1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 44 I don't have enough money to invite them
"I just had too much greasy food at home. Can you come upstairs and have a cup of tea while I talk to them about some small matters?"

Zhai Yuan held Zhou Haimei's hand and walked all the way to Xiupu Street, where they stopped downstairs of a teahouse called Zuiqiongzhi.

He lowered his head slightly and leaned close to Zhou Haimei's ear, sounding as if he was asking for advice.

"I also can."

Zhou Haimei listened to the voice so close, buried her head even lower, and spoke softly with her head down.

She felt her palms sweating, she didn't expect Zhai Yuan to be so bold all of a sudden.

At the downstairs of the housing estate, I thought it would be over after I asked him to hold my hand and introduced him to his friends.

Then he never let go and held her hand as she walked two streets. She still feels dizzy now.

Recalling the first time she went back from Zhai Yuan's house two months ago, her mother Luo Huiling asked her with a smile what she thought of her cousin. Zhou Haimei couldn't say much, but she felt that he was more mature than his peers and knew how to listen better than his elders.

Just like I found out later when I looked through a book, my myopia would not be as serious as the blind woman he described.

But I don’t hate the kind of concern that is packaged in cynicism.

"I don't know if the tea in this teahouse is expensive. I'll pay for him later."

Zhou Haimei pinched her skirt pocket, inside was the twenty Hong Kong dollars that Luo Huiling gave her before she left.

This money was originally given by Luo Huiling to Zhai Yao to buy some fruit as a gift on the way when Zhai Yao came to her house today. However, it was not used at all because Zhai Yao was there.

She felt that she couldn't treat her cousin to coconut for the time being.

Then let me treat him to a cup of tea as a small token of my appreciation.

Thinking of this, Zhou Haimei pursed her lips unconsciously, feeling a little inexplicably excited in her heart.

"Then let's go up and take a look. I'm a little thirsty after walking all the way."

Zhai Yuan didn't realize that his words had made Zhou Haimei think so much.

I just felt that my cousin's slender fingers were soft, and now they were a little slippery with sweat.

Even the icy obsidian beads on her wrist were slightly warm.

He turned around and raised his chin to Liang Zhichao and Chen Jiale who had followed him all the way: "Let's go. If you have anything to say, go upstairs and talk slowly."

Walking up the wooden stairs, Zhai Yuan held Zhou Haimei's hand and walked towards the teahouse one after the other.

"Brother Jiale, I have known Brother Yuan for almost ten years, and I have never heard that he has a cousin."

Liang Zhichao seemed to understand why Zhai Yuan looked down on those hot girls in school. His cousin was already the most beautiful girl in Sau Mau Ping Estate.

"What the hell is it to you! You're clearly my future sister-in-law, so be polite when you get up there, and don't make those noises like before."

Chen Jiale glanced at him and gave him a few worried words of advice.

"Come on, I'm also friends with Brother Yuan, and he's my boss. I can only ask him if he and his cousin are close relatives. I've studied biology textbooks, and if they are, it's a serious matter."

"I'm going to throw you on the street. Can I suffocate you to death if I don't talk nonsense?"

Liang Zhichao nodded curiously: "It can drive you crazy."

It was not yet time to get off work, so business at Zuiqiongzhi Teahouse was a little slow.

As soon as Zhai Yuan and his four companions entered the teahouse, Dr. Tea came up to them quickly.

"Please take a seat, what can you order?"

Leading them to a seat near the window, Dr. Tea did not neglect them just because the four of them were young.

Young people are now the main consumers, especially when they are accompanied by a beautiful girl.

The experienced tea doctor saw at a glance that Zhai Yuan was the backbone of the group, and while handing him the menu, he introduced:

"Sheng, take a look at the menu first. In addition to the items on the list, we also bought a few Yung Kee roast geese from Central this morning. They are guaranteed to be fresh. Our homemade virgin fat chicken is also good. I'd like to recommend it to you, Sheng."

Zhou Haimei and Zhai Yuan were sitting by the window. One of Zhou Haimei's hands was held under the table by Zhai Yuan, and the other hand reached into her pocket to hold the twenty Hong Kong dollars.

Although he seemed to be lowering his head, his eyes kept scanning the menu on the table.

"We just had dinner, so just two pots of tea will be fine. Do you have any recommendations?" Zhai Yuan was too lazy to look through the menu and looked up to ask Dr. Tea.

