Chapter 74 Stewed goose in an iron pot is truly delicious; at this moment, fireworks and poetry coexist...

Yue Teng watched as she brought over a pot of hot water and then a large earthenware bowl with a bamboo hat, which was used to hold soup dumplings, and placed it on the table.

Looking down, I saw a round, dried soup dumpling lying in the earthenware bowl. It looked like it had been fried, with each dumpling coiled up in a golden-brown circle. On top of the dumpling was a brown sauce with bits of pickled cabbage, next to which was half a soft-boiled egg, a handful of chopped vegetables, and a pinch of minced meat.

"Watch closely, my lord!" Ah Tao loved making soup noodles for merchants who had never tried instant soup noodles before. She held the large, white ceramic pot with a slender spout in one hand and held up the bamboo lid of the soup noodle bowl in the other, slightly shielding Yue Teng from the hot water splashing onto his clothes.

Boiling water gushed forth, sending up plumes of white steam and hot air. The dry soup dumplings sizzled as they were cooked, and the brown oil melted instantly. Pieces of pickled cabbage wrapped in the oil floated to the surface of the now glossy brown soup.

Yue Teng tilted his head to get a clearer view.

After pouring enough water, the young woman placed the small bamboo lid on the ceramic bowl in front of him, picked up the kettle again, and said with a smile, "My lord, please wait a moment before you lift the lid and eat. When you open the lid, you'll see that the soup dumplings have all fallen apart. Just stir them with your chopsticks and you can eat them."

A moment? Yue Teng silently counted the drumbeats in his mind, and after about two hundred, the young woman with phoenix eyes suddenly lifted half of the curtain with her arm and poked her head out to instruct, "My lord, it's ready to eat. If you soak the soup dumplings any longer, they'll become too soft and won't be chewy enough."

Yue Teng lifted the bamboo lid as instructed. After the steam dissipated, it turned into a bowl of fragrant and rich soup noodles. The soup noodles, vegetables, and diced meat all seemed to come alive when they came into contact with water. The curled-up and dehydrated vegetable pieces stretched out again, the diced meat expanded, and the soup noodles, soaked in the soup, were as soft as if they had just been rolled out.

He suppressed his anger towards Xi Feijing, picked up a bite with his chopsticks, and raised his eyebrows in surprise after swallowing it. The soup dumplings soaked in this way were really no less delicious than those made with freshly kneaded dough and cooked, and were even more fragrant!

As he ate, he pondered the dish. The soup noodles and broth were quite oily, the noodles had been deep-fried, and the sauce was also quite oily. The main reason for its deliciousness was the rich and flavorful sauce, and the pickled cabbage was slightly spicy and sour. The chopped vegetables and dried meat were naturally not as good as fresh vegetables and meat, and probably wouldn't be very popular in Bianjing City. But if it were on the frontier beacon towers, in winter, if one could have a bite of vegetables, whether they were dried or not, they would fight tooth and nail for them.

Heavy snow blocked the roads, and every winter the soldiers on the border suffered from bitter cold and hunger. It was not that the government deliberately cut military expenses, but that there was no canal transport in winter. They had to rely on people, horses and camels to transport grain from granaries in various places to Youzhou and Yanzhou cities. It was barely possible to send grain to the more than one hundred beacon towers along the Great Wall built along the desert.

In winter, snow can sometimes last for half a month. In cold years, the snow can be up to a person's stomach, making it easy for grain transporters to get lost on the road, and it is common for people and horses to freeze to death.

Most of the military rations to be transported to the beacon towers had to be stockpiled by military officers in the supply depots more than half a year in advance, before winter. Therefore, the rations had to be easy to store and lightweight. Various kinds of dry naan bread, which were so dry that they could break teeth and choke people, became the first choice.

In winter, one can only guarantee survival, not anything else.

Therefore, Yue Teng knew in his heart that there were many deserters on the border. It was no wonder they were suffering so much; they were so miserable that they would rather lose their household registration and become unregistered residents or slaves than leave this harsh and cold land. Every autumn, Liao and Jin soldiers would risk everything to plunder the Song Dynasty on the border. This was also because the land occupied by Liao and Jin was mostly harsh and cold, with scarce resources. For survival, they would never give up on encroaching on the Song Dynasty's territory.

