Hearing the noise in a daze, Chang Yu stood up and opened the window, only to see rain falling from the sky. Although it was drizzling, it was pleasant. The soldiers who woke up from the rain hurriedly packed up and looked for shade to take shelter from the rain. It was not late at noon.
"Although it's not spring rain, it's still as expensive as oil." Li Muchian approached the car and whispered softly. Chang Yu looked at the sky and said, "It's not raining heavily. Instead of wasting it here, it's better to hurry up."
Then he ordered his troops to cross the river and march southward.
After running for seventy or eighty miles in one breath, they arrived at Fucheng at nightfall and finally showed signs of exhaustion, so they ordered the horsemen to light a fire and make food. The lights on the city head a few miles away were brightly lit. It must have been that the people in the city saw people crossing the border and organized themselves to protect themselves. After all, there are no guards in this small county at this time. Compared with the large army of soldiers and horses, a team of hundreds of people like Chang Yu is more like a bandit.
Compared with the city, which was facing a formidable enemy, several nearby villages seemed calm. The sound of children playing could be faintly heard among the smoke, and there were even curious people looking in this direction at the entrance of the village.
Chang Yu was very pleased. The people were so calm, which meant that the people in front were not harassing them. Otherwise, they would not be so calm at the moment.
Raising his hand and waving towards the entrance of the village, two bold people walked over slowly: "Have you eaten, fellow villagers?" Chang Yu greeted with a smile.
"There's nothing left to eat. Can the military master give me a treat?" A villager said with a bitter face. Chang Yu smiled slightly: "How did you know that I am a military master and not a good man?"
"Hey, if you were a good man and had no time to chat with us, you would have gone to bring trouble to the village." The villager's expression was exaggerated and he stamped his feet.
That's right, Chang Yu nodded: "We have seen large armies passing through the border recently?"
"Yes, yes, yes," the villager said quickly: "Tens of thousands of people passed by early yesterday morning, and there were two groups of several hundred people in the afternoon... The two dogs in my village went to beg for rations in the morning and were beaten up. In the afternoon, there were Although the two groups did not hit anyone, they were still very fierce, but they were not as kind as you, Master Jun..."
The tens of thousands of people said it should be Liu Zeqing and the three, but in fact it is less than ten thousand. It's just that ordinary people will brag when they see so many people. As for the two groups mentioned in the afternoon, they should be Lao Jiu and Tu Yuan.
Chang Yu asked people to get some rations and distribute them to several villagers. He asked them about the busy farming situation and then sent them back to the village. He stood in the wilderness and looked around, thinking that at this speed, he and Liu Zeqing would arrive in Jinan.
"Mr. Factory, we are in a hurry today. Brothers, we can still hold on, but the horses... why don't we rest until midnight before leaving?" Jia Waixiong came over and asked in a low voice, Chang Yu pondered for a moment: "This There are still nearly three hundred miles to Jinan, and Liu Zeqing needs to ride light and fast for a day. We estimate that we will arrive in Jinan tomorrow."
"In that case, let's take a break and leave." Jia Waixiong said, turning around and about to deliver the order, but Chang Yu grabbed him: "Actually, we don't have to fight with Liu Zeqing. No matter what, let him come home to take a breather and let the brothers Take a break and go to Dezhou City tomorrow morning to eat roast chicken."
Texas has three treasures: braised chicken, watermelon, and golden dates.
It’s just that this is the late Ming Dynasty, and Jia Jiancai created braised chicken during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. It is still called roast chicken. Although the name is different, it is still a well-known delicacy.
Dezhou was a big city in the late Ming Dynasty. It was the waterway connecting Kyoto to nine provinces. It was one of the thirty-three big cities in the country. In later generations, it was comparable to second- and third-tier provincial capitals and not inferior to Jinan Prefecture.
At dawn, everyone had crossed Jingzhou (now Jingxian) in the south of Hejian Prefecture and entered Dezhou. They found a remote place to rest five miles away from the city.
Chang Yu allowed his men to be free for half a day. They could enter the city or make repairs on the spot. The soldiers had long heard about the reputation of Texas roast chicken and watermelon, and they were very interested and entered the city in groups. Of course, some tired ones chose to take a nap.
