42 Chapter 42 (Second Update) What a relaxing afternoon nap!
Chapter 42 What a relaxing afternoon nap!
One moment Bai Cen was still immersed in the story of the Dragon Tiger Saber, and the next he was carrying a plate upstairs to serve the dishes.
Before leaving, Wang Sumo heard someone's stomach rumbling.
Wang Sumo: "..."
Wang Sumo found it both amusing and exasperating; such a large pancake should be enough to last until the end of this round of business at noon.
He either didn't eat it, or he didn't know where his biscuit went!
That time at the dock, his pancake was stolen by a dog, and he genuinely wanted to go and get it back. On the merchant ship, smelling the egg pancakes, he risked being discovered and stuck his head out to eat some egg and spinach pancakes.
Bai Cen should really like eating pancakes; there's no reason for him to be sitting still on an empty stomach at this time...
I have no idea what he's thinking.
Soon, Bai Cen returned with the groceries.
While stir-frying the vegetables, Wang Sumo asked, "Where's your pancake?"
Bai Cen knew it was the rumbling sound from his stomach earlier. Bai Cen sighed, "Before, when we were eating outdoors, we got used to eating half a pancake and saving the other half for the next meal."
It's not good to go hungry.
As Wang Sumo flipped the pancake with the spatula, he said, "It's such a big pancake, even if you leave half and eat half, your stomach won't rumble. Where did the pancake go?"
Bai Cen: "..."
Don't lie about food in front of the chef; it's completely untenable!
Bai Cen sighed, "I was afraid 'Weiwu' would be hungry, so I fed it some, but it seemed to really like the biscuit. So I left half of it for it, and to prevent it from overeating, I tore off a small piece and kept the rest for it."
Wang Sumo finally found out where the cake had gone.
So "Weiwu" has become his own dog, and he has to feed it secretly?
Wang Sumo then precisely scooped a chicken leg from the chicken soup pot and placed it in his bowl, saying, "Take this and eat it."
Add a chicken leg!!!
Bai Cen's eyes lit up at the thought of this perk. "Boss, does Bazhen Restaurant offer chicken legs whenever you're hungry?"
Wang Sumo was speechless. "This is half a pancake back to you. 'Weiwu' is the dog of Bazhenlou. At the very least, it's my dog, not yours!"
Bai Cen understood: "..."
The employer has a strong sense of property rights and also protects their own.
But Bai Cen hesitated, "If I give you this chicken leg, won't the customer be missing a leg later?"
Wang Sumo was speechless: "..."
Wang Sumo: "Why are you eating at Bazhenlou Restaurant, missing an arm or a leg?"
Bai Cen was speechless.
Wang Sumo continued, "When I bought meat this morning, the owner gave me an extra chicken leg."
Bai Cen: (⊙o⊙)…
Such a good one?
But Bai Cen was puzzled, "The chickens and ducks were bought yesterday, boss. We bought pork and mutton this morning..."
If Wang Sumo had a scallion instead of a spatula, she would have shoveled it across the pot. "The boss sells mutton, and his wife sells chicken and duck. They saw that I looked good and gave me a chicken leg. What's wrong with that?"
"No, nothing, it's delicious!"
Bai Cen didn't dare to "provoke" her, so he quickly took a bite to cover up the truth. However, he forgot that the chicken leg had just been taken out of the boiling chicken soup, and Bai Cen was completely stunned by the heat.
Wang Sumo's head split into two.
He seems quite smart normally, so how come he turns out like this in the kitchen?
We should put up a notice and find someone cleverer for the kitchen.
As I was thinking, another dish was about to be served.
— Vegetable soup, a vegetable dish that kids love to eat.
Superior Broth is made by simmering fresh chicken broth and the finest salted pork.
This way, the vegetables can absorb the flavor of the broth and sauce without being cooked for too long.
It's tender and delicious, and not overcooked.
The old man knew that the broth for this dish had to be simmered slowly and was usually only released when the restaurant opened in the evening. He must have ordered it for someone at noon because he had met a customer he liked and was worried that the customer wouldn't be able to have it for dinner.
That's why she asked Bai Cen who was at the table upstairs.
Beside him, Bai Cen ate a mouthful of chicken soup.
This time I was smarter; I blew on it with a spoon for ages before drinking it. Haha, the whole world seemed to be elevated!
