52 Bianliang Fishing
◎Pinch her chin◎
Xie Linchuan's patience had reached its limit, and he slammed his palm on the table, shaking the cups, plates, and bowls.
If it was her, but someone else, he would have kicked her and broken two ribs.
Jiang Qinglan ignored him and continued to introduce the dishes to Yang Song:
"How about grilling the pork belly? It's half fat, half lean, and dipped in cornel pepper and salt powder. It tastes sizzling, but not greasy."
"The staple food is rice with crispy rice potatoes, which is salty and flavorful."
"I'd like another orange drink. It doesn't have much sugar, but the orange itself is sweet, so it tastes refreshing and delicious."
The more she spoke, the more frightened Yang Song became. He turned pale and trembled all over.
He reminded quietly: "Madam Jiang, thank the prince for calling you..."
Jiang Qinglan left him alone for a long time and was in a very good mood, but he was also afraid that he would go too far and that the man would go crazy and harm innocent people.
She smiled slightly: "I know."
Then he walked over slowly and asked: "Sir, have you noticed that I am encroaching on the road or shortchanging people?"
Xie Linchuan's breathing became heavier, but he still tried his best to endure it, and said word by word: "What do you want to do?"
Jiang Qinglan gave a cold and distant smile:
"What did you say, Master Xie? I opened my shop to do business. Sometimes, I run into some rogues who interrupt my business and give me the cold shoulder. It's not uncommon."
Xie Linchuan's face turned pale, and his eyes were dark, as if dark clouds were gathering over the city, a storm was about to come, and the storm was about to be suppressed.
Outside, the snow was falling and the west wind was howling. I was afraid of getting too cold so I went inside and only opened a small door.
Pinglin and Moshan heard that something was wrong in the house, and they guarded the door like two door gods, not letting anyone in.
Yang Song was alert and ran away when he saw that something was wrong. He covered his ears and didn't dare to listen to any more words.
For a moment, only Jiang, Xie and Wang Huiniang who was sitting at the counter in the distance were left in the room.
Wang Huiniang knew she shouldn't get involved, but she was concerned about Jiang Qinglan. Seeing this, she still mustered up the courage to come forward and apologize: "Thank you, my sister..."
Xie Linchuan gave him a cold glance: "Get out!"
Wang Huiniang felt as if she had fallen into a deep pool of ice and snow. Before she could say anything, she was "invited" to leave by Mo Shan and Ping Lin.
Jiang Qinglan's face turned pale, he lowered his eyes, and tried hard to calm his mind.
Xie Linchuan approached step by step, carrying the usual overwhelming pressure of a superior. When he reached her, his deep eyes stared at her, but he pursed his lips and said nothing.
Jiang Qinglan was in a state of confusion and panic for a while before calming down.
Can he still eat her? It's just right to break up!
She simply raised her eyes, stared back at him without fear, and said sarcastically:
"What? You can't pretend anymore? Arrogant, self-important, overbearing, and domineering, this is your true self, right?"
"What are you going to do next? Are you going to burn, rob, and plunder?!"
She was also furious, with flames flashing in her eyes, like a hedgehog encountering an enemy.
She was right. According to Xie Linchuan's usual temperament, this was indeed the way it should be.
But seeing her pale face, furrowed brows, and tightly pursed lips, his anger somehow subsided a little, replaced by a feeling of powerlessness.
Does she have to treat him like he's facing a formidable enemy?
Then she gritted her teeth and said, "If you do that, I'll go to the Lin'an Prefecture Office and beat the drum to report to the emperor. I don't want to live anymore, and neither do you!"
Xie Linchuan's heart skipped a beat, as if he were hit by a heavy hammer. His anger was extinguished by the pain, but quickly ignited again.
He reached out and grasped her chin, forcing her head back with irresistible force.
With a gloomy face, he said word by word: "Am I that unbearable in your heart?!"
Jiang Qinglan sneered: "Look at yourself in the mirror now, aren't you acting like a bandit?!"
After saying that, she turned her head to the side and escaped from his restraint.
Then he took a few steps back before he had time to take a breath, as if he had been pinched and hurt.
There were two bright red finger marks on her fair chin.
Xie Linchuan looked at her for a long while, then lowered his eyes and took a deep breath. The two fingertips on his right hand seemed to still have her warmth, and he couldn't help but caress them.