"How about Lotus Mark Cloud Mist? It's new tea picked from Lantau Island this year. If you don't like new tea, we also have aged Shoumei and Pu'er. The Narcissus tea from northern Fujian is also new. It has an orchid fragrance and a mellow taste. It's perfect for girls."

Dr. Tea took the initiative to flip through the menu and let Zhai Yuan look at it one by one.

Zhou Haimei glanced at the price above. Fortunately, each pot of tea was only about ten yuan.

"What would you like to drink?" Zhai Yuan turned his head and asked Zhou Haimei.

Zhou Haimei smiled slightly. She really liked the feeling of having someone ask for her opinion, which was something she rarely felt at home.

"Is Narcissus tea good?" she asked.

It’s not because of the recommendation of Tea Doctor, but because Narcissus Tea is the cheapest among the several types of tea just mentioned, only nine yuan a pot.

"Then I'll need a pot of daffodils first."

After Zhai Yuan finished speaking, he threw the menu to Liang Zhichao and Chen Jiale sitting opposite him: "Take a look at what you want to order, be frugal, we are very poor since we haven't opened recently."

Seeing this, Zhou Haimei's heart, which had just been at ease, began to rise again. She straightened her back unconsciously, wanting to see what the two people opposite her would say.

"We won't..."

“Yung Kee Roast Goose! I’ve heard that this restaurant in Central has a very good charcoal roast goose, but I’ve never had the chance to cross the harbour to Hong Kong Island. I didn’t expect it to be sold in Sau Mau Ping. I must try it!”

Chen Jiale had only said half of his words when Liang Zhichao didn't even look at the menu and went straight to talking to Dr. Tea.

Zhai Yuan could clearly feel Zhou Haimei's fingers clenching tightly in his palm.

He turned around and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Zhou Haimei forced a smile and shook her head slightly: "It's okay."

Liang Zhichao was still chattering, showing off a story he had heard from somewhere: "Do you know, Yung Kee used to have a famous dish called Li Yun Zi Mantis Prawns. A dish of six sea prawns were stuffed with crab roe from eighteen female crabs, then wrapped in tofu skin and deep-fried. After frying, the shrimps have the aroma of crab, and the crabs have the sweetness of shrimps. It's so delicious!"

"Brother Chao is really knowledgeable. You must have eaten this Liyunzi mantis shrimp?" Zhai Yuan looked at him with a teasing smile.

"Need I tell you? Of course I have eaten it, otherwise how can I tell you?" Liang Zhichao said with his neck stiff.

"Throw you!"

Chen Jiale mercilessly said, "When have you ever been to Hong Kong Island? Just tell the truth to the story told by Shou Bo. You are applying the experience of a dead ghost to yourself. Aren't you afraid of bad luck?"

After that, he explained to Zhai Yuan, "Shou Bo was an old policeman living downstairs in our housing estate. I heard that he used to be with Lui Lok. He always talked about how powerful he was in the past. Last year, he was hacked to death in the back alley by a gang seeking revenge. He was found two weeks after his death."

Liang Zhichao's face suddenly turned red. "It doesn't count if you've heard it. You have to have eaten it before you can tell me about it? If I've heard it, doesn't that mean I've eaten it?"

Good Ah Q!

Zhai Yuan praised in his heart and suddenly felt that Liang Zhichao exuded the scent of books, as if he was a character who walked out of a book.

"Let's get back to the point. Didn't I ask you to rent a place? Why are you talking about that guy named Deng Zecheng again?"

Leaning on the chair in the teahouse, Zhai Yuan picked up a red cigarette and put it in his mouth.

Just as he was about to light it, he felt Zhou Haimei pulling him from under the table.

"Don't like it?" Zhai Yuan took off the cigarette again and threw it on the table.

"No."

Zhou Haimei smiled and nodded to Liang Zhichao and Chen Jiale, then said to Zhai Yuan: "Can you come with me?"

Zhai Yuan was puzzled, but still let Zhou Haimei pull him up from his seat.

Zhou Haimei pulled Zhai Yuan and came behind a mahogany partition next door.

She stretched her neck to look at the positions of Liang and Chen, then retracted it, took out twenty Hong Kong dollars from her pocket and handed it to Zhai Yuan, speaking cautiously.

"I only have enough money to treat you to tea, not roast goose. The pot of tea just now was nine yuan, and I will order you a crab roe bun for ten yuan, and you can keep one yuan for the bus home, okay?"

(End of this chapter)