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墨書 Inktalez
Upon reaching the Donkey Cart, Qi Chong lifted Yu Chunmiao onto it and they set off. The Donkey Cart had already gone far when Wu Dayong shouted, "I live at the Ancient Mulberry Alley on South Bridge Street in Qingstone County. There's a well at my doorstep—come by for a drink sometime, young man!"
The Donkey Cart sped up. Wu Dayong sighed, lamenting the talent that he could not follow due to pressing matters.
At that moment, a servant approached, adjusting his belt. "Sir, who were you speaking to?"
"Such talent," Wu Dayong muttered, still watching the Donkey Cart disappear from view.
The servant replied, "It's just a short half-hour to Beishan Village from here."
Wu Dayong grunted in response and said irritably, "Damn it, I can't get the talent or the beautiful girl. Why send me to that godforsaken place to invite Old Immortal? Just hoping he doesn't die on me."
The Donkey Cart continued for quite a while. Yu Chunmiao peeked her head out to look back and, seeing no one following them, finally relaxed.
She patted her chest and said, "You scared me! If you hadn't come, I might have been in real trouble."
Qi Chong gently squeezed her hand and reassured her, "I won't let anyone bully you."
Yu Chunmiao wrapped her arms around his arm and said remorsefully, "It's all my fault. Now that I'm married, I can't even style my hair like a proper woman."
"It's not your fault," Qi Chong interrupted her. "Qing Niangzi can style her hair however she likes; even at one year old, she could wear braids."
This earned him a passionate kiss.
By the time they reached the county town, it was nearly noon. The two of them entrusted the Donkey Cart to Xian Ke Lai's staff and found a small stall to eat some noodles.
If they went directly to Lu Residence now, they would surely be pulled into another meal by Lu Ziyan.
After their meal, they headed to Lu Residence. Lu Ziyan had just managed to soothe his wife to sleep and came out holding a fan.
He was about to bow when he tossed the fan aside and pulled out a folding fan from his waist.
"Brother Lu, no need for such formalities," Qi Chong said, feeling awkward.
"Alright!" Lu Ziyan gestured for them to sit down and chat.
The weather was hot; as soon as they sat down, a servant brought in some ice-chilled Xian Cao Mi.
Yu Chunmiao shook her straw hat and said, "Lu Boss, I’d like to check out the kitchen at the tea house. Is that alright?"
Lu Ziyan nodded while enjoying his Xian Cao Mi.
Yu Chunmiao said, "It's already August. In two months, the weather will turn cool. By then, Xian Cao Mi won't sell as well. I want to see if I can come up with something else that will sell in winter."
Lu Ziyan gave a thumbs up and said, "Lady Qi is insightful. Come on, let me show you around properly."
When the three arrived at Xian Ke Lai, there were still no customers; only five or six tables were occupied. Yu Chunmiao glanced around and noticed that each table had a bowl of Xian Cao Mi in front of them, not much larger than a tea cup, and all were empty.
Lu Ziyan sighed in frustration, "It's not enough to sell; each person is limited to one bowl. Aside from a few officials, we’re not doing takeout anymore."
In the back kitchen, a large wooden trough filled with ice held bowls of Xian Cao Mi that had already been prepared. On a long table nearby were several jars of honey and some dry ingredients waiting to be added.
In the dessert kitchen, Yu Chunmiao carefully examined each ingredient, hoping to find inspiration among them. Lu Ziyan had someone bring over the menu for her to compare.
Rice flour, glutinous rice flour, wheat flour, sugar—everything was available. But looking at the menu, she realized that not only could she not create anything new, but even the items listed were beyond her current capabilities.
Her expression of disappointment caught Qi Chong's attention. He stepped forward and whispered, "It's okay; the money from selling Xian Cao Mi is enough for us to live comfortably for several years."
Yu Chunmiao understood that well enough, but she wanted to leave that cold village behind. Living day by day with constant worry was more than she could bear.
At that moment, a worker rushed into the back kitchen and approached Lu Ziyan anxiously. "Boss, those people are back again; they're lying at the entrance and won't move. Customers will be arriving soon; what should we do?"
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