Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 235 The Little Tavern on Qianmen Street

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, in a small courtyard on Dongxinglong Street.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the desk beside it. Lin Yan was lounging lazily back in his chair, flipping through a yellowed book of array formations. Wang Yuling brought in a steaming bowl of Laba porridge.

"Young Master, have some Laba porridge! It's freshly made, keep it hot." Wang Yuling gently placed the bowl on the corner of the desk.

"Just leave it there, I'll drink it later." Lin Yan replied casually without looking up, his gaze still fixed on the pages of the book.

After Wang Yuling quietly withdrew, Lin Yan appeared to be reading a book, but in reality, he had already connected with Lin Yi and Lin Er with his divine sense.

"Lin Yi, Lin Er, why haven't you two finished your little mess yet? If you don't come back soon, it'll be New Year's Day tomorrow." Lin Yan was unusually impatient.

Soon, Lin Yi's calm response rang in his mind: "Young Master, don't rush. After we finish dealing with the last few loose ends in Europe, Lin Er and I will set off immediately. We will definitely be back tonight."

"Alright," Lin Yan said casually, "I mainly want to set off some big fireworks, and I wanted to invite you two to join me!"

"Large fireworks?" Lin Yi's voice carried a hint of doubt. "Young Master, what kind of grand fireworks display is this that requires us to rush back?" Knowing his young master as he did, Lin Yi was afraid that his adolescent delusions had kicked in again.

Lin Yan revealed a sly glint, as if he had just pulled off a prank: "It's a secret! You'll find out later!"

After severing his divine senses, Lin Yan put down the book in his hand and imagined the scene when the so-called "giant fireworks" exploded. He couldn't help but smile.

Little Qi lay on the soft cushion beside it, burying its head in another small bowl and slurping down Laba porridge. When it was full, it lifted its head, its face covered in porridge, looking like a painted face from a traditional opera. It licked its lips contentedly, then started smearing its porridge-covered paws haphazardly on its face, trying to "wash" itself off. But the more it smeared, the stickier it became, successfully giving itself a "porridge-covered face."

Looking at its comical and disgusting appearance, Lin Yan's earlier "ferocious" demeanor vanished instantly, and he frowned in disgust.

"Little Seven, are you going out to play today?" he teased it on purpose.

With its face covered in porridge, Xiaoqi cheerfully replied, "Okay, brother!" and then tried to pounce on Lin Yan, wanting to rub its "paste-covered face" against him.

Lin Yan quickly reached out and patted its sticky little head, changing his mind without hesitation: "Forget it, I think you should just stay home and let Sister Yuling give you a bath today. We can talk about playing another day."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqi hurriedly assured him:

"Brother! I'll go wash up right away! I'll be quick! Wait for me, you must wait for me!"

Before the words were even finished, and without waiting for Lin Yan's reply, as if afraid he would change his mind, it darted out of the room in a flash, leaving behind only a trail of sticky little paw prints.

Watching its hurried retreating figure, Lin Yan picked up the bowl of Laba porridge and began to savor it spoonful by spoonful. The porridge was cooked to perfection, the rice grains were soft and sticky, and it was mixed with the sweet aroma of red dates, lotus seeds, and beans, warming both the stomach and the heart.

He hadn't even finished his bowl of porridge when he heard a rapid "tap tap tap" of running outside. Immediately afterward, a small white dumpling, exuding the fresh scent of soapberry, rushed in, making a small slip on the smooth floor because it was running so fast.

It had clearly been thoroughly cleaned and groomed by Wang Yuling; its little face, previously covered in porridge paste, was now clean and white, its fur fluffy and soft, like a freshly baked, steaming little cotton candy. Excitedly, it circled around Lin Yan's feet, its little tail wagging like a pinwheel, its head held high, proudly announcing:

"Brother! I'm all clean! I smell nice! Let's go!"

Seeing its pleading little face, Lin Yan couldn't bring himself to refuse. He finished the last mouthful of porridge: "Alright, since you've washed yourself so clean, let's go, I'll take you out for some fresh air."

"Brother is the best!" Xiao Qi cheered, immediately rushing to the door, then turning back to urge, "Hurry up, brother!"

Lin Yan carried Xiao Qi around for a while, and the cloth bag in his hand, which was originally empty, was now full of things—bright red candied hawthorns, golden yellow Guandong candy, soft and glutinous radish cakes, donkey rolls covered with bean flour... all of which Xiao Qi bought because she couldn't walk away.

"Xiao Qi, don't rush. I'll find you a place to sit and eat these snacks so you don't get candy residue all over me again," Lin Yan said helplessly, looking at the little guy in his arms who was excitedly burrowing into the bag.

He glanced around and spotted a small tavern on the street, bustling with activity and seemingly thriving. The storefront wasn't large, but it exuded a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Lin Yan carried Xiao Qi and a bag of snacks as he went inside. Behind the innermost counter, a pretty young woman with shrewd and capable eyes was fiddling with an abacus and checking accounts.

"Boss, could you find me a table?" Lin Yan asked.

Hearing the sound, Xu Huizhen closed her ledger. Looking up, she saw an excessively handsome young man standing before her, holding a small, adorable white puppy. She immediately put on a warm, businessman's smile, and said with feigned unease:

"Young man, I'm so sorry, but you see, we're a small business, just a tiny place. With so many customers coming and going, we all end up squeezing into tables with others, making do. How about this, I'll find you a table with some easy-going gentlemen, would you mind sharing?"

Lin Yan wasn't a picky person, so he nodded and said, "Okay, thank you for your help."

Seeing his straightforwardness, Xu Huizhen's smile became even more sincere, and she asked, "Comrade, would you like something to eat? Would you like some wine?" Judging from Lin Yan's clothes and demeanor, he didn't seem like someone who was short of money.

Lin Yan felt it wouldn't be right to just occupy a seat without buying anything, so he said, "Then give me a pot of your best wine, and a braised pig's trotter."

Xu Hui was delighted; this was indeed a generous customer! The best Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) wasn't cheap, and she also ordered a hearty dish: braised pig's trotters. She quickly replied, "Alright! Comrade, a bottle of Erguotou is three mao and four fen, and the braised pig's trotters are one yuan!"

Lin Yan casually pulled out a "big unity" bill from his pocket and handed it over. Xu Huizhen's eyes flickered slightly, and she deftly found the change. Then she personally led Lin Yan to the wall by the window, to a table where two elderly men were sitting.

"Uncle Niu, Uncle Pian, I have a young comrade here, all by himself. Would it be convenient for us to share a table?" Xu Huizhen asked with a smile.

The elderly man, known as Uncle Niu, wore a faded old cotton robe, but was in excellent spirits. His gaze swept over Lin Yan and his high-quality wool coat, a barely perceptible glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He then laughed heartily, "Convenient! Of course it's convenient! Come, come, young comrade, sit here, it's spacious!"

The thinner man next to him smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Lin Yan greeted politely and sat down in the empty seat.