Butcher Fulang’s Noodle Shop - Chapter 37
In a blink of an eye, it was the morning of the banquet.
When closing the restaurant, the day before, Song Shi’an had already asked Ye Du to prepare all the materials that needed to be prepared in advance. During the past twenty days, Ye Du worked diligently from morning to night every day, and he helped him prepare them in advance. If the ingredients were well prepared, nothing would go wrong.
He woke up early and opened his eyes. Xu Zhongyue was still lying beside him, sleeping deeply, his breathing was steady and clear. The morning light shone on his white face, making the green color around his chin more visible.
Song Shi’an’s skin was delicate, and once Xu Zhongyue’s beard grew out, it would easily rub his face and neck red. He usually shaved very frequently, and his laid-back and handsome look was probably because he was too busy these days.
He couldn’t help but stretched out his palm and rubbed Xu Zhongyue’s chin with his soft palm, which was slightly itchy.
Under his palm, Xu Zhongyue slowly opened his eyes, looking straight at him with thick black eyes. Before he could do anything, there was a sound of “wow, woof, woof” and the sound of dog paws scratching at the door.
Seeing that both people in the room ignored him, the dog’s voice became low and plaintive, “Ouch…wuwuwu…”
“Okay, okay.” Looking at Xu Zhongyue’s eyes, which also looked sad, Song Shi’an found it was funny. In order to appease his husband, he hurriedly held Xu Zhongyue’s face, kissed him gently on the forehead, tied his clothes and got out of bed.
As soon as he opened the door, the dog, who was lying upright on the door in an attempt to evolve, couldn’t hold back his energy and suddenly pounced on Song Shi’an’s legs.
It huffed and licked Song Shi’an’s legs crazily.
Song Shi’an pushed him away several times and fed it a multi-grain steamed bun mixed with minced meat before it stopped.
“This is the sixth one.” Song Shi’an shook his head and smiled. When the dog just got home and hadn’t had time to name it, he didn’t know how he did it. He actually ate up a large plate of fat meat and meat skin that Song Shi’an had peeled off when cooking meat dishes. He licked the plate until it was as smooth as a mirror.
“Did you steal food?”
“Wooooow!”
If it hadn’t been for a ball protruding from its belly and walking slowly on its four fat legs, Song Shi’an would have been deceived by the dog’s honest and clear black eyes.
Since then, the dog’s name was Xu Laoliu.
Normally, Song Shi’an would only call him ‘Laoliu’.
He would only call him by his full name when he was busy with things like today, he was packing his things and was tangled up by the clingy dog with half a bun in his mouth.
“Xu Zhongyue, hurry up and take care of your Xu Laoliu!”
Xu Zhongyue had just finished rinsing his mouth with green salt. Hearing the sound, he picked up the dog by the scruff and tied it back to the kennel. He poured water into the dog’s food bowl and put two more steamed buns to make a day’s ration.
After finishing his work, he walked into the kitchen and rubbed Song Shi’an’s neck with his chin.
“Why is Xu Laoliu from my family?”
Song Shi’an, who confidently ordered the man to work, laughed while being tickled by him, and said: “Since the surname is Xu, of course he is your son.”
Xu Zhongyue’s handsome face suddenly darkened, ” I don’t want a dog son.”
He only wanted the son Song Shi’an gave him, and he wanted daughter. As long as Song Shi’an gives birth to his children, he liked them all.
However, shuangers were naturally more difficult to conceive than women, and Song Shi’an had lost his health when he was young, so it might not be that easy to conceive.
He didn’t want to upset Song Shi’an by saying it, so he swallowed the words back.
The two of them were enjoying themselves when the courtyard door rang.
.
Lin Zhihang told them as he was paying the deposit, he would send a carriage for Song Shi’an to the banquet venue.
Song Shi’an opened the door and took a look, but he did not expect that Lin Zhihang would come to pick him up in person.
It seemed that Lin Zhihang attached great importance to this banquet. Song Shi’an was very considerate of his nervousness. Seeing his solemn expression and pale lips, he hurriedly said: “Young Master Lin, please rest assured. The dishes at today’s banquet are both elegant and delicious. It’s fun and will definitely make the masters happy.”
Lin Zhihang nodded blankly and saw a tall and handsome man coming out from behind Song Shi’an’s shoulder.
The man opened his arms, and most of his jade-like solid and strong chest was exposed, and his muscles were beautiful and powerful. He was wearing a bright red robe, with arabesque patterns embroidered on the cuffs and corners of the robe with silver thread. The rich and gorgeous color highlighted his mature and powerful handsomeness.
The temperament of these two people actually gave Lin Zhihang an illusion for a moment, and this ordinary little yard in suddenly became luxurious and elegant.
Of course, the little dog, Laoliu quickly shattered Lin Zhihang’s illusion. Even though he was only less than three months old, he was grinning and protecting his master, doing his best to be cruel.
Song Shi’an shouted, called Laoliu to stop, and turned aside to let the servants led by Lin Zhihang enter the house and load everything into the carriage.
A carriage was filled quickly, but fortunately there was another one parked behind. Lin Zhihang saw Xu Zhongyue locking the door and following him, and asked in surprise: “Is your husband coming too?”
Song Shi’an held Xu Zhongyue’s sleeve and smiled shyly. He stood up and said, “He helped me. I don’t have to pay any extra money. I’ll hire him today.”
Lin Zhihang’s heart was broken into pieces. He sat in the carriage silently. He didn’t want to look, but he could always see the other side with his peripheral vision. ‘What are the two of you doing?’
