A small interlude, neither of them paid much mind, and they resumed their shopping.
The small town had a strong exotic flavor, and the food was also very diverse, leaning more towards the tastes of the Axi tribe, but there were also a few shops with local specialties!
As they approached a brightly lit large restaurant, Fan Zehao took his wife's hand, and they stood outside the entrance.
He noticed many horse-drawn carriages queued up outside the restaurant, making Fan Zehao think that the food there must be very delicious.
"Let's eat here tonight, and try that stinky taste of beef and lamb in advance."
Speaking of the unique smell of beef and lamb, Fan Zehao showed a look of disgust. It wasn't that the meat was bad, but rather that if the smell wasn't handled properly, it could really affect one's appetite.
Zhao Jiaqi rolled her eyes and corrected him, "That's the sound of a cow mooing, and a sheep baaing. What do you mean 'stinky'!"
Truly, a lack of culture was terrifying.
Fan Zehao's entire face twitched. What was the difference? In any case, it wasn't a fragrant smell.
"Wife, are we still eating?"
"Yes!"
If they didn't try some signature dishes here, wouldn't it be a wasted trip? No matter what kind of meat it was or how it was cooked, as long as it was delicious, it was fine.
After Zhao Jiaqi finished speaking, she straightened her chest and proudly entered the restaurant, only to be startled by the scene inside.
What was called "fully occupied" and "crowded with people" was all present in this large hall of over two hundred square meters. The remaining guests were being led by the waiter to private rooms upstairs.
As for the two of them, they were led by the waiter to a table by the window, sharing it with another couple.
The rare sight of sharing a table was highlighted here.
Before the waiter could ask what they wanted to eat, Fan Zehao spoke up, "Give us a few of your restaurant's signature dishes, two bowls of rice, and a pot of wine. That's all."
The waiter chuckled, thinking these customers were easy to please. He wiped the sweat from his shoulder with his towel and replied, "Alright, honored guests, madam, please wait a moment. I'll go and get your dishes right away."
Signature dishes were very popular in every restaurant. The waiter's words made Zhao Jiaqi assume that the dishes were semi-prepared and then quickly stir-fried once ordered.
However, it was nothing like she imagined. They waited for a full half a quarter of an hour, and not a single dish appeared.
Fan Zehao frowned, glancing at the busy waiter, and asked in confusion, "Didn't you go to get the dishes? Why is it taking so long to get even one? Even a cold dish would be fine!"
Zhao Jiaqi chuckled and chimed in, "They haven't even brought you tea, and you're expecting a cold dish? Stop dreaming and just wait."
Since they had nowhere else to rush to that night and their accommodation was sorted, they might as well just watch the show here.
The couple at the same table, noticing their appearance suggested they were outsiders, the wife smiled and said to Zhao Jiaqi, "The signature dishes here are made to order, so they take a long time. If you don't mind, let's eat together. Our dishes have just been served and we haven't touched them yet."
Zhao Jiaqi was pleasantly surprised to hear someone kindly speaking to her, and she quickly replied with a smile, "Thank you, madam. My husband and I are not in a hurry, we'll wait a bit longer."
The madam smiled, said nothing more, but turned to her husband and spoke softly to him for a moment before burying her head in her meal.
Watching the couple opposite each other, in a display of deep affection, was quite heartwarming.
Once upon a time, she had dreamt of marrying a husband with a college education or higher. But a single misstep and she transmigrated to ancient times, and that dream remained just a dream.
Now, even if they couldn't achieve perfect harmony and mutual respect, being a couple with flesh and blood and emotions was also good.
Recalling past events, she was so lost in thought that she couldn't pull herself out, until she was shaken awake by the man beside her: "What are you thinking about? The food is here, eat a few bites to fill your stomach, so you don't get a stomachache later."
Returning to her senses, Zhao Jiaqi gave him a gentle smile and said softly, "Okay, you eat too."
As she spoke, she also placed a piece of moo-moo meat into his bowl.
This sudden tenderness caught him off guard, leaving him only with surprise and astonishment. His eyes were filled with her image, and his heart was overflowing, so full of tenderness that he didn't even realize it.
Chewing the meat in his mouth, he didn't quite taste it, it just felt sweet and incredibly delicious. He ate one piece after another, so much so that Zhao Jiaqi's eyes nearly popped out.
To be honest, this beef did have a certain smell. She forced herself to swallow two bites with great difficulty. In contrast, her husband was eating it piece after piece, without any apparent dislike for the fishy smell, and seemed quite happy.
This… wasn't he bothered by the "stinky" smell of the beef?
Fan Zehao, happily eating, looked up and saw his wife staring at him, lost in thought. He was overjoyed and asked, "Wife, you eat too. Look at me, I won't starve."
Zhao Jiaqi didn't dare to ask further, fearing he might stop eating if she did. She could only suspect that perhaps this guy had been on the road for too long, and his palate had become accustomed to heavier flavors due to being "heated" internally.
Following closely, the signature dishes that arrived were almost all related to beef and lamb, with a strong cumin flavor. Zhao Jiaqi found these heavy flavors difficult to get used to, but she could still manage to fill her stomach.
He enjoyed the meal immensely, while she felt somewhat dejected, wondering if her lack of preparation for their first outing had led to such an awkward situation.
Fan Zehao ate until he was full, pulling Zhao Jiaqi along while rubbing his stomach. He had eaten too much that night, and it was all heavy meat. He sighed and shook his head, reflecting, "I can't eat like this next time. If I get fat, you'll be disgusted with me."
"We're old married folks, what's there to be disgusted about? However, we shouldn't eat this kind of meat at night; it's hard to digest!"
Zhao Jiaqi didn't mention that beef and lamb weren't fattening foods, but she was afraid he'd probe further if she did, so she decided to keep quiet.
Hearing his wife's words, he nodded obediently. The two of them strolled leisurely, walking back and forth. As they passed a gambling house, they noticed a crowd gathered outside, all pointing and chattering, indicating that something had happened.
With a natural curiosity for trouble, he pulled his wife along and squeezed into the crowd, his ears catching the hushed whispers of the people around.
Some were talking about cheating at cards, others about cutting off hands.
Some also said that the gambling house didn't want to let the winners leave and deliberately accused them of cheating.
In any case, all these whispers reached the couple's ears. It was hard to say whether the matter was true or false.
They stood their ground as the town's yamen arrived and quickly pushed the onlookers back. Seeing that there was some space in the middle, they began to investigate the cause of the incident.
Zhao Jiaqi was curious about the true nature of the gambling house incident and asked the person beside her, "Husband, what do you think? Did the gambling house refuse to let them leave because they won money, or did these people actually cheat?"
Fan Zehao pondered for a moment and offered an answer: "It's probably the people from the gambling house framing these individuals. Their hands are that big; if they were cheating, it wouldn't have taken so long to discover. Don't you think so?"
Zhao Jiaqi gave his reasoning fifty points, leaving the remaining fifty for other considerations.
A cheat relies on speed of hand and eye, and while hand size plays a part, it wouldn't be that obvious.
With their differing opinions, the two stood and listened as the yamen inquired.