Chapter 9, Three Turns, Nine Reversals of Yin and Yang, Part 2: Jiang Yu felt even more...
Jiang Yu found it even stranger. He remembered that the marriage customs of Yezi were not like this. Could it be that the customs of Yezi have changed over time?
Jiang Yu was wondering when he heard Chala call out to him, "Young master, it's your turn."
Jiang Yu said "Oh," glanced at the group that had already gone far away, returned to the table, sat down, wrote down his birth date and time, and asked Chala to draw Noba for him.
Seeing his absent-mindedness, Liu Taohua thought he must be preoccupied with the scene he had just witnessed. Since she also wanted to know, she took the initiative to ask, "Old man, I once read about the marriage customs of Yezi in a book, which is commonly known as 'three times and nine times of marriage.' I wonder if this is true?"
Musha smiled and said, "The young lady is quite knowledgeable; the Yezi marriage customs are indeed like that."
The term "three returns and nine marriages" refers to the fact that the more times a bride runs away to her parents' home, the deeper her pursuit of freedom. If she runs away nine times and is then married three times, this is considered "three returns and nine marriages." Before marriage, if a couple goes out together and doesn't return home for a night, no one will question them; after marriage, if the woman wants to stay at her parents' home for three years, no one will blame her.
The dignity of a woman in Yezi is forever defined only by herself.
Legend has it that when the Heavenly Emperor was still the Crown Prince of Wumu Kingdom, shortly after marrying the holy maiden Muyi, Muyi left him to travel alone. Later, the Heavenly Emperor traveled with friends and encountered Muyi three times along the way. Following the customs of Yezi, the Heavenly Emperor grandly married Muyi three times. Their story remains a beautiful tale to this day.
The custom of "three turns and nine bends" has existed since ancient times. When the Yezi migrated north to this place, they saw a winding oasis in the sand with nine bends, and the people lived in three different places within the oasis. Thus, it has a wonderfully similar fate to the Yezi's "three turns and nine bends marriage." It's as if the heavens destined the Yezi to come here, to take root and flourish in this barren, unclaimed land, and to bring new life to this place.
Yezi stands here, enduring countless vicissitudes, guarding its land and leaving a lasting legacy.
For some reason, when Jiang Yu mentioned the Heavenly Emperor and that Holy Maiden Goddess, his expression became somewhat complicated, with pride mixed with a hint of barely perceptible sadness and resentment.
After listening, Liu Taohua couldn't help but sigh, "Being a woman of Yezi is quite fortunate; they spend their entire lives pursuing freedom. But not all women in this world have the right to pursue freedom..."
She thought of Jin Qi, the woman who claimed she wanted to spend a night with the Master of Chunshan, yet was a woman of deep affection and loyalty. Thinking of her past experiences, she felt a pang of sadness.
Musha said, "My dear girl, there are many things in this world that cannot be explained. Life is short, and even the gods in heaven have an end. Even so, there will always be people moving forward. So, everything will be alright."
Yes, everything will be alright, even if it takes a long time.
Isn't Kim Ji-hyun doing just fine now?
Liu Taohua smiled and said, "Thank you, sir."
How could she not understand this principle? She has practiced it since childhood.
She didn't want to shoulder too heavy a burden, and no one could force it on her. She simply did what she insisted on, and that was enough for her.
Seeing that Liu Taohua's expression had softened and that Jiang Yu's conversation had also ended, Lianxi asked, "On the way here, I saw many people carrying sheep. Is there some kind of event in the city today?"
Before Musha could answer, Chala finished packing his things, stretched, and came out, saying, "You lot have come at just the right time! Today, the shepherds in the city will provide several sheep from their flocks to the altar. The participating people can choose any sheep they like, and then use their carefully prepared recipes, along with the unique hot sand from the Gobi Desert, to make a mutton dish. This will be distributed to all the people in the city, and everyone will participate in the judging to choose the dish they think is the best."
Jiang Yu immediately perked up upon hearing this, as cooking was his specialty!
Jiang Yu jumped up from his seat with a "thump," rolled up his sleeves, and said excitedly, "Where is it?! Take me there quickly! By the way, can people from out of town participate?"
Musa was somewhat perplexed and said, "There has never been a precedent for foreign guests to participate, but there is also no explicit rule prohibiting foreign guests from participating."
Liu Taohua asked, "I wonder if the Holy Maiden will participate?"
Musha said, "The Holy Maiden will not participate. The annual sacrificial ceremony of Yezi is about to begin, and the Holy Maiden needs to concentrate on preparing for the ceremony. The mutton dish that won today is the offering to the gods during the ceremony."
Lianxi asked, "Is it only those dishes chosen by the people as the most delicious that become offerings in sacrificial rites?"
Musa: "That's exactly right."
Lianxi then asked, "Since outsiders can also participate, if they win, can they also participate in the sacrificial ceremony?"
Musa: "That should be acceptable."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu and Liu Taohua instantly understood his meaning. This was the most direct and simplest way to see the Holy Maiden.
