Chapter 172 Shopping Blue Words (Two Updates Combined into One 4000 Words)
After getting dressed and washing up, Su Ruojin prepared to treat herself as a guest and went into the tea restaurant to order a set meal to experience the morning tea culture. Just as she walked out of the moon cave gate, she met Zhao Lan.
"Good morning, little prince!"
Zhao Lan smiled slightly, "Morning."
The two greeted each other and asked if they had had breakfast. The young lady said she wanted to order food as a guest, and Zhao Lan said he would treat her.
Su Ruojin wanted to treat the guests as the host, but Zhao Lan stopped her, "How can I let the young lady treat the guests?"
Since Zhao Lan insisted on treating them, Su Ruojin could not insist. After entering, his father Su Yanli had already started eating with his mother, Sanlang and Silang.
Zhao Lan hesitated at the door. He wanted to treat the young lady to a meal alone and didn't want to sit at the same table with the teacher.
Su Yanli didn't see what the student was thinking, but the food on the table was half-eaten, and it didn't look good because of the student's status, so he stood up and said, "How about, Ah Jin, you sit at the side table with the young prince."
This is exactly what Zhao Lan wants.
Su Ruojin thought, that's good, so her mother wouldn't feel uncomfortable eating at the table, so she sat at the same table with Zhao Lan. The waitress brought the order book to the two of them and asked them to order.
The snacks and teas on the menu were all carefully listed by Su Ruojin. She knew what was on the menu with her eyes closed, so she asked Zhao Lan to order.
He smiled slightly and asked her what she was going to eat. Su Ruojin smiled and said, "Prepare a crystal set meal. What about you, little prince?"
"Then it's just like you."
The crystal set mainly includes crystal shrimp dumplings, crystal osmanthus cake, crystal crab roe soup dumplings, crystal braised pork, fried spring rolls, pumpkin cakes with red dates and wolfberry glutinous rice porridge, and a cup of green tea.
Zhao Lan used to be silent while eating and sleeping, but ever since he had a meal at the Su's house, although he didn't say anything himself, he liked to listen to others talking. Of course, these others specifically referred to - Second Madam Su.
After swallowing a large crystal crab roe soup dumpling, Su Ruojin was extremely satisfied and couldn't help but sigh: "If it weren't for the help of the young prince, a small shop like Su's wouldn't be able to get crab roe at this time of year."
Zhao Lan was slurping the soup from the big crab roe soup dumpling. He took a full mouthful and was indeed satisfied. Shuang Rui saw that his master was enjoying the meal, so he quickly took another basket from the side table and placed it in front of his young master.
There is only one in each cage, lying in the small cage, transparent and bright, very exquisite.
Zhao Lan poked the wheat straw into the glistening crab roe soup dumpling and asked, "What are you going to do after breakfast?"
"Accompany my parents..."
Su Yanli's table had finished eating. He got off the table and prepared to leave to give the table to the people in the queue behind him. He happened to pass by and heard his daughter's words. He interrupted her quickly: "We don't want to accompany you. Do whatever you want."
Su Ruojin: …She feels disgusted even though she has someone to accompany her. She pouts to express her dissatisfaction.
Su Yanli said to the students: "Don't worry, eat slowly."
Zhao Lan nodded.
Sanlang and Silang were young and did not have the patience to accompany adults to have breakfast tea slowly, so Su Yanli and his wife took the two children out of the restaurant. Also, Su Xiaowu was still sleeping in the room, so the couple was worried and hurried back to their room.
The empty table was quickly filled by waiting guests.
Business is booming!
Su Ruojin's mood improved, and she asked casually, "What is the young prince going to do after breakfast?"
"It's spring in March, and the weather is great. Would you like to go out for a walk? "
"Where are you going?" After hanging out for half the afternoon yesterday, Su Ruojin didn't want to go out today.
"Where do you want to go, Jin?"
"Me?" Ye Huaizhen was in charge of the shop, and his parents were taking care of his younger brothers and sisters, so Su Ruojin had some free time. "Let's go shopping."
"I have nothing to do." It means I want to go shopping with you.
Su Ruojin was about to threaten Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, but when she heard this, she raised her eyes and asked, "You asked for leave like my father?"
"Um."
The young lady stared at him with her clear eyes. Zhao Lan felt guilty for some reason and did not dare to look her in the face. He lowered his eyes and reached out to pick up a cup of green tea. He lowered his head and took a sip. The tea was very fragrant when it went into his throat. He savored it carefully and felt the sweetness lingering between his teeth. It had a unique taste. No matter whether he had just eaten sweet cakes or salty soup dumplings, the tea only left a faint fragrance when it went into his mouth.
No wonder it’s called morning tea, it’s so appropriate.
Since having dinner at the restaurant during the Dragon Boat Festival last year, Zhao Lan has hardly ever eaten at the Su family. Even when sending gifts during the Chinese New Year, she only asked the double stewards to deliver them. She thought Zhao Lan had gotten a job and was busy.
