Chapter 352 In the Years of War
Hearing Xia Ning’s words, Zhou Mengyao is glad, “I am an old woman. I am glad that you don’t call me Granny Zhou. You want to call me Sister Mengyao! Anyway, it is up to you. You may call me whatever you like.”
Granny Zhou is surely not a suitable address. Xia Ning thinks for a while and says, “I decide to call you Sister Mengyao!”
Zhou Mengyao is too beautiful to be addressed as she should be. It seems that any addressing is inappropriate…
“OK, as long as you like it.” Zhou Mengyao closes the door and presses the accelerator. The car goes away at a high speed.
It is a Ferrari sporty car. Zhou Mengyao drives very well. Among the cars on the crowded road, the red Ferrari car is just like a bunch of fire flame. It rushes across, followed by a lot of cheers.
The car goes and turns and arrives at a little lane. Xia Ning feels very surprised. Don’t they come to drink coffee? Where is the coffee shop?
And where can they park the car?
The lane is very narrow. It tests the driver’s techniques. Zhou Mengyao drives practically. The gestures of her operation are just like that of the drivers in Formula Racing. Xia Ning feels shocked to see that.
“Aunt Zhou, you drive excellently. Where did you learn to drive?”
Zhou Mengyao smiles. She mildly turns her head, “My husband taught me in person.”
Hearing this, Xia Ning feels to hear a crash in her heart.
The husband taught her in person…That sounds meaningful.
The car takes some other turnings and suddenly comes to an open place. It is a large land with many luxurious cars parked around!
Xia Ning is shocked blankly!
She has been in C City for quite a long time. How didn’t she know this place?
Zhou Mengyao stops the car. She turns to Xia Ning, “We will park the car here. Let’s get off.”
They get off the car. An old man walks to them. He says to Zhou Mengyao, “You are Yao! We haven’t met for tens of years. You are still beautiful.”
Zhou Mengyao sees the man. She turns to Xia Ning, “This is Uncle Wu. I have known him for a long time.”
“Yes. Ah. Is this your daughter? She is as beautiful as you.” The old man admires.
Zhou Mengyao laughs, “This is Ning, my friend. I wish she was my daughter.”
“Uncle Wu, nice to meet you.” Xia Ning greets.
“Nice to meet you.” Uncle Wu turns to Zhou Mengyao, “You and Ning alone? Where are Junhao and Yi Xian?”
Sadness flashes across Zhou Mengyao’s eyes. But she returns to normal at once, “Junhao isn’t with us. Yi Xian Is married. He may have forgotten me…”
“How can he forget you?” Uncle Wu responds with certainty, “You two were so intimate at that time. Everyone envied you.”
Zhou Mengyao’s smile slightly freezes. She says, “It is past. Uncle Wu, please take care of my car. I am going to Uncle Tian’s for coffee with Ning.”
Uncle Wu nods, “OK. OK. Don’t worry. I have been at this parking for tens of years. Not even one car was ever lost. Tian has been always looking forward to your visiting.”
Zhou Mengyao smiles. She draws Xia Ning and turns to leave.
“The coffee shop is just in the lane ahead. We will get there in a few minutes’ walk.” Zhou Mengyao points ahead.
Xia Ning feels more surprised. Can there be a coffee shop here?
They walk out of the lane and turn. Zhou Mengyao leads Xia Ning to a small stone stair.
On the second floor, there is a door that opens a gap. Zhou Mengyao cries, “Waiting for you, Mengyao.”
She has just finished her words, and the door is opened from inside. A handsome young man in tails bows to them, “Madams, come in, please.”
Xia Ning and Zhou Mengyao walk in. There is another door at the turning with a sign on it saying: Waiting.
Rich flavor of coffee blows out from inside. It smells purely delicious. Xia Ning doesn’t need to taste it to tell its abnormally excellent quality.
The door is opened. It is a very exquisite coffee shop inside.
It is designed in the classic British style. Xia Ning feels as if she walks into a royal castle of the middle age. It gives out an air of nostalgia and solemnity.
There are a few people sitting in the coffee shop. They are tasting coffee quietly.
Xia Ning looks at these people and feels shocked blankly in surprise!
She recognizes these people. The one sitting on the left corner is the president of a multinational group. His wife is sitting beside him. The one sitting next to him is the wife of a high official. The one on the right is a legendary mysterious man. It is said that he is connected with the Military Intelligence of the US.
People here are either rich or powerful! Their backgrounds are far more than noble.
Xia Ning comes to understand why she has been staying in C City while she doesn’t know this coffee shop.
Seemingly, she hasn’t come to the class of ranking.
Zhou Mengyao is aware of Xia Ning’s surprise. She asks, “Hasn’t Commander Yi ever brought you here?”
Xia Ning shakes her head, “No.”
Yi Yunrui hasn’t ever mentioned it at all.
Zhou Mengyao feels surprised. She smiles, “Here I offer you a reason. You may punish him when you go back.”
Xia Ning smiles, “Yes, he deserves punishments.”
Yi Yunrui knows that she likes drinking coffee most. However, he didn’t even mention this place. Can there be any secrets?
Or…Yi Yunrui also doesn’t know this place?
They choose the seats and sit down. A waiter comes to them, “Madams, good afternoon. What can I do for you?”
