Chapter 658 Wangfujing
After a short break, Zhou Yimin took out an oil-paper bag from his canvas bag as if performing magic. When he opened it, there were several neatly stacked soda biscuits inside, with a faint wheat aroma.
He handed the oil-paper bag to Zhang Yan: "I just brought a little extra, it's enough to fill my stomach."
Zhang Yan's stomach had been growling for a long time. She had just climbed the Great Wall and had used up a lot of energy. When she smelled the aroma of biscuits, her eyes immediately lit up. She didn't hesitate and picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing it with a sweet crunch.
Zhou Yimin looked at her wolfing down the food, a smile on his face, and said quickly, "Swallow, don't be anxious. Eat slowly. There's more here."
Then he handed over the kettle: "Eat slowly, don't choke."
Zhang Yan's mouth was full of biscuits. He responded vaguely, without raising his head, and reached out to take the second piece.
Perhaps she ate too fast and a piece of biscuit crumb got stuck in her throat. Her face immediately turned red and she started coughing hard, almost coughing out tears.
"Slow down." Zhou Yimin quickly patted her back and stuffed the kettle into her hand.
Zhang Yan quickly unscrewed the lid, took a big gulp, and finally swallowed the biscuit crumbs stuck in her throat along with the flow of water.
She panted and smiled at Zhou Yimin sheepishly, her cheeks flushed like ripe apples: "I was too hungry just now and couldn't help it."
"Eat more if you're hungry," Zhou Yimin said as he helped her tuck the loose hair behind her ears, his tone full of pampering.
"But you have to be careful, no one is competing with you."
Zhang Yan lowered her head and took a bite of the biscuit. This time she ate much slower, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise.
After finishing all the biscuits in the oil-paper bag and drinking most of the water in the kettle, Zhang Yan patted her bulging belly, a satisfied smile appeared on her face, and all the fatigue she had just felt was gone.
She stood up, stretched her arms and legs, and said to Zhou Yimin, "Brother Yimin, let's continue climbing. I want to see the scenery higher up!"
Zhou Yimin also stood up and dusted himself off: "Okay, but you have to crawl slowly this time. Don't be so reckless like before."
"I know!" Zhang Yan stuck out her tongue mischievously and took the first step forward.
The two of them slowly climbed up the steps of the Great Wall. This time, Zhang Yan did not run all the way, but carefully observed everything around him while walking.
She reached out her hand and gently stroked the bricks on the inside of the city wall that had been worn smooth by time, feeling the heavy sense of history they conveyed.
"Brother Yimin, look at this city wall. It is built entirely with such big stones. It must have taken a lot of effort." Zhang Yan raised his head and looked at the towering city wall, his tone full of amazement.
Zhou Yimin followed her gaze and nodded: "That's right, the wisdom and ability of the ancients are truly astonishing."
"A project as massive as the Great Wall would require a huge amount of manpower and resources even today, and we have so many advanced machines and tools."
"But the ancients had nothing, yet they built the Great Wall with just their own hands. It's incredible to think about it."
"Yes," Zhang Yan deeply agreed.
"It's difficult enough just to transport these huge stones to such a high mountain, not to mention laying them up so neatly and firmly, one by one, and making them stand firm even after so many years of wind and rain."
As they climbed, they chatted back and forth. Zhang Yan would occasionally point to the faint incisions on the wall and curiously ask Zhou Yimin if they were left by the ancients.
Zhou Yimin would tell her some historical stories about the Great Wall, such as how ancient soldiers transmitted military intelligence on beacon towers and how they resisted foreign invasions.
The sunlight filtered through the battlements, casting dappled shadows at their feet.
Occasionally, the wind blows, bringing with it the fresh scent of the distant mountains and forests.
The footsteps and voices of the two people echoed on the silent Great Wall, blending into this ancient building, as if they were having a dialogue across time and space with the ancients thousands of years ago.
When they reached a beacon tower, they stopped to rest. Zhang Yan leaned against the tower wall, gazing at the rolling hills and the winding Great Wall in the distance, his heart filled with admiration for the ancients.
Zhou Yimin stood beside her, looking at her focused profile, feeling a lot of emotions in his heart.
The Great Wall is not only a magnificent military defense project, but also a symbol of the wisdom and perseverance of the ancients. It deserves to be remembered and admired forever by future generations.
Zhou Yimin looked at the watch on his wrist. The hour hand had quietly slid towards eleven o'clock. He patted Zhang Yan's shoulder and said, "Yanzi, look at the time. It's almost noon."
Zhang Yan moved closer and stared at the pointer on the dial, her stomach growling in agreement.