A gust of west wind blew fine snow into the house. Some of the snow fell on his neck, and the coolness soothed him.
"But I understand her better than you, Prince." Like a thunderclap, Lu Fei's words suddenly rang in his ears.
He suddenly felt confused.
At that time, the sound of wind and horse hooves rustled in the streets, making people feel confused.
Jiang Qinglan saw his lips move slightly, only heard the word "wrong", and his mind was hazy for a moment. When he looked again, he had turned and walked out, disappearing into the drizzling snow.
After they left, Wang Huiniang hurried into the room and asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"
Jiang Qinglan felt relieved and fell onto the bench, his face as white as snow.
Her head tightened, and she rubbed her temples with her two index fingers. "It's okay. I just hope he can be quiet for a few days after this."
Wang Huiniang hurried to close the door.
Seeing that the stone pillar at the entrance was covered with a thin layer of snow, the ground was muddy with snow and mud trampled by horses' hooves, and there was no one on the road, he felt relieved.
…
October 13th was the day Xue Qi invited Jiang Qinglan to visit Xueji Auction House.
As two mature businessmen, their money-making ambitions will not be affected by Xie Linchuan's attack.
That day, Jiang Qinglan dressed up as an ordinary woman, wearing a white gauze curtain, and came to Xue's in a carriage.
From a distance, while still in the carriage, she saw two wine curtains waving.
On one side are written the four words "Xue Ji Pai Hu", which is the brand name; on the other side are "Xiang Yu Mei Lao", which is a description of food and drink.
They are all of Yan's style and unparalleled elegance. I don't know which famous artist wrote them.
Jiang Qinglan prided himself on having good handwriting, but now looking at these eight characters, his handwriting looked like dog-crawling, and he immediately felt ashamed of himself.
She thought to herself: Such a snack bar, unexpectedly has such calligraphy. Xue Qi said that the Xue family has some connections in Lin'an, so it must be true.
As soon as he entered the shop, he smelled the fragrance of jasmine. The waiter at the door bowed and said, "Welcome—" The tone of his voice was strange, making Jiang Qinglan want to laugh.
Actually, it was her idea.
A strange tone of voice can attract attention and create a buzz. This is the marketing strategy later adopted by clothing stores like Uniqlo.
This snack bar focuses on openness and transparency.
There is no kitchen, so they just fry potatoes and make milk tea at the front desk.
Only the front desk is spacious, with the ordering area, frying area, drink making area and food serving area clearly separated.
The shop assistants, all dressed in uniform with the Chinese character "Xue" printed on the back, came and went in an orderly manner. The customers who came in and out were all smiling.
Jiang Qinglan, accompanied by Xue Qi, observed for a while and tasted wolf tooth potatoes, rice crust potatoes, and several signature drinks.
She felt that although the food lacked some flavor compared to the food at Xinghua Restaurant, it still tasted good.
To expand a business, centralization, chain operations, and replicability are essential. Even if a little flavor is lost, it's worth it.
If nothing unexpected happens, if this model is replicated, within a year, there will be a "Xue Ji Pai Hu" on every street in Lin'an City, just like there are Mixue Bingcheng restaurants in every street and alley.
It turned out that Xue Qi had the same idea. He smiled and said, "I have already selected a site on the Imperial Street. I have looked at one in the south and one in the north."
Jiang Qinglan deeply felt that heroes think alike.
The two of them chatted about business for a while and felt that they had a common interest in money.
Jiang Qinglan smiled and said, "Then my success in wealth depends on Master Xue."
Xue Qi laughed heartily: "I should be the one saying this to you. Madam Jiang has brilliant ideas and is truly as talented as Fan Li and Bai Gui."
She stole the wisdom from KFC and Mixue Ice City, how could Jiang Qinglan dare to say that? He blushed and tried to change the subject:
"Master Xie has a bad temper. Last time, there was a misunderstanding between him and me, and I felt sorry for you. By the way, he didn't give you any more trouble later, did he?"
Last time, it was all thanks to Xue Qi's alertness that Xie Linchuan was able to meet Xiao Yali, thus preventing a major disaster. Furthermore, the Princess sent a message to Liu Changfeng, asking him to arrive in time.
But in the end, Xue Qi was wronged.
Unexpectedly, Xue Qi was completely different from his father Xue Lian, the censor.
