Chapter 5 chapter Five

Gan Rong suffered from hypochondria, and in Chen Tianlun's words, he was still seriously ill.She walked around the Water Transport Wharf day and night, every girl she saw looked like Lan'er, and everyone she saw looked like the person who hijacked Lan'er.If she finds a person suspicious, she will follow him until the details of him are revealed. She thought it was inconvenient for girls to hang around on the pier, so she often changed into men's clothes, long robes and mandarin jackets, and a small cap with a green skirt, and she looked like a handsome scholar.In this way, not only is it very convenient, but it can also be welcomed wherever you go.

In the evening of this day, she stared at another person. This person got off the tank boat, followed by two attendants, one carrying a bamboo basket and the other carrying a burden.She didn't know why she was suspicious of this group of people, she even felt that Lan'er was hidden in that bamboo basket. The three of them walked through the stone dam, then through the earth dam, and then they entered the Dawang Temple.The Dawang Temple is located along the river outside the East Gate of Tongzhou City. Because there are two toads carved on the faces of the two doors in front of it, the local people call it the Toad Temple.There is a yellow pavilion in front of the Hama Temple, and inside the pavilion is a stone tablet engraved with legal regulations on water transport.One of the regulations is that all passenger ships and cargo ships other than water ships are not allowed to dock north of the pavilion, so as not to delay the collection of water grain.To the north of the pavilion is the famous two earth-rock dams.

The Dawang Temple or Hama Temple is the place where the transporters worship and offer incense and offerings. After the boats of all gangs arrive on the stipulated date, they all enter the temple to worship the Dawang. Gan Rong followed the three people into the Hama Temple, followed them a few steps, and hid behind the temple gate.There is a main hall, a main hall and two auxiliary halls in the temple, and there is a theater building in the middle.Between the main hall and the side hall, there are verandas connecting each other. The corridors are nine-curved, magnificent, painted with paint, and surrounded by cigarettes.

The three of them entered the temple gate and entered the main hall, and Gan Rong also flashed in, lurking behind the statue of the king.The leader first offered incense to the king, and then took a plate woven from bamboo from the entourage, covered with a piece of yellow silk.The man uncovered the yellow silk on the bamboo plate, held it up with both hands, and knelt down respectfully to the king.Gan Rong took a closer look, it turned out that there was a blue-and-white snake in the bamboo tray, and she couldn't help but tremble.The fortune-tellers are really strange, what kind of offering is not good, why only use this terrible snake?Gan Rong is not afraid of heaven, earth, ghosts and gods, but he is afraid of snakes.She didn't want to stay here for a long time, because there was too much evil in the Great King's Temple, so she slipped out quietly.

Gan Rong left Hama Temple, but still couldn't let go of those three people.Not long after, the three people came out of the temple and went straight to a restaurant south of the Huang Pavilion.Gan Rong took the opportunity to follow up again. This restaurant is called Tianhe Tower, which is a well-known high-end restaurant on the Water Transport Wharf.A small three-story brick and wood building with cornices and raised ridges, carved beams and painted buildings.Half of the base of the building straddles the embankment, and the other half hangs over the water.The owner of this restaurant, surnamed Hou, is from Shanxi. Besides this restaurant, he also runs a bank in the city. He is a wealthy person.It is said that several of the chefs here came out of the imperial palace, and they all have a few unique skills in cooking.Most of the people who come here to dine are wealthy businessmen and dignitaries, as well as dignitaries and leaders on the wharf.This refers to a big meal, and it is said that the shop bullies the customers, but Tianhe Tower is not like this.Boss Hou understands very well the principle that people get rich, so he set up strict store rules and regulations: children are not deceived, and rich and poor are welcome.

In addition to the big meals, there are also home-cooked dishes, which are specially designed to receive those elegant people who are shy.Even traffickers and pawns, wandering entertainers, will be greeted with smiling faces when they enter the door.No matter how big or small the business is, earn a penny and gain a share of the hearts of the people.The business of Tianhe Tower is important, but the reputation and reputation are more important. The high-end of the hotel can also be proved by the fact that the three gold-plated characters of "Tianhe Tower" hanging high on the eyebrows of the building turned out to be the imperial pen of Emperor Qianlong.Emperor Qianlong went to the south of the Yangtze River six times. Every time he boarded a boat on the Grand Canal, Tianhe Tower would prepare several exquisite and delicious dishes to offer, which won Emperor Qianlong's appreciation.

