336: Independent women in Po County

Old Market Food Court, similarly, allocates food from various countries in proportion, as required by the Singapore authorities.

Because the authorities have a sense of integration and balance, they want to ensure that people of all ethnicities and customs can find food they like and can accept here.

Li Qinghe, accompanied by Chen Daisy and Emily, walked into the Old Market Food Court.

Due to the dome shape, the ceiling of the entire food court is very high, giving a feeling of a very open view.

Old Market Food Court interior

Because of its exceptionally high ceilings, the interior of the Old Market Food Court doesn't feel as cramped as Chinatown Complex and Maxwell Food Centre.

Besides the circular island-shaped stalls in the center of the square, there are also various food stalls along each pathway.

After walking around for a while and finding the stall, Chen Daisy told Li Qinghe to find a seat first, and she and Emily would bring over the Chwee Kueh.

Not long after, two plates of refreshing-looking Chwee Kueh were placed in front of Li Qinghe, topped with a thick layer of preserved radish mixed with dried shrimp.

Chwee Kueh

This traditional snack, originating from the Chaoshan region of China, is very popular in Singapore, a place where simple and convenient food thrives.

This steamed food, cooked in a bowl, is very similar to 'bowl cake' and 'pot cake'.

But in fact, these three foods are not quite the same.

Chwee Kueh is known for its combination of savory and sweet toppings; it has little flavor on its own and is a very simple food, while 'bowl cake' and 'pot cake' are already in the dessert category.

Chen Daisy mentioned that at another hawker center, there's a Chwee Kueh stall that has been awarded a Michelin star.

“Boss, although this Chwee Kueh isn't as famous as that one, the taste is just as good,” Emily said with a smile, introducing it to Li Qinghe, while continuously mixing the Chwee Kueh and preserved radish on his plate.

She and Chen Daisy only ordered one plate to share.

Li Qinghe didn't interfere with this behavior.

Singaporeans generally don't have large appetites, perhaps it's a common trait for people living in the tropics; the hot and humid weather always makes one lose their appetite.

This also leads to relatively few obese people in tropical regions.

Especially in Southeast Asia, a lean physique is the hallmark here.

Not to mention girls like Chen Daisy and Emily, who meticulously control their diet for the sake of their figures.

Li Qinghe ate one after another.

Chen Daisy, sitting opposite him, suddenly had a strange illusion, as if she herself was that soft, white Chwee Kueh, swallowed whole by Li Qinghe, without even a crumb left.

“What are you looking at?”

Li Qinghe noticed from the corner of his eye that Chen Daisy suddenly shivered, and goosebumps appeared on her arms.

“N-nothing.”

Chen Daisy was startled by her own thoughts and then by Li Qinghe's question, almost jumping off her stool, stammering in response.

“Daisy, you're a bit strange today.”

Emily also gave her a curious look.

“I'm really fine, um, I'm going to buy a few cups of sugarcane juice.”

Chen Daisy hurried towards a nearby beverage stall.

“Boss, do you really want to take both of us in?”

Seeing that Chen Daisy was gone, Emily propped her chin on her hand and boldly asked Li Qinghe about his thoughts.

“So, are you willing or unwilling?”

“I don't know either, I'm very conflicted.”

Emily, who usually had a smiling expression, rarely showed a troubled one.

“I used to want to be an independent woman like Chen Daisy, but now the halo of my role model has collapsed.”

“So, what kind of independent women did you two aspire to be?”

Li Qinghe suddenly became interested in the topic Emily brought up.

He had heard from Zhang Rui these past two days that Singaporean girls are hard to deal with.

Some of the news he read online recently also said the same thing.

So, he was very curious to understand what kind of independent women Singaporean girls, as described by his little secretary, truly are.

Emily saw Li Qinghe looking at her with interest.

Two blushes suddenly appeared on her face.

She was a little embarrassed.

Firstly, because of her past ideas about being an independent woman.

Secondly, because Li Qinghe was so close to her and looking at her like that.

Only the thought, “Boss's eyes are so beautiful,” flashed through her mind.

But then she remembered that Li Qinghe was asking her a question.

She then recounted, in detail, to Li Qinghe all the ideas she and Chen Daisy used to fantasize about—being completely independent of men, creating their own world with their own hands.

Finally, Emily concluded with a bitter expression: “Under the current economic situation in Singapore, it's very difficult for us to live an ideal life relying solely on ourselves.”

“So you two thought of coming to me for money,” Li Qinghe said with a half-smile.

“But Boss, your conditions are the most suitable; we don't want to find a fat old man with a lot of flesh,” Emily said with a melancholic expression.

Her dream of being an independent woman was shattered by reality, and now she had to have her dignity stripped away in front of her boss.

She didn't really want this, but Chen Daisy had already succumbed to reality.

As Chen Daisy's good friend and follower since childhood, she naturally could only surrender to reality as well.

However, she felt that surrendering to her boss didn't seem like a loss at all.

Because her boss was handsome, and his physique was even better than a male model's.

She couldn't imagine how wonderful it would feel to lie in his arms.

“Emily, can you cook?”

“Does cooking instant noodles count? There's a food court downstairs, and my Mom, who's almost 50, can't cook either.”

As soon as Li Qinghe finished his question, Chen Daisy, who had just returned with several cups of sugarcane juice, chimed in.

“Haha, my Mom is the same.”

Thinking of family gatherings for big meals, they always eat at food centers outside or get takeout.

Emily suddenly laughed happily.

It seems that in Singapore, there's really no need to learn how to cook.

Food courts and hawker centers, spread throughout the country, perfectly solve all household needs.

As for their mention of cooking instant noodles, it truly is a unique phenomenon in Singapore.

Singaporeans consume about 120 million packets of instant noodles annually.

With a population of a few million, the consumption of instant noodles ranks in the top 30 worldwide.

There are many local instant noodle brands in Singapore, with a wide variety of flavors.

Many times, if Singaporeans really don't want to go downstairs, they'll just stay home and cook a packet of instant noodles.

Curry-flavored and laksa-flavored instant noodles can perfectly satisfy Singaporeans' need for a full stomach without going out.

So, Emily saying she can cook instant noodles at home is quite an impressive skill compared to girls who never lift a finger.

Li Qinghe took a sip of the sugarcane juice in front of him; the chilled taste was very refreshing and effectively cut through the slight greasiness from the Chwee Kueh with preserved radish he had just eaten.

There are many sugarcane juice stalls on the streets of Vietnam as well.

But many Chinese compatriots would accidentally drink it and get an upset stomach.

Comparatively, Singapore's sugarcane juice is much more hygienic.

After taking a sip of sugarcane juice, Li Qinghe knew there was no need to dwell on the cooking issue with these two typical Singaporean girls.

This was purely due to their upbringing; in a country like Singapore, where even cooking at home is restricted, not knowing how to cook is very normal.

And if wealthy families want to eat homemade dishes, they can simply hire a live-in maid.

The salary is around 1800 to 2800 per month.

Those with multiple skills and cooking abilities might earn up to 3500.

Converted to dragon country currency, it is indeed quite lucrative.

However, compared to the cost of living in Singapore, this salary isn't really much.

But since they are live-in maids, most expenses are basically covered by the employer, so the maid's salary is largely net income.

It's clear that these two independent Singaporean women will have their housework done by maids in the future.