Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 462 A Little Heartbreaking

Chen Xiao, arm in arm with Aunt Wang, smiled and walked towards the bridge inside the gate. The others followed behind and crossed the bridge. The arched bridge spanned the South Canal, connecting the TV tower to the street outside. The river here was more than 30 meters wide, and there were two highway bridges on either side, not far apart.

The river flows under the bridge and then widens suddenly to the east, forming a lake. Willow trees line both banks, creating a picturesque scene. A few meters past the bridge is the base of the tower. You have to climb a concrete staircase to enter the tower; the first floor is not open to the public.

The seven people looked at the water features and green trees on both sides and slowly walked across the arched bridge. Xiao Hong said, "I forgot to bring the camera. I always forget to bring it."

Xiao Wei turned to her, winked, and said, "It's done. Both lenses are autofocused."

Xiao Hong pointed at him and said, "You traitor, if you don't bring me back the photo tomorrow, I'll bite you to death!" Aunt Wang laughed and slapped Xiao Hong, saying, "Stop talking nonsense, be serious."

Little Hong clung to Aunt Wang's shoulder and wiggled, saying, "Mom, he's just trying to fool me, and you're still helping him. Am I even your biological daughter?"

Aunt Wang rubbed her arms, slapped Xiao Hong, and said, "Get out of here, you've given me goosebumps."

Xiao Hong pretended to cry and turned to Chen Xiao, saying, "My mom doesn't want me anymore."

Chen Xiao said disdainfully, "Get lost."

Xiao Hong looked at Geng Hui again, and Geng Hui silently leaned closer to Xia Maosheng. Then everyone laughed, and Xiao Hong laughed the loudest, pointing fiercely at everyone and giggling.

The space under the TV tower is not large, or rather, there is nothing there. The steps leading upstairs are just across the bridge.

Go up the spiral staircase and enter the hall. The hall is empty, with several counters on both sides displaying some things.

Passing through the lobby, you'll find the elevator lobby, right in the center of the tower. A staff member checked tickets there, opened the elevator for a few people, and, looking at Chen Xiao's stomach, said, "The weightlessness will be quite intense in a bit, so hold on tight and take a deep breath."

Chen Xiao said, "It's okay, I've been here a few times before, don't worry."

The staff member smiled and started the elevator. With a whoosh, I felt all the blood rush to my legs in an instant, then surge back up, making me a little dizzy. Then, we arrived. 196 meters, 40 seconds.

Xiao Hong was taken aback for a moment and said, "Wow, that's fast! I thought it would take forever. Xiao Hui, why isn't it this fast at your Uncle Chen's building?"

Chen Hui said, "That's an office building. If it were that fast, wouldn't it just fly right out of there?"

Xiao Wei said, "That one requires stopping at each floor, but this one comes straight up; it's different."

Xiao Hong stuck out her tongue, and the staff member gestured for her to proceed, saying, "The restaurant is downstairs, and the observation deck is upstairs. Just go down and come back here. There are stairs over there. Be careful not to drop anything."

The seven people exited the elevator and walked along the narrow corridor towards the outside, where the space was larger than the inside. This floor was an observation deck, displaying pictures of TV towers from around the world, some promotional images of Liaodong and Fengtian, as well as calligraphy and paintings by famous people. These were for sale and could be purchased.

This floor has a dance hall and a souvenir shop selling postcards, models, and the like, but none of us were interested after walking around.

Reaching the top of the stairs, looking up and down, Xiaohong asked, "Should we go up first or down first?"

Chen Hui said, "Let's eat first, then you can go sightseeing. I'm hungry."

The seven people descended a ladder welded from iron plates to the restaurant. There weren't many people there; looking around, there were only about seven or eight people in total. They randomly found a table, sat down, and called for menus. A waiter came over with the menus and asked, "Do you have entrance tickets or meal tickets?"

Xiao Wei took the menu and handed it to Aunt Wang, saying, "Tickets? What good food is available?"

The waiter's attitude suddenly improved a lot, and he said with a smile, "Everything here is delicious, so you can order without worry."

Aunt Wang exclaimed, "Oh my god! This is too expensive, Xiao Wei! It's almost as expensive as your restaurant!" The dishes in the revolving restaurant were more than twice as expensive as those in the restaurant below the tower. What cost fifteen yuan below would cost thirty or forty yuan above.

Chen Hui said, "Auntie, don't look at the prices, look at the dishes. Order whatever you want. Why are you looking at the prices when you come here to eat? It's all about the experience."

Xiao Hong leaned on the stainless steel railing and looked down through the large glass window on the side, saying, "This building looks so small, I can't even see people clearly. There's no fog today, but it feels like there is."

Geng Hui was also looking and said, "It's because of air refraction. That's why it's hard to see clearly. The air concentration above is lower than below."

Xia Maosheng tilted his head this way and that, saying, "I don't feel where it's spinning. When is it spinning?"

The waiter smiled and said, "It's been spinning for a while, but it's slow. You can't tell just by staring at it. You'll see when it finishes spinning. It takes forty minutes to complete one rotation."

Chen Xiao said, "I want shrimp dumplings, and green pepper dumplings, steamed ones. Also, I want another serving of the pig's trotters we had last time. What are you all eating? Auntie, have you made your choices yet? He's taking a while to serve the food."

Aunt Wang looked at the menu with some hesitation, her eyes fixed on the prices, and she had no interest in choosing dishes. Xiao Hong reached out and took the menu from Aunt Wang, saying, "Fine, I'll order. Let my mom order until dark." Aunt Wang glared at Xiao Hong but didn't say anything.

The group ordered eight dishes and six servings of dumplings. Aunt Wang kept gasping for breath, feeling a little distressed.

Chen Xiao handed the menu back to the waiter and asked her to hurry up with the food. She took a sip of water and said, "I think their dumplings are delicious, and the pig's trotters are so tender and flavorful. They're really good."

Xia Maosheng said, "Okay, I'll try it in a bit. It's better than what Lao Wu made, isn't it?"

Chen Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Fifth Brother's is also delicious, but it's different. Fifth Brother's is stewed, so it's tender and delicious. This one is probably braised, so it's not as tender, it's a bit chewy, but you can still bite into it. They each have their own unique texture."

The group chatted while gazing at the distant scenery for a while, and then the dishes arrived. Xiao Hong remarked, "It wasn't that slow."

Chen Xiao said, "There shouldn't be many people at noon. You can check it out in the evening."

Xiao Wei specifically picked up a piece of pig's trotter, took a few bites, nodded, and said, "It's really delicious. The sauce is just right, and it's not greasy at all. Is this braised?"

Xia Maosheng spat out the bone and nodded, saying, "No, this is braised. Clean the pig's trotters, blanch them in boiling water to remove the hair. Then caramelize rock sugar with sesame oil until it turns purple. Add chicken broth, cooking wine, scallions, ginger, salt, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and ginger slices. Don't add garlic or star anise. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for one or two hours, depending on the heat. Then reduce the sauce. You can also just leave it in the broth and take it out when you want to eat it."

Chen Xiao said, "There's rock sugar too? I don't taste any sweetness."

(End of this chapter)