Bai Cen took another sip, then suddenly froze, his hand gripping the spoon. Wang Sumo glanced at him but didn't point it out. Sure enough, a moment later, someone's spirit returned to its body, and he whispered, "I haven't had chicken soup since I left home."
So I cried because it was so delicious...
Wang Sumo recalled him saying that his family used to be wealthy, but later he went out to learn martial arts and was poisoned by his senior brother.
But I never heard him mention his home again.
If the other person hasn't mentioned something, it's best not to ask.
Wang Sumo lowered his head to serve the dishes.
Bai Cen took another sip of soup, seemingly recovering from his previous emotions, and returned to the previous topic, "I've already talked about two types of diners that the old man treats differently, now let's talk about the third and fourth types."
“The third option is the table upstairs, which is neither particularly good nor bad; the old man ordered it as usual.” Wang Sumo’s emphasis was on the next sentence, “But the fourth option is the table upstairs, which is the one whose menu the old man carefully selected.”
Wow, that's really amazing!
One menu tells you everything.
"So, you still haven't told me who's sitting at table B upstairs." Wang Sumo's dishes were served, and they were from table B; she brought them to him.
Bai Cen took it. "It was an old woman in her seventies or eighties with a full head of white hair, and she was with a child whose eyes were wrapped in gauze. The child was about seven or eight years old and was sitting upstairs."
Wang Sumo was puzzled. Why would a seventy or eighty-year-old woman with a blind grandson be allowed to go up to the second floor?
Wasn't the Deadly Dragon Tiger Blade just sitting on the first floor?
Bai Cen might be a bit muddle-headed in the kitchen, but he's quite astute when it comes to these kinds of things. Besides, the old man is still around; there's no reason for him to...
At this point, Bai Cen sighed softly, "The reason why the old man didn't like the five members of the 'Deadly Dragon Tiger Blade' group so much, but could still tolerate them ordering food, was because when they saw that the old lady had brought her grandson, they offered her their seats, but the old lady didn't. Moreover, she said energetically that seventy or eighty years old is not old, and that she shouldn't be treated as a special person, nor should her grandson be treated as a special person. Only when you treat yourself as special, that's when you accept your fate."
The old woman's words were full of backbone.
The eyes were covered with gauze, indicating either an eye injury or blindness.
Anyone like that would have some degree of inferiority complex, especially a child...
The old woman was demonstrating to him through her actions that she could live an ordinary life even in her seventies or eighties, so that the child wouldn't feel that the world owed him anything.
She is a very interesting old lady.
No wonder the old man took such good care of him.
"Is this vegetable broth?" Bai Cen suddenly realized that Wang Sumo had scooped the broth from the chicken soup bowl earlier, and it smelled so good! So, Bai Cen was surprised, "Of the two live chickens we bought yesterday, one of them was used for blanching?"
"Otherwise what?" Wang Sumo looked at the soup pot. Wasn't it obvious? The whole chicken was inside.
"How extravagant..." Bai Cen exclaimed. "Will we eat that chicken later?"
Bai Cen remembered that she had said she didn't eat the meat used in soup.
He can eat it!
Bai Cen stared wide-eyed at the pot of chicken.
"Give me a piece of cake." Wang Sumo poured cold water on the situation.
...
A short while later, Bai Cen returned to the kitchen after delivering the groceries. This time, he heard clearly, "The old lady and her grandson were on their way to get their eyes treated. They happened to pass by Bazhenlou and came here."
Wang Sumo made another non-spicy shredded pork with garlic sauce, a dish that goes very well with rice, the kind that kids can eat several bowls of with.
That's why we say the old man takes good care of his grandson.
Every dish we ordered was perfect.
The old man had worked at Bazhenlou for two or three years and had his own recipes in his mind.
Bai Cen continued, "That old lady held a cane in her hand, never letting it out of her sight. Besides her backbone, she also exuded a certain dignity. This time, she probably only brought a maid and a guard with her. She looked like someone from an official family, but she also had the demeanor of a martial arts practitioner. Sure enough, there are all kinds of people among the diners at Bazhenlou."
"Did they say where to get your eyes treated?" Wang Sumo asked.
Bai Cen sighed softly, "Who else can we turn to for the intractable problems of this martial arts world?"
Wang Sumo was surprised, "Fang Rushi?"
Bai Cen nodded, "Yes, it's that strange-tempered, eccentric doctor Fang Rushi who rarely treats people. I heard that many martial arts practitioners have been turned away, and it's not easy for the old lady to do it either. But the old lady said that she has to go and see him first, how can she know if he can cure her if she doesn't go? Besides, the world is so big, if Fang Rushi can't cure her, there are always other doctors. She takes her grandson around to search for doctors, and one day she will be able to cure her."