When Gan Rong saw the three people walking into Tianhe Tower, he also walked in swaggeringly.As soon as she entered the door, she was startled.All the guys in the store are smart, clean, and quick-talking. Seeing a customer coming in, they all shouted in unison: "Please come inside, where are you..." Immediately afterwards, there was another burst of shouting The sound: "Cold and vermicelli, pull thin and chop narrow, add more mustard...", "My vegetable Maqian..." This is called Mingtang, and most of the big restaurants in the capital have this rule.The business is booming, the food is fragrant, the knives and spoons are noisy, and the house is full of excitement, which looks extraordinarily lively.Beijingers like to put on a show, and they regard eating as fun, socializing, and status.In such a restaurant, there are so many people hugging and waiting around, listening to the ears, eating comfortably, and spending money well, especially with "grandfather's share".So after the meal was over, they threw down a few bounties and played with this pie.At this time, Tangtou shouted: "Fourth Master Liu rewards you with two slings..." Tangtou's voice hadn't finished yet, all the clerks, kitchen cooks, vegetable washers, dishwashers, and miscellaneous workers, including the accountant, and even the restaurant staff The hosts all shouted together: "Thank you..." With such a joyous energy, the guests who had rewarded the money felt that their faces were particularly radiant, and they walked out the door contentedly, and they will definitely throw money here next time they eat.

Although Gan Rong was born in a family of officials and officials, he was pampered and well-fed, but he didn't have many opportunities to come to big restaurants.The more women you are, the more you pay attention to not going out of the door, not showing your feet, and not showing your teeth when smiling.Thanks to Gan Rong who disguised himself as a man, he was able to have this convenience. A boy showed her towards a window seat, but she shook her head and sat down at a table near the cashier's table.The young man stood in front of her, put the white handkerchief in his hand on his left shoulder, and said enthusiastically, "What do you want to use?"

Gan Rong was taken aback, she didn't expect to eat here, but after running for a long time, she was really hungry.How about something to eat? Seeing her hesitating, the young man gave her the names of the dishes with a mouthful of flowers: "Cold dishes include beef in sauce, smoked fish, spicy tripe, peanut kernels... Stir-fried dishes include burnt sliced ​​pork, shredded pork in Beijing sauce, Kung Pao Chicken, Scallion Lamb, Mushu Pork, Yellow Vegetables, Grilled Liver, Stir-Fried Kidney Flowers..." After all, Gan Rong grew up in a mansion, and he is not afraid of going anywhere, he is not stage fright, and he will play the young lady's temper from time to time.Her mind was always on the three people she was following, and she had no time to listen to the boy chattering in her ears. She waved her hand impatiently and stopped the boy from continuing to report the name of the dish: "Okay, okay, Just give me half a catty of shredded pork pancakes and a bowl of egg soup."

The waiter in the big restaurant is not ordinary, even though he was stared at by customers, he was still calm and smiling, and his enthusiasm did not weaken at all. After listening to Gan Rong's order, he immediately rushed to the back kitchen Shouting: "Half a catty of fried pancakes with shredded pork, a bowl of dumpling fruit soup, Maqian..." Only then did Gan Rong know that egg soup should be called fruit soup in restaurants.Whatever it is, what is love called. The scene in front of the desk made Gan Rong a little startled. The leader among the three was taking out ingots from his bag. He took out eight ingots of snowflake silver ingots of fifty taels in a row and brushed them all together. It was placed on the accounting table, like eight white and tender big fat boys squatting on it.