Although he is young, he has been doing business for many years. What kind of bad things has he not encountered?
This little grievance is nothing, he just smiled:
"Prince Xie of the Dongping Palace, a child of destiny, how could he not have a temper?"
"However, not only did he not make things difficult for me, he even sent someone to apologize and gave me many gifts. They said he was arrogant and domineering, but it seems the rumors are not true."
Jiang Qinglan was stunned after hearing this. Xie Linchuan sent someone to apologize to Xue Qi?
"Oh, by the way, those two pots of jasmine flowers were given by him." Xue Qi pointed.
There are two huge pots of jasmine flowers at the door, emitting a faint fragrance.
Jiang Qinglan smelled it as soon as he came in, and felt strange: it was winter now, and jasmine flowers had to be placed in a greenhouse to bloom, and these two pots were not cheap.
When she knew it was Xie Linchuan who sent it, she understood: jasmine flowers were sent to a shop that was just opening, and the word "jasmine" sounds like "no profit" in Chinese.
Is he just out of his mind, or is he doing something bad on purpose?
She was a bit amused and confused. This person, while apologizing on the surface, was still hiding his resentment in his heart.
Then I heard Xue Qi introduce:
"By the way, the calligraphy on that wine flag is truly remarkable. It's the work of Mr. Lu, Junior Supervisor of the Secretariat. It truly is like a wandering cloud, a startling dragon, a soaring phoenix."
Xue Qi said this with an admiring look on his face.
Jiang Qinglan felt his temples throb. "Who?"
Xue Qi continued admiring the calligraphy, seemingly oblivious to her unusual behavior. "It's Mr. Lu Fei from X Lane. His calligraphy and paintings can fetch a hundred taels of silver in the market. Now that he's been promoted, I'm afraid his value will increase even more."
Jiang Qinglan was a little flustered. He took a big sip of the drink in his hand before slowly asking, "Is Mr. Xue familiar with him?"
"Not familiar. We were just the same year in the provincial examination. He was first place, and I, a humble fellow, was 38th. Haha."
Xue Qi was a carefree person, and he didn't feel embarrassed when talking about this incident. "Afterwards, he was selected for the imperial examination in the Golden Palace, and I went to the Liao Kingdom to do business, so I never saw him again. A few days ago, we ran into each other on the street, and he heard that I had opened an auction house, so he gave me this calligraphy."
Jiang Qinglan finally felt relieved and instructed, "My cooperation with you must be kept confidential."
When the Jiang family and the Lu family first married, they kept the matter low-key. Later, when the Jiang family fell, everyone kept silent about it.
The Lu family was involved in the Tanzhou Pearl Corruption Case. They deliberately concealed their relationship with the Jiang family and sold and replaced a large number of slaves.
Therefore, most people only knew that Lu Fei had been divorced, but they didn't know that it was Jiang Qinglan. Xue Qi went to investigate, but he still didn't know the origin of Jiang and Lu.
Xue Qi just thought that what she said was that as Jiang Yuan's daughter, it would damage her reputation if she got involved in market business, so he praised her repeatedly.
After the tour, Jiang Qinglan wanted to keep a low profile and didn't want to stay any longer. He packed some food for his two children, put on his pajamas, and prepared to return to the Xinghua Restaurant. Unexpectedly, just as he walked onto the diagonal street, the carriage suddenly stopped and a man jumped on.
Jiang Qinglan was startled and stumbled forward uncontrollably. After seeing who was coming up, he patted his chest and said, "Sister Hui, you scared me to death. I thought someone was robbing me!"
The residential area in the backyard of Xinghua Restaurant is almost completed, and Jiang Qinglan named it "Lukui Courtyard".
Wang Huiniang has been busy with finishing and moving these days and rarely goes out.
At this moment, she looked worried. Seeing a few drinks on the small table, she picked up one and drank.
After drinking for a while, she calmed down a little, then she took out a letter from her pocket and said angrily:
"That guy from Bianliang has sent me another letter. I stopped you here specifically so that you can read it and not let Hu Zi find out."
Bianliang? Jiang Qinglan thought about it, but he didn't think he knew anyone in Bianliang.
Wang Hui Niang stamped her foot and said, "It's Zheng Wang, Hu Zi's father's sworn brother!"
