Kaifeng Bistro

Chapter 87 Prison

Zhan Zhao carried the fragrant food box all the way into the place where the prisoners were held in Dali Temple.He hadn't stepped down the steps when he heard cheers coming from inside.Several guards at the table begged repeatedly: "Master Bai, teach us how to roll the dice!"

"Okay," Bai Yutang smiled casually, turning the dice back and forth in his palm, and when he retracted his palm, the dice disappeared, and he replaced it with a few heavy coins: "Go give I'll drink two jugs of wine—let me tell you, don't try to save trouble, buy me forty or fifty cents of bad wine on the side of the road, and you can go to Nanyuxianzheng Store on Quyuan Street and pay two cents for 72 cents in silver. A bottle of wine is here, and I can still drink it. The secret of rolling the dice that you want to know will be here."

The guard happily responded, took the money and went out, but when he looked up and bumped into Zhan Zhao, he quickly saluted and said, "Master Zhan, why did you come to our place?"

Zhan Zhao smiled at him: "I'll come and see my brother Bai, he seems to be doing well."

"Yes, who would dare to make things difficult for Fifth Master Bai." The guard said respectfully, "Master Zhan, go in by yourself, the brothers are drinking."

"It's just right." Zhan Zhao held up the dark food box in his hand: "I brought you some food to go with your drinks, come back and eat together after you get your drinks."

As soon as the guard smelled the scent wafting from the food box, his face immediately blossomed with joy.He thanked Zhan Zhao several times, ran outside and disappeared after a while.When Zhan Zhao turned his head, he saw Bai Yutang leaning against the wall, throwing dice back and forth in his hand, staring at him with a cold face.Zhan Zhao had just walked down two steps, but Bai Yutang stopped him with his hand: "Master Zhan, what are you doing here?"

Zhan Zhao saw that Bai Yutang looked at him unkindly, so he could only say: "I was entrusted by Zhifeng to come and see you." As soon as he said the words, he immediately regretted it, thinking that Bai Yutang was going to mock him anyway, Unexpectedly, Bai Yutang ignored him, turned around and walked down the steps.He walked slowly into a fairly neatly cleaned cell, and shouted to the guards outside: "What are you all doing? People from Kaifeng Mansion are here, lock the door for me!"

The few people stood up awkwardly and saluted Zhan Zhao, and walked over to grab the lock alone, but felt that it was neither a lock nor a lock.Zhan Zhao walked over with a smile on his face, put the food box on the table, and opened it layer by layer. The smell of stuffed fish that Tan Zhifeng had just baked filled the room, and those people widened their eyes curiously. Leaning to the table, he asked Zhan Zhao, "Master Zhan, which restaurant's craftsmanship is this?"

Zhan Zhao smiled: "This is really delicious, you can't get it in any restaurant, I specially brought it here to reward you guys."

Those people hurriedly took out the plates and put them on the table, but Zhan Zhao put away the last layer of the food box, and said to them: "Use it slowly, I'll go and talk to him."

He raised his hand and pointed at Bai Yutang, and the other people were all focused on the stuffed fish in front of them, and they all responded, "Okay, okay, we won't make things difficult for you." Then they sat around the table and tasted it. fresh.Zhan Zhao carried the last food box into the prison cell, and said to Bai Yutang, "Actually, I want to see how comfortable you are living here. Zhifeng specially made this stuffed fish for you. Hurry up and eat."

Bai Yutang glanced sideways at Zhan Zhao, and Zhan Zhao pulled the food box away, only to see that the stuffed fish was roasted, scorched and crispy, but it was moistened by the fat from the fat and plump mutton, and its golden hair was shining. Bright luster, soft and delicious as soon as you look at it.

Only then did Bai Yutang turn around, slowly picked up the bamboo chopsticks from the food box, and said to Zhan Zhao: "I live comfortably, but I don't feel very comfortable in my heart. Fortunately, Zhifeng still misses me, knowing that I can This brother who is in prison will bring some delicious food."

Just as he was talking, the guard who went out to buy wine came back, Bai Yutang hurriedly stretched out his head and shouted: "Hurry up, bring me the silver bottle of wine."

Zhan Zhao walked out of the cell, took the wine from the guard, and filled Bai Yutang's flagon. The two of them sat face to face in a corner of the cell. Zhan Zhao just quietly watched Bai Yutang poke the stuffed fish with a bamboo chopstick. Bai Yutang's eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Zhifeng has a heart."

As he said that, he handed the jug to Zhan Zhao: "For the sake of you visiting me and bringing me some stuffed fish, I'll give you a taste of this silver bottle of fine wine."

Zhan Zhao smiled and took the jug over, looked outside, and saw that four or five servants were enjoying themselves while drinking and eating stuffed fish. He took a sip of wine, looked at the stuffed fish Yu said: "Actually, Zhifeng's mind is more than that."

