Chapter 19 Wangjiang Restaurant

The first thing the next morning, after Xiaowu finished checking everything, he came and reported to the prince at his door, “Master, the horse carriage is ready.” “Mhm,” said Chu Yunshen as he scooped up Cheng Xiaoxiao, who was playing with the baby bird next to the bed. He picked up the baby bird with two fingers by its nape and placed it on Cheng Xiaoxiao’s head. Then he said, “Let’s go.” Shortly after Chu Yunshen came out of the post, he saw that hordes of people had already been kneeling there for a while. “Your Highness!” The moment they spotted the prince, they bowed respectfully and greeted him in unison. “Mhm,” said Chu Yunshen calmly in acknowledgment before he headed to the horse carriage. “Your Highness!” greeted Mu Bai immediately when he saw Chu Yunshen coming out with the cat in his arms. Chu Yunshen glanced at Mu Bai and said coldly, “Have you learned how to climb trees yet?” Mu Bai was stunned. He quickly realized what Chu Yunshen was referring to. Then he replied, “I have no idea how to climb trees and still need to do more research.” “Do you think it's the same as learning medicine? The crux here is practice,” said Chu Yunshen with his lips curved upwards as he got onto the horse carriage with Cheng Xiaoxiao. When Xiaowu heard this, he turned to look at Mu Bai enviously as he said, “Doctor Mu, are you learning how to climb trees? I didn’t expect you to be agile, on top of having outstanding medical skills!” “…” Mu Bai went speechless. “Let’s go!” said Chu Yunshen from behind the blinds with his laughter stifled. “Yes, Master!” replied Xiaowu immediately. Then he turned and ordered the entourage to be on their way, “Let’s go!” The moment Prince Jing’s horse carriage started on its way, the officials from the post office knelt and bid him farewell, “Farewell, Your Highness!” Chu Yunshen and his men arrived at the market of a small town after traveling for half a day. The market bustled with activity while merchants peddled their wares and immediately stole Cheng Xiaoxiao’s attention. So she leaped out of Chu Yunshen’s arms and leaned against the horse carriage window and lifted the heavy blinds clumsily with her paws. “Meow,” said Cheng Xiaoxiao with her eyes glinting. The rows and rows of food outside had caught her eye. Then came the sound of sellers promoting their food. “Steamed buns! Steamed buns for sale!” “Candied haws! Very sweet candied haws!” “Jellied tofu! Sweet and sour jellied tofu and fried dough sticks!” “Refreshing sour plum soup!” Cheng Xiaoxiao was completely distracted by the food. Chu Yunshen glanced at Cheng Xiaoxiao as she leaned against the window. Then he shouted out of the horse carriage, “Xiaowu.” “Yes, Master?” came Xiaowu’s voice immediately. “Let's take a break here before we continue.” “Yes, Master!” replied Xiaowu as he turned back. Then he raised his arm and said, “Let's stop for a break.” The horse carriage immediately halted, and Cheng Xiaoxiao darted off delightedly. A white silhouette came lunging towards Xiaowu the moment he lifted the blinds. Xiaowu raised his hand and blocked its path. He lowered his head to see that it was Prince Jing’s lion cat. Then he said, “Are you trying to run off and make trouble again, little fellow?” “Meow.” Let go of her! Then Cheng Xiaoxiao raised her paws to scratch Xiaowu. Xiaowu dodged the cat just in time. Otherwise, the little fellow was bound to scratch his face. “Meow meow.” Let her go! The food seemed to be beckoning to her from up ahead! Since Xiaowu refused to let her go, Cheng Xiaoxiao lowered her head and bit his finger. Xiaowu cringed in pain before suddenly releasing her. Cheng Xiaoxiao immediately darted towards the food. “Master, why did the cat suddenly go crazy again?” asked Xiaowu quizzically. He looked at the cat as she jumped off the horse carriage, but her brown and red-colored eyes seemed normal and hadn’t turned red! Also, Doctor Mu had already neutralized the poison in her body earlier on! “Hurry up and get her back,” said Chu Yunshen coldly to Xiaowu after he got off the horse carriage and saw that the kitten had darted into the crowd. “Yes, Master!” said Xiaowu as he scratched his head helplessly. The little fellow was such a troublemaker! “Where did this cat come from? Shoo, shoo, shoo!” “Oh no, it's a cat!” Cheng Xiaoxiao miserably realized that she was only a cat when she lunged onto the food she had been dreaming of for so long. “Little fellow, why are you staring at that? You can't eat it anyway!” Xiaowu picked up the dejected Cheng Xiaoxiao and brought her back to Chu Yunshen. Then he handed the kitten to Chu Yunshen and said, “Your Highness, the little fellow kept staring at the meat buns. If I didn't know better, I would have thought she was a dog.” “Meow!” You are the dog! Cheng Xiaoxiao raised her claws and meowed at Xiaowu with her teeth bared. Xiaowu retreated. Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and he said, “Master, do you think she’s hungry?” “Then get her some food,” said Chu Yunshen as he rolled his eyes at Xiaowu. “I'm on it,” replied Xiaowu immediately. Then he went to find out where the famous restaurants were in town. “Your Highness, the Wangjiang Restaurant up ahead, is famous for its salted duck. Their salted duck is not only tender but has great texture and tastes delicious. Also, their Qingfeng wine is brewed using a secret family recipe. It’s a tourist favorite!” “Okay, let’s go there,” said Chu Yunshen as he picked Cheng Xiaoxiao up and nodded. Duck and good wine? Cheng Xiaoxiao’s eyes gleamed the moment she heard. But she lost interest the moment she caught sight of her cats’ paws and slumped back into Chu Yunshen’s arms. “Welcome.” The moment Xiaowu entered Wangjiang Restaurant, the waiter came over to welcome them, “How many of you will be eating with us today?” “Waiter, are there any