Oh, it's him? That infatuated elder brother. Jiang Qinglan took the letter with a smile, but his expression turned serious after reading it. Zheng Wang said in the letter that his mother was seriously ill. He had sold his noodle stall to take care of her, but the old lady was in a serious condition and was afraid that she didn't have much time left. Fortunately, this time the letter was not delayed. They received it five days after he wrote it.
The letter concluded, as before, with a description of a popular dish among the wealthy in Bianliang: Yunying noodles. It's called noodles, but it doesn't have any ingredients. It's made with a mixture of lotus root, water chestnuts, taro, water chestnuts, water chestnuts, lilies, and lean meat. Because the recipe is complex, he hasn't yet mastered it.
He is now very good at making fish, and the customers all say it is delicious. When he comes to Lin'an, he will make it for Wang Huiniang and Hu Zi.
After hearing this, Wang Huiniang spat, "Who wants to eat fish and shrimp?" Gradually, her eyes turned red and she sighed, "His parents didn't have a grandson because of us."
Wang Huiniang then told Jiang Qinglan what had happened. Before Hu Zi's father died, he entrusted Wang Huiniang and her son to this sworn brother.
"Hu Zi was only Tuan Tuan's age back then. He lost his father and went to the grave to cry every day. He absolutely refused to accept Zheng Wang. He was only five years old. How could I bear to let him call someone else his father?"
"I also know about Zheng Wang's family. His elder brother died of illness, leaving him as the only child. They were counting on him to carry on the family line. I made it clear to him that if I married him, he couldn't be without his own children."
"But if I give birth to another, I will be sorry for Hu Zi. I will feel bad if I am sorry for him or Hu Zi."
"Why don't we just leave it like this? He goes back to Bianliang, gets married and has children, and we can get along like brother and sister."
"But this guy is also stubborn. He insisted that he was asked by my dead husband to marry again. He rented a house next to my house and lived there for more than half a year. No matter how Huzi beat him or scolded him, he refused to leave."
"He didn't go back until Old Man Zheng fell seriously ill. Every year, he would come twice on Hu Zi's father's birthday and death anniversary. Now, five years have passed, and he is still enduring it alone."
This situation is really a dilemma for both sides.
Hu Zi's father entrusted his son to Zheng Wang before his death, and Zheng Wang kept his promise. Hu Zi was attached to his biological father. Everyone was deeply affectionate and loyal, but they fell into such a quagmire.
This matter was not much different from what Jiang Qinglan had thought. After thinking for a long time, she said carefully: "Hu Zi has grown up and become sensible now. Maybe..."
Wang Hui Niang shook her head: "Forget it, I don't dare to try."
She quickly wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and pulled herself together. "You go back first. I'll go to the money exchange shop and send him some banknotes. His illness came like a mountain, and now is the time when he needs money."
Jiang Qinglan just said yes, and then asked, "How about I write a letter when I get back and take it with you?"
Wang Hui Niang concentrated for a while, then sighed, "I don't know what to say. There's no need to write. As long as the money arrives, that's all."
Jiang Qinglan returned to the Xinghua Restaurant and saw Hu Zi, who had returned from school and was drawing water from the well. The large vat in the kitchen was almost full. She asked, "Hu Zi, are you hungry?"
Before Hu Zi could say anything, Tuan Tuan, who was catching ants in the field, exclaimed, "Hungry! I just heard Hu Zi's stomach growling!"
Finally, she added softly, "Tuantuan is hungry too."
Hu Zi's face turned red, and he and Tuan Tuan started bickering like little kids again. Jiang Qinglan didn't care and went to the kitchen with a smile to make two bowls of fish.
Boyuer is actually a piece of dough in the shape of a small fish.
Prepare a bowl of batter and use a small spoon to scoop it into boiling water. The batter will float in the boiling water like little fish.
After cooking, you can pour spicy sauce made of vinegar, mustard, etc. on it. Some people also add mutton soup or fish soup to enhance the flavor.
Jiang Qinglan watched Hu Zi happily eat big spoonfuls of food and said carefully:
"I didn't know how to make this dish at first. The other day, a guest coming back from Bianliang told me there was a noodle stall there. The chef used to be a cook in the military camp, and he made the best fish there, so I decided to give it a try."
After she said that, she carefully observed Hu Zi's expression.
When Hu Zi heard the words Bianliang and cook, he frowned slightly and showed a strange expression: a little angry, a little embarrassed, and seemed a little curious.
