Chapter 288 Meeting with Aozao Noodles
Fan Yanjia waved his hand awkwardly and looked into the distance, but still didn't see the lady in his mind coming. He hesitated, not knowing whether to go in and wait, so he decided to give up.
The autumn wind blows the branches in the yard, and yellow leaves fall down.
Zhao Lan sat opposite Mr. Shen. Santai was reporting on what happened in front of the Wenshan Street Bookstore. "Master, from morning to evening that day, we checked everyone who entered the bookstore or stayed there. We even checked the beggars. There were no suspicious people."
"Sure?"
"Yes, Master."
Zhao Lan frowned and tapped the table with his fingers. "Have you investigated both Yingnan County Prince Zhao Lin and the fifth daughter of the Xie family?"
"Yes." Santai replied.
"Being able to throw the note in front of Ajin's door must be related to someone in the restaurant. Have you checked?"
Santai hesitated for a moment, "Master, this is our own restaurant. Except for the two dishwashers, everyone inside is ours. I have questioned them one by one, and none of them are suspicious. Those two dishwashers have no chance to go to the front hall, let alone the guest rooms on the second floor. But I still checked them and found nothing unusual."
Zhao Lan remained silent.
Mr. Shen smiled and said, "Atai, apart from the two lines of Prince Yingnan and the fifth daughter of the Xie family, did you investigate according to the spies of Liaoxia Kingdom?"
Santai glanced at his master before nodding, "Sir, I checked according to this line of thought."
"Could that be another possibility?"
"What is possible?"
Mr. Shen said, “It’s a possibility that we haven’t noticed.”
Didn't notice? Santai was puzzled, "You mean, the other group of people who are against us?"
Mr. Shen nodded.
Santai apologized, "Master, it was my negligence. I will check it out right away."
In the blink of an eye, Santai went out to investigate.
Zhao Lan stretched out his hand wearily and pulled at his brow, "Sir, is there still no news about Gou?"
Mr. Shen shook his head. “Our people went to Loulan in the west, Mosa in the south, the border in the north, and Liaobian in the east, but we couldn’t find any trace of him. It’s as if he disappeared.”
"No, I'm sure he's alive, and he's not in Bianjing City, but nearby."
"Then I will strengthen the manpower."
Zhao Lan relaxed his brows and said, "It's best to make us dark and make him light, so that we can catch him."
Even though he knew it was not easy to make Gou come out from the dark, Mr. Shen said, "I will arrange it. The sooner we can catch him, the sooner we can catch him."
In a messy haystack in a village near Wenshan Street, a little beggar was hiding in a hole in the grass. He heard the barking of dogs in the village, and quietly stuck his head out to look outside. The farmers in the village were either carrying hoes to the fields or coming back from the fields, busy and toiling.
He pressed his hungry stomach and pursed his lips that were dried by the wind. Unable to bear the hunger anymore, he crawled out of the grass hole and looked around. No one was paying attention to him.
He grabbed a handful of mud from the ground, smeared his little face with it again, and went to Wenshan to beg for food.
At noon, Su Ji's shop was full of people. The newly served mushroom chicken soup pot attracted many customers to eat. The chicken was a three-yellow chicken that had been raised for a spring and a summer, and the mushroom was fresh pine mushrooms that Father Feng had just brought from the mountains.
At the quietest table against the wall sat a young couple.
There was a charcoal fire in a small clay pot, with bubbling three-yellow chicken soup on it. Sliced pine mushrooms were placed around the stove, as well as various side dishes, such as cabbage, lettuce, chicken greens, tofu skin, sliced cucumbers, etc.
The pine mushrooms are slowly cooked in the chicken soup and absorb the rich chicken fat. The pine mushrooms are plump and tasty. One bite of them is as satisfying as if juice is bursting in your mouth. A piece of cabbage to relieve the greasiness and a refreshing cucumber is the ultimate enjoyment.
Ning Ning had a gloomy face when she came, but after a few bites of the delicious food, her brows relaxed unconsciously, "If Hui could have a bite, I'm sure all my worries would be gone."
As she spoke, Ningning's eyes, which had just seemed to be in a better mood, were filled with tears again.
"Ah... Aning..." Seeing the young lady sad, Fan Yanjia was at a loss. He wanted to reach out and wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, but he was afraid of offending the young lady, so he was in a dilemma.
Xianggui had been paying attention to the young man and the young lady at the table, to see how they were eating and whether they wanted to replace their dishes. Unexpectedly, the young lady started crying while eating.
Is it that Su Ji's hot pot is not good?
"Ah... Ah... Ning..." Fan Yanjia picked up a chicken leg and gave it to the young lady, "No matter what happens, only by filling your stomach first can you have the strength to deal with it."
Seeing the chicken leg and thinking about his niece who was starving, he felt so guilty that he had no mood to eat. He put the chicken leg back into Fan Yanjia's bowl and said, "You eat it. I can't eat it."
