Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Update.
Ji Xu went to the window and looked from afar. He saw a lot of spectators gathered around the restaurant and went downstairs there.
"Hey, hey, little hoof, I haven't finished writing yet!"
The recipe in front of her had only thirteen ingredients written on it, and it was indeed the same as the one circulated outside. It was said that Cheng Gong had tasted it on the street. Nowadays, most of the braised food on the market is also based on these thirteen ingredients, but the taste is still far from the twenty-eight ingredients. When Shopkeeper Hu saw her put down her pen and leave, he called out,
"I haven't collected the broken cups yet! If you don't come back, I'll deduct all your monthly wages and not give you a cent!"
She heard the footsteps had already gone far away, and she also went to the window to look. In the crowd was indeed the mayor of Gao City and some officials. They had actually untied the iron chain that had been locked for more than a month!
The young master with a disabled leg from the Li family had caused such a big fuss, but she just thought he was an infatuated man and would definitely be able to take this rich girl into his house. Once she entered the Li family, there would be no more rich girls in Gao City, and Ping'an Restaurant would naturally be no match for her Manxiang Tower.
But now her plan was completely dashed. How could she not be angry? She was so angry that her teeth were about to break, and the feather fan in her hand was creaking.
Ji Xu had already gone downstairs and walked towards the restaurant under the hot sun, occasionally avoiding the carriages and horses, always in a hurry.
After much difficulty, they arrived and saw that the seal had been torn off and the door of Ping An Restaurant had been restored to its original state. The mayor said in public:
"The matter has been investigated. The man ate food that had been left out overnight, which caused his diarrhea. It was all a misunderstanding. Ping An Restaurant has nothing to do with it. Yi Jin Nv Niang can now open its business as usual."
When Ji Xu pushed the door open, he saw a puff of dust descend. Sunlight streamed in, revealing a thin layer of dust on the floor. However, the various dining tables and seats remained as they had been when they had been driven away. Even if they were covered in dust, they could be wiped clean. At least they hadn't been looted by those greedy market officials.
There was rusty water in the iron pot in the back kitchen, and the vegetable leaves on the ground were dried up. These could also be cleaned up. Ji Xu touched the stove here, and the feeling of unreality disappeared.
This is true.
"I'm saying, how can a safe restaurant eat bad people? Can't I taste whether my tongue is fresh or not?"
"That's right. It must have been those evil-hearted people who deliberately framed him. Now he's finally cleared of all charges."
"We can eat delicious food here again!"
"Thank you all, but it's still a mess inside. When I reopen the business, I will definitely treat you to good food and wine." Ji Xu turned around and came out and said.
The resentful City Clerk Lu followed the mayor and looked back at the scenery there, puzzled:
"Why did they let her go now? Did the Li family stop bothering with her? Or did she find a new backer?"
"How would we know about such things?" said the colleague.
Lu the clerk couldn't help but feel nervous. He was the most arrogant on the day of the store inspection. He ate and took things, and even took advantage of his position to steal the cash box. Now he didn't dare to be arrogant anymore and walked away with his tail between his legs.
At home, we also received the news that the stalls in Jiaomen City and Huai City were unsealed, and the city official was knocking on the door outside.
Only Xiaozhu was left at home. The elementary school said that it was very hot these days and malaria was common, so they asked all the students to go home and study.
In previous years, there was no holiday at this time, because many children from poor families in various places had to study and take care of farm work at home. Therefore, the tradition of taking holidays for spring plowing and autumn harvest was retained. The same holiday rules were also followed in elementary schools, except for bad weather.
It's only July now, but the autumn harvest holiday has started early.
Therefore, Ji Zhu stayed at home, studying and doing homework, and then she put on a hat as big as a washbasin and weeded in the vegetable garden. Her face was flushed from the heat.
She heard a city official knocking at the door, but she didn't dare open it, fearing that it was a kidnapper trying to coax a child. She just listened to what he said through the door quietly, and when Tian came back at noon, she repeated it to her.
"The stall is unsealed? Did that guy really say that?"
Tian was shocked and suspicious, and hurried to the store to check. The seal on the stall that originally sold braised food was torn off.
"Auntie Tian, if you can't hold on this autumn, have you agreed to give your daughter to the Li family?"
"We should have done this a long time ago. We can't even get into a family like the Li family. It's a blessing for your mother Xu to be your concubine. What's wrong with that?"
The small vendors nearby also saw that the seal on the corner had been torn off by the city official, and they all thought that Tian had given in, so they talked about it in a flurry.
"Bullshit! The Li family will never succeed."
Although Tian scolded them all, she was still wondering what was going on.
Daughter, you must not agree to this. We're shipping a shipload of gold the day after tomorrow. If you steal that, our family will have enough money to pay taxes...
But she didn't dare to say the latter words in front of Ji Xu. A few days ago, she couldn't bear to see her daughter worry, so she said, "Mother will find a way to deal with the tax issue. You don't have to sell your horse or your prescription."
This had aroused the daughter's suspicion, so she questioned her and searched the east and west wing rooms and even the gatehouse.
Fortunately, she secretly sold the cinnabar and some utensils in the market in the north of the city for ten taels of silver, which she hid in a secret place in her home.
After leaving Jiaomen Market, I saw a carriage parked at the door of my house. It was riddled with tall horses and had a red banner with a royal canopy. The red banner could only be used by officials with a salary of more than 600 shi.
There had never been such a carriage in this busy place before. The neighbors were all watching curiously.
"Whose car is this? It's so impressive."
"Miss Tian, come and look, there's a car parked in front of your house. Who's in it?"
