Shuiyuelou (adult novel by celebrities)

Shuiyue Tower Author: Shi Yan

one

The prince likes two things: Shuiyue'er's small feet and Ma Laoqi's wok.

The Dragon Boat Festival is just a few days away, and the wind blowing across Shichahai Lake is a little warmer. Water birds lazily basked their wings, letting the tender green branches of the weeping willows sway leisurely before their eyes. According to previous years' experience, the dragon boats should have been launched into the lake by now.

The young man took off all his clothes except for a short jacket, with a long black braid tied on top of his head. He practiced rowing to the deafening beat of the drums. Dragon boat racing is a fun way to have fun and also a way to win prizes. We are the guys from the neighborhood, who are we afraid of?

But it won’t work this year, as word has been passed from the palace near the lake that “Eight Barbarians are invading China”, and large groups of foreign soldiers have entered Dongjiaomin Lane. The Empress Dowager personally appointed the Grand Councilor Zhao Shuqiao to pacify the Boxers and support the Qing Dynasty to destroy the foreigners. The righteous people are preparing to fight against the evil soldiers and generals! The capital is not at peace, and all lanterns and dragon boat races are strictly prohibited this year!

The young and old men were greatly shocked by this. They quickly asked each other and found out that the prince had used the Twelve Fates to calculate Zi Wei Dou Shu. Guess what? Hey! In the twenty-sixth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the year was Gengzi, which coincided with the evil star attacking the dragon, and the court was in great trouble! At the end of April in the lunar calendar in 1900, three things were out of stock in the capital: mugwort, calamus, and realgar wine.

The prince returned home, walked into the study in the east courtyard, stroked his goatee and coughed twice. The housekeeper and servants serving in the courtyard bowed and retreated immediately as if they had made an appointment, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The sound of the jade pendant "Ding Ding Dang Dang" came from far away and got closer. The prince supported his ears with his palms and listened for a while, and his dim eyes suddenly lit up. He sat down on the armchair with a smile on his face, and looked at Shuiyueer holding a cup of jasmine tea and swayingly stepping over the threshold.

"Good luck to His Majesty." Shuiyueer lowered her head, bent down, knelt down, and bowed. The prince said "hmm" and waved for her to come over, almost knocking over the cup of tea. Shuiyueer hurriedly placed the covered bowl on the desk and forced a smile as the prince embraced her.

The prince hugged Shuiyueer, opened her dark mouth and kissed her first. The girl was only eighteen or nineteen years old. She was originally a country girl from outside the capital. She fled famine and begged for food when she was young. She was abducted by a gangster and sold into a brothel. The madam was very cruel. She bound the girl's feet so that they were small and pointed, so that they could fit perfectly in her hands. It just so happened that the prince was greedy for this girl. After having sex with her once, he couldn't let her go. He had to spend money to redeem her and prepare to take in another one. Mrs. Fujin had always turned a blind eye to this, but this time she was really anxious. She ran to the prince's study tremblingly, sneered and said, "Great joy, Prince Beile! Tomorrow the clan house will get a message, and report it to the Empress Dowager and the Buddha. I guarantee there will be a generous reward."

The prince was frightened when he heard this and asked what this meant. The old lady Fujin glared at him and said, "First I'll reward you with a green headscarf to replace your red hat, and then I'll reward you with a big plaque in our palace - Happy Forest of the Eight Great Hutongs!" The prince was frightened and changed his mind. He took Shuiyue'er as a servant in the upper room, and she came and went like this every day.

The prince sat on the armchair, holding Shuiyue'er's embroidered shoes in his left hand, and kneading her small feet with his right hand. From time to time, he put them under his nose to smell them, and put them in his mouth to bite them, torturing Shuiyue'er until she moaned and begged for mercy, sweating profusely.

The prince finally became excited and felt much more relaxed. Then he coughed lightly: "Where are the people?"

Like a magic trick, a person suddenly emerged from some crack in the ground in the East Courtyard, where there was no sign of a ghost just now. The housekeeper in the upper room stood at the steps outside the window with his hands hanging down on his shoulders and his head lowered, and replied, "Yes!"

"Go ask the cook if the offerings for the Buddha's Dragon Boat Festival are ready."

"twitter!"

The kitchen was located in the western courtyard of the palace, with fire burning brightly and smoke billowing all day long. The chopping board was piled with venison, camel humps, abalone, mountain turtles, and seasonal fruits and vegetables. There were more than a dozen stoves lined up on the stove, all busy with stewing and simmering. There is a barbecue oven built on the east wall, with a greasy suckling pig hanging on the oven hook. The aroma of fruit wood mixed with the smell of barbecue makes people salivate. According to the rules of the palace, the prince's lunch and dinner must consist of four cold dishes and four hot dishes. Serve soup in summer and hot pot in winter. Have tea in the morning, wine in the evening, and snacks in the afternoon, one sweet and one salty, and the patterns change every day. The cooks who serve the prince are responsible for the stove, the counter, the dishes and the order. There are four or five of them doing the work all year round, and there are a dozen or so people who do the rough work. However, whenever the prince mentioned the cook, this cook was referring to one person: Ma Laoqi.

"Ma Laoqi" is a nickname, and this person originally had no official name. He just had a few light pockmarks on his face. He was probably seventeen years old, in his early forties. Look at this name, it fits your feet better than the shoes you are used to wearing, fits perfectly, and you can’t take it off even if you want to!

Judging from Ma Laoqi's accent, he seems to be from JD.com. I don't know where this guy learned his cooking skills, but his cooking skills are truly amazing.

Let me put it this way, ever since Ma Laoqi came to work in the palace, the prince has especially loved to hold banquets and entertain guests. The guests were all accustomed to the best of all worlds, but they were very smart. No matter who it was, as long as they disturbed the previous meal, they would eagerly look forward to the next one. A big red note three fingers wide was handed over, and immediately there was the sound of "cars and horses neighing". The banquet started at 5 p.m. in the evening, and all the princes and ministers sat in the hall and started swallowing their saliva at 3 p.m. We drank and chatted last night, and then we stood guard together the next night. In the Golden Palace, we should take care of each other, right?

Next, the prince thought about asking the Empress Dowager for help. A few months ago, I heard that envoys from various countries asked Empress Dowager Cixi to hand over power to Emperor Guangxu. How could the Empress Dowager Cixi tolerate this? It happened that the Boxers were heading north from Shandong, setting up an altar to practice boxing, killing foreign monks and Christians, burning foreign temples, and tearing up railways. The prince knew exactly what the empress dowager was thinking. When the Empress Dowager said she wanted to summon the people of Xuanyi to Beijing to defend the country, the prince contacted the leaders of the Boxers to come to the palace to pay homage. When the Empress Dowager wanted to go to war with the foreigners, the prince said that war had to be started for the sake of the country. After the court was dismissed, even the chief eunuch Li Lianying came up to greet him politely, which showed that he was trying to please the Empress Dowager. But the prince knew clearly in his heart that there was still a long way to go between being "well-favored" and being "favored". To really catch the eye of Mr. Buddha, you have to show enough interest in sensual pleasures.

So the prince gave orders: On the Dragon Boat Festival, the Empress Dowager must hold a banquet in the Summer Palace, drink wine and watch opera. Ask the kitchen to prepare exquisite wine and tributes. Don't be afraid of the money and the time. They will definitely make a masterpiece that will please the Empress Dowager!

two

This task really made Ma Laoqi very troubled!

When Karl Lagerfeld eats, that’s a huge deal. There are more than a hundred dishes for each meal. I guess you should have tried all the delicious foods in the world, except for the dragons and phoenixes flying in the sky and the unicorns running on the ground. Ma Laoqi thought hard, and the more he thought about rare birds and animals, the more unsure he felt.

That evening, Ma Laoqi gathered together the prince's leftovers, stewed them, and set a table of chicken, duck, fish and meat in the courtyard. He also fetched a jar of Wengdichun from a corner of the firewood room and sent a servant to quickly invite a few eunuchs from the South Pond, and they drank it for half the night. From those white and smooth lips, Ma Laoqi found out that the old lady, like other elderly women, had recently been fond of sweet desserts and fresh fruits. Yesterday we had a bowl of minced chicken with bean sprouts for lunch. To make this dish, you have to use an embroidery needle to hollow out the bean sprouts vertically, chop the chicken into stuffing and fill it with the bean sprouts, then stir-fry it in a pan with oil. The old Buddha took two bites and seemed very happy. Another dish is to stir-fry lamb tenderloin with sugar and sweet bean sauce until it looks like honey, and piled on a plate it looks like apricots. Karl Lagerfeld also likes to eat it.

