Chapter 41: Huang Tao's Small Plum Tan Family Cuisine

  "This is an old ticket from 1979, now even a used postal ticket costs over 3,000 yuan! Do you know what a postal ticket is? It's a used ticket with a postmark." The stall owner was a young man, and since Xing Ye was a pretty girl, he was happy to introduce her to the ticket. If it were someone else who didn't want to buy it, he wouldn't have bothered.

  "Seventy-nine years?" Suddenly remembered where he had seen it before, on the letter his mother left him, because there were several stamps like this, and she noticed at that time, probably bought a whole sheet of stamps when they communicated frequently. "I have four or five such stamps, but they are all used."

  "If the quality is good and it comes with an envelope, it can still be sold for a good price. Miss, are you interested in selling your stamps? If so, I can take a look? I guarantee to give you a fair price." The young man's spirits lifted when he heard that Xīng Yè had stamps.

  "No, no, I don't have that stamp in the provincial capital, and I didn't plan to sell it either." Xing Ye refused, if it were himself a few years ago, he would definitely sell those stamps without hesitation, but now he doesn't lack money, so why not just keep them as they are his mother's leftover items.

  "Alright, if you want to sell it, can I have priority? Let me give you my contact information." The young man didn't say much, but proactively left his address with Xing Ye, "If there are any antiques or jade stones, you can also look for me."

  Jia Kai looked at his small stall, "If it's really true, can you eat it?"

  That person didn't get angry, but instead smiled and said, "My small business can't afford to eat much, but I have a way out. I'll find you a real buyer, so you won't be cheated too much."

  Xing Ye Jia Kai also smiled, this person seems to be a part-time matchmaker, should be a versatile person, and speaks very sincerely, without being annoying.

  She took a look at the business card that her young boss gave her under the starry night and casually put it in her pocket, but didn't take it to heart.

  Less than a hundred meters ahead, a small shop was surrounded by people. Jia Kai also went forward to take a look and found that an old man was having a dispute with the store owner. Listening to the onlookers' discussion, it turned out that the old man had spent 50,000 yuan in this store to buy a calligraphy work of Wen Zhengming from the Ming Dynasty, but after returning home, he discovered that it was a fake and came back to ask for a refund. However, the store owner refused to return his money with a very tough attitude.

  "Does this old man not know the rules of the antique business? The authenticity and quality all depend on one's eyesight, who needs to haggle over it?" someone said from the side.

  Turning back in the starry night, I found it was the young man who sold stamps standing behind me, and he was the one speaking.

  "Huang boss, come and see what's going on! What happened to your stall?" Xing Ye asked curiously.

  "That person raised the small travel bag in his hand and said 'It's all here, I've packed up.'"

  Laughing at his small bag under the starry night, just the name card printed with the company manager, the total assets of this company are probably just in his hand, this is truly a "briefcase company".

  "Will the old man's money be gone for good? That's not true!" Xing Ye looked at the old man, whose hair was white as snow, his expression dejected, and his body trembling non-stop, as if he would collapse at any moment. He felt some sympathy for him.

  That young man with the surname Huang replied, "This is also a matter of professional rules. Antiques are all about having an eye for them. Wen Zhengming's calligraphy can't be worth just 50,000 yuan, can it? Even small pieces that aren't very big are worth over 200,000 yuan. If he wasn't trying to get a good deal, he wouldn't have been cheated. This kind of thing happens too often on this street. Which store hasn't had something like this happen before? There are even people who sue, but what can you do? Antiques have their own special characteristics, and it's better for people who don't understand the business to stay away."

  The onlookers around didn't speak up for the old man, and those with good intentions only advised him to swallow his losses, treating it as a costly lesson.

  The two of them didn't want to stroll around anymore, and it was also time for dinner. Huang Tao, the boss who had been sticking to them, heard that they were going to eat and said he would take them to try a famous private restaurant in the provincial city.

  Jia Kai doubted: "Old Huang, you're not going to cheat us, are you? You see we're outsiders, take us to a black-hearted restaurant and then fleece us."

  "What can you do! The little yellow boss didn't get angry when he heard Jia Kai say this, "Tan's dishes are delicious but not famous. If you're not a local from the old province, you wouldn't know where it is. Don't believe me? Try hailing a taxi and those drivers who have been driving for over a decade may not even know the place. The store may look small, but they have their own rules. They only make so much food every day and don't take reservations. If you're late, there's none left, serves you right! No matter how big of a shot you are, they won't give in to you."

