Xie Mulin quickly gave Xiang Tao who was standing next to him a look. Xiang Tao, who had been practicing for a long time, immediately withdrew from the private room and went outside to see what was going on.

The Xie family brought a lot of male and female servants to wait today, and the people who poured tea and water in the private room were their own girls, and they didn't need to wait for the second child in the restaurant, even outside the door there were two mothers-in-law of the Xie family guarding and listening to the instructions, and there were two tables of long entourage and coachman in the lobby downstairs, specially prepared to run errands. Peach out of the private room, you don't have to worry about being bullied by outsiders or something.

After a while, she came back and reported in Xie Mulin's ear: "There is a little second who brought food over, but he didn't leave outside the door." The mother-in-law guarding the door saw that he was not like words, and wanted to send him away, and the quarrel broke out and started a fuss. Just now, Jia Da came upstairs when he heard the sound and drove the little two away, and now there is nothing to do. ”

Xiang Tao was quite careful, and said in detail about this little two, that is, the one who pestered the third young master Xie Huizhi when he greeted the guests before, although he had a flattering smile, but he didn't look like a little second in a famous store at all, he was simply a layman!

Xie Mulin knew it in his heart, and caught a glimpse of Tao Ying's side listening to the conversation between her master and servant, with a thoughtful face, and a rare melancholy on her elegant and dignified face, and she didn't say it explicitly, she only told Xiang Tao to step back, and said to Tao Ying with a smile: "Why is the second child in this restaurant so ignorant of the rules?" It's just a matter of meeting officials and relatives like us today, is it possible that local dignitaries and nobles come to patronize, and they are also so messy? ”

Tao Ying smiled slightly: "Although the junior here can't be said to be clever, he also knows how to be polite and knows how to advance and retreat, otherwise he would have been dismissed by the shopkeeper a long time ago, where can he stay long?" This little two doesn't know how to be polite, so he must be a newcomer, right? It should only be done for one day. When we leave, it's time for him to leave. ”

This seems to have some deep meaning.

Xie Mulin was afraid that Tao Ying would close her teeth and not show a word, but now seeing that she seemed to have the intention of revealing her tone, she hurriedly continued to ask. However, Tao Ying seemed to have forgotten about it immediately, and listened to Yang Yuan and Xie Yingfen discussing the dishes on the table, so she joined in and introduced them to the signature dishes of this restaurant, and talked about the special food of Zhenjiang and the famous pastry shop in the city. Yang Yuan and Xie Yingfen were very interested in her, so they decided that after the banquet, they would take a detour on the way back to the boat to have a look, and buy a few pastries praised by Tao Ying to taste.

Xie Mulin was listening, and several times he wanted to interject and bring the topic back to the strange Xiao Er, or the situation of the Tao family in Zhenjiang, Tao Ying could naturally divert the conversation back to food or local customs, which made people feel frustrated.

This time it was a coincidence, and it was the same every time, which meant that Tao Ying knew what Xie Mulin meant, but she didn't want to cooperate. Is the Tao family really not worried about their own situation? Or are they really confident enough about their safety in Zhenjiang? Where does this confidence come from? This family lives in the back of the government, and almost all the neighbors around them are hostile or wary of them, how can they settle down?

Xie Mulin sighed secretly in his heart, dispelling the idea of trying again. Since people don't cooperate, she can't do anything but look at the results of Xie Jinzhi and Xie Huizhi's investigation.

Although the second child of this restaurant is not very reliable, the dishes are still very good. The two rounds of dishes are the same, each table is eight dishes and one soup, each dish is very delicious, and there is no one that everyone is not used to. The Xie family is very satisfied, and they feel that today's banquet is quite decent; The Tao family was also very happy, feeling that Zhenjiang food did not embarrass themselves. After they were full of wine and food, the girls removed the cups and plates and replaced them with fragrant tea. Xie Tao's two families began to chat over tea again.

