Chapter Fifty-Seven: Springtime Feast Celebrated by Drums and Gongs
Before he finished speaking, a wisp of steam appeared, and a moment later Mu Fei trotted up to the two of them with a plate of steaming hot glutinous rice balls. “Generals, you’ve finished making them so quickly? I’ll put them in the pot right away. You two can just wait for the good news about the wontons before the banquet!”
"Okay, thank you for your trouble," Bai Ming said with a smile, patting Mu Fei on the shoulder. "It's just that the wontons don't look very appetizing, please excuse me."
"It's nothing," Mu Fei said with a smile, waving his hand and picking up the crescent-shaped wontons from the plate, nodding at Yang Xiaobaiming. "As long as they don't break during cooking, everything is fine."
Yang Xiaogang nodded, then raised her hand to stop Mu Fei as if she had suddenly remembered something, "Remember to cook our dish separately, and see what it looks like when it's cooked."
"Yes, General!" Mu Fei had only taken two steps when he turned back to reply. He ran to the pot, put down the cutting board, and looked back at the two men behind him. "Thank you both for your help today. It's getting late. Why don't you join the lord and the others for a while? We'll bring the dumplings over when they're done cooking."
Bai Ming stood up, exchanged a glance with Yang Xiao, then nodded and smiled at Mu Fei, saying, "Then we'll take our leave now."
As Yang Xiao walked out, she waved goodbye with a smile. Just as she reached out to lift the curtain, she suddenly turned back as if she saw something, startling Bai Ming behind her.
She jogged a couple of steps toward the stove, grabbed two hemp leaves, turned back to Bai Ming with a smile, tilted her head, and handed him the hemp leaves.
"Lingyu, you..." Bai Ming couldn't help but laugh when he saw this. He lifted the curtain with one hand and gently took the hemp leaf from Yang Xiao's hand with the other, leading her out the door.
As soon as she stepped outside, the sudden chill made Yang Xiao shiver, but she seemed completely unfazed as she picked up the sesame leaf and took a small bite. Her breath, carrying the aroma of sesame oil, drifted through the air and dissipated into the bustling night.
“Mu Fei also fried another pot of sesame leaves,” Yang Xiao said, turning to look at Bai Ming while biting into a sesame leaf and walking backwards. “You don’t know, when I got up to check on them this morning, every time the sesame leaves were taken out of the pot, they were all gone. Mu Fei didn’t get a single bite.”
Bai Ming watched with a smile as Yang Xiao's agile figure treaded through the snow, as if watching a squirrel returning home in the snow, leaping and bounding around with the fruit it had been longing for.
"Why are you just staring at me without saying anything?" Yang Xiao said reproachfully, crossing her arms and looking up at Bai Ming. "Quickly try it and see if it's good. It won't be crispy when it gets cold, hurry up."
"Okay." Bai Ming nodded with a smile, captivated by Yang Xiao's lively eyes. "Thank you."
"Why thank me?" Yang Xiao waved her hand with a light laugh, turned around, and strolled casually forward. "We've known each other for so many years, why are you still thanking me like this?"
"I just got used to saying it, and I can't stop right away." Bai Ming took two quick steps to catch up with Yang Xiao, looking down at her with a smile. "But these sesame leaves really do taste good..."
"Alright, let's go." Yang Xiao turned around and smiled. "Look, it's getting dark. If we stay any longer, we'll miss the lord's banquet."
"Alright." Bai Ming smiled and nodded. The two mounted their horses and galloped towards the central command tent.
But then they saw a flickering light coming from the renovated flower shed. As soon as the two ran forward, they saw Zhongli Shuo already waving and waiting in front of the banquet.
"Please sit down! It's time for the ironwork performance!"
"Iron flower making?" Yang Xiao jumped for joy upon hearing this. She quickly dismounted and ran to Zhong Li'an at the banquet, panting, "You really hired an iron flower craftsman?"
Her joyful gaze flickered, then she frowned slightly as if pondering something, looking at Zhong Li'an inquiringly, "But I've heard that there are three times when iron flowers are made and three times when they aren't. In times of chaos, how could any craftsman be willing to do it?"
