Chapter 159 City Streets 59

Chapter 159: The City's Daily Life 59

"Master, these are the tea-infused boba I made! Would you like to try them?"

It was raining today, so there were few customers in the shop. Liu Guyu took the opportunity to teach Zhang Pingan a few more things.

The young lad was diligent, eager to learn, and talented—he had already learned to make simple desserts.

Liu Guyu had just taught him how to make brown sugar pearls in the morning, and by the afternoon, he had already figured out how to make tea-flavored pearls on his own.

He picked fresh, tender tea leaves, brewed a light, yellowish-green, clear tea, crushed and dissolved sugar cubes, then poured boiling water into tapioca starch, kneaded the dough, and rolled it into pearl-sized balls.

After boiling, they turned a pale milky green, a beautiful color different from the brown sugar pearls and black sugar pearls he had made before.

Zhang Pingan also brewed a pot of milk tea, added the tea-flavored pearls, and served it to Liu Guyu.

Liu Guyu's eyes lit up. He ruffled Ping'an's hair and said cheerfully, "You clever boy! You're full of great ideas!"

Why hadn't he ever thought of making pearls in different colors before? This kid Ping'an really had a talent for this line of work.

Liu Guyu took a couple sips. The pearls were chewy, the milk tea was subtly sweet with a light tea fragrance, and the flavor was rich.

"Tastes good. Bring two cups over for your father and your other father. They're free right now, so they can enjoy a drink and relax. You should take a break too."

He said this to Zhang Pingan.

The young lad nodded with a smile, poured two bowls of boba milk tea, and dashed out of the kitchen to deliver them to Zhang Yun and Tao Yu.

"Hmm? Young Ping'an, what is that you're drinking?"

The speaker was none other than Zheng Qiongshan, a regular customer at Liu's Eatery. He often came to the shop to eat and knew everyone there.

Zheng Qiongshan was an unassuming man, and few knew the true identity of Mr. Qiongshan. Even if he showed up openly at the eatery, no one would recognize him.

Several times, he had been eating at the eatery while students from Xiangshan Academy and Caotang Academy sat at nearby tables, discussing his new book, "Travels of Jiangzhou," completely unaware that the author himself was sitting right beside them.

The old gentleman had cheerfully exchanged a few words with them at the time, saying, "I think the green grape jelly dessert described in the book is the most delicious. It's a pity it's not green grape season now, otherwise you must try it!"

The students were surprised and turned to look at this unassuming, yet scholarly old gentleman.

One exclaimed, "Sir, you read Mr. Qiongshan's books too?!"

Mr. Qiongshan remained smiling, good-natured and in high spirits. He stroked his beard thoughtfully and replied cheerfully, "Yes, yes, I've read all his books. They're pretty well written, I'd say."

He was quite confident, even raising his eyebrows slightly.

The students gathered around, chattering excitedly:

"More than quite well-written—they're absolutely brilliant!"

"Indeed! Following Mr. Qiongshan's recommendations is always spot on! Besides here, the bamboo shoot and mushroom pickle from Granny Liu's and the land-and-sea dish from Ding's Eatery mentioned in the book are also delicious! The academy's cook changed, and the food isn't as good as before. Now I rotate between these spots to eat!"

"Absolutely! And Mr. Qiongshan's travel writing is my favorite too! The desert landscapes he describes are incredibly beautiful—it's a shame I can't go there myself! What a regret in life!"

"I think the Sunken Guanyin Grotto is the most amazing! Too bad my family is strict and won't let me travel far!"

…

Now, back to the present, Zheng Qiongshan was clearly someone who loved fun and good food. At this moment, he was staring intently at the boba milk tea in Zhang Pingan's cup, already getting tempted.

On a rainy day, the shop had only this one customer. Coincidentally, Liu Guyu had also stepped out of the kitchen, taking a breather, and happened to hear this.

He quickly said, "It's something new my apprentice made. It hasn't been served in the shop yet. If you like it, I'll have him pour you a cup to try; consider it our treat."

Zheng Qiongshan was a valued customer of the eatery. Not only did he spend a lot there himself, but his book "Travel Notes of Jiangzhou" had also attracted many new customers to the shop. Naturally, Liu Guyu wanted to treat him well.

