everyone in the car was amused, even Li Li, who was driving, couldn't help but smile.
"Hey! Isn't that a Chinese market?" Li Xue pointed at a beige three-story building ahead. It was clear to everyone that the seven traditional Chinese characters 'Great China Market' were written above the entrance.
"How lucky! It must be newly opened; I remember it wasn't here last time..." Li Li suddenly stopped, as if she had hit a taboo word. She cautiously glanced at Li Xue, and seeing no unusual reaction from her, she sighed lightly and smiled at everyone. "Then let's go buy some groceries; just follow me and carry things."
The group got out of the car and marched into the 'Great China Market'.
In America, there are very few comprehensive Chinese markets. If you want to buy daily necessities, skincare products, clothing, or toys, you generally have to go to an American market or a shopping center. Although most of the daily items there are labeled "made in nea," they all carry American tags and have become "American goods."
The "Chinese market" in America operates similarly to domestic wholesale markets. It mainly deals in "imported goods." Fresh seafood, chicken, duck, fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, as well as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar are all available in a wide variety. Here, the vegetables sold throughout the year are mostly limited to a few types: cabbage, radishes, bok choy, potatoes, onions, and peppers; seasonal vegetables are quite rare. However, the vegetables sold are relatively fresh, likely supplied by local farms rather than transported from domestic or other Asian regions.
While selecting vegetables, Li Li explained to Chen Rui as they wandered around the market stalls. They had just changed out of their beach attire; without towels on hand, most of their clothes were still damp from the sea. This made them appear somewhat shabby. Coupled with the loud banter and laughter from a couple of rowdy companions behind them, they exuded a unique air of mischief that made the salespeople hesitant to approach them.
"This market is considered quite large in America—of course, I mean among Chinese markets here. Its scale is much bigger than most American markets. But even so, it's still small compared to what you'd find back home," Li Li continued explaining to Chen Rui without caring about the few 'ruffians' trailing behind them.
Chen Rui pondered for a moment. "Indeed, compared to domestic markets, this one can only be classified as below average. I really can't imagine what those other larger Chinese markets are like."
"It’s just a market; the others are only slightly larger than domestic chain stores or perhaps even smaller. They occupy an area of about one hundred square meters and can be understood as larger spice shops or delicatessens."
Chen Rui nodded in understanding of Li Li's point. After all, the number of overseas Chinese is still far less than that of the local population; thus, demand isn't very high and naturally wouldn't support many Chinese markets.
Looking around the entire market felt like a miniature version of a medium-sized domestic market. However, it sold fewer daily necessities; most items were food and ingredients. There was also a deli section offering soy sauce duck, roasted goose, barbecued meats, and various stir-fried dishes along with a dining area.
The seafood section had dedicated staff for weighing and preparing fish and shellfish; the scene was identical to what one would find back home.
Li Li noticed what Chen Rui was thinking and smiled, "After all, those of Chinese descent, whether they are overseas Chinese or not, were born in China. Some even grew up there. Their tastes and ingredients have been indelibly marked, and even when far from home, they still crave a bite of rice or a taste of vegetables."
"Alright! Alright! Enough already!" Zhou Yan urged impatiently. "Haven't you finished shopping yet? You're so slow."
Li Li chuckled, choosing not to explain further. Just the bags of seasonings filled both of her hands, with two large packages of various spices and sauces highlighting how much effort goes into preparing a Chinese meal.
"Almost done; we just need to buy the ingredients now," Chen Rui said with a smile.
The quantity of ingredients was certainly less than that of the seasonings. A dish typically required one main ingredient and two or three accompaniments, but the seasonings could be numerous—often seven or eight kinds, and for more complex preparations, even a dozen.
"Then hurry up! My stomach is starting to grumble," Zhou Yan pouted, casting a resentful glance at Zhou Zhi, as if she might leap forward at any moment to take a bite of meat to satisfy her hunger.
There was no need to be overly picky about the ingredients either; after all, this place didn’t offer the same abundant selection as domestic markets. Usually, only a few essential items were available without much variation. Li Li decided not to be choosy and simply grabbed whatever was right, quickly tossing various fresh meats and vegetables into her bag.
"Is it really okay to be so casual about it?" Chen Rui asked with some concern.
"No problem! It won't kill you!"
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This chapter reflects personal experiences. For those planning to work and settle in the U.S., it may serve as a reference.
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