A short absence makes a new marriage better
The snow fell several times and melted several times.
New Year’s Eve is here in a blink of an eye.
All businesses have closed, but Tiaotiao Food Store is still open.
People from the Northern and Southern Dynasties traveling back home would use the Tiaotiao Food Shop as a stopover, either attracted by the bustling scene inside the shop, or tempted by the aroma to satisfy their hungry stomachs along the way.
The store was filled with the roaring fire and the bustling noise of people.
Old customers are enjoying the newly launched hot pot in the store, and family and friends are having a lively meal around the round table.
The new customer, unsure of what to expect from this new restaurant, picked up the menu and ordered a few stir-fried dishes. After tasting them several times, the fatigue and pain of sleeping outdoors were instantly washed away, and they were filled with energy and eager to try more.
After finishing their meal, customers also remember to take care of their journey home.
Song Tiaotiao opened a small take-out window based on the suggestions of old customers. From morning to evening now, there are still three small teams with people coming in.
One group is perfect for taking home as gifts for family, like red bean paste cakes, rice cake strips, and other pastries. Another group is perfect for on-the-go snacks, like steamed buns with milk flavor and brown sugar, and other specialty dry foods. The group closest to the kitchen is filled with simple, pre-prepared dishes, perfect for those who struggle with cooking but still want to share delicious meals with their families.
The food prepared in advance by the three teams was all covered with thermal insulation covers and heated over low heat. It was replenished once in the morning, noon and evening and sold out.
Now, Bo Shuang was skillfully packing various pastries with oil paper, and then packed them in the heat-insulating sealed bags developed by Song Tiaotiao and the system before handing them over to Su Lin who had returned from the Northern Dynasty.
The two exchanged glances and smiled.
But because there were so many people behind him, even though we hadn't seen each other for half a month, he was unable to continue the conversation.
The teams on the other two sides were led by Jin Zhenjiao and Zhao Huaian who came to help.
When the two were busy, they would do their work. When they were free, Zhao Huaian's hand would be held by Jin Zhenjiao.
Zhao Huaian frowned and his face flushed, but feeling the slightly cool body temperature of Jin Zhenjiao's fingertips, he finally did not pull his hand away.
In the kitchen, Song Tiaotiao was preparing each dish according to the menu in her hand, while Zhao was helping to prepare the food. She had improved a lot in cooking skills these days and solved many urgent problems for Song Tiaotiao.
In the store, Qin Xing and several brothers were carrying plates of food, running back and forth from the kitchen to the lobby.
When Song Tiaotiao asked him if it was hard, he just smiled with cat eyes: "It's not hard as long as I can share your worries."
Gu Zhaoze sat in front of the counter, keeping accounts according to the method taught by his grandmother. Whenever he saw children crying with diners, he would go forward to comfort them from time to time, looking like a little adult.
Gu Zhao raised his head from the account book again, looking at the nearly dark sky shining through the window paper, and the hidden worry in his heart caused by longing emerged in his mind again.
In the correspondence between my uncle and my aunt, news of the military's annual leave had been revealed as early as the Little New Year. Calculating the date, my uncle should have returned by today.
Maybe he was delayed on his way home by the snow and wind, otherwise my uncle would have stopped when he saw the eye-catching word "Tiao Tiao" on the food shop.
Thinking of this, Gu Zhao's slightly frowned brows relaxed quietly, and he focused his attention on the account book.
As the sun faded and the stars began to move, the customers in the restaurant left one after another.
After a busy day, everyone finally had a chance to take a break and gathered around the round table to enjoy hot pot.
This time, although everyone was busy all day, some of them rarely focused on eating, and from time to time someone pushed the door and looked outside.
After all, everyone gathered here with one great wish, which was to take Gu Chengjue home as soon as possible.
While waiting for the hot pot to boil, Zhao Huaian and Su Lin pushed the door open and went outside to light the lanterns on both sides of the food stall.
Just as the lights came on, a figure covered in moon frost came walking on the snow.
Gu Chengjue was eager to go home and walked hurriedly, but the warm light was like a feather caressing his face, making his gaze trace back to its source.