But in the end, he said nothing.
Jiang Qinglan knew what was going on. Children of this age were extremely sensitive, so this matter needed to be handled slowly.
The three of them were chatting and laughing when they saw Wang Huiniang come back from outside, looking as if nothing had happened.
No one had asked, so Wang Huiniang explained herself: "Oh, I went out specifically to consult a fortune teller. The third day of the twelfth lunar month is auspicious, a good day for moving and breaking ground. Let's move on that day!"
Hu Zi and Tuan Tuan naturally agreed, but Jiang Qinglan felt sad for her attempt to hide the truth.
——
Xie Linchuan walked out of the martial arts arena and handed the spear to Pinglin. When he came out of the water room, he took the drink handed to him by Mo Shan and took a sip.
The grapefruit drink has little sugar but a sweet and delicious fruity taste, which makes him think of the delicate hands peeling the grapefruit.
Mo Shan said alertly, "I bought this grapefruit drink at Xue's shop, the one Madam Jiang and Xue Qi jointly opened."
"Is it done?" Xie Linchuan asked expressionlessly.
"It's done," Mo Shan said with a smile. "Mr. Xue received two pots of jasmine flowers and was very happy."
Xie Linchuan smiled coldly.
Lu Fei said he didn't understand her, what was there to not understand, let her have her fun. He quickly walked to Liu Changfeng's room and saw him staring at the map, his thick eyebrows almost twisted together.
"You're here just in time!" Liu Changfeng took out a letter.
Xie Linchuan was shocked after reading it. "Is there any unusual movement in Xixia?" There was no signature on the letter, and no one knew where the news came from.
Today, the world is divided into three parts: Western Xia, Liao, and Song.
During the reign of Emperor Jiande, Western Xia paid tribute to the Song Dynasty and was nominally a vassal state, but it also frequently violated its borders. Its false claims sometimes sought peace, sometimes violated its borders, making it difficult to discern its true intentions.
Liu Changfeng said: "The letter was written by General Zhu. The King of Western Xia is serious this time."
Zhu Ming's father, Zhu Congda, was a second-rank general of the Jinwu Guard. He guarded Hejian Prefecture for more than ten years. He was the backbone of the anti-Liao resistance and was also an old friend of Liu Changfeng.
Zhu Congda had been operating in the northern border for many years and had a complex network of relationships, but he was cautious, fearing the suspicion of Emperor Chengping. Upon learning of the unusual movements in Western Xia, he sent a secret letter to Liu Changfeng.
A military general attracts attention when he is powerful, but Liu Changfeng is just a yamen runner in Lin'an Prefecture. Who would take him seriously? He reported the matter to Princess Anguo, who then reported it to Emperor Chengping.
Xie Linchuan also knew about these relationships. At that moment, he stared at the map in silence.
"The Liao emperor is seriously ill, and the country is in civil strife, so they signed the treaty with us. This recent Xixia move may not be without their planning." Liu Changfeng finished speaking, deliberately testing Xie Linchuan, "If you were the King of Xia, where would you attack first?"
Xie Linchuan pointed to the northwest of the map and said, "It's winter now, and the men and horses are exhausted. Wait until next spring, when there's plenty of food and fodder, and then we'll attack Jinming Village first!"
"This is a fortress on the Fuyan Road defense line, controlling the key road to Guanzhong. If this stronghold is lost, Yanzhou will be lost to the south, and the northwest will be lost! Moreover, Jinming Stronghold has abundant food, fodder, and equipment, so there is no need to worry about being trapped in the city."
Liu Changfeng nodded:
"You're right, but there's one more crucial point. The commander of Jinming Village is Li Shibin. He's a brave warrior, but he has a reputation for violence. Most of his men are naturalized Tangut soldiers. I'm afraid..."
The foreign soldiers were known to be unruly, and Li Deming was adept at making decisions. If he used a strategy to incite them to revolt, he feared they would turn against him. Yanzhou Governor Fan Yong was timid by nature, and if Jinmingzhai could not be defended, Yanzhou itself would be in danger.
Xie Linchuan understood immediately, grabbed his whip, and was about to go out.[1]
"Liuguang!" Liu Changfeng called him, his eyes very deep, "Be careful not to be arrogant or impatient."
【Author’s words】
[1] Refer to the First Song-Xia War during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song.
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