Lianxi received an affirmative answer, and with a smile, said, "Since there is no precedent since ancient times, and it does not violate the rules of Yezi, then let us set this precedent."
Musha hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, please follow me, all three of you."
Before leaving, Lianxi and Liu Taohua both tried to pay, but Chala refused, saying, "Friends have come from afar, and gold and silver cannot express the depth of their friendship. I will not accept this money."
Seeing that Chara was adamant, the two had no choice but to give up.
Led by Musa, the three arrived at the altar in the city. It was a high platform with four sides shaped like steps, and the yellow flag with white patterns hung at each of the four corners. Now, the pattern on the flag was the black and gold red-bellied king serpent.
The thought of confronting the Black-Golden Red-bellied King Serpent in the poplar forest sent a chill down Liu Taohua's spine. She thought to herself, "Though that snake is fierce, the local people are surprisingly kind and honest."
At this moment, many city residents have already come and taken their seats on the steps. A temporary sheep pen has been set up on the lower left side of the stands, with the sheep inside. The people who have come to participate are also ready to go.
A lone moon hung high in the sky, its light shining precisely on the center of the altar, illuminating it. The moment it lit up, the lanterns in the hall and the bonfires on both sides of the altar were also lit, creating a bright, daylight-like scene.
The cheers of the people continued until an old man stood before the altar, raised his hand in greeting, and said, "My people of Yezi, today we welcome guests from afar. Let us offer our sincerest respect to our distinguished guests."
As soon as he finished speaking, the people sitting on the stands stood up, one hand on their chest and the other on their forehead, and together with the old man in front of the altar, they bowed to the three people below the stage.
That scene was deeply etched in the hearts of the three of them, and they could not forget it for a long time.
Upon seeing this, the three of them returned the gesture politely.
The old man continued, "Today, a distinguished guest will also be participating in the selection process, which promises to be quite spectacular this year. Let us all join our distinguished guest in witnessing whose dish will be chosen as this year's offering!"
Shouts erupted from the stands again, and among them, someone could be heard shouting "National Advisor."
That must be referring to the old man in front of the altar, and that man is none other than Musha.
It turns out he was the royal advisor of Yez.
At this moment, Musha no longer wore a veil. Beneath the veil was an old and gaunt face with sunken eyes, hair and beard, and a calm yet sharp gaze.
Two attendants followed behind Musha, who led Liu Taohua and Lianxi to their seats on the platform. Musha then personally led Jiang Yu to the sheepfold to select a sheep.
The selection of sheep requires participants to personally go to the flock and catch one; whichever sheep they catch is the one they will use.
Jiang Yu loosened his muscles, rolled up his sleeves and trousers, and leaped into the sheep pen. After circling around and looking them over, he selected one of the sheep. He leaned slightly forward, his eyes locked onto his prey, and without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbed the sheep by its limbs, and lifted it up. The sheep was his.
Musha smiled and said, "Your skills are quite good, esteemed guest. We'll take this sheep down and slaughter it right away, then bring it over after it's cleaned up. Please wait here."
Jiang Yu clapped his hands and said, "Grand Preceptor, I have prepared my own utensils and seasonings. You only need to prepare a large pot and some flour for me."
Musha paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, please, esteemed guest."
Five tables were set up in front of the altar, covered with various cooking utensils and spices. Only one table had nothing but a pot and a bag of flour.
Those are river fish.
Whose table is that? Why is there nothing there?
"Could it be a distinguished guest?"
"But how can you cook if you have nothing?"
"Didn't the Imperial Advisor prepare anything for our distinguished guest?"
"Impossible! The Imperial Advisor is always so meticulous, how could he possibly forget such a small matter..."
The stands were buzzing with discussion. Liu Taohua patted Lianxi and whispered, "It seems this Imperial Advisor holds a very high position in the hearts of the people."
Lianxi chuckled lightly, and instead of answering, asked, "Aren't you curious about what dishes Jiang Yu will make?"
Liu Taohua's eyes widened with excitement. "That's right! I never expected Jiang Yu could cook!"
Lianxi coughed, as if she had just thought of something, and said, "You have no idea how terrible his cooking used to be..."
Liu Taohua exclaimed "Ah!" with a hint of worry, and asked, "Then what about him now...?"
Lianxi casually leaned back and laughed, "Don't worry, with his current skill level, he'll definitely win."
Beside the table, the prepared sheep were already hung up, and all the participants were ready.
Jiang Yu took a large package off a tuft of hair and took out the contents one by one and arranged them neatly. They turned out to be various kitchen utensils of different sizes, as well as a large number of bottles and jars, which were undoubtedly seasonings.
Liu Taohua said, "I really didn't expect him to carry so many kitchen utensils with him when he travels! Did you cook for yourselves the whole way?"
Lianxi said, "Not entirely, but those are all his treasures, and he takes them with him wherever he goes."
Liu Taohua suddenly realized why he had been so careful with those packages all the way; they truly contained a lot of treasures.
