Chapter 70

The next day, Lin Shuge sent Lin Qingyuan to the academy early in the morning. He also brought a portion for Lin Xuan on the way, and then walked to the county government office with the cold noodles for Zhou Du.

The weather was getting warmer, and people were getting up early to work. The streets were bustling with people and shouting.

When passing by the restaurant opened by Xu Yu, there was a crowd of people outside. A passerby took a curious look and asked, "It's not time for dinner yet, why are there so many people around Xiang Man Lou today?"

The people outside who were trying to squeeze in said, "Yesterday, Xiangmanlou invited someone to tell stories. The story was the "Xuanming Ji" that was sold out in the county. I happened to come here for dinner yesterday and listened to a story. It was wonderful."

The people who were also unable to squeeze in also said, "Yes, the storyteller is very good. He tells the story in a very vivid way, adding various tones and rhythms.

"Why do I feel like he's more famous than Izumi?" someone wondered.

"I don't think he looks like him either. I watch every show of Seeking Immortals. As soon as Yu Quan's voice came out, I knew it was him. The storyteller didn't reveal his true face, so it's hard to judge."

Others were surprised and asked, "Have you seen Yu Quan?"

"No."

"Nothing you said?"

The restaurant behind them finally opened, and everyone rushed in. The waiter hurried forward to greet them and led them to sit down one by one.

Someone was anxious and shouted: "My friend, ask your storyteller to come out. He stopped at the crucial point yesterday. I didn't sleep well last night, so I rushed here early this morning."

Someone chimed in, "Who said it wasn't? I was so anxious last night trying to figure out what happened. I came here early this morning and it wasn't open. I said, man, your restaurant is open too late."

"Have you not read the legendary book? The "Xuan Ming Ji" sold by Haoranzhai is the original version of the scene you described. Why don't you take a look at it as soon as possible? Why do you have to wait for the storyteller?"

"Of course I've read the legend book, but wouldn't it be more fun for everyone to listen to the plot together?"

Everyone nodded. Some who didn't know "Xuan Ming Ji" secretly wrote down the name and prepared to go to the bookstore to buy it after listening to today's edition.

The waiter served delicious dishes to everyone. Xiangmanlou has been doing booming business since it opened. No one knows where the owner got the recipe from, but the dishes are so delicious that people drool.

Now with the addition of the storyteller, there is not enough space every day. For some people who can't squeeze in, they can only help by adding small stools. Unexpectedly, these people are actually happy to sit down and listen happily.

At this time, there was a crisp "bang bang" sound, which was the sound of the wake-up stick. Those who had listened to it yesterday already knew that today's storytelling was about to begin, and they all fell silent. The other people who were eating also stopped talking.

Because of the screen, everyone couldn't see the scene inside, they could only hear a calm and clear voice, "Last time we talked about Ye Luoqiu killing the monster with a frosty sword, but unexpectedly, thunder suddenly sounded in the sky, and a man walked out with a flash of golden light among the dark clouds. It turns out that the monster had an owner..." The sound of whistling wind and the wailing of wild beasts could be heard from behind the screen.

Some people noticed that the sounds of wind, rain, and animal roars were all made by him alone, and they couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Ye Luoqiu's long sword instantly transformed into thousands of golden lights and stabbed straight at the man..."

For a moment, you could hear a pin drop in the restaurant. Many diners put down their chopsticks and had long forgotten about eating.

Xu Yu was standing on the second floor. The waiter came over quietly and whispered something in his ear.

Xu Yu nodded and waved his hand to let him go.

Ever since he heard Lin Shuge's suggestion, he acted very quickly to invite Yu Quan over. Yu Quan was good at imitating the sounds of all things in the world, and was the most suitable person for storytelling.

As he expected, he had an unexpected gain in the first game. Not only did the restaurant business prosper, but the reputation of "Xuan Ming Ji" also reached a new level.

Many people who came to Haoranzhai to urge submission of their manuscripts have become regulars here. They sit together and chat about the plots, and even regard each other as close friends.

Xu Yu secretly thought that County Magistrate Lin really had a way, and he regretted his rashness yesterday.

At this time, the sound of the wake-up stick was heard again from behind the screen. Yu Quan had already talked about the next important plot, but he had whetted the audience's appetite and stopped at the most critical point.

"To know what happens next, please wait for the next chapter."

The audience applauded one after another, and the restaurant was noisy. Some people complained that they stopped at such an important place again, and some people stood with their hands on their hips to spoil the story for the person next to them, but were rejected sternly by the other party.

Most of them had excitement on their faces and discussed loudly with their companions how they had heard a wonderful story for free today.

Seeing that nothing serious happened in the restaurant, Xu Yu quietly left.

Inside the county government office, Zhou Du quietly poked his head out and winked at Lin Shuge, but Lin Shuge was so busy at the moment that he didn't even notice his expression.

Xu Yu sighed, but still didn't respond. He could only shout, "Lin Huaiting."

Lin Shuge then raised his head and looked at him with a puzzled look.

"It's time for dinner. Should I leave or not? I'm starving."

Lin Shuge looked at the sun outside the window. It was already noon. He was so focused in the morning that he didn't feel hungry.

But why is Zhou Du doing so quietly today? He usually has the loudest voice.

As if she had guessed what he was going to say, "It was because he was caught slacking off last time by the county magistrate. Didn't you notice that he pretended to pass by twice today?"

“I didn’t notice.”

Lin Shuge indeed did not see Magistrate Li. He did not expect that he had the habit of being a dean of studies.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, let's eat." Zhou Du shouted.

"Wait a moment, I've brought it." Lin Shuge moved the documents on the table away, took out the lunch box and placed it on the table.

