Chapter 31: The Light of the People Is this her evaluation of him? That's really good. ...
Dinner was a boat dinner his grandfather had hosted for a friend. Lu Lan had received the notice early in the morning. He remembered this friend, Su, as a close friend of his grandfather's from Bianjing, a man of brilliant literary talent. He had spent several months with him in his youth, and he was a man of bold character.
In the summer, merchant ships were more numerous on the waterways, and pirates began to emerge from the canal and Yangtze River, targeting ships traveling to and from Pingjiang Prefecture. Since the ships belonged to Pingjiang Prefecture, he naturally had to discuss bandit suppression with several officials from Kunshan and Wujiang counties, so he had been quite busy over the past two days.
Fortunately, he arrived right after finishing his shift, so it wasn't too late.
How could she be on the pleasure boat?
In order to save time, Lu Lan did not use the springboard built by the boatman, but directly used the deep piles and lotus leaves on the lakeside.
His hair was a little messy and his official uniform was wet, which might be unsightly.
He should have stepped on the springboard properly.
"Master Lu, wipe it?"
Wei Jinyun saw Lu Lan wipe the rain from her face and offered her a handkerchief. When Lu Lan didn't take it, she smiled and said, "It's okay. It's just a handkerchief. It's just made of ramie, so it's a little rough, unlike silk."
He stood before her, beneath the wooden porch. His high ponytail had loosened slightly, a few wet strands dangling to the side, and water droplets trickled down his cheeks. His crimson official uniform was soaked, the half-wet fabric clinging to his shoulders and back, outlining his lean, upright figure.
"Thank you very much."
Lu Lan took it and wiped the rain off his face. He hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking, "Why is Miss Wei on the pleasure boat?"
"Mr. Lu invited me to be a boatman. Is Mr. Lu a guest of Mr. Lu?"
"He's my grandfather."
"...That's quite a coincidence."
Wei Jinyun took back the handkerchief that Lu Lan handed over again and curled her lips, "Xiang, Xiangxiang's second brother?"
"Um."
He nodded.
Wei Jinyun really wanted to wipe his own face.
It was no wonder she hadn't guessed it. The surname "Lu" was common in Pingjiang Prefecture, with several students at Guangfu Academy bearing the surname Lu. Xiangxiang had also told her that her second brother had been a mischievous child, climbing trees to snatch birds and catching fish in the river. He'd even occasionally practice martial arts with her, and he seemed cheerful and lively... How could she possibly unite with the stern Lord Lu?
Also, they are not alike.
Xiangxiang's eyes are clear and picturesque, while Lu Lan...looks fierce, doesn't like to smile, and has green eyes.
Mr. Lu doesn’t have it, and Xiangxiang doesn’t have it either, so that means their mother might have green eyes, or be a carrier of the recessive gene for green eyes.
Wei Jinyun sighed in her heart that there were such coincidences in the world, and finally stopped thinking about who the green eyes came from, and let Mendel figure it out.
"What's wrong?"
Lu Lan only saw her for a moment, and the expression on his face changed many times.
As he spoke to her, he raised his hand and grabbed the half-loose high ponytail in his palm. After untying it, he bit one end of the red hairband between his teeth. With his other hand, he tightened the hair, turned his wrist, and the hairband was flexibly wrapped around his palm several times and tied.
"nothing."
Wei Jinyun stared at his face for a moment, then smiled at him, clutching her handkerchief. "Master Lu, please come in quickly. The banquet has just begun. I've prepared your pre-dinner snacks by the ice. I'll have someone bring them to you right away."
You know what, Lord Lu is quite good-looking.
"good."
Before going on duty today, Lu Lan went to the government office to ask when her reward would be approved. Now she could even eat the snacks she made after going on duty. Most of the annoyance caused by the pirates disappeared.
He walked across the wooden corridor and turned back. The sword hanging from the leather belt at his waist swayed slightly as he paused. "What is 'the light of the people'?"
"It's just to praise Lord Lu for being like warm sunlight to the people."
Wei Jinyun explained sincerely, his eyes burning.
"Okay, I will continue to work hard. I will come to Tianqing Temple in two days to give you the reward money."
When Lu Lan turned around, a smile appeared on her face. She went back to the second floor of the pleasure boat and stepped into the banquet hall.
Is this her assessment of him?
very nice.
"Understood, Master Lu, enjoy your meal!"
The pleasure boat sways gently in Zhenze, the crabapple blossom window is half open, and you can see the new lotus in the lake.
Lu Lan had just taken off the sword from his waist and handed it to the servant standing by when he caught a glimpse of the exquisite Water Eight Immortals Boat Cake on the table.