After seeing off a few staggering eunuchs, Ma Laoqi squatted under the eaves and smoked more than ten pots of dry tobacco. Finally, he knocked his pipe against the sole of his shoe, stood up and said to himself, "Now that things have come to this, let's go all out and make an ice stove!"

The next morning, Ma Laoqi asked the manager of the outer courtyard to accompany him to the accounting office to get five envelopes of silver dollars, and rode his horse straight to Tongzhou Water Wharf. It just so happened that several ships carrying loquats from Suzhou Dongting Mountain had just docked and had not yet had time to enter the warehouse. Not to mention, the entire capital city has not yet been listed. Without saying anything, Ma Laoqi dropped the deposit and pointed to the cargo hold of loquats and told the warehouse manager: "Please pick out the big, juicy and sweet loquats from these cargo hold, and send them to the Prince's Mansion in Shichahai."

A few miles away from Tongzhou, I saw a group of people gathered at the entrance of a village by the road from afar, including men, women, young and old. There were several Boxer brothers standing in the circle, all wearing red turbans, red leg wraps, and red wrist guards, holding big swords, and chanting spells. Ma Laoqi heard that these heroes were protected by gods and were invulnerable to swords and guns in battle, so he wanted to see for himself. So he and the steward who came with him held the reins, sat on the animal and watched carefully.

I saw a fat monk sitting in the circle of people. He was wearing a red bamboo hat and a red cassock. He was facing the incense table in front of the altar, with his eyes slightly closed and muttering to himself. Behind the fat monk stood four boys, each with two braids on their heads. They put their hands together and chanted with the fat monk, saying, "Bajie and Wukong, no one is allowed to leak any air. You have iron eyebrows, iron eyes, iron shoulders and chests! Taigong is here!" After chanting for a while, the fat monk trembled all over, and then he stood up staggeringly. He closed his eyes, waved his fists, danced with his hands, and hummed something inaudible. Suddenly, the Boxers who had been standing in the outer circle of the four boys knelt in a row, kowtowed three times to the altar, and then trembled all over and started jumping up and down to dance.

The one with the greatest magical powers has to be the fat monk. Look, he picked up a piece of green stone and hit it with his bald head. With a "crash" sound, the meat head was fine, but the stone was broken. As for the other senior brothers, you stabbed me with the tip of the knife, and I swung the blade to chop you, all as if it was a joke, nothing happened, which left everyone stunned.

After calming down for a while, the four boys burned a magic talisman on the incense table and made some gestures. The fat monk and his fellow disciples looked as if someone had a basin of ice water poured over their heads in the coldest days of winter. They sneezed and woke up with a start.

His eyes were still dazed, as if he was completely unaware of what had just happened. At that time, there was a group of mud-bottomed kids who pestered the fat monk and wanted to join him and learn magic. The fat monk said, "You naked kids, if the Boxers hadn't set up a rebellion here today, you would have been fished out and eaten alive by the foreign monks sooner or later." He looked around and said, "The other day, the Empress Dowager Cixi summoned the Boxer leader to the palace and asked him what official position he wanted. Our leader said that he didn't want any official position, but only the heads of one dragon, two tigers and three hundred sheep. My fellow villagers, the Russians are the scourge of our Qing Dynasty, and the Ermao are even more of an accomplice to the tiger! Let's calm down, we have the golden magic to protect ourselves, let's rush to Dongjiaomin Lane together, and fuck the Russians' ancestors!" As he shouted, the fat monk drew a circle on the ground with the tip of his knife, drew a cross in the circle, and then slammed the cross with the handle of the knife. Suddenly, a ball of fire jumped up and almost burned the flag.

Ma Laoqi, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but marvel in amazement. After a while he came to his senses and saw that it was already noon, so he hurried back with the steward.

three

After returning the animals to the stable, Ma Laoqi came to the west yard, fetched some water from the well to wipe the dust off his face, ate a few bites of cold steamed bun with yellow sauce, and then "hulongtong" locked himself in the north room.

For three whole days and three nights, Ma Laoqi didn't step out of the north room. He first poured out a basin of mung beans from the magnetic jar and soaked them in the pure snow water stored in the winter. The beans are surprisingly green, round and cute, each one looks like emerald pearls. This treasure can be found only in a palm-sized piece of cultivated soil by the Nenjiang River, and you can harvest less than a hundred kilograms a year. This jar of rare treasure was specially sent by General Weiyuan from outside the Great Wall as a tribute to the prince.

Soak the mung beans, peel them, and simmer them with plum juice until they become fine sand. Then soak the mead and let it dry, and repeat this process several times. The bean paste was being dried here, but the back window of the north room was wide open, and a sparrow flew in and took a bite. Ma Laoqi stomped his feet and chased the sparrow, but the sparrow was not afraid of people and circled around the windowsill and refused to fly far away. Ma Laoqi had no choice but to close the window. Unexpectedly, I heard a "puff" sound. I pushed the window open and took a look. It turned out that the sparrow had gotten the smell and wanted to make some noise in the house, but ended up hitting its head on the window frame and died.

"Alas, although you also have a life, it's a pity that you don't have this blessing." Ma Laoqi sighed softly.

That night, the Tongzhou Water Wharf Warehouse delivered loquats to the mansion. They followed the instructions and gathered all the servants together. After working hard for half a day, they finally picked out a small basket of loquats, weighing only about ten kilograms in total. This small basket of loquats is truly breathtaking: each one is as big as a spring peach, bright yellow in color, and so fresh that it will bubble with honey when pinched. The whole room was filled with the fragrance, which even couldn't be blocked out through the door, and it made a "sizzling" sound as it squeezed out through the cracks.

Ma Laoqi carefully peeled a basket of loquats, took out the seeds, and filled them with mung bean paste. After this process was completed, he immediately gathered a team of palace servants and headed straight for Yuquan Mountain.

Halfway up the mountain, there is a sunny depression with a few half-grown watermelons growing in the cracks of the rocks, filled with juice.

Not far away, there was a thatched hut with an old man with a white beard sitting inside. Ma Laoqi rushed forward and bowed: "Grandpa, Qi'er greets you."

The great grandfather looked Ma Laoqi up and down and said, "Qi'er, do you want to make an ice furnace?"

"I dare not. Qi'er is just trying his luck."

"You bastard! Did I, your grandfather, spend my entire life practicing Taoism just to let you, a bastard, gamble your luck?"

"Grandpa, don't argue with Qi'er. Qi'er knows he is wrong."

"Yes. I knew you would come sooner or later, that's why I'm keeping an eye on these little idiots, afraid they'd be destroyed by wild animals. Go!"

"Thank you, great grandfather!" Ma Laoqi kowtowed, knelt on the ground and asked hesitantly: "Great grandfather, do you think Qi'er can refine it tonight?"

"It depends on whether the gods protect you. If the White Lady passes by here at midnight, then it will be successful." Ma Laoqi kowtowed again, stood up and took out a feather knife. He carved three or four holes in each watermelon, removed the pulp and stuffed loquats into the holes. He then covered the holes with the rind and smeared yellow mud to seal the holes, leaving the stems of the watermelons open to allow the pulp to fill in. After finishing his work, Ma Laoqi squatted by the stream to wash his hands. He saw a splash of water downstream. The fish in the pond shook their heads and tails and rushed to the place where Ma Laoqi washed his hands, which frightened the servants.

In the middle of the night, the mountain gradually became cooler. The servants folded their arms, shivering and trembling. However, Ma Laoqi kept muttering in his heart: It should be colder, the colder the better. Towards the second half of the night, a chill suddenly blew up from somewhere, and a layer of frost grew on the grass and branches. The fish that were originally dozing quietly suddenly sank to the bottom of the pond, and a layer of icicles formed on the edge of the water. Look at those watermelon eggs again, they are tightly wrapped in white frost formed by dewdrops, like crystal balls in the Dragon Palace. Ma Laoqi rushed into the shack and said, "Grandfather, White Lady is here, and the ice furnace is ready!"

No one responded.

Looking more closely at the straw mat, I saw the old man with white beard had passed away.

Made it through a year? Or maybe a lifetime? It was terribly long, and everything solidified into the chaotic shape before the creation of the world, and everything was silent.

In fact, only one day has passed from early morning to now.

At dusk, there was a noise at the front gate, and the prince's sedan chair carried by eight people landed in front of the screen wall. Ma Laoqi's heart suddenly started beating wildly. As the prince entered the hanging flower gate, the entire palace gradually fell silent.

A sound of footsteps came quickly from afar. Although it was so light that it was almost covered by the sound of the wind blowing on the ground, Ma Laoqi could still hear that it was the sound of the housekeeper's fast boots. Any instructions from the upper room were passed on by this butler. If the cook serves the master to his delight, the master will always open his mouth and say, "Seventh Master, how are you?" If a dish is not cooked properly and the master wants to blame him, the master will definitely call him, "Hey, Ma Qi!"

