"It hasn't changed at all!"
Standing on the street in front of Luo Yue Tower, Zhao Rang sighed with emotion.
Ximen Dazhuang said with a smile:
"Brother Rang, how long have you been gone? What changes can happen here? Besides, even if there are changes, how can we brothers know about it?"
After saying that, Ximen Dazhuang looked at Luo Yue Tower not far away.
Zhao Rang knew that although his brother was sitting on a mountain of gold and silver, he had two biggest dissatisfactions.
The first is that he failed to join the Zhong family class and let Yun Lifei take him as his apprentice and learn the magic rope trick that comes and goes without a trace.
The second is that he failed to buy Luoyue Building and let the eighteen chefs in the building cook his favorite meals.
In fact, the owner of Luo Yue Lou is not determined to sell it.
But the eighteen masters in Luo Yue Lou categorically said that as long as Luo Yue Lou redeemed the money, they and others would immediately smash the spatulas, dismantle the stoves, and return to the countryside to raise pigs and grow sweet potatoes.
These eighteen cooks are brothers from the same discipline.
The senior brother set the tone, and the junior brothers below all followed it.
The reason why Luoyue Tower is famous depends on these eighteen chefs.
Is a restaurant without a cook still a restaurant? There is no point in buying it, and you may even get scolded!
Your Ximen family has a lot of money and has ruined a good century-old brand. You are happy, but you have made the whole city miserable. Is this what a person can do?
Ximen Dazhuang gave up the idea after trying three things and doing nothing. After all, he is not a selfish person, and at the same time, he also wants to consider the reputation of the Ximen family. If your reputation is bad, how can you still make money in the future? As for Luo Yue Lou...just pay to eat. If you don't order, you won't order. Who can make people taste good? It's okay for a capable person to have a bad temper. Especially when it comes to food, if it tastes good, it’s unbeatable.
"By the way, do you have any money?"
Zhao Rang touched his pocket and said nervously.
Ximen Dazhuang also touched his pocket, but it was as empty as Zhao Rang.
"It's over, Brother Rang, I didn't bring him either!"
After saying that, Ximen Dazhuang laughed again.
"Brother Rang, this is not the Western Region! Even if it's Luo Yue Lou, with our faces, there's no problem in getting a meal on credit!"
Zhao Rang also laughed at himself.
This is indeed the case in Suluo City.
I was really in a daze, thinking I was still in the countries of the Western Regions. I didn't know anyone, couldn't even understand the words, and had to pay for everything I did.
Without any worries, the two of them took advantage of their stride and moved much faster.
"What does this smell like? It smells so good!"
The shopkeeper of Luo Yuelou saw Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang walking into the long street from a distance.
Seeing them approaching now, I immediately stood on the street at the door and prepared to welcome them.
Although the Ximen family and Luo Yuelou had some unpleasantness due to business matters, businessmen pay attention to the importance of being harmonious and making money. Everyone here is a guest, not to mention distinguished guests like the eldest young master of the Ximen family and the Zhao family.
The shopkeeper had already put on a smile, his flattery stuck in his throat, but Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang suddenly stopped and stood there sniffing.
"I smell it too, like fried chicken?"
Ximen Dazhuang said.
"No. It's definitely not fried. It's like barbecue."
Zhao Rang denied Ximen Dazhuang's statement.
They have walked this road countless times.
Not only is there no fried chicken shop, there is no barbecue place either.
This smell was also the first time he smelled it.
And both of them were very sure that it was definitely not coming from Luo Yue Tower.
Luo Yue Lou only serves three new dishes during the May Festival, August Festival and New Year every year. This is an unbreakable rule.
Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang have both tasted the new dishes for the May Festival. There are still a few days before the August Festival, so it is impossible for Luo Yuelou to update the menu.
As for the original recipe, the two of them were familiar with it and couldn't finish it. There was no dish in it that tasted similar to this one.
The two searched for the smell and saw a private house opposite Luo Yue Tower.
Standing at the door, I found that the aroma here was the strongest, pouring out from the crack in the door.
"This doesn't even look like a shop!"
Ximen Dazhuang said doubtfully.
Zhao Rang took a look and found that the windows of this room were wide and could be used as a stage when selling.
There is often no place to sit in this kind of shop.
The customer who buys it wraps it with oil paper, ties it with a rope, and carries it away.
The owner, shopkeeper, cook, and waiter are all one person, and the house is also his own. All the labor and store rent saved can be used on ingredients. Therefore, real gourmets have a strong preference for such restaurants with good taste and poor environment, and they even have a unique nickname of "Fly Restaurant". 1
The name sounds unappetizing, but that's exactly what gourmets want. If too many people come, they are afraid that they won't be able to eat or have a seat. It's better to scream more disgustingly so that fewer people come. Anyway, you know whether it tastes good or not.
