Chapter 40 - The Search For An Apartment (1)

Even though they had been in the sleeper car, they still weren’t able to sleep very well on the train. Both children were exhausted. Shu Yan didn’t let them go to sleep right away. She had Ye Jingjing watch Ye Tianbao while she went and bought two bowls of wonton.

The portion size was substantial back in the 90s, and two bowls were enough for the three of them.

***

It was already the afternoon when they woke up. She had no idea what time it was without a watch or cellphone. The two kids were still sleeping and Shu Yan woke them up. If they slept too much in the day time, they wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at night.

“Mom,” said Ye Jingjing softly as she rubbed her eyes.

“C’mon, get up. Mom will take you out to get some lunch.”

In contrast, Ye Tianbao’s temper was much worse. He threw a fit after he was woken up. Shu Yan coaxed him a little and helped him change.

“What do you feel like?” Shu Yan was very familiar with this area, but that was dozens or so years later. She wasn’t entirely familiar with what it was like currently, luckily things didn’t change too much in this area.

She found the restaurant in her memory but the owner was a different person. Shu Yan felt a little bit disappointed.

The original owner of this restaurant was from City Xi. Most of her colleagues from the north liked to dine there. Listening to the couple talking to each other in City Xi’s dialect, Shu Yan found out that they were also from City Xi, but their dishes had already turned to City Nan’s style.

“Mommy, so sweet,” said Ye Tianbao after he took a bite. He wanted to spit it back out but he didn’t dare.

Back in his old home, he’d just spit out whatever he didn’t like and grandma would coax him to eat a little bit. After he had spent the last few days in City Xi with his mother, he learned that if he spit it out and refused to eat it, his mother would really leave him alone. After he had gone hungry a few times, he had learned his lesson.

Shu Yan tried a bite and it was alright for her. She has, after all, lived in City Nan for a while and had grown used to it. But it would be more difficult for the two children having it for the first time.

“Boss, the dishes that had not yet been served can you switch them to City Xi’s taste?” She had overlooked that. She thought it was just the owners that were different. She hadn’t expected the food to taste different as well.

“Young sister is from City Xi also?” The boss lady asked passionately as she brought the dishes out.

“Yes. It’s not too bad for me; I can eat anything. It was the first time these two are having City Nan’s cuisine.” Shu Yan saw the dishes in the boss lady’s hand and said, “Oh, if it’s already done then never mind. Can you add another regular dish from City Xi?”

In a friendly manner, the boss lady said, “We have late lunch working in a restaurant and are just about to have lunch. We’ve made a lot of food. You can have some if you don’t mind.”

Of course she wouldn’t mind. Shu Yan thanked the boss lady. Before long, the boss lady returned with a large plate of food. On the plate, there was a combination of three different dishes.

“I gave you a little bit of everything. Let me know if that’s not enough.” It wasn’t everyday that she ran into someone from City Xi; the boss lady was particularly happy that day.

It had an authentic northwestern taste, and both children liked that a lot better. Shu Yan tried a couple bites of that before returning to the dishes from before. She could eat both styles, might as well save the City Xi ones for her children.

“Mom, you have some too,” said Ye Jingjing when she noticed that Shu Yan didn’t touch the dish from the boss lady much.

That’s why they always said daughters paid more attention to details. Shu Yan smiled, put a chopstick full of meat in her daughter's bowl and said, “Mom prefers sweeter dishes. You and your brother can have these.” Then, she put a chopstick full of food into the staring Ye Tianbao’s bowl. “You have more too and grow up quickly. That way you can protect your mom and sister.”

“Protect mom and sister?” He had never heard these words before. Grandma had always told him that mom and sister were not part of the family. They were there to serve him and must listen to him.

“Yes, mom and sister are girls and Tianbao, as a brave hero, must protect us.” The child was still young and would learn what he was taught. He had been warped by the elder Mrs. Ye before. Luckily, it wasn’t too late to bring him back.