I started out with seven husbands, and I worked hard to support my family while crying.

Fang Xiaoxiao, with her hands behind her back, walked with light and cheerful steps and replied without hesitation.

"You mean river sand? I use that stuff for experiments, you'll see!"

Zhou Wenjian followed behind, completely confused. He didn't dare to ask his wife what the river sand was used for, or what the word "experiment" meant.

He has always been reluctant to trouble others too much, and he dislikes digging into the details.

Since my wife won't say, there's no need to ask anymore. Let's just wait for good news.

The two arrived at the Yangchun noodle stall one after the other.

The noodle seller was still the same old man with graying temples, a hunched back, and as thin as a monkey.

The old man spotted the two of them early in the morning.

However, due to his advanced age and failing eyesight, he dared not greet the two of them.

Most importantly, last night, the old man greeted the young master who had come to the shop to eat plain noodles.

Unexpectedly, he was beaten and scolded by the other party's servants, who kept saying that his young master had never eaten plain noodles.

This completely stunned the old man, but due to the methods used by the person who hit him, he could only cover his head and remain silent.

Fang Xiao noticed the old man's tired face and the bruises on his face, so she asked him a question.

"Grandpa, what's wrong with you?"

"No, nothing. What would you like to eat, my wife?"

The old man lowered his head and replied in a hoarse voice.

"Oh, that's okay."

Seeing that the old man remained silent, Fang Xiaoxiao realized she was getting bored and had no choice but to change the subject.

"Two bowls of plain noodles! It's been so long since I've tasted your cooking, I really miss it!"

The old man was initially worried that he had misread the words, but those words instantly brought back memories of that time.

On his second day of business, two customers, a man and a woman, came in.

The man was burly and had a somewhat scholarly appearance, but he spoke very loudly, almost like thunder.

Women are different; not only do they have pleasant and melodious voices, but they are also incredibly beautiful, like fairies. Of course, he has never seen a real fairy.

The two ordered a total of eight bowls of plain noodles from his stall.

The scholarly-looking man, in particular, devoured seven bowls by himself, frightening the old man so much that he feared the man would eat himself to death.

This happened in the blink of an eye, and several months passed.

The old man regained his senses, his expression brightening as he clapped the flour off his hands and beckoned to the two of them.

"Please have a seat, this old man will serve you two noodles right away."

Seeing that the old man was in a much better mood, Fang Xiaoxiao led Zhou Wenjian to find an empty seat to sit down.

The tables were still the same three slightly worn square tables, and the oil lamps still reflected a dim yellow light from the tabletops, which were often wiped clean.

As for the bench they sat on, it still made a creaking sound when the two of them sat together.

Fang Xiaoxiao had no choice but to get up and sit down to the side.

Once seated, she immediately spoke.

"Wenjian, you must try the old man's cooking later."

"This Yangchun noodle truly lives up to the saying, 'This noodle is only found in heaven; how often can one taste it on earth?'"

"!"

Zhou Wenjian was making tea for his wife when he heard her reciting poetry, and he suddenly froze on the spot.

"hiss!"

He accidentally spilled the tea, and the scalding hot tea just happened to spill onto his trouser leg.

Zhou Wenjian cried out in pain from the burn.

He then came to his senses, ignoring the pain, and excitedly asked his wife.

"My lady, what you just said is truly a timeless masterpiece. May I ask if there is a second stanza?"

Fang Xiaoxiao then realized that she had unknowingly put on an act again.

It's really a little painful. Nine-year compulsory education is good, and always forcibly keeping students after school to memorize things has its advantages.

But that's quite annoying; the occasional jingle that slips out always makes people feel awkward.

She increasingly felt that this kind of unintentional posturing was just as embarrassing as awkward personal dancing.

As the two were chatting, the old man came walking towards them, carrying two bowls of noodles in both hands.

The old man had a pleasant expression, and although there were still some bruises on his face, he didn't care at all.

"Esteemed guests, please enjoy your plain noodles while they are hot."

Fang Xiao glanced at the plain noodles on the table; it was the same familiar taste and recipe.

A few scallion petals still floated on the noodles, along with some lonely oil stains.

If it weren't for the old man's pitiful state, I would never have ordered a bowl of it. It seems I can only reward Zhou Wenjian with it.

Fang Xiaoxiao made up her mind, picked up the bamboo chopsticks, and pretended to be drooling.

Wow, this looks delicious!

"!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenjian could not contain his excitement and picked up his bamboo chopsticks, swishing them wildly.

"?"

As soon as I put the noodles in my mouth, an indescribable, overly salty taste assaulted my entire oral cavity.

The saltiness was so intense it almost swallowed his tongue whole.

Zhou Wenjian wanted to stand out, but he was puzzled to see his wife eating with great relish.

"Could it be that there's something wrong with my tongue?"

Fang Xiaoxiao picked up a noodle and put it in her mouth, giving the impression that the noodles were so delicious that one couldn't stop eating them.

"It's still so salty, they're practically adding salt for free."

She couldn't help but complain in her heart, but her hands didn't stop moving.

This was to avoid arousing any suspicion from Zhou Wenjian on the other side, otherwise the noodles would have to be wasted.

Fang Xiaoxiao considered herself a good child, a good child who wouldn't waste food.

Just in time.

A man dressed in fine clothes, playing with a jade thumb ring, walked towards them.

Behind him followed a man with a horse-like face and a scar on his forehead.

The man stared intently at the two people who were eating noodles.

He clenched his fists, his anger rising at the thought of how the woman had smashed his head with silver coins that afternoon.

This wasn't because the woman was capable, but because her colleagues and subordinates found out and laughed at him.

As a royal guard, Horse-Faced Man was naturally skilled in martial arts, yet he was injured by a woman who had no fighting ability. Anyone would feel ashamed.

Pei Zuo noticed the unusual behavior of the guard beside him and knew that he was unlikely to let the woman off the hook. He then spoke softly and coldly.

"Hold your tongue, or I'll exterminate your entire family!"

"!"

The horse-faced man's impending outburst was extinguished by the sudden cold water.

He was well aware of the formidable nature of the person beside him and understood that he always kept his word.

If the Crown Prince cannot be found, the eldest prince will surely succeed him.

That means he's the current crown prince; even if he were incredibly audacious, he wouldn't dare offend the future emperor.

The horse-faced man was unwilling, but he had no choice but to suppress his emotions, lower his head, and reply softly.

"Yes, son."

Pei Zuo nodded in satisfaction and walked towards Fang Xiaoxiao.

He immediately noticed what the two were eating.

Seeing that they were enjoying their meal so much, I couldn't resist trying this local delicacy myself.

The horse-faced man beside him understood the young master's meaning and turned to beckon the old man.

"My young master is hungry. Quickly prepare a bowl and serve it to him. Do not neglect him, or else you will..."

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed the young master casting a cold glance at him.

The horse-faced man stopped abruptly, not daring to utter another word.