My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 52 Afternoon Tea

On Sunday, the day before National Day, Zhou Jiye, who was not setting up his stall, did a thorough cleaning at home.

The building is quite large, and it's not easy to finish all the cleaning work. Even if Zhou Jiye is in good physical condition, he would be exhausted after running around like this from morning to afternoon.

"Xiao Zhou!"

"Grandma?"

Zhou Jiye looked up at the second floor and saw Fang Manxia standing at her door.

"Take a break and come up for some tea."

Zhou Jiye continued working with his hands, smiling as he said, "No need, I'll finish all of this in a bit."

"Take a break, the tea is ready, there's no rush to get things done." Fang Manxia said in an unquestionable tone. Zhou Jiye hesitated for a moment before putting down the mop in his hand: "Okay, then wait a moment, I'll go wash my hands and come right away."

After saying that, Zhou Jiye went to the bathroom to wash his hands, and then went upstairs to Fang Manxia's room.

Upon entering the room, one could see that the small tea table next to Fang Manxia's usual seat was already set with tea and a plate of snacks. Although there weren't many snacks, they were arranged very exquisitely, stacked in the shape of a pagoda, giving people a pleasing feeling.

"Come and sit down," Fang Manxia invited Zhou Jiye.

"You've been busy all day, and you've used up a lot of energy. It's still early for dinner, so have some snacks first." Fang Manxia said, pointing to the snacks, "These are Kaisiling cookies. Xiaomei bought them before she left. I don't know if they'll suit your taste, but you can try them."

Pick up a small cookie and put it in your mouth; a unique milky and sweet flavor instantly fills your mouth, and it's unexpectedly delicious.

"How is it? Delicious, right?" Fang Manxia asked with a smile when she saw him raise his eyebrows.

"It's really good, fragrant and crispy, with a rich milky flavor."

This was the first time Zhou Jiye had ever tasted such a biscuit. He had eaten many good things over the decades, but none of them tasted like this.

"Actually, Kaisiling's chestnut cake is the most famous, but it's hard to find these days. Besides, cakes have to be eaten fresh; they don't taste good if they're left out for too long. I'll treat you next time you have the chance."

"No need for you to invite me. I'll go another day. Kaisiling isn't too far from here, and it's convenient for me to go by bicycle. I'll bring you some so we can try them together."

"Good, good, good!" Fang Manxia nodded happily, picked up the teapot and refilled the cup with tea: "The biscuits are a bit dry, have some tea to moisten your throat."

"Thank you, Grandma," Zhou Jiye said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

Fang Manxia's tea was excellent, far superior to the tea they usually used for making tea eggs. The fragrant aroma of the tea, combined with the sweet aftertaste as it was drunk, and the sweetness of the biscuits, gave Zhou Jiye a feeling of having afternoon tea at a hotel in Wutong District decades later.

The old building, the antique furniture, the mottled wooden windows, the gently swaying branches outside, and the afternoon sunlight. Add to that the elegant figure of Fang Manxia sitting before him, and it all created a beautiful scene. For a moment, Zhou Jiye felt as if he had traveled through time, and his gaze unconsciously fell on the teacup in his hand.

"Your tea set is really beautiful," Zhou Jiye couldn't help but exclaim, admiring the exquisite patterns on it.

Fang Manxia's tea set is indeed exquisite. It is a tea set with a distinct European style. The porcelain white tea set is decorated with bright scenery and flowers, making it look like a work of art.

“Royal Alber tea set, perfect for afternoon tea.” Fang Manxia smiled faintly, her expression filled with reminiscence: “Actually, I originally had a better Royal Doulton set, even more beautiful than this one, but unfortunately it’s gone. Even the remaining set is now incomplete, missing a sugar bowl and two cups, all of which are lost.”

"Can't be found?" Zhou Jiye asked subconsciously.

Fang Manxia spoke in a flat tone, as if she were talking about something insignificant: "These things couldn't have been preserved back then. It's already good that we managed to keep these few. Just make do with them."

Zhou Jiye did not press further, but he vaguely understood what was going on.

Fang Manxia poured Zhou Jiye another cup of tea, smiling as she urged him to drink more.

Fang Manxia has always had the habit of drinking afternoon tea, but in the past, Tang Mei would always accompany her. However, since Tang Mei left Shanghai not long ago, she has been enjoying it alone these days.

After Zhou Jiye unintentionally recognized her as the old woman, Fang Manxia no longer avoided them, and their relationship became much more amicable.

Fang Manxia smiled and said that if Zhou Jiye didn't mind, she would like to invite him to come over for tea every afternoon at this time, and to chat with her.

Zhou Jiye thought about it and agreed without hesitation.

However, he specifically mentioned that Lin Ying was actually more suitable than himself, since Lin Ying was a woman and might have more to talk about with Fang Manxia in this regard. However, aside from rushing back in the evening to cook dinner, Lin Ying spent the rest of her time setting up her stall at the movie theater, and according to his understanding, Lin Ying seemed to prefer coffee to tea.

