"Hey, you little bug, eating out is fun, isn't it?"
Yunling carefully considered Pei Lin's actions just now, and undeniably found them quite interesting, so she nodded in response:
"That's right. Hey, do these people run around all the restaurants in Bianjing, so they know a lot of information?"
"That's true. In Bianjing, apart from one or two shops that are a bit eccentric and don't allow these kinds of people in, there are plenty of other restaurants and eateries. There are idlers, gossips, people drinking and chatting, and even these snacks that are now on the table."
"Aren't these the restaurant's appetizers?"
Pei Lin pushed them all in front of Yun Ling and said:
"No, but you can eat as much as you want. If you're still hungry, he'll refill your plate. If you like, you can buy some to take home and settle the bill with him when you leave."
No wonder Yunling felt someone was staring at her; this was the reason.
She picked up a piece of pickled radish and put it in her mouth. Although it was crunchy, it was so sour that she stuffed it in like vinegar was free. It was so sour that her teeth ached and she got goosebumps all over her body. She decided there was no need to get more of the pickled radish.
Pei Lin tactfully moved the dish of pickled radishes to a corner, added a copper coin, and soon someone came and took it away.
"It's a pity that it's not the right season. If it were springtime, when everything is growing, there would be many small brokers carrying flower baskets, their fragrance filling the air and pleasing to the eye."
Yunling picked up another pair of pickled green beans. These green beans were delicious, sour and spicy, making it hard to resist taking another bite.
"Do many people buy those flowers?"
"Once spring arrives, all kinds of fresh flowers will be placed on the tables of restaurants. As for whether they can be sold, that depends on each person's ability. We'll have plenty of opportunities in the future. You can see for yourself how many people buy them."
Yunling felt that Pei Lin's words were a bit strange. What did he mean by "we'll have plenty of opportunities in the future"? For her, Bianjing was just a new adventure map. No matter how prosperous or wealthy it was, it couldn't compare to her home in Pingcheng.
If things go smoothly this time, she shouldn't set foot in Bianjing again, so this person must have made a mistake.
Yunling didn't investigate further. A little while later, the doctor who was greeting guests came forward and asked them what dishes they wanted.
Yunling took the silk-like paper slip he handed her, her face becoming more serious. She skipped over the dishes Lu Yinghuai had brought back yesterday and first ordered a dish that sounded delicious: crispy tendon.
Then order a Three-Crispy Soup, Hundred-Flower Chess Piece Noodles, Roasted Pigeon, Steamed Clams with Egg, Sliced Lettuce, and Xijing Bamboo Shoots (which I've never tried before).
After the doctor who greeted the guests left, many servants and young boys dressed in white cloth blouses and carrying blue-and-white cloth towels came out, carrying porcelain jars to sell spicy dishes, or plates to sell dried fruit, and various kinds of steamed buns.
Yunling stared at the vendors selling dried fruit from their trays. They offered a wide variety of dried fruit, and each vendor sold a different kind, making it dazzling to look at. She was just about to try the one called "Human Face" when she called out to it.
"Oh my, it's you! It really is you. I never expected that we would meet here."
Liu Erlang, acting as if they were old friends, sat down at Yun Ling's table. But as soon as he sat down, Pei Lin looked him up and down, asking questioningly:
"Liu Er the Stinkbug?"
Liu Erlang immediately looked at Pei Lin, wondering who was so bold as to call him by his name directly. Upon seeing Pei Lin, he jumped up excitedly.
"Pei Er? You're Pei Er? You finally deigned to come back?!"
"As expected, you stinky bug."
The two embraced excitedly, leaving Yunling stunned. No wonder she felt a sense of familiarity with Liu Erlang; it turned out he was related to Pei Lin.
"You...know each other?"
"Natural recognition!"
Pei Lin released Liu Erlang, patted him on the shoulder, and sat down with him, saying:
“He lives next door to me. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and we didn’t get to know each other until we were fighting.”
"Stop talking about me, tell me about you. How did you two meet? And what is this young man's name, and where does he live?"
Pei Lin hadn't forgotten that this person had greeted Yun Ling first, and even acted as if they were very familiar with each other. If he found out that Yun Ling was a young lady, wouldn't he have gained another rival for love for no reason?
No, this won't work!
He already had Lu Yinghuai, a troublesome fellow, and certainly couldn't afford to add to his troubles, so he replied:
"She was a boy I met in Pingcheng, and she was the second child in her family."
What's your surname?
"By the way, Liu Er, do you know any merchants who travel between Western Xia and Khitan?"
Liu Erlang's thoughts were instantly diverted by Pei Lin's topic. He no longer cared about Yun Ling's surname, his mind solely focused on the merchant. He stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and suddenly shouted:
"I know him. Ma Liu's family has a distant relative who frequently travels to Western Xia. He seems to have just returned not long ago, saying he'll spend the New Year there and then go to Western Xia again. By the way, what kind of business are you looking for with this merchant? Could it be that you've taken a fancy to a young lady from Western Xia..."
"Go! Go! Go."
When the roasted pigeon was served, Pei Lin immediately handed the pigeon's head to Liu Erlang, teasingly saying:
"We want to buy wool from the Western Xia, is there any way to do so?"
"Why bother going all the way to Xixia to buy wool? What, are those wools from Xixia inlaid with gold, that you're going to such lengths to buy them?"
"I want a lot of wool. Hey, how can I explain this to a blind fly like you? Where is that distant relative of Ma Liu's? Tell me where he is, and I'll go ask him myself."
Liu Erlang then became smug and arrogant. He picked up another pigeon-head pastry and handed it to Pei Lin, teasingly saying:
"Are you the one who wants to buy wool, or is it our second brother? Oh, these crispy chewy bits look pretty delicious..."
Pei Lin rolled her eyes at him, picked up a piece of crispy tendon and put it in his bowl, replying irritably:
"Let's eat."
Liu Erlang didn't respond to this, and didn't even give Pei Lin a glance. His eyes were fixed on Yun Ling, who was sitting on the opposite side. She was eating crispy tendon, and she was so hungry for it. It must be delicious.
Yunling looked up and met Liu Erlang's teasing gaze. She immediately lost her appetite, but she always knew how to maintain decorum in business. Since he had connections, what harm was there in indulging him a little?
"Here, these crispy chewy bits are delicious."
As Yunling spoke, she used new chopsticks to serve Pei Lin and Tang Ling, and finally gave one to Liu Erlang, thus fulfilling the man's wishes.
"Oh, this Three Crispy Soup seems pretty good too."
Yunling also used a new spoon to serve each of the three people a small half-bowl of the Three Crispy Soup.
"Tsk tsk, I'm suddenly a little thirsty."
But as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Erlang was slapped hard on the back of the head. Pei Lin said without any politeness:
"I need to pee, do you want to try some?"
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