novelraw Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Chapter 116: I Don’t Want to Eat Xia Li
The teahouse run by Fang Xia was right next to the apartment complex.
The storefronts here faced the street. Although the location was a bit off the main street, the biggest advantage of this small street was the designated parking spaces.
Teahouses and restaurants, businesses that require long-term parking, have a high demand for parking spaces.
Often, the availability of parking can determine the success of a business.
Xia Li looked around outside the teahouse before entering.
The teahouse was bustling with activity. At a glance, there were no empty seats. Because the air conditioning inside was set to a high temperature, all the tea drinkers had taken off their coats, their faces flushed as they talked, looking very excited.
This teahouse was quite large, occupying a total of four storefronts and split into two floors.
In Sichuan, teahouses are the favorite form of entertainment for the older generation. Drinking tea is secondary; the main attraction is competing in card games.
To put it simply, it’s a place for playing mahjong. With young people entering the consumer market, teahouses are becoming more and more youthful, and Fang Xia has been constantly making changes to adapt to the market.
The last time Xia Li came, he even saw two free arcade machines at the entrance. Fang Xia said it was a form of entertainment for the guests’ children. This method not only prevented the kids from running around but also encouraged some of them to beg their parents to come and play cards so they could play a couple of rounds of King of Fighters.
Xia Li’s comment on this was: Awesome.
Turning enemies into friends.
Now, two months later, Xia Li not only saw the arcade machines but also a…shelf next to them, filled with snacks and drinks for sale.
“They’ve moved a convenience store into the teahouse…”
Xia Li couldn’t help but sigh.
Until he saw the transparent glass window next to the shelf. Behind the window was a kitchen, with a catering license hanging above it, and a chef wearing a tall hat was tossing a wok.
Alright.
Now they’ve even added catering.
Sometimes you can’t help but feel old.
Nowadays, entertainment venues focus on convenience and speed, preferably with everything from food and drinks to entertainment all in one place. Internet cafes frequented by young people have gradually been upgraded to internet cafes with catering. Unexpectedly, even teahouses for the older generation are updating and iterating.
With Xiao Xia’s business acumen, Xia Li felt that he could definitely learn something from her.
“How many people? Do you want a poker room or a mahjong room?”
Just as Xia Li was standing at the entrance, looking around, a familiar voice came from behind him.
He turned around and said politely, “I’m looking for someone…”
“Who are you looking for?”
The person stood next to Xia Li, wearing a camel-colored wool coat, a head shorter than Xia Li, but with the same deep black eyes.
“I’m looking for Xiao Xia,” Xia Li nodded.
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Xia grabbed his arm.
“You little rascal, getting bolder! Come here, come here.”
The woman in front of him was dressed very fashionably, her permed hair held up with a butterfly clip. Perhaps because she was smiling, even though she was in her forties, she looked much younger.
Fang Xia patted her son’s arm, as if afraid he was missing a limb, and after checking both his arms, she snorted.
“Have you been working out? You’ve changed so much. I haven’t seen you for two months, but it feels like years.” Fang Xia muttered.
Xia Li smiled wryly, feeling a little sour in his nose.
Fang Xia was still as sharp as ever.
His mother was the only one who felt like years had passed since she last saw him.
“I’ve been training for two months. How is it? Do I look a lot stronger than before?” Xia Li said with a smile.
“You sure do. You used to be so small, like a duckling, this tall.” Fang Xia said, gesturing with her hand to the level of her ribs.
Xia Li said helplessly, “That was my height in elementary school. You’re exaggerating.”
“No exaggeration, you’ll always be a little one in my eyes.”
Fang Xia pulled Xia Li’s arm and looked behind him.
Although Xia Li had replied last night saying that his girlfriend wouldn’t be coming back with him this time, Fang Xia still held a glimmer of hope.
But after seeing no one there, her cheerful smile cooled down visibly.
Xia Li: “…”
As expected of a Sichuan woman, her face-changing skills were truly remarkable.
“Mom, it’s almost noon. Let’s go back and eat.”
Xia Li glanced at his phone, remembering that there was a dragon waiting for him at home, so he quickly urged her.
Fang Xia rolled her eyes at him, and the warm scene between mother and son vanished.
“Just you alone? What’s the point of me going back to cook? We can just grab something outside.”
“…Going to a restaurant is fine too.” Xia Li had no choice.
He had originally come back to see his parents and enjoy his mom’s cooking after a long time.
Now, Fang Xia had no intention of cooking lunch.
“When are you going to bring her back?”
“Next time, for sure,” Xia Li replied.
It was rare for her son to come back, and she cherished him, but in Fang Xia’s eyes, there was something even more precious that she hadn’t seen and longed for.
Fang Xia took Xia Li to a Sichuan restaurant next to the teahouse. The owner of the restaurant was also an old acquaintance of hers. As they walked in, people greeted them one after another, making it feel like a celebrity entrance.
Xia Li followed Fang Xia to a small private room and found that the dishes were already served.