Wang Sumo sighed, "One is influenced by one's company; the old lady's magnanimity inspires the children to follow suit."
“You’re absolutely right.” Bai Cen stepped forward. “Although that child can’t see, he sits properly, doesn’t act spoiled or whiny, and is very polite in his interactions with others. He still retains the childlike charm of a child and is a very likable child.”
Bai Cen suddenly said, "I also remembered my maternal grandmother."
Wang Sumo recalled that he hadn't drunk chicken soup since leaving home, and suddenly realized that he was related to his maternal grandmother who was now being mentioned.
"Oh, right." Bai Cen suddenly remembered the important matter. "Grandpa said we could make the candied hawthorns first. The child kept holding them. When he heard that the grapes were candied hawthorns, the child's interest was immediately piqued. Originally, the old lady said that they could only be eaten after the meal, but the child said, 'Grandma, eating candied hawthorns won't affect my meal. I'm a little tempted.'"
Bai Cen exclaimed, "This child is remarkable! He clearly tells his grandmother what he wants, and she agrees. One doesn't whine or cry, and the other doesn't try to stop him. It's so rare!"
Bai Sumo has already taken the pot and maltose, ready to start making candied hawthorns.
Bai Cen helped.
Although he seemed a bit dim-witted in the kitchen when the food was too hot, he now seemed to have regained his senses and was even quite in sync with Wang Sumo. Just as Wang Sumo was about to suggest some skewers, he had already skewered them and handed them over, exactly six in total.
Bai Cen laughed and said, "I saw that the boss had made five, six and seven pieces before. The six pieces are better length. Too many are hard to handle, and you have to coat the bottom one with sugar coating. It's easy to burn your hand in the pot. Five pieces are too few and too much work. Six is the best."
Watching Bai Cen recount his story so eloquently, she suddenly remembered the time when her parents were still alive.
She seemed to be looking at them the same way...
The candied hawthorns were ready and placed on a stone slab to cool. She made a few extra skewers, but she would have Bai Cen take two up first, and the rest would be sent over after dinner.
"Is there any more chicken soup?" Bai Cen had just drunk a bowl, and it really whetted his appetite.
Wang Sumo served it to Bai Cen, who took it and then took out the remaining half of the pancake from his pocket and started eating it. Wang Sumo, while cooking, thought about the pancake that the dog had taken.
Some people genuinely enjoy eating pancakes, but this one had been sitting out for so long, and after only a few bites, it probably wasn't very tasty anymore. Yet, Bai Cen still ate it with relish, enjoying it immensely with the chicken soup. Wang Sumo suddenly believed him; he had survived for several days on the merchant ship on that spinach and egg pancake.
Wang Sumo suddenly asked, "Your senior brother poisoned you, do you hate him?"
Perhaps not expecting Wang Sumo to ask such a question, Bai Cen replied without hesitation, "I hate it!"
"Where is he? Have you looked for him?"
Bai Cen looked at her too, "He's gone."
Wang Sumo paused for a moment.
After finishing the chicken soup and bread, Bai Cen put down his bowl and said calmly, "He thought I was dead."
Wang Sumo looked at him.
Sometimes, the more relaxed a person seems, the heavier the burden they carry in their heart, Wang Sumo thought honestly. But the next moment, Bai Cen laughed to himself, "But am I someone who dies so easily?"
Wang Sumo: "..."
Wang Sumo has a big head.
Bai Cen crossed his arms and sighed, "I'm a tough guy, I never bow my head."
Wang Sumo whispered, "Bai Cen."
"Hmm?" Bai Cen looked at her.
Wang Sumo said calmly, "Something was lost."
Bai Cen lowered his head, "No?"
After searching for a while, I suddenly realized something—I'm a tough person, I never bow my head.
By the time Bai Cen got up, Wang Sumo had already started preparing another dish, which amused and annoyed Bai Cen.
"I'm going to deliver candied hawthorns." Not only is he stubborn, but he also knows how to play it by ear.
The curtain behind him was lifted, and the creaking sound of someone going upstairs could be heard. Wang Sumo knew that he had gone upstairs.
However, Wang Sumo suddenly remembered the last time on the merchant ship—the old man had chatted with me for a while, saying that if we used oil paper and straw curtains to make paper windows and paper sheds to protect them from the harsh winter, perhaps we could even grow spinach in winter…
She listened at the time, so she still remembers it.