He had been in Yanzhou for so many years, and the soldiers who were to guard the Great Wall were rotated every year. This gave the soldiers some hope. If they could endure one year, they could go home and reunite with their families the following year. If they were kept in the forts on the beacon line, with the vast desert in front of them and the howling of wolves behind them, everyone would go crazy.

He had endured eating dry biscuits and drinking snow water for so many years, but now he was being told that there was hot soup noodles to eat! Yue Teng picked up the bowl of noodles, tilted his head back and drank the last drop of soup, his usually dignified face turning black with anger: You, Xi Feijing, have such a good thing, yet you kept it from him!

The Youzhou soldiers under his command must have been eaten long ago!

Yue Teng glanced at the menu on the wall, found the name of a bowl of instant soup noodles for sixteen coins, took out a copper coin from his pocket, and placed it on the table.

He called out for payment, and the young woman with phoenix eyes responded and came over immediately. She smiled and took the money, wiping the table as she told him to take care and come back for more business.

The snow outside had gradually stopped, and the gloom that had accumulated in the sky overnight slowly dissipated, allowing a few faint, almost imperceptible rays of sunlight to pierce through the gaps in the clouds. The streets gradually came alive again, with many vendors wearing tattered cotton-padded coats pushing their small stalls with canopies back to their posts on both sides of the road. The teahouses and taverns along the street reopened their windows, and courtesans playing the pipa sang long, melodious tunes.

Yue Teng ignored all the bustling sights of the capital. He angrily crossed the Jinliang Bridge and headed towards the Imperial Street, intending to go to the palace to lodge a complaint. This was intolerable! He wanted the Emperor to judge why Xi Feijing was leading the Youzhou soldiers to eat alone! They were all eating chaff and wild vegetables together, so how did he get to eat at a state banquet?

No, his Yanzhou army also needs to eat well.

As he walked across the Jinliang Bridge, he brushed past a group of people.

“Young master, if you think the house north of Jinliang Bridge is too far, then you can only look at the old house in Yangliu West Lane. But that house is twenty years old and doesn’t even have a well. I’m afraid you won’t like it!”

Yaoluoge wore a Uyghur hat, a narrow-sleeved cotton robe with a turned-down collar, and thick-soled leather boots with upturned toes. His belt jingled as it hung with several purses and keys, and even a wooden koi carp keychain with the words "Good Fortune is Coming" engraved with the characters "Chen Ji".

"Let's go and take a look," said the tall, slender young man beside him in a soft voice. Behind him were two pageboys. The older one was steady and reliable, with a small leather bag slung across his shoulder and leading a horse. The other was younger, round and chubby like a tumbleweed, and was eating a candied hawthorn.

As they passed each other, Yue Teng glanced at the tall, magnificent horse. It was imposing, muscular, and its coat was a deep chestnut, without a single stray hair—truly a fine horse. He couldn't help but think that such a fine horse was a rare sight in Bianjing.

Last year, he also sent the Jurchen horses he had seized from the Jurchens to the Xi family's horse farm, and exchanged them for a batch of tall Liao horses to take back to Yanzhou.

The Xi family was very skilled at raising horses, which is why the emperor built half of the Song Dynasty's military horse farms near Youzhou City. Firstly, the pastures there were good and the climate was slightly warmer. Secondly, the relationship between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty was slightly more amicable than that between the Song and the Jin Dynasty, and most of the Liao royal court members used Chinese characters and Chinese names, so they could still communicate with each other. Thirdly, the Xi family had several hereditary horse breeders who were very good at raising and breeding fine horses.

The heritage of a prominent family can sometimes evoke hatred, yet at other times compel one to admire them.

Writing books, establishing doctrines, and passing on knowledge were common skills passed down through generations in almost every family. The Xi family was skilled in warfare, horse breeding, and creating staff techniques; the Xie family excelled in calligraphy and literature, as well as weaving and silk reeling; the Feng family became famous throughout the world with a copy of the Zuo Zhuan, and was also well-versed in the histories of various dynasties, making them incredibly wealthy; the Guo family's ancestors were diviners, and almost every generation of the clan has passed down the study of astronomy, calendar systems, and the observation of stars and rivers.

However, if it cannot be used by the government, even the best sword must be destroyed if the blade turns inward.

