Chapter 85 Chapter 85 First arrived in the capital alone...
Tangyuan popped his head out, "Yes, yes! My mom said Tongguo Shabu-shabu will come to pick us up!"
Xu Biaotou was stunned at first, then he laughed out loud twice.
Lin Qiuran looked down and Tangyuan immediately covered her mouth. Sun hugged Tangyuan into the car, and Xu Biaotou could only see Lin Qiuran.
Lin Qiuran said to Escort Leader Xu, "There's no one to pick us up. If Brother Xu has an inn he frequents, please recommend one or two. This will save us the trouble of searching."
Xu Biaotou said, "That's easy to say."
He asked if that was the plan. If someone was picking him up, everything would be arranged. If there was a house to stay in, then he would have to stay in an inn. There were many inns in the capital, and there were many choices. He could recommend a reliable one to Lin Qiuran.
Lin Qiuran thanked him, lowered the curtain, and looked back. Tangyuan was covering her mouth, "Mom, did I say something wrong?"
Lin Qiuran shook his head. It was just a sentence, no need to judge whether it was right or wrong. It was just childish talk, fun to listen to. Although Tangyuan could run and jump, speak earlier than his peers, and recite poetry and do math, he was still a child. His thoughts were different from those of adults.
So Lin Qiuran didn't say much about going to the capital to study, but mostly told him that the capital had delicious mutton, and that the capital also had cow's milk and goat's milk, which were not common to Yu An.
Lin Qiuran planned to have Tangyuan drink every day when he arrived in the capital, and he could also make delicious snacks.
Lin Qiuran also promised to eat copper pot hot pot on his first day in the capital. Madam Yang said that Northwest lamb was delicious and available in the capital. After hearing this for a long time, Tangyuan gradually became convinced that the first day would be copper pot hot pot. He had eaten copper pot hot pot on his first day, and now it had become copper pot hot pot to welcome him on his first day.
Tangyuan doesn't tell lies, but he can talk nonsense.
What Xu Biaotou meant by asking was whether there was anyone to pick them up was whether the Xiao family had any relatives in the capital. Generally speaking, long-distance trips can be long-term or short-term. Short-term trips are for business, while long-term trips are naturally for seeking refuge.
If someone was there to pick me up, accommodation would have been arranged. Normally, there would be someone waiting for me at the city gate, but the Xiao family didn't pick me up, so I had to stay in an inn for a while. When I first arrived in the capital, I preferred an inn that was clean and safe. If I couldn't find a house, I would have to stay there for a while.
Compared to searching randomly like a headless fly, it is naturally better to stay in the place where Xu Biaotou has stayed. During this journey, the Xiao family did not stay in a shady hotel.
Lin Qiuran and Tang Yuan explained, "To meet someone means that you go to a place and they'll be ready for you. You don't have to worry about being in an unfamiliar place."
Before coming to the capital, Xu Yuanheng asked her when he returned to Yu An. At that time, he said that he had an empty house in the capital, and Lin Qiuran could live there temporarily and move out after buying a house.
It is indeed convenient, but it is not suitable to live in Xu Yuanheng's house. At the beginning, Sun's Xiao Dashi brought Tangyuan to live there, but she couldn't.
Time flew by. Two years had passed, and Xu Yuanheng's care for her remained the same. Lin Qiuran reciprocated with unusual recipes. When Xu Yuanheng said they were useful, Lin Qiuran took it as a compliment. She also knew that carrying around a variety of sauces was indeed convenient when traveling.
This made her feel a little relieved.
Sun once asked Lin Qiuran, "There's no happy event in the Xu family. Young Master Xu hasn't gotten married yet."
Lin Qiuran hadn't inquired. Given her status, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to ask Xu Yuanheng, let alone Manager Xu. Sun wasn't necessarily curious, perhaps because Xu Yuanheng treated her well and she wanted to give him a heads-up.
