Chapter 207 – We are being spied on by people
"Boss, two bowls of glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s, one bowl of peanut filing, one bowl of sesame filing." Finished ordering, she turned her head to ask. "Big Block of Ice, what filling do you want to eat?"
"It turns out that those two bowls you ordered are all for yourself?" Xiao Xu didn"t understand her deep fondness for glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s. "Anything is fine for me."
"You don"t know how much I reminisce about the flavor of glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s. It leaves a sweet taste in the mouth, silky and soft, hehehe. My saliva ah. Boss, another bowl of glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s with sesame filling!" Chu Qing-Yan immediately stopped fantasizing and yelled toward the boss.
"Okay ah patron. The two of you sit here for a short while and very quickly I"ll bring it!" The boss loudly sang out. Very swiftly and with practiced moves, he put the glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s into the pot.
Hearing this, Chu Qing-Yan smiled. Then she turned and pulled Big Block of Ice to find a place to sit. But seeing that somewhat dirty and grimy table and chairs, she hesitated somewhat. To eat in this kind of place really wronged Big Block of Ice.
As if he didn"t see the little fellow"s hesitation, Xiao Xu naturally sat down. In pa.s.sing, he poured a cup of tea for her. "Drink a cup, you have been running the whole way."
Seeing he didn"t mind, Chu Qing-Yan pursed her lips and smiled mischievously. "Okay, thank you cousin."
Xiao Xu shook his head helplessly, the little fellow is getting more and more flippant.
When the piping hot dish of boiled glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s was served, Chu Qing-Yan called out to Big Block of Ice. Immediately, she scooped out a spoonful of glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s and stuffed it into her mouth.
Then the composed Xiao Xu saw her face suddenly wrinkle. With a ouch sound, she spit out the glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s. "Eat slowly, it"s very hot."
Chu Qing-Yan almost spat out her tongue, like little puddles, both eyes were moist. She said miserably. "Burned me to death!"
Xiao Xu blew on the glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s in the spoon, then took a glance at her. "Being impatient, you can"t eat hot glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s." Finished speaking, he put the glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s in his mouth.
Chu Qing-Yan fanned her mouth with air, then with a face full of envy asked. "Is it delicious?"
"Not bad." The sesame filling won"t be too sweet. The taste indeed was not bad, Xiao Xu approvingly said.
Chu Qing-Yan"s heart was itchy. After waiting for the glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s to cool a bit, she immediately scooped up a spoonful and put it into her mouth. The instant she bit through the skin of the glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s, her eyes blissfully narrowed into a straight line. "Really delicious. This was more authentic than the ones I ate before. No other preservatives were added, making people feel a.s.sured when eating it."
The expression of reveling in it said she is easily satisfied. The hand Xiao Xu used to hold the soup spoon paused. "It"s merely a bowl of glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s. Is it worth it for you to be so deeply moved? If others heard this, they would think I have been mistreating you."
"Hehe, this is called being satisfied with what one has." Chu Qing-Yan mixed the glutinous rice b.a.l.l.s in the bowl. The smile on her face came from the heart. "Big Block of Ice naturally treats me very well. No one would think like that, you should feel a.s.sured."
Xiao Xu shook his head and let her do as she pleased.
Xiao Xu always ate food gracefully and fast. When he finished eating his bowl, the little glutton across from him had already finished both bowls.
Chu Qing-Yan licked the corner of her mouth, she immediately extended her hand to say. "Boss, I want another two bowls!"
Xiao Xu lifted his hand. "No need, this is enough."
"Big Block of Ice, I still haven"t eaten my fill!" Chu Qing Yan protested.
"Protest ineffective. Too far is as bad as not enough. You ate so much glutinous rice that tonight you might have diarrhea." Xiao Xu ruthlessly overruled her request.
"Miser, go drink cold water!" Chu Qing-Yan blurted this out in a low tone stealthily.
