The floor was the last thing to be cleaned. Tang Ling first shoveled away the pile of sand on the ground, then filled a basin with well water and squeezed in half a citron's juice. The fresh scent instantly filled the air. She took a handkerchief, dipped it in the water from the basin, and began to clean the floor. After cleaning it several times and letting it air out, the unpleasant smell of alcohol gradually dissipated.
Yunling slept until the afternoon of the next day. Feeling dizzy and disoriented, she struggled to open her eyes and nearly fainted from the sight of four heads and eight pairs of eyes before her.
"Damn it, are you guys looking after a corpse?"
"Boss, don't you remember what happened yesterday?"
Yunling thought for a moment, then naturally crossed her legs in bed.
"Oh no, I was just looking at stones, but then I ran into Qian Xiaochong, and he lured me home. Instead of a casual meal, we ended up drinking. I got drunk?"
The four nodded in unison. Yunling slapped her forehead, annoyed, and said:
"Damn it, I was looking forward to beggar's chicken and roasted pork skin, but all I got was a drink and I didn't get a single thing. I was completely fooled."
"No, boss, that thief gave you a chicken and two pieces of pork skin to eat after you sobered up, but the second brother ate them!"
The pressure immediately fell on Chen Jie, who now dared not look Yun Ling in the eye. He scratched the back of his head and stammered:
"Actually... it's like this, I was hungry, so... I ate, and, well, I have to say, it tasted pretty good."
Yunling's stomach suddenly started rumbling, and the rumbling was loud and long, reaching everyone's ears through the thick blankets, which was extremely embarrassing.
She hadn't eaten much to begin with, and because she had been forced to drink alcohol and vomited repeatedly, her stomach was extremely empty. But Chen Jie, of all people, not only ate the delicious food, but also said that it tasted pretty good. Wasn't that just like rubbing salt into a wound?
Yunling was mortified and pointed her dissatisfaction directly at Chen Jie.
"You owe me money."
"Okay, I'll go out and buy some right away. Two chickens and three pieces of roasted pork skin, so that my aunt can have a good meal."
Lu Yinghuai smiled and said:
“Since Lingniang wants to eat, why don’t we go directly to Zhouqiao? It’s getting dark, and the Zhouqiao night market is quite lively.”
Yunling had been longing for the food at the Zhouqiao Night Market, so when Lu Yinghuai mentioned it, she naturally agreed.
When the group arrived at Zhouqiao Bridge, night had fallen, lanterns were hung high, and people were coming and going all around, with laughter filling the streets. The bridge was teeming with tourists, and stalls were set up side by side on both sides, each person calling out and busy at work.
Looking south across the bridge, countless stalls and shops, like stars in the sky, stand side by side, yet each stands independently.
Yunling had never seen such a lively scene. Compared to this night market, the stalls in Pingcheng were nothing. She couldn't take her eyes off it and kept looking into the distance, trying to see the end of the night market.
“Young man, there’s no need to keep a close eye on it. If you take your time to explore this night market, you can’t finish in one night. Once you get off the bridge, head south, exit through the Vermilion Bird Gate, and walk onto the Dragon River Bridge, then you’ll be done.”
"Moreover, the food here is seasonal. If you come in the summer, there are so many kinds of refreshing iced drinks, as well as all kinds of pickled fruits that are crisp, sour and refreshing."
"There will be fewer dishes in the cold weather, but there are still dishes like rabbit, wild duck, fried dumplings, and roasted pork skin. More importantly, there is the Lantern Festival in winter. The various performances for the Lantern Festival are all held in the area from Yujie to Zhouqiao. There are so many people that there is no place to put your feet."
Yunling was at a loss for words, only muttering to herself:
"Oh my God, oh my God."
Lu Yinghuai glanced at Tang Ling. He hadn't expected that Yun Ling's little maid would have such a background, know so much about Bianjing, and be so organized in her work. She might have been sold off by a wealthy family. This little guy of his had a really sharp eye.
The group walked onto the bridge, their eyes dazzled by the various stalls. Their feet naturally followed the crowd, while their mouths couldn't keep up with their appetites. Sometimes they would only realize what they wanted to eat after passing a stall, and they would want to turn back, but they also hoped that if they went further down, they might find that thing again.
Yunling's stomach was empty. She was so hungry that she could eat two cows. She was about to buy the pretty-looking fried mille-feuille when she suddenly remembered something very important.
She looked around, then looked back, only to find that Lu Yinghuai was staring at her intently, as if all the meat on the stalls wasn't meat, and she was the big piece of fat meat.
Yunling was lost in thought and forgot about the matter for a moment.
"You were looking for me?"
"I...I..." Yunling scratched her temple. "Oh, I remember now. I was just asking if you wanted to eat some staple food first to line your stomach, so that your delicate stomach wouldn't be able to handle it later."
Lu Yinghuai felt as if he were floating on clouds in response to Yunling's initiative to show concern. He was so pleased with himself that he instantly forgot about the unpleasantness of those few clueless people who had come to join in the fun and ruined his time alone with Yunling.
"Okay, whatever you say~"
When Tang Ling heard Yun Ling mention staple food, she asked:
"I wonder what kind of staple food you would like to eat, young master? We have noodles, cooked food, rice dishes, and rice porridge."
"Let's eat noodles first. Everything else can be found at the stalls, so we can eat as we walk!"
Everyone readily agreed and, after crossing the bridge, headed towards Cao's Shangse Guoduo, a larger shop. Judging from the sign, it was a shop that sold wontons and dumplings, which suited Yunling's taste perfectly.
On the left and right sides of this shop, there were two small stalls squeezed into the space, one of which was the spicy vegetable pancake that Yunling and Gangzi had eaten.
Gangzi immediately ran forward and, taking advantage of the spicy vegetable pancakes coming out of the oven, bought six in one go, giving the first one to Yunling.
"Boss, try it and see how this spicy vegetable pancake tastes."
The freshly baked spicy pancake was a bit too hot to handle. Yunling tossed it from her left hand to her right, and then from her right hand to her left. Chen Jie couldn't bear to watch, so he reached out his thick palm and took it for Yunling.
Yunling took a bite, and the sour and spicy filling wafted out with the steam, making everyone's mouths water. She took another bite, and it wasn't as sour as she had imagined. Instead, it was very spicy, a very intense spiciness. As she was trying to describe it, she choked on her own saliva.
Yunling covered her nose, the burning sensation spreading through her nasal cavity. Soon, her eyes became moist, almost unintentionally, without her even realizing it. It wasn't until Lu Yinghuai's handkerchief landed on the corner of her eye that she came to her senses.
"My God, this is even better than what we ate yesterday."
The fact that the spicy pancake could make Yunling cry made everyone feel awe towards it, but at the same time, they also became interested. Yunling couldn't eat it, but perhaps they could.
So the three of them took the spicy vegetable pancakes from Gangzi's hands, and sneezed from the spiciness...
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