Chapter 39 Drafts
As the sun sets, its rosy afterglow spills across the streets and alleys, filling the air with a damp chill.
The chill, however, did not dispel the bustling atmosphere of everyday life.
Chu Liuxiang, dressed in a moon-white robe with a black sable cloak over it, strolled along the winter street, his posture upright as a pine tree. The hem of his robe fluttered in the wind.
He wore an exquisite felt hat, and beneath the brim, his bright eyes surveyed his surroundings.
The wind came at just the right time, gently ruffling Chu Liuxiang's hair.
Chu Liuxiang took a deep breath of fresh air.
The atmosphere at the banquet was too oppressive, so he had to come out for some fresh air.
Despite his physical and mental trauma, Xiang Tianfei, persuaded by Ding Feng, forced himself to hold back his grief and set up a lavish banquet at Sanhe Restaurant, supposedly to calm Chu Liuxiang and Hu Tiehua's nerves.
Chu Liuxiang harbored doubts and couldn't help but pay more attention to Ding Feng. Seeing that he was young and spoke and acted with impeccable manners, he was indeed an outstanding young man, but his doubts only deepened.
Xiang Tianfei's distraught appearance was genuine, but Ding Feng's tactful maneuvering at the banquet seemed like a carefully orchestrated play.
Is it truly to soothe the pain of losing a friend, or to use this lively banquet to completely bury certain truths?
Coincidentally, the guests in the next private room were none other than Wu Weiyang and Yun Conglong, who were rumored to have a long-standing feud.
He happened to pass by the private room and overheard some arguing. Fortunately, both sides were restrained and did not start fighting inside the Sanhe Building.
Otherwise, if he suddenly appeared in the private room for two, he would probably be ostracized as "the meddlesome Chu Liuxiang".
Chu Liuxiang strolled slowly past the roadside stalls and suddenly saw Gao Li standing next to the signboard.
He was tending to a carriage, grooming the horses while glancing around furtively.
Their eyes met and they stared at each other silently for a moment before looking away again.
Gao Li, wrapped in a swaying blue Taoist robe, stood ramrod straight, a cold glint flashing in his dark eyes before disappearing back into the depths. A seasoned veteran, with just a glance, would know that every joint of his body was tense, poised to strike.
His gaze swept through the crowd, and Chu Liuxiang spotted the vendor selling roasted chestnuts by his stove.
This vendor's name is Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu has a round face, and his eyes crinkle when he smiles, revealing a cleverness. His mouth is as sweet as honey, and he can always make customers beam with joy.
At this moment, he is holding a long-handled iron shovel and stir-frying chestnuts in a steaming pot.
The spatula struck the iron pot with a rhythmic sound. The large pot was deep and heavy, and it would probably take some effort for others to use it, but he easily controlled it with one hand. As he stir-fried the chestnuts, they were heated evenly in the pot, and soon a sweet aroma filled the air.
Chu Liuxiang thought to himself, "This young man has amazing arm strength."
.
As Chu Liuxiang strolled along, he was suddenly bumped into by a young man in fine clothes. The young man didn't see that he had bumped into him; he was too busy turning his head repeatedly.
Duan Yu patted his chest, coughed lightly, looking like he was still shaken, but a slight smile played on his lips as he called out to a stall, "Good heavens! Even if you invited me to eat here, I would never come again! I don't want to get into any more trouble with you!"
In response, a crab shell flew out and landed right at Duan Yu's feet.
Duan Yu exaggeratedly clasped his hands together, jumped back half a step, and shook his head like a rattle drum: "Alright! This young master has always been gentle and chivalrous towards women, but I can't handle your fiery temper!"
After saying that, he turned around, humming an off-key tune, and disappeared into the bustling crowd in the blink of an eye.
.
Chu Liuxiang raised an eyebrow, took a couple of steps out of curiosity, and then got a clear look at the stall.
There was only a small bamboo stool in this simple stall, which the stall owner had already occupied.
She wore a light blue coarse cloth short jacket with narrow sleeves. The fabric was rough, but it was very clean after being starched. She paired it with an indigo coarse cloth pleated skirt. The hem of the skirt was adorned with several patches of similar color, and the layers of pleats were not very neat.
Chu Liuxiang thought to himself, "Although this stall owner is very poor, his outfits are very well coordinated."
The stall owner lay on his back on the bench, his face obscured, his legs crossed, wearing old cotton boots.
She hummed a little tune; holding a crab in her hand, she occasionally broke off a crab leg, immersing herself in the delicious taste of the moment.
