Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Spring Day Tour (The Finale…
The morning sun shines over the bluestone slabs, and pink evening cherry blossoms float across the sky. It is a sunny day in Chang'an today, and the smoke from the Duan Family Restaurant is rising again.
The freshly baked salt-baked chicken is a transparent amber color, and the chicken is slightly wrinkled due to the high-temperature baking. The meat aroma mixed with coarse salt is extremely overbearing. Duan Zhiwei soaked the chicken in gardenia water overnight, and the aroma is special. No other restaurant can imitate it, so there are long queues in front of the restaurant all day long.
Duan Zhiwei noticed several times that people from the Monster Catching Bureau were lining up among the diners. Those people basically have colorful hair, so they are easy to recognize.
However, the salt-baked chicken is still delicious when eaten on the spot. The moment the sandpaper is peeled off, the chicken releases a concentrated salty fragrance in the enclosed space. The coarse salt bakes the chicken skin crispy, but when you take a bite, the silky and rich taste melts on the tip of your tongue. The chicken inside is tender and firm, and the juice with the aroma of scallion, ginger and oil overflows.
If you pack it up and take it away, the chicken skin won't be as crispy and the juice inside the chicken will dry up on the way, which greatly reduces the deliciousness.
Perhaps based on this consideration, Dugu Luling, the head of the Monster Catching Bureau, had to come to the restaurant in person with his entourage.
Adhering to the principle of "serving diners", Duan Zhiwei received him as usual, but children cannot hide things, and the little wolf Pu Tao looked unhappy, especially the little wolf, who hurriedly picked up the little bone monster who was sitting on the food table eating sweet cakes, and then glared at him vigilantly.
There were cracks on several bones in the little bone monster's body, and its entire body was wrapped in several thick bandages by Doctor Zhao. Its head was wrapped round with only a pair of eyes showing, and it could not even walk steadily. It finally picked up a piece of sweet cake and was about to eat it when it was picked up by the little wolf and the cake fell to the ground.
It's still a little lost.
Duan Zhiwei placed the chicken in front of him and turned his head to say, "Little Wolf, don't be rude to your guests."
Dugu didn't seem to be embarrassed at all. He just laughed and said, "It's okay, it's okay." The tall blond guard next to him stared at the chicken on the food table with a worried look on his face.
The salt-baked chicken was selling very well, and the butcher shop soon sent another cart of chicken. The guard tried to hold back, but couldn't help but asked, "Madam, can I buy this cart of chicken?"
Duan Zhiwei was stunned: "But I haven't cooked it yet."
"No problem." He looked quite sincere. "These chickens died miserably. I want to pray for their souls to be reborn, and then give them a grand funeral."
The noisy restaurant immediately became quiet, and everyone looked at him like he was a fool, but he still insisted: "Is it okay?"
"No." Dugu tore off another piece of chicken: "Don't think about these things all day long."
His proposal was rejected, and he continued to look worriedly at the almost-cut chicken on the table.
Dugu finished eating the chicken slowly, and then turned his gaze back to the little bone monster.
It wrapped itself up like a little mummy, blinked twice, turned its round head into the little wolf's arms, and began to shiver.
Before the little wolf started to lose his temper, Dugu said slowly:
"Do you want to make this little monster's demon core no longer chaotic and transform into a human form?"
"Really?" Everyone's eyes lit up. The Jinhua cat was sneaking around in the kitchen's ghost-faced jar to eat pickled dried fish. Upon hearing this, it ran out with fish juice all over its face: "What about me, what about me?"
Dugu quickly lifted the corner of his clothes to avoid its attack: "It's too early, it has nothing to do with you."
His suggestion sounded a little outrageous, but it was the suggestion of the head of the Monster Catching Bureau after all. Although Duan Zhiwei was skeptical, he still decided to give it a try.
The streets were filled with crimson cherry blossoms falling, and the dining table of the Duan Family Restaurant was moved under the cherry tree. The little bone demon curled up in the middle of the dining table, looking up at the flowers for a while, then looking at the people in the restaurant who were surrounding it.
Pu Tao was holding a pot of cherry blossom petals, feeling a little embarrassed, and quietly asked Duan Zhiwei: "Is this really okay?"
The sweet soup in Duan Zhiwei's hand was also steaming: "There is no other way, let's give it a try."
The rest of the people, Aunt Duan, Yuan Shenji, Apan, Xiaolang, Jinhua and Libo, all held various musical instruments in their hands, such as drums, pipa, etc., and everyone had a look of doubt on their face.
Duan Zhiwei took a deep breath and said, "Then let's get started, Pu Tao, spread the flowers."