The selection process officially began, and everyone was busy at work. Jiang Yu swung his large knife and cut the whole sheep into several parts, taking a whole rack of lamb ribs and some tender meat. Then he picked out different spices from his bottles and jars, including star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, galangal, angelica root, cinnamon, cardamom, amomum villosum, and white cardamom.
First, he wrapped all the seasonings in cheesecloth and tied them up. Then, he deboned the lamb chops and placed them at the bottom of the pot. He brought the soup to a boil, skimmed off the foam, and added the seasoning packet. He then added the lamb chops, brought it to a boil over high heat with the lid off, skimmed off the foam again, and then reduced the heat to low, covered, and simmered. While simmering, he also kneaded dough and rolled out flatbreads, adding a little salt and pepper to the dough. He then used the hot sand of the area to bake the flatbreads.
At first, people were discussing who would win this year, with many different opinions and no clear winner.
As the aroma of mutton grew stronger, it whetted everyone's appetite, and they forgot all about talking, drooling as they watched. Some people couldn't wait to eat it.
Two hours later, the five participants finished their dishes, and Jiang Yu's lamb chops were ready.
He carefully took the lamb chops out, cut them into wide strips, sprinkled them with salt and chopped green garlic, poured hot soup over them, and served them with flatbread.
This braised mutton is now ready.
The waiter distributed the dishes prepared by the five people to everyone present. In addition to the wide-water mutton with river fish, there were also fresh pepper hand-pulled mutton chops, braised mutton, mutton pilaf, and crispy roasted mutton with scallions.
The aromas of the various mutton dishes wafted up from the table, and Liu Taohua swallowed hard, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "I'm starving! I won't be polite!" she exclaimed.
After saying that, Liu Taohua started eating heartily, not caring about her image at all, filling her mouth to the brim, leaving no gaps.
Lianxi smiled at her and gently reminded her, "Eat slowly, be careful not to choke."
Liu Taohua nodded and hummed in agreement, not even looking up, and continued eating. This was the first time in her life she had eaten so many different kinds of mutton at once, and every single one of them was delicious. Happiness couldn't be greater than this moment.
After three rounds of meals, everyone had formed their own judgments, and the result of a round of voting was unexpected.
The votes for wide-water mutton and fresh chili hand-pulled lamb chops were the same.
The result caused an uproar; this was the first time such a situation had ever occurred.
The man making the fresh chili-stuffed lamb chops was a young man, tall and slender with a bronze complexion. His sharp eyes looked at people like an eagle's, as if he could see through everything and leave no one undetected.
Musha asked, "Young man, what's your name?"
The man said, "Firewood."
Huo Mu's expression was indifferent, as if he was unwilling to say another word.
Musha then tasted the mutton from each of their dishes. Jiangyu's wide-water mutton soup was fresh and pure, without any gamey smell, and paired with the baked flatbread, it was absolutely delicious. However, Huomu's fresh chili hand-pulled lamb chops were refreshing, slightly spicy, and even a little sweet, making them also excellent.
Just as everyone was speculating who the Grand Preceptor would choose, he said, "Both of them are winners. The mutton they prepare will be used as offerings in the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven."
Thus, for the first time in history, this selection process produced two winners.
Afterwards, Jiang Yu tasted the lamb from the other people's dishes. He also really liked Huo Mu's hand-pulled lamb chops with fresh peppers. He even went out of his way to find him, full of sincerity, and said, "Your cooking is delicious. Can you teach me how to make it?"
To his surprise, he refused, saying, "Thank you, but no."
Jiang Yu, undeterred, said, "Then I'll exchange my recipe for wide-water mutton with you, is that alright?"
Huo Mu said, "Not interested."
"......"
Huo Mu had already walked far away, and Jiang Yu stood there, stunned, unable to understand how there could be such an inhuman person in the world. He didn't understand, he just couldn't understand. He took a deep breath, and a better idea came to him: "Since he wouldn't give it to me, he didn't say I couldn't do my own research."
Thinking of this, he felt much better, so he took a tuft of hair and left with Liu and Lian.
Mu Sha arranged for the three of them to stay at an inn in the city. After a long day of running around, Liu Taohua and Jiang Yu were exhausted, but Lianxi showed no signs of fatigue.
The three of them went back to their rooms to rest and slept soundly without any dreams.
The next day, just as dawn broke, Jiang Yu was awakened by a very strange laugh.
He got up groggily and walked to the window, only to see the same group of ten people on the street as the night before. The difference was that the people in the group were dressed in colorful clothes, playing musical instruments and singing, and making extremely eerie laughter. The laughter was intermittent, sometimes loud and sometimes soft, and it didn't sound like a human voice. He woke up instantly.
They were still carrying a stretcher, but the thing on the stretcher was covered with a thick, airtight felt cloth, and judging from the figure, it looked like a person.
Jiang Yu found it increasingly strange, so he put on his shoes and rushed out the door, bumping into a waiter coming upstairs. He grabbed the waiter and asked, "What's going on out there?"
The waiter said, "It's a funeral."
Weddings are held at midnight in mourning clothes, while funerals are held in colorful attire during the day.
That's strange, really strange.
A note from the author:
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