Ma Laoqi came to the center of the yard, not daring to breathe, waiting for the housekeeper to greet him.

"Well, well, come with me to the study and report back." Looking at the housekeeper's unpredictable expression, Ma Laoqi knew that this girl didn't understand what the prince meant either.

In a trance, he followed the housekeeper into the backyard's hanging flower gate, and then turned the corner around the screen wall of three doors. Ma Laoqi couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. When working in the palace, servants in the front yard were not allowed to get close to the hanging flower gate, let alone come to the prince's study in the east wing. The women and maids all left the place, and the surroundings were so quiet that not even a sparrow could be seen. The housekeeper asked Ma Laoqi to stop at the stone steps outside the study window. He lowered his head and shoulders and said in a voice neither too loud nor too soft: "Master Qibing, cook Ma Laoqi has come to report the master's words." After that, he disappeared without a trace.

Ma Laoqi couldn't control himself, his legs went limp, and he fell to his knees.

"Hmm," a cough was heard from the study, "Seventh Ma, the tribute 'Ice Stove Small Peaches', the Empress Dowager used a few of them. Who would have thought..." The prince coughed again, took a breath and continued, "Who would have thought that the Empress Dowager would be so gracious as to bestow a reward."

Suddenly, Ma Laoqi felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. His whole body felt weak and he almost fainted. He forced himself to speak without any instruction: "Thank you, Lord Buddha, for your grace! Thank you, Lord Prince, for your grace!"

The next words made Ma Laoqi unable to believe his ears: "Well, this is the imperial decree of the Empress Dowager, ordering you to go to the Renshou Hall in the Summer Palace and serve in the longevity kitchen. Ma Laoqi, you really have the good fortune to ascend to heaven in one step."

Ma Laoqi kowtowed repeatedly: "I thank the old Buddha for his grace! Thank you, Lord Beile, for your kindness!"

Inadvertently, Ma Laoqi glanced at the study and suddenly saw Shui Yueer's figure passing by. With just such a shake, half of Ma Laoqi's body felt broken. This woman, with eyes like bright stars, a face like a full moon, plump breasts and chubby buttocks, made Ma Laoqi, who had never had sex with a woman, have wild thoughts.

I can't remember how I got out. Ma Laoqi wandered around in a daze, and when he entered the west courtyard, he lay down on the kang in the room. The housekeeper brought him to the bed and said, "According to the Empress Dowager's decree, you, Seventh Master, must go to the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity in the Summer Palace to serve. However, May is a poisonous month when all insects come out of their holes. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is afraid of violating taboos and does not allow strangers to enter the longevity kitchen. You are still helping out in our Prince's Mansion. The eunuch in charge has said that after this month, you can get a good job."

Four

He was suffering in the ice cave just now, and suddenly he was lifted up to the sky. Attacked by both cold and heat, and extreme sorrow and joy, poor Ma Laoqi couldn't bear it! His face was red from the fever, and he was tossing and turning on the kang and talking nonsense.

The other cooks working in the kitchen usually don't like Ma Laoqi very much because he always has the upper hand. He appears to be friendly on the surface, but deep down he is filled with hatred. Several masters prepared dinner and asked the servants to make some scented tea for them. They ate it without asking whether Ma Laoqi was dead or alive. They sat in the yard with their legs crossed and chatted nonsense.

"Ice furnace, I've heard of it since I was a kid, but I've never really seen one. Hey, the Ma Qi is really made!" said an older person, "Just think about it, the bean paste always has a heaty flavor when it's cooked, and the flavor slowly evaporates along with the heat. Outside, the watermelon is filling with juice, carrying the fairy air of heaven and earth, and forcing its way in under the frost. Ice and fire intersect, yin and yang communicate with each other, and even refining the elixir is just like this!"

A servant took over the topic: "That's true. I heard that when the Empress Dowager ate a small peach from the Ice Stove, her white hair turned black. After eating another one, the wrinkles on her face disappeared."

"Fuck your nonsense!" Another one was unhappy. "The creation of heaven and earth, yin and yang, how can this be a joke? In my opinion, although Ma Laoqi succeeded in refining the ice furnace, he also offended the gods and was punished by heaven!"

Just as they were talking about divine punishment, a strange wind blew up in the courtyard, making the heads of the men, young and old, numb and with goose bumps all over their bodies. Everyone couldn't help but gather together, looking at the hut where Ma Laoqi slept in fear.

The old Buddha sat high up on a lotus platform, like a bodhisattva. Ma Laoqi tremblingly presented a plate of tribute fruits, not even daring to raise his eyelids.

"Seventh Master Ma," the old Buddha's voice floated over from afar, "I have a reward!"

Immediately, Ma Laoqi changed into an official uniform and held a handful of gold ingots in his arms. After thanking Long En, he went into the three shabby thatched houses in his hometown.

The family had many fields and many servants. Ma Laoqi and the government officials are on close terms with each other and are very powerful! However, there was one thing that puzzled him: why were there always three dilapidated thatched houses when he came in and out?

"Tear it down!" Ma Laoqi reached out to pull the thatch under the eaves, but unexpectedly a group of children came running over, chattering and clamoring for their daddy to hold them. Ma Laoqi started to wonder again: When did I get married? Where do all these little kids come from! When I turned around, I saw Shuiyueer smiling at the side. Oh, isn't this my wife?

I don't know how I got on the kang with my wife, and I saw her big, plump breasts oozing milk. Looking at the lower half of my wife's body, I saw it was all white and misty, and I couldn't make out anything. At this moment, I suddenly felt my penis swelling violently. Before I could figure out what was going on, a burst of excruciating happiness erupted.

Ma Laoqi woke up with a start. I slowly came to my senses and felt that my body was wet. He made a "Pah" sound and felt ashamed and annoyed: "You are a half-dead man, and you are still making such a fuss!" He quickly pulled out a pair of clean shorts from under the kang mat and put them on in the dark.

When I woke up the next morning, the illness was cured.

Everyone in the mansion knew that Ma Laoqi was going to work for the Queen Mother. Even the master who usually didn't pay much attention to the servants was very polite to Ma Laoqi: "Seventh Master, have you eaten?"

Because he was looking forward to the letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ma Laoqi's mind was always flying outside the gate, and he felt that the situation in the market was getting more and more exciting day by day. The Boxer Rebellion and the Red Lantern Rebellion were all over the city in a few days. Because the prince followed the Empress Dowager's wishes and kept clamoring for war against the foreigners, the Boxers respected him very much. They even set up a boxing arena in front of the prince's mansion and put up a big flag at the entrance of the arena, with the words "Boxers in compliance with the will of Heaven" written on them. Whenever the prince went out, his brothers would hold ghost-head swords, stand on both sides with their hands on their hips, and clear the way for the prince's official sedan guards. Even Ma Laoqi felt proud of this majestic scene.

However, there are also things that make Ma Laoqi feel scared. The altar in front of the gate was used not only for practicing boxing and summoning gods, but also as an execution ground by the Boxers. The traitors who believed in the foreign religion were tied up and led here by their fellow disciples. They would chop people with swords and their heads would fall to the ground. There would always be large pools of blood on the stone road surface. There were also a few officials who were killed by their fellow apprentices with machetes because they had dealings with the Russians. I heard that everything in these families was looted, and the women also suffered.

During this period, there were a lot of guests in the palace. Sometimes when we entertain guests for dinner, the conversations coming out of the upper room are quite different from usual. In the past, people were particular about fine food and were willing to spend any amount of money. Now, the dishes served are just for show, the more economical the better. According to Ma Laoqi, the prince not only has no shortage of money to spend, but is also filling his boxes with large amounts of gold, silver and treasures. All the officials who came to pay their respects to the palace had to hand in long lists of gifts first. Those characters who are not of high status have to try to get close to the housekeeper and legal advisor in the mansion in a roundabout way, giving them money and handing over documents. Ma Laoqi thought that this was probably the result of the care of the old Buddha.

With his changed status, Ma Laoqi had more free time. Sometimes, I couldn't help but wander outside the hanging flower gate. Finally, one day, the beautiful lady in the yard showed her face. Seeing Ma Laoqi's dazed look, she suddenly smiled, and the scene was exactly the same as in her dream. The servant guarding the yard didn't know whether to stop him or not, so he had to clear his throat as a reminder.

Counting on my fingers, the day of departure is getting closer and closer.

There were sounds of gunfire in the distance for several days in a row. The housekeeper said that it was foreign soldiers and generals attacking the city. The boxing ring at the door was removed, and the brothers sent more troops to attack the Xishiku Church. The prince seldom goes out, and no one comes to visit his house.

