novelraw Chapter 307 Eating melons in a small tavern
Chapter 307 Eating melons in a small tavern
In the afternoon, the cold wind howled through Beijing in the twelfth lunar month, and the snow on the streets was frozen solid. Lin Yan carried Xiao Qi as they walked along Dongxinglong Street. Passersby were all bundled up in thick cotton-padded coats, but he alone wore a woolen overcoat, and his 1.9-meter height attracted the attention of many passersby.
Little Qi nestled in his arms, her fluffy white fur perfectly intact in the cold wind, her golden eyes curiously surveying the street scene.
"Candied hawthorns—" The old vendor's shouts at the entrance of Qianmen Street were particularly loud in the cold air.
Lin Yan went over and ordered a skewer. The vendor kindly reminded him, "Young man, it's cold outside. You should go home quickly after you buy it."
"It's alright." Lin Yan smiled, took the candied hawthorn and handed it to Xiao Qi.
The little guy immediately grabbed it with his paws and happily started munching on it. The sugar shell was frozen extra brittle in the cold, and it crunched as it ate, leaving sugar crumbs all over its mouth.
"Isn't the candied hawthorn your sister Yuling makes with spirit fruit and honey more delicious than this mortal stuff?" Lin Yan reached out and wiped the sugar stains off its nose. "But every time you come here, you act like you've found some kind of treasure."
While intently munching on a hawthorn, Xiao Qi transmitted a soft, sweet thought to her through divine sense: "That's different, brother."
It raised its head, its eyes shining brightly in the winter sunlight: "Only here, you specially brought me out to buy this for me."
A cold wind blew, stirring up the snow on the ground. He looked into Xiaoqi's bright eyes and gently rubbed its fluffy head.
"Silly boy."
Xiaoqi rubbed against his palm and continued to concentrate on eating the candied hawthorn.
Lin Yan turned into the alley and paused briefly. Under the cover of his coat, he conjured a bulging cloth bag out of thin air, then slowly turned and walked towards the tavern.
The cotton curtain was lifted, and the familiar warmth mixed with the aroma of wine wafted out. Five years had passed, and this little tavern seemed to have been forgotten by time; even the grain of the wooden table was exactly the same as in her memory. Xu Hui was really engrossed in fiddling with the abacus when she heard the noise. She looked up, her gaze lingering on Lin Yan's face for two seconds, before suddenly exclaiming "Oh dear!" and emerging from behind the counter.
"Brother Lin? It really is you!" She hurried forward, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes as she smiled. "You've been out of touch for years, where have you been making your fortune?"
"Boss lady, how have you been?" Lin Yan smiled and patted Xiao Qi in his arms. "Come on, say hello to Aunt Xu."
The snow-white puppy immediately perked up its ears, its fluffy tail wagging lightly in her arms. Xu Huizhen reached out and ruffled Xiao Qi's hair, leading them to their usual spot: "This table by the wall is quieter. Please sit down, I'll have the kitchen cut a plate of braised beef."
As soon as Lin Yan sat down, Xu Huizhen quickly brought over a chair and then carefully wiped the already clean tabletop again with a hot cloth. After settling in, she beckoned to the kitchen and whispered instructions to Cai Quanwu, who was wearing an apron:
"Quick, go to Uncle Niu's house. Tell him—" She winked at Lin Yan, a smile playing on her lips, "Little God of Wealth, Brother Lin is back."
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the cotton curtain was lifted, and a sprightly old man entered, bringing with him a chill. Old Man Niu was still wearing his faded blue cotton robe, his cheeks flushed red from the cold wind, but his eyes shone brightly. He walked straight to the wall and gently placed his large hand on Lin Yan's shoulder:
"Brother Lin!" The voice was so loud it seemed to shake the dust off the beams. "I've missed you terribly these past years!"
Without waiting for a greeting, he casually took a seat, the hem of his cotton robe catching the breeze. Lin Yan smiled and poured him tea: "Uncle Niu, how have you been?"
Little Qi, who was gnawing on braised beef, looked up at the sound, waved its oily paws at Niu Ye, and then buried its head in its food to continue eating heartily.
"I've saved something good for you." Lin Yan took a celadon wine bottle from his cloth bag and pushed it towards you. "I've been waiting for you here."
Old Niu's eyes lit up instantly. He took the bottle and carefully filled two bowls. He picked up the rough porcelain bowl, took a deep breath of the aroma, tilted his head back, and drank half a bowl, exhaling a satisfied puff of white breath: "Delicious! This is the taste!"
"Brother Niu, I have fine wine, do you have a story to tell?"
Old Niu almost spat out the half-mouthed liquor he'd just downed. He wiped the liquor stains from his beard, his booming laughter making the bowl rattle: "Good lad! I knew you loved this!" He pointed a rough finger at Lin Yan, "Look at you, with that figure, so many girls on the street steal glances at you, yet you act like an old lady squatting under the village locust tree, only interested in listening to gossip!"
