CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 20 GOING TO A RESTAURANT_1

An extra chunky Chapter, asking for all kinds of votes.

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Lian Manman could now see clearly that the two people were indeed Lian Shouren and Lian Shouyi. Weren’t they supposed to come to town to repay their debt? Why were they at the restaurant, drunk as lords? Why weren’t they with Lian Shouxin, and what was Temple Back Street?

Lian Manman was full of questions, and the other three children felt the same way.

"Dad, why isn’t Dad with Uncle and Second Uncle?" Xiao Qi whispered.

"I think we should ask around," said Lian Manman.

The waiter who had just escorted Lian Shouren and Lian Shouyi out was still standing outside the restaurant. Lian Manman and Wu Lang approached him together.

"Big brother, were those two drinking at your restaurant?" Wu Lang pointed at the departing sedan and asked.

"Yes, why, do you know them?" The waiter, who was a chatterbox, responded kindly upon seeing that the inquirers were a boy and a girl with shaved heads, both looking clean and tidy in their clothes.

"They look very familiar from the back, just like the two men who came to find my father this morning and went out with him," said Lian Manman.

"Those two guests came on their own, without anyone else," the waiter replied, "so they must not be the ones you’re looking for."

"But I’m sure it was them; perhaps they split up from my dad just now and, after having a drink, went to find my dad." Lian Manman said.

"Yeah, big brother, do you know where they went?" Wu Lang asked.

"To Temple Front Street," the waiter said, his expression turning strange.

"Temple Front Street?"

"You kids shouldn’t be asking about that place. Let me tell you, I overheard those two guests talking earlier. They went to Temple Front Street to find someone, but it was definitely not your father."

As the waiter spoke, he started to walk back inside. By chance, another waiter came out and caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Those two guests said they were going to find Sister Panqian. Looking at how they were dressed, it’s a wonder they have the money—that Sister Panqian’s place is a real goldmine."

Wu Lang’s face turned red after a moment’s thought, and he quickly pulled Lian Manman back, pushing their cart away.

"Did you find out anything? Where is Dad?" Lian Zhizhi asked.

Wu Lang kept his head down and pushed the cart in silence.

Lian Manman, watching Wu Lang’s reaction, guessed that he was suspecting Lian Shouxin might have gone to the place of pleasure.

"Dad isn’t with Uncle and Second Uncle. Dad must have had something else to do. Uncle and Second Uncle don’t include Dad when they drink, and if they are going somewhere else to spend money, they’re even less likely to bring Dad along," Lian Manman deliberately said to reassure him.

After hearing Lian Manman’s words, Wu Lang’s face brightened once again.

Lian Manman observed the changes in Wu Lang’s expression and thought to herself that concern can lead to chaos, deciding not to say more.

After just a few steps, they arrived at the entrance of Chen’s.

"Let’s just buy a few buns and eat outside," said Lian Zhizhi.

Lian Manman disagreed, as Chen’s was just an ordinary bun shop and they could afford to eat inside with the money they had.

"We’ve never eaten out before," said Lian Zhizhi.

"The boss bought only two buns last time and ate them outside," Xiao Qi said. On market days, with several times more customers than usual, food shops like Chen’s would fence off an area in front of the shop, set up tables, and serve customers.

Chen’s waiter saw several children standing at the door, all dressed in coarse but clean clothes and behaving confidently. He invited them in.

"If you’d like some buns, please come inside. Our buns at Chen’s are famous in every town for eight miles around... Leave the cart aside; someone from our shop will keep an eye on it. It won’t get lost," he said.

"Okay," Lian Manman nodded.

Wu Lang placed the flat cart aside, and all the children entered the shop together. They sat down at a table by the window that allowed them to keep an eye on their cart outside, which put them at ease.

Scattered throughout the shop were a few customers. When Lian Manman saw that there weren’t just buns but also steamed bread and noodles, she asked the waiter what kind of food they had.

"We have freshly baked white flour buns, white flour steamed bread, white flour noodles..." the waiter introduced their offerings.

"What fillings do the buns have?"

"There’s pork with Chinese cabbage, and another with a pork ball. The pork with Chinese cabbage is one wen each, and the one with the pork ball is two wen each."

"We’ll take six buns with pork balls, two with meat and cabbage, a bowl of braised meat, and a dish of pickles," Lian Manman ordered and then asked, "Waiter, do you have any soup?"