After the young wife got married, he was like a green bud waiting to bloom, which suddenly bloomed with all its charm.
He was a little shy and sat further apart from Xu Zhongyue, but quietly stretched out his hand from under his sleeve to hook his husband’s hand, which was also placed on the stool.
After curling his fingers, he pursed his lips and snickered.
Lin Zhihang looked sour and swallowed the dog food.
.
This time, the banquet was held at Master Jiang’s house, belonging to one of the wealthiest families in Qingjiang Town. The mansion, reminiscent of a southern Yangtze River Garden, also housed the nephews of his deceased brothers.
The back garden, where the banquet took place, was lent for the occasion, and it was Jiang Pingyun, the nephew who requested it.
Upon entering Jiang Mansion, Xu Zhongyue remained vigilant, while Song Shi’an seemed unconcerned. He had long forgotten the pre-marriage arrangement, though memories of almost becoming a concubine due to his stepmother lingered. Marrying into the Jiang family seemed to have slipped off his mind.
He marveled at the opulence of ancient rich lifestyles, especially the mansion’s back garden resembling later generation parks. Abundant flowers, plants, and rocks adorned the area, with mandarin ducks swimming in a small lake. The waterside pavilion, with open windows, allowed the wind to lift curtains, creating an ethereal scene.
The temporary kitchen, positioned in the innermost waterside pavilion room, aimed to avoid disrupting students’ conversations.
At the fighting area, Song Shi’an diligently checked weapons, while Lin Zhihang silently mended his broken heart, retreating to a pavilion facing water on three sides.
Typically, academy gentlemen avoided such activities, but the presence of Zhang Nanming ensured a formal atmosphere, with students sitting upright, in contrast to past, more indulgent gatherings.
The most frightening thing was that, before the food was served, Zhang Nanming, who detested wasting time the most, asked each student one by one to submit the articles assigned the day before.
The gloomy and slender gentleman held the rice paper, gazing at the weeping willows and blooming flower beds on the lakeshore. Lips and teeth moved slightly, offering merciless comments.
Every student reviewed displayed talent. Even the one criticized for having ‘seven orifices connected to one’ seemed ready to plunge into the lake had it not been shallow.
Amidst students asking, “When will the food be served?”
“Hurry up and shut the teacher’s mouth.”
The food finally flowed out like water.
The first dish arrived on an intricately delicate porcelain plate marked “Dragon Looks Back.”
The plate’s outer edge formed a circle of delicate pastry, shaped like plum blossom petals. The thin, snow-white dough adorned with veins of green and red silk, the center embellished with bright red rose marinade.
In the middle sat a meat skewer resembling a jade flute, intricately twisted into five strands made of pork, beef, fish, mutton, and venison. The amalgamation of the five meat flavors created a delightful blend. The fresh and tender tastes fused, and with each bite, the thick gravy coated the tongue, offering a refreshing sensation that was irresistible.
Traditionally, students relied on their status and held themselves back at the banquet, but this time the dishes were fresh and captivating, exceptionally delicious with perfectly portioned servings. Each student wielded a pair of chopsticks, swiftly finishing each dish.
After Zhang Nanming enjoyed a meat skewer, he picked up a plum blossom and savored it. The snack was soft, tender, and sweet, akin to enjoying a late-blooming plum blossom.
“What’s the name of this dish? What’s its significance?” Zhang Nanming inquired.
The person serving the dish, a maid from Master Jiang’s house, bowed and said abruptly, “The cook is still busy. He said this dish is called -”
She was illiterate, she handed over the small note Song Shi’an had prepared. Zhang Nanming unfolded it, noting the less-than-beautiful handwriting.
“Listening to the jade flute on the fallen plum blossoms?”
Yin Lang and Liang Yongji, good friends seated beside Zhang Nanming, stretched their necks to read the poem, sighing, “How elegant!”
Liang Yongji, glancing at Song Shijin, remarked with a smile: “I still thought the people working in the kitchen were all vulgar cooks, but I didn’t expect there to be such elegant people.”
Song Shijin remained silent, his face turning slightly blue.
While conversing, the second dish arrived.
A vegetarian delight, the tender yellow soup held cabbage blossoms blooming like flowers. The carefully selected cabbage hearts had tender, green leaves without a trace of insect bites. In the middle of the petals, fist-sized tofu balls rested.
The tofu balls, white and tender, each housed twenty-four pieces of Jinhua ham. Despite being a vegetarian dish, the fish and bone stock soup added tenderness and refreshment.
Someone inquired about the dish’s name, and the maid calmly handed over the note, which Liang Yongji and Yin Lang read aloud: “Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night.”
Lin Zhihang, fascinated, murmured: “On a moonlit night under the Twenty-Four Bridge, who can listen to the jade flute and the falling plum blossoms? These two poems are sewn together so seamlessly.”
Surprisingly, in addition to his beauty and cooking skills, the young wife was knowledgeable.
Willing to reward with one hundred taels, Manager Li opposed it, suspecting deception. At this moment, he felt one hundred taels was still not enough.
Song Shi’an’s dishes alternated between meat and vegetarian, each intricately detailed, elegant, and delicious. They resembled works of art, with perfectly portioned servings to avoid overwhelming the one accustomed to delicacies.
As the last soup was served, Zhang Nanming took the bowl first given to the master and said, “Today’s cook is different. Let’s ask him to explain the beauty of this last dish in person!”