The winter night approaching the Spring Festival was naturally growing colder. Scattered light snowflakes drifted in the air, not even enough to warrant an umbrella, but the chill on one's face was still annoying, not to mention when they accidentally slipped down the collar.
Lin Lan, dressed in a long red padded coat, stood at the three-way intersection leading to the back street, right on time to see Cheng Fengyang scurrying over with his neck tucked in. Seeing him hunched over, hands in the pockets of his blue down jacket, hurriedly crossing the street, Lin Lan couldn't help but laugh, because her own posture wasn't much better at the moment.
The two bundled-up figures met, and upon seeing each other's state, they both let out a sheepish chuckle—now neither could tease the other.
"Let's go, quick march to get some food!"
Without further ado, they walked side by side, quickening their pace towards the barbecue joint on the back street. At this hour, one couldn't afford to be slow about getting a meal.
The urban village was bustling day and night. The somewhat messy streets and the constant flow of people, while lacking a sense of orderly regulation, carried a joyful, lively atmosphere.
Shops of all sizes were lit up, and there were food stalls set up right at the street openings. The clatter of spatulas and the roar of stoves firing up could be heard intermittently. The air was filled with the smells of frying and stir-fried rice, along with the unmistakably bold aroma of cumin-spiced grilled meat that could be detected from far away. Lin Lan and Cheng Fengyang, both yet to eat, couldn't control a simultaneous gulp, their footsteps speeding up even more.
Old Zhou's Barbecue... oh no, it had been renamed to Old Zhou's Hotpot & Barbecue. It wasn't far; after about seven or eight minutes of walking, the two arrived at their familiar destination.
"It really has changed a lot," Lin Lan remarked with feeling.
The formerly somewhat cramped and cluttered shop had been renovated, expanded to the size of two storefronts. The interior had been freshly painted, looking bright under the lights. Through the glass sliding door adorned with stickers reading "Barbecue," "Hotpot," "Snow Beer," and "Jiangxiaobai," they could see over a dozen long tables inside, about half already occupied. Some were eating skewers, others were dipping food into hotpot, and helpers occasionally walked back and forth carrying trays or pots of broth.
The grilled meat aroma they smelled came from under a sunshade canopy set up outside the shop, where a father and son were tending to a long charcoal grill. The high heat from the charcoal made those standing outside not feel the cold; on the contrary, their faces were flushed from the warmth.
"Uncle Lao Zhou!" Lin Lan called out to the older man.
He looked up, and upon seeing her, broke into a smile. "It's Lan Lan. Here for some skewers with a friend?"
"Yes!" Lin Lan replied with a smile. "But my skewers aren't urgent. Could you grill seventeen dried fish strips for me first? The usual way, with nothing added. I'm taking them back."
This request was familiar to Uncle Lao Zhou, though the quantity made him startle slightly before he remembered something and laughed. "I was just about to say if that's too many fish strips for Xuehua this time, then I realized you've opened a shop and have more than one cat at home now! No problem, Uncle will make sure they're neatly done so you can pick them up when you leave!"
Lin Lan immediately thanked him. "Thank you, Uncle Lao Zhou! My Xuehua loves your grilled fish strips the most. She's told me more than once your shop's fish strips taste the best."
"Oh! Just for your cat being such a loyal fan of my shop, I have to give her an extra one!" Uncle Lao Zhou laughed heartily in response.
Unexpectedly scoring a shopkeeper's bonus, Lin Lan also smiled and thanked him on behalf of her big white cat. Hearing this, Cheng Fengyang, who had been listening beside her, quickly chimed in, "Hey, hey, boss, don't forget about me! Grill two chicken legs and one meat sausage for me, not too much oil or salt either. I'm taking them back too!"
Though initially stunned by Lin Lan and the barbecue shop's overly skilled cat snack routine, Cheng Fengyang, a quick learner, declared this a brilliant idea. Ordering in advance to take back for Xingxing saved waiting time later, and the food wouldn't be scalding hot when the dog got it. Two birds with one stone.