If you have seeds, you might actually be able to have spinach all year round. Too many would be too much to manage, but at least one or two pots would be enough.
Oiled paper and straw mats provided shelter from the harsh winter...
If we have the seeds, maybe we could really give it a try.
While Wang Sumo was thinking about the feasibility of using spinach, she was also making other dishes.
The dishes at table A on the second floor were served last. Table B had an elderly woman in her seventies or eighties and a child with an eye condition, so the people at the next table didn't urge them to hurry.
Most of the time, the guests at Bazhenlou are very nice.
The world is vast, and most of those whose names are unknown are actually this vast majority.
...
After finishing the dishes for several tables, Wang Sumo began preparing their own meal later. Perhaps because Bai Cen had mentioned the cane, Wang Sumo heard a "thump, thump, thump" while cooking, which should have been the sound of someone coming downstairs with a cane.
It must have been the old woman who brought the child down.
The curtains at the kitchen window were drawn, and Wang Sumo could see the old woman leading her grandson by the back, with maids and guards following on either side.
Just as Bai Cen said, even from behind, the old lady seemed strong and vigorous, and the child, though young and with an eye disease, was not timid and walked with grace.
While I was lost in thought, I realized that the old man had just brought down the plates from upstairs.
Wang Sumo happened to ask, "Grandpa, do you know that old lady?"
The old man glanced out the window and said, "I don't recognize the person, but I do recognize the cane. It belongs to the old lady of the Lu family in Nanyun."
The Lu family of Nanyun?
I feel like I've heard of Wang Sumo somewhere before, but I don't remember it very well.
The old man said in a deep voice, "The Lu family of Nanyun was once a martial arts family that dominated the Jianghu. When the Northern Di invaded, all the men of the Lu family went to the army, leaving only the old lady and a group of orphans and widows. Later, these children grew up and followed in their fathers' footsteps to the border. The battlefield is merciless, and all the sons of the Lu family died in battle, leaving only the old lady and one child left behind, who is the old lady's great-grandson."
The old man sighed softly, "If the Lu family hadn't surrendered to the frontier back then, few martial arts families could compare to them now. But what use is a flourishing martial arts world if the country is gone? This is the true meaning of chivalry. But you only see composure in the old lady; that's the path the Lu family has walked. Even today, news of the Lu family is rare in the martial arts world, but those with a strong foundation still regard the Lu family as the leader."
So there's such a moving story behind it all...
As the old lady led the child into the carriage and the carriage slowly drove away, Wang Sumo asked softly, "The old lady went to find Fang Rushi. Is Fang Rushi eccentric? Will she treat the Lu family's child?"
The old man scoffed lightly, "Fang Rushi's temper is eccentric, but he knows how to handle things."
The old man looked at Wang Sumo and asked, "Do you remember how many fingers Fang Rushi lost on her left hand?"
"I remember." Wang Sumo nodded. Because three fingers on her left hand were missing, she could only use her right hand to perform acupuncture and stitches. She could do very well with her left hand.
Even so, Fang Rushi was still the foremost divine physician in the martial arts world.
If both hands were intact, Fang Rushi's medical skills would likely have been even more refined.
The old man said in a deep voice, "Back then, when the Northern Barbarians invaded, they captured him and took him to the army hospital for treatment. He refused, so they threatened him, saying they would cut off his fingers, one a day, and they cut off three in a row."
Wang Sumo was stunned.
The old man continued, “Everyone in the martial arts world has their own path to follow. Fang Rushi has an eccentric temper, but it is precisely because of his eccentric temper that he is not easily swayed by others. Among those who died were members of the Lu family, as well as every general and soldier who risked their lives on the battlefield. At this time, Fang Rushi may seem eccentric, but at that time, he was a tough nut to crack.”
Wang Sumo finally came to her senses, "Then how did Fang Rushi escape later?"
"Girl, have you ever heard of the all-knowing scholar of the martial arts world?"
Wang Sumo nodded, "I've heard of it, but I think I heard that the venerable Master Bai Xiaosheng has passed away..."
"It was Bai Xiaosheng who saved Fang Rushi back then. Bai Xiaosheng was skilled in disguise, bold and meticulous. He single-handedly broke into the enemy camp and rescued Fang Rushi, but during the escape, he was shot in the heart by a pursuer and died at the border..."
