Chapter 81
As soon as everyone got off the carriage
Ding Xiang Building appeared in front of them at once
It was a three-story wooden building with a facade about the size of four stores
The three words Ding Xiang Lou on the plaque were gilded, shining with golden light
Guests were coming and going, very lively
There were a few fellows at the entrance welcoming the guests, cleanly dressed, with a warm and attentive smile on their faces
One of them already greeted up with a smile, “Several guests are going to eat!
Please come inside!”
This fellow greeted attentively, but in his heart, he was secretly surprised
Ding Xiang Lou was extremely famous, and occasionally there were people who came to eat with their families
However, this line of people in front of them, apart from a stunningly beautiful teenager, they were all women
Although they were all wearing curtains and hats and couldn’t see their faces, they could also tell that two of them were boudoir maidens who were waiting for their turn in the court of honor In such a situation, the older Jiang was naturally the most suitable one to step forwardThere are still elegant rooms inside?”
Jiang asked with a smile
The fellow responded with some difficulty, “I’m really sorry
The elegant rooms on the second and third floors are all full
Now there are only two empty seats in the hall on the first floor”
Jiang frowned
It was really indecent for their group to sit in the hall to eat
What’s more, as soon as they sat down to eat, they would have to remove their draperies greatly inappropriate!In that case, let’s change the restaurant” “Sister-in-law, wait first”
Ling Jingyan snatched and interrupted Jiang, looking at the fellow again, “You didn’t tell the truth just now, did you!
Even though there are no elegant rooms on the second floor, there are definitely some on the third floor
Every day, Ding Xiang Lou will leave a few elegant rooms that have the best view of the street, in case there are any valued guests coming at any time
These rooms are named after plum orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums
Are they occupied now?”
The fellow was first stunned, then smiled and said, “I didn’t expect this girl to know the four elegant rooms of Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, so it’s our Ding Xiang Lou’s familiar customers
I was blind to the fact that I did not recognize you
I have not recognized you
Please don’t be annoyed by the girl!”
Jiang gave Ling Jingyan a somewhat surprised look and smiled as she joked, “Yan, when did you become a familiar customer of Ding Xiang Lou?
How come I didn’t know?”
This little aunt had a playful and vivacious nature, and she was also aware of it
However, she usually stayed in her chambers and didn’t have many opportunities to go out
How could she have come to Ding Xiang Lou?
Ling Jingyan was looked at by Jiang’s somewhat weak, and did not explain more
She said vaguely, “I’ve been here once or twice in the past”
It seems that it was during these “one or two visits” that she met His Highness, the King of Yan, Ling Jingshu thought secretly in her heart
Smiling, she relieved Ling Jingyan, “Cousin-in-law, since we’re here, we have to personally try the dishes at Ding Xiang Lou, so that we won’t have come here for nothing
There are people coming and going at the door
We’d better go in and talk again!”
Jiang nodded
Ling Jingyan was secretly happy in her heart
On her face, she still had to pretend to be bland, and it was very hard to hold it in
Ling Jingshu and the others entered Ding Xiang Lou with the staff
The women in the group were really eye-catching, even with their faces covered, they still attracted a lot of attention
Jiang’s back was like awn, but she had come, it was too late to regret it now
It is better to quickly go to the third floor elegant room
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned
That fellow whispered a few words to the shopkeeper on the first floor, who frowned unnoticeably
Then he came forward to make amends: ”Gentlemen, I’m really sorry
The four best elegant rooms in the small store
Three of them have guests, and there is only one left” “Since there is still one left, we’ll take that one”
Ling Jingyan couldn’t help but snatch the words
The shopkeeper’s face was in a difficult position, “Miss, please listen to me and finish my sentence
The rest of the elegant room has been reserved for a long time by His Highness, the King of Yan, and never receives other guests
Please understand!”
Sure enough, it was King Yan!
Ling Jingshu verified the suspicion in her heart, but there was not much joy in her heart
When Ling Jingyan heard the words “His Highness the King of Yan”, her mind quickly swept over the face of a wild and wantonly handsome teenager, and her pretty face abruptly turned scarlet
Fortunately, there was a light veil covering her face, otherwise she would not have been able to hide her face from the attentive Jiang Clan and the clever and perceptive Ling Jingshu
Ling Jingshu, who had no idea that she had already revealed herself, asked in a tone that implied a hint of hope, “Could it be that His Highness King Yan will also be coming today?”That’s not true”
The shopkeeper smiled and said, “His Highness the King of Yan only comes two or three times a month
The time is variable, depending on whether His Highness is in a good or bad mood
His Highness the King of Yan just came a few days ago, and probably won’t come again in the near future
However, since this elegant room has been reserved by His Highness, it is really inconvenient to let other guests in
Please bear with us”
King Yan would not be coming today!
Thick disappointment floated in Ling Jingyan’s heart
She had gone to great lengths to persuade her mother to agree to her traveling, and today, she had dressed up carefully, and even made a special trip to Ding Xiang Lou in the hopes of having a beautiful “unexpected encounter”
Now it seems that all this is a waste of effort Ling Jingyan more and more think the mood is more depressed and frustrated, hanging his head and did not say a word
At this point, Jiang also saw that Ling Jingyan’s not right
However, at this time, it is inconvenient to ask in detail, but also to help cover up a few points
Jiang cleared her throat and said: ”Since the shopkeeper said so, we shouldn’t make things difficult for you
But a few of us have traveled a long way to come here
Now that there is a vacant elegant room, why would the shopkeeper turn us away?”The shopkeeper has also said that His Highness King Yan has just been here for a short while and won’t be coming back in the near future
It won’t take much time at all for us to just have a meal and leave
As long as the shopkeeper doesn’t say anything, how would His Highness the King of Yan know”In order to express our sincerity, how about we offer three times the amount of silver spent on this elegant room, no matter how much there is?”
I don’t know if it was Jiang’s eloquent tongue that worked, or if that tripled silver had an effect
The shopkeeper hesitated slightly and finally agreed
The fellow led a group of people up to the third floor, and stopped in front of the elegant room labeled Listening to Bamboo, and pushed the door of the elegant room with a smile, “Please come inside, gentlemen”
Ling Jingshu took a step forward, her eyes swept, and she secretly nodded her head
The elegant room was spacious and tidy, spotless
On the wall hung a landscape painting with splashed ink
I don’t know which famous artist’s handwriting it came from, setting off the elegant room even more elegantly
A sturdy pearwood round table, enough to sit twelve people
Beside the round table was a pot of peonies in full bloom, delicate and colorful, the fragrance refreshing to the heart
Jiang was also quite satisfied with the elegant room and said to Ling Jingyan with a smile, “It looks really good, it’s not worth the effort and silver we spent today”
Ling Jingyan was a bit flustered by the look and squeezed out a smile and said, “Try the most famous dishes here later, I guarantee you will be satisfied, and you will never come here for nothing”
As she was talking, there was suddenly a strange sound of movement outside the door