The noodle shop is outdoors, with a straw hut built overhead, inside which there are four tables and chairs, right next to the hut is their stove.
The noodles are sold by a couple, accompanied by an eight or nine-year-old child.
Upon seeing Zhao Dong and his group enter, the owner quickly came over to warmly welcome them, just in time to hear Zhao Zhitong say she already knows how to write her name, and he laughed, saying: "Your young lad is quite handsome."
Sun Youcai hurriedly said: "No, no, that's my little niece."
The shopkeeper was surprised: "Oh, a girl? And she can read? So you must be a family of scholars."
Zhao Dong quickly interrupted: "No, no, her grandpa is a doctor, she just learned a few words from him."
He then changed the subject: "Boss, how much is a bowl of your noodles?"
Upon hearing business was coming, the shopkeeper quickly responded: "Two coins a bowl."
Zhao Dong looked at the number of people and directly ordered eight bowls of cold noodles.
Upon hearing such a large order, the shopkeeper's face beamed with joy, instantly saying: "Alright, you all sit down, it'll be ready soon."
He then shouted towards the busy woman at the stove: "Eight bowls of cold noodles."
At this time, Mrs. Liu who had walked in behind them heard this and immediately stopped him: "No, boss, just six bowls, six is enough."
Then she said to Zhao Dong, "I'm not hungry, no need to eat, Daqing and Daxiang are small, they can share one bowl."
The shopkeeper wasn't angry and instantly agreed: "Alright, changing eight bowls to six bowls."
Zhao Dong sighed helplessly but didn't say anything in the end, being a farmer himself, he could understand his aunt's thoughts, simply wanting to save some money.
The little rascals also behaved well for a change, sitting obediently on the stools with their eyes fixed on the direction of the stove.
Soon, the bowls of cold noodles were brought out.
Upon seeing the green noodles, Zhao Zhitong's mouth opened wide, making an exaggerated expression: "Wow, the color of these noodles is so beautiful!"
The shopkeeper laughed, amused by Zhao Zhitong's cute expression, and warmly explained: "These noodles are made with locust leaf juice, naturally cooled in well water, refreshing and sweet, perfect for this season."
Zhao Dong laughed along: "Mm, they smell fragrant, with a hint of locust leaf aroma."
Then he said: "Boss, could you bring us a couple of empty bowls?"
The shopkeeper wasn't surprised at all, understanding the struggles of farm families, it's quite common for a family of three to share one bowl of noodles, so he cheerfully smiled and said: "Alright, just a moment."
Soon after, the owner brought over the empty bowls.
Mrs. Liu evenly divided one bowl of noodles into two, giving one half to Sun Daqing and one half to Sun Daxiang.
Then she said: "One empty bowl is enough, I'm not hungry, later I'll just eat a couple of bites of bread with Daqing's leftover broth and that'll be fine, we can eat properly once we get home."
Saying that, she was about to return the empty bowl to the shopkeeper, but Zhao Zhitong wouldn't allow it, directly stopping her, pulling on her sleeve with her little hand, bringing her back to the table, acting all grown-up: "Aunt, you shouldn't just drink soup without eating noodles, we are family, yes, family should share blessings and endure hardships together."
Saying this, she clumsily picked up the chopsticks and began moving noodles from her bowl to the empty one.
Mrs. Liu quickly stopped her: "No, no, girl, I understand your gesture."
Zhao Zhitong persisted: "No, if Aunt doesn't eat, then I won't eat either."
Saying this, her little mouth pouted, crossing her little arms in front of her chest, looking angry.
Zhao Dong then spoke: "Second sister-in-law, just eat, this is the child's wish."
He also exchanged a glance with Sun Youli, who quickly went to persuade his wife not to let the child's good intention go ungranted.
Mrs. Liu then compromised: "Alright, alright, I'll eat, haha."
Zhao Zhitong was happy, holding the chopsticks, with Zhao Dong's help, she added some noodles to Mrs. Liu's bowl.
The little ones sitting around watched this and also began adding noodles to Mrs. Liu's bowl.
Sun Daqing: "Mom, have some of mine."
Sun Daji: "Aunt, my bowl is full, I can't finish, have some."
Sun Daxiang: "Me too, me too."
...
Mrs. Liu's face was full of happiness, she busily tried to stop them, and after evenly balancing the noodles among the three kids, she habitually said: "Eat quickly, eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold." Zhao Zhitong was also happy, holding noodles and exclaimed: "Aunt, cold noodles are meant to be cold."
Everyone was immediately amused, the atmosphere at the table was cheerful, making even the diners at other tables in the shop feel infected by it.
The little ones dug into their noodles, eating with great relish.
The noodles were refreshing and sweet, with a faint locust leaf aroma, slowly spreading in the mouth.
Zhao Zhitong blinked her eyes, feeling these were the best noodles she had ever tasted. Actually, they were just ordinary noodles, not as richly seasoned as those made at home by Sun Mei.
But these noodles were not easy to come by, and those who ate them felt differently because of that.
Just as they were happily eating noodles, an unpleasant voice suddenly sounded, breaking the harmony.
"Hey, isn't this Second Brother? Eating noodles here?"
Zhao Zhitong looked up and saw someone she didn't like.
Even though she was young, children are very sensitive, they can sense immediately who likes them and who doesn't.
And these two people in front of her were her third aunt and the third aunt's brother from her maternal family, Wang Gou, and the butterfly-like dressed girl beside them was the third aunt's daughter Zhao Cai.
In her memory, her third uncle and aunt didn't like her and often indulged their second daughter Zhao Cai to bully her.
The third aunt's brother was also mean, always pinching her face when he visited, thus Zhao Zhitong didn't like them and didn't bother to greet them, continuing to eat her noodles.
Zhao Dong raised his head, seeing the newcomers, also gave a forced smile and said: "Yes, just having some noodles."
They didn't seem to notice Zhao Dong and the group's coldness, or perhaps they just didn't care about whether you wanted to speak to them or not.
The third aunt, Mrs. Wang, had already entered, looking disdainfully at the noodles in their bowls, her eyes reflecting slight contempt: "Tsk tsk, how come you're eating noodles in such a place, looks so shabby."
Zhao Cai also followed her mother in, disdainfully looking at the noodles in Zhao Zhitong's bowl, and exclaimed: "You actually eat this stuff, not even our pigs would eat this."
As she said this, she even reached out to nudge Zhao Zhitong's noodle bowl.
Daring to touch her noodles, Zhao Zhitong got angry, glaring at her fiercely, and ferociously shouted: "Ugly person, don't touch my noodles."
Being called ugly, Zhao Cai was immediately unhappy: "You're calling who ugly?"
Zhao Zhitong bared her teeth, "Little fool, I'm calling you."
Seeing the two little kids arguing, Zhao Dong worried that his brother's wife might hit someone, quickly pulled Zhao Zhitong to his side.
Mrs. Wang was about to burst out in anger but remembered the husband's instructions before leaving home, forcibly swallowed her temper.
She laughed and said: "Kids, just playing around, haha. But, Second Brother, you're here in the market, why not come find us and eat at our tavern, it would be much better."
Receiving Mrs. Wang's glance, her maternal brother Wang Gou also said with a smile: "Exactly, my sister's tavern is just up ahead, but you're eating noodles here, why not go to the tavern. I bet these noodles aren't filling and don't taste good, come on, let's go to my sister's tavern now."