If the orange grows in Huainan, it becomes orange; if it grows in the north of Huaihe, it becomes orange.
This is an ancient prose that Xia Zhaoyao learned in high school, but its application is obviously not limited to Ju Zhi.
For example, hot pot in Yancheng is mutton-boiled in a copper pot, while in Huaijiang it is...
Uh...it's called hotpot here.
If I had to describe it, it would be the old butter hot pot that looks terrible, like lava from hell.
The spicy and delicious butter hotpot takes up at least half of Huaijiang, and you can see it almost anywhere in the city.
There are no obvious road signs, and the aroma of spicy butter hotpot lingering in the air is the best guide.
"arrive--"
Zhao Huanxi stopped and introduced in a tone like Santa Claus opening a gift.
“Dang-dang-welcome to the famous Xi Street and Old Alley of Huaijiang University.”
Xia Zhaoyao turned around and looked around. She felt as if she was in some secret corner that ordinary people couldn't touch.
This is an alley sandwiched between Huaijiang University and Xi Street. There are some old residential buildings on both sides. Directly in front is a row of hot pot restaurants that look to be quite old.
There are several simply decorated restaurants, chess and mahjong shops on both sides of the street, and further away there are several dark Internet cafes, and a flower shop that is somewhat out of place with the surroundings.
It happens to be the afternoon dining rush, and the originally narrow alley is full of students, teachers, and occasionally tourists hanging cameras.
And the goal of their trip is...
"That's Zhu Guangyu Old Hotpot, which is almost the most famous old restaurant in the entire Xi Street."
Zhao Huanxi pointed to the golden-red store sign not far away.
There are dozens of plastic stools at the entrance of the store, and almost all the empty seats are occupied by people waiting for a table, which looks particularly spectacular.
Several customers waiting for a table were arguing with the waiter at the entrance of the store.
"We still have a few tables in front of us, hurry up - it's too slow, a small table will do -"
"That table is so tight that they can't leave after they've finished eating?! Why don't you hurry up and hurry up -"
"I know you are in a hurry, but don't be anxious yet..."
Xia Zhaoyao vaguely heard the conversation between them, which was quite intense.
Fortunately, the crowds and bustle have nothing to do with them today.
Seeing Zhao Huanxi keep walking forward, Xia Zhaoyao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
fine……
She is most afraid of waiting for a table because she will get hungry easily.
——Their destination is Chuan Chuan Xiang, a somewhat deserted restaurant at the end of an old alley.
…………
"Zhao Er... Chuan Chuan Xiang?"
Xia Zhaoyao raised his head and glanced at the signboard on the door that was almost covered in black stains.
Different from other street shops, there is a long, gloomy-looking corridor in front of it.
A faint sound and aroma wafted out from inside, which alleviated the horror a bit.
"Oh, this place is connected to the shops on the main street of Xi Street, but the stairs are blocked——"
Zhao Huanxi pointed to the right and explained. Xia Zhaoyao saw an iron gate above the stairs hidden in the shadows.
"Some shops on Xi Street were converted from residential buildings. This one is one. I will point you to the front when I go back..."
"This place is a bit remote, no need to wait for a seat - Sister Zhao, four seats!"
Zhao Huanxi walked in as he spoke, and shouted familiarly.
"You have to—"
A cheerful response came from the front.
"The budget is limited, Zhu Guangyu is a bit expensive——"
Zhao Huanxi shrugged and explained to the three people openly.
"And we've waited too long. We'll wait until we make a lot of money before we try there."
It's a strange feeling to hear Zhao Huanxi call other people "Sister Zhao".
However, Xia Zhaoyao's attention was now completely attracted by the three words "Chun Chuan Xiang".
Chuan Chuan Xiang, well, it can actually be considered a type of hot pot.
Most of the dishes are skewered on bamboo skewers and boiled in a hot pot of boiling butter.
The portion of each bamboo stick is not large, but it is delicate and controllable. After eating, the boss will calculate the money based on the number of bamboo sticks.
As Zhao Huanxi introduced, this is a small restaurant transformed from an old residence.
