The stalls are back
Meng Yan and Chu Ming strolled hand in hand through the market, both wearing similar long cloaks with hoods covering their heads, keeping out the cold wind. After a few steps, they were sweating slightly.
Meng Yan was hiding under the bird-patterned cloak. She didn't come to the market often, and this was her first time at the temple fair in recent years. So she let Chu Ming pull her around the stalls.
A flower and a bird, two red cloaks swirling dazzlingly in the snow, made onlookers vaguely see a girl who was afraid of the cold hiding inside. Only the people of Peace Valley brushed past them, knowing that inside lived a girl who could lift a person up with one hand.
"Girl, your cloak is quite nice. You're not shivering, so it must be very warm. Where did you buy it?" The woman selling jewelry rubbed her hands together and breathed on them to warm them. When she saw Chu Ming stop in front of her stall, she quickly pulled her aside and asked.
“I cut it myself.” She pulled open a slit in the cloak and handed it to the woman, letting her feel the fabric. Seeing that the woman had touched it several times with satisfaction, she casually said, “If you want it, you can leave a list at the wooden house at the river mouth. This fabric is not available locally, so I have to go to another place to buy it. I need to collect the money first so that I can travel this long distance in the dead of winter. I'm sure you can understand that you are coming all the way here to hold the market.”
The woman, knowing the hardships of winter, nodded to her: "Let me see how the harvest is these days. If I can make up for the shortfall, I'll go and leave the order. But my home is far from here, and it will take you time to measure and tailor the clothes. With all that back and forth, winter will be over, won't it? We'll have spent the money, and the clothes won't even last a few days. How about giving me, a person from afar, a cheap price? I can even give you a heads-up when I get back and help you find customers."
Chu Ming smiled gently and replied softly, "You don't need to worry about the time. The sisters in our group are working together to finish it. Once it's done, someone will deliver it to your home, and you can wear it before the New Year."
The woman smiled and agreed, then asked about the safety of the money, worried that she might run away with it.
"You don't need to worry about that." Chu Ming took out a stone tablet and handed it to her. One side of the tablet was engraved with "Peace Valley" and the other side was engraved with her name. "Peace Valley values reputation the most. You can ask around during this temple fair. There are many trades in the valley. We tailors are just a small, insignificant branch. We won't tarnish the reputation of the whole valley for a little money."
When the woman asked a question, Chu Ming answered. After several unsuccessful attempts to negotiate the price, she had listened to the advertisements from the other side of the street for nothing. After saying goodbye to the two girls, she was still thinking about Ping An Valley. It seemed somewhat familiar, but the heavy snow had made her remember it a little less clearly.
"Why are you going out to play, and then trying to find work halfway through?" Meng Yan, who was suffering from the pressure of rushing to finish his work, was puzzled.
Chu Ming used her hand to warm herself up as she said, "In our line of work, we have to cater to our customers, Sister Yan. If we don't actively seek out business, we'll just have to rely on your government offices for meals."
Meng Yan turned her hands over and warmed them, palms and backs, until they were almost as warm as his own before letting go. "We only started eating this year. In the past, we relied on everyone to help us. Don't rush or overwork yourselves. Your health is important. The valley has been feeding us freeloaders for so long. We don't need your extra mouths. Besides, we're here to support us now. We're family, so there's no need to be so calculating. Just eat in peace."
"Yes, yes, Sister Yan is right." Chu Ming covered her hat with her hat and then gently rubbed her nose.
.
The festive atmosphere was great, but the two of them had nothing to lose, and after going around the area, they were still empty-handed, and their stomachs were empty too.
A small mutton soup shop is perfectly situated on a corner, its rich aroma mingling with the snow and mist, elevating the deliciousness to a whole new level.
Meng Yan tugged at Chu Ming's hand: "Let's eat, it's on me."
After the other person nodded, she pulled the person next to her into the stall and found a sheltered spot to sit down.
"Boss, two bowls of mutton soup, one without scallions and chili."
"Alright, please wait a moment, young ladies. There's only one bowl left in this pot. I'll serve that young master first, and the next pot will be for you two."
Chu Ming agreed and sat at the corner of the table with Meng Yan, chatting and laughing.
Although the two looked at it as lively, only Chu Ming occasionally laughed out loud, making it seem somewhat deserted.
While the shop owner was simmering the soup, he was bored and wanted to find someone to talk to. Not wanting to disturb the two young ladies, he could only chat with the young man opposite him.
"What do you think of our soup, young master?"
The man lowered his head, took a bite of the pancake, swallowed it with the hot soup, let out a long sigh, gave a thumbs up, and said, "It has a perfect color, aroma, and taste; it must have been aged for decades."
"Young master has a discerning eye! This secret recipe has been in my hands for over twenty-five years. I suppose you must be an expert to be able to guess the exact time it takes for me to make the soup."
"I don't deserve it." The man waved his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, mumbling, "It's all thanks to your excellent cooking. Without your ability, even twenty-five years wouldn't have been enough!"
Meng Yan was initially busy whispering with Chu Ming, and just as he finished talking and shook off his hood, he heard that familiar voice coming from behind the pot.
"What do you think of our cakes, young master?"
The person being asked seemed to be struggling to make a decision; the chopsticks in their hand unconsciously stopped and remained on the rim of the bowl for a long time without being moved.
"No...it's not that bad, is it?" The owner suddenly felt a little insecure after being silenced by him.
"No, not at all, it's delicious," he said sincerely, looking up at the owner with certainty.