Ma Laoqi was still thinking about the matter of the Shoucanfang, so he asked the housekeeper to go in and ask for a word. After asking several times, the butler replied that the prince was busy. If you ask me to do it again, the butler's tone will be wrong.

A sense of foreboding spread in Ma Laoqi's heart.

Finally, the foreign soldiers broke into Beijing, burning, killing and looting everywhere. The Boxers were lying in the streets, their bodies riddled with bullets like a hornet's nest. On the day the city was captured, a group of foreign soldiers and generals rushed into the palace, killed a dozen servants who were good at using knives and sticks, took away all the valuables and antiques, and chased the women and maids away, making them cry for their mothers. Ma Laoqi, the cook and the servant hid under the thatched nest in the firewood room and were all pulled out without leaving a single one. The two foreign soldiers put the prince's red hat on Ma Laoqi and made him wear a patched court robe. Then two foreign soldiers got on a rickshaw, pointed their bayonets at the back of Ma Laoqi's head, and treated him like an animal.

Ma Laoqi dragged the car into a winding alley and suddenly lifted the car up. The two foreign soldiers in the car were laughing and were caught off guard. They were knocked to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time. Ma Laoqi saw Lengzi running away, and in the blink of an eye he disappeared.

five

Ma Laoqi sneaked out of Beijing overnight and begged for food all the way south. He made up his mind that Jiangsu and Zhejiang were the land of fish and rice, and at least he would have a bowl of rice to eat there. Fortunately, the weather was warm, so we could walk briskly during the day and sleep in a grass nest at night.

The further south you go, the more peaceful the land seems to be, and it becomes easier to seek help.

After walking for more than ten days, we arrived at Qingjiangpu. Ma Laoqi had a distant relative who worked in the Hedu Yamen. After much difficulty in meeting him, when the other party heard that I was from Beijing, they were worried that I might have some connection with the Boxer Rebellion, so they gave me some money and sent me away. Ma Laoqi took a boat south along the canal, passed Yangzhou, arrived in Yizheng, went ashore to stay in a hotel and changed to a river boat. In front of us is Huangtian Dang at the mouth of the Yangtze River. From there, heading east, you will go to Suzhou and Hangzhou; heading west, you will go to Nanjing. Ma Laoqi thought at night: Man proposes, God disposes. Get up early tomorrow. If the wind blows from the east, I will head to Nanjing; if the wind blows from the west, I will naturally go to Suzhou.

The next morning, Ma Laoqi went out and looked, and saw the teahouse sign floating towards the west. It's just like Zhuge Kongming borrowing arrows from the straw boat and bringing up the east wind!

After the Chinese New Year, the construction of Nanjing’s main roads was finally completed. Rickshaw pullers felt that they could save a lot of energy by climbing Huangnigang and going up Guloupo. But be careful, and give way as soon as you hear the bailiff shout. If you were a little slower, the whip would come down on your head.

At this moment, Zhang Zhidong, the governor-general of Liangjiang, was sitting in a green velvet sedan chair carried by eight people, with an apricot-yellow umbrella hanging high in front of it, and was walking slowly along the main road. During the Boxer Rebellion two years ago, Zhang Zhidong was still the Governor-General of Huguang, and he did not approve of letting the Boxers to "support the Qing and destroy the foreigners" at all. The Eight-Nation Alliance besieged Beijing, and the imperial court issued an edict to all princes to lead their troops to "serve the king." Zhang Zhidong and several other southern generals agreed to "protect the southeast", and none of them went north to start a war with the foreigners. It's really bold of you not to give face to Karl Lagerfeld!

Look, the Eight-Nation Alliance broke into Beijing, and the Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Guanxi with Emperor Guangxu. They were so scared that they didn’t dare to return to Beijing for almost two years. Li Hongzhang negotiated peace with the foreigners with trepidation. The princes and ministers who had instigated the Boxer Rebellion were either beheaded or exiled, and Li Hongzhang also paid the Japanese a huge compensation of 450 million taels of silver. The imperial court lost face and the people in Tianjin and Beijing suffered greatly. On the contrary, the southeastern provinces were relatively peaceful.

The sedan chair entered the Governor's Office and landed outside the ceremonial gate. Zhang Zhidong walked around the court room and the main hall, and in the second hall he put on his hat and loosened his robe. The squad leader served him a cup of pre-rain tea, and Zhang Zhidong drank it slowly. After calming down, he asked:

"Any business?"

A clerk came in from the corridor and said, "Replying to the Marshal, two documents have just arrived at the signing room. One is a telegram from Tianjin, and the other is a proposal from Mr. Lin of Jiangning Prefecture."

Zhang Zhidong took the telegram paper and unfolded it to read it carefully. The telegram was sent by the Beiyang Governor's Office and had been translated by the signing office according to the Chinese and foreign calendars. It stated that the Jinling Manufacturing Bureau had tested a rocket in Tanggu and an explosion occurred again.

The Rocket Branch of the Jinling Manufacturing Bureau was the inheritance left by Li Hongzhang. The greatest threat to the Qing Dynasty throughout history was nothing more than the foreigners' powerful ships and artillery. Once the coastal artillery is equipped with rockets, we will not be afraid of foreign warships from far away on the sea. We can just "whoosh" and send a string of rockets at them, and send the foreigners back home to see their grandmothers! Unexpectedly, the rocket just couldn't be built. The American mechanic Ma Renli who was invited this time also wrecked it during the test launch. Zhang Zhidong was furious and wrote a few words in large characters: "Ma Renli is dismissed from his post, and the chief of the Rocket Branch is to investigate!"

After taking a breath, Zhang Zhidong picked up the second document. This was a proposal from the prefect of Jiangning, which roughly meant that various places were planning to set up schools, but some prefectures and counties were taking advantage of the opportunity of collecting donations to extort money from the people, causing people's hearts to become unstable. He hoped that the commander-in-chief would issue an order to abolish the schools. After reading it, Zhang Zhidong looked up and asked, "Is Prefect Lin here?"

The clerk replied, "I'm still waiting in the signing room."

"pass!"

After a while, Magistrate Lin bent down and entered the second hall. After the greetings, they sat down and the servants served tea.

After a few pleasantries, Zhang Zhidong asked directly: "According to your opinion, raising funds and donating to schools is likely to breed malpractices, so is it better to abolish it?"

Prefect Lin bowed and replied, "Your Excellency, you are right. What I mean is that, firstly, the prefectures and counties were ordered to set up schools, and the officials were bound to extort money. Some common people only had a capital of a few thousand taels, but the annual donation was as high as three hundred taels, which almost caused public resentment! Secondly, throughout the dynasties, the imperial court had the Imperial Academy, and each province had prefectural and county schools. The foundation of scholars is to 'learn well and then become an official'. If foreign schools are allowed to prevail, how will Your Excellency face the world's readers?"

Zhang Zhidong knew that Prefect Lin had only just become a Jinshi when he was over fifty years old, and he was particularly concerned about the joys and sorrows of scholars.

While serving in Jiangning Prefecture, he liked to exchange poems with local celebrities, and his poems and articles were well-known in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. As an official, he does not accept bribes, there are no wrongful convictions, and his test scores are very good. He especially loved to go to the Confucius Temple in Jiangning and Shangyuan counties to review students' essays and encourage the younger generation.

Therefore, although Prefect Lin was his subordinate, Zhang Zhidong still showed him special respect.

Zhang Zhidong sighed and showed the telegram from the Jinling Manufacturing Bureau to Lin Zhifu: "What you said is true. My brother is a secret, he was the top scorer in the Dingwei year of the reign of Emperor Daoguang. I was the top scorer at the age of 15, and I was lucky enough to get the third place in the palace examination at the age of 26. This is all the grace of the court, how can I not repay it! But you see, can a scholar who excels in education resist the strong ships and powerful guns of the foreigners? There is no one in the country to build ironclad ships and rocket launchers, so we have to hire foreign machinists with high salaries. The minds of foreigners are unfathomable, and they make mistakes again and again in military affairs! Brother, in the current situation, if I don't let down the scholars of the world, the scholars of the world will let down the country!"

Seeing Zhang Zhidong's agitated expression and tears in his eyes, Prefect Lin was silent for a while and slowly left.

It was getting late, and the kitchen brought out evening wine, starting with Zhang Zhidong's four favorite dishes: shredded duck with bird's nest, stir-fried shrimp, three-fresh pigeon eggs, and braised duck kidneys. He took a sip of Shaoxing Niang'erhong, picked up a piece of shredded duck and put it in his mouth. He felt that the taste was too bland and he couldn't chew it.

"Alas," Zhang Zhidong thought silently, "the cook in the kitchen is as old as this magistrate Lin."

After dinner, Zhang Zhidong picked up his pen under the lamp and began to draft the "Memorial on the Establishment of Sanjiang Normal School" that he had been planning for a long time.

six

The news that Marshal Zhang submitted the memorial caused a stir in the Confucius Temple.

