The Cold Noodle Shop was outdoors, with a thatched shed built above it. Within the shed were four tables and chairs, and their stove was right beside it.
The shop was run by a husband and wife, along with their eight or nine-year-old child.
Seeing Zhao Dong’s group enter, the shopkeeper hurriedly ca over to greet them warmly. He arrived just in ti to hear Zhao Zhitong say that she could already write her own na, and he laughed, "This young master of yours is quite handso."
Sun Youcai quickly corrected him, "No, no, this is my little niece."
The shopkeeper was surprised. "Oh, a girl who can actually read? It seems you all co from a family of scholars."
Zhao Dong hurriedly refuted, "No, no. Her grandfather is a physician, and she just learned a few characters from him."
Then he changed the topic, asking, "Boss, how much is a bowl of your cold noodles?"
Hearing that there was business, the shopkeeper eagerly replied, "Two coins a bowl."
Zhao Dong looked at the number of people and directly ordered eight bowls of cold noodles.
Hearing such a large order, the shopkeeper’s face blossod into a smile. He imdiately said, "Alright, please sit down. It’ll be ready in no ti."
Then he shouted to the woman working at the stove, "Eight bowls of cold noodles!"
At this ti, Liu Clan, who had just co in from behind, heard this and imdiately stopped him. "Wait, boss, we only want six bowls. Six bowls is enough."
Then she said to Zhao Dong, "I’m not hungry; I don’t need to eat. Daqing and Daxiang are small; they can share one bowl."
The shopkeeper wasn’t annoyed and imdiately agreed, "Alright then, changing eight bowls to six."
Zhao Dong sighed helplessly but ultimately didn’t say anything. They all ca from poor farr backgrounds, and he could understand his sister-in-law’s mindset of wanting to save so money.
The little monkeys were also unusually well-behaved, sitting obediently on their stools, their eyes fixed on the direction of the stove.
Soon, bowls of cold noodles were served one by one.
Seeing the green noodles, Zhao Zhitong’s little mouth opened wide. She made an exaggerated expression and exclaid, "Wow, these noodles are so beautiful in color!"
The shopkeeper was amused by Zhao Zhitong’s cute deanor and explained enthusiastically, "This is made with locust leaf juice and dough, then put in well water to cool naturally. It’s refreshing and sweet, perfect for this season."
Zhao Dong played along, smiling. "Mmm, it slls delicious, with the refreshing fragrance of locust leaves."
Then he said, "Boss, can you get us a couple of empty bowls, please?"
The shopkeeper didn’t find it strange at all. They were all farming families and knew how hard it was to make money. When going out, a family of three sharing one bowl of noodles was common. So, he laughed and said, "Alright, just wait a mont."
Soon, the shopkeeper brought over the empty bowls.
Liu Clan divided one bowl of noodles into two half-bowls, one for Sun Daqing and one for Sun Daxiang.
Then she said, "One empty bowl is enough; I’m not hungry. I’ll just have a few bites of pancake dipped in the broth after Daqing is done. I can eat when we get ho."
As she was about to return the empty bowl to the shopkeeper, Zhao Zhitong refused and directly stopped her. She grabbed Liu Clan’s sleeve, pulled her back to the table, and said, acting like a little grown-up, "Aunt, you can’t just drink the broth without eating noodles! We’re a family—yes, a family! We should share good tis and bad tis together."
As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and clumsily tried to transfer noodles from her own bowl to the empty one.
Liu Clan hurriedly stopped her. "No, no, I understand your kind intentions, dear."
Zhao Zhitong was persistent. "No! If Aunt doesn’t eat, then I won’t eat either!"
As she spoke, she pouted her lips and crossed her small arms in front of her chest, looking thoroughly upset.
Zhao Dong spoke up then, "Sister-in-law, please eat. This is the child’s kind wish."
He also gave Sun Youli a pointed look. Sun Youli quickly chid in, telling his wife not to disappoint the child and to eat as well.
Liu Clan finally compromised. "Alright, alright, I’ll eat! Haha."