This place was quiet, her low tone simply couldn"t escape his ears. But he didn"t bicker with her over it, he stood up and waited for her to pay before leaving.
Chu Qing-Yan who was putting down the silver suddenly returned to her senses. Big Block of Ice gave her the wallet, was it only to let her pay? Watching the carefree Big Block of Ice, she became increasingly more certain of this thought. He only knew how to order people about, humph!
How could Xiao Xu know the little thoughts in her heart. Pulling her hand, they slowly walked toward the city center.
"Big Block of Ice, why would over there have so many common people begging?"
Walking to the side of a small ally, Chu Qing-Yan was surprised at those beggars laying down in disorder. When she said these words, those beggars immediately came toward her, surrounding the two of them in a circle. Extending hands and broken bowls, they begged, saying. "Two young masters, bestow some money. We haven"t eaten for several days, we beg you two ah."
Various malnutritioned and sickly appearances, with despiring expressions, messy hair and dirty faces, the clothes they wore were ragged. Some of them were wearing clothes that almost couldn"t cover the body. Chu Qing-Yan took a glance at the person at her side.
"You have the money, you decide." Xiao Xu didn"t have to look at her and knew what she was thinking of.
Chu Qing-Yan nodded, took out the wallet and split the money inside.
"Little young master is a good person. Thank you."
"I can finally eat something."
"Blessing to you the G.o.ddess of Mercy Buddha, thank you!"
The beggars that got some money all thanked them. Chu Qing-Yan was just about to respond when she saw other beggars that saw this scene rushing over. Chu Qing-Yan was frightened stiff, she immediately grabbed the hand of the person at her side and in a panic, didn"t select a road and just ran in the other direction. Until she threw off the people behind her before she let out a huge breath of relief.
She was gasping for breath as she looked a the person who wasn"t red in the face nor panting and couldn"t help but say. "Why do you look as if nothing had happened?"
"Diligently working out. You also can." Xiao Xu leisurely replied.
Chu Qing-Yan sighed, she didn"t want to dispute this topic with him. Recalling that frightening crowd of beggars from just now, she discovered her pitiful money with regards to them was merely an utterly inadequate measure. She couldn"t help but ask. "Big Block of Ice, to say Ping Yang city is prosperous it is prosperous. It"s normal to have beggars, but why were there so many?"
Basically one whole alley was full, not to mention those begging on the side of the streets.
"These people ought to have come from Qi Xian." Xiao Xu lowered his head and helped her straighten her clothing that was disarrayed because of running. Her head lifted and he could see her doubts, so he explained. "The common people from Xi Xian liked to embroider a rose at the waist. That"s the custom in that area and it has already continued for hundreds of years."
Chu Qing-Yan suddenly realized something she didn"t even discover just now, she didn"t expect Big Block of Ice would observe it so carefully. How knowledgeable must he be to have found this, that he would even know by heart the social customs in such a little town?
"Qi Xian is one of the three districts and seven counties that Liu Ying administers. But several years ago, it was flooded and Qi Xian was submerged. The court sent out money for disaster relief, enough for the common people that was. .h.i.t by the disaster to survive. But for these people to appear here, there is something fishy inside of this." Xiao Xu frowned, thinking of the secret report he received before, he already thought of something in his heart.
Chu Qing-Yan also recalled the information written on the paper she saw before, couldn"t help but recall the bunch of silver for disaster relief that disappeared without a trace.
And just at this moment, Chu Qing-Yan felt the person"s body at her side suddenly become taut. "What"s wrong?"
"We are being followed by someone." From the corner of his eyes, Xiao Xu glanced at the restless figures hidden in a secret place and said in a tone that only the two of them could hear.
Chu Qing-Yan immediately looked all around. "How could we be spied on by people? Then what should we do?"
"Don"t know who the opponents are. You shouldn"t look around. Pretend you didn"t discover anything. Follow me!" Xiao Xu pulled her by the hand, his tone was clear and serene as he said this.
"Okay!"