At the end of Shenshi (3-5 PM), Qin Sanniang and her small group slowly moved forward with the procession. Besides many refugees, there were also carriages and horses from wealthy families.
Qin San Niang didn't want to cause too much trouble, so she let Liu Shi and the others sit in the carriage while her family planned to go to the city.
In the end, Zhao Juhua didn't gain much advantage. The quota for going to the city that she wanted fell to Da Zhangshi and another village woman. At this moment, she could only look back resentfully and watch with envy as Qin Sanniang's mule cart slowly disappeared into the distance with the procession.
When the carriage arrived at the city gate, everyone realized that there was more to it than met the eye. The road split into two, with men and women separated. They had no choice but to put the two older boys on Gu Qingshan's stroller, with Fatty driving, while the rest of them walked through the city gate, which would make it easier for the guards to check them.
After paying the required money and travel permit, the soldiers let us pass without any trouble.
Guocheng was also very prosperous, but it never had the same festive atmosphere as Luzhou City. There were quite a few restaurants and eateries, and the roads were not as wide as those in Luzhou City. Fortunately, there weren't many pedestrians at the moment, so they walked quite comfortably.
It was already close to the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM), so Qin San Niang decided to find a small restaurant to satisfy her hunger and inquire about accommodation before going to a hotel after dark.
The people from Lujia Village did not go into the city today. They did not intend to stay in an inn, as that would be a waste of a day's lodging fee. They would come in tomorrow morning when the city gates opened, and then they could buy and sell things.
Eating at a restaurant was a completely new experience for Liu and her family. Normally, these rural women might never have set foot in a restaurant in their entire lives.
In contrast, modern-day Qin San Niang didn't feel anything was amiss. After all, eating out was a regular occurrence for her in the past. She was a foodie and ate wherever she went. Even though she was quite down on her luck now, it couldn't stop her foodie heart!
"Waiter, what dishes do you have here?" Qin San Niang waved her hand. There weren't that many people in the restaurant yet; it probably wasn't the busiest time.
Upon seeing that she was a homeless woman, the waiter reluctantly approached, though he didn't want to be too obvious. However, his eyes clearly showed that he was afraid they couldn't afford to pay! After the woman ordered a bunch of dishes, he frowned and asked, "Sister, can you finish all this food?"
They treat people differently based on their status! Qin San Niang wasn't unaware of what he was thinking!
"I'm afraid this isn't enough! Just go and bring the dishes up yourself."
Perhaps because her tone was too composed, the waiter quickly nodded, indicating that he would definitely satisfy them.
However, he secretly thought that this woman looked very ordinary from afar, but was somewhat frightening up close. She was no less than the wealthy women who came to eat. Perhaps she dressed so shabbily because she was afraid of showing off her wealth on the street.
Having already taken off her outer garments and put on her best cotton clothes, Qin Sanniang sat on a stool, looking outside. She saw a group of constables walking down the street, their faces solemn, as if something had happened.
The leader was an official who was eight feet tall and had a fair complexion. The reason he caught Qin San Niang's attention was because he looked somewhat...familiar. He had sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high nose. His slightly pursed thin lips added a touch of seriousness to his appearance, but this also made up for the scholarly look that his fair complexion gave him. He exuded a sense of authority without being overly ruthless.
Well, Qin San Niang had to admit that this person was indeed good-looking, and good-looking people all look alike, which was probably why he seemed familiar to her! The Creator's aesthetic sense is truly remarkable!
The children were quite well-behaved, sitting quietly on the stools without saying a word. After being asked, the eldest child weakly admitted that they had never been to a restaurant before and were too afraid to speak!
Could it be that Mother and Madam Wu are the same? The answer is yes! These two were at a loss for words.
The neat rows of mahogany benches and tables, along with the gleaming bluestone floor, made the two simple, honest women instinctively pull their feet back into their trousers. The exquisite menu they had just seen dazzled them; they even thought that being able to eat at such a restaurant in their lifetime would make their lives worthwhile!
Gu Qingshan hadn't eaten out much, the only times he'd eaten were at food stalls. Back then, he was too busy completing his mission to think about food. He also didn't know how to order. So when faced with the menu handed to him by Qin San Niang, he quickly pushed it back, saying he wasn't picky and just wanted some of the kids' favorites!
“Mother, children, we should eat out more often in the future. We’ve been traveling and sleeping in the open for many days, so it’s only right that we treat ourselves to something good. Besides, I’ve earned quite a bit of money from my prescriptions!” She winked mischievously at the eldest child as she spoke.
Upon receiving their mother's instructions, the eldest child nodded happily, and the other children finally cheered up as well, starting to talk in hushed tones, ultimately not daring to make a loud noise.
In about half an hour, a large table was filled with dishes: braised pork hock, stir-fried chicken with garlic sprouts, assorted fried rice, eight-treasure rice, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, cold seasonal vegetables, braised pork belly, tiger-skin chicken feet, candied apples...
The kids' mouths were watering; they really couldn't talk anymore, they just had to eat!
Although we were all very hungry, we still waited for Grandma to tell us what to eat before we could eat. This is a very good habit, and we should keep it up.
There was a lot of food, but it couldn't keep up with the large number of people. Even a child like Da Wa could eat as much as an adult, not to mention Fatty Ya and Gu Qingshan.
Finally, to the waiter's astonishment, Qin San Niang ordered a few more dishes and two plates of steamed buns.
When it was time to pay the bill, the waiter said with a smile, "Madam, the total for these dishes is three taels, eight mace, and fifty copper coins! The manager said he would round it down to three taels and eight mace for you!"
Now, Xiao Er clearly saw the shocked looks on everyone's faces. Suddenly, a thud ran down his spine. Had he misjudged? Was this woman really poor? If she wanted to dine and dash, he would have to pay for the meal himself. Although the employer wouldn't deduct all of the tael of silver, he would still have to pay a certain amount off his salary!
Qin San Niang was shocked that so many dishes cost less than four taels of silver! After all, it was a year of famine, and there was war going on in the surrounding areas. Liu Shi and the others were shocked by how expensive the restaurant was! They estimated that cooking these ingredients themselves would cost half the price!
Qin San Niang quickly took out silver to pay the bill. This was the loose silver she had asked Manager Liu to exchange when she was in Luzhou last time, and she hadn't had any use for it along the way.
"Waiter, just as you said, the food is really delicious; we finished it all. By the way, could you tell me if there are any affordable and clean places to stay around here?"
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