Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 268 Eating Barbecue

"Heh, I don't want something this boring."

"Besides, as I said, the Nine Gates are a mess right now."

"In this era, the Nine Gates either need to change and completely abandon the shadow of the past, or they will be purged once again."

"Accepting the Two Rings and becoming the Nine Gates Admiral? The gains are completely disproportionate to the costs. Besides, you know that the power behind me is already considerable. If I were to add the Nine Gates, I'm afraid..."

Hu Ming chuckled and shook his head.

If they are purged again, the only option left for the Nine Gates will be complete annihilation.

But how easy is it to make a complete change?
The Nine Gates are full of people blinded by greed. Tomb raiding is a profession that can easily lead to quick riches, so why would these people abandon it?
almost impossible.

As for the issue of qualifications?
Everyone who knows Hu Ming knows that among the core members of the Nine Gates, no one else is qualified to be called that!
Throughout history, men have only pursued three things: money, power, and women.

"So, Uncle Ming, money and power seem meaningless to you, so what you pursue is women?"

Yin Nanfeng pursed his lips and asked tentatively.

She sensed something unusual in Hu Ming and Zhang Rishan's conversation.

Curiosity, especially women's curiosity, is a complex thing.
"Not bad, Nanfeng, you even know how to trick me into revealing information? You've really lived up to your role as the head of the Yin family."

Hu Ming said with a laugh.

This girl is no naive or innocent type.

"As for pursuing you, just think of it as pursuing women, especially beautiful and individualistic women."

"Someone like you, for example, is exactly my type. How about we have a relationship that transcends age?"

"Besides, you've seen me naked, so you have to take responsibility for me, right? You know I'm old and a traditional person."

Hu Ming couldn't help but make a terrible joke.

For some reason, Hu Ming really enjoyed teasing this girl.

"Uh... stop it, Uncle Ming, you really are unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss."

"I was just testing you a little, and you're playing such a mean joke on me. I'm your niece, you know."

"Also, remember this: you're a man in your forties or fifties!"

"I, Yin Nanfeng, have no interest in flirting with an old man like you, and I have no interest in competing with other women for a man. Even if that woman disappears, it won't work!"

Yin Nanfeng said the words "old man" through gritted teeth.

Sure enough, people who live long lives aren't so easily fooled; that youthful face is just too deceptive.

Yin Nanfeng glanced at Hu Ming's profile secretly, inwardly grumbling to herself.

But I must say, he really is quite handsome! No wonder the eldest daughter of the Huo family was still so infatuated with him before she disappeared!
She's three points prettier than Xie Jiaxiaohua.

"If you want to watch, then go ahead and watch. I'm not going to charge you. I can't stop people from watching just because I'm handsome, can I?"

As if he had eyes in his temples, Hu Ming said jokingly without turning his head.

Male beauty is so alluring!
Who says women aren't attracted to beauty? Ha, that just means you're not handsome enough.

"...Tsk, she really is an old fox..."

"What are your plans next? Are you going back to your old courtyard house, or are you going straight back to my restaurant to rest, my dear Boss Hu?"

Their sensitivity to eye contact is unparalleled. Yin Nanfeng clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Ever since she met this second uncle, it seems she's never gotten the better end of the deal?
"Why go back so early when you've finally come out?"

"Let's find a place to grab some late-night snacks, and then we can go to the square to watch the flag-raising ceremony. I've never actually seen one before."

Hu Ming thought for a moment and said.

"Sure, is there anything you'd like to eat? Just point me in the right direction, and I'll consider it my hospitality."

……

"Are you serious? You're really something. I, Yin Nanfeng, have never been to a place like this before in my entire life."

Half an hour later, at a street stall in an alley inside the Third Ring Road, Yin Nanfeng looked at Hu Ming, who was ordering food, incredulously.

Yin Nanfeng and Hu Ming, dressed in luxurious clothes, looked completely out of place in this environment.

The area around the stalls was filled with ordinary people, and it was quite a sight to see them dressed up like that at the street stalls.

In particular, the handsome man and beautiful woman attracted the attention of the men and women around them, who couldn't help but steal glances at Hu Ming and his companion.

"Oh? So, this is your first time?"

"However, I can understand that daughters should be raised in comfort, and it's not uncommon for them to be deceived by some scoundrel with underhanded tricks when they grow up."

Hu Ming understood the Dao.

After all, she's the eldest daughter of the Yin family; who would dare bring her to such a small place?
"But trust me, once you've tried it, you'll love the atmosphere here. This is how you should eat late-night snacks."

"What's the point of enjoying fine dining all by yourself in an elegant room?"

Street food stalls serve food extremely quickly.

Especially since Hu Ming ordered mostly barbecue and cold dishes, they were served even faster.

Before the two had even exchanged a few words, the small table was already filled with food.

Of course, Yin Nanfeng's charm might also have played a part.

"Give it a try?"

Hu Ming picked up a skewer of beef and handed it to Yin Nanfeng.

"It smells okay, but baked like this, is it really edible?"

Yin Nanfeng looked at the roasted meat in her hand with a conflicted expression.

You can't blame her. She's been pampered since childhood, and although it's not the first time she's seen food that doesn't look very appealing, she's bound to have some reservations about food from street stalls.

Under Hu Ming's encouraging gaze, Yin Nanfeng frowned and took a bite, then her furrowed brows relaxed.

That's all.

Want Yin Nanfeng to praise how delicious street food is? No way! You've been reading too many novels.
Did they really think this rich heiress was so easy to fool? She's not unfamiliar with food; she owns a fancy hotel and has tasted all sorts of things.

Street-side barbecues often rely on just a few key seasonings, making it difficult to taste the flavor of the meat itself. They're neither refined nor particularly delicious.

What you're eating here is the atmosphere, not the taste.

"You've had too much fine red wine, how about trying some beer?"

"This stuff is best enjoyed with barbecue; it gives it a unique flavor."

Seeing that Yin Nanfeng was gradually learning to enjoy the atmosphere here, Hu Ming ordered a dozen beers to signal him to leave.

"Okay, but now I understand why you wanted to eat barbecue here instead of going back to my restaurant."

Yin Nanfeng raised an eyebrow slightly. Despite what he said, Yin Nanfeng still accepted the beer as instructed.

Everyone around me was drinking beer and eating grilled skewers. Perhaps, the combination of these two things creates some kind of magical chemical reaction?
A sip of beer, a bite of grilled skewers, in the cool night breeze of spring, listening to the noisy commotion around me.

Yin Nanfeng seemed to understand why Hu Ming said that eating at street stalls was the real way to have a late-night snack.

Here, we're not eating food, drinking alcohol, or savoring the atmosphere.

Rather, it is the myriad aspects of life of all living beings...

(End of this chapter)