Private house

  Jian Tong followed Lan Quan into an old street. Rows of small buildings in Japanese-Russian style, with pointed red tiles, white walls and tall Chinese parasol trees shaded the area.

  "Where are we going to eat?" Jian Tong felt more and more dizzy as he walked, thinking that he wasn't just looking for a restaurant, but rather seemed to be formally visiting someone's home.

  Lan Quan smiled and pointed to a small courtyard in front of him, "We're here."

  Inside the wooden door is a high flower stand, all the way searching for seclusion inward, only to feel that the worldly noise has been thrown behind one's ears.

  Jian Tong didn't see any sign or anything like that on this house, only when entering the door, under the entwining of green vines and creepers, saw a plum blossom seal "Tan" character on the lintel.

  Jian Tong's heart was secretly aching.

  No one came to greet them, so Lanquan led Jian Tong up the creaky stairs to the second floor. The old wooden staircase was narrow and creaked with each step, sounding like the whispers of the years. The second floor seemed even more secluded. Red silk hangings hung from the pointed roof, draped over ironwork flower-patterned frames, serving as dividers for a cozy room.

  Jian Tong gazed at the lowest and most humble part of the slope's rooftop, where a game of chess was laid out. Beside the chess table stood a red lantern with a palace-style shade, elegant as a refined lady, its red cheek smiling faintly.

  "It's really good." Jian Tong sincerely praised.

  Lan Quan raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly, "I knew you would definitely like it."

  Jian Tong's stomach hurts: Indeed, he is a master of flirting with girls.

  At this time, a man wearing a sky-blue silk long shirt walked over with a smile. His forehead was clear and his eyes were calm, like a character from a fine brush painting. "Second Master, please wait a moment, the dishes will be ready soon."

  Jian Tong was shocked, "Don't they give you a menu to order from?"

  Lan Quan smiled and said, "The Tan family has a seating arrangement, but no menu."

  "How did they know what we were eating?"

  Lan Quan smiled and said, "As soon as Ming Han saw you, he knew what dish to serve today. He will match the appropriate dishes according to our facial complexion, expression, age, and temperament."

  "The Tan family has never had a fixed menu."

  Quickly order food and start eating. Just focus on eating and don't ask questions, so you won't be heartbroken when you see the bill.

  Eight dishes were presented, and a large folding fan was erected in the center of the table. The names of each dish were written on the fan, which is called "Xizhi".

  The man named Ming Han first handed a bowl of egg custard to Jian Tong. Jian Tong took a bite and immediately felt the sweetness filling his mouth, without the usual egg smell in ordinary egg custards; the aftertaste was like wine fragrance.

  "What is it? It's delicious."

  "They used wine to steam eggs. The wine was all over thirty years old Moutai, paired with Xiangshan glutinous rice; then stewed lotus seeds with ginseng soup, extracted the juice and mixed it in."

  Jian Tong can't eat anymore. This bowl of egg drop soup costs as much as a year's worth of eggs.

  Lan Quan was calmly eating a corn cake. It looked very ordinary, with only a few green and red threads dyed on it, but Jian Tong also understood that there must be something extraordinary inside. He didn't ask any more questions.

  A breeze blows from outside the window, blocked by the bamboo curtain, not a bit of the coolness of early spring has blown in, but it makes the silk fabrics in the room flow slightly, forming its own charm.

  In the flowing silk, Jian Tong faintly saw a woman's back in the elegant room next door. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, shining brightly. She was smiling at Ming Han with her head slightly tilted, "Today's tangyuan is good. Have another bowl."

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