The accountant, who was as thin as a broom bump, looked familiar, and asked lightly, "Just one table? When?" The guest asked humbly: "Is it okay the day after tomorrow?" The accountant shook his head: "Where is the day after tomorrow? Some dishes have to be cooked three days in advance, so you have to leave us some time to buy them?" The guest said: "Then tell me, when is the fastest?" The accountant said: "The fastest will be February 29th, and it will take four days." The guest was a little embarrassed: "The canal will open on March 1st, I'm afraid it will be too late, how about..." The guest took out two ingots of ingots and placed them on the account table. The accountant was not moved by the money, he pushed all the ingots on the table away, and said modestly: "This is really hard for a small shop, please go to a big restaurant, sir." The guest was in a hurry: "What big restaurant, is there a restaurant bigger than Tianhe Tower on this water transport wharf?" The accountant said: "Of course there are. The Concubine Building and the Water Transport Restaurant are all Tianzizi." The guest hurriedly said: "No, please, please help me a lot. The 29th will be the 29th. I won't go anywhere, so I'm just looking for your place." The accountant made a very reluctant look: "Then please leave your name, sir." The guest said: "Xu Jiachuan, the former leader of the Weishan Gang in Linqing." Then the accountant stuffed those ingots into the cash drawer one by one. The guest thanked him a thousand times and left with a bow. It is said that the store is bullying customers, and Gan Rong finally saw it.But what surprised her was that this big store was so enthusiastic about small customers like her, why would it be so stern about the big customer who brought gold and silver? The three people went out amidst the cheerful sound of the hall, Gan Rong hurriedly stuffed the shredded pork fried pancakes into his mouth, then picked up the egg soup and rushed down, and hurriedly chased them out... It was the first time for Xia Yuxuan to experience such a luxurious dinner, which really opened his eyes. For these years, Xia Yuxuan has been an official in the capital.Beijing officials are different from foreign officials. Beijing officials are noble and foreign officials are vulgar. Beijing officials are barren and foreign officials are rich and fat.All in all, Beijing officials took up the word "li", while foreign officials took up the word "money".Xia Yuxuan later went to the Hanlin Academy to edit and edit.Xia Yuxuan, who was born in a bitter cold, was used to living a poor life. In addition, his wife was able to manage the house diligently, and the house given by Chen Rixiu did not require rent.Now he is promoted to the magistrate of Tongzhou. Tongzhou is at the foot of the emperor, and it is also an important place for water transport and docks. The grade of officials is much higher than that of other places. Almost most of the Beijing officials put money to the outside world, all of which are money.Xia Yuxuan is different, he will never be greedy for money, because if he is greedy for money, he will humiliate his ancestors, if he is greedy for money, he will read so many books of sages in vain, and if he is greedy for money, he will let down his ambitions. Don't be greedy for money, you always have to eat.Xia Yuxuan discovered that Xu Jiachuan's table was filled with prominent figures.Tie Lin, the governor of the warehouse, did not come after receiving the invitation. The sitting grain hall was full of gold slips, and the Han hall chief Xu Liangnian was here, and there was another one who was the secretary of the sitting grain hall, surnamed Chang. Xia Yuxuan didn't ask his name.Before he came, Tie Lin had already told him that the banquet he was going to eat was worth five hundred taels of silver, and he didn't know where Tie Lin got the news from.In this way, plus Xu Jiachuan himself, there are only five people.Good guy, one hundred taels of silver for one person, why is the meal so valuable. The two hall ministers are both the fifth grade of Qinjian. Although they are of the same grade as Xia Yuxuan, they are dignitaries on the Water Transport Wharf after all, so they are still considered Beijing officials, while Xia Yuxuan is already a local official.This is especially true in official circles, where ranking is very important.No matter how much money is spent on a banquet, if a person's position is lowered, the meal will be regarded as a waste of money, or even worse than not invited.The three of them gave way for a long time, and finally sat down.Jin Jian is at the top, Xia Yuxuan is on the left, and Xu Liangnian is on the right.On the left is the top, Xia Yuxuan and Xu Liangnian back and forth back and forth, but Xu Liangnian refused, so Xia Yuxuan had no choice but to bow to Xu Liangnian, saying that he was ashamed to accept it. Of course, there