Tangyuan is now so old, and Lin Qiuran's ideas and thoughts have also changed. Two years ago, she thought that feelings were more important because she had money, but now she has Tangyuan, and he is so cute. She thinks that as long as Xiao Xun does not change his original intention, and does not become self-centered and want to have many beauties because of his promotion... and can pave a broad and bright road for Tangyuan in the future, Lin Qiuran still hopes that he is Tangyuan's father.
Lin Qiuran was grateful to Xu Yuanheng, so she helped him a lot with the spice business and tried her best to give Xu Yuanheng recipes that he could use.
Besides, Lin Qiuran was still Xiao Xun's wife, so it was neither reasonable nor proper for her to get too involved in Xu Yuanheng's personal affairs. Furthermore, coming to the capital meant starting over again, and Xu Yuanheng could only help her temporarily, not forever.
Tang Yuan: "What do you call it if I eat the hot pot?"
Lin Qiuran came back to her senses. Why did this kid have so many questions? She said, "I'm going to let you eat me. That's enough. Get off the bus now."
The inn we stayed in today was chosen by Xu Biaotou. It was quite clean and just inside the city.
I still need to go to bed early today and travel quickly tomorrow.
The group got out of the carriage, took their valuables with them, and left the rest in the carriage. Lin Ming followed Xu Biaotou to book a room and order food. The carriage was still guarded at night. After a long time, he felt that the money was well spent.
We had a simple dinner in the house. Tangyuan already knew that his family ran a restaurant, so when he went out, he always compared the food outside with that at home.
A few days ago, Lin Qiuran told him that this was not a good idea. This happened inside the house. If he said this while eating outside, it would be like he was challenging the other party. It would not be a meal, but a quarrel.
Most importantly, don’t be picky about food.
Then, Tangyuan whispered these past two days, even in the house, "The food my mother makes is still the best."
He was picky about food and didn't like the food in the inn and he ate slowly.
Sun said, "Qiuran, why don't you borrow the kitchen from the inn and make some more food for Tangyuan?"
We are almost in the capital, and there is nothing to do right now. We have dry food along the way, and we will eat at the inn when we stop at night. It is very simple. Sun feels sorry for her grandson and wants him to eat more glutinous rice balls.
Tangyuan's eyes lit up when he heard that, and braised pork, spicy rabbit cubes, sour soup fish and lion head all flew into his mouth.
Lin Qiuran smiled helplessly, "Mom, when we go out, we should keep things simple and hassle-free."
After a day's journey and carriage ride, Lin Chun and the others were exhausted. Lin Qiuran didn't want to move. The inn's food was edible, so why would she have to cook something else? She couldn't wait to tell everyone that she had a beloved child at home.
Sun nodded quickly, "That's fine, that's fine."
The light in Tangyuan's eyes dimmed, and Lin Qiuran felt inexplicably angry. If she didn't mention it, nothing would have happened. But if she mentioned it and made Tangyuan disappointed, it would seem like she, as a mother, was unwilling to be good to her child.
Lin Qiuran patiently coaxed, "Tangyuan, it's late tonight. Tomorrow when we get to the capital, we'll have hot pot hot pot meat. That's what we agreed to. Eat all this tonight, and don't be picky. As the poem goes, 'Who knows that every grain of rice on the plate is the product of hard work?'"
Lin Qiuran coaxed him a few words, "Tangyuan has been so well behaved these days. Today is your last day away. Come and eat."
Tang Yuan nodded, and Lin Qiuran picked up some dishes for him, and he ate them obediently. Outside, Lin Qiuran didn't tell Sun not to do this again, and since Xiao Dashi was not around, she was afraid that it would make Sun feel bad.
You followed me here for more than a thousand miles, and you love your child so much. We'll talk about it later.
The next day was another day of travel. The weather was gloomy, and the cold wind blew on my face, chilling me to the bone. Captain Xu said that the capital was located in the north, so the snow came early, as early as October every year. Of course, spring also came late.