Wang Sumo was slightly taken aback. Most of what he had seen in the Eight Treasures Pavilion was the righteousness and harmony of the martial arts world, but the two passages that the old man mentioned today were a different kind of mutual, a vow to rush to the death, even through mountains of knives and seas of fire.
The old man said in a deep voice, "Bai Xiaosheng will risk his life to save Fang Rushi, just as Fang Rushi will definitely heal the Lu family's child. Within the martial world, no matter how lively the battles are, it's all about vying for the title of the world's number one, with one person finishing their act and another taking the stage; but when foreign enemies invade, it becomes a different martial world altogether..."
Wang Sumo understood.
Seeing that the remaining candied hawthorns were about to melt, Wang Sumo picked up a skewer and suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to give the group of people with the Deadly Dragon Tiger Knife candied hawthorn skewers.
See you in the martial world!
I hope that day will come.
*
After all the lunch customers had left, Bazhenlou began to clean up and tidy up.
Grandpa He wiped the table and put it away; Grandpa Qu cleaned; Bai Cen diligently washed the dishes in the kitchen.
Wang Sumo wiped his sweat. After working for more than an hour, he finally finished. Making all these dishes by himself left him with a sore back and legs.
Bai Cen hesitated, "Boss, are you still open at night?"
Wang Sumo exclaimed in surprise, "The camp! There's still so much meat and vegetables left, don't waste it!"
Bai Cen saw that she was all alone, and from the very first dish on the first table, she hadn't stopped cooking. The pot was heavy, and she had to keep cooking non-stop while standing. Her head was covered in sweat, which was no easy task.
Bai Cen stepped forward to help wash the pots. Wang Sumo looked at him, and he casually started a conversation, "What if there are so many guests tonight, and we haven't finished cooking all this meat and vegetables?"
He helped, and Wang Sumo washed his hands. "Then make it too. There are always people in the nearby towns who don't have enough to eat. You and the old man can deliver it."
Bai Cen turned to look at her casually, "So, Bazhenlou always buys extra vegetables, and then cooks up the leftovers and has the old man secretly send them to nearby towns, so no one knows it's Bazhenlou?"
“Yes.” Wang Sumo disagreed.
Bai Cen smiled to himself, realizing why Wang Sumo had left him an extra spinach and egg pancake on the merchant ship.
Because it doesn't matter whether it's at Bazhenlou or not.
"Boss, will you be open for business tomorrow?" Bai Cen asked again.
Wang Sumo thought for a moment, "We're staying in the suburbs tonight, and there won't be any fresh meat or vegetables left. We'll buy some more vegetables and start operating again when we get to the next place."
Bai Cen suddenly had a whimsical idea, "How about we grow vegetables? That would be so much fun! Growing flowers is the same as growing vegetables, and we could eat vegetables grown by Bazhenlou themselves. That would be so much more interesting."
After Bai Cen finished speaking, Wang Sumo thought of the oil-paper spinach again.
Wang Sumo didn't mention it, but said, "You plant them. You discuss it with the old man. The garden is full of his flowers and plants."
"No problem!" Bai Cen was delighted.
Not long after, Wang Sumo was still taking a nap in the hammock when she heard the old man's angry voice, "Get out! Get out!"
Then came Bai Cen's voice, "Don't be angry, old man, I'm just discussing this with you."
"roll!"
Wang Sumo suppressed a laugh.
But this matter is not over so quickly.
"What are you planting!"
"Don't even think about it!"
"Do you believe I'll impregnate you?!"
Amidst the chaos, Wang Sumo wanted to laugh but couldn't bring herself to do so, so she kept holding it in and pretended to be asleep; but as she pretended, she actually fell asleep amidst the chaotic white noise.
Not only that, but she also had a bizarre and fantastical dream.
In my dream, the Eight Treasures Pavilion was covered with spinach, everywhere—in the small garden, on the roof, even on the horses' heads.
Wang Sumo: "..."
Then Wang Sumo saw Bai Cen in the soil of the small courtyard. "What are you doing squatting in there?"
She asked.
Bai Cen lamented, "Wasn't the old man angry? He planted me, so now I can only grow in a flowerpot."
She burst out laughing, and then woke up laughing.
What a relaxing afternoon nap! I was smiling from the moment I fell asleep until I woke up!
[Author's Note]
My darlings, I'll update today. My family is having surgery tomorrow, so the update time will be uncertain depending on the situation.
See you later
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