Sun Binghe found a barbecue stall with a good reputation.
Seeing their distinguished bearing, the owner hurriedly sectioned off a small space with makeshift partitions. He didn't follow celebrities and failed to recognize Shen Lian; he simply thought each of these four men was better-looking than the last.
Chu Yilan stood there for several minutes without saying anything.
Master Chu had known hardship, but never poverty.
He could count on one hand the number of times he had visited places like this.
Shen Lian wiped the table and chairs clean with wet wipes and said casually, "Have a seat."
"Mm."
Sun Binghe said, "Boss, if you really aren't comfortable, we can go somewhere else."
"I'm comfortable." Chu Yilan was getting hungry. "Get me a menu."
The specialty here was knife-cut noodles in sour broth. Chu Yilan and Shen Lian ordered a bowl each, while Sun Binghe and Yang Bin had skewers.
The sky gradually darkened, and the streetlights on either side of the road came on. The atmosphere of the city's working-class neighborhoods spread through the streets. Workers approached in laughing groups, pedestrians strolled at an easy pace, and the chatter grew lively and loud.
Sun Binghe had been uneasy at first. The boss was easy enough to deal with, but Teacher Shen's "radar" still left him wary. Soon, however, Assistant Sun regained his confidence.
From his first bite of noodles to his last, Shen Lian said nothing.
"How was it?" Shen Lian set down his chopsticks and asked Chu Yilan.
The man nodded. "Pretty good."
Shen Lian gave him a rakish grin. "If you like it, I'll bring you again."
Sun Binghe glanced around at the growing crowd. "Teacher Shen, you should cover up a little. I'm worried someone might recognize you."
"If they do, I'll just hold an