She smiled sheepishly: "No wonder, those cookies I just ate were all used up while climbing the Great Wall."
"That's right," Zhou Yimin said.
"It's getting late, let's find a place to eat!"
He had a surprise for Zhang Yan in his mind and did not mention the real purpose of coming out today. He thought he would find a suitable opportunity to tell her later. Girls always like sudden joy.
Zhang Yan was feeling hungry, so she naturally didn't refuse and nodded vigorously: "Okay, I'm almost starving."
The two of them walked slowly down the same path they had come, their steps much lighter than when they came up.
After getting off the Great Wall, Zhou Yimin started his motorcycle and drove slowly with Zhang Yan on the nearby road, looking around for a suitable restaurant.
But this area is quite remote. Apart from a few farmers, there is not even a small restaurant to be seen.
Zhou Yimin stopped the car helplessly and turned to ask Zhang Yan: "Yanzi, there are no decent restaurants nearby. How about we go to Donglaishun to eat mutton?"
Zhang Yan frowned subconsciously when she heard this, feeling a bit sorry for the money. She knew Donglaishun was famous; it was a well-known, time-honored restaurant in Beijing. A meal there would cost at least a few yuan, enough to cover her family's expenses for several days.
But then he thought about it, the weather was right now, and it was just right to eat some hot mutton, and being able to eat with Brother Yimin made him feel sweet again. He didn't hesitate any longer and nodded, "Okay!"
Zhou Yimin was relieved to see her agree. He smiled and started the motorcycle: "Hold on tight. Let's go and try Donglaishun's cooking."
The motorcycle turned and headed towards Donglaishun in the city. The wind seemed to carry a hint of anticipation.
Not long after, the quaint signboard of Donglaishun appeared before our eyes.
Zhou Yimin parked his motorcycle at the door and walked in with Zhang Yan. The shop was warm and cozy, the air was filled with the fresh aroma of mutton, and the shop assistants were shouting and running around, making the place very lively.
The two of them found a small table by the window and sat down. The waiter quickly set out the copper pot, bowls and chopsticks and asked with a smile, "What would you like to order? Our hand-cut fresh lamb and lamb head are our signature dishes."
Zhou Yimin took the menu, glanced at Zhang Yan, and smiled as he ordered, "Two pounds of hand-cut fresh lamb, a portion of lamb tripe, a portion of frozen tofu, some cabbage and vermicelli. Oh, and two plates of sesame paste."
Zhang Yan was listening at the side. Seeing that he had ordered so much, she quietly tugged at Zhou Yimin's clothes and whispered, "Brother Yimin, there's no need to order so much. There are only two of us and we can't finish it."
She thought to herself that shredded mutton was different from stir-fried mutton. If you couldn't finish the stir-fried mutton, you could pack it up and heat it up at home. But you couldn't pack up the shredded mutton raw and take it home. It would be such a waste.
Zhou Yimin looked at the menu, then at Zhang Yan, and realized that the two of them really couldn't eat so much, so he said to the waiter, "Except for the two pounds of hand-cut fresh lamb, everything else you ordered just now can be ordered as I ordered."
The guy said "Okay" and turned to place the order.
Zhang Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Zhou Yimin: "That's about enough, enough for us to eat."
Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded: "I'll listen to you."
Soon, the copper pot was brought up, the charcoal fire was crackling, and the water in the pot soon boiled.
Plates of fresh mutton, lamb tripe, frozen tofu, cabbage and vermicelli were brought up one after another, filling the table.
The hand-cut fresh lamb is as thin as a cicada's wing, and has a pink luster under the light; the sesame paste exudes a mellow aroma, making people salivate.
The two were already starving and had no time to talk. They picked up their chopsticks and started to eat.
Zhou Yimin picked up a few slices of mutton and put them into boiling water. They were cooked after a quick dip. He dipped them in sesame paste and put them into his mouth. They were tender, juicy and fragrant.
Zhang Yan also followed his example and picked up the mutton to eat in the hot pot. It was so hot that it made her grimace in pain, but she enjoyed the meal very much.
For a moment, the only sounds around the small table were the gurgling of the boiling copper pot, the clinking of chopsticks picking up food, and the sounds of two people chewing contentedly.
The sunlight from outside the window shone through the glass, bringing warm smiles to both of their faces. They felt particularly comfortable eating this hot mutton hotpot.
Zhou Yimin first picked up a strand of vermicelli with a serving chopstick and put it into the boiling pot. The vermicelli swirled in the boiling water and soon became crystal clear.