were Chang Shuban and Xu Jiachuan, Xu Jiachuan was the host, if he hadn't paid for it, he wouldn't have dared to sit at this table if he had a little guts.Now I'm sitting, but I don't dare to sit still, I dare not sit upright, and I have to stand up from time to time to say hello.To say that he is the master can also be regarded as the master, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is a servant who serves everyone.Speaking of which, Xu Jiachuan is also an influx, and the garrison of the Tuntian Weisuo Army is at the fifth rank.From the point of view of taste, he is on the same level as the two Ting Cheng and the magistrate of Tongzhou, but the status of a military officer cannot be compared with that of a civil servant.In the past dynasties of China, "Yanwuxiuwen" was the prosperous age, and it has a long history of emphasizing literature and despising martial arts.The appointment of the capital of each province, and the overall management of the military affairs of a province, is supposed to be a separate court from the governor, right?But otherwise, when Tidu met the governor, he had to call himself "Biao Xia" or "Mu En".The same is the number one scholar, the number one scholar of the text is selected and appointed to the Imperial Academy, and the number one scholar of the martial arts is only a guard standing guard outside the palace. This banquet is placed in the private seat on the second floor of Tianhe Building, which also has a unique name: Huazhi Lane.Eight years ago, military ration manager Chen Rixiu and Wang Carpenter drank together in Tianhe Tower, discussing their latest research results.Chapter 60 wrote that Jia Zhen secretly hid his second sister-in-law You Erjie in a house in "Xiaohuazhi Lane". "Huazhi Lane" is the first alley on the west side of the south gate of Zhangjiawan. There is a small courtyard with more than 20 rooms in it. It is the place where Second Sister You lives.On the south side of this alley is the pawn shop of Cao Xueqin's family. It is still open now, but the owner has changed.The two spoke eloquently, and Hou Jinyuan, the young owner of Tianhe Tower, listened with great interest.After the meal, Hou Jinyuan said that he didn't want the meal money for the two of them, but asked them to leave a note.Chen Rixiu and Wang Carpenter couldn't give up their kindness, so they had to write down the plaque of "Huazhi Lane". The elegant and powerful handwriting here is exactly Chen Rixiu's ink. Xia Yuxuan has lived in Tongzhou for a long time, and he is no stranger to the governor of Cangchang and Zuoliang hall, but he doesn't have many contacts, just acquaintances on the scene.In his eyes, Jin Jian and Xu Liangnian matched very well.One is loud and powerful, the other is slumped and taciturn; the other is careless and willing to let power go, the other is comprehensive and firmly grasps the seal; It's because the dead beans don't bloom, and it's hard to knock on the door of his city... These are just superficial observations and hearsay. As for what's going on between these two people, it's hard to say. They naturally wanted to compliment and congratulate Xia Yuxuan on his new appointment.As soon as the wine glass was poured, Jin Jian couldn't wait to stand up, and confessed with sincerity: "Brother Yuxuan has been appointed as the magistrate of Tongzhou, and I am sincerely convinced. He was a good brother in the past, but now he is a good partner. This first glass of wine congratulates Brother Yuxuan Rongsheng; secondly, the water transport and the locality are closely related, and we share weal and woe, but it is inevitable that there will be times when the spoon meets the edge of the pot, and there will still be many things to harass Brother Yuxuan in the future. I hope we will cooperate sincerely and be perfect together. This is what I want The second cup of toast; the third cup of wine, I wish Brother Yuxuan outstanding achievements in politics and prosperity. Come, come, those who respect you drink first, and I will take the lead first..." It happened suddenly without any foreshadowing. Jin Jian had already made a toast. He raised his glass and was about to pour it into his stomach, but Xu Liangnian stopped him with his hand: "Master Jin, what are you in a hurry for? I haven't come up yet, where can I pull it?" When Jin Jian saw it, he couldn't help laughing: "I'm just impatient, I can't eat hot tofu in a hurry, hurry up, Xu Shoubei, hurry up and let them serve!" When Xu Jiachuan heard the order, he hurried out to urge the food to be served. Xia Yuxuan smiled and said apologetically, "Lord Jin, look, it doesn't matter if you are in such a hurry, you left me and Master Xu on the ice, no matter what, we should toast to you first." It's not surprising that Xia Yuxuan followed Xu Liangnian to call Jin Jian an adult.According to the practice of the Qing Dynasty, only the fourth-rank Huangtang and