"Coffee?" Fang Manxia was slightly surprised. She hadn't expected that Lin Ying would like to drink coffee.

"Oh, isn't there a food store next to the movie theater? They sometimes sell coffee there. Lin Ying tried it once and said she liked coffee more than tea."

It was only then that Zhou Jiye realized he had inadvertently said something inappropriate. Although many people in Shanghai drink coffee, it was still a rare commodity in this era. Even those from well-off families couldn't afford to drink it often. Moreover, he and Lin Ying were both farmers from the suburbs. It was rather strange that a young girl from a farming background would love to drink coffee.

Fortunately, Zhou Jiye was quick-witted and quickly came up with a seemingly appropriate reason to smooth things over.

"Oh, I see!" Fang Manxia didn't think too much about it and nodded with a smile.

“Coffee…” Fang Manxia gently picked up her teacup and sighed, “I used to love coffee when I was young, but as I got older I preferred tea. Besides, coffee is too much trouble to prepare, and my family’s circumstances don’t allow it now, so I have to settle for second best.”

"But speaking of coffee, I actually know the coffee sold at that grocery store; the quality is only so-so."

Fang Manxia shook her head: "The coffee beans in the shop have problems with selection, they're over-roasted, and the subsequent processing is poor. With their processing methods, even the best coffee will be ruined. If there's a chance in the future, I'll introduce you to someone. He's a coffee expert. In the whole of Shanghai, if you're talking about who knows coffee best, he's probably the one."

"There are people like this in Shanghai?" Zhou Jiye asked with great interest. "Is this guy so amazing? What does he do?"

"Heh, he doesn't do anything."

Fang Manxia didn't elaborate on the topic, but instead winked playfully at Zhou Jiye: "Him? He's just a rich young master who's lived a carefree life, but he's also quite an interesting person. Maybe you two will become friends in the future."

An old woman behaving like a little girl might seem odd on someone else, but it looked perfectly natural on Fang Manxia. It even gave Zhou Jiye a very warm feeling, and he couldn't help but smile after hearing it.

After chatting for a while about the differences between tea and coffee, their conversation gradually unfolded, and Fang Manxia asked about Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying's current business situation.

Zhou Jiye had nothing to hide about this matter, since Fang Manxia already knew about their situation, so he explained it to her in detail.

"So, your business is doing pretty well these days?"

"It's not bad, is it? This business may not look impressive, but it's actually quite profitable," Zhou Jiye said with a smile. Then he added jokingly, "Grandma, I'm only saying this in private. If you go out and tell others, I definitely won't believe it."

"You little rascal!"

Fang Manxia chuckled, then deliberately put on a stern face and scolded, "Am I the kind of person who gossips? Besides, who would an old woman like me gossip about this with?"

"My fault, my fault!" Zhou Jiye quickly apologized, and this joke made the atmosphere between the two much more harmonious.

"Xiao Zhou, you and Xiao Lin are both good kids."

Suddenly, Fang Manxia said something serious. Zhou Jiye looked at her in confusion. Fang Manxia said earnestly, "You are still young and have a long road ahead of you. This world is very complicated and people's hearts are unpredictable. Sometimes you have to be careful when you do things. Think more before you do anything and never act impulsively. Impulsiveness is the devil."

"While your business is doing well now, you must also prepare for the future. Although things have improved considerably in the last two years, it's hard to say what the future holds. A person without foresight will have immediate troubles!"

Fang Manxia's words were earnest and full of the deep concern of an elder for a younger generation, which moved Zhou Jiye deeply.

Zhou Jiye knew that Fang Manxia meant well, but he was even more aware that the times had changed. With the gradual opening of the free economy, although it had not yet reached the moment of explosion, the social atmosphere and changes were obvious.

Fang Manxia was worried that if they continued like this, something might happen if the policy changed. After all, she had experienced the ups and downs of the past few years and suffered a lot. She didn't want to see Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying get into trouble, so she was giving them a friendly reminder out of her own experience.

Although Zhou Jiye was touched, he wouldn't tell Fang Manxia that she was overthinking it.

Because the upcoming reform and opening up is unstoppable, they are just taking the lead. Besides, their behavior is currently tacitly approved. Although individual businesses have not been fully opened up, similar situations are becoming more and more common in society.

"I've learned a lot, Grandma. I'll remember what you said and we'll consider it carefully." To reassure Fang Manxia, ​​Zhou Jiye nodded in agreement. Fang Manxia smiled with relief when she saw that Zhou Jiye had taken her words to heart.

The conversation became much lighter after that. Fang Manxia didn't bring up what she had just said again, and instead started talking about some interesting stories from her time in Shanghai.

Zhou Jiye was particularly interested in all of this, listening intently to Fang Manxia's story. Time flew by, and an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Only then did Zhou Jiye remember that the floor below hadn't been mopped yet, and it was almost time for him to relieve Lin Ying. He quickly got up to say goodbye.

(End of this chapter)