Kaifeng Bistro

Chapter 57 Plum Blossom Soup Cake

This time, Yi Yi and Zhuo Zhuo no longer had any reason to refuse to serve him. Zhuo Zhuo could only turn around and go to the back kitchen to serve dried fruit and candied fruit, while Tan Zhifeng and Xu Yan, according to what Wu Fusheng said, brought the candied fruit with snow water. The plum blossoms were chopped carefully, and then the sandalwood was put in the pot and fried over low heat.Sandalwood can be used as medicine. When the fire is on, a burst of fragrance instantly diffuses in the small back kitchen.

After Tan Zhifeng decocted the juice, Xu Gan mixed it with the chopped, powdery plum blossoms in the flour. The clear fragrance of plum blossoms and the rich fragrance of sandalwood miraculously blended together harmoniously, becoming An indescribable, intoxicating aroma.

Then, Tan Zhifeng turned around and boiled chicken soup.It happened that Yi Yi bought a fat hen today, and it was for stewing meat for everyone tomorrow. Although it was a pity to cook the soup, Tan Zhifeng didn't care about the loss in order to deal with the naughty diner outside.

"Flying birds and beasts, a gentleman can't bear to see them die when he sees them alive; he can't bear to eat their meat when he hears their voices..." The aroma of chicken soup spread, and Wu Fusheng obviously smelled it. He sat at the table, bit by bit with a dagger. Looking at a few pieces of wood that I don't know where they came from, he said plausibly, "This is what the ancients called 'benevolence'. But in my opinion, Wu, this is really absurd, absurd."

Hearing this, Xu Gan put down the reconciled dough in his hand, went out and sat down opposite him, and asked, "What does Mr. Wu mean by this, I would like to hear more about it."

Tan Zhifeng looked back and saw Wu Fusheng raised his head and twitched the corners of his lips, and said with a smile: "Didn't the ancients eat meat? People who don't cook, don't they never kill? Exposing millions of corpses and bleeding for thousands of miles, which conquest and killing since ancient times Isn't it the handwriting of these carnivores? The number of people who died in man-made disasters is much more than the number of people who died in natural disasters. If they encounter the imperial relatives and relatives who are powerful and domineering, the people will be worse than death... ...Oh, dear man, I was just nagging myself, and I haven't asked your name yet? You are the elder brother of shopkeeper Tan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Xu Yan also smiled slightly, and said: "Unexpectedly, Mr. Wu is still a person with the world in mind. In this case, the country is so difficult now, even if you can't enter the court as an official, you can still vote under the sect of several high-ranking and virtuous ministers today. Wouldn't a staff member benefit the people more than pointing out the country here?"

"Oh?" Wu Fusheng laughed and said, "What about Brother Xu? My leg is lame, but you don't. Why don't you become an official?"

"Brother Wu is joking, although I wasted a lot of time before, but now I have awakened, and I am preparing to take part in this year's Fajie test..." Xu Gan looked at Wu Fusheng and said calmly: "...If I can get it by luck, maybe in the future I can share the worries for the heavenly family."

Tan Zhifeng heard that the two were chatting harmoniously, looked up, and saw Wu Fusheng was toasting and laughing: "Oh, let me just say, I walked all the way, because I heard that the scholars all gathered in Wheatstraw Lane and came here I settled down, but I came to the end, eh, but I still feel that there is still a smell of books in this tavern. It turns out that there is really a well-educated person like Brother Xu, which is really a surprise..."

The conversation between the two ended here. Xu Gan returned to the stove and continued to work in silence. Tan Zhifeng looked forward again and saw that Wu Fusheng seemed to have completed his "work", so he handed over a few molds to the side Looking at Changshang curiously, he then took those dried fruits and threw them around for fun, not intending to eat them.Tan Zhifeng wanted Zhuozhuo to go over and ask him what other side dishes he would like to order, but he heard the sizzling sound of the pot on one side, and the soup was almost ready.

Xu Gan went to look at the soup, while Tan Zhifeng skillfully rolled out the waken dough, folded it back and forth, and rolled it thin again.In order to make the dough thick and even, he kept turning the direction of the dough, flipping it lightly, and the side under the lamp fluttered up and down like a piece of light paper.

Finally, the molds were ready and the noodles were rolled out. Shangshang and Zhuo Zhuo helped to make small plum blossom-shaped soup cakes with Wu Fusheng's molds, and put them into the pot together.The chicken soup was already boiled with a fragrance, and Wu Fusheng couldn't sit still anymore, and shook two fingers at Tan Zhifeng: "More than 200 plum blossoms, neither too much nor too little, just right."

Tan Zhifeng smiled, nodded and said, "Okay, it's all up to your order. It will be served right away."

Wu Fusheng sniffed in satisfaction: "You can smell it if you smell it, shopkeeper, you are really talented!"

"Thanks for the compliment." Tan Zhifeng said, and had already brought a bowl of "plum blossom soup cake" ordered by Wu Fusheng to the table.In the bright and delicious chicken soup, there are blossoming plum blossoms with fragrance.Wu Fusheng picked up the spoon and stirred it lightly. Instead of eating the soup cakes, he scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup and put it into his mouth. Said: "It's not bad."