"What did you bring? I have to try it." Zhou Du didn't treat himself as an outsider at all. He lifted up his robe and sat down, waiting for the meal to start.

Lin Shuge took out the cold noodles and sauce and handed one to Zhou Du, "Mix it yourself."

Zhou Du took it and asked, "What is this? Any new trick?" But he moved quickly, mixed it in a few steps, and started eating it impatiently.

"Brother Huaiting, what is this called? It's perfect for eating in summer." Zhou Du said after taking a bite.

“Liangpi.”

"How did you make it? My mother hates summer heat and can't eat well in summer. This is spicy and delicious. She will definitely like it." Zhou Du suddenly thought of his elders who had a hard time in summer and asked.

The hot summer in the northwest is really unbearable.

"You are so filial. I will copy the recipe for you later. It is very simple. By the way, you will need chili peppers. Come back with me one of these days and I will get you a small can." Lin Shuge said after taking a bite of the cold noodles.

There was only one small can, and he didn't have much left.

"Brother Huai Ting, you are my lifelong..."

"What do you want to take a can of?"

The two men looked back and saw that their colleagues in the surrounding official residences had all gone to have lunch. Only Magistrate Li was standing outside the official residence at some point in time, with a face that looked like the Black Bao Gong.

Zhou Du reflexively dropped his chopsticks, stood up, and saluted with a slick mouth. After a moment, he realized that it was lunch time and eating was not considered slacking off.

County Magistrate Li strode in. Before he could speak, Lin Shuge skillfully prepared a bowl of cold noodles and said respectfully, "I brought lunch from home. Would you like to try it, sir?"

Fortunately, he brought some extra food today in case some of his colleagues might see it and want to eat it.

Magistrate Li looked at the bowl of unknown food with great interest, "I heard that County Magistrate Lin is very good at cooking. The little prince of Xiye Kingdom and the envoy were still talking about it to me before they left."

Lin Shuge cried out that he was doomed. He invited so many people to dinner but actually forgot about his boss.

He said to Magistrate Li, who looked as if he wanted to stare a hole through him, "They are just some home-cooked dishes, not worthy of being served in a formal banquet. Ale is exaggerating a bit, but I did get something new some time ago. It's called chili pepper, and it's very spicy, perfect for seasoning."

Try to change the subject.

As Lin Shuge had expected, Magistrate Li was no longer bothered by the news and asked about the peppers instead. Lin Shuge explained everything to him, but the batch he had planted was not yet mature, so he would invite Magistrate Li to come and see it when the time comes.

County Magistrate Li pondered for a moment, took the Liangpi from Lin Shuge, sat down and asked, "Is this suitable for planting in the northwest? What is the yield?"

When Lin Shuge saw him accept the cold noodles, he knew that this hurdle had been overcome, and replied: "It needs irrigation, but now there are water wheels and if farmers grow their own crops, digging canals or carrying water for irrigation is feasible."

As soon as Lin Shuge heard this, he knew that County Magistrate Li wanted to try to expand it to the entire county.

After asking, Magistrate Li laughed out loud, "Okay, everyone sit down and eat."

Zhou Du chuckled, "My Lord, please try it. This is called Liangpi. It looks crystal clear and is chewy. And the chili I just mentioned is the red stuff on top. Although it tastes spicy, the more you eat it, the more you enjoy it..."

Magistrate Li glared at him and started eating. After a hum, he finished the whole bowl in no time.

"Shu Ge, this cold noodle is perfect for hot weather. It's cool and refreshing. The chili is even better. It's spicy and flavorful." County Magistrate Li praised it highly after eating it.

Lin Shuge said a few polite words, and the three of them ate up all the cold noodles he brought.

"The busy farming season is approaching. I went to Nanxiang a few days ago. The crops in the fields are growing well, and the grains are big and full. This year should be a bumper year." After finishing his meal, County Magistrate Li began to talk about official business.

Lin Shuge nodded.

"When the time comes, you can take people to each village to have a look. A few days ago, the county governor's office sent an imperial edict saying that this year His Majesty will personally take charge of the government and reduce taxes. This is truly a great deed." Magistrate Li added.

"Your Majesty is ruling the country personally? This is a happy event. The Ding family is finally willing to let Your Majesty rule the country personally." Zhou Du clapped his hands.

County Magistrate Li slapped him in the face. How could someone be so outspoken? When the young emperor was still young, the government was temporarily controlled by the Ding family. Now that the young emperor is about to come of age, due to gossip, the Ding family has to let the emperor rule the country.

Several people looked at each other, but did not say what was in their hearts.

"Sir, I have asked Xiangli Gu to make more fan wheels recently. They can be distributed to various villages in the future, which will make it more convenient for the people to thresh the grain." Lin Shuge turned to farming.

The fan wheel uses natural wind to remove chaff, debris and grains. It is more convenient to use the fan wheel to remove chaff after threshing the grains with tools such as threshing machines and mortars.

Magistrate Li looked at his capable subordinate with admiration, thinking how well he got things done without saying a word.

I looked back at the grinning Zhou Du and it was really disgusting.

"Okay, we'll send some people over when the time comes." County Magistrate Li had a free meal and then walked away leisurely.

Zhou Du came over quietly and said, "I think His Majesty is not someone who can be bullied. If he takes power, I'm afraid there will be another bloody storm in the court. However, our small border town will not be affected. I'd better think about when I will finish processing these documents. Why are there so many merchants coming to Ganzhou to trade?"

Lin Shuge listened to Zhou Du's words, glanced in the direction of Yandu, and said nothing for a long time.