First Encounter

Just after the hour of You (7-9 PM), Duàn Yì closed his room, secured his money pouch, and left the inn, ready to find something to eat.

Why not eat at the inn? Wasn't the answer obvious?

It was expensive and a rip-off. Duàn Yì wasn't some rich tycoon, so of course, he chose to go out and forage.

Moreover, as a pure foodie, Duàn Yì not only wanted to eat his fill but also eat well. It was only natural to go out and scout for famous local snacks.

The sky was still bright, but it was much cooler than the scorching heat of noon. The streets were still crowded with people of all sorts. Duàn Yì even saw a few burly men walking by, holding swords and looking fierce, which inexplicably made him feel a bit excited.

Different. Truly different from my past life. This is a world that, while fantastical, is also incredibly real.

Duàn Yì wandered the streets enthusiastically by himself, looking left and right, much like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.

However, in his eyes, although Da Ming County was prosperous, it was just so-so. It wasn't even as good as a third-rate county town from his past life. It couldn't be helped; the economic and social development directions of the two were not on the same level.

"Hmm, this aroma, not bad."

As he walked down a slightly narrow alley, Duàn Yì's nose twitched. He suddenly smelled a fragrance that made his mouth water, accompanied by the crackling sound of stir-frying, which was exceptionally pleasant to his ears.

His heart stirred, and Duàn Yì quickly followed the sound and scent. At a corner, he saw a rather simple roadside stall.

A stove was set up against the side wall, with white smoke curling upwards and heat steaming. A middle-aged man was busy behind it, with a canopy erected above the stove to block the sun and dust.

In front of the stall, a flag with "Wang Family's Small Noodles" was planted. Five out of the six tables were already occupied, bustling noisily. It was estimated that the last table would soon have an occupant as well.

Oh, and a rather sturdy woman was shouting orders and serving customers nearby; she was likely the owner's wife.

Duàn Yì's eyes lit up. Although it was just a roadside stall and not large in scale, he cared about color, aroma, and taste, and not much else.

Duàn Yì made up his mind to try the skill of this family's cooking. He strode forward confidently, his target clear, aiming for the last table and about to plop down.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to sit down, a strong force surged from behind him, causing Duàn Yì to lose his balance. He stumbled, narrowly avoiding a face-plant, but luckily his quick reflexes allowed him to brace himself on the table, preventing further embarrassment.

His anger flared up instantly. Who was this shameless person who dared to snatch a seat right from under him? Did they think he was easily bullied?

Duàn Yì turned around furiously, rolling up his sleeves, ready to let the other person experience the power of Minor Capturing Hand. Then he froze. He took a few deep breaths, suppressing his anger.

It was because this person was truly a bit special.

At the age of thirteen or fourteen, with bright eyes, white teeth, and slender, elegant eyebrows, her skin was as white as milk. In the afterglow of the setting sun, it shimmered with a golden luster, like a jade figurine.

Her hair was styled in a Flying Immortal Hairpin, where the hair was gathered at the top, then divided into strands, tied with silk ropes, and curved into a bun, finally standing erect on both sides.

Looking at her clothes, a light-colored silk dress with silver thread trim, and a pink silk scarf that looked playful and cute. The pearls around her neck were large and round, making the young girl appear not only exquisite but also noble.

So exquisite, so beautiful a maiden.

Duàn Yì couldn't help but marvel in his heart. If she grew up, she would surely be a femme fatale capable of toppling nations.

"Little one, do you know what you just did?

A polite person who accidentally pushes an older brother should apologize. If you say sorry to me, I'll forgive you."

Duàn Yì saw that the beautiful young girl had already taken the seat he intended to occupy. He thought he shouldn't stoop to the level of a child, but he couldn't just let it slide. If she was so arrogant and overbearing at such a young age, what would she be like when she grew up? He needed to teach her a lesson.

Therefore, he turned to the other side of the table and sat down facing the beautiful girl, speaking with goodwill and a smile.

The girl's delicate features were pleasing to the eye. She first glanced at Duàn Yì subtly, her eyes moved, and she seemed somewhat surprised by Duàn Yì's extraordinary appearance.

But soon, her expression turned disdainful. She snorted, like a tinkling bell, clear and crisp, extremely pleasant to hear.

"Stinky brat, stay away from me. You're not much older than me, so why are you acting like an adult and trying to lecture me?"

Beautiful appearance and a lovely voice, but it couldn't change the fact that her personality was terrible. Duàn Yì's suppressed anger began to surge again.

In his past life, he was known as a straight-laced man. He didn't care if you were pretty or not, or if you were a woman. You pushed someone, didn't apologize, and then acted like you were in the right? What kind of spoiled behavior was this?