Zheng Qiongshan was indeed craving it and didn't stand on ceremony. He nodded directly in agreement, stroking his beard with a twinkle in his eye. "Then this old man shall not decline your kind offer!"

Zhang Pingan was delighted. This was the first time he had made something new and served it to a customer, and he felt a great sense of accomplishment.

He carefully selected a green twin-handled bowl painted with lotus leaf patterns, poured a bowl with care, added two spoonfuls of tea-colored tapioca pearls, and finally sprinkled the surface with a spoonful of vibrant green matcha powder, finishing with an exquisite lotus leaf-shaped spoon.

"Oh my, it looks quite exquisite!" Zheng Qiongshan exclaimed.

After taking a sip with the spoon, he praised generously, "Delicious! There's a light tea fragrance! Liu Guyu, you've chosen your apprentice well—he truly carries on your legacy!"

Liu Guyu laughed without modesty, proudly saying, "You’ve got that right! This apprentice of mine is both clever and diligent. I really had to search far and wide to find him!"

Zheng Qiongshan was amused and laughed heartily.

Zhang Pingan also blushed. The young lad was only fourteen, young and thin-skinned. Teased by the two adults, he timidly said, "Thank you for the praise, sir," and slipped bashfully back into the kitchen.

Zhang Yun and Tao Yu exchanged smiles, naturally pleased. Who doesn't like hearing their child praised?

They thought to themselves, indeed, they had come to the right place!

After seeing Zheng Qiongshan off, Liu Guyu glanced at the sky outside. It was still early, but a fine, dense drizzle fell, slanting in the wind. It had been raining for half the day without any sign of stopping.

With Zheng Qiongshan gone, the shop was completely empty.

Liu Guyu took off his apron and said to Zhang Yun and his husband, "Let's call it a day here. I doubt we'll get any more customers. Pack up and head back early—who knows if the rain might get heavier and make it difficult to travel."

The married couple nodded in agreement. It was only then that Pingan obediently came out to offer an umbrella, his face still flushed.

Liu Guyu ruffled his apprentice's head, took the umbrella, and headed home.

He had closed early today and returned around four in the afternoon.

In spring, the vegetable garden at home had been put in order. Grape seeds had been sown under the trellis, and tender green shoots had broken through the soil, quietly emerging.

The garden was brimming with the vitality of spring, with all kinds of green vegetables growing lush and verdant.

Tender cucumbers hung from the vines, still with their yellow blossoms, with raindrops clinging to their petals. Peas and fava beans grew abundantly, their green vines densely twining around bamboo frames. In the farthest corner, tomatoes shone brightly. Though tucked away, their vivid color stood out like little red lanterns adorned with water droplets, impossible to miss.

Butterflies and bees fluttered around. Not long ago, Lucky had got curious and snapped at a bee, getting his mouth stung and swollen. He had hidden for days, too embarrassed to show his face.

Even the dog had his dignity.

"Eh? Guyu? Why are you back so early today?"

Hearing someone enter the yard, Cui Lanfang hurried out to look and was surprised for a moment to find it was Liu Guyu.

Liu Guyu replied, "It was raining today, and there weren’t many customers at the shop, so I closed early and came back."

He added, "I’ll take care of dinner tonight, Mom. You can rest."

He wanted to make something to send to Qin Rongshi.

Qin Rongshi was preparing for the provincial exam this year and was busy with his studies. Sometimes, even on his day off, he would go to the academy to hit the books, and he usually ate his meals there. Nowadays, Liu Guyu rarely got to see him.

Since he had closed the shop early today, he decided to prepare some food and bring it over so they could have a meal together.

Though he didn’t say it outright, Cui Lanfang could tell what he was thinking and was pleased to see the two getting along so well. She smiled and replied, "Alright, alright, you take care of it today. I’ll gladly take it easy."

No sooner said than done—Liu Guyu headed straight into the kitchen. Though Cui Lanfang had claimed she would laze around, she didn’t stay idle and went in to help light the fire and assist with preparations.

Liu Guyu was an experienced cook, and within half an hour, he had prepared a delicious meal.

He packed enough for two in an insulated food basket and said to Cui Lanfang, "Banban should be back soon. You and Banban can eat first, Mother. I’ll take some over for Erlang."

The rain hadn’t stopped yet, but it had lightened to a fine drizzle, settling like powdered sugar on one’s hair.