Pu Tao responded and immediately raised the wooden basin in his hand, and thousands of pink cherry petals fell down, while the others plucked the instruments in their hands.
No one had ever learned to play a musical instrument, so the music that came out of everyone's fingertips was not very nice to listen to, and one could just barely make out a tune.
The little bone demon was wrapped up like a glutinous rice ball, sitting there in confusion. When it heard the music, it suddenly stood up, stood on tiptoe and danced to the music.
Its calves, wrapped like sticks, could not support it and it stumbled and jumped.
"By the way, you dance very well! Twist your waist like willow branches." Aunt Duan clapped her hands to encourage it.
Encouraged by everyone, it twisted more vigorously, and the warm spring sun shone on it, creating tiny spots of light.
Duan Zhiwei took the opportunity to place the little bone monster's favorite sweet soup in front of it.
At this moment, those tiny spots of light suddenly covered the little bone monster as quickly as falling snow. The spots of light condensed into a round cocoon of light, wrapping the little bone monster up into the air.
Thousands of cherry blossoms flew up from the dining table again, swirling into pink clouds along with the cocoons of light.
"It looks so warm." Duan Zhiwei thought.
After a long time, the cocoon of light cracked open, and a pair of pink arms like lotus root nodes first emerged, followed by black hair and a plump body...
A little girl, as tall as a thumb, came out of the light cocoon. She had a chubby, rosy face and was wearing a cherry pink skirt.
She came out curiously, looked at you and then at him, then stumbled to the sweet soup, drank it all in one gulp, and said it was very sweet.
Little Wolf shed tears and carefully held the little bone demon in her arms. She raised her hand to wipe his tears: "Don't cry, little wolf."
Then he smiled and said to everyone: "Everyone, A Gu is back!"
Aunt Duan turned her back and wiped her eyes. Duan Zhi smiled and put the small mask he made for her during the Lantern Festival back on her head. The red string of the small mask was finally no longer tied to the bones, but to the body of a Thumbelina.
"Welcome back, Agoma."
The bones turned into a warm human form, and the demon core was purified into a hot, beating heart. For the little bone demon, the hatred of the bad guys turned her into white bones, but love made her become flesh and blood again.
In order to welcome A'gu's return, the people in the restaurant, led by Aunt Duan, went to the Da Ci'en Temple again to express their gratitude to the Buddha.
The bronze mirror strongly agreed with this. After its brief return, it became even more talkative than before. Occasionally it would stay in the restaurant, but most of the time it would be in the temple, preaching to the monks and telling stories to the pilgrims. It was very busy every day.
But behind the restaurant's carriage, Yimin's group of black-robed men were still following. Their carriage was inlaid with emeralds and mother-of-pearl, which made the restaurant's carriage look even more shabby.
Little Wolf still didn't want to go back with them, so the messenger sent a letter back to the country. Little Wolf's Aye, King Yimin's younger brother, immediately set off to come over. Since the child didn't want to go back, he came to Chang'an to settle down and was already on the way. In order to ensure the safety of the little wolf, the man in black robe followed him wherever he went.
Duan Zhiwei lifted the curtain to take a look at the Yimin people's gorgeous carriage behind him and sighed deeply. Aunt Duan touched Xiaolang's head and said, "I didn't expect Xiaolang's family is so rich. I'll ask your father to buy a big restaurant in Xishi for us later."
She joked. The little wolf didn't realize it was a joke and he nodded vigorously.
At the Da Ci'en Temple, Duan Zhiwei and his party also met Du Yourong.
I haven't seen her for a long time, and she looks radiant.
Aunt Duan smiled and said, "You look so good, it seems you are living well in the Pei family."
Du Yourong smiled even happier than the old lady: "No, I'm divorced."
Everyone was shocked.
Compared to the pale faces of the crowd, her smile was as bright as the spring sun: "Mr. Pei is a very good person, but the Pei family has too many rules, and I am really unhappy."
She paused and said, "I came here to pray for a smooth trip today. Tomorrow I will leave for Yangzhou, Ezhou and other places. Life is so long, I also want to appreciate the beauty of the world."
Duan Zhiwei said goodbye to her with a look of admiration and envy.
After burning incense, everyone dispersed and took a walk in the temple.
It was late spring or early summer, and the entire city of Chang'an was filled with clear green. The sal trees planted by Master Xuanzang himself under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda rustled in the wind and stretched out their new leaves.
Duan Zhiwei was waiting in the shadows, and could hear the excited voice of the bronze mirror from afar: "Dear pilgrims, this is the place where Master Xuanzang translated Buddhist scriptures..."