When Xu Biaotou spoke of the capital, his eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. Having traveled extensively and seen so much, he naturally found the capital a great place.
The carriage drove along the increasingly wide official road, passed through the city gate, and stopped at the entrance of the Four Seasons Inn in the capital. This inn was a frequent visitor of Xu Biaotou. The hotel was not expensive during the holidays, and the owner was kind enough to give him a discount for his kindness. He considered it as a reward for the two cans of chili sauce.
Xu Biaotou said, "Alright, we're here now. We'll stay in the capital for a few days and stay at this inn. If you need anything, come find us."
Lin Qiuran happily paid the balance. When Xu Biaotou saw the silver, he smiled happily, but the money was not all for him, he had to go back to share it.
Lin Qiuran said, "There are two things. If Brother Xu returns to Yu'an, could you please deliver a letter for me?"
Xu Biaotou: "Sure, there's more."
A letter doesn't take up much space, so just take it with you.
Lin Qiuran asked, "Which restaurant in Beijing has the best hot pot?"
She promised to bring some dumplings to eat.
It's very late today, so I definitely won't go looking for a house. Besides, there are maids and servants, so Lin Qiuran doesn't need to go and look for it himself. He can just ask about the food here and go eat later.
Xu Biaotou said, "Lao Jin's hot pot is pretty good. It's on the street behind us, very close. They sell meat by the pound. You came at a good time. They have frozen mutton, which can be cut into very thin mutton rolls. It's more tender than fresh meat and you can't find it in other seasons. After a few boils, it's fragrant and tender. It's also dipped in sesame paste. We in Yu'an don't eat sesame paste often, but it's actually very delicious."
This is true. Lin Qiuran only uses sesame oil in Yu'an, and sesame paste is rarely seen.
She thanked him, "Thank you, Brother Xu. You've been tired all the way here. You should rest well too."
Escort Leader Xu smiled and said, "Well, if you need anything in the future, just come to me. There is also the Yu'an Escort Agency in the capital."
But it is just a little-known small escort agency.
Lin Qiuran nodded, and after moving the luggage into the inn, she paid the driver. Leaving the maid with the luggage, she took Lin Ming and another servant with her to eat with Sun Tangyuan.
The days are short in winter. As soon as the sun sets and I pack up for a while, it is already dark.
Thousands of lights dotted the long street, luxurious carriages passed by, and from somewhere a restaurant drifted the melodious sound of a phoenix flute. The pedestrians on the street were dressed in cloth, some in silk...
The men were talking and laughing loudly, and the women were wearing gorgeous ornaments on their heads, emitting a waft of fragrance as they walked by.
Tang Yuan was curious and a little scared. He hid in Lin Qiuran's arms, wanting to be held. Lin Qiuran picked him up and said to Sun: "It is indeed much more lively here than Yu'an. Mother, let's go too."
Sun had never seen such a scene before, carriage after carriage. In Yu'an, only the richest families had carriages. And they were all completely different. Here, there were all kinds of carriages, all big and fine, some even with plaques hanging on them, while the Xiao family's carriages were just ordinary green carriages.
Sun felt that life in Yu Anxiao's family was great, but once they went out into the world, they were like country people coming to the city.
There are three- and four-story shops on this street, selling everything.
Sun followed Lin Qiuran's footsteps, and the group followed Xu Biaotou's instructions to the back streets. The back streets were busier, with countless restaurants and eateries. The Old Jin Shabu-Shabu restaurant was also prominent, with four lanterns hanging from a large plaque, perfectly illuminating the four large characters.
Customers come in and out, and there is no need for waiters to solicit them at the door.
As soon as they entered, Sun couldn't help but say, "How come any random shop here is almost as big as the Jinding Building?"
Lin Qiuran saw from the outside that this was a two-story shop. Some people came in and went to the second floor. There were more than 20 tables on the first floor. She thought the same as Sun, that any one of them would be almost as big as Jindinglou. Then she thought about the fact that there were many people, merchants, and dignitaries in the capital, so she didn't find it strange.