Zhao Zhitong bead. With Zhao Dong’s help, she used her chopsticks to give Liu Clan a small half-bowl of noodles.
The other children watching did the sa, each adding so noodles from their bowls to Liu Clan’s.
Sun Daqing said, "Mom, have so from my bowl."
Sun Daji said, "Aunt, I can’t finish my whole bowl. Have so of mine."
Sun Daxiang chid in, " too, too!"
Liu Clan’s face bead with a happy smile as she tried to stop them. Finally, after they’d all given her so, she adjusted the portions in the children’s bowls to make them even again, then said, "Quick, eat up! They won’t taste good if they get cold."
Zhao Zhitong, clutching her bowl of noodles, chirped, "But Aunt, cold noodles are supposed to be cold!"
Everyone was instantly amused, and the atmosphere at the table beca warm and cheerful. Even the other diners in the shop seed to be brightened by their happiness.
The little ones eagerly slurped down their noodles, savoring the delicious taste.
The noodles were refreshing and sweet, with a faint scent of locust leaves that spread gradually in their mouths.
Zhao Zhitong blinked, thinking these were the best noodles she had ever eaten. In reality, they were just ordinary noodles; Sun i even put more ingredients in when she made them at ho.
It was just that these noodles were hard-earned, and everything tasted better depending on the diner’s state of mind.
Just as they were happily enjoying their noodles, a discordant voice suddenly rang out, breaking the harmony. "Well, well, isn’t this Brother, eating noodles here?"
Zhao Zhitong looked up and saw people she didn’t like.
Although she was young, she was extrely sensitive and could imdiately tell who liked her and who did not.
The newcors were none other than her Third Aunt (Xiao Wang) and Third Aunt’s younger brother, Wang Gou. The girl beside them, dressed like a kaleidoscope of colors, was Third Aunt’s daughter, Zhao Cai.
Her mories of her Third Uncle and Third Aunt weren’t pleasant; they never liked her and always indulged their daughter, Zhao Cai, in bullying her.
Third Aunt’s brother, Wang Gou, was also horrid; every ti he ca to their house, he would pinch her face. So, Zhao Zhitong disliked them all and didn’t even bother to greet them, simply continuing to eat her noodles.
Zhao Dong looked up when he saw the newcors, and responded insincerely, "Yes, having so noodles."
Apparently, the newcors either didn’t sense Zhao Dong’s coldness or simply didn’t care whether he wanted to talk to them.
Xiao Wang had already walked over. Looking at their bowls of noodles, her eyes revealed a trace of disdain. "Tsk, tsk. Why would you eat noodles in a place like this? It’s so shabby."
Zhao Cai followed her mother in, looking at Zhao Zhitong’s bowl with disgust. "You’re actually eating *this*? Even our pigs wouldn’t eat it!"
As she spoke, she reached out to push Zhao Zhitong’s bowl away.
How dare she touch her noodles! Zhao Zhitong got angry. She glared back, roaring with childish fierceness, "Ugly Monster, don’t touch my noodles!"
Being called Ugly Monster, Zhao Cai imdiately beca upset. "Who are you calling Ugly Monster?!"
Zhao Zhitong bared her teeth and snarled, "You little dummy, I’m calling *you* that!"
Seeing the two children arguing, and fearing that Xiao Wang might resort to violence, Zhao Dong hurriedly pulled Zhao Zhitong to his side.
Xiao Wang was about to explode. But then she rembered her husband’s instructions from before they left ho, so she managed to suppress her anger.
She forced a smile. "Ah, children are just playing around, hehe. Anyway, Brother, you’re here at the marketplace. Why didn’t you look for us? It would’ve been much better to eat at our tavern."
Picking up on Xiao Wang’s cue, her brother Wang Gou also chid in with a smile, "Yeah, my sister’s tavern is just up ahead. Why are you eating noodles in a place like this instead of going there? I bet these noodles aren’t filling and don’t even taste good, right? Co on, let’s all go to my sister’s tavern right now!"
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