"Alright! No problem!" Seeing he was with Lin Lan, Uncle Lao Zhou greeted him warmly too. "It's cold outside, hurry inside! Tell Aunt Zhou what you want to eat!"
"Okay, will do!"
After their greetings, the two turned and headed into the shop. As soon as they pulled open the glass sliding door, the warm air from the AC and the uniquely spicy, savory aroma of hotpot washed over them, making their stomachs growl even more fiercely.
They quickly found an empty table and sat down. Both Lin Lan and Cheng Fengyang had a new idea at that moment.
"How about we add a hotpot?" "Should we get a hotpot too?"
The identical questions spoken simultaneously face-to-face made them laugh again.
Lin Lan didn't care for spicy food, while Cheng Fengyang could handle it fine. They simply ordered a split-pot base (one side spicy, one side mild) and proceeded to check off a bunch of random ingredients on the menu, all while not forgetting their original purpose—the barbecue. Then, they quietly waited for the food.
"This place has changed quite a bit," Cheng Fengyang said, folding his arms on the table and looking around the shop. "Last time I was here, it wasn't this big. The walls are freshly painted, the lights are different, and all the old tables and chairs have been replaced. It's much cleaner and tidier now."
"Yeah, I heard from my dad that Uncle Lao Zhou's son came back and renovated it," Lin Lan said, taking a sip of warm water. "Seems like the changes were successful. Quite a few people are eating hotpot."
Experienced diners knew this was a good sign—a crowd meant good flavor, less chance of a disappointing meal.
"Is that the young man outside with the shop owner?" Cheng Fengyang glanced outside. "Didn't they say he was working for a big company in the capital? So he came back to take over the family business."
"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Lin Lan shrugged, her own experiences in Shanghai bringing a touch of sentimentality. "Going out into the world to see and experience things, learning what the world outside your hometown is like... when you come back, you probably cherish what you had all along even more."
As she spoke, her eyelashes lowered slightly, and her index fingers gently rubbed the rim of her cup. The fading sigh made Cheng Fengyang look at her in surprise.
"Lin Lan, you..." The impulse to ask how she had been in Shanghai was abruptly cut off halfway as Cheng Fengyang realized it might be inappropriate. He coughed and awkwardly switched to another topic. "I mean, I'm kind of envious of you all who went to work in other cities. I'm the pitiful one—from elementary school to university, I studied right here in Xicheng, and even my job is at a local Xicheng company. Compared to you, my life experience is pretty monotonous."
"What's this talk of monotonous or not? Isn't it all just living ordinary days?" Lin Lan laughed. "Going to school, finding a job, working, falling in love, getting married... most people follow that pattern. What difference does it make if you've lived elsewhere or even abroad? It's still the same pattern. Whether you can make a good life for yourself is what really matters."
As she spoke, her peripheral glance caught sight of a calico cat. It was lying on the shop's counter next to a small shrine housing a statue of Guan Yu. Its plump, well-fed body was lazily curled into a ball. Long accustomed to the noisy comings and goings in the shop, the calico squinted sleepily and even let out a leisurely, wide yawn.
Cheng Fengyang saw it too. "Placing the God of Wealth and a 'fortune cat' together? That's certainly auspicious."
"This is Uncle Lao Zhou's cat, Hua Hua. She's six this year, practically a middle-aged lady," Lin Lan introduced with a smile. "She's very gentle and clingy. Sometimes when I was waiting for food here, I'd pick her up for a cuddle, and she'd always grace me with her tolerance. Hua Hua, come here!"
Whether it was hearing Lin Lan's voice or understanding her words, the previously lazy calico instantly opened its eyes wide and looked straight over.
Lin Lan beckoned to it. With a "meow," Hua Hua jumped off the counter and trotted towards her through the forest of human legs, its steps fat yet agile.
"Meow!" (Why can I understand what you're saying now?) The agile fat cat cried out as it leaped onto Lin Lan's lap.