above can be called adults, and generally the magistrates of states and counties are called masters.At that time, among the Beijing officials, those above the fifth rank were sometimes called adults, and no one cared about these things.Even sometimes their superiors, such as Tie Lin, also called the prime minister sitting in the grain hall as an adult, which is a bit of respect here. Xu Jia went out and turned around, and eight dishes of cold dishes with wine were magically conjured on the table, namely bullwhip, meat, camel's paw, dog's neck, chicken feet, goose webs, duck liver, and quail eggs. Seeing that the food and drink came, Xia Yuxuan and Xu Liangnian both rushed to the front, vying for the toast.But the Changshu Office stopped them: "You two adults wait a minute, we have to change the rules of this meal. There is a soup for the three adults to taste first. This is called drinking soup first." Jin Jian said: "Why do we have to drink the soup first, can't we drink first and then drink the soup?" Chang Shuban said: "This soup is unusual, tender and delicate, and needs to be savored carefully. If several adults drink wine, their tongues will be numb, and the wonderful taste will not be tasted." Jin Jian said: "You are not talking about soup, you are clearly talking about women." Chang Shuban said mysteriously: "Coincidentally, this soup is called Beauty Soup. Mrs. Jin will know after tasting it. I'm afraid it tastes better than a young girl's." After waiting thousands and thousands of times, until Jin Jian became impatient, the soup was finally served.The blue-flowered fine porcelain soup basin is clear and light inside, slightly reddish green, with a few blue and green spinach leaves floating on it, like a clear spring with lotus leaves floating in it, the color is really attractive, and the others cannot be seen Nothing is out of the ordinary. Two neat young men brought soup basins and some exquisite small bowls, and scooped a bowl of soup for each of them.The three picked up the spoons and tasted them slowly.This soup is a bit fishy, ​​but not unpleasant.On the contrary, there is a freshness and freshness in this fishy smell.It is as fresh as the fragrant grass after the rain, with the fragrance of cool tender green leaves and the smell of moist soil.It is as fresh and tender as willow buds in the beginning of spring.Chang Shuban is right, this soup really needs to be refreshing to taste, once the alcohol paralyzes the taste buds, I am afraid it will be difficult to see the subtleties. Jin Jian shook his head and drank the soup for a while, then asked Chang Shuban as if he suddenly remembered: "Why is this soup called Beauty Soup?" Changshu Office said: "I said it's called Beauty Soup, but I really want to make adults laugh. In fact, it should be called Carp Blood Soup." Jin Jian made a fuss and said, "What? This soup is made of carp? Why doesn't it have any fish meat or fishy smell?" Chang Shuban said: "This is because the recipe for this soup is a bit special. First, boil a pot of water with seasonings, then hang fresh carp upside down on the pot, and hit the head of the carp with a wooden stick. He would open his mouth and spit out strands of fresh blood, which dripped into the pot and was immediately melted by the boiling water..." Jin Jian became even more surprised: "The carp vomits blood, how much blood can a carp vomit?" Changshu Office said: "Of course, the carps weighing two catties are all used, and they have to be alive. It is best to just salvage them from the river." Jin Jian said: "The big carp doesn't have much blood. How many carp do you need to make this pot of soup?" Chang Shuban said: "This pot of soup uses sixty-four carps." Jin Jian asked the bottom line: "Why only sixty-four articles?" Xu Jiachuan, who had been sitting at the bottom, embarrassed and unable to intervene, got up hurriedly and said: "We have a total of sixty-four tank boats in the Linqing Weishan Mountain Front, and each tank boat presents a carp to the adults. Not respectful." Jin Jian said happily: "Okay, it's rare for you to be so well-intentioned, so I'll toast you first." Xu Jiachuan hurriedly said, "No, no, aren't you taking my birthday off? I haven't toasted you yet." Xu Liangnian stopped Jin Jian again: "Lord Jin, don't be too busy drinking, there are fresh dishes." Jin Jian said: "Oh, there are fresh dishes, should we try them first?" Chang Shuban said: "When this dish is served, you can taste it while it is fresh, and you can drink after tasting it." Two plates of tenderloin were served, one charred and one stir-fried.The scorched red is yellow in color and has a luster like jade; the fried one is white and tender, as delicate as the first frost.Everyone raised their chopsticks and were full of praise. Xia Yuxuan first picked up a chopstick and stir-fried the tenderloin, and immediately felt that it was fragrant and refreshing, smooth