The golden land of the Six Dynasties and the ten-mile Qinhuai River. The Confucius Temple on the banks of the Qinhuai River is known as the "No. 1 School in the Southeast" and is extremely imposing. The screen wall of the Confucius Temple was built across the river. The middle of the river was the Pan Pond. On the north side of the Pan Pond stood the "Lingxing Gate".

Archway. Behind the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple are the academies of Jiangning and Shangyuan counties, where scholars studied and lectured. To the east of the Dacheng Hall is the Imperial Examination Hall for the Jiangnan Provincial Examination. The "big examination" is held every three years. If a scholar passes the examination and becomes a juren, he will take the examination to become a jinshi three years later. According to the old imperial calendar, successful Jinshi would be given an official position.

This year is another year of the "big examination", and tens of thousands of scholars preparing for the exam gathered on both sides of the Qinhuai River. The dandy young man rented a spacious riverside hall, tied up his head with gorgeous girls, and happily "read at night with the fragrance of red sleeves by his side". The frivolous scholars of the next level simply moved into the house of a whore on Shiba Street and spent a few days as casual lovers. The inn was packed with people.

Thanks to the support of wealthy gentlemen, the restaurants, teahouses and snack stands along the Qinhuai River are doing a booming business.

Once people heard that the imperial examination system was going to be abolished, not only did the scholars panic, but the catering industry also felt that the situation was unpredictable.

Ma Laoqi set up a snack stand outside the academy, and it has been almost three years in the blink of an eye. I heard from my friends in Beijing that the Prince's Mansion in Shichahai was in ruins after being destroyed by foreigners, so I gave up the idea of ​​going back. Rent a broken boat on the Qinhuai River, prepare supplies, pack up and sleep at night. I went ashore early in the morning and set up a canopy, a crooked table and four narrow stools, with a chopstick cage and a sauce bottle on the table. After setting up the fire, the morning market can start. Most of the snack stalls nearby are from the Weiyang gang, but Ma Laoqi is the only one that serves authentic Beijing flavor, and it’s different every day: Yipin steamed buns, lotus leaf crispy cakes, alfalfa sugar cakes, shredded chicken noodles, and hot and sour duck soup. The scholars knew what was good and felt that Ma Laoqi's stall was different from others, and it even had a slight aura of a wealthy family. So people flock to it and business is particularly good.

Behind the Ma Laoqi snack stall is a "Zhao Ji Restaurant". The sign is indeed appropriate: the store is so small that it can only accommodate two dining tables. The shopkeeper's name is Zhao Guisheng. He is in his early twenties and has not yet married. He is a cook and has an apprentice who works as a waiter. After all, Zhao Guisheng was young and his skills were not yet perfect, so his business was not very prosperous. This shop was left by their ancestors. They do business during the day, and when the door is closed at night, the master and apprentice put the dining table together and sleep.

Just for this reason, Zhao Guisheng still looks down on Ma Laoqi. According to him, he is at least a young manager.

No matter how lively the place under the shed is, it is still a stall after all.

Ma Renli was dismissed from his post by Marshal Zhang, and was sent back to Nanjing by the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States to preach. He changed his name to Ma Shanren, wore a big golden braid on the back of his head, pink boots and a riding jacket. During the day, he played the sanxian and sang "Fengshen" in the teahouse in Confucius Temple. At night, he returned to his rented painting boat to rest. This foreigner spoke Chinese very fluently and became a unique sight along the Qinhuai River.

Ma Laoqi closed his morning market stall and squatted by the river to wash his things. Just then, Ma Shanren came ashore with his string instrument to sing Lahunqiang. Seeing that Ma Laoqi had made the river water dirty, he became unhappy: "Hey, friend, this is not good. If the river is not clean, your rice bowl will also be clean!"

Ma Laoqi rolled his eyes at him and thought to himself: Bullshit, do you think you can control my grandfather? Ma Laoqi cursed inwardly and deliberately stirred up the water to wash. Mr. Ma was afraid that his clothes would get wet, so he shook his head, stopped talking, and walked away.

Ma Laoqi was so proud that he looked up suddenly and happened to see Zhao Guisheng coming back after purchasing goods. He was sitting on a stone bench by the river, drinking tea and staring blankly, holding a birdcage in his left hand and a Yixing pottery pot in his right hand. He couldn't help but greeted, "Manager Zhao, are you free?"

It was clearly a polite remark, but Zhao Guisheng, this idiot, misinterpreted it. I thought to myself: What does this mean? My business is doing pretty well, so it’s your turn to taste the goodness of it? When people are overly concerned, their faces will be drooped and they will say something sour: "Oh, you are so busy, Ma Laoqi! How can you make money by being diligent? Mu Lao Lao (Mulaolao: Nanjing dialect, meaning a lot)!"

Ma Laoqi secretly laughed: This stupid bastard, why is he yelling at me, the Seventh Master? If you have the ability, improve your cooking skills and don’t cook every dish like salty coffin boards. You kid, don't look down on others. I, the Seventh Master, am setting up a stall here today, and one day I will make you look up to me. Although he was playing tricks on himself, he said sweetly: "Well, look at what Manager Zhao said, I have to rely on you to take care of this." After joking for a while, he went back to the afternoon market.

seven

Nine cannon shots were fired in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, and three gates opened one after another. Prefect Lin put on his official robe and hat, performed formal formalities in the court, and then began to let the candidates into the examination room. Because they would stay there for three days and three nights, each student carried, in addition to stationery, a bamboo basket containing food, cooking utensils, bowls and chopsticks, and oilcloth. To prevent cheating, two officers stood at the door to search everyone one by one. The examination room was packed with people, and everyone was able to enter only after nightfall. Only after the prison guards sealed the gate did Magistrate Lin take his sedan chair back to the academy and go to the Zunjing Pavilion for evening wine.

If it were any other day, Ma Laoqi would have already prepared the white soup with a whole chicken and lean ham, chopped up the shiny roasted fat duck skin, and prepared shredded chicken, diced mountain mushrooms, shredded tender tofu, chopped coriander, and Banpu vinegar. As soon as she saw the official sedan chair coming in, Malier mixed the hot and sour duck soup in a small bowl and simmered it over low heat. After three cups of wine, Prefect Lin would send out his followers, and this bowl of delicious food was just about ready. The duck soup was brought in hot, and by the time it reached Zunjing Pavilion it was cool enough to be eaten. It can help sober you up and help digestion, and this is what Lord Lin loves. After the servant served the evening wine, he brought out the small bowl. In addition to the regular bill, the tips were all from the servants. Therefore, when the followers saw Ma Laoqi, they were even more enthusiastic than when they saw their biological father.

But tonight, Ma Laoqi was not in a hurry. He just sat there smoking his pipe as if nothing had happened.

As usual, not long after, the follower walked out of the Dacheng Gate leisurely with a confident look on his face. He stood beside Ma Laoqi and held out his hand: "Ma Qi, soup!"

Ma Laoqi looked at his follower and asked, "What kind of soup?"

"Hey!" The attendant felt something was amiss, "Master's spicy duck soup!"

"Oh, I didn't do it today."

The attendant's face turned pale: "Oh my Seventh Master, how can I explain this to the adults?"

Ma Laoqi smiled and said, "Don't worry. You, tell your Excellency that Ma Laoqi sealed the kitchen knife today to worship the Kitchen God in order to serve you fresh food tomorrow. If your Excellency asks again, you can tell him that Ma Laoqi has to answer in person."

The follower had a bitter face, looked back every few steps, and walked in hesitantly. Sure enough, after a while, the henchman came out again, staring at Ma Laoqi for a long while as if he didn't know him, and then he said, "Seventh Master, go up and report to the adults."

Entering the Zunjing Pavilion, I saw a black lacquered table with gold decoration in the main room, with four plates and a wine pot on the table. Prefect Lin sat behind the desk, holding a thread-bound book in his hands and squinting his eyes as he looked at it under the lamp. Ma Laoqi performed the formal greeting and stood aside with his hands hanging down.

Prefect Lin looked up at him and said, "Seventh Master Ma, what do you want to buy?"

Ma Laoqi said calmly: "Master Qi Bing, bring in the fresh food of heaven and earth."

"Oh! What do you mean?"

"Sir, tomorrow evening, at sunset, I would like you to invite three or four distinguished friends to take a small boat and sail to the center of the Yangtze River. I have prepared the seasonings and am holding a sharp knife. I will cut three or four white fish that the fisherman in the river has just caught, and invite you to taste some fresh river food." After all, he had been standing outside the academy for three years, and Ma Laoqi actually had a scholarly air in his conversation.