Lin Qiuran said, "Yes, mother, let's look at a few more houses in the next few days."
Originally, Lin Qiuran wanted to open a similar size one, but now she feels it is not enough. So many people are the future guests of Jindinglou.
Sun nodded and said that she still wanted to open a shop, but with so many restaurants and hotels, would it be easy to open the Jinding Building?
These matters had to be put aside for the time being. The waiter found a window seat for Lin Qiuran and the other two. "What would you like to eat, sir? We have hot pots here. We have fresh mutton, frozen mutton, frozen tofu, and even bean curd noodles..."
Lin Qiuran asked, "How much is it?"
Waiter: "Fresh mutton is 20 cents for half a pound, frozen mutton is 18 cents for half a pound..."
Lin Qiuran listened. Other vegetables and frozen goods were only a few or ten coins each. She said, "Half a pound of fresh meat, a pound of frozen meat, half a pound of frozen tofu, half a pound of cabbage, and a pound of noodles."
The waiter asked, "Sir, would you like mixed noodles or hand-rolled noodles?"
According to Lin Qiuran's habits, she didn't like mixed noodles very much. She had eaten this in her previous life and was not used to it. But Sun and Tangyuan had never eaten it. Tangyuan even whispered, "Mom, what are mixed noodles? I want to eat them."
Without waiting for the waiter to explain, Lin Qiuran said, "Mixed noodles are made of bean flour and white flour. Try it. I want half a pound of each."
After the waiter left, Sun whispered, "I wonder how much a pound of meat costs out there. This isn't cheap either."
Yu'an mutton costs more than 20 cents per pound, and this is by the pound. If it is raw and not cooked, the price will double, which is not cheap.
Lin Qiuran nodded, "There seem to be quite a lot of people here, let's try it first."
Eating in a shop means paying rent for the shop, hiring staff, and all kinds of tables, chairs, and dishes. They weren't blown in by the wind. Soon the pot came up, a copper pot, which also cost money.
Tang Yuan had never seen such a pot before and said curiously, "This looks like a chimney."
Lin Qiuran said, "There's charcoal underneath. The pot is very hot, so don't touch it."
Tangyuan is still small and his hands are too short to reach the pot, but Lin Qiuran is worried and has to give him a few instructions.
There was hot soup in the pot. Lin Qiuran saw that it was not plain water. There were green onions, ginger, dried shrimps, red dates, wolfberries, and two spices in the soup: fennel and cardamom.
The meat was served quickly on an iron plate. The fresh lamb was on a small plate, and the lamb rolls looked like shaved wood flowers. The lean meat was red, and the fat was white. They mixed together in a bright red color, which looked very nice.
Sun was not as good at living as she used to be, but she still felt a little reluctant since Yu An didn't often go out to eat.
It's not like buying something and using the inn's kitchen to cook some.
As the cabbage and other dishes started arriving, Sun whispered, "This looks so simple, but it's served raw. Why don't these people make it themselves? Why don't they just bring out so much to eat?"
Lin Qiuran said, "Mom, the pot is a copper pot, it's not cheap, and it's lively outside, it's very warm."
It costs one or two taels of silver to feed three people, and it costs quite a bit of money to buy a pot.
Soon, sesame paste arrived, one bowl per person, pre-mixed. There were also bowls of chili oil, cilantro, and pickled garlic.
These were all new and novel things that Tangyuan had never seen before. He was very curious and said, "Grandma, please stop nagging. We are all out to eat, so we can eat happily. We don't go out to eat, so it counts as coming out once."
The pot was boiling, and Tangyuan urged Lin Qiuran to put the meat in quickly. Lin Qiuran took a pair of chopsticks and put the meat in. She always kept raw and cooked meat separate. When the meat was put in, the boiling pot stopped for a moment, but soon boiled again.
