Chapter 120 Paying for the Meal

Seeing this, Shen Xiaoxiao couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She secretly thought to herself that she might as well wait in line for a while and buy two steamed buns to make do.

Just as Shen Xiaoxiao was about to turn around and queue up to buy steamed buns, she suddenly heard a shout from behind: "Comrade Shen!"

She turned around in confusion, her gaze meeting Dai Xingyun's.

Dai Xingyun looked at her with a smile and said warmly, "Comrade Chen, would you like to have something to eat with us? We just finished serving the dishes and haven't started eating yet."

Shen Xiaoxiao looked at the table, her eyes immediately drawn to the abundant dishes on it.

The plate of braised pork, with its bright red color and enticing aroma, seemed to exude an irresistible magic; the Mapo Tofu on the side stimulated her taste buds with its spicy and savory flavor.

Then look at that steamed fish, so tender and juicy, garnished with scallions and ginger, it's mouthwatering; and finally, that plate of vibrant green vegetables, as fresh and delicious as jade.

Looking at all this delicious food, Shen Xiaoxiao's stomach seemed to protest, growling even louder.

She couldn't help but swallow, a longing look appearing on her face.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony!" After saying this, Shen Xiaoxiao couldn't wait to walk forward and sit down comfortably in an empty seat.

At this moment, Dai Xingyun noticed that Shen Xiaoxiao did not have any cutlery. He smiled and got up, walked to the order counter again, and returned with a clean set of bowls and chopsticks in a short while, and gently placed them in front of Shen Xiaoxiao.

"Thank you!" Shen Xiaoxiao happily accepted the bowl and chopsticks, looked up at Dai Xingyun, her bright eyes now curved into crescent shapes, as if twinkling with starlight.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing two shallow dimples.

Her voice was clear and melodious, like a lark's song. Dai Xingyun felt a heat in his lower abdomen and coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment.

Shen Xiaoxiao's stomach was growling with hunger, and she couldn't wait to reach out with her chopsticks, pick up a bright green vegetable, and put it in her mouth to chew it heartily.

When she looked up, she found that Xiahou Jie and Dai Xingyun were staring at her intently, not moving their chopsticks at all.

Instantly, Shen Xiaoxiao's face flushed red, and she slowly put down her chopsticks, somewhat embarrassed.

"What's wrong with you guys? Why aren't you eating?" Shen Xiaoxiao blinked her big eyes and asked with a suspicious look on her face.

Upon hearing this, Dai Xingyun quickly smiled and replied, "Eat up! Don't worry about us, just pick out whatever you like and eat as much as you want. If you feel it's not enough, we can add some more dishes."

His voice was very gentle and soft when he spoke, which made people feel warm inside.

After receiving such a reply, Shen Xiaoxiao no longer stood on ceremony and once again happily started eating with her chopsticks. Seeing this, Xiahou Jie also picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

At that moment, Shen Xiaoxin secretly made up her mind—when it came time to pay the bill, she had to pay for her own meal no matter what.

Time flew by, and in no time, the three of them devoured the entire table of delicious food, leaving not a single grain of rice behind.

Shen Xiaoxiao put down her bowl and chopsticks with satisfaction and gently patted her little belly.

At this moment, Dai Xingyun asked with concern, "How are you, Comrade Shen? Have you eaten your fill? If you'd like anything else, just let me know, and we can order some more." His tone remained as gentle and considerate as before.

"No need, I'm already stuffed, I can't eat anything else."

As she spoke, Shen Xiaoxiao gently stroked her flat belly with her little hands.

"In that case, let's go. The oxcart should be here to pick us up soon. By the way, Comrade Chen, is there anything else we haven't bought?"

As Dai Xingyun spoke, he turned his gaze to Shen Xiaoxiao's empty little hands.

"I don't need to buy anything. I don't really need anything at home. I just came upstairs to take care of some things."

Shen Xiaoxiao couldn't help but feel annoyed. She shouldn't have been so impulsive as to throw everything into her space at once, leaving her empty-handed and feeling quite embarrassed.

At this moment, Dai Xingyun, carrying some items, said to Shen Xiaoxiao, "Let's go!" After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.

"Wait! Don't rush off!" Shen Xiaoxiao quickly called out to them.

"How much did this meal cost? I can't just eat your food for free; I have to pay for it."

Upon hearing Shen Xiaoxiao's words, Xiahou Jie spoke first, saying, "No need, consider this our treat. We hope you'll help us out in the village in the future."

However, Shen Xiaoxiao's attitude was very firm, "How can that be! One thing at a time, the money that is due should still be paid." She directly rejected Xiahou Jie's kindness.

Seeing this, Xiahou Jie wanted to say something to persuade Shen Xiaoxiao, but Dai Xingyun stopped him in time and said, "This meal cost a total of 12 yuan and 3 mao."

After listening, Shen Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction, and then quickly reached into her pocket—actually, she reached into her spatial storage space.

Immediately afterwards, she pulled out a thick wad of banknotes, which at a glance amounted to at least thirty or forty yuan. She carefully counted out four yuan and one mao and handed them to Dai Xingyun.

Dai Xingyun accepted the money with a smile, and Shen Xiaoxiao felt a sense of relief after seeing him accept it.

For her, she was unwilling to owe anyone a favor, no matter what.

Just then, an enticing aroma wafted over – freshly baked meat buns! The fragrance instantly drew the attention of everyone present.

Shen Xiaoxiao, Dai Xingyun, and Xiahou Jie exchanged glances, and as if on the same wavelength, they all walked towards the steamed bun stall to queue up and buy some.

Shen Xiaoxiao was the most agile; she took three steps at a time and quickly grabbed the front of the line.

Then, she calmly took a clean and tidy bag out of her pocket and smiled at the waiter.

"Could you please pack me 10 meat buns and 10 vegetable buns?" As soon as she finished speaking, she handed the waiter the money and receipt that she had prepared in advance.

The waiter was very quick and efficient. After taking Shen Xiaoxiao's money and tickets, he immediately and skillfully began packing the buns for her.

Before long, the steamed buns were handed to Shen Xiaoxiao.

Although Dai Xingyun and Xiahou Jie, who were following behind, did not buy as many as Shen Xiaoxiao, they each selected four meat buns.

This amount is more than enough for them to eat their fill for tonight's dinner.