He picked up a few more slices of hand-cut fresh mutton, spread them flat in the colander, and put it into the boiling water, shaking it gently. In just over ten seconds, the edges of the mutton curled up and the color changed from pink to an attractive light brown.
He put the mutton into Zhang Yan's bowl and said, "Eat it quickly. It's the most tender when it's freshly cooked."
Zhang Yan looked at the steaming mutton in the bowl, quickly scooped a spoonful of sesame paste into it, and mixed it evenly with chopsticks.
The richness of sesame paste wraps the tenderness of lamb. The moment it enters your mouth, the fragrance rushes straight to the top of your head.
She squinted her eyes and chewed slowly, not noticing the sesame paste on the corner of her mouth. She mumbled, "Brother Yimin, this mutton is so delicious!"
Zhou Yimin also ate a few slices of mutton, dipped it in sesame paste, and ate it. The hot meat slid into his stomach, and his whole body felt warm.
Seeing that Zhang Yan was eating with relish, he put the sheep's stomach into the pot. The sheep's stomach rolled in the boiling water and soon rolled into small rolls.
"You have to boil the lamb tripe for a while longer, otherwise you won't be able to chew it." As he spoke, he stirred the lamb tripe in the pot with chopsticks.
Zhang Yan was not idle either. She picked up a few pieces of frozen tofu and put them into the pot.
The frozen tofu has absorbed the soup and is plump. When you take a bite, the boiling hot soup bursts in your mouth, and it is so delicious that it makes your eyebrows fall down.
She added some more cabbage to the pot. The cabbage leaves softened in the boiling water, taking on the fresh aroma of mutton, and were refreshing and de-greasy.
The two of them chatted back and forth, picking up food for each other from time to time.
Zhou Yimin always puts the cooked meat into Zhang Yan's bowl first, and Zhang Yan will push the cooked cabbage and vermicelli in front of Zhou Yimin.
The hot steam from the copper pot blurred the two people's eyebrows, but it couldn't hide the smiles in each other's eyes.
Halfway through the meal, Zhang Yan felt a little thirsty, so she picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. Just as she put down the teacup, she saw Zhou Yimin picking up another piece of mutton for her with his chopsticks.
"That's enough, Brother Yimin, I'm almost full." She said with a smile, her belly already round.
"Eat some more. The mutton is tender and won't take up too much space in your stomach." Zhou Yimin said as he added some vermicelli to her bowl.
"Vermicelli is delicious too, eat more."
Zhang Yan couldn't persuade him, so she had to pick up the chopsticks again.
The two of them ate slowly, enjoying this rare leisurely moment. The copper pot was still bubbling, as if accompanying this delicious lunch.
The dishes on the table were gradually gone, and the soup in the copper pot became thicker and thicker.
Zhou Yimin put down his chopsticks, touched his round belly, and burped with satisfaction.
Zhang Yan also put down her chopsticks and leaned back in her chair, with a look of satisfaction on her face, showing that she had eaten and drunk her fill.
Zhou Yimin waved to the waiter: "Check out."
The waiter came over quickly and gave the bill: "Fifteen dollars for both of you, plus three pounds of meat coupons."
Zhou Yimin took out money and meat tickets from his pocket and handed them over. The waiter took the money and tickets, smiled and said, "Goodbye."
Then he turned around and went about his business.
The two of them stood up and walked out. As soon as they walked out of Donglaishun, Zhang Yan looked at the ground and muttered to herself, "I spent fifteen yuan on a meal, and I still have three pounds of meat coupons."
She was secretly shocked. You know, most workers nowadays only earn 20 or 30 yuan a month. This meal cost almost half a month's salary. And the three pounds of meat tickets, if the family saves on food on weekdays, are enough to eat for a while.
Zhou Yimin heard her words, smiled, and rubbed her hair: "It's okay to eat a meal occasionally. You study hard, you need to make up for it."
Zhang Yan looked up at him and said nothing more, but her heart felt warm.
Zhou Yimin started the motorcycle, asked Zhang Yan to sit down, and then said, "I'll take you somewhere."
Zhang Yan asked curiously, "Where are you going?"
"You'll know when you get there." Zhou Yimin kept the secret and slowly drove away on his motorcycle.
Not long after, the motorcycle turned into a busy street.
There are shops on both sides of the street, and people are coming and going, making it very lively.
Zhang Yan looked at the surrounding scene and her eyes lit up: "Is this Wangfujing?"
Zhou Yimin nodded: "Okay, I'll take you to Wangfujing."
Although Zhang Yan was a little curious about why they came to Wangfujing, she didn't pay much attention to it because girls love shopping.
After Zhou Yimin parked his motorcycle, he walked in with Zhang Yan.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
