"Here, oy."
'Finally!' Mu Xinyi's eyes sparkle seeing a big bowl of Wonton Soup in front of her - one of her favourites that only Tai's could fit her taste.
Slurp. She licked her mouth. The meals looked appetising, and the smell was enchanting enough, making her tummy growl again.
Tak. A cup of tea landed on her table. "On the houses, oy."
A smile forms on her mouth as a reply to Tai's kindness. Then, she began to eat immediately.
Without realising her action is being watched by someone else, she eats like there was no tomorrow.
It was Mang We Jing…
Mang We Jing, who had just arrived, ordered three bowls of Xiao Long Bao, soup dumplings. Different from his orders, he actually only had a cup of tea – All the foods go to An Rong and Buchang to fill their stomach. He did not feel like eating. Besides, his true motive is to look for the man he saw before, not to enjoy the food.
As soon as he found the figure he was looking for, Mang We Jing's eyes fixed on him.
'That man look similar to the young man I met before,' Thought him remembering a shabby man he saw at Hépíng street a week before.
'They look a bit different, but their smile is similar…'
'…even though now it's on a clean face, not the dirty one…' He convinced himself, wanting to believe in what he saw, he cannot possibly forget it—the smile that had been stuck in his head since he came back from the war.
*****
After finishing eating, I sat down at the corner of the stall, behind me was an old wooden pole. I petted my bouncy stomach while looking somewhere not far away.
'That red-brown restaurant still got the knack.'
I observed the restaurant's surroundings.
'I've been at Tai's stall for almost one hour, but people didn't stop going in and out. Look like the business is going well regardless of their—'
"What? Don't tell me you want to abandon me, oy…" a sudden voice interrupted my immersed thought.
"Ha-ha. Tai, what you're saying?" I smiled innocently.
'…. But, is it too obvious that I'm looking there?'
"Ciss, oy! I saw you've been looking at that restaurant for a while."
Tai's statement shocked me, but I controlled my expression. I did not want Tai to think my action was weird.
'It seems I too relax today. Even Tai notice my action obviously.'
I just throw my usual smile at him.
"Don't you want to taste the food there, oy? Well, even though you said only my food suits your taste," Tai sounds depressed.
Hahaha. My big tummy felt tickled. The way Tai mumbles and pouting, it was really cute. The old man that usually appears fierce, pouting…who can hold it in? Well…I cannot…
"Erm…do you think your cooking could win theirs, Tai?" I asked bluntly.
"Huh?! Who do you think I am? Of course, I can! This, see this golden hand oy!" he showed his palm while patting on it.
'Bah! Look at him, being proud all alone. Lucky for him that his cooking was mouth-watering. If not...'
I looked into his eyes, "But it doesn't harm to try it, right?"
Tai sighed heavily but he did not give up on playing along with me, "If you try their food, you, yourself would get harmed later, oy. It's better not to go there oy, I swear on my life, even their food taste like gold, I would never set my foot there oy."
Hearing that nag, I just looked at Tai while smiling lightly.
'Tai, this old man, his hand is faster than his mouth. Even though he is blabbering, he still cooking as usual.'
With a dark heart inside, I planned to disturb him who cook near me – his kitchen just right beside me. My desire to tease him rises, "But if the food is delicious, why not—"
I quickly closed my mouth. Tai's expression changed while holding the knife he uses to chop the scallions. Pang! A part of the scallion fell at my feet.
Gulp. 'He is definitely really annoyed. It's better for me to go now.'
Dash. I sprinted, "See you later, Tai!"
*****
'Hmm. That restaurant, it was the restaurant that Buchang suggested earlier. It was not here in the past…'
'…but…you yourself would get harm… and swear to never set foot there? Why?'
Too lazy to think, I asked Buchang, maybe he would know something about it, "Buchang, that restaurant you mentioned before, tell me about it."
"You mean that red-brown one? Three Star Restaurant?"
"Yes, what is 'it'?"
"Ah…actually I too, don't really know, but I do know people said the food there tastes like heaven."
Pak.
"Ouch!" Buchang exaggerated. He rubbed his head that was smacked lightly in the back by An Rong.
"Then why did you suggest we go there when you don't know anything about it?" An Rong snickered, "You're not just slow but also stupid." A satisfied face was shown.
"What…stupid? I just want Wei Jing to eat delicious food, that's all!" Grrr. Buchang opened his mouth and bared his teeth; warning An Rong that he is not afraid to bite that hand again.
"Haaah? You want him to eat it or you, yourself want to?" sarcastically, he asked Buchang. Perhaps An Rong still did not get enough in teasing Buchang.
'Hmm. Buchang is useless. Why do even I ask him when I know he is not that reliable for this type of thing?'
'Hmm? Well, well, looked at that. They bicker again. Even though they did not see each other for years, they are still like before.'
I smiled a bit – amused myself with An Rong and Buchang, who behave like kids.
'Still, this is troublesome. The restaurant that I know nothing of seems quite suspicious. I, a warrior prince, who protects this country, it's impossible to let this go!'
I looked at the stall boss. After a short thought, I asked him, "Boss! Can I ask you something?"
"Huh? What, oy?" He answered with his back on us while cleaning the empty table left by the customer. It was rude of him but, I ignored it since, at that moment, I am not the prince, Mang We Jing.
Besides, I felt delighted with the rudeness because he was willing to respond despite doing his chores.
'Ha. Luck is on my side! There were only a few people left. Just one at the left and two at the right table. It's easier for me to get the answer.'
"Three Star Restaurant, what–"
"There's one door but many guards. Two pieces of paper as the contract." My talk was immediately cut off by him.
'What is that restaurant…?' I felt curious, I wanted to know further but-
"Hah? One door… and what's more contract? Guarding the restaurant is not weird since the restaurant is a big one and has its own prestige, but why the contract?" – An Rong was asking the owner first.
'He must be wondering why there should be a contract to enter the restaurant...Well, of course, I, too, never heard of such a thing. Something that a restaurant wouldn't need to.'
"First, when you enter the restaurant, your information is not safe. Second, anything being talked about or done in the restaurant is not safe. Third, if you..."
"By 'not safe'… you mean they will die?"
"You're saying like ones will die once they enter the restaurant. Hahaha! That's funny, oy." The stall echoed with loud laughter.