Yue Teng may appear rough and straightforward, but he is as clear-headed as a mirror.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that the Xi family had their eyes on the Emperor from the very beginning. Before going to the remote pass, Xi Feijing had briefly served as a palace attendant to the Crown Prince in his youth, thus establishing his position as an official under the Eastern Palace. However, the Xi family also chose to marry into the Xie family, which had the strictest family traditions, thus pleasing both the royal family and the aristocratic families. No matter which side they won, their family seemed to be in an invincible position.

The Xi family's cunning is inherited, no wonder Xi Feijing is the same.

Yue Teng walked to the Donghua Gate and took out a gleaming gold medal bestowed by the emperor from his pocket. He had kept one of the gold medals given to him by the emperor, without melting it down, and used it specifically for entering and leaving the palace, which was more convenient than carrying the long imperial tablet.

"Greetings, General Yue!" The imperial guards on duty clasped their hands in greeting and invited him inside. After waiting a while in the guardhouse behind the city gate, someone else hurried to the inner court to deliver a message.

Yue Teng's figure disappeared into the heavy copper-studded door, and Xie Qi and his two companions followed Yao Luoge to the alley on the west side of Yangliu Lane. Only then did Xie Qi realize that Yangliu Lane was divided into two lanes, east and west, by the water room.

East of the water room is the East Alley where Madam Chen lived, and west of the water room is the West Alley.

West Alley also had shops in the front and residences in the back, but the streets where the shops were located were more remote, not near Jinliang Bridge or Bian River, and the street was also narrower. Therefore, West Alley was not as bustling and lively as East Alley.

As Xie Qi walked into the alley, he felt the deep shade of the trees. Only a few simply dressed old people were gathered in the alley gambling on beans and playing chess. Grass grew on the roof tiles of the houses on both sides, and moss climbed the corners of the walls. The ground, made of rammed earth and gravel, was wet with snowmelt and a little slippery. Looking around, all he could see was old and quiet.

“The West Alley was built earlier than the East Alley, so you can see that all the houses are older and the stone paths on the ground are in a bad state. Moreover, many people have moved away. Now there are only five households living in the West Alley, all of them elderly men and women. Their children are mostly doing business elsewhere and are rarely at home, so it is rather deserted.”

Yao Luoge led the way, turning back to explain to Xie Qi in detail, "There are two houses listed for sale in West Alley, neither of them large. One has three rooms facing northeast, and the other has four rooms facing north. Both owners are moving to the outer city and are selling these houses to buy larger ones. Although the houses are old, both owners have cleaned and tidied them up before entrusting the keys to me. If you don't mind that they're old, young Master Xie, please come with me to take a look."

"I don't mind, let's go to the one closest to East Alley first." Xie Qi looked up as he walked. The sky was divided into different sizes by bamboo poles that stretched out from the walls of each house. Because of the snow, the clothes hanging on the bamboo poles had all been taken down, leaving only bare poles with a little bit of unmelted snow sticking out haphazardly.

“Then let’s go to the house next to the water room. That house is fine too; it’s only a few dozen steps away. Even if there’s no well, it’s no problem; getting water will be very convenient.” Yao Luoge took a bunch of keys from his waist and led Xie Qi aside, squeezing past the old men’s chess table. An old man watching the game turned around and looked at them. He seemed to recognize Yao Luoge and asked familiarly, “Yao Luoge, are you here to look at houses again?”

"Of course! I'll come find you for a drink later, bye!" Yao Luoge laughed and waved back, then patted his chest and boasted to Xie Qi, "That's Ge the Charlatan, originally a Taoist priest, but now he's returned to secular life and makes a living by writing talismans, telling fortunes, and performing rituals. I'm the one who found his house for him. Buying a house is a lifelong matter, and I'm fair and honest, I never cheat people. You see, there's no one in this inner city I don't know. You've come to the right place!"

Xie Qi smiled but didn't speak. He had heard from Yan Shu that Madam Shen had bought the shop because she was looking for this herb, Luo Ge, so he had come to him as well. He wasn't familiar with brokers, but Madam Shen's judgment was never wrong.

The Xie family has already started moving. The Xie family mansion is too big to be sold immediately, but that doesn't stop Mother and Father from packing their luggage. Today, they will go back to Chenzhou with Uncle, Great-Grandmother, and Sister. The rest of the things in the mansion will be moved in batches.

Only by passing away first can the delusions of my second and third uncles be extinguished.

