When Jiang Nian first came here, the surrounding area was overgrown with wasteland, and there was only a large inn standing alone on the side of the road.
There were now small food stalls on either side of the inn, each with three or five tables of people sitting inside. This location was close to the market, so many merchants came and went. Even if they didn't have a meal, they would stop by to refill their tea, so business seemed pretty good.
Jiang Nian drove the mule cart to the tree, then got off the cart and helped Jiang Yue down.
Sui Sui jumped up and down on the shaft of the cart, his hands raised high, eager to get off, "Dad, Dad!"
Jiang Nian grabbed his armpits with both hands and carried him down. He quickly ran to Jiang Yue's side, leaned against her legs, and looked at the people in the food store with his round eyes.
They all look different. Some look like their uncles and aunts, while others have taller noses than their fathers and bigger eyes...
The waiter was still the same as before, but after three years, he could hardly recognize Jiang Nian, who had stayed in the inn for so many days. He greeted them with a smile, "Where are you going, my dear guests? Do you want to stay at our hotel?"
Jiang Nian gave him the reins of the mule cart and said, "Give me a room upstairs and some water. We'll stay here for a day."
"Okay."
Jiang Yue shook her head, dust flying overhead. The three of them cleaned themselves up in the house, shaking off the dust on their bodies. Only then did they feel a lot lighter.
Of course, there was food in the inn, but Jiang Nian and Jiang Yue had complained that it was both unpalatable and expensive.
Under the resentful gaze of the inn waiter, they went to the food shop next door.
The shop owner must have come from a nomadic tribe on the grasslands. He was taller than Jiang Nian, with deep eye sockets and a high nose bridge. He spoke with a slight accent, but was very cheerful and generous. When he saw the customer enter, he came over very enthusiastically.
"What would you like to eat, guests? We have mutton soup, mutton pancakes, and steamed buns."
Sui Sui tugged at Jiang Yue's clothes and said, "Mom, I want to eat that."
It turned out that he had been staring at the roasted lamb leg on another table, and his mouth was almost watering.
The shop owner laughed heartily, "Young Master, it turns out you like to eat big pieces of meat, but you might not be able to chew them."
He also thought that these guests were from the Central Plains and would not like to eat large amounts of meat in the hot weather. Usually, only people like them who mainly eat beef and mutton would not care about the season and would eat meat at every meal to grow taller.
Jiang Yue ordered a bowl of mutton offal noodles for herself, and then ordered five mutton patties, two servings of hand-pulled meat, and a roasted leg of lamb for Jiang Nian and his son.
The shop owner hurriedly stopped him, "Dear sir, our pancakes are very big, and the lamb legs are also big. It's so hot today, you can't leave them for tomorrow."
He pointed at the pancake on the table of the guest next to him, which was bigger than Jiang Yue's face.
Jiang Yue smiled and nodded, "No problem, go ahead, my husband has a big appetite."
The shop owner just gave some advice. Since the customer didn't listen, he would make money. The man was dressed in ordinary clothes, but he was generous. He ordered so much without even asking the price.
"...Does the store have any iced drinks?"
"There's green bean soup that's been boiled in a well."
The mung bean soup was just right for cooling down a person's internal heat, so Jiang Yue ordered another pot. The total cost was over four hundred coins, which the wealthy woman Jiang Yue felt was well worth it.
I have to say that the owner of this restaurant is really generous. The portions are particularly generous, and the mutton they use is also good mutton. The meat is tender and fragrant, with little fishy smell.
Jiang Yue’s mutton offal soup base has a strong meaty aroma, and the hand-rolled noodles are very chewy.
Jiang Yue fed Sui Sui two chopsticks of noodles, and he grabbed a pancake in one hand and a handful of mutton in the other. He took a bite of pancake and then a mouthful of mutton. His unrestrained eating style made him look more like a child from the grassland than the other guests.
The hand-pulled meat is made of tender lamb, and it tastes especially fresh when dipped in the salty and fragrant chive sauce.
Jiang Nian took the roasted lamb leg and brought it to Jiang Yue's mouth first, letting her take a bite, then passed it to his son. Although his teeth were small, his race had an advantage. He swallowed the bread in his mouth, then leaned over and tore off a piece of meat.
"Mom, it's delicious!" Suisui danced with joy.
Jiang Yue was afraid that he would choke. "Eat slowly, don't be in a hurry. Swallow the food in your mouth before talking."
The food seller was happiest when the customers were satisfied with the food, not to mention that these customers were good-looking and generous. The food shop owner came over and talked to them with a smile.
"These guests don't look like passing merchants."
Jiang Yue finished the bowl of noodles and drank the soup. She was full enough and sat down to watch the father and son eat. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "Yes and no. We came to the border town to look for someone and buy some cattle and sheep. I wonder if they still live in the city."
The guests at another table had already eaten and drunk their fill. Upon hearing her words, they came over and said, "We're just here from the border town to buy something. Who are you looking for? Perhaps we know someone."
She looked at Jiang Nian.
Jiang Nian finished the lamb leg in his hand, grabbed another pancake, and thought for a moment, "One was called Saihan, one was called Agudamu, and I don't remember the other one."
One of the guests really knew him. "Although there are many people with the same name, these two often work together. They are good friends..."
He also gave an address, where the two people Jiang Nian mentioned usually stayed when they came to the border town.
Jiang Nian nodded slightly to Jiang Yue. The address they mentioned matched, so it should not be a lie.
Jiang Yue learned the general situation of the border town from them, and both sides agreed to set off together tomorrow.
The border town is vast and sparsely populated. You may not see anyone for four or five days on the road. It is easy to encounter sandstorms in summer and snowstorms in winter. If you encounter bandits who block your way and rob you, you will be helpless.
Generally speaking, only locals who are familiar with the terrain or large caravans with bodyguards dare to go deep into the border town.
The locals are organized into tribes, and bandits don't dare to mess with them easily. Solo merchants are very popular.
Jiang Yue did not refuse their kindness. It was better to have less trouble than more, so as to avoid getting lost.
"Mom, I'm full."
Sui Sui had eaten a portion of hand-pulled mutton and half a leg of lamb, and there was still a small half of the pancake left in her hand. Jiang Yue put the half pancake on Jiang Nian's plate and took out a cloth to wipe his hands and mouth.
"Are you tired of eating so much? Have a bowl of mung bean soup."
Suisui was very happy, with her round belly, drinking the cool soup in small sips.
Jiang Yue also felt that the chefs here were very skilled and the meat was authentic.
The next day, before they left, they came back for another meal.
Jiang Yue also bought thirty mutton patties, four roasted lamb legs, and a pair of roasted lamb chops. The shop owner was so excited that he almost personally escorted them to the border town...
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