He leaned closer, lowering his voice but unable to hide his mischievousness: "Let me give you a heads-up, bro, did you find a wife this time you came back?"
Lin Yan slowly poured Niu Ye's wine, a sly smile appearing in his eyes: "Someone like me, what girl would dare to want me?" He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, "Besides—" he drawled, gesturing with his chin towards the bustling street outside the window, "listening to your storytelling is much more interesting than dating."
Grandpa Niu sipped his wine contentedly, his eyes crinkling with laughter: "If we're talking about something interesting, we have to mention that 'Pigeon Whistle Horror' that happened in our alley. Old Li on the front street keeps a flock of precious pigeons, and that 'Black Cloud Covering Snow' is his absolute darling. But Old Zhang's sweet potato chips in the backyard always get ruined, and the two families have argued about it countless times."
He paused deliberately, then, seeing Lin Yan casually wiping Xiao Qi's mouth, raised his voice: "That day, the Zhang family brat was so angry that he used a slingshot to scare 'Dark Cloud Covering Snow' so badly it wouldn't dare return to its nest for three days! Grandpa Li grabbed a fire poker, ready to fight, insisting that the pigeon was a top-quality breed to be sent for a competition!"
Lin Yan lifted his eyelids slightly: "And then?"
"Director Wang from the neighborhood committee is here to smooth things over!" Old Niu slapped his thigh and mimicked, "'Old Zhang will compensate Old Li with two sweet potatoes, and if Old Li's pigeon wins the championship—Old Zhang gets a pigeon leg!' Listen to that, even the King of Hell would give him a thumbs up!"
Seeing Lin Yan's lips curl into a slight smile, Uncle Niu leaned closer: "There's something even stranger! For half a month straight, there's been a 'flying thief' in Xipailou Alley. One household is losing fish, another is missing meat, and the neighbors all suspect that the newly moved-in, taciturn cook is a spy..."
Lin Yan stroked Xiao Qi's fur and said lazily, "Could it be a cat?"
"You are wise!" Old Niu slammed his hand on the table, making the wine bowl jump. "That stray cat mastered the art of scaling walls and rooftops! Later, the whole alley was staked out and they caught it red-handed. To prove his innocence, the cook made noodles with soybean paste for the neighbors for three days straight." He shook his head and sighed, "Now that cat has a nickname—'Sai Shiqian'!"
"He's quite a promising talent for light-body skills," Lin Yan chuckled, twirling his wine cup. "He's better than many others."............
Lin Yan had been listening to Uncle Niu's endless chatter all afternoon and found it extremely interesting. He straightened up slightly from his previously languid chair, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of his warm wine glass. His gaze swept across the hurried pedestrians outside the window, their brows furrowed with tension, and he softly interrupted Uncle Niu's enthusiastic recounting of his story:
"Uncle Niu, take a break. I was just about to ask you something. Since I came back this time, I've felt like there's a tension in the air around Beijing... like there's a string about to snap. There's also an inexplicable sense of oppression on the streets. What's going on?"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Niu's cheerful smile instantly faded. He glanced around instinctively, then leaned closer to Lin Yan, his voice low and hoarse from smoking:
"Hey! Brother Lin, you have a sharp eye!" He sighed, picked up the pipe on the table, but didn't light it, just irritably clutched it in his hand. "Don't even mention it! It's all because of those officials up there... I don't know what they're thinking all day. Today they're shouting 'cut off the capitalist tail,' tomorrow they're pushing us to write big-character posters, just tormenting us!"
He tapped the table lightly with his pipe, making a dull thud: "A few days ago, those people from the neighborhood committee specifically called Huizhen in for a talk, saying things like we should be careful about the impact, and not just focus on making money and go down the wrong capitalist path... Tell me, we're just a small business, doing honest business, what have we done to deserve this?"
Lin Yan gently patted Niu Ye's hand, a smile playing on his lips: "I just returned to Beijing, and there are still many things I haven't figured out yet. I'll have someone inquire about it when I have some free time these next few days, and I'll explain in detail next time." As he spoke, he gathered up the cloth bag and scooped the licking-paws-like Xiao Qi into his arms.
He walked up to the counter, took out a porcelain bottle from his bag, and slammed it down on the counter.
"Boss lady, this bottle of wine will cover the cost of today's braised beef." As he spoke, Xiao Qi was nuzzling his chin with her head, so he casually scratched the little guy's ear.
Before Xu Huizhen could answer, Old Niu, who had followed behind, stared at the porcelain vase and clicked his tongue, exclaiming, "Wow! Huizhen, you've made a killing on this deal!"
Lin Yan, carrying Xiao Qi, lifted the cotton curtain. As he left, he turned back and winked at Grandpa Niu: "Next time I'll bring you something even more authentic."