“Miss Pei probably doesn’t remember. I had something to do earlier and only caught a glimpse of you from afar in the side room before leaving. I was in a hurry at the time, so I didn’t have time to say hello.”
He Zhanglin was very humble and gentle, and always had a faint smile on his face when he spoke, which made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
He Zhanglin's tone did not discriminate against Pei Yao just because she was a young girl.
Pei Yao was amazed: "To be able to remember someone's face at a glance? Your memory is truly astonishing."
If someone can remember your face and your name after just one glance from afar.
Such a person is either a genius or... a fraud.
"No, it's just that Brother Qian always mentions you to me and even took me to Pei's shop, but Miss Pei was busy at the time."
He Zhanglin spoke frankly and did not lie to Pei Yao.
Pei Yao didn't say anything more.
Just then, Erdan's voice came from behind: "Yaomei, are you here to see Manager Qian?"
Erdan grabbed a white rag and jogged over.
Pei Yao asked with a worried expression, "Brother Erdan, I just heard Mr. He say that Uncle Qian caught a cold a few days ago. Is he feeling better?"
Erdan walked up to Pei Yao and first greeted He Zhanglin: "Manager He."
Then he explained to Pei Yao, "Sister Yao, Manager He is right. Manager Qian has indeed caught a cold and has been on leave these past few days, so he hasn't come to the restaurant."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yao frowned and asked, "Is Uncle Qian feeling any better?"
Erdan nodded: "A couple of days ago, Manager Qian went to the county and went to Tongrentang to see Doctor Lin for some medicine. He's feeling much better after taking the medicine, and I reckon he'll be back in a couple of days."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yao asked again, "Brother Erdan, do you know where Uncle Qian's house is? I'd like to go and visit him."
Erdan gestured as he spoke, “Manager Qian’s house is just across the bridge in front of Pei’s shop. Turn five alleys and walk three streets and you’ll get there.”
Pei Yao: "......"
Pei Yao was even starting to doubt Erdan's words; was the entire Merlin Town really that big...?
"Yao-mei, I don't know how to describe it. If I had time, I could take you there, but the shop is very busy right now," Erdan explained to Pei Yao with some guilt.
Pei Yao looked worried, and He Zhanglin, who was standing next to her, noticed her confusion.
A faint smile spread across her lips as she said gently, "Miss Pei, I'm going to deliver the account books to Brother Qian later. I can take you there, but you'll have to wait for me a moment."
Pei Yao glanced at Erdan beside her, her eyes asking him: Is this person reliable?
After Erdan understood, he also communicated with Pei Yao with his eyes: Bao is reliable.
Pei Yao agreed and waited quietly for He Zhanglin.
This was also the first time Pei Yao had given He Zhanglin a proper and careful look.
He Zhanglin was a middle-aged man who was not very old; he looked to be in his early thirties.
In this era, most men and women in their thirties should have children who are already married. Some who married even earlier should have children who are already married and have grandchildren, and have become grandfathers.
He Zhanglin's white, thick long gown accentuated his slender and tall figure.
Her jet-black hair was neatly tied up on top of her head with a light green ribbon and pierced through with a long, turquoise hairpin.
A light green headband hung down his hair beside his ears. He was very thin, and his handsome face almost always had a gentle smile on it.
His handsomeness wasn't the youthful charm of someone young, but rather a mature and charismatic quality that came from an older man.
However, Pei Yao always felt that there was a faint sadness in his smiling eyes.
Erdan was already busy, leaving only Pei Yao and He Zhanglin behind.
He Zhanglin seemed very busy; he had been holding an abacus and calculating something since the beginning.
Pei Yao wasn't good at using an abacus; she'd never been cut out for business.
Therefore, after Pei's shop opened, it was almost entirely Chen Fang and Pei Dalang who managed it.
Pei Yao only needs to occasionally go over to research new products. Compared to managing the shop, Pei Yao prefers dealing with food.
He's not good at accounting or running a business, but she's incredibly skilled at creating innovative dishes.
He Zhanglin glanced at Pei Yao briefly, noticing her staring intently at the abacus in his hand, and asked with a gentle smile:
"Miss Pei must be very good at business to have made Pei's shop so successful in such a short time."
There was no sarcasm in He Zhanglin's voice; it was just a normal inquiry.
Pei Yao shook her head: "Actually, I don't know much about business, but fortunately, the elders in my family are quite knowledgeable."
Just then, He Zhanglin finished his work and picked up the ledger he had just calculated.
"Let's go, Miss Pei."
Pei Yao always felt that He Zhanglin was like a scholar, speaking in a refined manner and acting with impeccable etiquette.
He makes people feel very comfortable around him.
The two walked past Pei's shop, crossed the bridge, turned into five alleys, and walked three streets before finally arriving at Manager Qian's house.
When Pei Yao and He Zhanglin stood at the door of Manager Qian's house, they both had some extra things in their hands.
—I just bought these on the way here. They include brown sugar, eggs, and an old hen.
Pei Yao was visiting Manager Qian for the first time and was unaware of the local customs. He Zhanglin also didn't have any relatives to visit, so he was also unaware of them.
Pei Yao hesitated for a while, but in the end she just grabbed someone on the roadside and asked them.
She was carrying a basket of eggs and a bag of brown sugar.
He Zhanglin was holding a chicken in his arms...
The chicken was still flapping wildly in his hand, its large wings occasionally slapping He Zhanglin across the face.
He Zhanglin was speechless after being slapped.
Shopkeeper Qian's house was in the innermost courtyard deep in the alley. The courtyard seemed to be poorly soundproofed; as soon as I arrived at the door, I could hear Shopkeeper Qian coughing inside.
He Zhanglin knocked softly on the door, then knocked twice more forcefully: "Brother Qian, it's me, He Zhanglin."
A weak voice came from inside. He seemed not to have heard He Zhanglin's voice and asked again, "Cough cough...who, who is it, cough cough cough..."
He Zhanglin repeated calmly, "Brother Qian, it's me, He Zhanglin."
The courtyard gate opened the moment He Zhanglin finished speaking.
However, it wasn't Manager Qian who opened the door, but his wife, Madam Yang.
"Zhang Lin, you're here. Old Qian is inside." Madam Yang opened the door, then glanced at Pei Yao behind He Zhang Lin and asked in confusion, "And who is this?"
He Zhanglin explained with a smile, "Sister-in-law, this is Miss Pei. She's also here to see Brother Qian."
After saying that, he introduced Yang to Pei Yao: "Miss Pei, this is Brother Qian's wife."
Pei Yao smiled brightly: "Madam."
Yang was a very easygoing person, and when she heard Pei Yao call her that, she immediately laughed:
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