They found a teahouse in a side hall east of Longfu Temple. From a distance, they saw a cloth banner at the entrance with a large character for "Tea" written on it, adorned with tassels hanging below. Chen Lan, holding her two brothers by the hand, entered the teahouse with Uncle De. Inside, she noticed a large copper water kettle and a blue and white porcelain teapot on the counter, with a stack of small, open-mouthed white porcelain tea bowls with blue patterns on the side. A large piece of red paper was pasted on a dark red pillar near the counter, bearing the bold inscription "Do not discuss state affairs."
Uncle De went to the counter and ordered a pot of Longjing tea. Chen Lan, with her brothers in tow, found an empty table away from everyone else and sat down. After a short wait, a nimble young waiter, carrying a teapot in one hand and tea bowls in the other, approached them. He nodded and smiled at Chen Lan and her brothers, placed the teapot and bowls on the table, and then proceeded to brew the tea. After letting it steep for a while, the waiter poured a shallow cup for each of them, said, "Enjoy your tea," and then busied himself elsewhere.
Uncle De went back to the counter and ordered some "donkey rolling" cakes, mung bean cakes, *saqima*, and milk candy to be eaten with the tea, to tide them over. Perhaps it was the hunger and thirst from visiting the temple fair, but Wen Qi picked up a mung bean cake and Wen Kai picked up a "donkey rolling" cake, eating them with gusto. As they ate and drank, they discussed which of their elder sister's purchased snacks were tastier.
Chen Lan sipped her tea and observed the other patrons at their tables. Several tables were occupied by groups of people. Some were discussing current events and the political climate, others were talking about family matters, and some were engaged in discussions about tea and philosophy. The topics of conversation were incredibly varied, covering everything imaginable.
Chen Lan ate and listened to the lively chatter, feeling quite content.
Suddenly, Chen Lan felt her sleeve being tugged. She turned to see Wen Kai pulling her sleeve and asked him what was wrong.
With a flushed face, Wen Kai covered his stomach with one hand and whispered, "Sister, I need to go to the outhouse." Wen Qi chimed in, "Elder sister, I need to go too." Hearing them, Chen Lan felt the urge herself.
So, Chen Lan informed Uncle De, and with one brother in each hand, she led them to find the waiter to ask for directions to the teahouse's outhouse.
The waiter, busy at the time, pointed with his finger and indicated the direction of the outhouse. Chen Lan, holding her brothers' hands, walked along the direction pointed by the waiter, moving towards a side aisle on the left.
Passing a screen, Chen Lan saw another table against the wall. Two tea patrons were seated there, drinking tea. One was a middle-aged man in his thirties, of medium build, wearing a hat, with an ordinary appearance. The other was a lean young man in his twenties, also of medium build, with a side part and short hair. Both men looked utterly unremarkable, the kind who would easily blend into a crowd.
As Chen Lan, holding her brothers' hands, walked a little closer, she overheard the capped middle-aged man scolding the young man: "Baga! Didn't I tell you last time, when we met, that things are tight right now? Don't meet up recently. You are..." The middle-aged man noticed Chen Lan and her brothers approaching and stopped talking. He then fixed his gaze on the approaching trio.
The moment Chen Lan heard the word "Baga," she froze for a second. Her back tensed involuntarily, and goosebumps prickled her skin. Chen Lan quickly recovered and, in that instant, activated the camera function on her system phone with her mind.
Maintaining a calm expression, Chen Lan held her brothers' hands tightly and continued walking. Her gaze swept naturally over the faces of the two men. Chen Lan slowed her pace, walking with her brothers past the two men's tea table.
After the three of them slowly exited the aisle and the side door, Chen Lan's palms and the back of her neck were slick with sweat from nervousness.
Her two brothers looked at Chen Lan with curiosity and simultaneously asked, "Sister, what's wrong?" Chen Lan took a deep breath, exhaled, and said, "It's nothing! I'm sorry! Did sister hurt your hands, Wen Qi and Wen Kai?" The two brothers quickly waved their hands and said, "Sister, we're fine, really! We're fine," and then they ran towards the outhouse.
After the three of them finished their business, Chen Lan, holding her brothers' hands, walked back. As they exited the aisle, Chen Lan subtly glanced at the table against the wall. The table was now empty. The teapot and tea bowls remained, yet to be cleared by the waiter, indicating the two men had only just left.
Chen Lan immediately felt a weight lift from her heart. She cursed internally, "Damn it! Those damned Japanese."
It wasn't that Chen Lan feared death; she feared implicating her family. Her two younger brothers were too young to understand anything and were unaware of the danger. She couldn't let them encounter any peril.
Chen Lan saw a waiter approaching, preparing to clear the table.
Chen Lan, feigning anger, asked the waiter, "Excuse me, little brother! Where did those two people at this table go?"
The waiter looked at Chen Lan in surprise.
Chen Lan quickly explained, "He was staring at my brother just now and scared him. I want to reason with him." The waiter, not wanting trouble, quickly replied, "I don't know them."
"Little brother, don't say you don't know them. Aren't people who drink tea at your teahouse familiar faces? Don't people who live nearby come here? There are so many teahouses in the capital, would unfamiliar people come all the way here to talk?" Chen Lan said, reaching into her pocket and placing a silver dollar on the table beside the waiter.
The waiter picked up the silver dollar and asked Chen Lan, "Are you asking about the younger one or the older one?"
"Do you know both of them?" Chen Lan asked, looking at the waiter.
The waiter replied, "I only know the older one works at the tin factory near Longfu Temple. I really don't know the younger one, but he often comes to find the older one. He hasn't been around for a while recently."
Chen Lan thanked the waiter and walked back, holding her brothers' hands. As she walked, Chen Lan thought, it didn't matter that she didn't know the other person. She had recorded their appearances with the camera. The original host was also skilled at drawing. Gentle Niang was proficient in all arts, including Go, chess, calligraphy, and painting. After returning, she would draw them and then ask Brother Xiangdong to report them. After all, he had experience from his previous report.
Chen Lan, holding her brothers' hands, returned to their tea table and met up with Uncle De. Then, Uncle De went out to attend to his own matters. Chen Lan asked her brothers if they wanted to eat anything else or have more tea. Both brothers shook their heads.
When Uncle De returned, the four of them left the teahouse together. Uncle De asked the siblings if they wanted to continue browsing. The three siblings all shook their heads.
Chen Lan checked the system time; it was already half past two in the afternoon. They slowly walked towards the assembly point at the temple entrance, arriving just in time.
She told Uncle De, "Let's walk back slowly; it's just the right time!"
Uncle De glanced at his new watch and nodded, "We still have plenty of time. We can take our time and look at what we missed earlier!"
Chen Lan, still holding her brothers' hands, followed Uncle De as they strolled back. After about half an hour, Wen Kai and Wen Qi could no longer walk. Chen Lan wanted to find an open space for the two brothers to sit and rest, but it was impossible. The temple fair was at its most crowded, with people packed shoulder to shoulder, pushing and shoving. Forget sitting, even standing was difficult.
With no other option, Chen Lan and Uncle De each carried one of the brothers and slowly walked back. Chen Lan carried Wen Qi, and Uncle De carried Wen Kai. Although Wen Qi and Wen Kai were not yet seven years old, after being carried for about half an hour, Chen Lan ran out of strength and could no longer carry Wen Qi. She put Wen Qi down to rest for a while, then held his hand and walked for a bit longer. They continued this pattern of walking, carrying, and resting. Finally, Chen Lan, her brothers, and Uncle De reached the assembly point. The others had not yet arrived. Chen Lan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she hadn't made everyone wait again.