flstandardbreds Chapter 78 The Haunted Qingfeng Alley
Chapter 78 The Haunted Qingfeng Alley
"Sister A-Man, look how little this plate is, how can it be enough for everyone?"
Looking at the exquisitely arranged dishes of four or five pieces each, Wu You felt somewhat annoyed. She ate one piece at a time and finished it in a few bites.
"Snacks are just to fill your stomach, they won't make you full. If you're hungry, Youyou, let's go to a restaurant to eat first."
"Never mind, let's eat first. We can talk about food later."
Wu You picked up a piece of chestnut pastry with her chopsticks and ate it in one bite. After chewing a few times, she drank a cup of tea. It must be said that although the portion was small, the taste was indeed quite good.
"Sister A-Mian, you should try this! This chestnut cake is really delicious," Wu You said, recommending it to Qiao Wan-Mian while eating.
"Eat slowly, I'll eat it." Qiao Wanmian picked up a piece of chestnut cake that Wu You had recommended, took a small bite, and found it to be very delicious.
Chestnut cake has a soft and sweet texture with a subtle chestnut aroma. Every bite offers a delightful combination of the delicate chestnut flavor and the cake's fluffy texture, leaving you wanting more.
Seeing that Qiao Wanmian had eaten, Wu You picked up another piece of peach blossom cake to taste. The peach blossom cake had a light texture, a slightly crispy outer skin, and a soft interior. It had a faint peach blossom fragrance and was sweet but not cloying.
The taste of peach blossoms and the delicacy of pastries make you feel as if you are in a sea of flowers in spring.
Another piece of mung bean cake and a piece of radish cake, this tastes amazing! It would be a popular spot even in modern times. Looks like I'll have to come here often.
Wu You took half of each type of pastry and drank a lot of tea. Feeling no longer hungry, she felt quite comfortable.
Compared to Wu You's ravenous eating, Qiao Wanmian appeared much more elegant.
Wu You swallowed the pastry in one bite, while Qiao Wanmian took three or four bites to finish it, then took a light sip of tea, her posture graceful, and everyone would say she was elegant.
After finishing his meal, Wu You asked the waiter for directions to the courtyard.
Do you know how far Anlefang is from here?
"Anlefang isn't far from here; it's less than a quarter of an hour's walk." The waiter answered Wu You's question earnestly, knowing that a good answer might even earn him a reward.
"It's not far! That's great! Do you know Qingfeng Lane?"
"Of course I know. Are you going to Qingfeng Lane? There are fewer people living there. If you are going to stay there, I suggest you go to Wutong Lane across the street."
"What's the explanation for this? Why are there so few people living in Qingfeng Lane?" Wu You asked curiously.
"I heard that place is haunted," the waiter whispered to the two of them.
"Haunted? What kind of haunting? A vengeful spirit taking lives?" Wu You always made sure to ask questions before doing anything, especially since his courtyard was located in Qingfeng Lane.
Qiao Wanmian, who was standing next to her, was also a little curious and exchanged a glance with Wu You without making a sound.
"This matter has been circulating for several years and is not a secret. The remaining households in the alley have nowhere else to go, otherwise they would have moved away long ago."
"Tell me quickly, what's your story?" Wu You ate a slice of watermelon while listening to the waiter recount the so-called well-known ghost tale.
"That was many years ago. A small courtyard was sold, and people in Qingfeng Lane said that no one has ever moved in."
"Half a month later, sounds could be heard coming from the courtyard at night. The people of Qingfeng Lane thought that the owner of the courtyard had rushed back overnight to visit the next day."
"And then?" Wu You took a bite of watermelon; it was really sweet.
"The next morning, everyone knocked on the door for a long time, but no one came to answer it. They thought the person might have gone out and planned to come back the next day."
"You didn't see him the next day either, did you?"
"No, for more than a month, no one in Qingfeng Lane has seen the owner of the courtyard, but the noises at night have been constant."
"Aren't they busy? Going to knock on other people's doors every day?" Wu You handed a slice of watermelon to Qiao Wanmian.
"Well, maybe they just want to understand things more clearly."
"So the people of Qingfeng Lane decided to climb the courtyards at night?"
"Young master's guess was spot on. So a few daring guys from Qingfeng Lane agreed to climb the wall together. After they climbed up, the courtyard was brightly lit, but none of the houses were lit."
"Could there be a ghost in the house?" I'll have another piece; it's delicious.
"No, they saw a man digging a hole in the yard, and on the roof next to him, a person was lying there, twitching. They didn't know how long that person had been there."
"Murder? Burying the body? What does that have to do with ghosts? Did the dead come back to life?" Wu You burped; this gossip was really juicy.
"I don't know the specifics, but I heard from people who came back that the person who dug the pit and the person on the roof both had a ghost face. As a result, the people in Qingfeng Lane moved away quickly, and within a few years, only a few families were left."
"Well, to be honest, the story is quite good. But we absolutely have to go there. Do you know how to get there?"
“We have a few waiters in our shop who specialize in guiding customers who are unfamiliar with the area. If you two gentlemen wish to go there, I will have them lead the way.”
"Okay, let's settle all the bills together first, we're leaving soon."
"Alright, gentlemen, please settle your bill with the manager downstairs. I'll call him right away." With that, the waiter quickly went downstairs.
"Let's go, Sister A-Mian."
Wu You and Qiao Wanmian took their bundles and went downstairs.
"Esteemed guests, the total is five taels, seven mace, and fifty-three cash. Five taels and seven mace will suffice. If you find the tea delicious, you are welcome to come again next time."
The shopkeeper greeted the two with a smile.
Wu You had specifically studied the silver here. The smallest denomination was one tael, followed by five taels, ten taels, twenty taels, fifty taels, and one hundred taels. If it was one thousand taels or ten thousand taels, then it would be a silver note.
However, Wu You couldn't figure out what those loose silver pieces were. Did he need to carry a silver scale with him?
Wu You placed six of the smallest silver coins on the counter: "We're in a hurry, so keep the change. Give them to the waiters."
"Alright, please take care, sir."
When Wu You and Qiao Wanmian walked out of the teahouse, the waiter who had led the way was already waiting outside with their horses.
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Lotus Tower Small Theater
Wu You: I heard that Qingfeng Lane is haunted. Nanfeng and Beiyi, why didn't you notice this when you bought the courtyard?
Nanfeng & Beiyi: Master, do you think there's any possibility, just one possibility, that the haunted courtyard is the one you bought?
Wu You: If it's haunted, why would you buy it? Shouldn't you have negotiated a rock-bottom price before making a move?
Nanfeng & Beiyi: Do you think there's another possibility, that it might be haunted after it was bought?
Wu You: I never expected a ghost to be right next to me.
Nanfeng & Beiyi: ......