Liu Guyu carried the food basket, hitched up the mule, and took the main road to Xiangshan Academy.

It was a day off, so Qin Rongshi wasn’t in the dormitory but in the library.

Liu Guyu asked a couple of students for directions before finding his way to the library. He tiptoed inside, scanned the room quietly, and soon spotted Qin Rongshi sitting by the window.

Without making a sound, he crept over like a cat, reached out gently, and tugged Qin Rongshi’s hair.

Qin Rongshi turned his head immediately, his expression as cold as unmelted spring ice, but it thawed into a warm smile the moment he saw Liu Guyu, his eyes and the corners of his brows brimming with delight.

He stood up at once and asked gently, "What brings you here?"

Liu Guyu leaned slightly forward, tilting his head as he looked at Qin Rongshi. Then he shook the food basket in his hand, grinned, and said, "Students from Xiangshan Academy often come to the shop. I overheard them complaining that the food here isn’t good, so I brought you something to eat."

As the two grew closer, Qin Rongshi seemed to have grown accustomed to their intimacy. He instinctively reached for Liu Guyu’s hand but quickly pulled back, remembering they weren't alone.

Seated across from Qin Rongshi was Yang Su.

He and Qin Rongshi got along well. Though not as close as Xie Baozhu and Li Anyuan, he was one of the few students Qin Rongshi could talk to at Xiangshan Academy.

Yang Su, perceptive as always, stood up and said softly, "I can smell that delicious food even from here! You're making me hungry. Well, Qin, Liu, I'll leave you to it. Enjoy your meal!"

He bowed to them, and Qin Rongshi returned the gesture while Liu Guyu nodded in acknowledgment.

Once Yang Su was gone, Qin Rongshi quietly took Liu Guyu’s hand, gathered his books from the table, and said, "I'll take you outside. We can’t eat here."

Eating was prohibited in the library, which housed thousands of books, to avoid damaging them. However, since students often lost track of time while studying, the academy had set up an outer hall with tables and chairs specifically for eating and resting.

Liu Guyu tilted his head to look at the books Qin Rongshi was putting away. Seeing that he seemed to be copying from a book, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, "This looks like a pretty obscure text. Is this really on the imperial exams?"

Qin Rongshi didn't look up from his task, smiling as he explained, "There are always a few unconventional questions in each exam, so I'm just being thorough."

Liu Guyu didn’t press the point, his attention already returning to the food. He tugged on Qin Rongshi’s sleeve and urged, "Let’s eat first, before the food gets cold."

Qin Rongshi nodded and led Liu Guyu to the outer hall, where they sat facing each other.

He watched as Liu Guyu opened the food basket and carefully laid out the delicious-looking dishes one by one, a faint smile lingering in his eyes.

"The broad beans are growing so well and plentifully—if we don’t eat them soon, they’ll spoil in the field! So I picked some and made broad bean and cured meat rice. It’s got a crispy, golden crust—so fragrant!"

"I also made stir-fried spring bamboo shoots, chive and egg stir-fry, and shepherd’s purse tofu soup."

As he talked, he served the rice, then added anxiously, "Quick, try it before it gets cold!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Qin Rongshi reached out and gently took hold of the light green headband swaying with Liu Guyu’s movements.

Liu Guyu: "Huh?"

Outside, the spring rain continued to fall, and Qin Rongshi’s voice, clear and gentle, flowed like a spring stream.

"Did you get caught in the rain on the way? Your headband is wet."

Liu Guyu adjusted his headband. Then he lifted his hair to show Qin Rongshi, shaking the ends as he said, "If I’d been caught in the rain, how could only the headband be wet and not my hair?"

"I brought an umbrella, and the mule cart I took has a canopy to block the rain."

But he still noticed Qin Rongshi frowning slightly, his expression troubled.

Liu Guyu reached out with both hands and rubbed Qin Rongshi’s face vigorously, saying, "Why are you frowning at such a young age?"

Qin Rongshi grasped Liu Guyu’s wrists, letting his hands rest on his face. He looked up at Liu Guyu, his eyes sparkling with a soft light, his brow relaxed.

He chuckled softly and said, "Part of me wants to tell you not to trouble yourself, but the other part just wants to see you. It's a hard dilemma."