The sun hung high in the sky, casting warm, golden rays onto the city. The heat was persistent, making the idea of having sothing cold and refreshing very appealing.
Ruediger pulled up the truck by the sidewalk near the grocery market. Lariette threw her gaze outside, imdiately locating the small dessert shop tucked in a corner.
Glancing at Lariette, Ruediger chuckled, "Already thinking of what you wanna get?"
"I want so taro and sweet potato balls," Lariette answered imdiately, almost drooling from her imagination. She referred to the popular Taiwanese dessert.
"Let’s go."
Ruediger and Lariette erged from the truck, heading down the street toward the dessert shop. Her shoulder almost grazed his arm as they walked side by side.
The store had a simple yet inviting exterior with wooden signage. Vibrant and cutesy doodles of Taiwanese desserts were painted on the lower part of the expansive glass windows.
Ruediger pulled the door open, gesturing at Lariette to step inside first. The cool breeze from the air-conditioning system washed over them as they walked past the door.
"This place looks nice," Lariette muttered, smiling at Ruediger. The man smiled in approval.
The store had a holy feel. Handwritten nus filled one side of the walls while jars of dried ingredients lined the shelves. The scent of sweet syrup and fresh fruit infused the air, accompanied by a soft lody played in the background.
Three tables were already occupied, leaving a few more. The store was small but cozy. The other custors were enjoying their bowls of desserts.
Lariette and Ruediger approached the counter. A young man greeted them. They quickly scanned the nu on display.
"It’s still ridiculously hot today," Ruediger exhaled softly, "I’ll skip the hot desserts and go for the shaved ice version."
Lariette humd in agreent, looking at the options, "That sounds perfect."
Ruediger turned to the cashier with an easy smile. He quickly placed his order, "I’ll have the soy shaved ice with taro and sweet potato balls."
"Do you want to add other toppings, mister?" asked the cashier while pointing to the topping selection with his thumb, "We have grass jelly, red beans, sweet peanuts and matcha balls. You can also add ice cream."
Aside from the traditional toppings, the store also had more modern options. Nevertheless, all of them suited the dessert.
"Give so red beans, then. Also sweet peanuts," Ruediger said. He glanced at Lariette, "How about you?"
Lariette pursed her lips, having a hard ti deciding. Looking at the cashier, she ordered, "I’ll take the grass jelly shaved ice. I want the sweet potato and taro balls, also matcha balls."
"Very well, missus."
After paying for their orders, Ruediger pointed in a direction, "Let’s sit there. What do you think?"
Lariette glanced at the table by the window. She quickly agreed, "Okay."
Sitting across each other, Lariette and Ruediger basked under the afternoon sunlight that filtered through the glass. The view of the bustling street was perfectly visible to them.
"I can’t wait to try them," Lariette chuckled, her sparkly eyes locking into Ruediger’s gentle ones, "I haven’t had this dessert in a long ti. I’ve loved it from the first ti I tried it."
Easy laughter spilled from Ruediger’s lips. Tapping one finger on the table, he said, his brows arching, "You’re indeed a certified foodie, aren’t you? Just like Maddie."
Lariette chuckled, unable to deny Ruediger, "Hehe, life is short. We better try as many yummy foods as possible."
Ruediger quirked one corner of his lips higher, happy to see the evident joy beaming on Lariette’s face. He was glad he could pick her up from school and bring her here.
This particular mont might be mundane to her, but not to him. He cherished every mont he spent in her lovely presence.
Soon, another staff ca to deliver their desserts. Each bowl was a mountain of fluffy shaved ice, topped generously with chewy taro and sweet potato balls, including the other toppings of their choice.
"The portion is nice," Lariette comnted, referring to the shaved ice, "Most shaved ice I found was too huge. It should be shared with two or three people. It’ll be hard when I go out alone."
"You’re right. Their portion is perfect for a single custor," Ruediger nodded, agreeing with Lariette, "Well, let’s dig in."
"Okay~"
Lariette picked up her spoon, scooping so of the shaved ice with a taro ball. Taking a bite, the ice lted instantly on her tongue, cooling her inside out. She slowly munched the chewy taro ball.
"Oh~ This is so amazing!" Lariette exhaled softly, savoring the sweet taste of the dessert. She tucked her hair behind her ear, afraid of getting the strands in the shaved ice.
"You’re right," Ruediger mused. Scooping up a spoonful of his dessert, he comnted, "This takes right back to Taiwan."
Raising her brows, Lariette looked at Ruediger with interest, "You’ve been to Taiwan too? How was it? Did you enjoy your trip?"
Lariette inwardly sighed, wondering what kind of travel story Ruediger would tell her today. She just listened to his Thailand adventures two days ago.
Ruediger leaned back slightly, his head tilting. Smiling, his eyes glimred with nostalgia.
"It was another enjoyable trip for . I think I spent about two weeks there, mostly in Taipei. I also traveled down south."
While focusing on Ruediger’s story, Lariette didn’t forget her shaved ice. She continued eating, taking small bites in between as she listened to him.
"A foodie like you would love the night markets," Ruediger chuckled softly, "Rows upon rows of food stalls selling everything you could imagine."
"That sounds so good," Lariette’s interest was piqued again. She quickly asked, "What was your favorite?"
"It’s tough to say," Ruediger admitted. He took a mont to ponder before saying, "If I had to pick... I’d say taro balls from Jiufen."
"Jiufen? Isn’t that place like a scene from an old movie?"
Lariette perked up, recalling a few old movies she had watched before. If she was not mistaken, it was a mountain town with narrow and winding alleyways.
The place had an incredible view of the coastline, including the scene of vibrant red lanterns strung across the tea houses.
"Yup, that one," Ruediger nodded. He explained further, "The evening view was beyond pretty. The entire place had this golden glow. It was raining for a while when I was there, but I think that just added to the charm."
Lariette sighed softly, trying to imagine the scene based on the movies, "Sounds beautiful."
"It was. Hehe, and the food was marvelous, I kid you not."
In between his bites of the shaved ice, Ruediger described him walking through the narrow streets, only to find sothing new to try by every few steps.
"I rember this one tiny shop. An elderly couple ran it," Ruediger paused, chewing and swallowing the sweet peanuts before saying, "They served handmade taro and sweet potato balls. They were so soft and chewy. I had both in ginger broth and with shaved ice."
"Hehe, of course you did," Lariette laughed, teasing Ruediger, "Were they very good?"
"Absolutely. I went there one more ti before I left the place."
As the pair continued chatting over the delicious bowls of shaved ice, a sedan with tinted windows drove past the shop.
The car slowed down before it suddenly sped up, disappearing behind the sea of vehicles. None the lady nor the gentleman noticed the fleeting appearance of the sedan.
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