  "Then you'll have something to eat when you go? How can you be so shameless." Jia Kai still didn't believe him.

  "I'm not kidding you, I only brought you guys because it was early. Although the boss and I are old neighbors, I really don't dare to vouch for you, once we go there will be trouble." Huang Tao told the truth, but there was another layer of meaning that he didn't dare say.

  The provincial capital is not unfamiliar with the starry night, and in the past life, I also lived here for a few years. I have heard of this Tan's restaurant because of the demolition, but that was several years later. It is said that the boss is an old man with a very stubborn temper, who doesn't buy anyone's account, cooks delicious food, but is not good at managing the business, and doesn't want to expand it either. Most customers are regulars, and it can be considered an outlier in the provincial capital's culinary world.

  "Shall we go and take a look?" Xing Ye proposed to Jia Kai.

  Jia Kai looked at Xing Ye and then at Huang Tao, who had an expectant look on his face. He felt that this Huang Tao was not simple-minded, but since Xing Ye was willing to go, they would go too, even if it was a black shop, they were not afraid of it.

  Kan Jia Kai nodded in agreement. Xing Ye asked Huang Tao, "Mr. Huang, is Tan's restaurant far from here? Should we take a detour and hail a taxi?"

  "No need, no need," Huang Tao seemed exceptionally excited. "There's an alley up ahead that we can cut through, and after crossing a small street, we'll be there. It's very close, let's go, I'll lead the way."

  Xing Ye and Jia Kai followed Huang Tao as he walked away.

  "Huang boss, where are you taking us? Why are we going through all these small alleys?" Jia Kai looked around and saw that it wasn't a desolate place, but rather too lively. They were walking through old-fashioned alleys and big courtyards, with people coming and going everywhere. No matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem like there was a large restaurant built here.

  "Hey, brother don't call me boss anymore. I'm only a few years older than you guys, if you don't mind, I'll call you brothers and you can call me Huang Ge." said Huang Tao in a familiar tone.

  "Alright, Huang Ge, where are we going exactly?" Jia Kai couldn't help but ask.

  "We're here, we're here, it's just up ahead, I didn't know my home was around here too."

  Turning out of a small alley, I came to a slightly wider alley, where two rickshaws were parked by the side. At the entrance of a siheyuan, two red lanterns were hung up, and beside the door, a black lacquered wooden sign was hung, on which three golden characters "Tang's Mansion" were written.

  "That's it, see? Someone has already come to occupy the land." Huang Tao pointed at the two cars and said: "The cars that came later couldn't park here, they could only park at the intersection over there and walk in."

  There was no one at the door. Huang Tao led the way in, walking directly into the courtyard, where he saw a room door open and a young woman hurrying out to greet them.

  "How did you get here? Aren't you afraid that my dad will really break your leg?" The girl said anxiously to Huang Tao, and while speaking, she didn't forget to look back, fearing being seen by others.

  "It's okay, I'm here with friends for dinner, don't be afraid of your family's old master. Xiang Mei, first arrange a room for my friend, and then we'll talk." Huang Tao said hastily.

  Xiao Mei just noticed that Huang Tao's Starry Night and Jia Kai were a bit embarrassed.

  "What kind of friend are you? I don't know you at all." Suddenly thought of something, his face changed, "You're not fooling people again, are you?"

  "What are you talking about?" Huang Tao was obviously very concerned about Xiaomei's understanding of him, and he quickly explained: "My friends wanted to try the local specialty dishes, so I specially brought them here. I didn't cheat them out of anything. If you don't believe me, ask them."

  Huang Tao looked up at the starry night and home, hoping that Jia Kai could help him say a few nice words. Xiaomei also looked at them.

  "Hmm, is that Sister Xiaomei? We heard from Brother Huang that the dishes here are delicious, so we specifically asked him to bring us here. We didn't come too late today, did we? Just now we were worried that we wouldn't be able to get a table. Sister Xiaomei, can you introduce some of your signature dishes for us?" Xing Ye helped Huang Tao out with his words.

  "Come on in then, follow me." Xiaomei heard Xingye say this and realized she had misunderstood Huangtao, so she smiled shyly at him and invited Xingye and the others to come in.

  Huang Tao followed behind Xiao Mei, secretly making a bow to Xing Ye in gratitude. Xing Ye and Jia Kai exchanged a smile, then followed them into the west wing of the house.