After walking through the narrow passage, the front suddenly opened up and looked like a small living room.
Four low round tables are placed in the four corners, and the stools are also plastic low stools from kindergartens.
They seemed to have arrived quite early. There was only one table of guests inside. There were only a few bamboo sticks in the middle of the table, but there were a lot of beer bottles piled under the table.
Uh... It's just early five o'clock. Do you want to get yourself drunk in broad daylight and then go back to sleep?
Xia Zhao shook his head and looked away from the drunken uncles.
Not far away, a short and fat aunt wearing a floral apron was waving to them.
"Hey...Xiao Zhao. Did something good happen to you?"
"Well, our Wanshiwu is celebrating a team building today!"
Zhao Huanxi waved his hand boldly, with the air of a big sister taking over the whole show.
"Sister Zhao, the same thing - four - uh, three bottles of cold beer, a plate of edamame, and a big bowl of egg fried rice!"
"Huh? Why three bottles? Is there anyone who can't drink..."
Qin Shuo asked in a low voice, looking at Xia Zhaoyao curiously.
Tang Qingying went to get the food immediately, and now he and Xia Zhaoyao were left at the table.
"You have one bottle, I have one bottle, and then the two seniors have one bottle in total -"
Xia Zhaoyao recalled the scene of eating a large plate of chicken before and said with some uncertainty.
"……Probably?"
"What are you two whispering about there?"
Tang Qingying came over with an iron plate. The various skewers on the plate were piled up into a small mountain.
She sat down, grabbed the skewers and put them into the pot. She picked up the enamel cup on the table and placed it on the top intersection of the bamboo skewers.
"This is a unique skill in eating skewers. You guys should learn a little bit of it in the future... I guarantee you will be able to impress the whole audience."
"Meat dishes cost four cents, and vegetarian dishes cost two cents. These are very cheap in Huaijiang now, so don't be cautious."
As Senior Sister Tangtang spoke, she pointed to the wall on one side of the small hall.
"There are a lot of them in the freezer over there, go get them quickly!"
"Oh, by the way, one of you can help me play a CD."
"... DJing?" Xia Zhaoyao blinked blankly.
It seems that there is no such condition around here... Is there any mystery behind it?
"Youdish, Sister Tangtang, what do you want?" Qin Shuo obviously understood and explained casually.
"Sesame oil, garlic, onions or coriander."
"no problem--"
"Well……"
Xia Zhaoyao glanced at the tumbling red pot of butter and asked weakly.
"Is there sesame paste here...or the kind that can relieve the spiciness?"
"Oh, by the way, you can't eat spicy food——"
Qin Shuo nodded in sudden realization and glanced at Xia Zhaoyao with some pity.
"How about you add more vinegar then... Chuan Chuan Xiang doesn't have sesame sauce and mandarin duck."
"...Are you good at spicy food?"
Xia Zhaoyao felt like he was being clicked.
Oh no, is this a lie?! This guy Qin Shuo...
Xia Zhaoyao raised his eyebrows, slowly took out his phone and fiddled with it a few times.
"Hmm... where are the fusions of the holy relics... This character lock is so annoying, why don't you try the dismissal function..."
"Senior Xia! Senior Xia Zhaoyao! If anything happens, let's discuss it carefully so that it doesn't affect innocent girls."
Qin Shuo's expression suddenly changed.
It's over, he just handed over his wives.
"There is yogurt in the convenience store at the door. Well, let me treat the only boy." Tangtang suddenly said.
"No problem - I'll buy it right away." Qin Shuo grabbed the life-saving straw without hesitation.
…………
"Awesome, little swagger."
Seeing Qin Shuo leaving in a hurry, Tangtang poked Xia Zhaoyao with her elbow.
Her narrowed eyes were as curved as a sneaky fox, and she looked up and down Xia Zhaoyao with great interest.
"I can't tell you, you have some tricks up your sleeve. You two..."
"What, what - is there a situation?"
At this moment, Zhao Huanxi came over grabbing a few bottles of beer.
She glanced at Xia Zhaoyao and then at Qin Shuo, who had just ran out.