private rooms here?” “Yes, there is, but you will have to wait,” replied the waiter as he led Xiaowu into the restaurant. Then he pointed at a spot and suggested, “Sir, how about this seat? You can enjoy the scenery while you eat. It’s the best spot at Wangjiang Restaurant for admiring the river.” “How much longer do we have to wait?” “Sir, I can’t tell for sure. The private room is full of guests now, so I’m not sure how long they will take to finish,” said the waiter apologetically with a smile. Xiaowu looked angry. Prince Jing had cautioned him not to divulge his identity, so he didn’t use Prince Jing’s status to get them a private room. “Master, their private room is occupied. All they have left is a table on the second floor next to the river.” Xiaowu walked back and said disappointedly, “I'll go find out if there are any other restaurants with private rooms.” “It’s fine. Let’s sit near the river then,” said Chu Yunshen with a cat in his arms and Mu Bai trailing behind him as they entered Wangjiang Restaurant. Then Xiaowu instantly said, “How can Your Highness dine with commoners in the same hall?” “Xiaowu!” said Chu Yunshen as he suddenly turned to glare at Xiaowu. Then Xiaowu instantly went quiet as he looked at Chu Yunshen indignantly. Mu Bai bumped Xiaowu’s shoulder with his and said, “Don’t be upset. It’s fine to ignore one’s status and eat with the commoners every now and then. Isn’t it considered interesting for His Highness? Also, it’s a good seat. We can get to enjoy the river’s scenery while we eat. It’s absolutely wonderful!” Mu Bai raised his head and looked at the seat near the river on the second floor. “Welcome!” said the waiter suddenly came running to Xiaowu, “How many seats do you need?” “Oh, it’s you, Sir! The private room is still occupied for now!’ explained the waiter immediately the moment he saw Xiaowu with an angry look on his face, “Would you like to sit and wait?” Then the waiter took the towel hanging on his neck and wiped down a table and its chairs. “It’s fine. We will sit here,” said Chu Yunshen as he pointed at the table on the second floor facing the river. “That’s an excellent choice, Sir. That’s the perfect spot at Wangjiang Restaurant to admire the river! This way, please, Sir,” said the waiter as he hung his towel over his neck and bowed before leading Chu Yunshen and the others in. Shortly after everyone sat down, a cool, refreshing, and slightly damp breeze came blowing over. “Before the food gets served, we can have our fill of the scenery,” said Mu Bai. Then he rose and walked over to the window and looked at the Lancang River outside. Gold ripples swept across the river surface gently and rippled into countless gold snakes as the sunset. A light fog condensed over the river where the water and sky met. “Hello?” After the waiter led them to their table, he wiped the table and didn’t turn up again to take their orders. Xiaowu noticed that 15 minutes had passed, but no waiter had come yet. He looked around to see some patrons who came after them had already been served with food, so he could no longer bear shouting, “We’ve been sitting here for so long! No one has even served us any hot tea! Is this Wangjiang Restaurant’s idea of hospitality?” “Sir, what would you like to order?” After being overwhelmed with by other patrons, the waiter came running over with a pot of tea in hand when he heard Xiaowu calling. Then he wiped the sweat on his forehead as he panted. It happened to mealtime, so they were short-staffed. “What are your specialties?” asked Chu Yunshen as he stroked the cat slowly. The waiter straightened his back instantly when he heard the question. Then he beamed as he said, “Sir, would you like me to recite the menu?” “Recite the menu?” Since Chu Yunshen and the others seemed interested, the waiter instantly opened his eyes wide and stiffened his neck as he put on a pose. Then he asked, “Sir, shall I show you?” Chu Yunshen’s eyes turned darker, and he stopped stroking the cat. He looked up at the waiter who was suddenly standing there like a pillar. Then he replied, “Mhm.” The waiter twitched his lips once he heard his order. Then he replied, “Sure thing! Sir, are you ready? Our specialties are steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chick, roast goose, roast pig…” The eloquent waiter suddenly forgot his lines. His face suddenly turned red as Chu Yunshen and the others turned to look at him. Then he stammered, “Roast…roast duck, spiced chicken… Mhm, it should be enough for everyone if you top it up with some rice!” “Pffft!” Mu Bai sniggered out loud. Chu Yunshen’s face turned cold as he pressed down the cat who was about to make trouble. The moment they entered the restaurant, the little fellow got frisky and kept trying to escape. Xiaowu’s face turned dark, “You must be new.” The waiter nodded and replied, “You have such a keen eye, Sir.” “Master, let’s change the waiter.” Chu Yunshen played with the cat in his arms as he shook his head and said, “Just order those dishes he recommended.” “Sure thing, Sir! One moment, please!” The waiter had never received such a large order. His boss was bound to give him a raise today. Then he continued, “We brew on own Qingfeng wine. Would you like to try some?” “Two bottles,” said Chu Yunshen without even looking up. He kept his eyes on the cat the entire time. “Okay, Sir!” Then the waiter picked up the teapot and served them tea before saying, “One moment, please. I will tell the kitchen about your order.” “Meow!” Cheng Xiaoxiao wanted to go too! Wait up! Cheng Xiaoxiao got excited and wanted to jump out of Chu Yunshen’s embrace. Chu Yunshen caught her by the nape. Then he lifted her and looked at her as he asked, “Are you hungry?” When Xiaowu heard him, he immediately bowed and said, “Master, I have instructed the restaurant to prepared some milk paste for the cat.”