Mother Zhao looked at the back of her daughter and shook her head. "Are you sure you are assuring me and not yourself?"
"Anyway, come on inside. We are already here now." Saying this, Mother Zhao lead the way and Zhao Yuhui doubtfully followed her.
She wasn't sure about her decision to come here anymore. But her gloominess vanished and was replaced by awe when they were hit by a spicy aroma!
All the tables were filled, and a different kind of hustle-bustle was going here. At one table, a family of four was merrily eating their dinner whereas, at the other, a group of friends seemed to be celebrating together. The waiters were moving here and there, sometimes for serving something or another time to pick up empty plates.
If it's outer appearance shouted desolation, from inside it yelled jubilation!
A waiter noticed them standing at the entrance looking dazed, so he approached them. "Good evening! Do you have a booking because all the seats are already taken? If you want, you can wait for some time!" He was a boy at the end of his teens who was definitely working part-time here.
"We have a booking."
"Oh? From which number?" He took out his phone and asked her to fill in her number.
"Right, you do. Let me take you there." The boy checked their room number and took them to the third floor through the stairs. "I am sorry because this place is very old, we don't have a lift here!" The boy smiled apologetically.
"No worries about that. We both are young so we can walk up the stairs without any problem."
Zhao Yuhui threw her mother an astonished look before dealing to hide the second-hand embarrassment she felt. From where did her mother assume that she was still young?
Unbelievable!
The waiter chuckled softly, "Yes, you are right."
If the ground floor was like some regular place, then the second floor gave an elegant vibe. It looked perfect for dates.
The third floor, where they were taken was filled with private rooms. He brought them to room number eight and spoke. "This one is your room! You may sit inside and check the menu. After deciding on the dishes, please dial the code 01 on the landline to give an order."
"Thank You! You were a great help."
As Zhao Yuhui looked at the going back of the waiter, she murmured, "I wasn't expecting it to have such a luxurious interior."
"That's why they say one must never judge the book by it's cover." Mother Zhao mocked deliberately because she was proud of herself that she hadn't commented on anything about the restaurant earlier.
Zhao Yuhui closed her eyes and muttered under her breath. "As if you weren't thinking the same."
"I heard that."
"It was meant to be heard."
Zhao Yuhui quickly decided what she wanted to eat after looking through the menu only once whereas her mother was taking all the time in the world.
"Mom! At least let me place the order till you decide." She whined.
"No! Do you want to bother them repeatedly to bring our dishes up the stairs?"
Zhao Yuhui wanted to say they were being paid for it but she kept her mouth shut seeing her mother's lips turning into a scowl. It was going to take a long time!
She roamed her eyes around the room which was painted yellow. There was karaoke too. Too bad, she can't sing because she didn't wish for her throat to get sore.
"Ok, I have decided. Let's order."
"Finally!" Heaving a small thank you, Zhao Yuhui dialled the code and placed the order.
When they were waiting, Mother Zhao recalled the gossip she heard from their neighbour and began recounting that to Zhao Yuhui with deep interest reflecting through her eyes.
If Zhao Yuhui had to be honest, she was least interested in such gossips because they brought the hell of boredom around her but since her mother liked talking about these with her, she ended up listening every time.
*Knock Knock*
Zhao Yuhui left her seat to open the door and let the waiter inside. He placed the dishes on the table and quickly set the hotpot on small induction. Before rushing back, he told them to dial the code if they needed something else.
"It smells nice!"
Mother Zhao spoke as she stirred the ingredients in the soup.
After some time, Zhao Yuhui couldn't wait anymore hence detached her chopsticks and initiated eating.
"Ummm! It is so tasty!!" Zhao Yuhui squealed.
Mother Zhao watched her daughter behaving like a child at this age and began eating after mumbling something that went unheard.
Among them, Mother Zhao was the first one to put her bowl down and clasped her fingers together to put her chin on it.
"Mom? You ate so little...you should eat more!"