Looking at the word "Tiao Tiao" under the light, Gu Chengjue's breathing stagnated. Then he followed the light closely and dived down. Looking at the familiar face, he paused for a moment and then quickly walked forward again, "Brother Zhao, Brother Su."
Zhao Huaian looked towards the source of the voice. After confirming that the person coming was indeed Gu Chengjue, he quickly stepped forward and said with a cheerful smile, "Is it Chengjue who is back? Come in quickly, we have been waiting for you for a long time."
Gu Chengjue looked at the door and asked puzzledly, "We?"
Su Lin smiled and pointed at the door of the food store: "You'll know when you go in."
Just then, the people in the house heard the sound and came out. Looking at the dusty Gu Chengjue, the long-lost calls rang out one after another.
Song Tiaotiao also followed the crowd and gradually walked towards Gu Chengjue.
In the whistling snow, Gu Chengjue stood at the gate, his tall figure like a crane and a pine tree, shadowy and hazy, hidden by the pine and cypress leaves.
After a long separation, Song Tiaotiao finally had the chance to say what had been stored in her heart for nearly a month, but she opened her lips repeatedly without a single word coming out.
After a while, she simply let go of You Ran, and kept her gaze on Gu Chengjue, watching quietly.
Gu Chengjue seemed to have lost a lot of weight due to military training, but his eyes were as bright and energetic as before when he returned victorious from the battlefield, like a pearl that had been cleansed of dust, looking around with a bright look.
Gu Chengjue responded to everyone's concerns, but his eyes were looking downwards secretly.
Under the soft candlelight, Song Tiaotiao's pair of clear autumn eyes were fixed on him, as if she was confessing something.
When she looked at him, her long and thick eyelashes fluttered, as if stars were scattered and shining.
The loneliness in Gu Chengjue's heart due to not hearing Song Tiaotiao's voice for a long time was instantly dispelled by joy.
It is not clear whether it is a wishful thinking, but at this moment it is like spring coming into being in late winter, and there is a renewed vitality.
Gu Chengjue lowered his phoenix eyes and smiled, looking into Song Tiaotiao's eyes, and said softly: "Tiaotiao, I'm back."
Hearing the word "Tiao Tiao" from Gu Chengjue again, Song Tiao Tiao's eyes flickered for a moment, and then she raised her head, wanting to look at him.
When she raised her eyes, she found that Gu Chengjue had already lowered his head in front of her without her knowing when. She only needed to raise her eyes slightly to look him straight in the eye.
Song Tiaotiao looked at Gu Chengjue's smiling face so close to her, and was stunned for a moment. After a moment, she smiled softly and said, "I'm glad you're back."
Everyone finally got what they wanted and had a reunion. The appetite that they had lost due to anxiety was restored, and the table of food finally injected soul into it again at this moment.
More than ten people sat around a long table and were divided into two yin-yang pots. One had a contrasting clear soup and was slightly spicy, while the other had a soup base made of fragrant tomatoes and delicious mushrooms.
On the dining table, there are all kinds of fresh mushrooms and vegetables, hand-made fish balls and meatballs, and freshly cut meat slices and meat rolls.
Since Song Tiao Tiao introduced hot pot, a separate sauce table has been set up in the food shop. In addition to the common sweet, sour, bitter and spicy seasonings, the restaurant also imitates modern hot pot and barbecue restaurants and adds ingredients that seem novel to people in the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
There are three main base ingredients, in addition to sesame paste and soy sauce, there is also dry ingredient powder prepared by Song Tiaotiao with various spices.
Although it is difficult to satisfy everyone, she will try her best to meet the preferences and needs of every diner.
Song Tiaotiao took Gu Chengjue to the seasoning table and introduced him one by one.
Gu Chengjue's pair of phoenix eyes lingered secretly on Song Tiaotiao.
She was smiling, and knew every fine product she had made very well.
When talking about his area of expertise, the gleam in Song Tiaotiao's eyes was even more eye-catching than any exquisite treasure he had ever seen before. It was not even comparable.
Gu Chengjue watched secretly, and listened to the whole process with a faint smile.
After Song Tiaotiao shared her experience in mixing seasonings, she looked up at Gu Chengjue, waiting for his decision.
Gu Chengjue scooped up a spoonful of the same sesame paste base as Song Tiaotiao, and added the seasonings she usually added into the bowl according to what Song Tiaotiao taught her.
