Chapter 16
The three of them finally arrived in Dongfang City at noon.
Su Mu explained the reason, and the three entered the city.
Upon entering, they were stunned by the bustling scene of the city. Vendors along the way sold novelties they had never seen before. Even Ren Dong couldn't help but stop in front of the various vendors. The shops further in were so large that they were two or three times the size of their pharmacy. Su Mu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. In front of each shop, there were women dressed in gold and silver to greet customers. Even the signs of the taverns and teahouses on the street were made of brocade. Every pedestrian on the street was dressed in much more luxurious clothes than the three of them. Anyone with eyes could tell that the three of them were outsiders.
"Honeysuckle, look what that woman is wearing! It's so beautiful! It even glows!" Su Mu said, pointing to a woman standing in front of a fabric shop.
Honeysuckle examined it carefully. "It looks like silk."
"Silk? What is silk?"
Honeysuckle racked her brains, "I don't know either, I just saw it in a book."
"Let's find somewhere to eat first, I'm so hungry!"
Honeysuckle nodded in agreement.
Su Mu looked left and right, then found the biggest restaurant. "This will do! There's bound to be lots of good food here."
Honeysuckle looked on, a little panicked. "Isn't this a bit too big?"
Su Mu kept walking towards that spot, saying, "Since we're here, we should definitely eat something good."
As soon as we arrived at the door, a waiter came out to greet us: "Are you here for a quick bite or a meal, sir?"
“The three of us are here to eat, and we also need to tie up and feed these two horses,” Su Mu said with a wave of his hand.
"Alright, alright!" The servant quickly went over, picked up the horse, and led it into the backyard.
As soon as they entered, a servant guided them to their seats.
The three of them chose a seat by the window and sat down.
"Sir, this is our menu. Please let me know when you've chosen."
Su Mu took the menu. "This place is huge! Even the dining table is so luxurious."
Honeysuckle also exclaimed in admiration, "Yes, this Eastern City is truly extraordinary!"
Su Mu looked at the menu and exclaimed, "Why are these prices so expensive!"
Upon hearing this, Ren Dong took the menu and exclaimed, "How come this is five times more expensive than in our city!"
"Should we leave?" Su Mu asked Ren Dong in a low voice.
Just as Ren Dong was about to answer, the servant who had led the horse came over and said, "Sir, your horse has been fed. Enjoy your meal."
Honeysuckle shook her head. "Looks like I can't leave even if I want to."
Su Mu said, "How about we order less?"
Honeysuckle handed the menu to Jingtao, "Little Tao, what would you like to eat?"
Jing Tao shook her head as she looked at the densely packed words.
"Alright, she can't read either," Ren Dong shook her head helplessly and called over the servant. "Order some stir-fried pork, a chicken leg, and a vegetable soup, plus four bowls of rice."
"Okay!" The waiter took the menu and headed to the kitchen.
"We can eat less, the key question is where we'll stay tonight?"
Su Mu was asked, "With two rooms and this meal, we probably can only stay here for one day."
"I thought I could eat better here," Ren Dong said, taking out her purse and counting the coins: a few pieces of silver and a few copper coins.
Su Mu handed his money pouch to Ren Dong, saying, "Here, keep it safe."
Honeysuckle took Su Mu's money pouch and said, "After this meal, we'll have to eat steamed buns again."
The dishes were served shortly afterward.
The three of them immediately switched to "cooking mode".
Honeysuckle placed the only chicken leg into Jingtao's bowl, and Jingtao picked it up and started eating it.
As Jing Tao finished the last sip of soup, the three of them finished their lunch, but it was clear that none of them had eaten to their heart's content.
Honeysuckle took the money bag and walked towards the accounting office.
Just then, the aroma of meat filled the air, and even the thorny peaches and sappanwood that remained there smelled the fragrance.
"Wow! The smell of roast chicken!" Su Mu tried to take a few more sniffs.
Jing Tao looked in the direction of the aroma and saw a feast on the table, which made her swallow hard.
Hungry!
Jing Tao leaped to the table laden with food in an instant, picked up a roast chicken, and stuffed it into her mouth.
The disturbed man immediately stood up. "You little beggar! How dare you steal my roast chicken!"
Su Mu realized he had made a big mistake and quickly ran over to pull Jing Tao back.
The waiters in the restaurant immediately surrounded him, bowing repeatedly and apologizing, "I'm sorry, Young Master Dongfang."
"What's wrong with your restaurant? Can a beggar eat at the same table as me now?"
Su Mu kept apologizing, "I'm so sorry, my friend is so immature."
Seeing this, Ren Dong rushed over and said, "She's not a beggar!"
The man sized up the three people in front of him: a beggar and two poor people.
"Isn't she a beggar like this?"
Honeysuckle was angered: "It's just that I ate one of your roast chickens, we'll compensate you however much it costs!"
"Ha," the man chuckled. "A roast chicken? Do you think I'd still be in the mood to eat here if she stole my food?"
"What do you mean?" Ren Dong asked.
The man slowly sat down. "I've lost my appetite for this meal. If you want to pay, go ahead. I won't hold it against you since you've already paid for everything."
"What?" Ren Dong knew that this was the man deliberately making things difficult for her.
"What? Didn't you say you were going to pay the bill?"
After finishing the roast chicken, Jing Tao sat down and started eating the other dishes with her hands.
"Look how hungry your friend is," the man said with a look of disgust.
"Could it be that you're short of money?" the man asked when they remained silent for a long time.
Su Mu had no choice but to apologize, "We don't have much money, so what do you want in return for your forgiveness?"
"If you don't have money, then you'll end up in jail."
"Or you could kneel down and apologize to me right now, and I'll consider it."
After much deliberation, Ren Dong asked, "Will you forgive us if I kneel down?"
Su Mu stopped Ren Dong, who was about to kneel down. "What are you doing?" He pulled Ren Dong behind him. "Don't bully my sister. I'll kneel down for you."
Su Mu took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself. Just as he was about to kneel down, Jing Tao, who had finished eating, suddenly stood up, walked to the servant, and took out a gold coin from her bosom, handing it to the servant.
The servant was also frightened by the scene; who pays for food with gold?
The servant glanced silently at the man. "Young Master Dongfang, this..."
The man was startled and quickly went up to check if the gold was real or fake.
After discovering it was true, he glared fiercely at Jing Tao.
Jing Tao, having been stared at with such malice for so long, unconsciously reached for the knife behind her.
"You guys got lucky this time," the man said harshly before leaving.
The two people next to them were also so shocked that they were speechless.
"Please wait a moment, sir, while I go and give you your change."
Honeysuckle exclaimed in surprise, "Little Peach, where did you get the money?"
"Forget it, you can't speak properly."
Turning around, I saw that Su Mu had already sat down and was enjoying his meal.
Honeysuckle happily shouted to the servant, "Give us two superior rooms!"
"Alright, sir/madam!"
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