He had just taken a seat below Lu Heng when Su Youyou, who was sitting across from him, put down his teacup, stroked his half-white beard, and laughed, "Little Changce, I haven't seen you for a few years. You've grown up so tall. I remember when you were four years old and came to Bianjing City with your father. I held you in my lap, but you pulled my beard to make knots and even gnawed the snacks I brought you, getting them all over you."
Lu Lan bowed and saluted, "Uncle Su, you're joking. I was so ignorant back then, and I'm sorry to have made you laugh. After not seeing you for so many years, you're still as healthy as ever, and you look even more energetic."
He spoke a few words to his friend Su, but his eyes involuntarily drifted towards the disc of boats.
"Chang Ce and Lu Heng really look alike."
Su Youren burst into laughter. "You look like him, your brother looks like your father, and Xiangxiang looks like your grandmother. The three siblings really have different personalities. Changce still loves snacks so much."
He remembered that when he was in Bianjing City, every time he went to look for Lu Lan, he would always bring some snacks or honey-fried fruit, and only then would he pay attention to him. Otherwise, he would only look at the weapons and not him.
"Try it if you want."
Lu Heng looked at him with a smile hidden in his eyes, but he deliberately put on a serious face, "But you have to taste it slowly and learn from your Master Lu, so that he won't say we don't understand elegance again."
Lu Lanzhi followed his instructions and picked up a piece of water chestnut with chopsticks.
It was slightly warm when he ate it, the soft and glutinous skin wrapped around the delicate filling, and the sweetness of the red bean paste spread. His eyes lit up, and he picked up the lotus root again. The honey fragrance spread from the tip of his tongue, but it was not at all greasy.
She made it really delicious.
"Look, Changce, your grandfather is here again."
Master Lu immediately clasped his hands on the table and smiled at Lu Lan, "A while ago, I treated him to some cloud cakes. I had the teahouse chef print the word 'Qingfeng' on the cake, but he finished it in a few bites and asked me if the two black marks were made of sesame seeds. It's a bit hard... He blamed me for his own behavior. Miss Wei's pastries are so beautiful, you really should savor them carefully. Don't follow your grandfather's example."
Lu Heng's face remained calm, and he didn't breathe a breath. "Can writing be eaten as food? I think you've gone crazy. It's better to eat the snacks made by Miss Wei."
He picked up a lotus root-shaped boat-shaped dessert and said, "Mmm, sweet but not greasy, refreshing and satisfying... Now that I've whetted my appetite, I'll try Madam Li's cooked and drunken crab."
He had known his friend would be passing through Pingjiang Prefecture since the beginning of last month, but he had already prepaid six months' worth of change and booked Li Shiwan's boat banquet. It wasn't crab season yet, and while the cooked and drunken crab meat wasn't much, it still tasted rich and fragrant, with plump and sweet meat.
She is indeed a famous chef. Every dish is worth savoring. They blend well with Miss Wei’s boat dishes. It is really worth it for people to take a detour to see her this time.
Lu Lan was called out and quickly put down his chopsticks. "Master Lu is right. These boat dumplings are indeed exquisitely made."
"Changce is still sensible."
Master Lu smiled until his eyes narrowed, "The disciple is better than the master."
Lu Heng glared at him, then turned to Lu Lan and said, "Don't listen to his nonsense. If you like eating, eat more. If it's not enough, ask Miss Wei to make more. He's so elegant. If you starve him for three days, I guarantee he'll eat faster than anyone else... But you should eat slowly too, Changce, you're like a monkey!"
Seeing him eat several dishes in a row, Lu Heng took a sip of tea and said, "The main course hasn't even finished yet, and you're eating snacks like a meal. Are you planning to go back to Changmen to work after you finish eating?"
"Today's matter is over, but..."
Lu Lan took a bite of the honey-floating crispy pear flower and said, "I'm hungry."
"Look, Changce eats much more elegantly than you." Master Lu pried open a crab claw and refused to give in.
"Can it be the same?"
Lu Heng glanced at him sideways. "This is my grandson. Who do you think you are? Tomorrow I'll go find Tangtang and complain that you ate a lot of pork knuckle snacks at the boat banquet. You ate everything fatty and sweet."
"Lu Heng, you are not a human being!"
"Where has my little sister gone?"
Lu Lan ate some pastries before slowly looking up. "She's coming today too, isn't she? She loves crabs, isn't she coming to eat?"
"Xiangxiang is full. We old gluttons are chatting here, so how can she sit still?"