"Pindao ate Texas roast chicken once when he traveled to Dezhou in his early years. It was truly a delicacy on earth." Li Muxian stroked his beard and looked at Dezhou City in the distance and couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
"Hearing what the Taoist Master said, I can't help but try it." Chen Wangting chuckled and said, "The Taoist Master will show you the way, how about I do something for you?"
"How can this be so embarrassing? Hey, since it's so kind and gracious, I'm going to bother you..." Li Muchian smiled happily: "Among the hundreds of households in Dezhou City that make roast chicken, Xu's roast chicken is the most delicious, and the Zhang family's is also the best. Yes, well, there is also the Jia family... If you open a big watermelon in this hot summer day, it will really beat the living gods!" After saying that, he looked back at Chang Yu and said, "Mr. factory, can we come with you?"
Chang Yu was afraid of disturbing his elegance, so he refused to go with him. Li and Chen drifted away.
"This guy Juebi is a foodie, and he talks so eloquently that it makes me hungry... I'm going too. Do you want Old Qiao to go? I'll invite you!" Wu Zhong cursed and invited Qiao Sanxiu to go with him.
Qiao Sanxiu said happily: "That will cost you money. I heard it's not cheap."
"Besides, the three melons and two dates are just as good." Wuzhong said proudly and Qiao Sanxiu rode away from the arrow.
After many soldiers left, Chang Yu stood up and looked at Kuang Ren and the Chen brothers: "Aren't you going?"
"My men are on duty and cannot leave without permission," the three of them said quickly.
Chang Yu smiled and said: "If you are sleepy, go to sleep. If you are not sleepy, then come with me to the city to eat and drink." Several people nodded with joy. Chang Yu called Jia Waixiong from a distance to come with him, but unexpectedly the guy waved his hand and refused: "I'm very sleepy and money is tight."
"I invite you," Chang Yu scolded with a smile, but Jia Waixiong still couldn't arouse interest: "It's so strange to eat chicken, duck and fish every day in Beijing. It's better to hunt some game for delicious food. I'm too sleepy to go."
Even so, Chang Yu didn't force it and led Kuang Ren, three people and four others to go for a walk in Dezhou City.
As a big city between the imperial capital and Jinan, Dezhou is extremely prosperous. In addition, the two war disasters in a few months affected this area head-on, with almost no damage. The people live and work in relative peace and contentment. At first glance, there is a constant flow of traffic and traffic, but if you look closely, you can see There are clues that refugees from all over the world gather here to beg for a living.
There were guards at the city gate. When they saw cavalry entering the city in twos and twos, they were not alarmed. After asking them as a matter of routine and finding out that this was the way to enter the city, they did not ask any questions or even report them.
So much so that when Chang Yu entered the city with four horses, the soldiers guarding the gate were hiding in the shade and chatting without even looking at him.
This is actually good. If the city officials knew that the governor of the East Factory was here, he would still be wandering around in a daze.
Riding horses in the city was too ostentatious, but they didn't dare to tie them up anywhere else, as they might be stolen, so Chang Yu and his party of four dismounted and led them away. Kuang Ren stopped a hundred people and asked, "Brother, where is the burning in this Dezhou city?" Chickens for sale?”
The old man raised his eyebrows and looked proud: "There are not even five hundred but three hundred roast chicken sellers in Dezhou City. There must be a seller within fifty steps." He raised his hand and pointed at the woman carrying a basket not far away: "Well, then Just..." He swallowed as he spoke: "That's not cheap."
Kuang Ren looked back at Chang Yu with a slightly embarrassed look: "Brother, we heard that a family named Xu is very famous. Could you please give me some directions?"
"Hey, you're going to a restaurant to eat." The old man glanced at Kuang Ren and his group with a slightly complicated look on his face: "That place is expensive, a meal will cost you several months." He said. Kuang Ren and his party didn't change their expressions, and raised their hands and pointed: "Xu Roasted Chicken is very easy to find on East Street, and the one with the surname Zhang at the south gate is also good..."
