"If you don't attend these events, how will you maintain your social connections?" Qiao Hezhi, who was not ignorant of such practical matters, understood Fang Yu's predicament. He added, "Actually, it was also me being petty."
"I know it's because you are worried that you are like this; how can it be called being petty? Given the current social customs, it's impossible to completely avoid going out for banquets and hosting guests, so let me promise you this: I will absolutely never stay out overnight, alright?"
Qiao Hezhi looked at Fang Yu: "Really?"
"A word once spoken cannot be taken back even by a team of four horses."
Qiao Hezhi lowered his gaze. However much anger was in his heart, once his temperament flared up and Fang Yu coaxed him again, even the biggest matter ceased to be an issue.
He moved closer to Fang Yu, then burrowed into his embrace: "You said tomorrow you would take me out to eat, drink, and stroll around. Does that still count?"
Fang Yu looked down at the person buried in his embrace, his eyes also full of heartache and doting. He held Qiao Hezhi's shoulders: "Of course it counts. Wherever you want to go, I will accompany you."
Qiao Hezhi nodded and said: "Then let's rest early, so we can get up early tomorrow. Master... you might as well not return to your room either. It will be cold when you have to get up later."
Fang Yu gave a small, helpless smile. "But I haven't bathed yet."
Qiao Hezhi lowered his gaze and murmured, "Then... will you still come back here afterward?"
"What if I come back here right after I bathe?"
Qiao Hezhi felt happy in his heart. He sat up, put his arms around Fang Yu's neck, pecked him on the lips, and then immediately lay back down on the other side.
Fang Yu, realizing belatedly, touched his lips. He tilted his head to look at Qiao Hezhi hiding on the other side, lowered his eyes, and let out a soft laugh.
"You rest first. I'll go bathe and come over."
The next day, after paying their respects at Changshou Hall, the two went out together. Eager to go out and have fun, Qiao Hezhi hadn't eaten much at Changshou Hall. Once they left the residence, he urged Fang Yu: "There's a noodle stall at the entrance of Qing Lane called Lao Li's breakfast stall. It's been there for many years; when I was a child and went out, I often ate noodles there."
"The noodle broth is made from leg bones, the soup is rich and flavorful, and the wontons and soup dumplings are also delicious. Does Master want to try it?"
Fang Yu was always ready for a good meal. As soon as he heard the suggestion, the two of them set off together to find the stall. Although it was no longer early in the morning, there were still quite a few customers at Lao Li's breakfast stall.
Qiao Hezhi ordered a bowl of soup noodles. In order to try more varieties, Fang Yu ordered wontons, soup dumplings, and fried dough sticks.
He tasted each one, the flavor was truly not bad. Although he had eaten a little at home beforehand, now that his appetite was opened, he again ate like a whirlwind. It was Qiao Hezhi who, after only eating a few bites of his noodles, was then fed two wontons, one soup dumpling, and some fried dough sticks by Fang Yu, and was truly too full to eat more.
"Full?" Fang Yu looked at Qiao Hezhi's noodle bowl: "You haven't even finished it."
Qiao Hezhi blushed slightly: "I really can't eat any more."
Fang Yu directly took the noodle bowl and admonished: "One must not waste food just because the family is well-off."
Qiao Hezhi watched as Fang Yu picked up his chopsticks and, without the slightest hint of self-consciousness, began to eat the noodles he had left behind. He was taken aback by the act, yet he couldn't suppress a smile, pressing his lips together to contain it.
After Fang Yu finished eating, he was in a cheerful mood. He took out a small self-made notebook from his sleeve and started writing and sketching in it with his pen.
"Master, what are you writing?"
"Recording the tasty breakfast foods from this eatery." Fang Yu said as he wrote seriously: "I have also recorded the previously visited Meng Li Yi Huang Liang and Cui Wu's Barbecue Shop. Before, I had to go back before I could record things, but now that Uncle has made this pen, I can record things promptly and carry it with me more easily."
Qiao Hezhi, quite interested, moved around in front of Fang Yu: "May I look?"
Fang Yu put away the pen and gave the notebook to Qiao Hezhi: "Of course."
Noodles are chewy, soup is especially rich and fragrant, wonton filling is large and the meat is fresh, fried dough sticks are crispy and fragrant on the outside, oily... Personally prefer soup dumplings, Xiao Qiao prefers soup noodles...
Besides this, he also recorded how much silver this meal cost in total, the recommended clientele, etc...
Qiao Hezhi gently traced his own nickname with his finger, his eyes full of tenderness: "What is Master recording this for?"
"Good food should not be neglected, nor enjoyed alone. Later, I will compile a booklet. Our family has a tea shop under its management, last time I checked the accounts, I noticed the business wasn't very good. I suppose it's also a bit monotonous. Later, when the compiled booklet is printed and distributed to the tea shop, those who are literate can flip through it to pass the time idly, and also look at food recommendations. Wouldn't that be good?"
The corners of Qiao Hezhi's eyes carried a smile: "Master considers things thoroughly. If you find the tea shop a bit monotonous and dull, when adding the booklets, you could also invite a storyteller to tell tales. That way, those who are illiterate also have a way to pass the time."
"Good."
Fang Yu handed the pen to Qiao Hezhi: "Here, you also write a couple of lines of review."
"But I don't know how to use this pen."
"I'll teach you then. Hold the pen tilted, use a bit of strength." Fang Yu held Qiao Hezhi's hand and wrote two characters. After all, Qiao Hezhi was literate. Although the writing was ugly at first, he could still form characters, which was much easier than teaching a small child to write: "It's fine. Anyway, this is just for us to look at. It's okay if it's ugly, we can recopy it later when we return home."
Qiao Hezhi nodded, wrote a few lines of review, then thought for a moment, gave a sly smile, and finally added one more line: Portions are substantial. Do not order excessively and waste food due to ample funds. Recommend husband and wife share one bowl of soup noodles, the flavor is exquisite and endlessly satisfying~
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