Xu Meng went as ordered. It was not yet dark, and there was still someone in the shop, a woman with her hair styled in a woman's bun.
"Are you the shop owner, madam?" Xu Meng asked, cupping his hands in greeting.
"I'm not the owner, I'm just a helper. Does the guest want to eat?" Lin Moniang was wiping the table and sweeping the floor, doing the final cleaning. "Unfortunately, we've sold out of food for today. We only have one braised chicken and one colorful noodle dish left. Would the guest like them?"
Lin Moniang spoke in a gentle and soft voice, which momentarily stunned Xu Meng, who was used to seeing soldiers in the barracks.
At this time, only Lin Moniang was left in the shop. Old Mrs. Chen and He Liu were old and pregnant, respectively, so Lin Moniang insisted that they go home as soon as possible, while she stayed behind to clean up the mess.
Seeing that Xu Meng did not react, Lin Moniang assumed that Xu Meng was unwilling, so she quickly added, "There's really nothing left to eat in the shop today. Please don't be angry, guest. Come back another day and we'll make sure you're satisfied."
Xu Meng then came to his senses, his face slightly flushed, but fortunately, his face had been tanned a healthy wheat color over the years, so the blush on his cheeks was not noticeable: "Oh, I'm not angry. Then... then I'll trouble you, madam, to pack up all the food you mentioned. As usual, I'll pay a deposit for the cutlery and food containers, and return them to your shop another day."
"Alright, please wait a moment, sir."
Lin Moniang went to the kitchen to pack food. Xu Meng looked around the shop and saw that it had been cleaned spotlessly. Feeling embarrassed to disturb it, Xu Meng just stood there without moving.
It was getting dark, and the docks were becoming less crowded. Gu Jingheng and Lian Ying were getting bored waiting outside the shop. They guessed that Xu Meng must have bought food, otherwise he would have come out much earlier.
Sure enough, after a while, Xu Meng came out carrying a food box.
"Young master, there's not much food left in the shop. We only have one bowl of noodles and one serving of chicken."
"Well, at least we can finally eat at this restaurant. It's really not easy to get a meal here." Gu Jingheng chuckled twice, and the three of them continued walking back.
Gu Jingheng had lied to the Qiu and Sun families when he told them he had a place to stay in Yongning City; they had found an inn to rest at that time.
That evening, the three of them had takeout from Su Ji Food Shop, as well as wontons, rice soup, and sesame seed cakes from a night market stall.
They gathered together and made a large table.
Gu Jingheng looked at the food packaged from Su Ji Food Shop, and it felt very different from other food.
"This is braised chicken?"
"yes."
Gu Jingheng picked up a piece: "I've never seen this cooking method or taste before." After taking a bite, he said, "This chicken is very tender, without any fishy or gamey smell. It's very smooth and tender, and the flavors of the chicken and mushrooms blend together beautifully. It's very fragrant and goes well with rice!"
Lian Yingtong and Xu Meng were surprised: "Such a high evaluation? Is this still the same general who never cared about food?"
"These colored noodles are quite unusual. They have a faint vegetable smell, but I wonder what the shop owner used to dye them."
"Ah!? It can't be dye, can it?!" Xu Meng exclaimed in surprise.
“Not at all. Dyes are worthless; nobody would use them for cooking. Back in Beidu, I heard that the imperial chefs used to extract juice from food to make noodles of different colors. But that method was indeed a closely guarded secret. I never expected to find colored noodles at the small dock in Yongning City.” Gu Jingheng seemed very interested.
Gu Jingheng took a bite first. The noodles were brought back after they were made, and they had been there for quite some time and had clumped together. However, after mixing them with the toppings provided by the restaurant, they were quickly separated. This last serving of colorful noodles not only had a generous amount of soup, but also a lot of toppings, including spicy eggplant cubes, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a lot of shredded cucumber and carrot. The texture and flavor were rich and varied.
"Not bad, very appetizing," Gu Jingheng praised.
Lian Yingtong and Xu Meng: "Has the general been replaced today? We've never heard him criticize anything before."
“Yingtong, you don’t need to get up early tomorrow, and you don’t need to wake me. When you have time, go and look at houses. We’ll rent a courtyard to live in.”
"Yes, young master."
The three chatted and ate, gradually losing the distinction between superior and subordinate, and the meal became quite comfortable and relaxed.
The next day, Lian Yingtong and Xu Meng slept until dawn before slowly getting up and going out to find food and drink. They also contacted a broker to find a house. They eventually rented a courtyard house. Although it was not large, it was in a good location, making it convenient to go out for meals and transportation.
***
When Sun Wanqing came to find Su Yun'er, Su Yun'er was collecting eggs in the chicken coop.
"Oh! You're back!"
Su Yun'er was overjoyed to see Sun Wanqing.
Sun Wanqing left after the New Year, and the two haven't seen each other for almost six months.
"I just got back yesterday, and I came to see you as soon as I got back. Aren't you touched?" Sun Wanqing's face was all smiles, with a hint of pride and a touch of anticipation.
"I'm so touched! Let's have lunch here, I'll kill a chicken for you!"
As she spoke, Su Yun'er reached for the chicken!
"No need to trouble yourself!" Sun Wanqing quickly stopped her. "I came back by boat and I'm still feeling unwell. I have no appetite. Let your chickens live a few more days!"
"Alright, I'll make you something light and refreshing today, as a token of my gratitude that you didn't eat it!"
"Ugh, you're so irresponsible!" Sun Wanqing smiled knowing that Su Yun'er was teasing her.
"Oh, by the way, I brought you back a lot of fruit, I bet you've never seen anything like it before." Sun Wanqing revealed a hint of smugness. "Xia Zhi, have someone move it in."
"What kind of fruit is it?" Su Yun'er asked with great anticipation.
After arriving in this era of scarcity, she rarely ate fruit. Although she could grow fruit in the game space, she still needed to upgrade to unlock more types of fruit.
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