Su Yuren loved watching the two argue. While eating white fish, he said, "She just came here, ate a leg of lamb, some crab, and a few dim sum, and then left. She looked like she was waiting for someone."
"Speaking of which, your adjutant didn't come with you?"
Lu Heng immediately looked at the door behind Lu Lan, but saw no one.
"I'll follow you, Grandfather, don't worry."
"Well, it's not me who's anxious."
Now everyone was gathered, Lu Heng raised his hand, and the maid went to invite the pipa girl.
The pipa player wore a lotus-colored silk dress, a single hairpin in her bun. Her wrist flicked as she plucked the strings, picking, wiping, hooking, and plucking. The sound first resembled drizzle hitting a boat's awning, long and lingering, then suddenly transformed into a rushing spring, cascading onto a jade plate.
Lanterns hung under the wooden corridor, illuminating the entire corridor with warmth. Lu Lan had just entered when Wei Jinyun, leaning against the railing to rest, heard a "bang" and a person jumped up from behind.
Zhan Wenxing wiped the rain off his face and took several breaths. "Lord Lu was too fast. I almost couldn't catch up and fell into Zhenze."
After helping Lord Lu with his affairs, he went home, changed into new clothes, and quickly called a black-sailed boat. Perhaps fate was against him, but the old man rowing the boat was drunk and didn't row the right way, so he rowed further and further away.
Don’t do business after drinking. Don’t drink while rowing, and don’t row while drinking!
He resisted the urge to kick the old man into the lake, and took a bamboo pole and rowed the boat forward.
Zhan Wenxing looked even more embarrassed than Lu Lan. Her high ponytail was completely loose, and perhaps her hairband had fallen into Zhenze and disappeared.
"Miss Wei?"
Zhan Wenxing seemed to have seen a savior, and took a big step towards her. "Take a look at me now, am I still presentable?"
He was even more anxious than Lu Lan. The wind was strong on Zhenze, and he thought rowing was too slow. As soon as he saw the slightest trace of the pleasure boat, he abandoned the boat and came over, getting drenched by the rain.
Wei Jinyun looked him up and down and shook his head, "Not very good, but a very good storm-fighter."
It's like being fished out of a river.
Zhan Wenxing frowned, looking a little reluctant, and sighed softly, "Then I'd better... go back."
He turned his head and leaned half of his body towards the sloop, but was pulled back in an instant.
"Aunt invited you, so you can't refuse. It's just raining, I'll take you to change clothes and tie your hair."
Zhan Wenxing opened his eyes wide. She was very close to him, and the pearls on the red hairpin in her temples fell on his face, feeling cool.
It looks really good.
"Lu, Miss Lu, don't pull my leather belt..."
Zhan Wenxing noticed her movements and his whole body stiffened. He raised his hand to press the leather belt. The tips of his ears quickly turned red, and even his neck was stained with a thin layer of red.
"what."
Lu Lingxiang raised her eyes. "You are still wearing clothes inside, just changing into outer clothes... Did you bring me new feather arrows?"
"I forgot them on that ship. I sharpened these ten or so for you. They're very sharp."
"Then give it to me later."
"No, Lu... pull my leather belt, I I I!"
Zhan Wenxing was pulled all the way along the wooden corridor and into the cabin on the lower floor.
Wei Jinyun took a deep breath and returned to the small kitchen. Li Shiwan still had meat stewing on several clay stoves. He sat on a small stool, fanning the fire with a palm-leaf fan, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Want to take a break, Wanniang? Are you made of iron and never get tired? Just let it stew on its own."
Wei Jinyun opened the bamboo box surrounded by a quilt and ice cubes, handed a few new honey-floating pear flowers to the maid who was serving the dishes, and took a few ice cubes for herself.
"Braising soft-shelled turtle requires precise control of the heat. If it's too big, it'll be tough on the outside and raw on the inside. If it's too small, it won't be cooked through. A boat banquet isn't like having an iron pot on the stove at home. There are only a few clay stoves available, so you still need to learn more."
Li Shiwan wiped the sweat from her face. "If the heat is a little off, the taste will be bad... Didn't Miss Wei just make the boat cake again because it was a little bad?"
Seeing she couldn't get her to move, Wei Jinyun went to make tea for the two of them. She took a pinch of Shuiyue tea and half a handful of jasmine, poured them into a porcelain cup, scalded it with boiling water, filtered off the foam, then filled it up with boiling water again, covered it tightly, and let it simmer. The tea's aroma quickly wafted out, a refreshing and sweet aroma.
She put a few pieces of ice in the teapot and added the milk that had just been stewed and cooled. When the Shuiyue tea was cooked to perfection, she slowly poured the tea into the teapot.
