Countdown (Final)

　　Bai Lian clearly never met a businessman so pa.s.sionate. Hence, she smiled jovially: "Thank you, Uncle."

　　The owner's blood nose and expression read, "I can rest in peace now." I couldn't be bothered with him. I helped myself to a bowl.

　　Looking at the big bowl of vermicelli soup in front of her, Bai Lian picked up her chopsticks but had no idea where to start. She asked, "How do we eat this?"

　　"Are you being serious?" I asked, tone condescending.

　　All you had to do was wash down a piece of duck blood with the hot soup. The bun was a little soft due to leaving it there. Just have the bun then some soup. That helps with digesting it (don't try this if you've never done it before).

　　Bai Lian imitated what I did and picked up a piece of duck. The duck was prepared perfectly. The smooth texture of the duck blood was perfect in the cold weather and great for appet.i.te upregulation. Bai Lian only had a small nibble. As she chewed, she nodded to herself.

　　I asked, "Does it taste better eating that way or something?"

　　Bai Lian ignored me and focused solely on eating. I leaned over to look at her. She shot me a glare: "Where are your manners? Don't speak when you eat."

　　Bai Lian's jab reminded me she wasn't strict exclusively with others; she was equally strict with herself. That explained why it was dead silent when she ate and why I never got a response out of her while we were eating. I misunderstood she was in a poor mood back in Wuhua County.

　　Watching Bai Lian take her time chewing as if she was eating bird's nest soup or shark fin soup got on my nerves. I said, "You're ruining it with the way you eat. Watch me."

　　Bai Lian's eyes bulged as I scooped a big spoonful out of her bowl. I ignored her protest and smiled: "Answer me this first: what's the opposite of small?"

　　"Big?"

　　After having her p.r.o.nounce "big" to have her open her mouth wide, I quickly shoved the spoonful of soup into her mouth. She pulled her eyebrows together to try and stop me; unfortunately, I yanked my hand back quickly, forcing her to swallow.

　　"Wh-What was that for?!" thundered Bai Lian, glaring. "I almost choked on that."

　　"What do you think? Tastes better, huh?"

　　"Who cares if it tastes better or not?! Safety comes first!" Bai Lian then blew on her hot soup and had a small nip, only to frown after: "Eating a big spoonful tastes better. Why?"

　　"That's the essence of eating at street stalls. When you eat at street stalls, you eat the food immediately after it's prepared. You also have to take big, hearty bites. This isn't a banquet in the palace; this is what commoners eat. The ingredients are as common as they come. You're never going to taste squat if you take your time, nibbling on your food as you do in the palace in the name of being prim."

　　Bai Lian wasn't totally convinced I was telling the truth. She resumed blowing and consuming small serves each time. When I wasn't paying attention, though, she'd have a big mouthful then cover her small mouth. Eventually convinced my suggested eating style heightened the taste, she looked at me as if to say, "I suppose you do say sensible things once every blue moon." Still, she refused to speak whilst eating unless absolutely necessary.

　　I smiled and began eating my own meal: "According to the eating guide, if you change the way you eat, the way you view the exact same food will be drastically different. With that said, you eat cream-of-the-crop delicacies in the palace. It's only natural, then, for you to think commoners' foods aren't as nice in comparison."