This person seems very lazy.
She had focused all her energy on eating crabs, and when Chu Liuxiang arrived, she didn't even greet him.
While other stalls were thriving, this one didn't have a single customer. Stalls with poor business usually don't make very tasty food.
The advantage is that it's very clean.
The stall had a stove platform for placing a griddle over a wood fire. The griddle was polished until it shone brightly, and even the wooden spatula was shiny with oil. The rag used to wipe the stove platform was snow-white and neatly folded in the corner of the stove.
Next to the stove were dishes of sweet bean sauce, scallions, sunflower greens, cucumber shreds, and tofu skin.
Chu Liuxiang sighed.
Although he knew that stalls with no customers were mostly expensive and unpalatable, Chu Liuxiang still preferred clean and hygienic stalls.
Mistreated tongue vs. upset stomach, which is more serious?
.
Before he could even ask a question, a handsome young man holding a gold-flecked folding fan stopped in front of the stall.
The person who came was clearly a lovely girl, but she insisted on dressing up as a handsome young man.
A young girl dressed as a boy stood in front of the stall and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Hey, what kind of food do you sell at this stall?"
The stall owner said casually, "Guess."
Zhu Zhu noticed the griddle and asked, "Is it for making pancakes? For making flatbread? For making steamed buns?"
You Mingjiang chewed on a crab leg without making a sound.
Zhu Zhu tilted her head, blinking her big eyes in puzzlement, "If you don't speak, how will others know what kind of stall this is?"
You Mingjiang seemed helpless and sighed softly, "Just think of it as making egg pancakes."
"Egg pancake? How much is one?"
"Fifteen coins each." The speaker was lukewarm, far less enthusiastic than the other stall owners, who seemed unconcerned about making a living.
When Zhu Zhu heard the price, she exclaimed, "Good heavens! Fifteen coins for a single egg pancake? This is outrageous!"
But I couldn't help but wonder, what kind of egg pancake is this that dares to be so expensive?
"Have a few to try!"
Yu Mingjiang subconsciously asked, "Want a few to try?"
I couldn't help but wonder: Doesn't this person think it's expensive at all?
Zhu Zhu thought she was asking about the quantity, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "How about four or five?"
You Mingjiang paused for a moment, then quickly made up an excuse to get rid of the person, "Tch, I'm too lazy to cook for you such a small amount..."
"You, turn right and go to the wonton stall next door. They'll give you all-you-can-eat wontons there. Don't cause any trouble here!"
"Are you crazy, you unscrupulous businessman!" Zhu Zhu stormed off.
You Mingjiang sighed helplessly.
What's going on? She's keeping watch here, so why are they all coming to her to buy food?
.
Chu Liuxiang watched silently for a while.
He started to think about it. This stall owner was really something else. From the very beginning, he had droopy eyelids and a tone that was so cold it could freeze someone. His impatience was practically written all over his face.
Anyone who sees this would have to say, "That's quite an attitude!"
Seeing You Mingjiang's behavior, Chu Liuxiang couldn't help but laugh out loud, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
The more unusual this was, the more interesting he found it. His curiosity, like a lit firecracker, surged upwards, and his interest was instantly piqued.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had discovered something interesting. Regardless of whether You Mingjiang was willing or not, he grabbed a stool from next door and sat down casually.
Chu Liuxiang flicked his wrist, and a gleaming silver ingot flew out, drawing a beautiful arc in the air before landing with a clang on the stove.
Although he didn't utter a single word, the heavy ingot of silver clearly conveyed his intentions.
Upon hearing this noise, You Mingjiang merely lifted her eyelids slightly before slowly closing them again.
He looked like he could fall asleep at any moment.
"My cooking skills aren't great, I don't always have all the ingredients, and shortchanging customers is a common occurrence..."
She spoke casually, drawing out her words with a lazy air, "And now, this griddle has 'changed its profession'! It doesn't make egg pancakes anymore, it's used to fry fish now!"
Chu Liuxiang acted as if he hadn't heard him, muttering to himself, "Fish? What kind of fish do you have here? Fry one."
You Mingjiang's lips twitched slightly, and he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. He said irritably, "The fish are all dead."
"What about the crab?" He noticed she was gnawing on a crab leg.
She took a deep breath, suppressing her frustration, mechanically removed the crab leg from her mouth, and said, word by word, "All the crabs are dead now."
"So, what other food do you make at your stall?"
