The shops lined the street, one after another. Xiang Wan was quite excited, pulling Xiang Xia along as they looked around and commented on the items, sometimes even going inside to take a look. Qin Rong followed behind, watching the two discuss which items looked good and which were suitable to buy, without really participating.
Xiang Wan loved shopping in her modern life, but later she became too busy with work, often working overtime day and night, leaving no time or inclination to go shopping. Even when buying clothes, she would just go into one store, pick one out, and pay without hesitation, completely unlike the carefree days in college when she and her roommates would compare prices and try on clothes at will. Now that she had some money and didn't have to worry about running out, she could indulge herself, but after browsing for a while, she bought very little. Xiang Xia didn't find anything she liked; Xiang Wan was simply reminiscing about the good old days of shopping and maybe checking out some clothes to plan her shop opening. Qin Rong was basically just there for show, showing absolutely no interest in anything.
The group visited many shops throughout the morning, and before they knew it, it was noon. They were all a little hungry and were looking for a restaurant to sit down.
"It's almost noon, I bet you two sisters are a little hungry, right? I know a restaurant with some really good signature dishes, would you like to try it?" Qin Rong suggested to Xiang Wan and Xiang Xia when they sat down to rest at a teahouse, seeing that they looked a bit tired.
"Really? How far is it?" Xiang Wan asked impatiently.
The feeling of being hungry is unpleasant; she could eat a whole cow if she were hungry. Seeing that Qin Rong was quite familiar with the restaurant, she couldn't help but feel tempted and couldn't wait to taste the delicious food.
"It's just ahead, around the corner."
"Then let's go quickly!"
After the initial excitement of shopping wore off, Xiang Wan felt her legs were so sore and tired they didn't even feel like her own. As she followed Qin Rong towards the restaurant she had mentioned, she leaned on Xiao Zhu and shuffled along step by step. Xiang Xia was more resilient; by the time they reached the restaurant, she was sweating. Qin Rong, on the other hand, only had a few beads of sweat on the tip of her nose.
The restaurant, named Fulaixuan, was located 100 meters from the street corner. There were few shops around, but the houses were lined up one after another. After Xiang Wan settled down by the window on the second floor of the restaurant, she looked out and saw small houses everywhere. Behind the buildings, a large tree was lush and green, and a gentle breeze made it very cool.
"This place is really nice," Xiang Wan exclaimed. "It's not far from the neighborhood, not too crowded, and quiet. It's a real treat to enjoy the scenery after dinner."
"You're the one who's always sighing. I wonder who's starving and still has the leisure to admire the scenery," Xiang Xia joked.
“The food will be served soon, and some tea will quench our thirst and hunger for now. As the saying goes, ‘When you’re full and warm, you think of other things.’ It’s about enjoying the scenery while we’re not hungry, so as not to miss out on the beautiful view before us, don’t you think?” Xiang Wan replied.
With a "pfft," Xiang Xia couldn't help but laugh. "That's just sophistry."
“But you have to have a valid reason.” Xiang Wan turned to look at Xiang Xia, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man in a brocade robe and a crown in the distance who seemed to be glancing in their direction, but she didn’t think much of it.
After going upstairs, Qin Rong only said a few words when ordering food. She didn't interrupt when Xiang Wan and Xiang Xia were talking, and just drank her tea.
"Rong'er, do you have any other good pastries here?" Xiang Wan remembered seeing a few pastry shops on the way, but she was in a hurry to eat and didn't have time to buy any. Now she was thinking of taking some to eat on the way back in the afternoon, and also packing some for the Queen Mother, so she asked Qin Rong.
"Wang Ji's plum blossom cake is delicious. My father always liked to buy it for me. And Li Ji's jujube cake and hibiscus cake are unforgettable." Qin Rong put down her teacup and said to Xiang Wan, "Let's eat first. After dinner, I'll have Xiao Lan take Xiao Zhu and Xiao Mei to buy some of each. I'm getting a little hungry after hearing Sister Wan mention it."
"That's great!" Xiang Wan replied happily, then turned to Xiang Xia and said, "Sister, let's rest here for a while after we finish eating, and let Xiao Mei come with us too. Next time we buy it, we'll know where it is."
"Mm," Xiang Xia replied. Xiao Mei was Xiang Xia's personal maid, assigned by the Queen Mother. She was usually quiet but extremely loyal to her mistress.
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