"Huh!" Magistrate Lin became interested. "I wonder what's so good about this kind of river food?"

"My Lord, I am stupid, but I know that you have an ancient mind and cannot stand the filth in front of you. I heard the scholars in the school talking about a book called "Lüshi Chunqiu". The book said: The most beautiful taste in the world is in the water. What's more, the center of the Yangtze River is connected to the spirituality of the sky, and there is no dust around. Heaven and man are one, and yin and yang are in harmony. My Lord, isn't this the taste you want?"

Prefect Lin was stunned after hearing this, and it took him a while to come to his senses. He looked at Ma Laoqi from left to right, and then stood up and said, "This is not a cook at all, it's simply... is..." Prefect Lin said "is" for a long time without thinking of a suitable word, and suddenly asked, "How much reward do you plan to ask for this river seafood?"

"Master Lin is a man of integrity, and we have heard of him. If you are satisfied, I would rather not ask for any reward. I only hope to be your disciple and serve you for a long time."

"It would be unjust for me not to keep you, a great chef like you!"

"Thank you for your grace!"

eight

Late the next day, a pleasure boat rowed out of the Qinhuai West Water Gate and sailed into the Yangtze River along the Sancha River. Behind the pleasure boat, a stove boat followed "Yiyi Yaya".

A reed fishing boat was moored far away in the middle of the river. An old fisherman was wearing a straw hat and a raincoat, and his fishing net was shaking out the stars in the river. The pleasure boat rowed up to the fishing boat just as the moon was rising over the eastern mountain. It was a midsummer night and the sky was clear. In the distance, fishermen are singing in the evening, and sparks are twinkling. Such beautiful scenery made Governor Lin and several celebrities in the cabin want to retire.

The pleasure boat and the kitchen boat were moored next to the fishing boat. Ma Laoqi climbed out of the kitchen cabin and bowed to the old fisherman across the side of the boat.

The old fisherman nodded and said, "Swish!" Another net. As I slowly pulled the rope in, I saw several white fish being pulled onto the boat, jumping and leaping.

A group of river gulls flew over and circled around for a long time.

Ma Laoqi took a bamboo basket, dipped it in river water and placed the white fish on the table. Scrape the scales, remove the gills, and dig out the internal organs. A pair of hands dance up and down quickly like the wings of a river gull. In a flash, several fat and tender whole fish were spread flat on the porcelain plate. Sprinkle with shredded ginger, green onion segments, and chrysanthemum leaves, pour in autumn oil and wine, and steam in a steamer over high heat.

Inside the pleasure boat, a few adults had just taken two sips of hot tea when a plate of steamed white fish with wine sauce was served on the table.

Outside the porthole, under the night sky, a string of meteors fell from the sky.

Just this plate of fresh river food was enough to finish a jar of the best Shaoxing wine. Prefect Lin was drunk.

Suddenly, a speedboat sailed out of Longjiang Water Gate and came towards the pleasure boat at a rapid speed. As we got closer, the big words "Jiangning Prefecture" could be clearly seen on the lantern on the bow of the boat. Prefect Lin's expression changed, and he hurried to the bow of the boat and asked the yamen runner to inquire about the reason for the visitor's visit.

The person who arrived by boat was a clerk from the etiquette room of Jiangning Prefecture. From a distance, the teacher shouted in a toneless voice: "Sir, the examination hall is on fire!"

Prefect Lin stumbled and nearly fell into the river.

It was warm in the summer, and people in the examination rooms were afraid of the sun, so they all carried oilcloths to protect themselves from the sun. There was a small stove under the oilcloth, where people cooked meals in a messy way. Things are different nowadays. The rules of the examination hall have been severely abolished and the inspectors have turned a blind eye to them. Even cheat sheets can be sneaked in, what can’t these students do in the examination room?

No wonder Zhang Zhidong was determined to abolish the imperial examination system.

That night, the candidate was half asleep in his dormitory. Sparks from the charcoal stove hit the oilcloth, and a draft blew through the hallway and it hit the tiles. The fire was so severe that "a flame spread to three courtyards, and a drop of water was worth ten thousand gold coins." Prefect Lin rushed to the examination hall and realized that the crime was not small. While he sent yamen runners to deal with the aftermath, he was thinking to himself: This disaster has gone too far. If the Governor-General's Office reports the incident truthfully and the court blames me, I might even be pursued and thrown into prison. Furthermore, Marshal Zhang had always wanted to build a school in Jiangning Prefecture and he had submitted several petitions to the contrary. It was rumored that the governor had already intended to seek other capable people. It would be better to just resign and maybe live the rest of your life in peace.

The next morning, Lord Lin submitted his resignation letter to the signing room of the Governor's Office. Zhang Zhidong took into consideration the good reputation of Prefect Lin as an official and did not make things difficult for him.

Within a few days, the Sanjiang Normal School was established in the public housing of the Jiangning government office.

Lord Lin retired to the woods, and his attendants and staff each pursued their own careers, so of course the cook was reluctantly let go.

Ma Laoqi sat alone in the broken cabin, holding a jar of cooking wine and a dish of salted beans. He ate and cried every time. He had never been so sad before. While eating and crying, he came out to pee and saw Mr. Ma Shanren’s boat right next to him. This guy, relying on the strength of alcohol, urinated all his resentment, filling Mr. Ma's painting boat with a foul smell. When the girl heard the noise, she snorted and jumped from the cabin to the bow, grabbed the pole and hit him in the face. Ma Laoqi tried to dodge but failed and was hit hard several times. The man refused to do it anymore, so he grabbed the jar of wine and said: Here we go! There was a crisp sound of "clang" and the girl's forehead was broken.

Mr. Ma was injured, and his head swelled up like a big-headed doll when he was exposed to the wind. He quickly wrapped it with cloth, and from a distance it looked like a woman in the moonlight. The local security guard grabbed Ma Laoqi and rushed to Shangyuan County, which scared the people there. Thinking of how many officials had been beheaded as a result of the Boxer Rebellion, and how they would lose their jobs if negotiations were initiated, he almost kowtowed to the plaintiff.

Mr. Ma explained the whole story, but Ma Laoqi had no idea what was going on and waited dejectedly for his punishment. Shangyuan County was just about to do so, but Mr. Ma suddenly rolled his eyes and said that he would let Ma Laoqi serve him for three months. After a hundred days, the injury will be healed and all other matters will be over. The wages for the past three months will be considered as compensation. If the injury does not heal, it will not be too late to impose severe punishment.

As long as the foreigners in Shangyuan County are satisfied, whatever Mr. Ma says is fine. Ma Laoqi's hard work became "the screen wall of Shangyuan County - made of boards" (board: Nanjing dialect, meaning "must").

Nine

This is bad luck!

Ma Laoqi gnashed his teeth in hatred and squatted at the stern of the painting boat, sharpening his knife with a huff. Grab a handful of river water and pour it down the back of the knife, and the red rust will flow like blood.

Every time when a good luck comes, disaster strikes. This time I was detained in the cabin by foreigners. It was like selling myself into slavery. It was so depressing!

When talking about foreigners, Ma Laoqi has only one word in mind: hate. However, after a long time, it seemed that this foreigner named Ma was a bit "weird". First of all, although he was the master, he was actually polite to his servants and would greet Ma Laoqi when he came in or out. He also told me not to call him "Mr. Ma" and forced me to call him "Mr. Ma". Secondly, apart from singing the sanxian, Mr. Ma would sit at the low table in the cabin and read, write and draw. He neither smoked opium nor played mahjong, and certainly did not hire prostitutes. These habits are very common in government offices.

Gradually, Mr. Ma would chat with Ma Laoqi when he had free time. Why are there stars in the sky? Why are there mountains and rivers underground? He spoke and gestured, just like a foreigner singing "The Little Cowherd". well! It was Mr. Ma's talk that helped Ma Laoqi broaden his horizons.

In the afternoon, clouds and mist were seen rising from the Purple Gold Mountain outside the city in the distance, and bursts of muffled thunder could be heard faintly. Mr. Ma did not go out. While watching Ma Laoqi making braised fish, he changed the topic to the wind and rain. Mr. Ma lifted the lid of the pot, pointed at the water droplets dripping down and said, the water vapor from the ground rises to the sky, and when it gets cold it forms clouds, and when the clouds are thick it rains, which is the same principle as the water droplets dripping from the pot lid. Ma Laoqi asked, seemingly understanding, where did the God of Wind and God of Rain go? As they were talking, heavy rain poured down, filling the ground with white smoke. Suddenly, a crowd of people shouted, "Lord Dragon is sucking water!" Looking up, they saw a black dragon hanging from the clouds, hanging in the air, shaking its head and wagging its tail. Ma Laoqi was so frightened that he dared not breathe, and muttered in dissatisfaction: "Mr. Ma, don't tell lies in the future, or the Dragon King will blame you!"