If a prince's student who doesn't go to school much and an ordinary teacher don't interact, the relationship will gradually fade. Su Ruojin thought that Zhao Lan and Su Yanli were developing in this direction, but every holiday gift was punctual and expensive, and he was generous when she needed help. He seemed to treat her better than her brother, so good that she felt that this fourteen-year-old boy was strange.
Did I go from being a middle school student to entering adolescence?
Su Ji Breakfast opened, and she didn't invite him, so why did he take time off to come? And go shopping with her?
Su Ruojin always felt that something was not right, but it seemed not right to take back what she had said. She decided to just go shopping. There were only two main streets running across Wenshan Street, and both could be seen from one end to the other. It wouldn't take much time, so she could come back for dinner after shopping.
Whenever Su Ruojin went out, Mao Ya would follow. Su's breakfast tea shop was a little busy as it had just opened. Apart from the two female waitresses found by Siping, Shi Da and Shi Xiaosan were not used to the service model of the tea restaurant, so Chunxiao and Qiuyue helped by not going shopping with her.
In March, the sun is warm and the breeze is just right.
Zhao Lan went shopping with the young lady, leisurely, watching her try snacks and browse through bookstores. She spotted a storybook and picked one up to read with great interest. When she wanted to laugh, she suddenly realized that someone was waiting for her, so she immediately smiled apologetically, "Sorry..."
"I want to buy..."
"No." What a joke, she was only 'nine years old', how could she read such a romance book? Su Ruojin hurried to read the collection of literary and historical classics.
Zhao Lan raised the corners of his lips and followed her silently.
After leaving the bookstore, Su Ruojin didn't know where to go for a while. Inadvertently, she saw the fortune teller on the street and said, "I'll ask that fortune teller to teach the three Shi brothers how to read."
Siping had told Zhao Lan about this matter, and he nodded to show that he had heard it.
"How about we go over and have some fortune telling?" Su Ruojin asked for Zhao Lan's opinion, but as soon as she finished speaking, she straightened her calves and sat down opposite the fortune teller.
Mr. Mo knew Xiao Dongjia, of course, and smiled faintly, "What do you want to test, Xiao Dongjia?"
"Now that the shop has opened, of course we need to pray for wealth, so let's do a fortune telling on the word 'wealth'." Su Ruojin said as she picked up a pen and wrote on paper. She wrote in regular script, which was neat, smooth, elegant and beautiful. At first glance, it was obviously the handwriting of a young lady.
After writing, she turned the paper around so it was facing Mr. Mo.
When Mo Liyun saw the words, his face darkened, just like a monk in a temple seeing a pilgrim draw a bad fortune, full of sympathy and wanting to hide it, but unable to help but say it.
"Sir, is it not good?" Seeing that he didn't speak for a long time, Su Ruojin reached out and picked up the paper, holding it upright towards herself, "Wealth...money...talent...I think it's pretty good!" She looked at Mr. Mo who didn't intend to decipher the characters.
He looked embarrassed and helpless, and reminded: "Young lady, you'd better not go out casually recently."
"Why?"
Mo Liyun smiled helplessly: "Young Master, the secret cannot be revealed."
Well, all fortune tellers like to say this, saying that if the secret of heaven is revealed, they will have to pay with their lives.
Su Ruojin curled her lips: "Mr. Mo, we are old acquaintances, but there is no harm in taking the test."
"I've already told you the result, and you're still not satisfied?"
“I like the process of fortune telling.”
Moriyun: ...
Zhao Lan: …
There was no other way, so Mo Liyun had to tell how to test "wealth" and why it was obvious that wealth would cause trouble.
If Su Ji Breakfast Tea didn't have Little Prince Zhao, it would definitely be in trouble, there is no doubt about that. However, Zhao Lan has come to this small breakfast shop in person to protect Su Ji, so is there anyone who dares to reach out to Little Prince Zhao?
Su Ruojin took the paper that Mr. Mo had written and unpacked it, and realized that shells were not only shells and money, but could also be used as knives. She remembered that when she was traveling in her previous life, she saw a rural woman using clam shells to cut leeks. This meant that shells were used as knives.
There are knives and blood around, so it's really not a good idea to go out.
Su Ruojin didn't believe it, but at the same time she thought about not going back to Beijing for the next two days, since she had a place to stay here anyway.
Seeing the sun shining directly overhead, Su Ruojin lost interest in shopping. "It's hot, little prince, let's go back."
Zhao Lan came here to accompany her, so he didn't care whether they went shopping or just sat at home.
So, the group turned around and headed towards Su Ji.
Mo Liyun looked at the boy's back, then looked at the words he wrote in his hand. He always felt that the boy looked at him with scrutiny, as if he was looking at everyone with a scrutinizing look.
It really is...
Back at the shop, Uncle Shu Tong and Shi Xiaoer were unloading crabs, river shrimps, and some seafood, such as scallops, clams, etc., from the car, as well as a bundle of dried kelp, which Su Ruojin specially asked Shu Tong to buy.
Su Ji's morning tea includes pickled cucumbers, pickled plums, Chinese mustard greens, sauerkraut, etc., but it lacks one kind of seaweed, so kelp is just right.