Bai Yutang was taken aback when he heard the words, and he followed Zhan Zhao's gaze just now, and saw that in less than a moment, the faces of the people at the table were already flushed, the standing ones were staggering, the ones sitting He also spoke incoherently, and one of the servants even dropped the wine cup in his hand, fell asleep on the table.Bai Yutang looked at their table full of delicacies in amazement, then suddenly turned his head and whispered to Zhan Zhao, "What do you want to do?!"

Zhan Zhao took another sip from the jug, smiled, and said, "I have discussed with Zhifeng, I want to take you away."

Bai Yutang threw the bamboo chopsticks in his hand onto the plate, frowned and asked, "You...don't you think I killed Zhao Qiyuan?"

"I don't care if you killed him." Zhan Zhao said without hesitation, "But I believe you didn't."

Bai Yutang lowered his head and remained silent for a long while, but two patches of redness appeared on his cheeks. He glanced in the direction of the guards again, picked up the bamboo chopsticks again, and tasted the stuffed fish little by little. As for the stuffing, Zhan Zhao sat quietly watching him finish eating the fish, and said just now, "Okay, eat more, so we can hurry on our way later."

"Where are you going?" Bai Yutang couldn't help raising his head and asked, "Do you want to leave Kaifeng?"

At this time, there was no sound outside, Zhan Zhao pulled Bai Yutang to stand up.After all, this is a prison cell, the surrounding gray walls are damp, and only a faint moonlight shines in from outside the railings. The small space is dark and stuffy.The two stood facing each other for a while, before Bai Yutang put away the jug, lightly pulled Zhan Zhao's sleeve, and said to him, "Let's go. Go wherever you say."

With a smile on Zhan Zhao's handsome face, he walked out of the cell, changed into an officer's clothes with Bai Yutang, and walked up the steps side by side.

……

"Zhifeng, you're just wasting paper like this. I don't know what's the point of your writing and drawing. Aren't you going to find Chen Qing? You should go there quickly. Maybe Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang will come back later ..." Zhuo Zhuo looked at Tan Zhifeng who was sitting there thinking with his chin resting on a piece of paper, and turned around anxiously: "I said, have you figured it out?"

Xu Yan slowly walked over from behind and sat opposite Tan Zhifeng, Zhuo Zhuo immediately calmed down and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"You and I go to see Chen Qing..." Tan Zhifeng pushed the stack of papers in front of him a little irritably, stood up and said to Xu Gan.After finishing speaking, he pulled the top piece of paper over without giving up, pointed to Xu Gan and said, "Where should we start? Look—Chen Qing, father, Chen Yuwan; mother, unknown .His mother left him suddenly a few years ago. Which year was it? This is very important. There are also two letters written by his mother. We don’t know the content and time of the first letter, but the second letter The letter told him to leave Kaifeng quickly, the reason for this..."

Xu Yan glanced at the few sheets of paper, folded them flat, and handed them to Yi Yi who was sitting behind the counter: "Keep it well."

"Wait, I haven't fully figured out the matter..." Before Tan Zhifeng finished speaking, Xu Gan took his hand and walked out: "Just ask Chen Qing over there."

"Then we also need to know where to ask. This is really a lot of clues. Who is his mother, and how can she know so many things..." Tan Zhifeng walked out of the warm room, and suddenly found that the wind outside was not like him. It was as cold as he imagined, and he stretched his body: "Why don't you start asking questions from this."

Xu Gan smiled faintly: "As you wish." After saying that, the two of them walked to Chen Qing's door.Before they could knock, the door creaked open from the inside.

Seeing Xu Gan following Tan Zhifeng, Chen Qing's expression was somewhat gloomy. The sun had already set for more than half an hour, but his room was still pitch black, not even a single lamp was lit.After Tan Zhifeng entered the room, he groped to help him light the lamp. Seeing that the inkstone on his table was already dry and cracked, the place was covered with dust, and his clothes and books were scattered on the couch in a mess, he couldn't help but worried and said to Chen Qing: "Later , Shall I ask Zhuo Zhuo and Yi Yi to clean up for you?"

Chen Qing sat down at the table dejectedly, and said: "Zhifeng, I have nothing left. My father is in prison now, and my mother's whereabouts are unknown. How can I have the mood to tidy up the house...I...I'm really I don't know what to do!"

"How did your mother give you these two letters?" Tan Zhifeng was about to say a few words of comfort when he suddenly heard Xu Gan asking in a deep voice behind him.

"Is...is this important?" Chen Qing looked up suspiciously, looking at Xu Gan and Tan Zhifeng.

Tan Zhifeng also felt his heart brighten all of a sudden. Originally, he had thought of this question, but it just flashed in his mind, but in fact, why didn't he vaguely have an answer?

"Important, Chen Qing, tell me quickly, how did your mother deliver the letter to you?" Tan Zhifeng also stepped forward, leaned over to look at Chen Qing and asked.

Chen Qing stared at Tan Zhifeng for a while, hesitated for a while, and finally said falteringly: "You...do you really want to know? Then, come with me..."