Third Watch, seeking pink.
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After visiting several cloth shops, Lian Manman and Lady Zhang picked out five bolts of natural color coarse cloth and five bolts of natural color fine cloth, as well as four bolts of blue cloth and two bolts of bright red cloth, and four bolts of various patterned cloths, all of high quality. In total, buying this much was nearly one string of coins cheaper than purchasing in Qingyang Town.
Along the way to Dongcheng, while browsing, Lady Zhang and Lian Manman planned which of the bought fabrics would be used for making clothes, cushions, curtains, and so on.
The Old Wang’s Large Cart Inn was easy to find. They asked for directions only once, and by midday, the group had arrived.
Lu Bingwu was waiting for them in the main hall of the cart inn. It turned out that the workers delivering the wheat seeds and cotton wadding had already arrived.
Together, they went to Room No. 8 of the Earth Series to examine the goods and settle the accounts.
Lu Bingwu, who had been engaged in business with his father and brothers since childhood, was extrely adept and reliable in handling affairs. He went to the inn’s cashier to borrow a scale, which was a very common practice in the cart inn.
When Lu Bingwu returned with the scale, a young lady and an old woman followed behind him.
Once the young lady entered the room, she and the old woman served hot tea and laid out pastries.
"This is Miss Wang Qi, the eldest daughter of the owner of this inn," Lu Bingwu explained to Lady Zhang.
Miss Wang Qi had a sturdy build with a long face and slightly protruding front teeth. Although her appearance was quite plain, her deanor was very generous, without the slightest hint of a young girl’s shyness.
"Aunt Lian Si," Miss Wang Qi addressed Lady Zhang as soon as she spoke, inviting her to sit down for tea and pastries, and helped her to inspect the goods. "I know both of these shops very well, and they know too. As long as you are staying at the Wang Family’s cart inn and buying their goods, you are guaranteed the best quality and the lowest price. The Lu Brothers have been here more than once; they are familiar with our rules. You can rest assured, Aunt Lian Si. If there’s any problem, I’ll take full responsibility."
After inspecting the goods, Lian Manman gave the remaining paynt for the goods to the delivery workers. Lady Zhang discussed with Lu Bingwu on the side about when to return and how to transport the goods.
The items weren’t too nurous; the horse cart they rode in could carry them back.
Having settled the matter, Lian Manman, seeing that it was almost ti for the midday al, suggested they not return to the County Yan for food and instead find a restaurant outside to dine in, and to invite Lu Bingwu to join them.
Lady Zhang naturally agreed.
"Why bother going out to eat? Just dine right here at our inn. We can prepare any kind of al," Miss Wang Qi suggested they eat at the cart inn.
"The food here is good, not inferior to the big restaurants outside, and it’s clean and affordable," Lu Bingwu added.
After Lu Bingwu said this, Lady Zhang and her group nodded in agreent.
Miss Wang Qi specially cleared out a private room for them to be seated.
"Mom, if we’re eating here, we have to send soone to the County Yan to let them know we won’t be returning for the al," Lian Manman reminded.
"Right."
Lady Zhang nodded and sent a young worker from the cart inn to deliver the ssage to the County Yan.
"Brother Xiao Woo, you’ve co to Taicang often; you know all the good dishes here. Help us choose a few," Wu Lang let Lu Bingwu order.
"Brother Sanlang, you know what’s good to eat here too, help us order," Lian Manman also asked Sanlang to order dishes.
After so polite back-and-forth, they ordered dishes and asked Miss Wang Qi to add a few specialty dishes.
The kitchen of the cart inn was very efficient; it wasn’t long after ordering that the dishes were served one by one. Miss Wang Qi personally attended to them, going back and forth to look after their table.
The signature delicacy of Taicang County is donkey at. Donkey at in puff pastry and five-spice donkey at are must-tries for visitors to Taicang. The Old Wang’s Large Cart Inn also served donkey at in puff pastry and five-spice donkey at, but the donkey at in puff pastry served at the table was delivered from Zhang’s, Taicang’s oldest brand, and the large bowl of five-spice donkey at was from Gather Fragrance Tower, the most famous restaurant in Taicang County Town.
On the way here, Lian Manman heard the coachman say, "Dragon at in the sky, donkey at on the ground." This saying implies that the tastiest at of the creatures in the sky is dragon at, which is not the mythical dragon, but rather the at of a rare bird called the Flying Dragon found in the deep forests to the far north of Liaodong Prefecture.
"Donkey at on the ground" ans that among the land animals, donkey at is the most delicious.
Lian Manman enjoyed the al heartily. This was her first ti eating donkey at since she had arrived in this era. In Thirty Mile Camp, where tenant farrs mostly cultivated land for a living, few kept cattle or sheep for eating. Their most common at was pork, followed by poultry. Mutton and beef were less common, needing to be traded from outside, while donkey at was even rarer.
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