After lunch, seeing that it was still early, Tian Yu discussed with Chen Chong about strolling around the neighborhood some more. Tang Yuan was naturally delighted, and Chen Chong nodded in agreement. The three of them first went to a pharmacy, where Chen Chong examined his hand injury. Chen Chong naturally disagreed, but under Tian Yu's insistence, he had no choice but to obey and let her make the decision. After bandaging the wound and buying some ointment, they began to stroll around. Because it was midday, there weren't many pedestrians on the road, but the restaurants and taverns on both sides were quite lively. After strolling around and talking with passersby and vendors, Tian Yu roughly understood that this mountain city was so developed because it was located on the border and was a necessary route for trade between the Wu and Chen kingdoms. However, because of this, wars between the two countries also had a significant impact on the mountain city. Mountain bandits and outlaws often gathered here, and the imperial court also deployed heavy troops to guard it to prevent trouble. That's why they strictly checked people when they entered the city, and after dark, a curfew was imposed in the city, and no one was allowed to go out at will. Anyone caught would be treated as a bandit or spy.

Passing by the Yuelai Restaurant, Tian Yu noticed a crowd gathered in front. Holding Tangyuan's hand, she went over to see what was going on. The onlookers said it was because the food was bad; a customer refused to pay, trying to eat for free. The restaurant owner disagreed, leading to an argument and then a fight. Sure enough, a burly man with a scar on his face and a knife at his waist was arguing with several waiters. The fight had already started. Seeing the waiters being beaten, a middle-aged man dressed in Huafu attire with a beard quickly intervened. Judging from his demeanor, he seemed to be the restaurant owner. The burly man pleaded with the man to have mercy and talk things out, urging him not to hurt anyone. Seeing the owner's politeness and agreeability, the burly man agreed not to fight, but refused to pay for the food, claiming the restaurant was cheating them. The owner bowed and apologized, saying he was willing to compensate the man, but asked him to discuss it with the burly man inside the restaurant. The burly man disagreed. He argued that everyone in the shop was the owner's people and wouldn't say the food was bad; he wanted things explained outside so there would be witnesses. The owner, anxious to avoid impacting business, finally agreed to invite a respected elder from the city to witness. But the burly man still refused, feeling the elder was also one of their own and untrustworthy, and wouldn't help an outsider like him. In the end, the owner had no choice but to randomly select passersby as witnesses, as the burly man requested. The burly man circled the crowd, then walked straight to Tian Yu, clasped his hands in a fist salute, startling her. Just as she was about to return the salute, the burly man's address of "Brother" brought her back to her senses. He had taken a liking to Chen Chong behind her, causing her unnecessary excitement. However, she also breathed a sigh of relief. The burly man was even more rugged and larger than Chen Chong, exuding a menacing aura, and with the scar on his face, he looked like someone who had been on the battlefield. Chen Chong didn't immediately agree, but looked at Tian Yu. Tian Yu nodded in agreement, and only then did Chen Chong return the greeting. The restaurant owner had no objections and readily accepted, and they entered the restaurant with the others. The restaurant staff then dispersed the passersby. The burly man mistook them for a couple, and Tian Yu hurriedly explained that they were siblings, but it didn't seem like it. The others also looked at them with suspicion, so Tian Yu had to add that they were sworn siblings. Only then did the others nod thoughtfully.

Upon entering the restaurant, they arrived at the table where the burly man had been eating. A plate of braised pork was nearly empty, while another was completely devoid of food except for a pile of chicken bones. The group exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what to say. The waiter spoke first:

"Look at you, you've eaten like this and you still say it doesn't taste good. I bet you just want to freeload." She finished speaking and glared fiercely at the burly man.

The burly man immediately retorted, "If I weren't so hungry, I wouldn't eat your food. It's so awful, and you still dare to do business here? Humph, do you want a beating?"

Just as they were about to start cooking again, the boss quickly stopped them, gesturing for Chen Chong to help. Chen Chong looked at Tian Yu, who thought for a moment and asked the waiter to bring chopsticks. Chen Chong picked up a piece of meat, chewed it, and then said, "It's alright." This made the burly man anxious, insisting that Chen Chong taste it again. The boss was overjoyed, praising their food as the best in the mountain city. Seeing this, Tian Yu took the chopsticks, picked up a piece, frowned slightly, looked at the boss and the burly man, and roughly understood. She then spat out the meat, saying it was indeed terrible. The burly man was delighted, but the boss started to complain again, saying he had tasted the meat and it was perfect; there couldn't be any better braised pork in the mountain city, and he even praised it as wild boar meat delivered that morning. Hearing this, Tian Yu looked at Chen Chong, who immediately understood and nodded. No wonder the burly man chose Chen Chong earlier, and the boss readily accepted him; they knew each other, and he was even a supplier.

Tian Yu asked the owner to take them to the kitchen. Initially, the owner refused, but Tian Yu explained that they just wanted to check the cleanliness. With the burly man chiming in, the owner had no choice but to agree. The group went to the kitchen. Since Tian Yu had sided with the burly man, he had been extremely attentive to her, escorting her like a bodyguard. Tian Yu casually asked, "How should I address you, sir?"

The burly man's eyes lit up instantly, and he bowed, saying, "My surname is Li, and my given name is Yongzi. May I ask how you knew I was a soldier?"

"I don't know, just guessing," Tian Yu answered readily. It really was just a guess; she just felt they looked like soldiers or bandits, but she couldn't exactly call them bandits. Tian Yu ignored Li Yong, handed the glutinous rice balls to Chen Chong, and inspected the kitchen. Finally, she stood in front of Chen Chong, pondering for a moment. The owner, impatient, started another verbal battle with Li Yong. This time, however, Li Yong was buying time for Tian Yu, and also for himself. After thinking for a while, Tian Yu decided she could earn some money to take home, so it wouldn't be a wasted trip. She then had Chen Chong lower his head, whispered a few words in his ear, and Chen Chong, initially stunned, understood and left the restaurant.

"Hey, hey, why are you leaving?" The boss was still arguing with the burly man when he saw Chen Chong leave and hurriedly stopped to chase after him.

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