The peaches in the bamboo basket were early-ripening peaches grown locally in Pingjiang Prefecture. Their flesh was pink and white, with a sweet, honey-like fragrance. She cut a few slices and placed them in the tea bowl. As she poured the tea, the sweet aroma of the peach flesh, mixed with the delicate fragrance of jasmine, the richness of milk, and the sweetness of Shuiyue tea, filled the air.
"Does Wan Niang like sweet things?"
Wei Jinyun asked while holding the tea bowl.
Li Shiwan said "hmm" softly and continued to fan the fire.
Wei Jinyun scooped two spoonfuls of honey, put them into the tea bowl and stirred them well. He added a spoonful to his own bowl and handed it to Li Shiwan, "Try the jasmine peach milk tea. Eat something sweet. If you don't drink a bowl for two hours without stopping, Wan Niang will faint from hunger."
"alright."
Li Shiwan was amused by her and took her tea. "We'll use the leftover ingredients to make some rice later. You've been busy all this time and haven't had a chance to eat."
She took a sip, first the coolness of the ice, then the mellow sweetness of milk and honey, the clear and sweet taste of tea flashed across the tip of her tongue, and finally the honey fragrance of peach entwined with the light fragrance of jasmine, moistening her throat all the way to her heart.
“It’s thirst-quenching and delicious.”
Li Shiwan filled another cup with satisfaction, "Miss Wei can now open a stall to sell fragrant drinks."
"Milk and ice cubes are both difficult to store and expensive."
Wei Jinyun took a big sip with satisfaction, "Xiangyinzi, you should just drink some perilla water. It's only two cents a bowl and it's enough to fill you up."
After the two of them had tea and rested for a while, the maids brought out all the dishes and snacks, and Li Shiwan gave them fried rice.
Because I made stuffed crab oranges, I had a lot of crab legs and a few crab shells left over.
Wei Jinyun used scissors to remove the crab legs, snip and push, peeling the claw meat out, and then used a small spoon to scoop out the crab roe. The newly removed crab roe and crab meat were placed in a porcelain bowl. The orange-red crab roe was glossy, and the snow-white crab meat was sweet and fresh. Just looking at it made one's mouth water.
Li Shiwan first heated the iron pan until it was smoking, scooped in a spoonful of cooking oil, and when the oil was hot, sprinkled in the chopped vegetarian tofu and ham cubes, stir-fried them until they were crispy and fragrant, then pushed in the tender white tofu cubes, gently stirring them so that each piece of tofu was coated with oil, and served them while still steaming.
Add a little more oil to the pan, beat in a few eggs and stir them quickly with chopsticks. The egg liquid will swell up into golden bubbles in the hot oil, and the egg chunks will quickly become fine and soft.
The rice is poured in, pressed with a spatula to break it up, infusing each grain with the aroma of egg. Then, the crab roe and crab meat are added, stirring rapidly with the spatula. The orange-red crab roe coats the rice, the snow-white crab meat nestled between them, and the aroma of oil and crab fills the room instantly. Finally, chopped water spinach is added, using whatever is leftover.
The fried rice is shiny and fragrant, each grain of rice is coated with the oily crab roe, the sweetness of the crab meat seeps into the rice grains, and the vegetarian ham is salty and fragrant, the tofu is soft and tender, and the water spinach is fresh.
She left home in the afternoon and had only eaten a few pieces of glutinous rice and lotus root. She was used to being fed by her sister and Aunt Zhao, so she ate a lot and got hungry quickly.
A drizzle fell outside Haitang's window. A bowl of glistening egg fried rice was placed before her, along with a glass of jasmine peach milk tea. She lamented not only that she had earned money making dim sum and had met a woman with superb cooking skills, but also that when she returned home, she would surely have the care and concern of her sisters and grandmother. How could life be so promising?
"I really want to hire Wan Niang to be my cook."
Wei Jinyun took two mouthfuls of rice. Today, he was really overwhelmed by the aroma of the fried rice with minced ingredients.
"Of course you can."
Li Shiwan drank his tea and said, "The monthly salary is thirty strings of cash, and meals are provided."
"...It's raining really hard today."
The rain hit the window, and it got heavier and heavier, making the shadow of the pleasure boat blurry.
At the railing outside the kitchenette, there was a soft click, like iron claws gripping the wood. Several barbed iron hooks clung tightly to the carved wooden railing, and heavy lead weights hung on the ends of the ropes to prevent any noise from shaking.
