Chapter 181 Shopping
She didn't know why, but she reached out to take it. The moment she got it, she realized that this was what she had been looking forward to many years ago.
When they were newlyweds, he brought her here, and they chose a pair of sachets, each wearing one. Then, he listened to the vendor say, "May you have a long and happy marriage." How joyful it was! It fulfilled all her beautiful fantasies of newlywed days, and she even woke up laughing in her dreams...
So he was compensating her.
Make up for what should have been done but was not done.
But it was long gone, and she no longer needed it. But she still accepted it, thinking of it as the girl she used to be.
She would always return to her hometown and would have nothing to do with him in the future. So this was just a way of repaying his previous kindness.
She held the brocade bag and smiled. "The things in the capital are indeed very unique. The brocade bags I saw in Quanzhou were not as good as this."
"Really?" Zhao Yan was a little surprised. "Then why don't you buy a few more so you can wear them alternately."
"No, one is enough."
"That's right, there are many little gadgets here. Take a look and see if there is anything you want." Zhao Yan said.
After walking a few more steps, they found that the stall owner was a cheese seller. Yu Huatang stopped in front of the stall and looked at Zhao Yan.
The woman immediately said, "My dear, please buy two bowls of cheese. Ten cents a bowl."
Yu Huatang was thinking that the food here was more expensive than outside, when Zhao Yan said, "Okay, two bowls."
The woman was delighted when she heard this, and quickly filled two bowls and handed them over.
Zhao Yan took it and handed it to her. They walked a few steps away. Yu Huatang chuckled, "The things here are really expensive. We only get eight cents at most."
"Ah?" Zhao Yan was stunned. "Should I bargain with her?"
"You can?"
"Maybe?"
Yu Huatang laughed and said, "If people say that you are a rich young man, don't talk about these few coins with poor people. How can you be so rich?"
He looked at Yu Huatang helplessly, and Yu Huatang smiled.
After the two of them walked a few more steps, Zhao Yan asked, "Then what should I say?"
Yu Huatang shook his head, "I don't know either."
So they both laughed.
After touring the entire Yibao Garden, the sun was about to set, and Zhao Yan said he wanted to go out for dinner. He recommended Hefengzhai, where the lamb meat was very good.
Yu Huatang asked, "Didn't you just say that Huangque Tower is the best?"
The last time they beat Ouyang Zui there, both bosses came out. He was afraid that this time, the servants might accidentally let the secret slip.
"There..." Zhao Yan paused, "Their boss recently hired a new chef, and the food isn't as good as before."
Yu Huatang was just saying it casually. She was not a person who cared about food. He said they should go wherever he wanted and she had no objection. So the two of them arrived at Hefengzhai.
Zhao Yan called the waiter and ordered all the signature dishes, such as Eight Treasure Gourd Duck, Crispy Roast Duck, Roasted Lamb's Feet, Braised Shark's Fin, Lamb Square Tibetan Fish, and Dong'an Chicken. It was a collection of the entire cuisine, with all kinds of fresh and spicy flavors.
Although the Zhao family lives in the capital, the food cooked by their chef is very light. She didn't have time to eat these before, but now that she has the opportunity, she has tried them one by one.
This was also the first time she had a meal that brought together the flavors of the north and south. Although the Dong'an chicken was a bit spicy, it was very delicious. Zhao Yan also packed some roasted lamb trotters for her.
Then he poured her some wine. "This is the famous Amber Light in the capital. A pot costs thirty taels of silver. It's said to be made with the sweet and clear spring water from Yuquan Mountain, and then secretly brewed by the palace winemaker. Try it."
Yu Huatang picked up the wine glass and took a sip, "It smells so good." The wine has a soft and mellow taste. It first has a faint rice aroma, and then the sweetness spreads on the tip of the tongue, with a long aftertaste. It is indeed delicious.
Seeing that she liked it, Zhao Yan poured her another glass of wine and said, "Try this, Lotus White."
Yu Huatang drank another cup, which was indeed clear, sweet, and had the fragrance of lotus.
"This is made from white lotus flowers picked in full bloom. It has a relatively low alcohol content and is not easy to get drunk from, so it is very popular among literati and scholars." Zhao Yan continued to introduce.
"Well, this one is good, fragrant and delicious. The previous one was also delicious. I'm just afraid that I'll get drunk if I drink too much."
Zhao Yan poured her another cup. "Do you like this? When you get back, I'll have someone buy some for you."
Yu Huatang smiled and said nothing.
It was already evening when the two of them finished their meal. The oil lamps of the street food stalls flickered, and the burnt aroma of sugar-roasted chestnuts, the spicy aroma of roasted lamb, and the aroma of wine penetrated everyone's nostrils.
Yu Huatang leaned on the railing, looking at the pleasure boats swaying on the moat, and from time to time listened to the sound of stringed instruments and the boatman's shouts interweaving into a melody.
The lights from the brothels and teahouses illuminated the entire alley, and in the distance came the sounds of singing and cheering.
Yu Huatang exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "The capital city is truly extremely prosperous. When I first came to the capital city, I felt very uncomfortable. Even now, I still feel very unfamiliar and out of place here."
"Actually, when I was young, I felt the same way when I came to this street," he continued. "My grandfather wasn't from the capital either; he moved here from Luoyang. But without the prosperity of the capital, there would be no peace and prosperity, and the people's yearning for life would also be reflected here. For example, the Eight Directions Bank here, where wealth is gathered from all over the world, always makes people feel that coming here will definitely bring opportunities and the ability to make a career."
As they continued walking, Zhao Yan smiled and said, "Actually, I'm not very familiar with the capital. When I was little, I played with my friends. Before I had even been playing for two years, they said I had a talent for studying, so my parents kept me in the dark. Later, when I went to school, I envied my peers who spent their free time playing with crickets and catching grasshoppers. After a while, the adults praised me, so I had to work even harder, fearing that I would lose my title and disappoint my parents."
"Later, it was the imperial examinations. I was already famous at a young age, so naturally I worked even harder. One year before, a few students from Lushan Academy came, and the teacher sent me to compete with them in a policy essay. I lost, and that's when I realized there are always people better than you. Naturally, I no longer had any interest in sightseeing, and I focused on writing essays. Now, there's no chance anymore."
Yu Huatang said, "I thought that with your profound knowledge of classics and history, and your extraordinary talent, it was only a matter of time before you became a great man."
Zhao Yan laughed and said, "I used to be so conceited, but it wasn't until those students from Lushan Academy came that I realized what it meant to have a fountain of literary talent. They knew the classics, history, and miscellaneous texts like the back of their hands, and were like walking libraries. I later changed my ways and realized that even if you are gifted, you still need to study hard. There are so many talented people in the world, and the capital only accounts for a third of them."
Yu Huatang laughed and said, "It's rare to hear you talk bad about yourself like this. When I was a kid, I had a lot more fun than you did. We went swimming in the summer along the coast of Quanzhou.
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