As soon as Fu Ming was enjoying his sip of soy milk, Fu Wan quietly moved her tofu pudding away from him.
At least it was in the capital. Before Fu Ming left home, his eldest brother Fu repeatedly told him not to bring shame to Fu Family Village. Now, those words came to mind again.
If he vomited at a breakfast stall, wouldn't he be considered a disgrace to Fu Family Village?
Fu Ming was on the verge of tears, and could only grit his teeth and force himself to swallow the soy milk in his mouth, suppressing his nausea.
The old man who had been watching the spectacle got his wish and, having enjoyed Fu Ming's entire face-changing performance, happily continued to savor his soy milk.
Before Fu Ming could even reprimand the old man, he picked up the tofu pudding next to him and gulped down several mouthfuls, trying desperately to use the flavor to mask the sour and stinky smell of the soy milk.
After eating half a bowl of tofu pudding, Fu Ming finally felt that the taste in his mouth had become much milder.
He looked at the old man next to him who was smiling at him with a complicated expression, and whispered to Fu Wan.
"Ah Wan, why does this old man like to drink this stuff? It tastes even worse than the swill we use to feed the pigs in our village!"
Fu Wan pinched him hard, "You're so curious, hurry up and eat!"
"Every place has its own customs. People here like to drink douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), but people from other places can't accept it. Similarly, people here can't accept many things from other places."
Environmental differences lead to dietary differences; if you can accept it, then accept it; if you can't, there's no need to say anything more.
Fu Ming thought this made a lot of sense. The old man sitting next to him was close enough that he could hear a lot of Fu Wan's voice, even though she was speaking softly.
"Young comrade, you may be young, but you have quite a lot of experience!"
Fu Wan waved her hand sheepishly and laughed, "Oh, no, no, that's all nonsense, just trying to fool my brother!"
The old man smiled and said nothing more. Just then, Fu Wan felt the luggage bag next to her feet move. She looked down and saw a pair of hands picking up their luggage bag.
"Thief!"
Fu Wan shouted, and Fu Ming immediately reacted, putting down the bowl in his hand and rushing towards the thief.
The thief was a short man who was being chased by the tall Fu Ming. He had no chance to fight back. Before long, Fu Ming snatched his bag and pinned the thief to the ground, unable to get up.
Thieves in the capital?!
Their bag is full of ambergris!
The breakfast stall owner slapped the man across the face, saying, "I often give you the leftover breakfast I don't sell, and you actually steal from my customers?!"
The man chuckled foolishly, and Fu Wan and Fu Ming then realized that he was actually mentally unstable.
The breakfast stall owner shooed the thief away, cursing, and then came out carrying a bowl.
"This kid lives nearby. His family used to be rich, but he suffered a lot a few years ago and his mind isn't working properly anymore. I felt sorry for him and would sometimes give him some food. I never expected that he would learn to steal things now."
After finishing his sentence, the boss sighed again and placed the bowl he was holding on Fu Wan and the others' table. "This bowl of soy milk is on you, to help you calm your nerves!"
The boss put down the bowl and was about to get busy. Fu Ming and Fu Wan didn't even have time to refuse and could only stare at the soy milk on the table.
...
There's absolutely no need for that!
The shop owner couldn't help but laugh when he saw the sudden change in the expressions on the two men's faces.
"Just kidding. This bowl of tofu pudding is for you, and this soy milk is from the table next door."
Fu Ming and Fu Wan both breathed a sigh of relief. Tofu pudding is so good, so much better than before.
After breakfast, the two asked the breakfast stall owner for directions to Panjiayuan. The stall owner was wondering what they were going to Panjiayuan for, so Fu Wan quickly made up an excuse that she was going to visit relatives, which got her off her feet.
She also had something else to ask her boss.
After learning how to get to Panjiayuan, the two packed their luggage and set off.
Fortunately, Beijing has convenient transportation. Fu Wan and Fu Ming found a bus stop not long after they started walking and boarded a bus to Panjiayuan.
In the 1980s, Panjiayuan was the busiest secondhand market in Beijing. As soon as the bus arrived at the station, most of the passengers got off. Fu Ming and Fu Wan were basically pushed off the bus by the crowd.
There were all sorts of people in the crowd, and quite a few, like Fu Wan and Fu Ming, were obviously from out of town.
People come to Panjiayuan for one of two reasons: to sell or to buy things. Many people want to try their luck.
They followed the crowd into the Panjiayuan Market. There were many vendors on both sides, and the ground was covered with dry cloths of various sizes, on which were displayed all kinds of antiques and calligraphy.
It was a dazzling array of items, too many to take in.
"Ah Wan, are all these things real?"
Fu Mingzhen felt he had broadened his horizons; these things, which would be hidden away in the village, were everywhere here.
Fu Wan shook her head. "I can't tell either."
Neither of them are experts; this is a very complex situation.
Fu Wan was afraid that Fu Ming might have other ideas, so she quickly pulled him away, "Brother, let's get down to business."
They came here to sell ambergris, not to hunt for antiques.
Fu Ming slapped his forehead, realizing he'd almost forgotten the important matter. "What number in Panjiayuan was Uncle Feng talking about again?"
"No. 156, Panjiayuan!"
"Yes, yes, number 156..."
The two then realized that none of the stalls on either side had house numbers. After walking a little further away, to a secluded area at the back of the market, they saw a small alley with a large tree next to it. Under the tree, an old man was sitting in a rocking chair, dozing off.
Fu Wan and Fu Ming exchanged a glance, and the two walked towards the alley in tacit agreement.
Despite the two of them deliberately walking quietly, the elderly man on the recliner next to them still sat up straight.
"who?!"
There was no one else around, so Fu Wan walked over and said softly, "Hello, comrade, we came here to visit relatives. We didn't mean to bother you, we're sorry."
The old man didn't even lift his eyelids. "Which household are you looking for?"
"No. 156 Panjiayuan, we're looking for Master Ning."
As soon as Fu Wan finished speaking, the old man thought for a moment. Just when Fu Wan thought he had fallen asleep again, the old man moved his hand and pointed to the other side of the alley.
"Go that way, don't wander around aimlessly."
Fu Wan thanked him and pulled Fu Ming quickly toward the direction the strange old man had pointed.
The two quickly passed the alley entrance, surrounded by houses. Fu Wan approached and looked at the number plates on the doors of the houses.
"153, 154, 155, 157!?"
Strange, there is no number 156 here. If Fu Wan didn't have a deep trust in Feng Ji's character, she would have suspected that he was playing a trick on her.
"Ah Wan, are we sure we didn't remember it wrong?"
Fu Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking somewhat anxious.
They can't have made a wasted trip!
"Impossible, I remember it clearly, it must be No. 156 Panjiayuan."
Just then, a small door behind Fu Wan opened, and a tall man walked out.
The man had an ordinary face, and his clothes could hardly conceal his strong muscles; he was clearly a trained fighter.
"Are you the guests Third Master mentioned?"
Fu Wan wasn't sure if he was talking about her, so she tentatively asked, "Is it Third Master Ning?"
"We are looking for Master Ning, who lives at No. 156 Panjiayuan."
"That's it, come with me."
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