Tan Shaoting just smiled, "Shall we go in and take a look?"
Yuanyuan shook her head, "No need, there’s nothing left of what it used to be. None of the current teachers are people I know.
Let’s leave it at that, I just wanted to reminisce a bit."
"Your days have always been so good, colorful and vibrant."
"Good? Colorful and vibrant? I wouldn’t say so.
I was always looked down upon since I was a child. My grandmother was clearly wealthy, but she was never willing to indulge.
Sotis I think my grandmother’s life was quite wasted.
She finally had the ans to enjoy life, but still couldn’t open her mind. Actually, I should also be thankful to my grandmother.
If she had been extravagant, I wouldn’t have had the capital to succeed."
"That’s the cycle of cause and effect, you reap what you sow."
"When I was a child, I was very stubborn. My grandmother often looked at and sighed, afraid that I wouldn’t get married or be happy in the future."
"Now the old woman can rest easy. In my eyes, all your issues are wonderful. You’re exactly how you should be."
Yuanyuan looked at Tan Shaoting and smiled, "Do you think a person’s looks are related to their life?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You said if I had a more modern appearance, you wouldn’t pay much attention to ."
Tan Shaoting was taken aback by Yuanyuan’s question, "Is that so? I don’t think so.
At first, I noticed you because your eyes were unique.
After getting to know you, I felt you were different from other children of that age.
To say your appearance had no reason at all would be untrue, but even if you had been the sa as in a previous life, we would still end up together."
The two stood chatting at the school gate. Yuanyuan was filled with emotion.
"Hehe, those things don’t matter anymore. As long as our family is happy together, that’s all that matters.
Let’s go, I’ll take you to eat sothing delicious. I think that little shop should still be around.
I used to work there. My favorite food used to be their at pies. Back then, they pitied and would always give one after I washed their dishes every day.
Hehe, I still rember that the first ti they gave one, I refused because I was afraid it would co out of my wages.
Afterwards, they would always give one after paying my wages."
"Co on, let’s go try it."
Guided by mory, Yuanyuan arrived at the little shop, but it was now a high-class neighborhood; the shop was gone.
Unwilling to give up, Yuanyuan asked several elderly people about the old restaurant.
"Just around the corner, there’s an Old Liu Restaurant. Wasn’t it always called that?"
Yuanyuan smiled and nodded, it had been decades. The couple probably wouldn’t be around anymore, but she decided to go have a look anyway.
They drove to the other side of the neighborhood and saw the red sign of Old Liu Restaurant.
At this ti, the place was empty.
Yuanyuan walked around, and then a middle-aged woman ca out.
"It’s not al ti yet."
"Ma’am, I wanted to ask, is this Old Liu Restaurant the sa one that used to be over there?"
"Yes, it is."
"Are those two elders still here?"
"Are you asking about my father-in-law or my grandfather-in-law?
My grandfather-in-law is still alive, but unfortunately, grandma is not. Are you looking for the elder for any reason?"
Yuanyuan smiled, "No reason, just that soone ntioned that the elder’s at pies were excellent. I ca to try them and et him."
"Oh, you’re not a local, are you?"
Yuanyuan smiled and nodded, "No, I’m not."
"Well, you’ll have to wait a bit. The elder cos by every day to check on our work."
He’s over eighty but still can’t put his mind at ease.
"Alright, we’ll wait here."
The couple sat down. "I used to love working here, even if it was just after the evening study. They had hot water for to use.
Plus, back then, the sll of at made feel happy."
Yuanyuan whispered to Tan Shaoting about those tis.
She thought she’d forgotten after all these years, but it turns out she rembered it clearly once more.
"Yuanyuan, did you feel those days were hard?"
Yuanyuan shook her head, "No, actually I never thought my days were hard. But it was different in others’ eyes. They saw in the sa clothes every day, living on hardly more than a dollar for food, and thought I was struggling.
Back then, the school even used as a role model to educate other students, and I felt so powerless."
Tan Shaoting was quite happy to see his energetic wife. It seed she was still fond of this place.
Listening to her reminisce happily, Tan Shaoting smiled along.
A quarter of an hour later, they saw an elderly man with silver hair and a walking stick enter.
Yuanyuan recognized the kind-hearted boss at once.
Old Liu noticed a pretty young woman smiling at him as soon as he entered.
"You’re here early, but it will still be a while if you want to eat."
Yuanyuan stood up with a smile, "We just ca to try it out. An elder once ntioned that the at pies here were particularly delicious, so we ca for a taste."
Old Liu laughed, "I’ve spent a lifeti making them, and opinions vary. Young lady, try it for yourself and you’ll know."
Yuanyuan really waited an hour to eat the beef pies.
"It’s just like I rembered. I’ll have a bowl of cold noodles too."
Tan Shaoting laughed and went to prepare. Seeing his wife eat so sweetly, he had tasted it as well—finding the flavor ordinary, nothing like what she described.
But as long as she was happy, that was enough. Seeing her this way made him feel happy too.
After eating, the elder specifically ca out to ask, "Young lady, how was it?"
"Delicious, truly delicious."
Old Liu smiled and nodded, "Glad you enjoyed it."
The two left the restaurant, "Is there anywhere else you’d like to go?"
Yuanyuan shook her head, "No, this place leaves the deepest impression on ."
Yuanyuan knew she was only here for nostalgia. Just being able to co once was an unexpected joy. Retracing her old paths was a stroke of luck.
So much had changed in these decades, naturally, things would be different.
Yuanyuan called her daughter, who was accompanying her two younger brothers at the mall’s children’s playground.
The couple didn’t hurry back, wandering around and finding the crowd quite interesting.
Hearing the local dialect gave Yuanyuan a sense of belonging. After all, she had lived here for twenty years; no other place could compare to this familiarity.
"If the kids have had enough fun by tomorrow, shall we leave then?"
"There’s nowhere else you’d like to visit?"
Yuanyuan shook her head with a smile, "No, there are no ties left here."
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