Seeing that the time was approaching, Xu Jiang moved the small tea stove into the backyard, moved the charcoal to the fire, and set the kettle to boil water. Then she cut some plum blossom paper left over from making music notes, wrote a few menus, and placed them on the desk, small table, and low couch.
Just as the table was set up, the first customer arrived.
"Manager Xu, I've come to attend the banquet as promised. Can I have a sip of tea?"
"I knew you would be the first one to come." Xu Jiang greeted him with a smile. After bowing, she respectfully accepted the gift he brought and handed it to Liang Mo behind her. Then she led the visitor into the restaurant, "Please come in, sir."
The first person to arrive was, naturally, the eager Ji Shan. The old man, a man of few thoughts, had waited so long for the banquet that his beard had nearly curled. Now, finally, the day had arrived, so he packed up and headed out early.
As he entered the room, he noticed that the layout had changed slightly. He then turned around and pointed at the empty ground and said with a smile, "Manager Xu, are you planning to have a banquet on the ground today?"
Seeing his rosy cheeks and energetic look, Xu Jiang knew that he was in a good mood and in high spirits.
"The table is in the courtyard. Would you like to take your seat now, sir, or wait for the others to arrive?"
"What's the difference?"
"If we just talk and then choose, it'll lose its fun. Why don't you try a blind selection, sir?"
Her suspense piqued Ji Shanxin's curiosity. Moreover, her bookshop couldn't see the backyard, which aroused his curiosity even more. "Then let's take our seats."
Xu Jiang smiled, "You made a good choice, sir."
Ji Shan raised his beard and asked, "What's the best way?"
"I'll know once you enter the hospital," Xu Jiang said, and led him into the hospital through the small door.
After passing through the door, Ji Shanxian first smelled the fragrant aroma of plants: phellodendron and mugwort. This scent was very relatable to him, a man who had always been accompanied by books. He happily walked into Xu Jiang's small courtyard with a square step.
After entering the hospital, I took a look and saw the low couch in the middle. It was called a low couch, but it had a canopy, which was very unique.
"What is this strange thing?" He walked over and walked around the low couch. After taking a closer look, he found that it was in the Tai Chi style.
Xu Jiang introduced: "This is called the Liangyi Couch, a new style from the capital. It can be split into two or put together, symbolizing the harmony between heaven and earth."
"Good, good." Ji Shan, who didn't care for extraneous things besides books, couldn't help but admire the ingenuity. Then, he measured the dimensions of the low couch and the number of cushions placed on it, and he understood why she'd said he'd chosen well.
Sure enough, he then heard Xu Jiang say, "Sir, please choose a seat. Would you like to sit on the couch or at the low table?"
"Of course, on the couch." This was the advantage of arriving early. Ji Shan sat down on the couch without saying a word. Then he looked up at the ceiling. The soft sunlight filtered through the bamboo branches, giving him a sense of the joy of the countryside.
Xu Jiang handed him the written menu and asked with a smile, "Sir, when you come in, ask if I have any tea. The tea is here. From this menu, you can choose any of the three teas, three wines, and twelve spring delicacies."
Ji Shan glanced at the menu and was a little dazzled. "Looking at this menu, I'm afraid I won't be able to go back unless I eat my fill today."
Xu Jiang was amused and said with a smile, "Everyone talks about poetry, books, flowers, wine and tea. Today, everything is ready. Sir, please enjoy it slowly. The banquet is still long."
Ji Shan ordered some tea. "Then let's have a cup of Kuizhou Xiangyu first. I don't drink much of this tea, so I'll try it today."
"Okay, wait a moment." The water on the stove had just begun to boil. Xu Jiang placed teacups on the table and tilted the kettle to make tea. As the tea poured into the cups, the aroma rose with the steam, then was carried away by the breeze, spreading in curls.
This Kuizhou Xiangyu was newly bought from the tea waiter. This year's pre-rain tea, just smelling its fragrance, is like the breeze by the river, making people feel relaxed and comfortable both physically and mentally.
Ji Shan cleared his lungs, sighed, and said with a smile, "Shopkeeper Xu has put so much thought into this. I'm sure the book you're appreciating today is definitely not an ordinary work by Zhe Yun."
Xu Jiang just smiled and said nothing.
Ji Shan sighed, "It's strange how he keeps people in suspense."
"Isn't it?" A voice came from the small door. Du came back, and Zeng Zhui came with him.
Du Huizhao bowed from a distance to Ji Shan, then began to criticize Xu Jiang, "This shopkeeper Xu, whenever he has a good book or something, he always hides it, whetting people's appetites, and won't stop until people are so annoyed that they can't sit or stand."
It had been a long time since she had seen Du Hui, so upon seeing him, Xu Jiang felt a warm familiarity. She hurried forward and greeted him with a smile, "It's been a while since we last met, sir. You're already pointing out my shortcomings as soon as you arrive. I wonder why I didn't come to see you?"
"You only see the gifts but not the people, and you don't allow me to nag you a little?"
"Xu, Xu, you are the elder. If you have any instructions, just speak frankly. I am all ears."
Xu Jiang led him to the low couch. Just like Ji Shan, he first looked at the couch, and then got on it without hesitation.
Xu Jiang brought him the menu and asked him to order some tea. He asked, "Have you finished your Lao Yin tea?"
"I ate it all before the New Year, not even the tea leaves are left. I'll see if I can find some this year. If not, I'll ask the caravan to write a letter to a friend and ask him to find some and bring it back to me."
"If you have it, leave some for me too. That tea suits my taste."
"good."
Zeng Zhui said with a smile, "I told you earlier that you like this. When you wrote home last time, you should have told my sister and asked her to bring some for me."
Du Hui glared at him and said, "The purpose of writing a letter home is to let your relatives know that you are safe, not to cause trouble for them."
"oh."
Ji Shan, watching Xu Jiang and Du Hui speak so familiarly and casually, knew they were close friends. Then, remembering that Xu Jiang's poetry collection was printed by the Imperial Academy, he understood. He couldn't help but speculate that Xu Jiang's invitation to Du Hui might be related to the book they were going to review today, suggesting she was planning a new book.
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