The boss only saw something shining in front of him, glanced at the pot, scratched his head, and wondered why it wasn't on fire.
"Why hasn't the young master said anything for so long?"
Yue Lang thought for a moment and came up with a good-natured reason: "I accidentally choked just now, I'm sorry to have startled you."
"Oh, it's my fault for the cake! Here, let me add a spoonful of soup for you, young master."
The boss turned sideways and poured the soup into Yue Lang's bowl with a spoon. Chu Ming gently tugged at Meng Yan's sleeve and whispered, "So we didn't even get to drink the first sip of the next pot."
Meng Yan patted her head and winked at her, gesturing, "Then we won't have to pay for this meal."
Chu Ming quickly stopped her: "I was just saying it casually, Sister Yan Yan. Don't get really angry. You always teach me to keep a calm mindset, but why don't you take it seriously when it comes to yourself?"
"I know this very well," Meng Yan said with a smile, getting up and walking towards the boss.
Knowing she wouldn't do anything reckless, but fearing she might suffer, Chu Ming followed behind her, ready to help at any time.
But Meng Yan bypassed the boss and walked straight to the young master who kept talking to him, knocking on his desk.
Although Sister Yan doesn't like noise, she wouldn't rush up and rob someone just because they said a few words, would she? Chu Ming stood at a distance, intending to intervene if things got out of hand.
"Huh? Who is it?" Yue Lang was slurping soup from his bowl when he heard the noise. He looked up and his expression instantly brightened. "Yan Yan! What are you doing here?"
Meng Yan looked at him with a complicated expression, then increased the amplitude of her movements to look at the soup in his bowl.
"Oh!" Yue Lang seemed to understand. "We've come to eat. Have a seat. The soup here is pretty good!"
The owner noticed that the two girls had switched places and were hesitating, holding two bowls of soup, unsure where to put them.
"Just place it next to the girl who is traveling with her."
The decision sounded like it was made by the young lady nearby, but the words came from the young man's mouth. Seeing the young lady nod, the shopkeeper no longer hesitated and placed two bowls of hot soup in front of Chu Ming.
"So you were just strolling around with your junior sister. I was wondering why you had the time to come to the bustling city."
Yue Lang picked up the bowl and moved to sit down next to the two bowls of hot soup, leaving an empty seat for Meng Yan. He moved slightly to the side to maintain a comfortable distance.
After she sat down between the two, Chu Ming whispered to her, "Sister Yan Yan, who is this?"
Meng Yan didn't mince words: "What a sucker."
Yue Lang glanced at her reply and chuckled softly, but did not refute it.
"You two seem to have a pretty good relationship."
"It's not just average," Meng Yan said, scooping up two spoonfuls of soup before putting down the bowl and adding, "It's really good."
Yue Lang suddenly spoke up: "You mean soup? People with similar thoughts think alike, I wasn't lying to you!"
Chu Ming choked a little and coughed, covering her mouth and nose. Meng Yan remained unmoved, cooling the soup, and patted her back with his left hand before tilting his head back and drinking it all down without spilling a drop.
"Be careful, it's hot, junior sister." Although Yue Lang didn't look directly at her, he was fully aware of the situation. He didn't bother to remind her and continued drinking his soup.
Thanks to the spoonful the boss gave him, Yue Lang scraped the bottom of the bowl dozens of times until Meng Yan and her junior sister finally finished their meal.
"Yan Yan made a special effort to acknowledge me, could it be that she wants to treat me to this meal?" Yue Lang said, resting his chin on his hand and trying to appear innocent.
Meng Yan ruthlessly exposed him: "You drank from an empty bowl for so long just to get a meal fee from me."
"Of course," Yue Lang said, but then turned around and paid for the meal for the three of them.
Chu Ming straightened her clothes and stood up, about to stretch her legs a bit to relieve the numbness, when she saw Yue Lang also stand up and naturally extend his hand to Meng Yan. Meng Yan naturally took the hand and used it to steady himself.
Chu Ming's eyes suddenly widened, and she suddenly began to stare at the stars in the bright daylight, holding her head up and refusing to look away.
"Junior sister, you've already run a few steps ahead."
"Oh, here it comes."
This meal felt like a dream... No, even in a dream, Sister Yan shouldn't be like this...
Lost in thought, Chu Ming was pulled along by Meng Yan, but not knowing where to go, she wandered around with Yue Lang.
"Senior Sister Yan, Senior Sister Chu!" the junior sister called out to them from the next street corner.
Yue Lang and Meng Yan turned around upon hearing the sound and saw Chu Ming standing there in a daze. They asked her if she was alright and if she needed to go back to the valley.
Chu Ming shook her head and then nodded: "I'll go back with my junior sister first. Sister Yan Yan... remember to go home too!"
The two abandoned people looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion.
"Your junior sister has...run away, are you still going shopping?"
"And you?"
"I'm fine with anything, it depends on your mood."
"Then you lead the way."
Yue Lang wanted to turn around and grab her hand, but when he turned around, he bumped into the tightly wrapped cloak, and his hand, which was halfway out, spun around and withdrew.
"Well, it's about absorbing air to improve blood circulation," he explained haphazardly.
Meng Yan reached her hand out of her cloak, as if imitating him grasping at the air, or perhaps calling his name. After a few moments of blood circulation improvement, she stretched her free hand toward Yue Lang and blinked.
Yue Lang was too lazy to make up any more reasons. He opened his hand and held her tightly. Their hands, one hot and one cold, touched each other, and both of them trembled slightly, but neither of them thought of letting go.
"Let's go."
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