"Then use it slowly." Tan Zhifeng smiled at his praise, turned and walked towards the back kitchen.Yiyi and Zhuozhuo were sitting behind the counter, and the other was lying on the small table where Changshang usually read and read, both of them yawned.

Tan Zhifeng and Xu Yan tidied up in the back for a while, only to hear Wu Fusheng slam the bowl on the table, and said in a clear voice with emotion: "'Fixed at the end of the world, Yiyi to Wuhua. Hanmei is the most hateful, and it grows as last year's flower... ...'" After that, he chanted again and again: "Last year's flower...! Shopkeeper, come on, we just made a bet, you can't go back on it!"

"Once a word is spoken, it is hard to chase after it." Tan Zhifeng's voice came out.He walked out and said, "It's just that our place is small, and there is a small side room next to my room... If you don't mind Brother Wu..."

"I don't dislike it," Wu Fusheng grinned, showing a row of beautiful teeth like shells. He pointed at the back kitchen with his thick wooden stick: "I'm used to suffering. I don't like living in a house. Just spread a mattress over there and sleep on it.”

"I'm afraid this is inappropriate?" Tan Zhifeng, Yi Yi, and Zhuo Zhuo looked at each other.Who knew that Wu Fusheng walked straight to the back kitchen as if no one else was there, then shrank against the wall and said, "This place is very nice, spacious and warm! It may not be comparable to the imperial palace!"

Tan Zhifeng never expected that his kitchen would get such a high evaluation. He was about to say something more, but Xu Gan stopped him and said, "Then, do as Brother Wu wishes."

Wu Fusheng looked very happy, nodded and said: "I'm full, I'm going to sleep, what are you doing around me?"

"Oh!" He looked up at Yi Yi as if he had suddenly realized: "You are worried that I won't give you the money..." He untied all the strings of money from his waist, and threw it at Yi Yi in a hurry: "Take Go ahead, give it all to you. Count it as the shop money I paid for eating and living here for a while, and if it’s not enough, come to me for it. I’ve never been short of money in my life. !"

Everyone watched in surprise and doubt as Wu Fusheng just took off his coat and wrapped himself up in a ball, hugged his strangely shaped cane, snored and fell asleep.

……

"It's too cold, the hearth is not burning in the house over there, Zhifeng, you can sleep here." Tan Zhifeng and Xu Gan came to the next room, Xu Gan took his hand and said to him: "You are tired, go to sleep Bar."

"But..." Tan Zhifeng said, "I don't want to squeeze Ling'er."

"No, but, hurry up and rest." In the dimly lit room, Xu Gan pulled him to him and looked him up and down: "Are you okay tonight?"

Tan Zhifeng shook his head, he was indeed very tired, he had no strength at all, the light in the room was dim, Xu Gan's face was blurry, but his eyes shone like stars in the darkness.Tan Zhifeng was in a daze for a while, but when he realized it, Xu Gan lowered his head, and his cheek was pressed against Tan Zhifeng's forehead, Xu Gan's face was as hot as a stove, which really shocked Tan Zhifeng.

"You..." He stepped back worriedly, wanting to take a closer look at Xu Gan's injuries, but when he looked up, he suddenly found that there was a small scar like a burn on Xu Gan's neck.

He stretched out his hand miraculously, and stroked the mark lightly. At that moment, the hearts of both of them trembled. Tan Zhifeng saw the wind and rain in front of his eyes, and the deep dragon chant beside his ears. He suddenly remembered that scene - a huge blue-black dragon tore off scales from its neck, turned them into powder, and melted them into his soul.

He looked up at Xu Gan in a daze. Through Xu Gan's pupils, he saw not only his own reflection, but also the silent and focused light that had stared at him for thousands of years.

"You...you're back?" He asked cautiously with a trembling voice.

"We're all back." Xu Gan's eyes were deep, as if they were burning with raging flames, but his voice was calm and composed, no different from usual.When he closed his eyes, all the images in front of Tan Zhifeng disappeared, and he felt himself plunged into darkness again.Xu Gan whispered in his ear again: "Zhifeng, it will be dawn in one hour. Don't say anything, go to sleep."

Tan Zhifeng didn't dare to ask any more questions, the two got into bed, got into a quilt, and hugged Ling'er in the middle.For some reason, Tan Zhifeng always felt a little sour in his eyes.Many distant or near, vague or clear pictures flashed in his mind, Xu Gan stretched out his hand and held his cold hand.

This time, unlike in the past, heat poured out from Xu Gan's palm, gradually warming Tan Zhifeng's body.He was sleepy, no matter what happened, no matter whether they would still fight side by side like tonight tomorrow, he needed this short hour to rest and welcome the unknown tomorrow.

Tan Zhifeng gradually fell asleep, and the two of them were still clasping their fingers, but Xu Gan sat up slowly, leaning against the head of the bed, and kept stroking the scar on his neck with his fingers.The images that appeared in Tan Zhifeng's mind flashed before his eyes one by one, the white fluorescent lights floated, and the slender and soft filaments lingered around his fingertips like gurgling water.