“Lingyu, you know quite a lot,” Cen Xun said with a smile, patting Yang Xiao on the shoulder. “This iron flower is used in good years, in celebrations, and in prosperous times; it is not used in lean years, in times of war, or during national mourning.”
Zhong Li'an nodded approvingly, "Although we are in a chaotic time, the various forces are not at war, so it cannot be considered a time of war."
“Strike hard in good years, strike hard in celebrations, and as for this prosperous age,” Zhong Lishuo smiled and nodded to the crowd, “I think we can achieve that in the new year as well.”
“If one year isn’t enough, then two. We’ll definitely be able to secure Chang’an within three years.” Yang Xiao also became interested and nodded solemnly to Zhong Li’an.
Looking at the spirited faces of everyone, Zhong Li'an couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. He nodded with a smile, "Settling Chang'an... what a beautiful phrase," he said, rolling up his sleeves, picking up his wine cup, and raising it high in the reflection of the crescent moon, "Then, may we settle Chang'an next year, and may the new world that follows be peaceful and prosperous!"
"Great!" Everyone raised their glasses in agreement.
Yang Xiao stood up, picked up her cup, nodded and sniffed it. "Wait, my lord, why am I the only one who is tea?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li'an chuckled and pointed at Yang Xiao affectionately, "Don't you know how drunk you were at the last celebration party?"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh when they heard this. Cen Xun put his hand on Yang Xiao's shoulder and said, "We're afraid that if you drink too much this time, you'll grab Zhao Qing by the collar again, snatch his sword, and shout that you want to fight him."
“Oh dear, that was an accident last time. I must have drunk too fast,” Yang Xiao nudged Cen Xun with her arm, placed the teacup on the table, then turned back to pick up the wine pot and filled the empty cup to the brim. “This time, I definitely won’t get drunk. Trust me, trust me.”
Zhong Li'an couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "Alright, I won't get drunk." He raised his cup and smiled at everyone, "Then may our New Year be filled with soaring dragons and pacification of Chang'an. May our land be forever secure and Chang'an last for ten thousand years."
"May the mountains and rivers be forever secure, and may Chang'an last ten thousand years!" The crowd laughed and clinked their wine cups together, splashing wine droplets under the moonlight. In an instant, fireworks burst forth, illuminating the night.
Zhong Li'an held the empty wine cup, looked up at the magnificent fireworks, and let out a soft sigh. The wisps of hot air he exhaled rose up and eventually dissipated into the sky full of flames.
"That's great..." A cheerful smile reflected the sparks on Zhong Li'an's face. He came back to his senses, smiled, and raised his hand to the crowd. "Please sit down, everyone. Why are you all standing here with me? The iron sparks haven't started yet. There's no need to stare at us like that."
Bai Ming nodded and took a seat, then looked up at Zhong Li'an with a smile, "We rarely see our lord lost in thought, but now that we see you so engrossed in fireworks, how can we not stop and watch for a moment?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li'an smiled and shook his head, "It's only natural to be distracted when faced with beautiful scenery, it's just human nature, why would it be different for me?"
“Exactly,” Yang Xiao put down his wine cup and nodded with a smile, “Zhao Qing, have you forgotten? If we hadn’t returned from Qingzhou so late, our lord might have already been up in the locust tree for a while.”
Zhong Li'an had just picked up his wine glass when he heard this, but he laughed and put the glass down. He raised his hand and pointed at Yang Xiao, "Lingyu, you really know how to bring up the most awkward things."
Cen Xun chuckled and patted Yang Xiao on the shoulder, "Quickly say you're drunk, there's still hope."
"No," Yang Xiao said with a smile, brushing Cen Xun's hand away. "I'm not drunk."
Just as the group was laughing and joking, Mu Fei led a few soldiers and slowly walked over from the side of the banquet with a plate in his hand. “My lord, strategist, generals,” he nodded to everyone and placed the plate in front of the table, “the crescent-shaped wontons are ready. Please enjoy them.”