Xiangtao reported to Xie Mulin for the second time, in response to the unreliable little er, the lady of the restaurant shopkeeper quickly came over to compensate, and later waited outside to help pass the food. The mother-in-law at home couldn't get rid of her, and saw that she was quiet and didn't talk much, her hands and feet were neat, and she spoke very decently, so she had to go. This shopkeeper lady has been waiting outside the door of the private room with a girl, and the two families of Xie Tao have finished the banquet, and she is still there after drinking tea.

Xie Mulin was a little suspicious that the shopkeeper wanted to eavesdrop on something, and he didn't like it. But no one in the room talked out loud about some sensitive topic. The men's seats are still talking about poetry and scenery. On the side of the women's seat, Mrs. Tao Yu either smiled and said something to praise the younger generations of the Xie family, or took Song's hand and talked about her daughter-in-law's filial piety; Tao Lian almost does not speak, and when he opens, he is also humbling; Not to mention Tao Ying, Xie Mulin wanted to divert the topic several times and ask something she wanted to know, but she didn't talk about it, she only concentrated on discussing Zhenjiang's food with Yang Yuan and Xie Yingfen. In this case, even if others eavesdrop, what does it matter?

Xie Mulin was heartbroken, and she didn't want people who were eavesdropping outside to hear what sensitive topics she was discussing with Tao Ying, which caused the dissatisfaction of the Zhenjiang prefect and the Tao family. She simply joined her sisters' conversations about local food and pastries, and also talked about Dongxiang mutton, crystal meat, crab roe soup dumplings, pot lid noodles and so on, and mentioned that Zhenjiang's balsamic vinegar is very famous.

Tao Ying said with admiration: "Second Sister Xie is really well-informed, I only know that it is the season to eat crabs, and there are crab roe soup dumplings in the dishes of Fangcai, and I have also tasted crystal meat, but I don't know that Dongxiang's mutton is famous." I have lived in Zhenjiang for more than half a year, and I don't know as much as Second Sister Xie, so I'm really ashamed. ”

Xie Mulin laughed dryly, embarrassed to say that he had actually been in a Zhenjiang restaurant in modern times, and it was hard to say whether the few special dishes he ate were authentic or not, but she knew the name. She quickly diverted the topic: "We have tasted a lot of local food, but unfortunately we have not had the opportunity to visit local attractions, and I don't know which places have special scenery?" Although I don't have time to go, Sister Tao told us that maybe we will have the opportunity to come here again in the future. ”

Tao Ying smiled and introduced the sisters to the local scenic spots. Most of them were heard of by Shemulin in modern times, but some were never heard of and are estimated to have faded away in later generations. She was really a little interested, if it weren't for the lack of time, and there were people who were in the way, she really wanted to stay in Zhenjiang for a few more days.

Old ladies have the habit of taking a nap. Now that Song and Mrs. Tao have eaten and drunk enough, and chatted again, they slowly feel the predicament, even if they are supported by tea, they don't last long. Xie Meijun and Tao Lian proposed to disperse the banquet very tacitly and said goodbye to each other. The latter also asked the Xie family about the time when they would leave tomorrow morning, and planned to go to the dock with her husband to see them off at that time.

Mrs. Tao held Song's hand tightly, and surrounded by the younger generations, she went downstairs to the courtyard of the restaurant and sent the Xie family to the carriage. She whispered to the Song family: "I understand the old sister's intentions. Don't worry, our family will be fine. You don't know anything, so don't get contaminated with bad luck and go back to Beiping happily. When passing by Xuzhou, if you have time, you can go to see my mother's old house for me...... We are older than our families, and we must still live there. I'm afraid I won't have a chance to go back in my life, so my old sister took a look at it for me and wrote to me...... I can be satisfied knowing that everything is okay in the old house. ”

Song looked at her, sighed, and squeezed her hand: "Don't worry, I will definitely go." I also know the address, and when I arrive in Xuzhou and see your old house, I will write to you. You'll have to write back to me! ”