“A cup of Italian expresso, please.” Zhou Mengyao responds without hesitation, “Ning, what about you?”
Xia Ning looks around. She feels a little shy, “May I ask…what’s your specialty?”
The waiter hasn’t responded when Zhou Mengyao says, “It provides all kinds of coffee here. They make them in very native ways. Everything is a specialty.”
Xia Ning understands.
“A cup of cappuccino, please.”
“OK. In a minute.”
The waiter leaves. Zhou Mengyao says, “Ning, the boss of this coffee shop is named Tian. He is an old friend of mine. He is very talented in cooking. In the past, he used to win the title of Michelin Three-star Chef. He has been running this coffee shop for a long time. However, a code is required here. He only serves his old customers.”
No wonder…
Xia Ning understands. Suddenly, she remembers something and asks, “Is the code what you just said?”
Zhou Mengyao nods. Something waves in her eyes.
“Does that code…work for everyone?”
Zhou Mengyao nods again.
In an instant, Xia Ning truly understands. The code is: Waiting for you, Mengyao. That is the hearty cry of Uncle Tian.
After she came here, she heard three names: Junhao, Yi Xian, Tian. It is imaginable that these three men all had a very close relationship with Zhou Mengyao.
Zhou Junhao is Zhou Mengyao’s husband. He died of cancer ten years ago. He left all his properties to Zhou Mengyao. Zhou Mengyao obviously has known Yi Xian for a long time. Based on what Uncle Wu said, they were very intimate in the past. While Uncle Tian…He opened a coffee shop and has run it for tens of years with the same code. It is clear to tell the position of Zhou Mengyao in Uncle Tian’s heart.
All the three men are talents out of talents. They all like Zhou Mengyao. It is imaginable how gorgeous Zhou Mengyao was when she was young.
Even today, tens of years later, Zhou Mengyao is still a great beauty. Even at this moment, Xia Ning admires Zhou Mengyao from the bottom of her heart!
Soon, the coffee is served. Xia Ning looks at the color and smells the rich fragrance of it. She has got the sense of satisfaction already, let alone to taste it.
Xia Ning takes up the coffee for a careful sip. With such a sip, the rich flavor of the coffee goes smoothly right into her throat and brings physical enjoyment. That is definitely perfect!
God. She has tasted the coffee here. She is afraid that she may look down upon the coffee from elsewhere all the rest of her life.
To be baked based on the ancient tradition, everything is processed very carefully. The cup of coffee in her hand is a real precious of the world. Xia Ning even can’t bear to drink it!
“What’s wrong?” Zhou Mengyao asks confusedly, wondering why the girl looks at her coffee blankly.
“Aunt Zhou.” Xia Ning asks sadly, “What can I do if I can’t drink the coffee again? Will the coffee shop be always open all my life?”
Hearing this, Zhou Mengyao smiles, “I may ask Tian about it. We may see whether he has got any apprentices.”
Xia Ning feels her heart sink, “Aunt Zhou, how old is Uncle Tian?”
Zhou Mengyao blinks her eyes, “Over sixty. Almost seventy.”
“Ahem.” Xia Ning feels helpless. Why hadn’t she known him earlier?
Uncle Tian is seventy, while she is only thirty. There are totally forty years between them.
Uncle Tian, you must live long to a hundred years old. Xia Ning hopes she can drink his coffee all her life.
At the time, the waiter sends them some cake. He says politely to them, “Madams, this is the special dessert for today, raspberry cheese cake. Hope you like it.”
Xia Ning looks at the beautiful cake in front of her. She takes a small bite of it and tastes it carefully. The rich flavor of the raspberry fills her mouth at once!
The best in the world…
“They provide special cake every day. It is a gift from the boss. It is for free.” Zhou Mengyao says when glancing at the counter.
Xia Ning cocks her head, “Aunt Zhou, if I come here every day, will Uncle Tian kick me away?”
“That’s silly. You surely can come here every day.” Zhou Mengyao says. She puts down the silver tableware, “I remember. Commander Yi Xian and I came here every day at that time.”
Xia Ning hesitates. She looks at Zhou Mengyao, wondering whether she should ask the questions.
“Ning, you want to ask me about the relation between your father-in-law and me, don’t you?”
Xia Ning nods.
As far as she knows, her father-in-law loves Zheng Yao most. But Aunt Zhou…
Zhou Mengyao takes a sip of the coffee. She thinks for a while and says, “If it hadn’t been because of my family background, I would have been the wife of Commander Yi Xian.”
Xia Ning is shocked to hear this.
“When I was eighteen, I met Xian. At that time, there were battles between China and Japan. Xian is an army man. He is tall and handsome. I fell in love with him at the first sight.” Zhou Mengyao puts on a mild smile, “Maybe there was some soul connection between us. Xian also liked me. Then, we dated. Xian was very gentle. It was happy to be with him. It is a pity that my mother is Japanese. At that time, everyone was against Japan. Xian’s parents couldn’t accept me. Xian fought for that. However, he was an army man and an obedient son. If I stayed with him, all people would not accept that. So, in the end, I initiatively gave up…”
Zhou Mengyao gives a sigh. She smiles at Xia Ning, “We loved without a happy ending.”