As the lid was lifted, a cloud of white steam rose up, and a moment later, crescent-shaped wontons with thin skins and generous fillings suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes. The aroma of the cooked noodles mixed with the fresh fragrance of the meat filling, along with the rising steam, permeated everyone's lungs, and the warmth seemed to rise from the heart, dispelling the chill from their entire bodies.
Zhong Li'an seemed to remember something, and looked up at Mu Fei with a smile, "By the way, what about Ling Yuzhao's wontons? Are they cooked yet?"
“Yeah, Mu Fei,” Yang Xiao also put down her chopsticks and looked at him expectantly, “Why didn’t you bring out our pot?”
"This..." Mu Fei looked at Yang Xiao and Bai Ming, and couldn't help but laugh. He raised his hand and scratched the back of his head. "It's cooked, but General, do you really want to see it?"
Yang Xiao finished the last bit of wine in her glass and nodded seriously. "I know our wrapping isn't very nice, but it's not so bad that it's embarrassing to show off." She looked up at Mu Fei and urged, "I'm still waiting to show it off to the lord and the others."
“Okay,” Mu Fei nodded vigorously, as if he had made up his mind. “I’ll go get it for you.”
Seeing Mu Fei's slightly troubled expression, Cen Xun couldn't help but laugh. She moved Yang Xiao's wine glass aside and brought back her previous teacup.
Before long, Mu Fei ran back to the table with a small basin in his hand. Everyone immediately gathered around, staring at the steaming basin with puzzled expressions.
Zhong Lishuo gently tapped the lid on the basin and chuckled, "Why do other people put their crescent-shaped wontons on plates, but you're using a basin?"
Bai Ming hissed and put his arm around Zhong Lishuo's shoulder. "Looks like this wonton is in grave danger."
"Oh dear, it's already served," Yang Xiao waved her hand with a smile, stood up and put the lid on, "we should at least see how it's cooked."
As soon as she finished speaking, the lid was suddenly lifted, and a basin full of steam, mixed with the whey smell of wontons, rolled up, making Yang Xiao involuntarily dodge backward.
Oil slicks floated in the white porcelain bowl, and the broken wonton wrappers and crumbly meat filling swirled on the surface. In an instant, the world seemed to condense in that ever-spinning bowl of soup, and everyone present couldn't help but be shocked and mourn for the ripped-open crescent-shaped wontons.
"Hahahaha..." Someone burst out with laughter like the sound of gongs, and the entire banquet suddenly became noisy. The reflections of fireworks exploded on the surface of the soup, as if the crescent-shaped wontons had been broken through by fireworks.
Mu Fei couldn't help but laugh. He composed himself, leaned down and pointed to the bowl of soup, then looked up at Yang Xiao, "General, this... we did our best."
The effects of the alcohol that had just hit Yang Xiao's cheeks seemed to have mostly dissipated. She chuckled, supporting her waist, and patted Mu Fei's shoulder. "It's not your fault, it's not your fault," she waved her hand with a smile, then gently stirred the murky soup with a spoon. She looked up at Bai Ming with a smile and said, "It seems we were too overconfident."
“Who says otherwise?” Bai Ming chuckled as he looked at the “turbulent” basin, then looked up at Yang Xiao, who was slightly tipsy but forcibly suppressed by excitement and reason, and said softly, “Go and eat wontons with the lord and the others. I’ll take care of this soup.”
Hearing this, Yang Xiao smiled and shook her head, ladling the murky soup into her own bowl. "How can that be? I got a share when we made it, so I definitely need a share when we eat it. Come on, I'll eat with you."
After saying that, she lowered her eyes and gently blew on the still steaming soup in the bowl, took a small sip, and then looked up at everyone with a slightly surprised expression. "It's not bad at all. The soup has the fresh aroma of meat filling." She smiled and looked at Zhong Li'an. "In this way, Zhao Qing and I can also add a dish to our banquet."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li'an immediately laughed. "Alright, this New Year's Eve dinner is more festive when everyone cooks together. Come on, everyone," he raised his glass to the crowd, "drink this glass, and our main event will begin immediately."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