Someone stopped Tian and asked her,
"Could it be that the Li family is here to take your daughter in?"
Tian also thought of this and her face changed. She was about to chase the man away, but the curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a strange man with a rough and murderous aura. It was obvious at first glance that he was no ordinary person.
In the afternoon, Ji Xu and her companions returned from Gao City in an ox cart ahead of schedule. They saw Jin Dou looking out at the alley entrance. He had finally waited for her and said,
"An old friend from Wu said he wanted to see the young lady. Madam invited him into the hall and told me to wait here."
He then talked about the two stalls at home being unsealed, and then he learned that the Ping'an Restaurant was also unsealed. When Ji Xu heard about "Wu Di", his doubts were finally resolved.
From a distance, I saw the neighbors talking about this and that in the carriage, all wondering who the man was.
"If it was the Li family, wouldn't Aunt Tian have been angry? But she opened the gate wide and welcomed the person in with a smile. I heard that the young master of the Li family has a crippled leg, so it's obvious that he is not a member of the Li family."
When they heard the creaking of the oxcart, they saw Ji Xu coming back and they all said it was a good news.
"Xu Niang, your family has a distinguished guest today! Your mother is looking for you."
When the ox cart entered, everyone stretched their necks to look inside.
After a while, Jindou ran out. People stopped her and asked her, and she said she was going to Baqiaotou to buy a piece of mutton.
After a while, Yindou came out in a hurry and said that the family had run out of bean paste, so he went to make bean paste with a bamboo tube.
After a while, Tian Dou rushed out, and the neighbors stopped him and asked:
"Hey, what are you buying again?"
Tian Dou said proudly:
"I'm going to get some wine."
When the beans arrived at the market, the vendors had already spread the news about the carriage, and they kept saying "bean" and "good girl".
"Good girl, just tell us, who is that person?"
"Yes, just tell me."
Some people stuffed taro cakes and flour cakes into her hands. Even Xue, the clerk whose family used to give her money every month to curry favor with her, was kind to her.
"The fact that your house was able to be unsealed must be related to the owner of that carriage. Who is that?"
Tian Dou said, "We maids don't know who that man is. We only know that he is an old friend of our young lady's from Wu. Madam ordered us to prepare a good meal to entertain such a distinguished guest."
When they arrived at the tavern, they said:
"Two liters of white wine!"
"You're not going to drink horse wine this time?"
The waiter at the tavern was surprised and said that whenever there was something good happening in the Tian family, Miss Tian would always come here to order some horse wine. This wine was made from horse milk and was a medium-quality wine.
"My wife said that although the wine is good, it is not enough. She needs the best white wine."
"Okay."
Baibo wine is the most famous wine in Guanzhong. As the saying goes, "Baibo in Guanzhong will make you wake up once in a thousand days", which shows how strong the wine is.
You know, the alcohol content of today's wine is not high and it is generally not easy to get drunk. You can buy half a bucket of that thick wine for twenty coins.
The waiter opened the jar of this light white wine, and the aroma of the wine intoxicated everyone around. Although one could not afford to drink the good wine, it was worth it just to smell it. Two liters were measured out, which cost one and a half taels of silver.
Tian Dou gritted his teeth and finally gave the silver tucked in his waist. He took the pot and went home, leaving the aroma of good wine along the way.
Guo Dalang, who was selling cut liver, and Li Guzi, who was selling fried fish, both called out to Tian Dou:
"Good Tiandou, I'll put some cut liver in it to go with the wine. I won't charge you any money."
"Hey Tiandou, come here and have some fried fish from my house. I won't charge you any money."
These days, both of them love to laugh at and bully their master and servant, saying things like "a spotted dog covered in mud", "wealth is luck, poverty is fate", and "a country girl from outside the Great Wall dares to go against the Li family, she thinks her life is too long".
Now their faces have changed, some are talking and laughing, and they say:
"There's dust on your stall. We'll get some water and wipe it off for you later."
Tian Dou remembered their bad behavior and left without eating their food.
"Look at her crazy, bah!"
From a distance, Guo Dalang and Li Guzi dared to spit and speak their true feelings.
"Her family has truly turned things around. Who on earth dares to offend even the Li family?"
At the gate of the courtyard, some neighbors came back after lunch, while others were eating with their bowls in hand. In short, there were always people who stayed and kept chewing.
I'm afraid this matter has spread from Sangshu Lane in the south of the city to Mapo Street in the north of the city.
"Didn't you hear him mention the General of the Imperial Guards just now? Wasn't that the General who defeated the Xiongnu and captured King Outuo alive?"
"Why would a new nobleman from the imperial court come to Aunt Tian's house?"
"Oh, that's not right. It's not like you didn't see the General of the Central Army when the Han army returned to the capital that day. I still remember his heroic spirit. That man is clearly not that person."
I just heard the gate creak open, Ji Xu stepped out, and said:
"Brother You, take care."
Youlu said, "I will definitely pass on your message. My brother has been busy with official business in the Hangu Pass area recently, so this is a good thing for me. After being exposed to the wind and sand for most of the year, my tongue can finally enjoy a treat."
He said loudly and laughed rudely.
But he didn't like riding in a carriage at all. Instead, he untied a horse and climbed on it. He ordered the driver to drive the empty carriage of the General of the Central Army back to the palace. Before leaving, he said solemnly:
"You'd better be careful about what I just said."
"Okay, I understand. Brother You, be careful on the road."
As soon as the carriage left the alley, Ji Xu was immediately surrounded by the neighbors, who asked him questions in a chattering manner.
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