in the mouth, so tender that it seemed that he couldn't bear to chew.It felt like sniffing a bud that was just about to break if you were not careful.He carefully savored this wonderful delicacy, and after swallowing it slowly, he picked up another piece of burnt tenderloin.This dish is incomparably wonderful, charred on the outside and tender on the inside.The tips of the teeth bit through the crispy shell, making a slight popping sound, and then melted on the tip of the tongue.That mass of soft feeling is slowly melting, soaking, spreading throughout the whole body like a first kiss, the slightest pleasure stimulates the nerve endings, a kind of comfort and joy that permeates the heart and spleen... Xia Yuxuan is a person who has experienced poverty and hunger. His initial understanding of food was only to satisfy his hunger and heal his hunger.What is smooth is fragrant and delicious.What is fragrant, what is delicious, clean rice and clean noodles without bran is already hard to come by, and if there is a little bit of meat, it will be Chinese New Year.As for eating chicken, duck and fish meat without restriction, that is really the highest ideal and the highest state.Who knows that there is such a delicious thing in the world, such a delicacy that not only heals the hunger but also makes people feel the whole body? Changshu Office waited for everyone to taste the benefits, and said courteously: "Do you adults know how the ridges here are made?" Xia Yuxuan shook his head first, Xu Liangnian remained calm, and Jin Jian urged him to speak quickly. The Changshu Office said: "Sixty-four pigs were locked in a big room, and then dozens of patient and hard-working guys were found, each holding a bamboo pole in his hand, and slowly beating on the pigs. The pigs were killed. After being beaten, they fled one after another, but they couldn’t escape the big house. Just like this, the pig was beaten slowly, exhausted and covered with bruises. The pig died slowly in this torture. After the pig died, the loin was taken out immediately. Throw away all the rest." Xia Yuxuan said distressedly: "How many loins does a pig have? Aren't other parts also meat? What's more, there are internal organs. What a pity to throw them all away?" The Changshu Office said: "Lord Xia doesn't know something. This method of beating pigs to death is called decontamination and semen extraction. The pigs gather the essence while running, and the filth is deposited. All the essence of the pig is concentrated on the tenderloin. Elsewhere the stench is unbearable." Xia Yuxuan still didn't quite believe what Chang Shuban said.Is there only so much essence in a pig, and so much filth?If this is the case, isn't most of the pork we usually eat dirty?Why can't there be any fishy smell?Xia Yuxuan thought so in his heart, but he stopped asking questions.Having lived in Tongzhou for a long time, he knows the depth of the pier, so he must not underestimate a small book office.It is often not the dragons and giant whales that can stir up big waves and capsize ships, but squids and turtles hiding in the dark. Jin Jian lost his temper again: "I said Chang Shuban, don't keep being a secret, how much benefit Tianhe Tower has given you today, and you have tried so hard to promote it to him. What a delicious food that passed your throat It's all feces, the smell is in the mouth, doesn't it still stink on the butt?" While Xia Yuxuan was savoring every dish so earnestly, Jin Jian uttered such vulgar and disgusting words, which really hurt the appetite and the scenery.Jin Jian is also true, he does not regard tasting as enjoyment like Xia Yuxuan.He only eats, and only stuffs into his stomach, and only the food that is scooped out of the basket is considered his own.As soon as he took the chopsticks into his mouth, as long as he thought it was delicious, he would gobble it up and gobble it up.Looking at him like that, Xia Yuxuan always felt that he was reckless, all the essence turned into filth in his mouth. Hearing what Jin Jian said, the Changshu Office immediately echoed: "Master Jin's words are really wise and famous. I don't think our ancestors were so particular about drinking blood. What is the purpose of eating? It is to survive. It is to eat pork and dog meat. Donkey meat, horse meat, and whole grains have all become their own meat..." Jin Jian impatiently interrupted Changshu Office: "Okay, okay, if I have money, I don't buy anything, I just buy your mouth. Give you a pole, and you can climb to the moon. Xing Xing blinked as he spoke. Come, come, drink first, I can’t wait, I haven’t drunk the three glasses of wine I offered to Mrs. Xia just now. The respecters do it first, I’m done talking, so I’ll just drink three glasses of wine. cup." As Jin Jian spoke, he gulped, raised his neck, and poured three glasses of wine in a row.From Xia Yuxuan's point of view, the wine didn't seem