Um?
As a senior emotional expert at Happy Candy House...
"Tsk, oh--" Zhao Huanxi came over with a gossipy look on his face and made a meaningful heckle.
"Don't think about it... Qin Shuo's perverted bastard and I are totally incompatible."
Xia Zhaoyao rolled his eyes speechlessly and pushed away the two people who were approaching him with both hands.
"It's not like you haven't seen the questionnaire he filled out. It's disgusting to highlight a dead nerd——"
"Long legs, big breasts, royal sister, gentleness... This guy's ideal type is just missing [Xia Zhaoyao's antonym]."
"Well, then you just..."
Tang Qingying pursed her lips towards the distance and keenly grasped the loopholes.
"I'm temporarily playing games for him. He's been busy lately, and his phone seems to be checked by his family."
Xia Zhaoyao opened his phone and pointed at the games he had just downloaded on the last page.
"Nuo—his wives are all in my hands now."
"Oh, that's no wonder -" Tang Qingying nodded in sudden realization.
As a serious game fan, she can understand that this threat is indeed a bit fatal.
"Hey, the questionnaire may not really be—"
Zhao Huanxi waved his hand and said in an old-fashioned way.
"From the questionnaire, there must be moisture. Maybe he just wants to attract your attention."
"Similar to that 'woman, you managed to get my attention' kind of reverse?"
Xia Zhaoyao hummed angrily, his eyes almost rolling out of his head.
"Forget it, Qin Shuo is too far away from my ideal type——"
"Besides, if I want to find a boyfriend, I have to find someone who is sunny, cheerful, and looks good wherever I go."
Xia Zhaoyao glanced at Qin Shuo's vacant seat with a look of disgust and said decisively.
"All in all, she is definitely not the kind of person who would think of a paper man as his wife. Just thinking about that scene makes me shiver all over."
"So what is your ideal type like?"
"That's right, I haven't asked you about this yet - tell me quickly, my sisters can help you with your advice."
The first and second bosses of Huantang Wanshiwu House suddenly became energetic and surrounded Xia Zhaoyao on the left and right.
As the most famous love counseling team at Huaijiang University, this is their area of expertise.
"Uh... rich? Well, a handsome and sunny guy who can be relied on at critical moments?"
"anything else?"
"We have a good connection. At least your hobbies must be the same as mine."
"This scope is too general. Be more specific——"
Zhao Huanxi glanced in the direction of the door, obviously worried that someone would come back, and quickly urged.
"Do you have any personal customization requirements, such as proficiency in surfing the Internet, height and hairstyle, etc..."
"This one doesn't really matter... at best, it just needs to be something special."
"Special? What kind of special?" Zhao Huanxi seemed to have thought of something.
"Well, it's just different and unique from others -" Xia Zhaoyao shrugged.
"That's it-"
Tang Qingying touched her chin and thought seriously for a few seconds.
"Then... does it count as being particularly perverted? I think Qin Shuo has potential in this area."
"Of course it doesn't count! Besides, it's not like you don't know about my family situation. How can I think about falling in love now?"
Before the two of them could speak, Xia Zhaoyao glanced angrily at the two senior students who were caught up in gossip.
"I just want money now. Money, I want to fall in love with money!"
"I want, too--"
"Then we are all love rivals."
Ding dong——
At this moment, Xia Zhaoyao's cell phone suddenly rang.
She lowered her head and glanced curiously.
[Qin said Wuyi]: Jianghu is in urgent need! Lend me fifty, and I'll give it to you when I get home!
[Yao Yaoyao Yao]:???
[Qin Yue Wuyi]: I don’t have a WeChat card connected. I just made two orders of 648, and I don’t have enough change.
[Yao Yaoyao Yao]:???
[Qin said Wuyi]: Sister Xia, Brother Xia, please help me——
"..."
Xia Zhaoyao was silent for a moment.
Red envelope, amount fifty, sent.
Xia Zhaoyao put away his phone, glanced at his sisters, and added seriously.
"Oh, I would also like to add that the scumbag who asks girls to borrow money - let's not talk about it."