My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 698 - 431 Who is the Prettiest (5) (Wishing You a Healthy Dragon Boat Festival)_2

Chapter 698: Chapter 431 Who is the Prettiest (5) (Wishing You a Healthy Dragon Boat Festival)_2

Fan Yushu glanced at the side profile of Zhao Rong’s smiling face, then listened carefully to the clock’s chimes, which seemed perfectly normal.

He shook his head, "Ziyu, listen to me. Since you’re not locals, you might not know, but this place seems to be... the Summer Insect Pavilion!"

Zhao Rong thought for a moment, then seriously said, "What do you mean, ’seems to be’? Isn’t this it? The sign over the door says so."

"......"

Fan Yushu felt that his friend was looking at him as if he were a fool. He quickly coughed and said, "I know, but I previously thought it was just another place with the same name, or perhaps it was just the shop owner riding on its reputation, but now it seems..."

"Now it seems it really is the one?" Zhao Rong finished his sentence with a smile.

Fan Yushu glanced at the alley outside, which had welcomed three groups of people in a short time, and then at the shopkeeper behind the counter, and quietly nodded.

Following his gaze, Zhao Rong’s smile faded, and he spoke calmly, "The Summer Insect Pavilion, is it well-known in Du You City?"

Fan Yushu nodded, then shook his head:

"The locals and those who have spent a long time in Du You would know, Du You City has seven old brands, which are top-grade businesses that have survived the competition in various industries over thousands of years. The youngest of them has a history of one thousand eight hundred years. Some of them you should recognize. Over time, most have become well-known businesses on Wangque Continent’s mountains.

"Yes, my family’s Thatched Cottage store is one of them, but alas, a history of one thousand eight hundred years is considered the least established among the seven old brands. We are the opening joke for the others during their regular teasing and sneering sessions. On the surface, my old man just nods and smiles, but how could I not know whether he’s hurt by it or not..."

He paused, "Getting back to it. Ziyu, do you know how many years the second oldest of these seven old brands has been open?"

Zhao Rong shook his head, "How many?"

"Five thousand seven hundred ninety-two years."

Fan Yushu recited the number with ease, seemingly very familiar with the matter. Zhao Rong couldn’t help but look at him, and gave a light nod, reflecting that this number was somewhat familiar to him too.

Previously, while strolling the streets of Du You East City with Qing Jun and Qian’er, he had seen this number on the signboard of a seemingly well-established business spread across various nations of Wangque, with its lettering edged in gold, dazzling enough to blind a young Confucian scholar’s eyes from a hundred meters away...

Fan Yushu looked at Zhao Rong, who seemed to have digested the information.

At that moment, he glanced around at the antique decorations inside the hall, then pointed downwards with his forefinger, expressionless:

"This place, opened even earlier, in a sense... is Du You City’s very first old brand."

Hearing this, Zhao Rong raised his eyebrows and looked at the unscrupulous shopkeeper behind the counter, bargaining with little Qian’er. Seeing the man’s bearded face exuding trickery, the young Confucian couldn’t help but feel impressed; no wonder he was so arrogant—it was a misconception.

After some thought, he pointed at the table, "Are you saying this little eatery has been open for no less than five thousand eight hundred years?"

Fan Yushu nodded.

"This place has such a name, located in the invaluable real estate of East City. Plus, there have been some strange people coming in just now... It’s very likely to be it, Du You’s first old brand, the Summer Insect Pavilion. I also heard it from my old man. How many years exactly it has been open, he doesn’t know either, but it’s certainly much older than we can imagine..."

"However, unlike the other six old brands, while most of them, throughout thousands of years, have either been carefully managed under the ownership of Great Immortal families, or divided and jointly controlled by major powers, or have had their helm’s surname changed over generations, all strive to develop and grow...

"The Summer Insect Pavilion, on the other hand, has always been a solitary little eatery, quietly operating, opening on time, closing on time, with its own unique rules. It’s tucked away in a corner, and well, perhaps it was originally positioned in the bustling streets, prime real estate, but after thousands of years of changes, even East City has been renovated at least three times..."

"By now, everything has changed; the people are no longer the same, and it remains too understated, its rules peculiar and fussy about its patrons... Most people from Du You City have already forgotten that East City still has this so-called oldest of the old brands. At most, they’ve heard its name in the long-winded tales of the elderly about the bygone days of Du You."

"Heh, I reckon Shopkeeper Zhao might also be unable to recall these outdated matters. I wonder if he inherited the Summer Insect Pavilion midway or if it’s been in his family from generation to generation... Sigh, just how many generations would that be..."

As the conversation trailed off, Fan Yushu turned his head in disbelief, looking around as if still unable to believe that he could dine here tonight:

"Who would have thought the Summer Insect Pavilion would be here, right in the decrepit alley next to Wutong Street... No wonder, who would expect to find a little restaurant still waving its flag in this shabby alley? It must have become a thorn in East City’s side, and the toughest one at that; probably only Youlan Prefecture would know about it."

Fan Yushu couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "Ziyu, the dinner tonight is... is just too amazing, how did you find this place? The most crucial part is that you could even cook here, just now those people must have struggled to find this place from the rumors, yet the shopkeeper turned them away outright..."

Zhao Rong listened quietly for a while, feeling his friend’s sentiment, he let out a sigh in his heart, somewhat helplessly.

My dear, you’re too bold, can’t we keep a lower profile? Or did you find this place by accident? The luck of a ’chosen one’?

At this moment, Zhao Rong rested his chin in his hand, gazing downward in silence for a moment.

He nodded, watching his increasingly excited friend, "Just saw several groups wanting to come in... So, what special thing is in here? Or say... some kind of legacy or adventure?"

Zhao Rong paused, tapped lightly on the table with two fingers, and said with a smile:

"It can’t be... they’re admiring Shopkeeper Zhao’s charisma, hoping to chat with him, right?"

"Hehe... he..." Zhao Rong started laughing, but gradually his smile faded.

His expression turned blank.

Because there wasn’t much change in his friend’s expression either. So it couldn’t be that...

"In a certain sense... it seems they really are here to chat with him."

After pondering for a moment, Fan Yushu nodded and added:

"Yeah, and to casually ask for a cup of wine."

"..."

"..."

The young Confucian Scholar turned his head, silently glanced at the counter not far away where the scruffy man with lips as sweet as if coated with honey.

His voice, full of swagger, faintly carried over:

"Damn legs, one cup! Only pour one goddamn cup! You little minx, your tricks of feigning innocence won’t fool me, my eyes see through you. If it weren’t for fear of angering Bing Niang tonight, I would have to give you a piece of my mind..."

"......"

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PS: Wishing you a peaceful Dragon Boat Festival~ uh, no pigeon... Good night