Since morning, Xiangbei hadn't eaten anything and had said everything she needed to. She decided to fill her stomach and then go to Fuhai Building to teach Zhong Shu how to make some new dishes. It would be perfect to wait for Cheng Ge to return home together. So, she stood up, took everything out of the basket on her back, left it for Qiao Er, and waited for him to come out.
When Qiao Er came out after collecting the samples, he was holding two blue porcelain flowerpots and handed them to Xiangbei. "Miss Tong, these are bonsais that several merchants from Guangzhou who run to Nanyang gave to me. The green leaves and red fruits look exquisite. Take them home and place them by the window. It's already spring, and these silkworm seeds are just sprouting. Keep them for now; if they're not enough, I'll send someone to collect more from the outskirts of Beijing."
"Enough, enough, Mr. Qiao. Have you ever eaten this bonsai? Do you like it?" Xiangbei was completely uninterested in what he was saying. She instinctively took the silkworm seeds and focused on the pot of screw-shaped, slender red peppers and another pot of bright red tomatoes.
"Don't call me Mr. Qiao. You can call me Qiao Ziqiu or Qiao Er, either is fine. This is for viewing, not eating. Especially that chili, it's poisonous. Those who eat it will experience swelling, pain, and unbearable agony. Remember, do not taste it."
"Understood, understood, Brother Ziqiu. I'm Tong Xiangbei. You can call me Beibei or Xiaobei, and Dad calls me that too. Do you have any other bonsais? Did those Nanyang merchants bring you any other interesting things?"
"They came to place an order today and gave these two bonsais as a gift, saying that the fruits are just turning red, wanting to bring some good luck. Their ship is anchored in Haifang City. When they come next time to view the samples and place an order, I'll ask them to bring some rare items."
"Great, great. Just remember not to forget, especially those uncommon crops."
As they walked south while talking, Xiangbei was still immersed in the wild excitement. It wasn't until they reached the front of Fuhai Building that she suddenly realized, "Why did we end up here while talking? Aren't there other eateries or snacks in town?"
"This is the largest in town. We can get a private room, and you can eat and write the contract at the same time. It's also convenient to ask Cheng, the shopkeeper, to be a witness, so we won't have to make an extra trip to the town's government office."
"Oh, that's fine. Here, help me with these. I'll go talk to Uncle Zhong for a moment." When Xiangbei handed the porcelain pots to Qiao Er, a figure flashed in between. Taking the bonsais abruptly, he burst out with a torrent of words, "Are you selling medicine? Selling medicine and still bringing flowers? Laughing and fooling around with a strange man on the street. Don't you know anything about female etiquette?"
Qiao Er unexpectedly looked towards the person in front of him. The face of this thousand-year-old glacier was now full of anger and frustration. Putting aside the astonishment deep in his heart, he stepped back a bit, bowed and spoke, "Eas—"
"I'll take these things inside. Brother Ziqiu, long time no see. Today, we must drink a few cups." Before Qiao Er could finish saying "East," he was interrupted by Cheng Mo, who grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs. He also instructed Xiangbei, "Uncle Zhong has been looking for you. He's currently at the counter."
So, the two of them were quite familiar. Xiangbei shrugged and went to find Uncle Zhong. At this moment, Qiao Er was also feeling a bit puzzled. Were he and this cold and mysterious Mo Wang so familiar? Long time no see? Didn't they meet last week when he took over the grocery store? After being dragged into the Tianzi Elegant Pavilion and seated, Cheng Mo lowered his voice and instructed him, "You can only call me Young Master Cheng, not using my last name, not calling me Wang. Do you understand?"
"Do you know Beibei? She doesn't know your identity, does she?"
"Beibei? You call her Beibei?" Before the words fell, the figure in front of him flashed like the wind. Qiao Er seemed to understand something, but was it possible?