The other three people in the dormitory left for home one after another. Lu Xinyi and Zhao Yu took a taxi to the airport, while Li Yue was picked up by her family driver.
Those who left later sent off those who left earlier one by one, and finally only Ye Tian was left to see off Li Yue.
Li Yue reluctantly held Ye Tian's hand and said, "Tiantian, we are all in this city. If you have any difficulties, you must tell me. Also, come to my house for the New Year! Don't refuse. I can't let you spend the New Year alone."
"Don't worry about me, I'm already an adult. Okay, Xiaoyue, I promise you, is it not okay for me to go to your house for the New Year? Get in the car!" Ye Tian pushed Li Yue into the car and helped her close the door.
The car drove slowly, Li Yue opened the window and waved goodbye to Ye Tian. Only after the car turned a corner and disappeared did Ye Tian turn back and go upstairs.
Back upstairs, the once bustling and crowded dormitory now looked empty, and Ye Tian was a little uncomfortable for a moment. Amiao and Xiaotao from across the street had also gone home yesterday, leaving Ye Tian completely alone.
She packed up a little and decided to go out and look for a house.
Because she was busy with final exams, Ye Tian hadn't left campus. However, she had learned that renting an apartment near the university wasn't difficult. Because Lakeside University is located in the suburbs, many villagers nearby have built their own houses. These houses are typically five or six stories high, with the ground floor or top floor reserved for their own use. The rest of the house is divided into smaller rooms for rent.
About a 5-minute walk from the school gate is a residential area. Downstairs is a food street that students often visit. Walking through the food street to the back, there are many residential houses, most of which are available for rent.
Ye Tian looked up. Many houses had rental ads posted on their walls and windows, along with phone numbers. She observed them carefully and chose a building a little further from the main street. While it looked a bit old, the windows had bars, making it look safer.
She called the landlord, who said he was at home and had a room available, so she could come in and take a look.
Because the students have gone home for winter vacation, many tenants have quit their leases. It can be said that now is the off-season for renting houses in the area. The house Ye Tian chose also has many vacancies.
The landlord, a woman in her 50s, has two main types of rooms. One is a standard studio, priced at 500 yuan per month, with a small bathroom and a simple wooden bed, a table, and a chair. The other is a suite on the far side, with a small living room and a small balcony that can be converted into a kitchen. This room costs 800 yuan per month.
Ye Tian definitely liked the one with the kitchenette, but since she lived alone, spending an extra 300 yuan was unnecessary. Seeing that the landlady was kind and the room, hallway, and staircase were all kept tidy and clean, she decided to rent it.
Ye Tian finally chose a room on the third floor, which was neither too high nor too low. The bathroom had a water heater left by the previous tenant, which made it convenient for taking a shower. Otherwise, she would have to buy a new one herself for several hundred yuan.
Originally, they were supposed to pay a one-month deposit and one-month rent, but Ye Tian honestly told the landlord she wasn't very cash-strapped, and he agreed to let her pay a 200 yuan deposit. Ye Tian simply paid the deposit and the first month's rent, with the lease starting the next day. The landlord prepared a standard contract, and after they signed it on the spot, he gave her the keys.
The landlady said that if she was worried, she could find a locksmith on the street to replace the lock cylinder. After all, she was not sure whether the previous tenant had an extra key.
Ye Tian thought about it and went downstairs to find a locksmith and key maker on the roadside. She asked him to come to her house and replace a new lock cylinder for 80 yuan.
After everything was done, she went back to pack her belongings. She didn't plan on buying new quilts or sheets; she could just move them from the dorm. She also needed to take her skincare products, toiletries, and a change of clothes with her, as they wouldn't be accessible after the dorm closed in two days.
She packed up first, then checked the time. It was time to go to Master Yun's house. Master Yun would soon be leaving Hubin City for Beijing, and several people from the Third Canteen wanted to see him off. Master Yun, knowing everyone's good intentions, said he wouldn't go out for dinner, and instead asked everyone to go to his house and try his cooking.
Ye Tian felt it would be inappropriate to go there empty-handed, but she didn't have any good gifts to offer, so she bought some beer and juice drinks at the supermarket on the way.
Master Yun actually lives in a house nearby, but his rental is better. It is a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment in the community, and is farther away from Ye Tian's place.
At the gate of Master Yun's residential complex, Ye Tian ran into Xiao Li and Xiao Du, who had just walked by. They were carrying fruit and were asking the security guard for the address. After the three of them met, they happened to look for the building where Master Yun lived.
Master Yun came to open the door. Master Sun and Aunt Liu had already arrived and were helping to process the fish and meat.
The three of them also wanted to help, but the kitchen could not accommodate so many people, so Ye Tian brought the garlic to the living room and started helping to peel it.
"No need, you all go out and watch TV, I'll take care of the rest myself!" Master Yun simply drove them all out.
There were only six people dining, so Chef Yun cooked eight dishes. Today, he prepared authentic Beijing cuisine: Kung Pao Chicken, Shredded Pork with Beijing Sauce, Stir-fried Tripe, Deep-fried Meatballs, Roasted Yellow Croaker, Braised Pork Intestines with Laba Garlic, Qianlong Cabbage, and Fried Sausage. The main course was Zhajiangmian (fried noodles).
When Master Yun brought out the last plate of tofu, he smiled and said, "It's a pity that we don't have a stove, otherwise I really want to roast a duck for you. I'm not bragging, the roast duck in our restaurant is absolutely authentic."
Xiao Li chuckled and said, "When we go to the capital next time, we must go to your restaurant to eat roast duck."
Ye Tian had only heard of Peking duck but had never eaten it, and she also expressed her anticipation.
Today's dishes are very different from the big pot dishes that Chef Yun cooks in the cafeteria. Each dish is not large in quantity, and the presentation is very delicate, with different plates used for different dishes.
Ye Tian first took a bite of Qianlong cabbage, which is a cold dish made with sesame paste, vinegar and other seasonings. The ingredient is raw cabbage, which tastes very refreshing and appetizing. It has the crispness and sweetness of cabbage, the sourness of vinegar, and the fragrance of sesame paste.
The Laba garlic braised pork intestines tastes sour and spicy, and the Laba garlic can well relieve the greasiness of the pork intestines. For those who love pork intestines, it is a classic dish.
Her favorite is Kung Pao Chicken. This dish may seem ordinary, but not just any chef can make it. The sauce ratio, heat, and cooking time are all crucial. Only when everything is just right can the chicken be tender and fragrant, and the peanuts crispy.
To be honest, there are not many delicious Beijing dishes. Kung Pao Chicken is a representative one. Of course, the most famous and must-try dishes for foreign tourists are roast duck and copper pot hot pot.
Everyone ate, talked and drank some wine, lamenting the changes in the third canteen over the past few months and the fact that Master Yun had remained hidden. Of course, the main reason for these changes was Ye Tian's arrival, who brought a different kind of vitality and energy to the third canteen.
Ye Tian felt that Master Yun was definitely a famous chef in Beijing. If he went back to help his master, he would probably become the head chef of a well-known restaurant. In the future, she might really go to Beijing to visit Master Yun's master.
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