"Aning, why can't you eat?" Is it because the girl you are going to marry into is of low social status?
Ning Ning couldn't eat anymore with her niece like that. She put down her chopsticks and couldn't help crying with her face covered. "What should I do...what should I do?"
She cried quietly, attracting the attention of other guests.
Xianggui quickly stood in the aisle and served food to other guests to divert their attention.
Seeing the young lady so sad, Fan Yanjia mustered up his courage and said, "Aning, I will come to your house to propose marriage after I pass the imperial examination next spring."
"Then hurry up..." Suddenly feeling something was wrong, Ning Ning let go of his hand and looked at him with a puzzled look, "Brother Yan Jia, do you mean to marry my Ah Hui?"
What Ahui?
Fan Yanjia reacted immediately, "No...no...I mean marry...marry you."
Ningning was stunned. If it weren't for Madam Su Er, she would not have been familiar with the young master of Minister Fan's family. They had stayed at a farmhouse for a while and had a good time there, but since returning to the capital, they had no contact.
What does he say now?
"You...will marry me?"
One is bold, the other is rebellious.
It was shocking that two young men and women from aristocratic families were talking about marriage face to face in an ordinary restaurant, but the two parties acted as if they were talking about other people's family affairs, without any shyness at all.
No, Fan Yanjia has it. He nodded with a red face. Fearing that the young lady would disagree, he quickly said, "After passing the imperial examination, my highest official position will be a seventh-rank Hanlin, which fully meets General Ning's requirements."
"But your father is a second-rank minister!"
"It's not my father who married you, it's me."
Ningning: ...Is this okay?
She suddenly asked excitedly, "Brother Yan Jia, how did you come up with this idea?" He seemed so smart! Could he also help solve Ah Hui's problem?
Fan Yanjia bared his teeth and smiled smugly, "Your father wants to find a minor official in the capital. After the imperial examination next year, I can definitely meet the requirements."
If General Ning were here, he would definitely be speechless at this young couple, as he clearly said he was only looking for sons of Beijing officials below the fifth rank.
However, Fan Yanjia liked Ningning and deliberately misinterpreted General Ning's intention, saying that he should do his best first and then leave it to fate.
Ning Ning stared at Fan Yanjia with admiration, "Brother Yanjia, can you help me solve the problem of Ah Hui liking Master Shangguan?"
"(⊙ o⊙) Ah!" Fan Yanjia couldn't take care of his own affairs, "Ah... Madam Hui is your niece?"
Ning Ning nodded, "Ah Hui likes Master Shangguan, but my sister doesn't agree with Ah Hui marrying a middle-aged man with no family or origin."
Fan Yanjia: ...You were clearly talking about what happened between him and her, how did it involve her sister's child?
Fan Yanjia is an authentic ancient person, and now he is also becoming a heretic. But when he thinks of Miss Zhong whom he met at the farm house, and then thinks of Shangguan Yu, these two people are extremely mismatched in every aspect.
If they don’t match, how can there be a marriage?
But seeing that the young lady was so concerned about his niece, Fan Yanjia thought for a long time before speaking slowly, "I... don't know what to do?" It was not an excuse.
"Brother Yan Jia, you are so smart, you will definitely be able to think of a solution, right?"
Fan Yanjia: ...I was suddenly praised by the young lady, and it seemed unreasonable not to help her.
But he hasn't figured out his own affairs yet, so how can he help others?
"Should...or should..."
The young lady stared at him with sparkling eyes, waiting for him to make a move like a god with an admiring look on her face.
Fan Yanjia was almost unable to get down from the trap. He turned his eyes away, avoiding the young lady's earnest gaze, and said, "I can't help..."
The young lady suddenly lost her temper and slumped her shoulders.
When Fan Yanjia saw that the situation was not right, he quickly tried to remedy the situation, "But Ajin is smart. She was the one who came up with my idea. I can let Ajin help you."
Su Erniang?
When Ningning heard Su Ruojin again, her face changed.
The elder sister wanted to marry Ah Hui to Su Er Niang's brother, but the Su family was unwilling. So the elder sister sent Ah Hui to the Su family without caring about her dignity. Unexpectedly, the marriage failed and Ah Hui fell in love with Master Shangguan.
Regardless of the family background or Ah Hui's situation, how could her sister dare to marry Ah Hui to someone without any foundation?
But when I thought of my niece who was so hungry that she looked unrecognizable, could I just watch her starve to death?
Thinking of the capable Su Erniang, Ningning hesitated. Should she help?
As night fell, Su Ruojin prepared a light dinner at home and waited for Zhao Lan to come over to eat, but she didn't expect that there would be two uninvited guests.
"Brother Yan Jia, Miss Ning, why are you here?"
Ning Ning snorted, "Can't you come?"
Su Ruojin: ...Why do you feel like you've eaten gunpowder?
However, I have spent quite some time with her, and I know that although she appears to be a proud young lady on the surface, she is actually cheerful and straightforward, and we get along quite well.