The city of Bianjing is not near the sea, and although kelp is not valuable, few merchants are willing to bring it out to sell it, so it is not easy for her to eat some kelp to supplement iodine.
Today, she finally saw some, and she couldn't help but mix it with kelp shreds and make kelp soup. "Sister Maoya, help us get some to soak. I'll go to the kitchen to make a cold kelp shreds later."
"Okay." Mao Ya took a large bundle of kelp to the back kitchen and cut some and soaked it in water.
Su Ruojin took Zhao Lan to the steward's room and asked Chunxiao to serve him tea. "Young Prince, take a rest. I'll go prepare lunch."
Zhao Lan nodded, "Please trouble Ah Jin."
Su Ruojin smiled at his politeness and turned to go to the kitchen.
The boss has been here for the past two days. Miao Ercui is preparing lunch in the kitchen. The staple foods are beef fried noodles and leek and pork dumplings. The side dishes include roast chicken with black fungus and spring bamboo shoots, sweet and sour spare ribs, stir-fried kidney, shredded pork with lettuce, fried vegetarian meatballs, dried tofu and cucumber, and minced meat and tofu pudding.
Seeing the young master coming, he quickly asked, "Second Madam, is it okay for me to arrange these?"
"very good."
The young master appreciated her hard work, and Miao Ercui was very happy. "The kelp is already soaked. How should I cook it? Please teach me, Madam. I will be able to do it next time after I do it once."
Miao Ercui doesn't know how to cook kelp.
Su Ruojin smiled and said, "It's simple." She only knew how to cook two things with kelp: soup and salad.
More than half an hour later, a simple lunch cooked in the shop was ready. A large table was set up, and Su Yanli brought his family and students to eat together.
I don't know when it started, but Su Yanli liked to chat with Zhao Lan at the dining table. As a result, after everyone had finished eating, only the two of them were still dawdling at the table. Sanlang and other children had long lost their patience and would slip away from the table to play after finishing their meals.
Cheng Yingzhen went to the room to feed Su Wumei. Su Ruojin had no choice but to look after her two younger brothers and run in and out with them. They ran and ran to the well in the back kitchen. There were two large wooden basins next to the well. One contained various bowls and chopsticks, and the other had been used to soak kelp, and the water in it had not been poured out yet.
Su Sanlang took a few pieces of paper from somewhere and playfully threw them into the water.
Su Ruojin quickly chased after him to stop him, trying to snatch the undamaged paper from his hand. Seeing the handwriting on it, she guessed while snatching it from Sanlang's hand, "If you keep misbehaving, I'll beat you up."
Su Sanlang was in high spirits and didn't take his sister's threats seriously at all. Suddenly, he screamed, "Sister, why did the words on the paper turn blue?"
Su Ruojin was stunned, and did not snatch the other papers from Su Sanlang's hand. She quickly squatted down and took out the paper floating in the basin. She looked at it carefully and found that the black brush calligraphy did not fade, but was soaked in water and swam away.
Then the blue words were written first, and then the uninformed people practiced writing on them.
Su Ruojin looked into the basin. This was water that had been soaked in kelp. The kelp contained a top-secret letter that was written on paper with a starch solution. When it dried, nothing could be seen. The paper with the words on it would be the same as a blank piece of paper, as if nothing had been written on it. If one wanted to read the top-secret letter, it was also easy. The chemical display agent corresponding to the starch solution was iodine.
Normally, only iodine would work, but Su Ruojin had no idea why the water soaked in kelp could make the originally transparent paper visible.
She hurried to ask which brother of the Shi family practiced these characters. As soon as she entered the fortification room, Shi Da saw the characters he had written in the hands of the young master. His face turned red and he said embarrassedly, "I don't write well. I'm sorry to make you laugh."
Su Ruojin was in no mood to discuss whether the calligraphy was good or not, so she asked, "Where did these papers come from?"
"Mr. Mo bought it for us from the pen and ink shop."
After listening to this, Su Ruojin understood what was going on and asked Shi Da not to tell anyone about what she had asked him.
"Yes, little master."
Su Ruojin found Xiao Sanlang again and told him not to tell anyone about seeing the blue words and to keep it a secret, "Otherwise, I will never make delicious food for you again."
Su Sanlang originally wanted to show off that he had seen the blue words, but after hearing what his sister said, he had no choice but to nod and agree.
After everything was arranged, Su Ruojin came to find Zhao Lan and told him about the discovery of the blue words.
"Anything else?"
Su Ruojin replied: "At that time, I put the remaining papers into the water to try, and nothing was left except one."
After that, he handed the dried paper to Zhao Lan.
Zhao Lan could still see a few blue words through the ink paper that was soaked by the water. They were not Chinese characters. Due to his job, he had learned the Liaoxia language from Mr. Shen.
I recognized the words at first glance. They were probably not written well, like an abandoned draft. But there were only three words I could make out without being covered: 急...开...地...
"Did Shi Dayou say that Mr. Mo bought it from that pen and ink shop?"
(End of this chapter)
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