Therefore, everyone in the Xie family was busy. Madam Xi was busy from morning till night and really couldn't find the time to deal with the small matter of her son buying a house. Since he himself was interested in the house, she simply said, "I'll have Xi Mama go to the account and give you two thousand strings of cash in a little while. You can buy it yourself. As for the people... Yan Shu and Qiu Hao will definitely follow you. I'll also give you Zhou Da's family to be your gatekeepers. That will take care of everything."

Zhou Da and his wife have a child named Zhou Chuyi. Xi Shi has already made up her mind: the ninth son will go to the academy and Qiu Hao will accompany him. On weekdays, Zhou Da will drive the cart, Zhou Da's wife will cook, and Zhou Chuyi can help watch the house and sweep.

As for Yanshu, Madam Xi didn't have high hopes for him. He was born cute and lovable, and she had initially taken pity on him and didn't want to restrict him too much, which led to his quirky personality. Later, she discovered that on several occasions when Ninth Brother was feeling down due to bad luck, it was Yanshu who would amuse and play with him. With him around, the courtyard was lively and fun, and Ninth Brother would be happier.

Therefore, I stopped disciplining him and let him grow up as he pleased.

With his parents, uncles, great-grandmother, and sister all returning to Chenzhou, Xie Qi was left with only the second and third branches of the Xie family. Having just finished the provincial examination, Xie Qi found it boring to stay at home and had to endure the sarcastic remarks of his uncles and aunts. That's why he couldn't wait to find a middleman to come to Yangliu West Lane to look at houses.

Walking to the vicinity of the water room, Yao Luoge took out his key and opened the courtyard gate. Stepping through the back gate, he immediately saw a small, square courtyard, about ten zhang from east to west and about six zhang from north to south (one zhang in the Song Dynasty was about 3.072 meters, and the courtyard was about 180.4 square meters). Yan Shu, holding a candied hawthorn, hopped over the threshold, looking around curiously: "It seems to be a bit bigger than the small courtyard that Madam Chen had before she expanded her shop."

Qiu Hao tied up the horse before coming in, and casually retorted, "Chen Niangzi's house is occupied by people and has a lot of things, which is why it looks small. This place is empty, so it naturally looks spacious."

The courtyard was indeed empty, with only some weeds growing. Opposite were four rooms, which were quite spacious. Yao Luoge opened each door, and a musty smell wafted out. He blew his nose and said, "Each room is about 28 feet from north to south and 17 feet from east to west (approximately 43 square meters)."

After that, there was only one passageway leading to the door on the left. In front of it was a small shop facing the street. The shop was even smaller, but it was fairly square, about six zhang long and six zhang wide. The doors and windows of the shop were all closed, making it even dustier. Xie Qi looked at it from the doorway and was choked by the dust so much that he sneezed three times.

Yao Luoge was also a little embarrassed, scratching his head: "Houses in the inner city are expensive, and the location of such old houses is not very good, so they are difficult to pawn. To be honest, it has indeed been vacant for a year, but there is nothing that can be done about it. Nowadays, houses in the outer city are more in demand. The land price is not expensive, and most of them are newly built houses. Even if they have changed hands many times, they are still in high demand when pawned."

He paused for a moment and then said, "I didn't want to bring you here because this house is old. It's not as good as the one north of Jinliang Bridge, which is only ten years old and is considered the newest house near Jinliang Bridge."

Xie Qi shook his head: "Jinliang Bridge North is too far."

Yao Luoge asked in confusion, "Where is it too far? It's not far from the Imperial Street, Zhou Bridge, Ma Xing Street, and Da Xiangguo Temple from the north of Jinliang Bridge."

Yan Shu bit off the sugar coating of the candied hawthorn and held it in her mouth. Hearing Yao Luoge's puzzled voice, she nodded seriously and said, "I also think it's too far. If we live there, it will take a quarter of an hour to walk to Madam Chen's house for a meal. It's too far."

Xie Qi turned his head to the side and coughed lightly.

He looked around again. Although the house was old, the beams were still quite sturdy. They must have been painted with tung oil containing realgar. Even after twenty years, there was no sign of insect infestation.

The rest was just painting the walls, replacing the tiles, and installing new doors and windows. Xie Qi had already decided to buy this house, so he asked about the price.