"Probably because we're so familiar," Lin Lan casually fobbed off the little cat, reaching out to stroke its head. "How have you been lately, Hua Hua?"
"Meeoow—meow—" (Pretty good. Since the young master came back, the master and mistress smile more. When the young master renovated the house, he even made me a nice cat bed, but I still prefer the old cushion. It smells like them.)
"Is that so? That's great, really great." After hearing Hua Hua's account, Lin Lan's eyes also curved into happy crescents.
Sitting across from her, Cheng Fengyang watched. Having often gone to the Lin family to help during the renovation period, he was already used to Lin Lan conversing with cats like this. But every time he saw it, he couldn't help marveling that this cat-loving girl might truly be a Level 10 expert in cat language. How else could the dialogue between human and cat sound so earnest and plausible?
Just as the human and cat were interacting, their hot pot and some of the grilled skewers arrived.
"Well, Lan Lan, playing with our Hua Hua again?" After setting down the dishes, the proprietress, Aunt Zhou, smiled upon seeing her cat being held. "Aren't you afraid your Snowflake will get jealous?"
"Come on, Aunt Zhou," Lin Lan looked up and joined in the joke. "Snowflake has a great temperament. As long as I bring her some dried fish when I go home, she never minds me having other cats outside."
This sent Aunt Zhou into a fit of laughter. "Alright then, Hua Hua is yours to hold for now. I've got work to do. You two eat while it's hot!"
Truthfully, there was no need for the reminder. The moment the food hit the table, the two had already picked up skewers and started eating. Lin Lan even fished a boiled quail egg from the hot pot ingredients for Hua Hua. The plump calico immediately jumped to the floor and began nibbling on the egg with great delight.
When the hot pot broth came to a boil, another batch of ingredients went in. Lin Lan swished a piece of meat in the clear broth, tentatively put it in her mouth, chewed a few times, and soon nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. Cheng Fengyang across from her did the same, giving her a thumbs-up before starting a new round of swishing meat.
With such delicious food before them, why waste words? Just eat!
The meal concluded with both of them round-bellied and thoroughly satisfied.
"Delicious. Next time I'm bringing my whole family here for a hot pot feast. The best food really is hidden in these old alleyways," Cheng Fengyang patted his stomach. Well-fed and content, he had completely forgotten about maintaining a cool image in front of Lin Lan.
Lin Lan heartily agreed. When she had time, she'd bring the elders here too. She just hoped her mom wouldn't pour cold water on it by saying something like, "Give me that few hundred bucks, and I'll make you a better feast at home."
"Aunt Zhou, the bill, please!" Skillfully pulling out her phone, Lin Lan sat there, heard the total, scanned the code to pay, and took the opportunity to add, "Hua Hua is getting older. Being this plump isn't good for her; she needs to lose some weight." During the meal, she had wanted to feed it more, but remembering the substantial weight when the calico jumped onto her lap, she ultimately didn't dare.
Aunt Zhou immediately responded, "You sound just like my son. He also says cats get sick easily when they're old and overweight. I always thought a fat cat was a sign of good fortune. I'll take Hua Hua to the vet tomorrow when we're less busy."
Hua Hua had good owners, and Lin Lan was happy for it. Promising with a smile to come back for hot pot another time, she called to the person slumped beside her: "Cheng Fengyang, I'm ready. Shall we go?"
The overly-stuffed young man slowly maneuvered his legs, extracting them from under the table. Just as he was bracing against the chair back to stand up, a sudden commotion erupted.
"Ah!" A diner at the next table let out a sharp cry. He had failed to steady a plate of beef meatballs, sending the entire portion plummeting from a height into the boiling hot pot. Instantly, a large amount of red, spicy broth splashed out. Some had their clothes stained, while others got splashed on their hands and faces.
Cheng Fengyang, who was just getting up to leave, was the unluckiest. Several drops hit his eyes and face. He immediately covered his eyes, crying out in pain louder than anyone.
