The old man looked like he was in his seventies, his hair was sparse and gray, he had a lot of age spots on his face, and he was holding a carved wooden cane in his hand.

"Xu Lao is good!"

Jiang Xiaobai greeted respectfully.

Xu Shouye said: "Mr. Jiang is Brother Lin's New Year's friend, that is, my little friend, you don't need to be polite, let's go into the house and talk!" ”

"Okay."

Jiang Xiaobai agreed to enter the door, the style of the courtyard is Ruyi Gate, and the blue brick shadow wall does not have a Sumeru seat, combining the two, it can be seen that this courtyard should have been the house of ordinary people in the past.

However, the yard is well tied, clean and tidy, there is a large water tank inside, and the four corners are carrying a begonia tree, four or five meters high, the leaves on the tree have fallen, but there are a lot of begonia fruits, a little red in the yellow, it looks unique.

The two walked through the courtyard and entered the living room, where an old woman was sitting next to the stove, it was Xu Shouye's wife Li Xiangyu.

She looks much younger than Xu Shouye, about sixty years old.

After Xu Shouye's brief introduction and greetings, Jiang Xiaobai sat down.

Li Xiangyu didn't say a word after making him tea, and he didn't seem to be a person who liked to talk.

After drinking tea, he went straight to the point, and after Xu Shouye took Jiang Xiaobai to see the house, he talked about the price.

This courtyard house is not exquisite, but it is big, and Jiang Xiaobai is generally satisfied.

Xu Shouye offered 35,000 yuan, and just sold the house, and the furniture in the house would be moved. As for the time of delivery, it has already been negotiated, and Xu Shouye will deliver the house within three days.

Thinking that he would definitely stay in Tianjing for more than three days, and that there was enough time, Jiang Xiaobai had no opinion, nor did he make a counteroffer, so he readily agreed.

Next, the two parties signed the contract, made the payment, handled the transfer, and it was noon when they were busy.

Xu Shouye said: "It's noon, I'll invite you to dinner!" ”

Jiang Xiaobai said: "Elder Xu, if you look for a place, I will invite you." ”

Xu Shouye said: "There is a shabu mutton in front of the alley, authentic Tianjing flavor, let's go there." Don't fight about the treat, always let me do the friendship of the landlord. ”

Jiang Xiaobai was no longer polite, and said, "Then bother for a while." ”

Xu Shouye smiled and led Jiang Xiaobai towards the mutton restaurant he said.

It didn't take long for the two to arrive at the place.

This is a small restaurant, with a wooden carved sign of "Kyoto Shabu Shabu" hanging on the door, and two bright red lanterns hanging on the left and right, and you can smell the strong smell of mutton as soon as you arrive at the door.

"Professor Xu, you're here, how many people are there today?"

Xu Shouye should be a frequent customer here, and the clerk greeted him warmly as soon as he entered the door.

"Just two!" Xu Shouye responded.

"Okay, this way, please!" The clerk sang and led Xu Shouye and Jiang Xiaobai to the store, where there were seven or eight tables of different sizes, most of which were sitting diners, and there were two empty tables left.

After sitting down at a small table, Xu Shouye ordered food and said to Jiang Xiaobai: "When you come to Tianjing, you have to eat mutton shabu to have a Beijing flavor." ”

Jiang Xiaobai smiled, in his previous life, he also liked to eat mutton shabu when he came to Tianjing, but most of the mutton hot pot restaurants in later generations were richly decorated, and there was no market flavor in front of him.

"I thought that only ordinary people like me liked the taste of the market, but I didn't expect that intellectuals like Professor Xu would also like it."

Xu Shouye said: "Professors don't eat fireworks in the world?" I grew up under the roots of the imperial city since I was a child, and later went abroad, but I am not used to eating foreign bread, and I still like the shabu mutton in Tianjing. ”

As he spoke, he seemed to fall into a memory, and continued: "I remember when I was a child, my grandfather told me not to underestimate this shabu mutton restaurant, you see this shabu mutton restaurant, a copper pot, a pot of boiling water; a handful of vegetables, a bag of lamb; A plate of freshly mixed dipping sauces, a pot of old wine. There is a pot in it, but what you see is the world; What is put is sauce, but what is tasted is life; What is dipped is the material, but what is tasted is life. ”

Jiang Xiaobai said with a smile: "It's still Old Xu, these professors have a level of speaking, and they can say such profound words from a pot of mutton shabu." We, the common people, eat mutton shabu just to fill our stomachs. ”

Xu Shouye said: "Xiao Jiang, don't pretend, Chang Geng has told me all the letters, you are a great gourmet." ”

Jiang Xiaobai waved his hand: "I just like to do things, I can't tell you about the life realm you said." ”

While the two were talking, the clerk brought the stove and copper pot, and after a while, two large plates of mutton and two plates of green vegetables, the mutton was as thin as paper, and the green vegetables were fresh and fresh.

"For two people, I ordered two meat and two vegetarian dishes, and I didn't eat enough to add more." Xu Shouye said.

Jiang Xiaobai said: "The dishes in the north are all on large plates, and four dishes are enough for the two of us to eat." ”

Xu Shouye said: "The northerners are bold, they use a big plate for cooking and a big bowl for drinking, but I don't know how to drink. ”

Jiang Xiaobai hurriedly refused: "Old Xu, I don't usually drink much. ”

Xu Shouye himself didn't know how to drink, so he didn't continue to persuade him to drink, and when the clerk sent the dipping sauce, the two began to eat and chat.

Halfway through eating, Jiang Xiaobai went to the bathroom to settle the account.

8 yuan is not cheap, and the salary of an ordinary worker in a month is enough to eat two or three times.

Jiang Xiaobai's spicy hot pot in Qingzhou has far richer dishes than mutton shabu, and it costs ten or eight yuan after a meal.

In contrast, the consumption of Tianjing is much higher.

Jiang Xiaobai finished settling the account and returned to the table to continue eating.

The mutton quality of Tianjing Shabu mutton is really more tender and delicious than that of the mutton in the south, and the portion is also sufficient, and both of them are full.

Xu Shouye greeted the checkout.

The clerk said, "Professor Xu, your companion has already paid the bill." ”

Xu Shouye glanced at Jiang Xiaobai reproachfully: "Xiao Jiang, I'll treat you when you say yes, why did you secretly pay the money?" ”

said, I want to give the money to Jiang Xiaobai.

Jiang Xiaobai smiled and excused himself: "Elder Xu, whoever asks for it is the same, next time you invite me." ”

Xu Shouye had no choice but to say: "Okay, if you have the opportunity to go to Huhai, I will invite you to dinner again." ”

Previously, Jiang Xiaobai had never asked Xu Shouye where he went after selling Tianjing's house, and then he knew that he was going to Huhai, and said with a smile: "Old Xu, you moved to Huhai." ”

Xu Shouye said: "My children are now settling down in Shanghai, and it just so happens that a scientific research project in my country has settled in Shanghai, and I will be transferred to work, otherwise I will not sell my house, and would rather stay in Tianjing." ”

Jiang Xiaobai said: "There are houses everywhere, and a family is home together, congratulations to you for being able to reunite with your family during the Chinese New Year this year." ”

Xu Shouye waved his hand: "I will go abroad for a period of time after I move, and it is estimated that I will not be able to return to China until after the year." ”