"We also make crab roe soup dumplings."
"Crab roe soup dumplings? But what's on this griddle is for making egg pancakes..."
You Mingjiang said impatiently, "You already recognize this as a griddle, so why are you still asking these silly questions?"
Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "How can you enjoy the stall owner's cooking if you don't ask a few questions?"
Gao Li and Xiao Wu, who were not far away, both changed their expressions.
The veins on Gao Li's hands were bulging. He stared intently at Chu Liuxiang, thinking to himself how stupid this guy could be. He couldn't even tell if this place was a pancake stand or not!
He was so angry he almost grabbed the man and demanded an explanation.
You Mingjiang subtly waved her hand, signaling Gao Li not to act rashly. She sighed softly and said helplessly, "Are you really that greedy? You absolutely have to eat this egg pancake?"
Chu Liuxiang touched his nose and said leisurely, "I absolutely have to eat it."
.
.
"I think you're..." asking for a beating!
She had just propped herself up, and before she could finish speaking, she met a pair of smiling, hazel eyes. In an instant, the words she was about to say seemed to be frozen in place, and she swallowed them back down.
Chu Liuxiang was also stunned.
Her round face was painted with colorful oil paint, which made her almond-shaped eyes look even rounder and more lively.
If he had married early and had a daughter, she would probably be just as cunning and clever.
"Is it absolutely necessary to eat this?" she asked in her usual lazy tone.
Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "I absolutely have to eat it."
"You'd better not regret this." She looked at him with a slight upturn of her lips, a half-smile playing on her lips.
"Regret what?" Chu Liuxiang frowned secretly.
You Mingjiang smiled without saying a word, slowly stood up, and casually wiped her hands on her apron.
"It's nothing." She glanced at Chu Liuxiang's puzzled expression and smiled even more brightly. "I just suddenly wanted you to taste what it means to have an 'unforgettable' experience."
.
As the sun dipped westward, the half-dead flames licked the edge of the griddle.
You Mingjiang casually stirred the batter, the bamboo chopsticks tapping crisply against the edge of the ceramic bowl, the scallions being crushed by the knife blade, releasing a sweet and spicy aroma, mixed with the caramelized fragrance of lard frying on the griddle.
She absentmindedly held the sauce brush and spread it on the flatbread.
On the eaves of Sanhe Tower, Wu Weiyang and Yun Conglong were whispering. Yun Conglong secretly shook the small bronze mirror, and the reflected light spot fell precisely on the griddle downstairs.
Upon seeing this, You Mingjiang's hand holding the shovel paused slightly.
Chu Liuxiang touched the tip of his nose and leaned closer to take a look: "Hiss, where's the egg in this egg pancake... Did the egg run away from home?"
You Mingjiang gave a fake smile: "Wow, what sharp eyes! I didn't even have eyes until you pointed it out."
After saying that, she coldly cracked the egg against the edge of the stove. The shell separated from her fingertips, but before she could spread the yolk, it spilled out of the pot like a deserter.
"Tsk! What kind of grown man eats street food!" Yu Mingjiang complained to Chu Liuxiang, glaring at the tragically sacrificed egg.
Chu Liuxiang could only manage a wry smile.
After cracking three more eggs, You Mingjiang finally managed to precisely toss the golden yolks into the batter.
"This egg pancake..."
Chu Liuxiang pondered for a moment, then lightly touched the edge of the egg pancake with his finger. "Hmm, these burnt and curled edges look quite like the lotus leaves painted by Zhu Da..."
Zhu Da often painted black lotus leaves.
He subtly pointed out that her egg pancakes were burnt.
The aroma grew stronger, and You Mingjiang frowned, waving the spatula: "Get back! What do you know about egg pancakes?"
Chu Liuxiang asked curiously, "Shouldn't it be ready to serve?"
You Mingjiang ignored him.
"Won't it get burnt if we continue?"
Before Chu Liuxiang could finish speaking, You Mingjiang flicked the spatula and flipped the pancake over, so the burnt side was facing up.
She said matter-of-factly, "Don't instruct the chef on how to cook! Stop being picky. This is my own unique egg pancake recipe. You're getting to taste a rare variety."
Chu Liuxiang's lips twitched, then he gave a wry smile, treating it as if he had tasted a specialty dish.
Why did he choose to eat at a street stall instead of the steamed shad at Sanhelou?
Yu Mingjiang placed the rather unappetizing egg pancake on a plate, sprinkled some chopped green onions on top, and pushed the plate in front of Chu Liuxiang. "Here, have a taste. I guarantee you'll never forget it after just one bite."