Yao Luoge's eyes darted around, and he spoke as if he were very sincere: "The owner of this house originally wanted 1,500 strings of cash. I discussed it with him. The house is a bit old, and the shop is small and not as well located as the one at the end of the west alley. So, I'll ask for 1,300 strings of cash. I'll cut the price myself. This is the lowest price I can offer. What do you think, young master?"

So cheap? My mother-in-law even gave her too much money.

Xie Qi was about to agree when Yan Shu suddenly tugged at his sleeve. He looked down at him, thinking that Yan Shu wanted something else after finishing the candied hawthorns. He was about to ask Qiu Hao to open the small bag he was carrying when he found three egg yolk pastries inside, one for each of them.

As a result, Yan Shu blinked her big eyes and just stared at him without saying a word.

Xie Qi suddenly understood, swallowed his words, and said to the herbalist, "Let's take a look at the other place as well."

So the group went to a house further away, which was just as old, but one room was missing, and the price was only one hundred strings of cash less.

Xie Qi then pretended to be undecided and said, "We'll meet again at this time tomorrow in Yangliu West Alley. Let me think about it for another night."

Yao Luoge naturally agreed. Buying a house is a big deal, and few people can make a decision immediately. Sometimes it takes several months to complete a transaction. Good things often take time, so he agreed as usual.

After parting ways with Yao Luoge, the three of them, master and servant, led their horses directly through the water room to Yangliu East Alley. Yan Shu then licked the candied hawthorn stick he had finished eating and said, "Why don't you ask Madam Shen about buying a house, Ninth Brother? Madam Shen just bought a shop, so she naturally knows whether the price quoted by such people is high or low."

Qiu Hao widened his eyes dramatically: "I never thought Yan Shu had a brain."

Enraged, Yanshu chased after him, brandishing a bamboo stick.

The two pageboys chased each other and ran ahead, while Xie Qi walked slowly behind, leading the horse alone. He couldn't help but wonder, why was it his turn to lead the horse? Who was the master of the house?

"Sigh, isn't this an inkstone book? And it even has a fine hair... then..."

Xie Qi suddenly looked up and was surprised to find that, by sheer coincidence, Madam Chen was returning from outside in a mule cart. She jumped off the cart and saw Yan Shu playing with Qiu Hao in the alley.

With inkstones and brushes all here, it was only natural that she would turn her head and look deeper into the alley. Across a stone-paved alley, she saw Xie Qi leading a chestnut horse.

A tall and strong chestnut horse rode quietly beside him. He wore a snow-proof lynx-hair cloak, underneath which was a dark blue, narrow-sleeved silk robe. He wore gray-blue trousers with the hems tied into his boots. The narrow and tall leather boots tightly hugged his calves, making him appear even taller and more upright, like a small poplar tree in the snowfield.

It's snowing. I suppose Ninth Brother is going horseback riding, hence this attire. It's rare to see him dressed like this... like this...

He walked out from the dappled light and shadow deep in the alley. Because the first snow had just stopped, the whole alley was damp. The sunlight that leaked through the alley was reflected by the remaining snow on the ground, as if it had taken on a watery hue. The misty light made the young man walking in the distance and his horse seem to be walking in a shimmering moonlight.

It's clean, crisp, and...so beautiful.

Shen Miao was stunned for a moment. It wasn't until the person was only a dozen steps away from her that she came back to her senses and asked somewhat flusteredly, "Ninth... Ninth Brother, why did you come from West Alley?"

"I...I'm moving." Xie Qi's ears were red, whether from the cold or something else. He briefly summarized the situation at home, "...That's it. From now on, I'll be moving out and living on my own. The academy has given the students taking the entrance exam a three-day break so I can look at houses. I just found a house in West Alley that I like. It's a bit old, but very quiet. The middleman is asking for 1,300 strings of cash, I..."

Xie Qi was about to say that it wasn't expensive and that he was ready to buy it when Madam Shen, who had been nodding in agreement, immediately raised her hand to interrupt him, saying angrily and in astonishment, "Thirteen hundred strings of cash? What a cunning little man! How dare you ask for such an exorbitant price! You're just trying to swindle your money! The house over there would only sell for eight hundred strings of cash at most! Come on, I'll go with you and demand an explanation!"

Shen Miao was even angrier than if she had been tricked herself. The shop she bought when she expanded her business hadn't even cost 1,300 guan. The shop in West Alley was in such a remote location, and the house was old. How dare they ask for such a high price? They were just taking advantage of Ninth Brother's stupidity and wealth... No, they were taking advantage of Ninth Brother's lack of knowledge!

