In the early afternoon of May, Hong Xiaoduo and her group arrived at Xihai City, located in the south.
The map indicated that the destination, the seaside, was still more than 200 li away.
After entering the city, Hong Xiaoduo and the other children in the carriage talked about going shopping after they were settled and had lunch.
Outside the carriage, Quan Jinghuai led his horse alongside the large carriage, watching his eldest disciple skillfully search for an inn.
In such a large city, Tian Shu wouldn't look for an inn on the main street, but rather on the back street, because the prices would be much cheaper.
This has been the case for the past few months. Even if Tian Shu finds a room with a reasonable price and three rooms in a row, he won't immediately decide to stay there. Instead, he will go in and check out the room before deciding whether to stay there or find another place.
When Tian Shu does these things, he doesn't need to consult with his "mother"; he can make decisions on his own.
That's not all. What to eat and where to eat along the way is no longer the concern of that man; Tianxuan is now in charge of everything.
However, Tianxuan would ask everyone what they wanted to eat in advance, and then he would make the arrangements.
The disciples' "mother" seemed to have prematurely entered a life of leisure and comfort, enjoying a life without any worries.
But Quan Jinghuai knew in his heart that she wasn't slacking off and enjoying a life of leisure; she was actually training her seven children.
After seeing through her intentions, Quan Jinghuai kept quiet and cooperated in some matters without taking on any of the tasks himself.
"Master, let's stay here." Tian Shu called out as he came out of the inn.
Tianji got off the carriage, took the reins from her master, and led the horse to the inn's stable.
After Hong Xiaoduo and the other children got off the carriage, they looked up at the Bada Inn. Feiyan, who had gotten off the donkey cart, also came over and helped Yuheng and the others carry their packages into the inn.
They took out their travel permits, registered them, and the waiter led them to their room.
The innkeeper watched the group of attractive guests, both young and old, go up the stairs, then glanced down at the register and saw that they had come here to see the sea.
I've been the manager of this inn for over ten years. I've seen people come from other places to see the sea, but this is the first time I've encountered someone who has traveled this far!
After putting away their luggage in the guest room, they rested for a while and waited for Tian Shu and Tian Xuan to return from the stables before going out to eat together.
Around noon, thinking that we were almost at Xihai City, I ate some pastries in the carriage to fill my stomach.
In just a few months, the seven children have changed so much. They have all grown taller, their faces have become rosy, their black hair has grown thick and long, their features are delicate, and their eyes are bright and sparkling.
With skin as smooth as cream and a face as delicate as peach petals, they resembled seven little fairies who had stepped out of a landscape painting.
Feiyan was already beautiful, and in the two months she spent with Hong Xiaoduo, her body and mind were healed just like the seven children.
Her once haggard face regained its youthful radiance. As a lady from a prominent family, her face was as bright as the moon and her eyes were clear and beautiful. Every smile and frown was like a blooming peach blossom, exuding both grandeur and elegance, as well as delicacy and gentleness.
Quan Jinghuai was physically strong and imposing, exuding the unique elegance and unruliness of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world).
Hong Xiaoduo, dressed in purple, with eyebrows like a crescent moon hanging in the sky, gave people a fresh feeling; her fair and flawless skin was even more dazzling in the sunlight, and although she was petite, she was proud and dignified, showing the confidence, perseverance, boldness and freedom of a young girl.
The sight of three adults and seven children walking on the streets of Xihai City attracted the attention of passersby.
Tian Shu and the others were already used to it, and they strolled around with an air of nonchalance.
"Mother, how about we eat here? It looks spacious and clean," Tianxuan asked, turning around.
Hong Xiaoduo nodded and followed Tianxuan inside.
At this time, there were hardly any customers left in the restaurant. When the owner saw that so many customers had arrived, he personally went up to greet them.
Hong Xiaoduo and the others sat at a large round table, and Tianxuan ordered dishes according to everyone's preferences.
"Wait a minute, shopkeeper, since you're near the sea, do you have any large yellow croakers or anything like that? Give us a couple. And what other seafood do you have to recommend?" Hong Xiaoduo quickly said, remembering something.
We're almost at the beach, why not hurry up and eat some seafood?
The shopkeeper recommended several kinds of sea fish and crab, so Hong Xiaoduo had them cooked.
However, Hong Xiaoduo felt a little disappointed. How come there wasn't much seafood at such a close place as the sea? At this time of year, mantis shrimp should be at their plumpest and most delicious, but there wasn't any?
The shopkeeper actually said he didn't know! Could it be that there were no mantis shrimps in the sea of this dynasty?
Never mind, I'll ask the fishermen when I get to the seaside. Maybe they don't know that it's edible.
The dishes were served quickly. Hong Xiaoduo instructed the children to eat the steamed turbot and the braised yellow croaker, but not the sea bass, which had a lot of bones.
After the waiter brought the crabs up, Hong Xiaoduo was surprised to see that they were swimming crabs. She happily rolled up her sleeves and taught the children how to eat them.
Which parts are edible, and which parts are inedible?
Feiyan and Quan Jinghuai had both eaten this crab before, but they were both stunned by Hong Xiaoduo's skillful movements in dismantling it. Did she eat crab often before? How could she be so skilled?
It was the first time the seven children had ever eaten this stuff, and they were very excited to follow Hong Xiaoduo's instructions to roll up their sleeves and eat the crab. Although it was a bit of a hassle to eat, it was really delicious and incredibly fresh.
"Let's eat first. When we get to the beach, I'll find something even better." Hong Xiaoduo was very happy at the thought of soon arriving at the beach and being able to eat lots of seafood.
She was in a great mood, being able to unlock a mission and eat her favorite seafood.
After lunch, the group began to stroll around the streets. As Quan Jinghuai walked, he saw a whitewashed mark outside the wall at the entrance of the alley. He stopped and said to Hong Xiaoduo, "You guys go ahead and explore. Don't wait for me."
“Okay.” Hong Xiaoduo replied without much thought.
There happened to be a fabric shop by the roadside, and Feiyan couldn't take her eyes off it. Hong Xiaoduo followed her in with a smile.
Feiyan's needlework skills are truly exceptional. Now, all of her and the children's spring clothes are made by Feiyan herself, from the inner bibs to the outer long gowns, cloth socks, and shoes.
Hong Xiaoduo told Fei Yan that she was working too hard, but Fei Yan said she didn't find it hard and enjoyed doing it.
She also said that she was happy to see everyone wearing the clothes she made.
Hong Xiaoduo could only say, "If you like it, then do it. But you absolutely can't stay up late doing needlework at night, or you'll hurt your eyes and it won't be worth it."
Upon entering the shop, Fei Yan's eyes lit up as soon as she saw the fabric. Hong Xiaoduo knew that she was itching to make clothes for everyone again.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter, so let's buy some.
As the two adults and seven children finished selecting their favorite fabrics and were carrying large and small bags back to the inn, they saw Quan Jinghuai also walking back, but his expression was very serious...
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