There were ten dishes in total, sweet and sour fish, pickled pepper rabbit, spicy chicken, all Xia Li’s favorites.
Fang Xia probably didn’t have time to cook so many dishes for lunch and wanted Xia Li to try them all, so she specially brought him to the restaurant.
She even calculated the time of Xia Li’s arrival, so the restaurant could serve the dishes in advance.
These were all his mother’s meticulous little thoughts.
This woman was a classic example of being tough on the outside but soft on the inside.
“How’s the food over there? Are you eating properly?”
As soon as they sat down, Fang Xia was quiet for only half a minute before her mouth started chattering again.
◈◈◈
She stared at Xia Li, scrutinizing him up and down with a look that could only be described as judging a beggar.
An unemployed, poor college graduate was practically a beggar, after all.
Fang Xia squinted at Xia Li, making him feel uncomfortable.
Xiao Xia, who are you looking down on!
“I have my own money…and Little Lu cooks for me.”
“Little Lu cooks?” Fang Xia keenly sensed something.
“No, not…she cooks for me occasionally. When she cooks, I’m in charge of washing the dishes. Of course, I’m also responsible for the other cleaning.” Xia Li quickly explained.
In Fang Xia’s mind, he was already the culprit who exploited the young girl, and talking about this topic now would easily deepen the misunderstanding.
“What do you usually eat?”
“She’s from another province and can’t eat spicy food, so we usually eat very light…”
Xia Li didn’t dare to reveal the menu.
The dishes Lucia made for him were either cabbage or radish, or eggplant, potatoes, and cauliflower. He was practically eating grass every meal.
“You be more diligent with the housework and don’t be lazy and stay cooped up all day.”
“I know…”
“Do you still have money?”
“Yes, yes.”
Xia Li thought to himself, I have small amounts, but not large ones. Before they could talk for long, his phone vibrated twice.
He picked it up and saw that Mrs. Fang had transferred 5,000 yuan.
Mom, you’re the best.
Xia Li looked up with some emotion, and Fang Xia snorted.
“This is for Little Lu.”
“Oh…”
They had only been sitting for a few minutes when, after a phone call from Fang Xia, Old Xia came huffing and puffing.
Now that the dishes on the table were almost all served, the family of three didn’t stand on ceremony and started eating as soon as the rice was brought up.
“Wait!”
Xia Li suddenly reached out and stopped his parents.
The old couple looked at him strangely.
Xia Li calmly raised his phone and took a picture of the delicious food on the square table.
“To show Little Lu,” he said cheerfully.
Fang Xia retorted, “You’re just trying to tempt her. She doesn’t even have food to eat at home, and you’re showing this to her…”
Fang Xia’s tone was disapproving, but she didn’t mind this kind of behavior from young people in love.
She paused and asked, “What’s Little Lu eating at home for lunch?”
“Instant…”
Xia Li subconsciously wanted to say instant noodles, but he felt that these two words would definitely be a landmine with Fang Xia.
“I made her some brown sugar water…she’s not feeling well these two days.”
After a brief explanation, his phone vibrated again. Xia Li didn’t say anything more and immediately replied to the message.
Fang Xia snorted and motioned for Old Xia, who had no say in the matter, to start eating.
“Let’s eat first, don’t wait for this kid!”
Girlfriend: What’s this?
Summer Dawn: My lunch today.
Girlfriend: 『color』
In WeChat’s default emojis, 『color』 is an expression with eyes popping out and drooling, probably signifying a craving for food in Lucia’s eyes.
Xia Li realized that he had never taken Lucia to a Chinese restaurant like this.
Their meals usually didn’t exceed three dishes. The ten dishes on this table should be the most extravagant scale Lucia had ever seen.
Actually, thinking about it carefully, Fang Xia was right.
Leaving his girlfriend at home and coming out to eat a big meal by himself was too cruel.
Girlfriend: What’s this?
Lucia sent a screenshot. It was a picture of the food Xia Li had casually taken earlier. In the center of the photo was a plate of pickled peppers and diced meat.
The meat cubes were very small, and the little bones didn’t look like pork or chicken.
Summer Dawn: Rabbit, little white rabbit.
Xia Li found a picture of a rabbit online and sent it over. To create a stronger contrast, he specially chose a cute pet rabbit photo.
If it were an ordinary girl, she would probably say something like ‘Rabbits are so cute, how can you eat them?’…
However, Lucia’s style was definitely different.
Girlfriend: 『color』『color』『color』
Summer Dawn: …
Give me a different emoji!
Summer Dawn: If you want to eat it, I’ll pack some and bring it back.
After sending this message, Xia Li paused, thinking that it was too cruel to pack leftovers and bring them back to feed his girlfriend, so he withdrew the message and sent it again.
Summer Dawn: If you want to eat it, I’ll buy it for you.
Girlfriend: I don’t want to eat Xia Li.
Summer Dawn: If you want to eat it, I’ll buy it for you!
Girlfriend: Oh…then I want two.
Girlfriend: 『color』