"It smells so good, it's absolutely delicious! I've never eaten anything so good before."
Seeing that everyone was enjoying their meal, Xu Yuehuai also happily started eating the crayfish. Amidst laughter and chatter, everyone quickly finished the crayfish and said they hadn't had enough, sitting on the ground savoring the delicious taste.
Zhao Ping patted his belly and was about to go down into the river to catch something when Xu Yuehuai stopped him.
She looked up at the sky and saw that it was almost evening. If they couldn't hurry back now, they wouldn't be able to get back to Xiangmanlou before dark, and it would be dangerous to walk along the riverbank when it got dark.
Third Sister is still waiting at Tianxiang Tower; we can't let her worry.
After thinking it over, Xu Yuehuai called out, "If you want to eat crayfish, you can have another chance. It's getting late, let's hurry up and pack up and go back. Don't keep Third Sister waiting, or she might kill you."
She even made a joke about it.
"Okay!" Everyone agreed and began tidying up in an orderly manner, each doing their own job.
Xu Yuehuai also cleaned up the leftovers.
Seeing her cleaning the crayfish shells, Sun Ping couldn't help but ask, "Manager Xu, what are you doing?"
“This is called protecting the environment—protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility.” She chuckled, completely ignoring the blank look on Zhao Ping’s face.
Before long, everyone was ready and embarked on their return journey.
The group walked towards Tianxiang Tower, chatting and laughing. Just as they were about to reach the tower, Qi Guze suddenly received news and hurriedly rushed back to the palace.
At this moment, Zhao Ping also noticed the unusual situation ahead. He took a few steps closer to Xu Yuehuai and pointed ahead, saying, "Look, Manager Xu, a foreigner!"
Xu Yuehuai rolled her eyes at him and said with a hint of disbelief, "What foreigner? I didn't see anything. Don't make things up."
"It's really true, Manager Xu, I have a sharp eye." Zhao Ping patted his chest and swore.
He traveled all the way from south to north, and this was the first time he had ever seen a foreigner.
Xu Yuehuai smiled but did not comment.
Zhao Ping felt awkward, but he still followed beside her, muttering under his breath, "You'll see when we get closer, it'll definitely surprise you!"
After walking a little further, Xu Yuehuai could no longer believe the sight before her; many people were pointing and whispering about the group in front of her.
"Hey, Lao Zhang, why is that person covering their head with silk? Aren't they afraid of getting heat rash in this sweltering heat?" Old Wang, the fishmonger, shouted at Old Zhang, the pork vendor across the street.
"Old Wang, you're short on brains because you're short on hair. I've heard that this is a custom from our neighboring country, the Moon Kingdom. Apparently, only noble people can wear headscarves," Old Zhang teased.
"Really? Well then I'll cover my head too, I'm a dignified fishmonger too." Old Wang chuckled, touching the few hairs on his head.
"You'd better stop now, or someone might hear you and kill you. Don't forget, our two countries are at war." Old Zhang was also amused and burst into laughter.
Xu Yuehuai and his group also heard the two men's joke and laughed so hard they almost died.
However, Xu Yuehuai did not laugh.
She keenly sensed the business opportunity. People around her were talking about these foreigners. If she invited them to dine at her restaurant, the city's residents would have something to say: "The foreigners who dined at Tianxiang Restaurant before. It's like free publicity!"
In this way, their business can reach new heights.
Xu Yuehuai made up her mind, called the group to her, and was about to speak when Zhao Ping interrupted her.
Zhao Ping laughed heartily and said, "How about it, Manager Xu? Aren't you particularly impressed with my eyesight now? You didn't believe me just now, but I'm not bragging, my eyesight... oh dear!"
Before Zhao Ping could finish speaking, Xu Yuehuai gave him a 'potsticker' (a type of slap on the wrist).
"I don't know about your eyes, but you're really good at talking nonsense!" she scolded, glaring at him.
Zhao Ping scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.
Xu Yuehuai clapped his hands to gather everyone together and said, "Everyone, we have to do our best to welcome these people to our restaurant for a meal. Everyone has to show off their best skills and make sure they eat and drink well."
Zhao Ping asked, puzzled, "Manager Xu, what do you mean by this?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, wondering what Xu Yuehuai was up to.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him and waiting for his answer, and that no one was going to move, Xu Yuehuai was really at his wit's end. He rolled his eyes and shouted loudly, "As for the reason, I'll tell you later. Whoever can keep these guests and make them remember our restaurant, I'll reward them with five qian of silver!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ping dashed out in a flash, and the others, after a moment's reaction, also rushed out shouting and yelling. Xu Yuehuai, rubbing her throbbing temples behind them, thought to herself: "Indeed, money is the primary productive force."
Zhao Ping ran the fastest and darted over to the group, saying, "Five coins of silver, ah, ah, five distinguished guests, is this your first time here? Are you hungry? Here, please take a look," Zhao Ping pointed to the Tianxiang Restaurant signboard and continued, "Tianxiang Restaurant, we have everything you've eaten here and everything you haven't eaten here."
The leader was initially startled by Zhao Ping, but upon hearing the last sentence, he became quite curious. He whispered something to the people behind him and nodded, saying, "Then you lead the way, and we'll go try it. But let's make it clear first, if it's not good, we won't pay!"
"Then you'll have to spend money today," Zhao Ping replied with a beaming smile.
Before long, the group was seated in Tianxiang Restaurant, and one delicious dish after another was served, including the crayfish that Xu Yuehuai had prepared that day.
The leader, looking at the crayfish with a furrowed brow, said, "Friend, are you kidding me? Can you really eat something like this?"
Zhao Ping replied with a puzzled look, "Why can't this be eaten? It's really delicious."
"Ahem, young man, this thing is called 'mud fly' where we're from. They especially like to burrow in the mud. Since they burrow, they must eat mud. How do they eat this kind of thing?" the leader explained to Zhao Ping.
"That's called prejudice. Does liking to dig holes in the mud mean it will eat the mud? I've never seen a mouse eat the wall when it digs a hole in it," Zhao Ping replied quickly.
One sentence made everyone at the table laugh.
Seeing that the atmosphere had eased a lot, Zhao Ping quickly pressed on and said, "Let me teach you how to eat this thing. Don't eat the head, don't eat the tail, and don't eat the shell. Break off the head, then peel off the shell, and then squeeze it like this. See? See? You eat this white meat. Try it."
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