230 One day at a time

Chen Xu put down his bowl and chopsticks, and Yang Jinxia, who had finished eating first, stood up and began to tidy up the dishes on the table with practiced ease.

He shifted uncomfortably on his chair before standing up and said, "Let me help you."

While he held the pot of soup, noticing some soup left, he wasn't sure what to do with it, and asked her, "Do we keep this?"

"No, just throw it away," said Yang Jinxia, smiling up at him.

Chen Xu carried the pot to the kitchen, looked at the stove, the sink, unsure where to pour it, bending down only to find there was no trash can underneath.

Since moving here, he had never cooked, always eating nutritive meals primarily to save time, and of course, the high cost of various fresh ingredients was also a factor.