Her gaze was exceptionally firm and bright as she looked at him.
Just like when they first met, Jiang Yu was deeply moved and her grip on Qi Nuan's hand tightened slightly.
The sun hangs high in the sky, its light so warm.
The two looked at each other and smiled. At this moment, more and more people were on the street, and vendors were hawking their goods.
"Lamb skewers, fragrant and delicious lamb skewers..."
"Selling steamed buns! Freshly baked big meat buns, only three coins..."
...
Qi Nuan's stomach rumbled at just the right moment.
"Are you hungry? I'll take you to eat something delicious."
Qi Nuan nodded. She woke up this morning and found Xiangxiang was not there, so she rushed out and hasn't eaten anything yet!
Jiang Yu led her through the crowd and into a small alley. After walking about fifty meters, they came across a noodle shop with a sign that read "Guanwai Lamb" in large characters. The characters were a bit faded and looked quite old.
The two arrived at the shop, which was not crowded. They casually found an empty table and sat down. A boy of about half a year came to greet them.
"Oh, young master, what would you like to eat today?"
Upon seeing Qi Nuan standing to the side, he greeted her respectfully, "Hello, Miss, what would you like to eat?"
"Two bowls of noodles, and two roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers)."
Jiang Yu ordered directly.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
After the waiter left, Qi Nuan asked, "Does A Yu come here often?"
"He doesn't come often, maybe once or twice a week, but that kid is clever."
Really? Qi Nuan looked at him with some curiosity, but the waiter had already gone into the kitchen. Jiang Yu wasn't one to praise people much, so she wanted to see how this waiter had won Jiang Yu's favor.
Soon, the waiter came out with a tray in his hand, on which were several roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers).
The waiter distributed it to the customers one by one.
"Please enjoy your meal, sir."
The waiter looked to be no more than twelve or thirteen years old, and he was quite handsome.
"Try it, it tastes pretty good."
Jiang Yu picked up a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and gave it to Qi Nuan, then ate her own portion.
Qi Nuan took a bite, and it tasted really good. She didn't know what spices were added, but it had a faint grassy aroma. The meat was tender but not greasy, and the bread was crispy but not crunchy. They were just right to eat together.
She could tell that it was probably a husband-and-wife shop, and the waiter was the owner's child.
The waiter greeted customers with a smile, a clear voice, and seemed exceptionally energetic.
Are you from outside the Great Wall?
Qi Nuan asked the younger brother.
“My father is from outside the Great Wall, and my mother is from Shangjun. This is my father’s cooking. Isn’t it delicious? Our family’s shop has been open for more than ten years. It’s been open since I was born. It’s older than me.”
"Our shop is a long-established brand; people from all over the surrounding area come here to eat..."
The second brother looked proud when he talked about his family, and it was clear that his family was indeed very happy.
Upon hearing the waiter's words, the other customers in the shop echoed, "Yes, your noodles are delicious and have an authentic flavor."
"That's right, I'm going to inherit my father's skills in the future, and it will become a century-old brand."
Everyone smiled kindly.
The guest joked, "Your mother told you to study hard so you could pass the imperial examinations and become a high-ranking official. Wouldn't that be wonderful? This job is very tiring."
"Being an official is tiring everywhere. Everyone is tired in their own way. An official has to manage the food supply of many people. I also manage the food supply of many people in my job. An official may not be able to ensure that the people under his jurisdiction are fed, but I can ensure that the people who come to my restaurant are fed."
That's a good point, but something seems off.
"They paid for it, so you dare not let them have a full meal?"
"Officials also take money from the people."
The waiter disagreed.
"Haha, this young man is right. Since the people pay taxes, the officials should naturally do their jobs well."
A gruff voice came from outside the door. Everyone turned around and saw a middle-aged man walking in, followed by a young man.
Qi Nuan was puzzled. Why did this person look so familiar? The middle-aged man sat down at their table as soon as he came in.
Qi Nuan then remembered that this man was the middle-aged man they had met on their way to Shangjun. He seemed to have claimed to be the Fu family's butler.
After the visitors sat down, Jiang Yu addressed the two men, saying, "Lord Fu, Young Master Fu."
The middle-aged man looked at Jiang Yu, then addressed him as "Young Master," before turning to Qi Nuan and saying, "Young friend, it's been a long time."
Qi Nuan smiled and said, "Uncle, it's been a long time. What a coincidence!"
Seeing that the group had stopped, the waiter finally had a chance to ask, "What would you gentlemen like to eat?"
Lord Fu's attention returned to the waiter. He looked him up and down, patted him on the shoulder, and praised, "Not bad, young man, you're quite good and very strong."
The young man said helplessly, "Father."
Lord Fu glared at his own brat before gently telling the waiter, "Just make it the same as theirs."
"Okay."
The waiter agreed and went to the kitchen.
Seeing the girl's expression, Lord Fu knew that Jiang Yu hadn't told her her identity, but he didn't mind. In fact, it was better this way; he liked things to be down-to-earth.
The reason Jiang Yu didn't say anything was simply because she felt it was an unimportant matter and there was no need to talk about it.
Seeing the two of them, he also mentioned it to Qi Nuan.
"This is Lord Fu, and this is Young Master Fu. Both Young Master Fu and Young Master Fu are currently helping me with my affairs, so you will see them often in the future. Lord Fu's family is from the capital, and Lord Fu is a learned man."
He didn't say anything else, firstly because there were too many people around, and secondly because there was no need to tell Qi Nuan anything else.
As for their past identities, they are no longer relevant to Qi Nuan.
This one sentence reveals a lot.
Upon hearing this, the young man paid special attention to Qi Nuan. Jiang Yu usually spoke very little and always had a cold face. Although she didn't show any expression at this moment, she seemed much gentler.
Frequently seen?
What does this mean? The young man pondered the meaning behind Jiang Yu's words. Although he knew that Jiang Yu had grown up with a group of children and it was normal for them to be closer than others, the girl in front of him should be the youngest child among them.
It seems that Jiang Yu values her highly, but she is just a woman, so how could they see each other often?
Looking at his eldest son, who was in a daze, Lord Fu felt a surge of anger. He thought his son had become stupid from studying too much. He often took him on trips to the countryside and taught him from time to time, so why was he so rigid?
Lord Fu couldn't understand it at all.
"Sir, your noodles are ready."
Lord Fu noticed his father's expression. He reluctantly took the waiter's plate and served the noodles to the group one by one.
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