Aling curled his lips, took the carriage and went forward, but did not answer at all.
Gao Mingzi exclaimed, "I haven't answered you yet!"
Al-Ling happened to be walking by, turned to look at him, and smiled so hard that his eyes turned into crescent moons, "Your parents never taught you that if you don't want to answer a rude question, you don't have to answer it? Don't embarrass yourself!"
Gao Mingzi's heart was shaken by A Ling's bright smile, and he looked astonished. How could it be... like this?
Asking a girl for her name seems a bit... abrupt and rude?
For a moment, the carriage had already moved forward.
When Gao Mingzi came to his senses, he asked the coachman to drive the carriage into the city gate. The city was bustling with traffic and people, and there was no sign of the carriage in front.
Gao Mingzi had a temper that refused to admit defeat, so he ordered the guards who followed him to disperse and search for the person throughout the city. He had to find the person.
But after searching, no one was found at all.
The personal servant advised: "Sir, we will see you again if we are destined."
"What if there is no chance?" Gao Mingzi asked.
The boy murmured in his heart: If you don't have a chance, don't force it. Even if you have a chance, it won't work. The mistress of the family will not be satisfied with a girl who shows off like this.
…
Song Qiu and the others traveled for three days from Jingshi Town to Pingjiang Fucheng.
As soon as I arrived in Fucheng, I was dazzled by the prosperity here.
So far, they have seen the three major cities: Lizhou City, Jingzhou City, and Qingping City.
But Pingjiang Fucheng is indeed far away from Kyoto, and its prosperity cannot be matched elsewhere.
Entering the city, you can see shops lined both sides of the streets. The bright sunshine in spring shines on the eaves of the pavilions with bright red bricks and green tiles. The houses are lined up in rows, the traffic is busy, and the pedestrians are constantly flowing with contented smiles.
It’s really prosperous everywhere you look.
When the carriages and horses enter the city, they can't go very fast. They stop and go, swaying, and it takes a long time to walk out of a street. At this speed, it is convenient to be able to take in the excitement on both sides in the car.
All the prosperity can be seen.
The whole city is connected in all directions. For the first time, I couldn't tell which road leads to where.
I can't figure out the direction, and I don't know where Xue Mansion is, so I have to find someone to find out.
It's already dinner time, so I'd better find a place to eat first, then find a place to stay, and then I'll pay a visit tomorrow morning.
There is no reason to go in the afternoon for a door-to-door visit.
Before entering the city, Ah Ling called Da Zhuang to come and drive the carriage. He got into the carriage by himself, lifted the curtain in the carriage and looked around, wanting to see which restaurant was grand and lively.
There are grand and lively restaurants on the left and right, so it's a must.
Because they were traveling slowly, the distance between the two carriages was not far away. On the carriage behind, Lu Jing also poked half of her head out and said to Al Ling in the front: "Master, let's go to the restaurant to eat! I'm treating you!"
Man Tanghong Restaurant is the best restaurant in Pingjiang Fucheng. Lu Jing had heard about it a long time ago, so she came here right now.
"Okay!" Aling is a foodie and has a big appetite, and he loves eating delicious food the most.
After Lu Jing said that Man Tang Hong was good, she immediately asked Da Zhuang to ask passers-by where Man Tang Hong was.
As soon as they found out that Man Tanghong Restaurant was on Dongyan Street in the east of the city, the group turned to the east of the city and walked for about three quarters of an hour before arriving at the bustling Dongyan Street.
This street is even more lively than the one from the previous city gate. There are no people wearing coarse linen clothes coming and going on the street. Most of them are wearing silk and satin, which is affluent people.
The flags of the shops on both sides of the street were swaying in the wind, making it even more dazzling to see. Wine shops, silver houses, tea houses, cloth shops, and inns were all very lively.
When we arrived at this street, we saw the whole house at a glance without asking anyone.
Good guy, this is a big restaurant with three floors and eight bays, with raised corners and cornices, it looks very grand.
As soon as the carriage arrived in front of the restaurant, two waiters dressed similarly came up to them with smiles and helped arrange the carriage and horses.
When Song Qiu and others got off the carriage and went up the steps, another waiter came out to greet him, "Guest sir, please come in!"
He always smiles when he meets everyone. This restaurant treats guests with warmth, thoughtfulness and courtesy.
"There are six guests, should we sit in the private room upstairs or in the lobby?" the waiter asked with a smile.
The lobby has an eight-part facade and is very large. In the middle is a nine-turn staircase leading upstairs. Under the stairs is the counter, and then there are guest areas on the left and right sides. Each table is separated by carved hollow partitions.
It is also equivalent to a small private room. Although they laugh and talk loudly, it is not chaotic.
"Just sit in the lobby." Song Qiu said.
This lobby is quite fresh.
When the waiter heard this, he immediately took them to the left.
It was lunch time, and the lobby was almost full. At a glance, I couldn't see any empty seats anywhere.
But the waiters in the building are responsible for arranging the guests, so they naturally know what to do.
The waiter led Song Qiu and others through many small rooms, and then arrived at the table at the end.
As soon as a few people sat down, a waiter who served tea to the guests brought hot tea, presented bowls, chopsticks and cups, and poured tea for the guests one by one.
During this time, the waiter who was leading the way smiled and asked what dishes the guest would like to order.
Usually when ordering in a big restaurant, the waiter would tell you the name of the dish. Lu Jing mentioned that when he opened his mouth, the waiter was like an old accountant moving beads on an abacus, clicking one string after another without breathing.
Song Qiu and the others were very interested in hearing this.
Of course, I just listened and didn’t remember a few things.
So each person ordered one dish, and Song Qiu added two more dishes, making a total of eight dishes, which was enough for six people.
I thought that eight courses was quite a lot, but when the dishes arrived, the plates were large and the portions were small. I almost ate enough, and there was no soup left at all.
Ah Ling finished the soup in the bowl, smacked it in his mouth, and said: "It tastes okay, but it doesn't go well with rice. We are used to eating spicy food, and this is too bland."
Song Qiu laughed when he heard this, "I heard from Manager Qi that there seems to be a branch of Xianfulai in Pingjiang Fucheng. Let's have Xianfulai for dinner."
Aling and others nodded hurriedly.
There were eight dishes, the portions were not large, and several of us didn't drink. But when we paid, it was almost eight taels of silver, with an average of one tael of silver per dish. I had to lament the prices in this city.
If it were the eight-course meal at their Songji Inn, the portions would be sufficient, but they wouldn't be worth a few hundred yuan.
This is a site and environment for sale.
After leaving the house, I got on my carriage and started looking for a place to live.
As it happens, there are quite a few inns on this street.
Lu Jing was generous. Whenever she went out to play, she would pat her chest and rush to get money. Song Qiu couldn't win over her, so he let her be happy.
After walking a short distance, I saw a two-story inn in the middle called Wangyuan Inn.
The environment is elegant and looks good.
"Master, Auntie, let's live here, right?"
Aling took a look and said, "Not bad, not bad. This house looks good, so I'll stay here."