Chang Yu and his party did not go to Xu Ji because it was so famous. Li Muxian and Wu Zhong definitely went there to spend money. Nanmen Zhang Ji did not go either. Instead, they went to Jia Ji, the oldest store in Dezhou City.
Jiaji is located in the most prosperous area in the center of Dezhou City. Its appearance is small but simple and charming, which fits the image of a century-old brand. However, the front door is deserted and the business is not very good.
"Sir, there are not many diners in the shop, is it because the craftsmanship is not good? How about we go to Xu Ji?" Kuang Ren raised his eyebrows, Chang Yu shook his head gently: "As Jia Waixiong just said, I would have been tired of eating chicken, duck and fish. If it weren't for the stomach, Eating is actually about taking a bite of the authentic taste. Since it is a time-honored brand, it is the most fundamental taste."
"But there aren't many people inside!" Chen Suole muttered.
"We are here to eat, and we don't have to watch the excitement. Why do we need so many people?" Chang Yu sighed slightly: "As for the deserted store... There are only a few people who can eat chicken these days. They are all rich or noble, ordinary people. If you can't even eat half a mouthful of rice, how can you get enough money to eat chicken?"
While talking, a waiter came out of the store to greet a few people, took the reins and tied the horses.
"Hey, bald donkey, come on, what are you doing here? You want to steal a horse..." Chang Yu heard the waiter scolding him as he walked into the store. He turned around and saw a big, round monk sitting cross-legged on a horse tied to the east of the door. Next to the pile, what is eye-catching is the begging bowl in his left hand and a brass Zen staff in his right hand.
The monk was silent when he heard the sound, but looked towards Chang Yu.
His eyes are as bright as a torch.
Chang Yu felt the original meaning of this word for the first time.
This monk's vision seems to be able to see through people's hearts.
"Damn, with a big bead on his neck and a crescent shovel in his hand, it's like Lu Zhishen," Chen Suole said with a smile.
"All he needs is a big beard." Chen Ruxin also laughed.
"Don't be rude," Chang Yu scolded. He is neither superstitious nor a Buddhist but respects these practitioners. Hanging beads are not something ordinary monks can wear. Only the presiding officer, the elder of the Dharma assembly and the head master must have been ordained for more than ten years. Only a monk can do it. Although this monk's identity is unknown, he looks to be about forty years old and has an extraordinary aura. He is definitely not an ordinary monk.
"What he holds in his hand is not a crescent shovel but a Zen staff, which is used to alert people to sleep." Chang Yuju walked into the store and casually popularized science: "And the crescent shovel is not a Buddhist weapon, but a Taoist thing. It is also called a convenience shovel. It is the sand in Journey to the West. In the original work, Lu Zhishen from The Monk and Water Margin is not a crescent shovel. Monk Sha uses a treasured staff for subduing demons, while Lu Zhishen uses an iron Zen staff. They are all distorted by storytellers."
Kuang Ren and the other two people were stunned by what he said: "Your Excellency knows so much. So that monk may be a host. How could he be reduced to a beggar?"
"It's not necessarily the host, but he must be a great monk. In these years of constant natural disasters and wars, it's not uncommon for the host of a temple to live in exile. Or maybe he just comes out to beg for alms." Chang Yu said lightly, entering. I glanced around the store and found a table to sit at the door. The waiter hurried over to entertain me.
"Four roast chickens, some other meat and vegetables... um, and a pot of wine." Chang Yu ordered the food and even ordered wine. This made Kuang Ren and the others very happy, but the waiter was a little hesitant: "Customers Officer, this drinker is very expensive." It must be in his opinion that a few ladies do not have such high spending power, unless they want to freeload.
Chang Yu took out a piece of silver from his pocket and put it on the table: "Is it enough?"
"Enough, enough, that's too much. I'll give you some change later." The waiter was beaming, but Chang Yu stopped him again: "There's no need to ask for change. Let's get some food for the monk outside."
The guy was stunned, but nodded in agreement.
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Set a small goal first, such as remembering in 1 second: Shukeju
