However, the thought of treating someone to a meal at a high-end restaurant always made Yun Ruoxia feel a pang of heartache. She wished she could find a couple of discounted dishes and quickly finish the meal before giving up.

But things didn't go as she wished.

After autumn arrived, Shengfu Restaurant started building stoves and cooking hot pots. Some restaurants followed suit, but some thought that there would always be people in the city who didn't like hot pots, so they kept the tradition of ordering and cooking. Because there was little competition, they didn't offer special prices and even secretly raised the prices a little.

The luxurious restaurant that Wen Siqing chose was just like that.

"What would you like to eat today, Second Sister?"

"I...I...I'm fine with anything. You're familiar with this restaurant, so just order whatever you like."

Wen Siqing picked up Ai Dai and looked at the menu hanging on the wall. He hesitated, seemingly trying to remember the names of the dishes. After a while, he took off Ai Dai and asked Yun Ruoxia:

"It's the perfect autumn season right now. They say when the autumn wind blows, the crabs get restless. How about we get four big hairy crabs?"

Yun Ruoxia nearly spat out her tea. What was this? Was she eating her blood instead of hairy crabs? Hairy crabs were expensive, especially in season, when the price had doubled. And eating them in a restaurant like this would naturally double the price again. Four crabs! It was practically trying to kill her!

"No, I can't eat hairy crabs. If I eat them, my whole body gets itchy. Why don't you just order a couple for yourself?"

"You can't eat crab, so what about the shrimp from last time..."

“Shrimp is fine, shrimp is fine,” Yun Ruoxia grabbed her pants and then let go. “I just can’t eat crab. Crab is cold in nature and doesn’t go well with me.”

Wen Siqing didn't suspect anything; in fact, he felt a little relieved. If Yun Ruoxia had eaten the hairy crab and felt itchy, it would have given her a bad impression of the meal. Luckily, thankfully...

"Then let's have shrimp. What did you think of the loofah, tofu and shrimp soup from last time? If you'd like, let's order that again."

"Yes, it's quite fresh."

"Then let's have another fish. Last time we had boiled fish fillets, but this time how about a pine nut fish? Coat it in flour, fry it, and serve it with sweet and sour sauce. It's quite appetizing."

"That's good, this one."

"I've ordered. Second Aunt, is there anything else you'd like to eat?"

Yun Ruoxia grabbed her pants again, and a dozen or so familiar home-style dishes flashed through her mind. She compared them one by one, and finally chose a stir-fried mung bean jelly dish that should be a little cheaper.

"Let's make stir-fried mung bean jelly, the kind with chickpeas. This restaurant has it, right? My sister-in-law used to make chickpea jelly. I've been craving the taste, so I wanted to try what it tastes like outside."

Wen Siqing nodded and called the shopkeeper over to place the order. When the stir-fried mung bean jelly was mentioned, Yun Ruoxia felt a moment of panic, but when the shopkeeper said that this dish was available, all her anxiety instantly disappeared.

After ordering, Wen Siqing poured Yun Ruoxia a cup of tea from her empty glass, and then asked:

"What has Second Aunt been busy with lately?"

"It's the same old routine: picking and selling mushrooms, collecting and selling honey, earning a meager living through hard work."

"That's good. You mentioned before that the young lady went to Bianjing. I wonder what she's been up to?"

"Oh, she's going to buy wool."

"Wool?" Wen Siqing was a little puzzled, but he didn't want to ask too much, so he just brushed it off, "The young lady is quite capable, she just went to Bianjing like that."

“That’s right,” Yun Ruoxia said with a proud look when she mentioned Yun Ling. “Ling’er has been smart since she was a child. She is beautiful and capable of making money. She is very likable. I reckon that soon, the young men who come to propose to her will wear down our doorstep.”

Wen Siqing raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled:

"That's not necessarily true. Some people don't like their daughters showing their faces in public."

"What's wrong with showing your face in public? It's not like you've committed murder or arson. Do you think you have to be subservient to your husband's family just to earn some money?"

Yun Ruoxia scoffed disdainfully and continued:

"Some people always think that they are great just because they make a little money outside. When they come home, they expect others to do their laundry and cook for them, treat them kindly, and raise their children. If they ask for anything, they have to be subservient to them."

"If a dispute breaks out, it will be full of complaints, physical violence, and shouting: 'You son of a bitch, I raised you, and you dare to give me attitude? Believe me or not, I'll beat you to death!' Who knows whether these people are marrying wives or wet nurses."

Yun Ruoxia had been gossiping in the village for years, and she had heard and seen everything, so she always wanted to save some money for herself. With money, everything was easier.

"I am not that kind of person."

“I’m not talking about people like you, I’m talking about some people.”

Wen Siqing gripped the corner of the table, swallowed twice, and mustered his courage to speak again:

"What I mean is, I'm not that kind of person, so could you consider me?"

Yun Ruoxia's head was buzzing. What did she just hear?

No, it can't be, she...she...she must have misheard, how could this be...

But when she met Wen Siqing's burning yet shy gaze, she wished she could immediately disappear into the mud.

Damn it!

She shouldn't have brought that up!

Just as the two were feeling incredibly awkward, the dishes were served at the perfect time. Yun Ruoxia breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly scooped up a spoonful of stir-fried mung bean jelly, intending to use it as an excuse to shift the topic to Zhang Shi. Unexpectedly, Wen Siqing also breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately mustered his courage and continued his monologue.

"Second Aunt, after we get married, everything I own will be yours—the house, the shop, and the monthly wages from the shop. You can stay in the house and play cards with a few close friends, or you can manage the shop business. You can do whatever you like."

"I don't ask for a house full of children and grandchildren, I just want to grow old with you. Just thinking about seeing you every day, having meals together, and talking with you makes me very happy."

Yun Ruoxia was stunned. She quickly lowered her head and looked at the stir-fried mung bean jelly in the bowl. She watched the smoke gradually dissipate, but her heart was still beating wildly and uncontrollably.

She considered herself knowledgeable about matters of the heart and had a good understanding of men, but she had very little contact with men, so she could only be considered an armchair theorist.

Now that Wen Siqing has appeared, and he speaks such eloquent words, she is finding it difficult to cope.

Yun Ruoxia took a bite of the stir-fried mung bean jelly, trying to calm herself down.

"Then I'd like to ask you, sir, what exactly do you like about me?"

"I consider myself to be of average appearance, with an awkward personality, and quite fond of gossiping like a woman, calculating gains and losses, and utterly useless."