to be poured into his stomach, but rather poured into a slop tank. Jin Jian's alcohol addiction broke out, and everyone had to accompany him to pour alcohol into his stomach.He respected Xia Yuxuan, Xia Yuxuan wanted to drink three glasses, and Xu Liangnian, Chang Shuban, and Xu Jiachuan also wanted to drink three glasses with him.Immediately afterwards, Xia Yuxuan returned Jin Jian with three cups, and everyone also drank three cups with him.Next is Xu Liangnian paying respects to Xia Yuxuan, and Xia Yuxuan paying respects to Xu Liangnian.Xu Liangnian respected the golden slips, Chang Shuban respected the golden slips, Xu Liangnian, Xia Yuxuan, Xu Jiachuan respected the golden slips, Xu Liangnian, Xia Yuxuan, Chang Shuban... Just like that, the wheels of the carts were turning back and forth, wine tables were intertwined, chattering over wine was very lively.For a while, there was no more fragrance of flowers in the private seats in Huazhi Lane, and the strong smell of alcohol was bubbling all over the room, making it hard to keep your eyes open.Look at the four high-ranking officials of the imperial court and the book office who hold great power. All of them are flushed, their eyes are burning, and their saliva is flying everywhere. In this miasma, two more dishes were served.One plate is hump and the other is goose feet.The young man brought out the dishes and announced the names of the dishes. The people at the table were all focused on the wine, and no one paid attention, and they didn't even hear how it was cooked. Chang Shuban is a persistent gourmet, and he took the opportunity to introduce these two dishes to Xia Yuxuan while everyone was in a lawsuit over alcohol.The Changshu Office said: "Today we eat the 'Tongzhou Four Wonders'. The first must be carp blood soup, and the second must be two tenderloins, plus the hump and goose feet. The four musts of Tongzhou are now only Tianhelou You can do it. Look at the hump first, tie the four selected camels to a tree, then pour boiling water on the hump to scald the camels to death, and then cut off the hump and cook it. This goose palm is even more evil. Sixty-four white geese are locked in iron cages and a fire is lit under the cage. The white geese are afraid of being hot, so they run close to each other in the iron cage. No matter how they run, they will escape. Get out of the iron cage until the goose paws are cooked, then get the goose out, chop off the goose paws, and throw away the whole goose..." Xia Yuxuan hadn't drunk too much wine yet, and he listened with great interest at first.After listening to it, he felt a shock.God is really unfair, the same life is given by God, how come so many lives are for people to eat?It's okay to eat, and it's so cruel.These lives have to endure such cruel torture before they are eaten, so why does God not care about it? Thinking of this, no matter how beautiful the package peak and goose palms are, he has absolutely no interest in feasting on them.What's more, now the alcohol has really anesthetized the tongue, no matter how good things are, they can't taste the taste. This was true for Xia Yuxuan, and even more so for Jin Jian and Xu Liangnian.At the banquet, all delicacies must be served first.After drinking the wine, no one knows what else is on the table.Everyone's attention is on the wine, on the words of the wine, on the publicity of the wine.Is there anything more glamorous to draw one away from the glass? Yes, of course. woman. Xia Yuxuan was about to toast again, when Chang Shuban waved the handle outside the door, and three women floated in like willows in the wind.Although it was the season for the river swallows to come, it was still cold in spring, but the three women put on short silk gowns prematurely, exposing their arms like tender lotus root and their breasts like the first snow.After the three women came in chirping and quacking like ducks, they pounced on the three men sitting above them like they were looking for food: "Oh, Mr. Jin, Mr. Xu, and this unfamiliar Mr., our three sisters will give you a piece of cake!" Greetings. Master Jin and Master Xu haven't come for so long, have you met a good friend again? Oh, it's rare to remember us today, we have to accompany you well..." A small and exquisite woman rushed straight to Xu Liangnian, grabbed Xu Liangnian's shoulders and burrowed into his arms. Another woman with a baby face hugged Jin Jian from behind, stretched her hands through the collar of his coat, and groped his plump breasts: "Look, our master Jin is getting fat again, Look at this belly, it's eight months pregnant, and it's still twins..." The other woman seemed to have just debuted, her face was flushed, seeing the two sisters entangled the man presumptuously, she probably also wanted to be intimate with Xia Yuxuan, but she was timid and hesitant. With a baby face in her arms, Jin Jian can still take care of