Song Tiaotiao was stunned for a moment as she watched his smooth movements. Then she shook her head and chuckled, "Gu Chengjue, you don't have to add seasonings as I said. I just wanted to demonstrate to you. The flavor of the sauce is completely based on my preferences. There are some seasonings that I remember you didn't like before..."
Gu Chengjue glanced at the bowl of ingredients, then turned his gaze to Song Tiaotiao: "Since it comes from your hands, I want to try it and like it."
Their eyes met, Song Tiaotiao's eyes flickered for a moment, she nodded, looked away, and said nothing for a long time.
Gu Chengjue's eyelashes fluttered and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.
The unwilling regret is like an ant gnawing at my heart.
After a moment, he lowered his eyes, about to swallow the bitter fruit of his haste.
But suddenly he saw a hint of bright red on Song Tiaotiao's fair ears.
Gu Chengjue only had time to look for a moment, and then, a sour and joyful movement came from his chest, causing him to quickly withdraw his sight from Song Tiaotiao.
But the defeated army, which had been retreating in its heart, regrouped at this moment.
As his eyes flickered, he continued to talk to Song Tiaotiao for a long time. When Song Tiaotiao was once again excited about his sharing, he pretended to be inadvertent and turned the topic to letters.
Finally, Gu Chengjue said to Song Tiaotiao in a gentle voice, almost a whisper: "In the last letter, you called me Chengjue."
Song Tiaotiao was suddenly asked about this. She placed her fingertips on the edge of the bowl and lifted the bowl slightly. "That's a letter from home. Everyone has to write down what they want to say to you. You have to read it in the end. I can't call you like I usually do."
A flicker of disappointment flashed across Gu Chengjue's eyes. Then, he looked down at Song Tiaotiao and sighed softly, seemingly talking to himself, "But now that everyone is watching, it doesn't count anymore?"
Song Tiao Tiao was caught off guard by the question. While thinking, she changed the subject awkwardly: "Speaking of this, you changed your name to Tiao Tiao the moment you came back. Why? First time is strange, second time is familiar. What's your reason this time?"
Gu Chengjue's eyes flickered slightly, and he chuckled softly, "Since you call me Chengjue, I must reciprocate... It's all thanks to Tiaotiao's good teaching."
Seeing him use the same old trick again, Song Tiaotiao glanced at Gu Chengjue shyly: "You really are... I don't care about you anymore."
Hearing this, panic flashed in Gu Chengjue's eyes, and he blurted out: "Don't ignore me..." At this point, he realized that Song Tiaotiao's actions were inconsistent with his words, and she was still standing there waiting for him to leave together.
His panicked heartbeat subsided upon seeing this. But Song Tiaotiao didn't miss Gu Chengjue's unusual expression. She chuckled and waved to him, "Let's go."
Gu Chengjue nodded, smiling in his eyes, and followed Song Tiaotiao.
At the dinner table, Gu Chengjue was more active than ever.
Just as Song Tiaotiao's eyes were about to find the dish in the distance that she wanted to pick up, Gu Chengjue also sensed it and stood up for her: "I'll help you serve it." After saying this, he would always follow up with a question, "What else do you want to eat?"
Song Tiaotiao really felt that Gu Chengjue became more caring after this separation.
Not only did she notice it, but everyone present also looked at Song Tiaotiao and Gu Chengjue, smiling knowingly.
During the meal, someone said with emotion: "A short separation is better than a new marriage."
Everyone's thoughts were suddenly revealed, and they all laughed in unison.
Faced with everyone's teasing, Song Tiaotiao's face turned red. Although Gu Chengjue's ears were burning, his expression was obviously much more natural than Song Tiaotiao. From time to time, he would use the corner of his eyes to pay attention to Song Tiaotiao's reaction and nodded slightly.
As the meal was coming to an end, Gu Zhao, who had just finished his meal, walked to the counter again and picked up the account book to settle the bill.
Su Lin's eyes, following the pursuit, lowered for a moment, then turned to Bo Shuang, who was also looking at Gu Zhao: "Madam Bo, there is a school in town. I can send a carriage to take Zhao'er back and forth, so that Zhao'er can go to school. Are you willing?"
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