"Yes, yes." Su Ruojin invited the two of them in together.
Su Ruojin made Aozao noodles tonight.
It is a traditional noodle dish in Jiangnan area and one of the top ten noodles in China. Aozao noodles are most famous for their fried fish in red oil and braised duck in white soup.
Su Ruojin made white soup braised duck noodles tonight.
Duck is cold in nature and is best eaten during the dry autumn season.
In the afternoon, Su Ruojin picked the fattest duck of the year, cut it into pieces, put it into the pot to braise, and then made it into roasted head; and made the old soup. After an hour and a half, the braised duck pieces were salty and fragrant. When the lid of the soup pot was opened, the clear soup was filled with golden duck oil, which was refreshing and mellow.
Now that we have the stew and soup, let’s talk about the noodles.
The noodles of Aozao noodles are made from refined white flour and are scooped out quickly when put into the pot to make them of moderate hardness and softness. The noodles are then put into the prepared old duck soup and sprinkled with chopped green onions and other seasonings.
The characteristics of Aozao noodles are: 'five hot ingredients in one, small ingredients to make the soup'.
The so-called "five hots" are hot bowl, hot soup, hot oil, hot noodles, and hot toppings; "small ingredients for soup" means that the soup is not prepared in a large pot, but is made according to the needs of the customers to maintain the original flavor. Aozao noodles are not only exquisitely selected and delicious, but also have the characteristics of "three hots": hot noodles, that is, when the noodles are picked up, they are not rinsed in warm water, but in boiling water; hot soup, the prepared noodle soup is placed in an iron pot and simmered with residual fire to maintain its temperature; hot bowls, after washing the bowls, they are placed in boiling water for use, which not only keeps them warm, but also disinfects and hygienic.
Therefore, eating 'Aozao Noodles' can make you sweat even in the coldest days of winter.
Four young men sat at a table, each with a large bowl of Aozao noodles in front of them and a small plate of braised duck with toppings on the side.
Dusk is falling and the oil lamps are beginning to light.
The autumn air is cool, and the aroma of the steaming Aozao noodles is so fragrant that it whets one's taste buds and appetite.
Su Ruojin smiled brightly, "Then let's eat."
After saying that, he picked up the chopsticks, lowered his head, picked up a large chopstick, blew on it while eating, the food tasted better and better, and he couldn't stop at all.
After a busy day, Zhao Lan was already hungry, so he picked up his chopsticks and started eating. The red soup, white noodles, and green onions were so salty, sweet, and fragrant, just the right taste. He couldn't stop eating it because it was so delicious.
Fan Yanjia is also a foodie. Under normal circumstances, he would have eaten to his heart's content. But today, his beloved lady was sitting next to him, so he was rather reserved. He picked up his chopsticks and ate very politely.
Ningning had something on her mind, but for some reason, even though she was thinking about her niece Hui Niang, she couldn't help herself and ate the whole bowl of Aozao noodles in one go.
After eating, I felt guilty and regretful.
Ah Hui refused to even drink her saliva, how could she eat so fast?
After eating noodles and braised duck, everyone was full during the meal.
Su Ruojin made some honeysuckle tea to help everyone digest food and reduce dryness.
"Aning, why don't you drink tea?"
This question was asked by Fan Yanjia, and while he asked, he secretly glanced at Su Ruojin.
Su Ruojin pretended not to notice his little action.
Zhao Lan half leaned on the armchair with his eyes closed. If it weren't for these two annoying people, he would have sat together with Ah Jin.
It's so annoying.
Ning Ning, who didn't feel annoyed, was in a bad mood, "A Jin..."
Su Ruojin looked at her and said, "If you don't like honeysuckle tea, I'll change it to chrysanthemum tea for you."
Ning Ning sniffed, "Ah Jin, please save Ah Hui."
Su Ruojin really didn't want to answer, but Ningning was crying, so she couldn't harden her heart and had to answer, "What's wrong with her?"
"She's starving."
Su Ruojin was a little unconvinced and thought Ningning was exaggerating.
"Really, I didn't lie to you." Ningning's tears fell straight down. "Last time at home, he refused to eat, but I could still feed him a little. But this time, my sister forced him to come back. Maybe he sensed something, and I couldn't even feed him water."
Su Ruojin: ...
So serious?
"Then..." For a moment, Su Ruojin didn't know how to persuade her, but she couldn't help. "Does your sister know why Ah Hui refused to eat or drink?"
Ningning pursed her lips.
This shows that Zhong Wanhui likes Shangguan Yu.
But Shangguanyu...
If Shangguan Yu treats the young lady well, then there will be no problem as long as the Zhong Ning family is willing to marry the young lady to him. But now, neither the Zhong Ning family nor Shangguan Yu seems to have any intention.
What should we do if Zhong Wanhui is the only mentally retarded girl who is willing?
(End of this chapter)
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