"The boiled fish slices at this restaurant are particularly delicious, spicy, tender, and aromatic. You’ll definitely like them," Pei Yicheng told Xu Nianhua after showing her the land of Xiyue Hotel, and then he took her to a restaurant.
Ling Dong had brought him here to eat once, and at that time, he thought that Nianhua would definitely love this dish.
"There’s also Kung Pao chicken, the chicken is tender, and it tastes good."
Pei Yicheng also ordered a meatball soup and added a dish of stir-fried beef.
"Then I must taste it well," Xu Nianhua said as she listened to him list the dishes, a sweet smile in her eyes—everything he ordered was exactly what she loved.
"Where would you like to go this afternoon? Ningbei’s amusement park is also great, and there’s a cinema. I’m not sure which movies are being shown recently," Pei Yicheng inquired; he had been so busy these past days, just to plan for this Saturday’s date. He had thought of checking out the movies in advance but had no time.
"The amusement park," Xu Nianhua was more interested in amusement parks. As a child, her family was poor, and they barely got enough to eat, not to mention visiting the county often or going to an amusement park. Later when they had money, she never got the chance to visit one again.
"Okay, then we’ll go to the amusement park after this."
Pei Yicheng looked at her with a doting gaze, giving Xu Nianhua the illusion of a father spoiling his daughter.
Suddenly, she remembered a popular saying from her past life: the best kind of love is the one that spoils you like a child.
"The dishes are here."
The waiter brought in the boiled fish slices. The bright red color and the white fish made a stark contrast. Even before they started eating, the spicy aroma spread, tantalizing the taste buds.
Xu Nianhua took a deep breath, and at Pei Yicheng’s encouraging look, she tasted a bite. The boiled fish slices were indeed very tender, just as he had said, fragrant and tender, numbing and spicy.
Xu Nianhua gave him a thumbs up and praised, "Delicious."
The spicy flavor was truly hard to find anywhere else in Ningbei.
"If it’s delicious, eat more," Pei Yicheng explained. "The owner of this place is from South City, and the dishes here are also made according to the taste of South City."
"No wonder it’s called ’Southern Home,’" Xu Nianhua ate two bowls of rice contentedly, then followed Pei Yicheng to the amusement park—it was her first visit.
The amusement parks of the 1980s, compared to the dazzling ones in future generations, were very simple, but because it was the weekend, the place was still crowded with people.
There were crowds everywhere, mostly parents with their children or couples, creating an infectious atmosphere.
Xu Nianhua wanted to try every amusement ride available.
Especially the carousel; Xu Nianhua was like a little kid, sitting on it and having a great time.
That afternoon, the steps under Xu Nianhua’s feet and the smile on her face never ceased.
"I’m so happy," Xu Nianhua’s radiant smile even made her eyes sparkle.
"Shall we come again next time?" Pei Yicheng had been accompanying Xu Nianhua on each ride, admiring her innocent smile, and felt inexplicably that his decision today was absolutely right. Previously, he often felt that there was a maturity in Nianhua’s eyes that did not match her age; today, he discovered she was just like any twenty-year-old girl.
She loved amusement parks, loved candied hawthorns, and when she wanted to play with a particular toy, that eager look was enough to know what she was thinking without her saying a word.