She didn't even enter her own home. She told Qiuhao and Yanshu to wait in the Shen family's courtyard. Then, she grabbed Ninth Brother and, with a pursed mouth and a fierce expression, marched through the streets and across the bridge to the brokerage firm in Loudianwu to settle accounts with Yao Luoge.

Xie Qi was dizzy and passively being pulled along by Shen Miao. His mind wasn't on the room fee at all. His eyes were fixed on Shen Niangzi's hand that was tugging at his sleeve, and he couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.

But when Shen Miao turned to talk to him, he quickly suppressed his smile, looking bewildered and aggrieved, which made Shen Miao even angrier at Yao Luoge—how dare he bully such a kind and innocent person as Ninth Brother?

Ninth Brother was born into a wealthy family, but he had no idea that people outside were treacherous. Luckily, she stumbled upon it, otherwise, wouldn't Ninth Brother have lost five hundred strings of cash? That's five hundred strings of cash!

Shen Miao nagged in his ear, saying that he shouldn't have trusted the broker so easily, because the broker could make the dead sound alive with his mouth: "Ninth Brother, you must be more careful in the future when dealing with such a shrewd person."

Xie Qi nodded obediently.

After talking for a while, Shen Miao started to get angry at Yao Luoge again: "This can't be blamed on you. It's that silver-tongued, black-hearted thief who recklessly inflated housing prices, and he even tried to cheat our Ninth Brother!"

Xie Qi glanced at her flushed face, which was now completely red from anger. The phrase "our Ninth Brother" had turned her into a boiled shrimp, her whole face turning red and her eyes seeming to be steaming.

His heart was like a pot of simmering sugar water, bubbling with sweetness.

It's so good to have Lady Shen protecting me.

**

Meanwhile, Yue Teng sat in a side hall of Funing Palace, talking to the emperor who was eating roasted duck about the instant soup noodles: "Why can the soldiers of Youzhou eat soup noodles, while the soldiers of Yanzhou can only fill their stomachs with dry noodles?"

Zhao Boyun waved his hand, quickly swallowed the duck meat, wiped his mouth with the handkerchief handed to him by the eunuch, and then patiently explained to Yue Teng, "It's not like that. General Xiao Xi had previously submitted a secret memorial to me mentioning this matter. He said that a wealthy merchant, after tasting the instant soup noodles in Bianjing, saw the business opportunity and went to Youzhou to set up a soup noodle workshop. Coincidentally, General Xiao Xi robbed... no, he got some horses for free from the Liao people, and thought of using this money to purchase a batch of soup noodles to test for military supplies, asking me if it was feasible. After thinking about it, I agreed and told him to go ahead and try it, and see if these soup noodles are really as good as the rumors say."

Upon hearing this, Yue Teng's expression softened.

"It was I who instructed General Xiao Xi not to publicize this matter. Not only was it not revealed to General Yue, but the military governors of the other border prefectures were also completely unaware of it. This instant soup noodles are four or five times more expensive than naan bread! The money for one bowl of soup noodles for the soldiers could buy five naan breads. Prime Minister Ji is determined to oppose the promotion of this instant soup noodles in the army, insisting that it is too wasteful of money and can be considered extravagant."

Zhao Boyun looked helpless as he spoke, shrugged, then casually grabbed a piece of duck meat, dipped it in the sweet bean sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth before continuing:

"Secondly, these instant soup noodles are related to military supplies, so I must be careful. If we were to implement them in all the prefectures of Yanyun, where would the court find enough funds to support them? General Yue, you know that before winter, my imperial treasury was practically overflowing with rats. How could I dare to make such a boast? However, don't worry, I am now financially well-off. When General Xi returns from his visit, I will invite both generals to the palace and ask him in person how the soldiers are eating these soup noodles. Are they really delicious and convenient? If so, what harm is there in me taking half of the money from the imperial treasury to buy soup noodles and build workshops for the soldiers?"

Yue Teng quickly bowed and said, "On behalf of the soldiers on the frontier, I thank Your Majesty for your great kindness!"

"No need for such formalities. These soldiers are the shield and defense of our Great Song Dynasty; they should be treated well. Besides..." Ever since his home was ransacked, Zhao Boyun was incredibly extravagant—he no longer needed to rely on Minister Wang's VIP card; he had already instructed Liang Da Dang to get a new one. Now he could buy two roasted ducks every day without worrying about the money!