The charred mess lying on the plate was sprinkled with tender green scallions, making it look like a patch of grass remaining on a wasteland burned by a fire. The more Chu Liuxiang looked at it, the more he felt that it had a kind of "wildfire cannot burn it out, the spring breeze blows and it grows again" feeling.
Chu Liuxiang: "..."
He touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "This must be what they call 'the form is scattered but the spirit remains.'"
"It won't fall apart; it's crispy and very solid."
You Mingjiang took a bite of a crab leg with a "crunch," gave Chu Liuxiang a bright smile, and his face covered in greasepaint made him look somewhat comical.
Chu Liuxiang hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up the courage and, with a hint of doubt, picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
The food in front of me looks rather terrible.
The edges of the egg pancakes were burnt and the color was dark. They were piled up crookedly on the plate, but the aroma of burnt eggs mixed with the wheat fragrance of the pancakes was so tempting that it made one's mouth water.
It must be my imagination...
He had just taken a bite when a flash of silver light suddenly streaked across the attic.
·
It was the small bronze mirror hidden in Yun Conglong's sleeve that was refracting the light.
The spot of light swept across You Mingjiang's brow.
You Mingjiang suddenly looked up; her fingertips were still covered in flour, but she had already gripped the machine under the cutting board.
The sound of wind breaking begins in an instant.
As he spun around, an arrow was already nocked on the bowstring, and the three-pound bow was fully drawn, like a round moon.
The arrow grazed Chu Liuxiang's sleeve as it shot out, and the strong wind it generated sent the scallions on the stove flying!
Knowing the danger of the arrow, Chu Liuxiang instinctively darted out, intending to intercept it, when Gao Li also began to act, releasing a carriage to block Chu Liuxiang.
Xiao Wu followed closely behind him, his sword light and sharp, its light as white as snow, slashing down like a rainbow.
Despite being blocked by the carriage, Chu Liuxiang remained completely composed.
He lightly touched the ground with his toes, using the carriage as a shield, and instantly turned to the side, avoiding Xiao Wu's fierce sword moves. At the same time, his left hand transformed into a palm, with the palm facing inward, and he slammed it against the carriage with a hidden force.
With a loud "boom," the carriage was shaken sideways several feet by the force of the palm strike, and the wheels screeched against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Using the dust as cover, Chu Liuxiang instantly closed in on Xiao Wu.
He brought two fingers together to form a sword and thrust them straight at Xiao Wu's wrist, forcing Xiao Wu to pull back his sword to defend.
Xiao Wu reacted quickly, twisting his wrist so that the sword drew an arc, blocking Chu Liuxiang's sharp finger strike.
Chu Liuxiang gave him no chance to catch his breath, and took the opportunity to close in, spinning and kicking, the kick whistling through the air, aimed straight at Xiao Wu's chest.
Xiao Wu quickly raised his sword to defend, but with a "bang," the sword was kicked and bent, and Xiao Wu was also shaken and forced to retreat.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Liuxiang broke through Xiao Wu's obstruction, passed him, and rushed towards You Mingjiang.
You Mingjiang loosened his fingers and suddenly released the bowstring!
The arrow hurtles toward its target!
·
As the string rang out, Chu Liuxiang's palm strike arrived.
The dull thud of an arrow piercing flesh exploded simultaneously with a scream of agony.
With a loud "bang," Wu Weiyang fell heavily to the ground from the building like a kite with a broken string.
The screams created chaos, and the pedestrians below scattered in fear.
At this moment, the second arrow was already nocked.
Having successfully hit her target with one arrow, You Mingjiang was about to fire a second one when Chu Liuxiang suddenly threw a handful of perfume powder from his hidden sleeve at her head.
Smelling the faint fragrance emanating from the powdery mist, and realizing that this person was about to meddle, You Mingjiang gritted her teeth and had no choice but to retreat.
She threw a pair of bamboo chopsticks with her backhand, disrupting the view.
He then leaped onto his horse, leaned close to its neck, and shouted to his two companions, "Let's go! Split up!"
.
·
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Lucky Lotus] Duan Yu/Zhu Zhu: The male and female protagonists of "The Day the Honest Boy Entered the World with the Jade Knife". [Glasses] The Seven Weapons arc will return for a rerun.
[Good Luck Lianlian] Playing with memes: Popular online videos of "plainclothes pancake vendors".
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com