Tang Yuan's eyes sparkled as he sniffed the aroma and said intoxicatedly, "Mom, when can we eat?"
Once the meat changes color and the pot is boiling again, you can eat it. Lin Qiuran scooped out a few pieces for him and said, "Wait until it cools down a bit before eating. This is for dipping sauce. If it's too salty, use less."
Lin Qiuran glanced at Sun after he finished speaking and gave her a few meat rolls. "Mom, eat quickly."
Sun thought about how delicious the meat would be when boiled in plain water. She dipped the meat into the bowl of sesame paste and was dizzy with the aroma when she took a sip.
The meat was tender and fragrant, with no hint of mutton. The sesame sauce wasn't salty at all. At first, Sun thought it was quite salty, but it was very mellow and delicious. The meat rolls were covered in sesame sauce, and the meat was soft and fragrant.
Seeing Sun's stunned expression, Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Mom, come and eat. You should also add some meat. This pot is quite interesting. Don't worry, come to the capital. There's plenty of food here. I'll write to Dad tomorrow and ask him to come over after I've settled things here."
Lin Qiuran tasted delicious, the meat was of excellent quality. No wonder Madam Yang said Northwest meat was so good. It had a sesame paste aroma and a slightly bitter taste, but it had a unique flavor.
But for her, she still prefers the Erba sauce mixed with peanut butter.
Lin Qiuran's hands and feet began to heat up after a few bites. It was cold out there, and even if you were dressed warmly, you'd still feel cold. The mutton hotpot was hot and delicious, and it was very comfortable to eat.
Yu An also ate cabbage, but he didn’t boil it like this. The boiled cabbage was as soft as water, which made Lin Qiuran feel relaxed and comfortable.
But Yu An didn’t have any frozen tofu, so Lin Qiuran also put a few pieces in.
Sun nodded and wanted to see if he needed to take care of the glutinous rice balls. When she saw him, he was eating with a bowl in his hand. Adults usually sit at the table with their heads slightly lowered, but glutinous rice balls can be eaten directly with the bowl in their hands.
He seemed to be eating noodles. The mutton was very soft and not very chewy. The sesame paste was fragrant. He also added chili oil. This was different from Yu An's chili. "Mom, the chili is not spicy at all!"
Lin Qiuran smiled. Sun saw that there was sauce on the corner of Tangyuan's mouth. Just as she was about to wipe it, Lin Qiuran took out a handkerchief and placed it in front of Tangyuan, "Tangyuan, wipe the corner of your mouth."
After wiping the glutinous rice balls twice, he asked, "Mom, is it ready?"
Lin Qiuran: "Okay, eat quickly."
Tangyuan likes mutton and frozen tofu cooked with soft sesame paste. He also eats noodles, but he really can't eat mixed noodles. Sun also thinks the taste is a bit strange and not chewy. She prefers the egg noodles made by Lin Qiuran, which are translucent and chewy when cooked. Fortunately, she doesn't order much mixed noodles.
The three of them finished all the food they ordered and felt a little full, so they didn't order any more food.
Tangyuan's belly was round, but he missed the taste very much. "Mom, I want to eat it again tomorrow. The mutton and frozen tofu are warm in my stomach. I must have fallen asleep."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Okay."
It takes a while to find a house, so I stayed in an inn during that time. I mostly ate out, so I could let Tangyuan choose what he liked.
Lin Qiuran took Tangyuan out without holding her in arms, as walking could help digest food. There were still many people outside. After the three of them left, an old man followed them out without even eating.
Fortunately, there were many people around, otherwise the old man's behavior would be so conspicuous that Lin Ming and the others would definitely notice it and would definitely feel it was impolite.
Lu Zheng followed until he saw the three people enter the Four Seasons Inn and disappeared.
His heart was pounding. Why did that child just now look so much like Minzhi's child?
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The author has something to say: Please water it~! [scatter flowers][starry eyes][panda head][cat head]
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