He waved his hand forcefully: "I'm not short of money!"

***

As night fell, snow began to fall sparsely again.

After returning from the shop, Xie Qi naturally followed Shen Miao back to the Shen family home. As expected, Madam Shen, with her sharp tongue, negotiated the sale of that house for eight hundred strings of cash.

We can sign the contract tomorrow. Madam Shen is amazing!

Recalling how Madam Shen had stood up for him against Yao Luoge, his ears turning red, he sat in the warm kotatsu with a cup of hot ginger and rose sugar drink in his hands.

The Qilin immediately scurried over and lay down on his lap.

Madam Shen had already gone to the kitchen to roast the goose. Tang Er had poured this tea for her, saying that Madam Shen would brew this tea to drink around the middle of each month, so she must really like it.

Since it was something that Lady Shen liked, Xie Qi had to try it. Tang Er took down the earthenware pot from the stove and poured him a cup. As soon as he drank it, he felt a burning sensation from his throat to his abdomen.

How much ginger juice did Madam Shen put into the tea? But after getting over the initial discomfort, he actually grew to like it more and more.

It's really good, spicy and sweet, with a rich floral aroma. After drinking it, all the chill in your body disappears, making it very comfortable to drink in winter.

But why drink it in the middle of the month? Is there any particular reason for this tea? Xie Qi thought to himself, he'll remember to ask Madam Shen about it later…

After drinking half a cup, Yanshu and Qiuhao came out with bowls and chopsticks to distribute the food, setting them on the table according to the number of people. They then busied themselves helping to serve the dishes. Finally, Madam Chen came out carrying a large iron pot overflowing with food.

"The braised goose in an iron pot is ready!"

There's an iron plate lid in the middle of the kotatsu table. You can lift it to reveal a round hole, where the embers are glowing red and burning brightly. The hole is just big enough to hold the pot, securing it securely.

Today, the goose was also served with flatbread. A ring of golden-yellow flatbread was stuck around the edge of the pot, with the bottom slightly soaked in the broth. Surrounded by the flatbread in the center was the tender and juicy goose, along with green beans, fried tofu, rice noodles, white cabbage, duck blood, dried bean curd sticks, and wood ear mushrooms...

The aroma was so strong; the continuously boiling broth seemed to have been refined over charcoal fire, making it both rich and mellow.

Xie Qi couldn't help but swallow hard.

Yan Shu could no longer contain himself. His saliva was about to spill from the corner of his mouth, but he quickly sucked it back in, his eyes fixed on the iron pot.

Shen Miao went back to the kitchen and brought out the warmed barley wine. She looked around and saw that the children were huddled together. Tang Erfu, Xing Atao, and others didn't dare to sit next to Xie Qi and were also huddled together.

So...so...she was the only one sitting?

Seeing that the space next to Ninth Brother was empty, she had no choice but to shamelessly sit down. After sitting down, seeing that everyone was just staring without moving, she quickly said, "What are you all standing there for? Pick up your chopsticks and eat!"

After hearing Shen Miao's words, everyone started eating happily, each taking a piece of food and pouring a cup for the other.

"It's so delicious! I never knew goose meat could be so fragrant, even the bones are flavorful." Atao was sucking on the bones as she ate.

"The pancakes are delicious. The top half is baked until crispy and fragrant, and the bottom half is full of broth. These pancakes are amazing." Tang Er ate two pancakes in one go.

Xie Qi, through the steam, lowered his head and took a bite of goose meat. The meat, stewed to a savory and tender perfection, seemed to permeate his mouth, stomach, and heart with its rich flavor. He suddenly turned his head, wanting to say something to Madam Shen, only to find that she had also turned to look at him at the same time.

Their eyes met suddenly, and they froze, both forgetting why they had turned their heads in the first place. In a panic, they looked away at the same time.

One pretended to be busy eating meat, while the other casually picked up his wine and took a sip. Finally, Xie Qi spoke softly:

"That's great."

“Yes.” Shen Miao looked at the snow shadows under the lamp and smiled slightly.

On a silent winter day, with snow falling, you can sit around a pot of bubbling, steaming stewed goose with two or three close friends.

How wonderful, at this moment, fireworks and poetry coexist.