Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 429: A scholar who loves to go out on snowy days, a new understanding of ancient people'

Everyone's face was rosy, filled with fullness and satisfaction.

Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Lu Zheng smiled and said, "It's rare to have such a good meal today. It's more lively and delicious when there are more people."

"Uncle Lu is treating us to dinner today. Since you have an appointment to go to Green Cloud Garden, go early and don't come back too late."

Lu Lang and his companions agreed, stood up, saluted Lu Zheng, and left with Qi Xi and a few servants.

After they left, Master Qian asked with interest, "Didn't you say you wanted to go to Green Cloud Garden to appreciate the plum blossoms? Why didn't you go?"

Lu Lang shook his head: "Since Xiao Si and the others have gone there, let's not go today."

"In order to prevent a few young people from being restrained in front of me, how can they write any poetry?"

"I won't be that spoiler elder."

The two masters looked at each other with approval in their eyes.

Master Qian thought about it and suggested, "I heard that there are also excellent plum blossoms in Danhua Pavilion near Guang'an Temple. It's close to us. Why don't we go there and take a look?"

Lu Zheng was reminded and said hurriedly: "Mr. Qian is right. I heard that the variety of plum blossoms there is a very rich cinnabar red."

"White snow, red plum blossoms, winding paths and ancient pavilions, I think it is also a beautiful sight."

Several people stood up, and Master Qian took out a silver ingot weighing five taels of silver and placed it on the table as cooking expenses.

Lu Zheng and his two companions, along with the coachman and attendants, left the store, got on the carriage, and headed straight for Danhua Pavilion amid the respectful farewell of Shen Yu and the others.

When the people in the restaurant saw that all the customers had left, they began to clean up the dishes, tables and chairs and move the long table back to its original position.

Shen Yu looked at the shop that had been tidied up to its original state, and thought about the people eating together at the table in the room just now. He couldn't help but sighed, "I didn't expect that the county magistrate would come here today."

"When it snows, scholars will be unable to suppress their poetic inspiration and want to go out for a walk and look for plum blossoms in the snow."

Just as he finished speaking, the door curtain of the shop was lifted, and a man dressed like a scholar, wearing a long cotton gown, walked in.

The light in the room was darker than outside. Before anyone could see the person's appearance, the sharp-eyed Yu Cheng excitedly asked, "Mr. Yang, why are you here?"

The man standing at the door holding an oil-paper umbrella was Yang Tao, a teacher at Baihe Academy.

Yang Tao folded up the oil-paper umbrella covered with snow, shook it outside the door curtain, and put it in a large bamboo basket for umbrellas placed at the door.

Then he smiled and said, "It's the first snow of this winter, so our family came to my uncle's house to get together, and we came here specially to order some food."

Li and Jiang came forward to greet them. Yang Tao greeted everyone before saying, "I came here today to order some meat skewers."

"Bring some of each flavor, thirty skewers per portion."

"A large portion of amber pork and assorted crispy pork casserole, and four kinds of meat and vegetable stir-fries."

"The staple food is steamed dumplings with pork and green onions and steamed cake with candied dates."

"Make two portions of what you ordered. I will take one portion to my uncle's house to eat in the evening. I will ask Zhou Dalang to deliver the other portion to the academy tomorrow morning."

"Oh, by the way, we need to make more skewers for the portion of meat sent to the academy. Um, let's make ninety skewers, and make more pork belly skewers."

Since the daily meals in the academy were ordered from the restaurant, Yang Tao would always be informed of any new dishes in the restaurant when the meals were delivered.

Therefore, although Yang Tao rarely comes here because he teaches at the academy, he knows the dishes in the restaurant very well.

Li and the others wrote down the dishes Yang Tao ordered one by one, and went to the small kitchen to start cooking.

Yang Tao was left in the restaurant, with a cup of steaming ginger and jujube tea in his hand, and was asked to wait for a while.

While waiting for the dishes to be cooked, Yucheng and Dundun couldn't help but ask, "Sir, shall we go to the academy to study tomorrow?"

Yang Tao smiled and said, "It looks like the snow will continue to fall. I'd better stay at home and study tomorrow."

"Tomorrow my two good friends will come over from the neighboring county for a gathering. Even if it doesn't snow, I will have to let you have another day off."

Only then did everyone understand why Yang Tao ordered another portion to be sent to the academy.

Yu Cheng thought of the lively scene of the county magistrate eating hot pot at the table just now, so he volunteered to recommend: "Sir, my restaurant has a new dish called hot pot, which is most suitable for a few people to eat together."

"It's very satisfying and lively to eat, and there are more flavors. It's richer than the dishes in the mixed casserole. It's delicious."

"We eat well at home, and the guests who just left, a table of seven, also said the food was good."

"Sir, would you like to give it a try?"

When Yang Tao heard about the new dishes, he immediately became interested. He thought for a moment and said, "My two good friends tried the meat skewers I brought over once and liked them very much."

“So this time when I came here, I specially ordered more meat skewers for them.”

"They will stay here for two days. I will then take them to the restaurant to eat hot pot and see how delicious this hot pot you mentioned is."

Yu Cheng was so happy that he narrowed his eyes and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Sir, please let me know when you are coming to eat."

"We can make the soup base for you in advance and prepare the ingredients for you when you come."

Yang Tao responded with a smile, and then chatted casually with Yu Cheng and Dun Dun about some places that scholars like to go to enjoy the scenery on snowy days.

This aroused the two children's interest and they kept asking questions about each scene.

Several people worked together, and in less than an incense stick of time, all the dishes ordered by Yang Tao were ready and placed in two large food boxes.

Fearing that the road would be slippery due to snow, Zhou Dalang put the reins on Xiaobai early, pulled the cart out and parked it in front of the store.

After the two large food boxes were fixed, Zhou Dalang invited Yang Tao to get in the car. He whipped the whip briskly and sent him and the ordered dishes to Uncle Yang's yard.

Although there were not many customers today, when the store closed, I counted the money I collected and it was not less than usual.

This made Shen Yu overjoyed and once again refreshed his understanding of the ancient people's lifestyle.

A day later, Yang Tao brought his two friends to eat hotpot.

The guests nearby saw the various dishes laid out on the table and said that this way of eating was fresh and interesting, and they would like to eat hotpot with their friends if they have the chance.

Shen Yu simply put up the menu for spicy hot pot and clear soup hot pot, and wrote another list of ingredients available for hot pot to make it easier for customers to choose.

Hotpot can be eaten in a simple or complex way. It can be eaten by two people or many people. It is a lively scene when eating and is very suitable for people to entertain guests and gather in winter to while away the cold time.

Since then, Fengnian Snack Shop is always bustling in winter.

Even the road construction did not stop guests from coming in groups of three or four, ordering their favorite soup base, and enjoying the meal for an hour or so. It didn't cost much, but it was very enjoyable.