Just as he was about to unleash a torrent of insults and teach her the art of cursing, he saw the woman from the stall walking over with a smile, asking what they wanted to eat. She first introduced some of their specialties and then pointed to the prices written in charcoal on the wall behind them.

The woman looked ordinary, with upturned eyes that made her seem a bit shrewd. However, she kept glancing at Duàn Yì intentionally or unintentionally, as if she had spotted some exquisite jewelry or beautiful porcelain and couldn't look away.

Duàn Yì hadn't decided what to eat yet, but the girl's eyes were already sparkling, showing a hint of eager anticipation. She directly ordered one of everything the woman had introduced, especially two large bowls of Wang Family's Small Noodles as the main course.

"Eat, eat, eat. Are you a glutton? Ordering so much, are you afraid others won't know you're rich? I curse you to become 200 pounds in the future, let's see if your natural beauty can handle that weight."

Duàn Yì appeared unfazed, but he was inwardly complaining.

Firstly, he was annoyed by the girl's previous rude remarks. Secondly, he was short on cash and couldn't afford to order so much, so he could only eye it with envy.

Unexpectedly, after ordering, the girl glanced at Duàn Yì and snorted again, "Hey, stinky brat, you're dressed so shabbily. I'll treat you to a meal, consider it charity. Hurry up and leave after you're done eating."

However, her face was slightly flushed, and she turned her head away, not looking at Duàn Yì opposite her, which made his heart stir.

No wonder she ordered two bowls of the main course. She knew she was wrong just now and didn't want to apologize, so she expressed her apology in this roundabout way.

She's not someone who can't distinguish right from wrong, just a typical tsundere, cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

But why am I still so annoyed? If you're treating me, just treat me. Can you not expose my current penniless state? What an annoying person.

Duàn Yì chuckled and didn't reply. He just spread his hands, indicating that he would go along with her.

He wouldn't lose anything by being embarrassed a little, and he got a free meal out of it. Why wouldn't he do it?

Speaking of which, Duàn Yì always felt like he was living off women. Before, he relied on the older sister Yuè Jiāo Nú for meals, and now he was relying on the pretty girl he had just met. Well, it must be his imagination.

The woman, seeing how straightforward the young girl was, finally shifted her attention away from Duàn Yì. She twisted her bucket-like waist and happily went to inform her old man.

Only Duàn Yì and the young girl were left at the table. Compared to the lively chatter at the neighboring tables, Duàn Yì's table seemed much quieter.

"Hey, bratty kid who pretends to be an adult, what's your name?"

Since the dishes wouldn't be ready anytime soon, the girl seemed a bit bored. After looking around, she finally focused her attention on Duàn Yì.

She couldn't help it; the place was narrow and crowded, filled with crude and unsightly old men. If it weren't for the enticing aroma, she wouldn't have come here to eat even if she were killed.

It was just that Duàn Yì had a clear and handsome face, and he was around her age, so he was somewhat tolerable.

Well, the main reason was that Duàn Yì was good-looking.

"Me? My surname is Lao, and my given name is Gong. You can just call me husband."

Duàn Yì smiled slightly, quite appropriately. In his heart, he secretly thought that the word "husband" probably didn't exist in this world. Taking advantage of you while you were oblivious was his revenge for being called a bratty kid.

He was actually being quite kind; he didn't ask the girl to call him "Dad."

"Husband, husband, is there a surname Lao? Huh? Husband, you dare take advantage of me? You scoundrel."

The girl quietly mumbled "husband" a few times. Then, as if realizing something, her expression suddenly changed. Her delicate and perfect little face turned red, and she pointed at Duàn Yì with her slender, fair fingers, trembling slightly. With a whoosh, she slapped at Duàn Yì.

However, her change of expression was fast, and Duàn Yì's reaction was not slow. After seeing the girl's expression change, he had already realized something was wrong. Clearly, the word "husband" was not unique to his previous life, and he had angered her.

He leaned his head back and used his right hand on the table to grab the hand the girl was using to slap him. At the same time, he bent his fingers and pressed the Daling acupoint on the inner side of her wrist, rendering her unable to use her strength. This was precisely the wrist-grabbing and acupoint-pressing technique of Minor Capturing Hand.

"Ahem, what's wrong? Even if my name is strange and my surname is rare, you don't have to hit me, right?"

As the saying goes, being hit is a small matter, but going hungry is a big one. He couldn't let the duck that was about to enter his mouth fly away, so he had to continue the act.

Seeing Duàn Yì's innocent and clueless expression, as if he knew nothing, the girl blinked her bright, sparkling eyes in confusion.

Could this person really just have the surname Lao and the given name Gong?

It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it!