"Bang!" Ma Laoqi was hit on the head, neither light nor heavy. Mr. Ma was so angry that his face turned pale. He fetched a long tube from somewhere, knocked on Ma Laoqi's head and said, "This is a clairvoyance. Let me show you what kind of dragon it is!"

Ma Laoqi was trembling with fear and unwilling, but Mr. Ma pulled him hard and he bravely held the tube of the telescope and looked through. Oh, that's strange. The horns, whiskers, claws, and scales that I saw in the Dragon King Temple before are not here at all. Looking around, it seems to be just a cloud. Ma Laoqi was stunned for a long while, and just as he was about to say "That true dragon emperor..." he was so frightened that he covered his mouth and stopped talking.

At night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Ma Laoqi used his clairvoyance to look at the moon again. Well, it turns out that the moon is a leper with a face full of scars. What the laurel in the moon palace, Chang'e and the jade rabbit, just pull your fucking dick and balls. After putting down his clairvoyance, Ma Laoqi seemed a little uncomfortable again. Things that have been stored in my head for so many years are gone in the blink of an eye. It really makes me feel a little empty.

After that, Mr. Ma often told things to Ma Laoqi, and he didn't just talk nonsense, but had Shenying to support his statements. What about trains, steamships, telephones, airships, transoceanic radio, etc. These things may not seem so new to students in new-style schools. But for Ma Laoqi, a cook who couldn't read a single word, this was indeed unheard of!

Not only that, Ma Laoqi also knew that there was no emperor in the United States, and that the people elected "Pulisi Tiande" to govern the world. There, it is not the people who are afraid of the officials, but the officials who are afraid of the people. Because the common people are paid by the officials, and if they disobey them they will destroy the officials' jobs.

This is completely different from our Qing Dynasty, isn't it?

Although there were many things that Ma Laoqi couldn't understand, he vaguely felt that both the emperor and the government officials looked like the railings of the Wende Bridge in Confucius Temple - unreliable!

Time flies, and three months passed in the blink of an eye. On the hundredth day, Ma Laoqi invited the local security guard, and Mr. Ma returned the package in public, and the two of them were clear of all charges.

Before he could leave, Ma Laoqi turned around and said, "Mr. Ma, can I ask you a few words?"

"Of course, go ahead."

"Mr. Ma, can our Qing Dynasty become like your America?"

"Well, this is a very big question, I don't know, only Jesus knows."

"Mr. Ma, you Americans are better than our Qing Dynasty in every way. Why don't you stay at home and enjoy yourself, but come all the way here to suffer?"

"Oh! Your city is nice, the food is good, and the women are beautiful. I like them."

"Since it's delicious, beautiful and useful, why do you foreign gentlemen always use guns to attack us?"

"Because your emperor won't let us come."

"Mr. Ma, you should be reasonable, right? Even if you're visiting your neighbor, you should say hello. You can't just barge in without hesitation."

“Hahaha!” Mr. Ma laughed so hard that his face turned pale. "Ma Laoqi, look at the Dacheng Gate in front of the Confucius Temple. Did you dare to go in in the past? No, you couldn't. What about now? The wall has collapsed, the gate is destroyed, and there is only an old, thin temple priest who likes to smoke opium. As long as you like and you are willing, you can step through this gate at any time!"

ten

The imperial court officially abolished the imperial examination system and established schools.

The Imperial Examination Hall for the Jiangnan Provincial Examination and the Imperial Academy behind the Dacheng Gate were both deserted and overgrown with weeds. Scholars stopped coming, government officials became less common, and the market suddenly became deserted and quiet.

Ma Laoqi moved his carrying pole to Yushi Street. The river here connects to Confucius Temple in the south and Xuanwu Lake in the north. Every day before dawn, boats loaded with fish and shrimps would yawp to the Beimen Bridge, filling the entire river. People gather here with loads on their shoulders and baskets in their hands to look at the goods and bargain, buying and selling. It is a bustling market with a bustling flow of people. After daybreak, the fish market was dispersed. People who have finished their business often start to have morning tea at this time.

Ma Laoqi still does morning market business, but there aren't many educated people here, so he needs a change of taste. Winter was here, so I went to Qijiawan the afternoon before and carried a basket of fresh beef from the Mahuihui slaughterhouse. I simmered it over low heat until midnight, including the skin and bones. This soup is as thick as glue. Then add a lot of spices and stew the beef until it is fragrant and crispy. Next came the baked bread. His bread was well leavened and soft, and tasted sweet, a little sour, and with a hint of wine. When I got to the morning market, I had a bowl of boiling thick soup, sprinkled it with chopped coriander and some white pepper, and after a few sips I started sweating all over. The kang pancakes are stuffed with beef, the pancakes are fragrant and meaty, and they are substantial, costing five cents a pair. Just for this reason, if someone says that Ma Laoqi’s business is not doing well, would you believe it?

On this day, the fish market was closed and the teahouse was gradually filled with customers. Ma Laoqi set up a stall, naturally under the eaves of someone else's house. Today, while he was doing business, he kept feeling that something was "colorful". After a closer look, I found that there was a man in the teahouse, drinking tea and looking over here all the time. Looking again, I saw that he was wearing a blue cloth jacket and trousers, with a lot of grease stuck on the front. There was a large bamboo basket under his feet, being watched by a servant. The bamboo basket was filled with tender leeks, bamboo shoots, shepherd's purse, water chestnuts, and gourd. On the leaves, saury and big black carp were still smacking their lips. There was also a sturgeon in the Yangtze River, shaking its head and tail, making a few turtles nearby so disturbed that they dared not stick their heads out.

As soon as he saw these things, he knew they must be people from the mansion, so he smiled and nodded to greet them.

Seeing Ma Laoqi calling him, the man simply stood up and came over. When he got to the fire-carrying pole, he raised his hand and said, "Please come in, my friend." His voice had a Beijing accent, which made Ma Laoqi feel very familiar.

"Hey, my friend, you are coming from the north?"

"Oh, that's right. It's not easy to come all the way here to be your personal attendant!"

As they got talking, Ma Laoqi learned that this friend was from Zhili, and was a distant relative brought over from his hometown by Zhang Zhidong, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, and was working as a purchasing agent in the kitchen of the Marshal's Mansion. The chef who used to cook for the Marshal retired and returned to his hometown, and the mansion was in need of a chef who could cook northern dishes. After hearing Ma Laoqi speak with a Beijing accent and tasting the beef soup and meat-filled pancakes, the purchaser realized that Ma Laoqi not only had the right words but also had extraordinary methods. Then he came over to talk to him, intending to recommend him to be the chef in the Marshal's Mansion. If you are satisfied with the probationary period, you can get three dollars a month.

Ma Laoqi said, "Thank you, big brother! Let me recommend you another one. His skills are not inferior to mine. I promise he will not make any mistakes."

They agreed to meet early the next morning. Ma Laoqi brought the people over for a trial job, and then the two friends said goodbye.

A Qingyingquan bathhouse opened under the Lishui Bridge in Confucius Temple. The shopkeeper was from Yangzhou, and his servants, as well as those who rubbed feet, scrubbed backs, and did menial work, were all "Xuzi" from Yangzhou. The large pool was built of white stones, the heating was burning hot, and the soap tongs used for rubbing ashes were emitting a pleasant fragrance. It was just daybreak and the first soup was just boiling when Zhao Guisheng came in with his arms folded.

Zhaoji Restaurant has not been open for some time. This is the braised dish I made at the beginning of the month. I reheated it several times but still couldn’t sell it. Fortunately, the weather was cold and the taste was not bad. At the end, I offered it to my own internal organs. Although several restaurants nearby are also doing poorly (Nanjing dialect, bad), they are not as unpopular as his Baohao.

Ma Laoqi's deserted stall can be left at any time, and he will go wherever there is a lot of activity. Zhao Guisheng was unwilling to give up his position as the young shopkeeper, causing his apprentice to starve. Later, he couldn't bear it anymore and found an excuse to change his job. Now Zhao Guisheng is a bachelor, and two snot dragons are frozen out of him at night. Even at this point, he still couldn't get rid of the "Six Dynasties air".

Besides, the room was warm, which suited him well, so he got up early in the morning and took a bath.

After soaking in the big pool, I came out and wiped my whole body with a big towel. According to the usual practice, I have to lie down on the bed and receive the full service of back massage, foot massage, toenails trimming and so on. Make a pot of Anhui Maojian tea, order a basket of chicken soup dumplings, and take a nap until the afternoon. But today, if I can have a piece of crispy sesame cake, my mouth won’t be ugly!

Zhao Guisheng closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, on the one hand to take advantage of the warmth to wait a few more hours, and on the other hand to avoid the waiter's pressing gaze.