Two dark figures slid down the ropes. As soon as their feet touched the planking, there was a dull thud, as if they had lost their footing. The shorter and fatter one in front wiped the rain from his face and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Li Niqiu, you stepped on my foot!"
The tall, thin man called Li Niqiu rubbed his ankle and slapped the man in front of him on the head. "My goodness, this is slipperier than the moss beside Zhenze Lake. Zhao Heiyu, keep your voice down! Have you forgotten what big brother said? The guests in this pleasure boat are all wealthy and noble, you are just fishing for snails in your own pond. If we alarm the sailors, our trip will end here."
He reeked of river mud and fish, held a short knife in his hand, and his other tools were all tricky.
In addition to the Flying Tiger Claw, he also had a short dagger for cutting cables on his waist, a reed pipe for diving hidden in his boots, and even a small copper whistle on his lapels to communicate with other pirates.
Zhao Heiyu spat out a mouthful of muddy saliva, his eyes darting through the rain as he stared at the half-open window of the small kitchen. "Didn't Big Brother say it? The jade pendants brought by the guests on this pleasure boat alone are enough for the two of us to build two tiled houses."
He touched the water bag at his waist, opened it, and took a sip of the wine inside. "After I finish this business and have enough money, I'm going to go to Mudu Town to find the butcher's daughter and make her a few pairs of silver bracelets. She's so good at chopping meat, I have to prepare a large betrothal gift, otherwise her father will chase me away with a cleaver."
"Really?"
Li Niqiu stood on tiptoe to peer into the cabin, squinting his narrow eyes. "How can building a house be more important than getting married? I want to build a house with a yard near Zhenze. I'll grow vegetables in the yard, raise chickens, and catch a couple of piglets."
They had come secretly on a moonlit night. A boatman, who usually earned money by ferrying people across the river, had heard that a distinguished guest had arrived on the pleasure boat. From a distance, they saw that the guest was wearing fine silk, and the host had specially invited the most famous cook for the boat banquet and the most famous pipa-playing hostess in Zhenze.
These pirates are in a bad situation now. The two of them have been following the big brother all day and can hardly eat meat. If they want to blame someone, they should blame that inspector Lu Lan!
At the age of sixteen, the Black Wind Gang was wiped out, and their former leader was captured alive. Now, this leader had just escaped with a group of his brothers. Zhenze didn't dare to stay with them anymore, and instead went to the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River.
But those are all merchant ships and cargo ships, and they always hire countless guards on board, all of whom are trained fighters, and there may even be archers and sailors mixed in. If you attack them by surprise, they will be in for a fight.
It's so scary!
It’s much safer to rob the pleasure boat.
The pleasure boats of Pingjiang Prefecture were mostly occupied by scholars and literati, who were weak and often held banquets on board. Sometimes, the idle sailors would cause trouble, so the pleasure boats would be deliberately anchored away from them. This pleasure boat was so far away from the sailors today, I guess it must be some great scholar or noble who looked down on them.
They brought all their stuff with them, and he would take it all away.
As Li Niqiu was speaking, Zhao Heiyu tripped over something and fell to the ground with a "bang".
"You fool!"
Li Niqiu shuddered with fear, and when he looked down, he saw it was a hairband. He raised his hand and patted Zhao Heiyu on the back of the head again, "You're talking nonsense, trying to let everyone on the pleasure boat know we're here. Are you looking for death?"
Zhao Heiyu covered his head and said aggrievedly, "I didn't mean to...Besides, don't panic, don't panic. It's raining so hard, how can they hear anything in the cabin drinking and listening to the pipa? I'm a good swimmer! If I really want to run, I can dive into Zhenze and swim straight out of Changmen. The sailors' boats can't catch me. The last time I raced with Wang Huangyu, he hadn't even reached Midu Bridge before I touched the water chestnuts in Hengtang."
He approached the railing and tightened his Flying Tiger Claw. The sound of the iron hook scraping against the wood was particularly clear in the rain. "Hurry up, after we finish this job, my silver bracelet and your big yard will be settled!"
Li Niqiu gritted his teeth and pulled out his short knife, the blade gleaming coldly in the rain. "Let's go get some food first so we can have more energy for the action later. The snacks that the noble man eats are filled with candied sesame seeds, mutton and fresh shrimp. They are a hundred times better than the sesame seed cakes we usually eat."
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Author's words: Jinyun: What a coincidence, Lord Lu, waiting for the reward [sunglasses], Mendel...
Mr. Lu: Am I unattractive? Is she praising me? [starry eyes]
The pirates spoke with a mixture of Wu dialect: "Wa La Wa La" means very loudly, and there are a few other sentences in it.
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