others, which is really rare.He yelled at the regular book office: "Why are you here with three girls? Why don't you two look for it?" Changshu Office said: "Let's have fun, the three adults, we will wait on you." Jin Jian was not happy: "What are you talking about? You can serve us when we eat. We are happy with the girl. What are you messing with? Hurry up and call two more." Chang Shuban took a look at Xu Jiachuan, Xu Jiachuan got up, and waved his hand out again.Xia Yuxuan saw it, the girls were waiting outside the door, and the two of them were waiting for Jin Jian to speak. Two girls ran in rubbing their arms, like a hen looking for a nest, stuck in the arms of the book office and Xu Jiachuan.Chang Shuban and Xu Jiachuan were also masters at this, and immediately and naturally held the girl in their arms. The sudden appearance of the five sisters made Xia Yuxuan feel very embarrassed.It has always been a very elegant and fashionable thing for scholars to go in and out of brothels and brothels, and no one interferes or laughs at them.Many bleak, graceful and touching works handed down by Chinese literati are inspired by brothels and prostitutes.As for the moving love stories between romantic talents and romantic women, there are too many to enumerate.But there was a rule in the Qing Dynasty that officials were not allowed to have sex with prostitutes.Since the day when this taboo was promulgated, I am afraid that it has not really taken effect.On the contrary, the more taboo, the deeper the temptation; the stricter the taboo, the worse the overflow.Even the folks have the old saying of persuading gambling and not whoring, and the imperial court is naturally self-aware, and in the future, it has no choice but to turn a blind eye to such indecent things.Then again, who can control it?Didn't even some emperors go out of the palace in micro-clothes and go to the kilns to taste something new? However, taboos are always taboos, and taboos are just made more subtle and ingenious.It was the first time Xia Yuxuan saw Jin Jian and Xu Liangnian soliciting prostitutes during the banquet with such fanfare.The little prostitute standing next to him couldn't let go, and he couldn't hold back his face, so he did it there for a while. Xu Liangnian looked at the prostitute next to Xia Yuxuan, and asked, "Is she still a chick?" The prostitute in his arms said: "That's right, it's very fresh and tender, and it's a pulp when you pinch it." Jin Jian patted the prostitute's little face and said, "Look, it's still a rare catkin." At this time, Xia Yuxuan knew that the prostitute in Jin Jian's arms was named Liu Xu.What surprised him was that the prostitutes didn't call these two fifth-rank officials adults, but masters. He didn't know why. Jin Jian and Xu Liangnian are flirting with prostitutes, but Xia Yuxuan is helpless and doesn't know what to do. Xu Liangnian has already seen that Xia Yuxuan's "prostitution" is not deep, and he can't open the situation. Afraid of wronging Xia Yuxuan, he took out the prostitute from his arms: "Go, you go and serve Master Xia, show some flair, let Come with me, that little one." The prostitute in Xu Liangnian's arms twisted around and sat down next to Xia Yuxuan, climbing towards him like a vine. While dodging, Xia Yuxuan asked, "What's the girl's name?" The vine-like prostitute said softly: "Master, this servant is called Du Juan." When Jin Jian heard this, she yelled loudly: "Hey, aren't you called Little Quail? Why are you called Dujuan again?" Du Juan said mischievously, "My name is Du Juan." Jin Jian asked: "Then you are called Little Quail?" Du Juan said, "No, it's not." Jin Jian pointed to the plate of quail eggs on the table with her chopsticks and said, "Is this the egg you laid?" Du Juan said: "If I lay eggs, they will also be yours, sir." Jin Jian picked up a quail egg and held it up in front of Du Juan: "Come on, lay eggs and eat them yourself. This is called returning home with flesh and blood." Du Juan dodged: "I won't eat it, but you should eat it yourself, you may be able to lay a nest of small quail eggs after eating it." Xu Liangnian spoke, as if giving an order: "How do you talk to Mr. Jin? It's not big or small. Quickly reach out and take the quail eggs." As expected, Du Juan was very obedient, opened her bright red lips, and took the quail eggs sent by Jin Jian into her mouth. Jin Jian said: "If you don't want to eat, give it to Master Xia." Du Juan immediately understood, stretched out her little lips holding the quail eggs, and sent them towards Xia Yuxuan's mouth. Xia Yuxuan was really embarrassed and dodged in embarrassment. But Du Juan persevered, pulling Xia Yuxuan's shoulders, insisting on spitting the quail eggs into his mouth. There was laughter at the table. Xia Yuxuan's heart suddenly moved: Why is the name Little Quail so familiar?It seems that someone mentioned it to him not long ago.who?