Near noon, in the greenhouse next door, a group of young men, accompanied by a few Yangzhou girls, were drinking Hun Tang Hua wine. The smell of food and wine, along with the tune of "Yangliuqing", seeped through the cracks in the wall and made Zhao Guisheng want to commit suicide. At this moment, it was as if a living Buddha fell from the sky, and Ma Laoqi came in by lifting the door curtain.

"Manager Zhao, I haven't seen you for a long time!" Ma Laoqi took off his cotton robe and trousers, handed them to the waiter, and carried them to the beam with a long fork. He then walked down the pond in his wooden clogs, and did not forget to greet him, "Waiter, please order a bowl of meat noodles outside. Manager Zhao, please eat first. Bath money, tea money, and small bills are all mine!"

This big bowl of meat noodles made Zhao Guisheng eat comfortably and enjoyably! Coincidentally, just as he put down the bowl, Ma Laoqi got out of the bath and lay down beside Zhao Guisheng with a smile on his face. Otherwise, why do they say "poor people have low aspirations"? The young shopkeeper can say polite words without being taught. The two men chatted, and Ma Laoqi gradually got to the point: "Manager Zhao, although you are short of money, but if you sell the Baohao shop, it will at least be worth thirty eagle dollars."

"Thirty dollars? Master Qi, if someone offers half that amount now, I'd be willing to do it too!"

"A gentleman's word is as good as his word. I'll take the number of thirty. I'll support you." Ma Laoqi said seriously, "Thirty British dollars is equivalent to thirty loads of rice. If you save on food and expenses, it will be enough to get you through one or two years. In addition, I will recommend you to a place where you can make money." As he spoke, "Pa! Pa! Pa!" Three stacks of foreign dollars were slapped in front of Zhao Guisheng.

This was truly a situation where “Zhou Yu fights Huang Gai; one is willing to fight, the other is willing to be beaten.” They immediately invited the shopkeeper Li from Qingyingquan, the shopkeeper Sun from Sunji Southern Goods, and Zhou Chaofeng from Fuji Money House to act as go-betweens. The parties to the deed signed and sealed their agreement, swearing never to regret.

Ma Laoqi hosted the lunch again. To accompany the soup, a table of food and wine was set up in the warm room next door, with five main dishes, four cold and four hot, plus a soup pot. A whole jar of Gaoyou papaya wine was brought over and we drank it as soon as it was hot, and a few girls from Yangzhou were called in to accompany us. Zhao Guisheng bared his chest and belly, hugged the girl, ate, drank and sang, and was so happy that he almost went to the room.

Zhou Chaofeng of Fu Ji Money House was drinking and feeling puzzled. He knew that Ma Laoqi had not spent a penny of his earnings in recent years, but had put it all in the money shop to collect interest. Now that the economy is in recession, he is buying a house and holding a wedding banquet. I really don’t know what he is up to.

It was not until the sun was setting that everyone dispersed drunkenly.

eleven

Zhao Guisheng opened the door and walked into Zhao's Restaurant, sat down on a bench, and burped. Ma Laoqi picked his teeth and inspected the house inside and outside. There were spider webs in the corners of the main room and a thick layer of dust on the tables and benches. The ceiling was moldy and rat droppings were falling down with a rustling sound. The stove was filled with wood ash, the rim of the pot was covered with yellow rust, the bowls and plates were all chipped, and not a single piece of household equipment was in good order. There was ice in the jar and it was freezing cold.

Without saying a word, Ma Laoqi carried the fire pole from the river bank into the house, and then moved the luggage and other belongings one by one.

Zhao Guisheng was quite tactful. The alcohol was almost gone and he stood up to leave. Ma Laoqi called him and said, "Guisheng, you will go to the Marshal's Mansion for a trial tomorrow. I have something to say to you, brother."

Zhao Guisheng had no choice but to stop and pretend to listen attentively.

"When cooking for an elderly person, you have to remember four words: tender and tender, and strong flavor. Otherwise, he won't blame himself for having a loose mouth, but will blame the chef for not serving him well enough."

Zhao Guisheng nodded quickly. Ma Laoqi said, "Guisheng, you are very talented, and your cooking skills will not be inferior to your brother's in the future. Today I will teach you two dishes, one meat and one vegetable, and the principles are all there. No matter what delicacies you cook in the future, you will have to follow this principle."

Zhao Guisheng hurriedly washed the pots and bowls, lit the stove, and listened to Ma Laoqi teaching his skills. That night, the two stayed in the house for a long time, and no one knew what tricks Ma Laoqi was teaching them. Anyway, the next day Zhao Guisheng went to the government office for a job trial and was kept that day. Not long after, Zhang Zhidong was promoted to the Minister of Military Affairs of the imperial court, and Zhao Guisheng also followed him to the capital.

In the next few days, Ma Laoqi cleaned up the shop and only changed one word on the door, calling it "Qi Ji Bistro". It turns out that this person’s surname is Qi!

Strangely enough, Confucius Temple has gradually regained its former prosperity and bustle. The scholars left and the merchants came; the imperial examination hall was demolished and business began to flourish. There are grocery stores, gold and jewelry stores, antique and calligraphy and painting stores, and silk shops next to each other, and more and more people are visiting the Confucius Temple. As the saying goes, rising water lifts all boats. Restaurants, hotels and teahouses, big and small, are all getting better day by day. Not to mention Mr. Qi, the food in his restaurant is delicious and plentiful, and the hospitality is honest. Whether it is dine-in, meal-packed, ordered dishes, or banquets, his business is the most prosperous. Due to insufficient staff, he first hired an accountant, then took in an apprentice, and then hired a cook. Finally, the number of tea rooms alone increased to seven or eight. The store extends into several courtyards at the back and is no longer a "small restaurant".

Not long after, matchmaker Wang came to the door and proposed a marriage for Mr. Qi. She was originally a maid in the mansion. This mansion is now in a dilapidated state, so everything that can be sold is for sale. The maid was called Cui'er. She was very strong, especially her big and scary feet.

Mr. Qi thought that this was a body shape suitable for his descendants. In addition to the official worth, the matchmaker's reward was also generous.

When Cui'er got married, she saw that the groom was a middle-aged man. She felt very upset and cried non-stop.

Mr. Qi was neither anxious nor annoyed. He sat under the wedding lanterns and told jokes. Gradually, the girl started to join in the conversation. Taking advantage of the quiet night, Grandpa Qi asked his wife about her taste, then pulled her to the stove and made a bowl of shrimp dumplings with broth. Next, everything will be fine!

This maid had been through a lot before. When she came over the first night, she saw that although Mr. Qi was a little old, he was in good health, much better than the old beast who had lived in the mansion. In addition, since she was a kind-hearted person and her life was going well, she devoted herself to being the boss's wife. Not long after, the baby was harmed.

The first baby was a big fat boy, which made Grandpa Qi very happy. The Hundred Days Soup and Noodle Party was held with several tables of lively atmosphere. After the guests left, Mr. Qi, still a little drunk, half-lay on the bed and watched his wife breastfeed. He suddenly had an idea and said that he had grown up and had long forgotten the taste of his mother's milk, so he put his mouth into his wife's arms and started smacking her. The daughter-in-law felt itchy and numb from being sucked, and her underwear was sticky. Because the baby was awake and breastfeeding, she was so anxious that she kept poking the man's head with her fingers. After finally coaxing the child to sleep, the two of them regrouped and resumed their joy of flying. I was busy until the moon was full in the sky, and then I lay down in bed exhausted.

Mr. Qi looked at the moon outside the window and said leisurely, "Tomorrow, we will add another floor to this store, open the windows wide and bright, and put a few tables as private seats. Look, the big bright stars are hanging on the window sashes, and the Qinhuai River is flowing under the windows. What a beautiful view! Customers will definitely want to drink a few more cups, right?" As Mr. Qi spoke, he couldn't help but feel fascinated and murmured, "If this building is built, it should be called Shuiyue Building."

Cui Er poked the man with a finger beside the pillow and scolded him with a smile: "You men, you start to have wild thoughts when you earn money. What about Shui Er and Yue Er? I don't know where these vixens came from."

Mr. Qi was stunned, then looked at his wife carefully. Her eyes flickered in the moonlight, and there was a bit of Shui Yue'er's shadow between her eyebrows. He was startled and thought to himself: Could it be that Shuiyue'er is no longer alive and her ghost has come to find her?

He remembered the dream he had after he finished refining the ice furnace, and he couldn't help but shudder all over.

Fortunately, the rooster crowed for the first time at this time and daybreak was approaching.

"over"
((Run-up~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~))
I push!
I think it’s right to register. I think what the original poster said makes sense. I come here every day and it has become a habit.