She looked up at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, whose layers of eaves were gradually converging like thousands of lotus flowers blooming one after another.
This reminded Duan Zhiwei of when she first came to Chang'an, she huddled in a corner of Tongyifang and frying meat. She looked up at the eaves and corners outside the wall of the square and felt that life was bleak and full of despair.
But now her mood has changed. She has relatives, lover and friends in Chang'an, and it has become a warm place.
Yuan Shenji had just asked for a bag of water from the young monk. When he came back, he saw her smiling in the bright sunlight, as bright and moving as the early summer in Chang'an.
He went to hold her hand and chose a shady spot to sit down: "The sun is so strong, don't let it burn you."
The breeze crushed the sunlight, mottled light and shadows sprinkled down from the trees, and the fragrance of gardenia surged in the wind. The wind was light and warm. Duan Zhiwei felt very comfortable, and she closed her eyes with peace of mind.
She felt that it was very comfortable for her and Yuan Shenji to just sit there without talking. The surroundings were so quiet that she suspected that the gods had casually molded a piece of pottery, mixed in the ripples of water, kneaded in the shadows of flowers, and added a handful of early summer sun and two wisps of breeze, and casually molded it into the dome of Chang'an. Under the dome, only she and Yuan Shenji were sitting alone.
Yuan Shenji hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke.
Because of his meritorious service in capturing the Turks, he was praised by the saint and rewarded with a box of cloth, which would be given to him soon. He wanted to discuss with Duan Zhiwei that all the silk should be given to the widows and children of the soldiers who died in the war against the Turks.
Duan Zhiwei strongly agreed and said that she liked him because although he looked fierce, he had a kind heart.
"I was wondering why a girl from Liangzhou would marry you even if she pretended to be you, since you always looked ferocious. It makes sense that you are a Turkic spy."
She wanted to take the opportunity to brainwash him: "You see, I am the only one who loves your soul."
Another gust of warm wind blew by, and Yuan Shenji smiled and helped her tidy up her hair: "I love you, too."
......
A few months later, Duan's Restaurant was expanded and renovated and became the largest restaurant in Xuanyangfang.
People from all walks of life came to congratulate her. Duan Zhiwei changed into a new set of clothes and couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Aunt Duan was wearing a bright red dress and a purple flower on her temples, making her look red all over.
Li Heng came with Chen Guifang to congratulate. Chen Guifang rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen to help, and by the way, he took the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple to the backyard to help chop firewood.
Zhen Hui and Su Qi arrived early in the morning and took a good seat, saying that they wanted to be the first to taste the new dishes. A Pan and Li Bo were directing things in the backyard... The restaurant had hired a lot of new people, so they no longer had to be so busy.
Little Wolf had come with his rich father. He put on an ugly outfit covered with jewels of all colors and wanted to go into the kitchen to help, but Aunt Duan chased him out: "Don't do that! Don't ruin such expensive clothes. This ruby is beautiful... Little Wolf, pick one for me."
The Jinhua cat was being rubbed vigorously in Xiao Xinghua's arms, and A Gu was standing on its head and dancing to coax Xinghua, making her laugh.
The restaurant had expanded large enough, with half given to ordinary diners and the other half to monster customers. This was mainly because the White Mushroom owner came in disguise last time and his wooden head fell to the ground, scaring the ordinary diners so much that they ran away without paying.
It had no choice but to work for free in Duan's restaurant for a few days.
The Monster Catching Bureau would come here from time to time, hoping to catch a few bad monsters to boost their performance, but all they came were good monsters, and they were even dragged by the panda A-Gun to drink, so they had to leave in disappointment.
Yuan Shenji had just finished his shift at night and had a day off today, so he wanted to go into the kitchen to help, but Duan Zhiwei drove him out: "Are you here to help? You're just causing trouble. Go to the backyard and chop wood with Li Heng..."
Yuan Shenji left obediently.
When Ah Pan saw that the steam from the steamer had almost finished rising, he went out and called Duan Zhiwei, "The first basket of jade buns is ready."
"Coming." Duan Zhiwei responded and flashed into the kitchen.
The spring sweet cakes are steamed soft, sweet and fragrant, and sprinkled with flower petals to become Qujiang.
The cold tea with locust leaves accompanied by the chirping of cicadas brings deliciousness and coolness.
There is a moon hidden in the moon soup, and there is nectar hidden in the moon.
The boiling mutton soup thickened the dusk, just like the snow and frost on the top of Mount Zhongnan.
When you step into Duan’s Restaurant, happiness will surely arrive with the first basket of steamed smoke.
-over-
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