Zhao Rang lay in front of the window and looked in, only to find that it was dark and he couldn't see anything. The inside should be covered with a tarpaulin to prevent people from peeking.
Reluctantly, Zhao Rang waved to the shopkeeper of Luo Yuelou.
The shopkeeper immediately trotted over, bowed and saluted to Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang, and after saying a bunch of auspicious words, he turned back to business:
"Mr. Zhao, Mr. Ximen, the building is ready for you two. It's still the old box. Let Cuicui take charge of you two!"
Zhao Rang shook his head, pointed at the house in front of him and asked:
"Shopkeeper, do you know what is sold here?"
The shopkeeper's hot face touched his cold butt, and of course he was a little dissatisfied. But there was no expression on his face at all, and he said even more enthusiastically:
"This house has always been empty. Not long ago, a barbecue chef from the south rented it and sold their barbecue."
"Barbecue?"
"Should it be roasted or waxed?"
Ximen Dazhuang asked.
I have eaten barbecue and cured meat too. But it was the first time for both of them to hear these two words put together.
Ever since the Southland was separated, very few people and things from there have been able to come over.
The Ximen family's business is so large that they can only send a caravan there once a quarter to purchase.
The only people who come and go are the escort agencies.
For example, a behemoth like the Admiralty Escort Bureau has a good reputation and a good reputation, and is recognized by everyone from the north to the south. If there are valuable things that need to be entrusted, the Admiralty Escort Agency must be the first choice. This also allows them to have extremely good connections in the north and south, and can shuttle between the two sides of the Taishang River more freely.
"Returning to Young Master Ximen, this roast pork... Xiaodi can't even tell what it is. But...
"Just tell me if it tastes good!"
"It's delicious! As for the taste, it's really outstanding!"
The shopkeeper gave a thumbs up and praised.
As the shopkeeper of Luo Yue Lou, although he is not a cook, after spending a long time in a famous restaurant, his tongue will naturally become tricky.
He said that delicious food must not be bad! Especially the new stuff that neither Zhao Rang nor Ximen Dazhuang have tried before.
The food in the South is lighter than that in the North, and the two of them didn't like it much at first. Just use it as a seasoning once in a while to have a taste.
But this kind of roasted meat smelled fragrant but not greasy, which led Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang to decide that they must try it today.
"What time does he usually open the door?"
Zhao Rang asked.
The shopkeeper looked up at the sun and replied:
"There's still about half an hour left!"
Zhao Rang asked again: [1]
【6】
【6】
【Small】
【explain】
"Did it sell well?"
The shopkeeper shook his head, and vaguely pulled Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang away from each other, and then whispered:
"There are very few people buying it... People in the city think Nandi is rebellious, and the store was bullied a lot in the beginning!"
Zhao Rang frowned more and more as he listened.
"What's wrong with Southland? Isn't Southland the place where I have great power? Are the people in Southland no longer the people of my great power? It's just that people come from afar and don't treat each other with courtesy, but they actually bully others?"
"Tell me, who bullied him! Su Luo City is really getting worse day by day. It can't even tell the difference between right and wrong!"
After contacting the leader and the royal families and nobles of the Western Regions in the Western Regions, Zhao Rang already had a new perspective on the current situation in Dawei.
The shopkeeper didn't know this, and was still wondering why the eldest son of the Zhao family was suddenly so angry? He kept talking about the righteousness of his family and country, but I remember that he was not like this before... When he heard someone making trouble, he wished he had an extra head, so he could squeeze in and watch the fun together, that would be fun.
But thinking about it, I can't say that.
Zhao Rang asked who bullied this man from the south, and of course the shopkeeper answered truthfully.
The Luo Yuelou family has a great business and is not afraid of these gang forces at all.
Apart from anything else, who dared to disturb Tai Sui just because Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang came to eat and drink at different places?
As for these two...
No one in Luoyue City or even the entire Dawei North Territory would dare to give them face, regardless of whether they were afraid or not.
"Don't you two know about the troublemakers in the city? It's just a small group. But I guess they are collecting money this time, otherwise they wouldn't come on time every day to cause trouble. They would almost catch up with the roosters. It’s crowing!”
Zhao Rangshu raised his eyebrows when he heard that this group of people came every day.
Isn’t the fun coming now?
Isn't it much more interesting than going into Luoyue Tower to eat and drink?
"When the Southerners start selling, they will come, right?"
The shopkeeper nodded and said:
"Yes. Most of the good things can be ruined by them... What a pity!"
Ximen Dazhuang spat a mouthful of thick phlegm and said angrily:
"My family pays a lot of money to these city patrol soldiers every month, so they patrol the city like this? They are really looking for death!"
Zhao Rang said calmly:
"The shopkeeper told me, they probably collected the money. After collecting the money, they will naturally give a share to the patrollers, and they will naturally turn a blind eye. Even if they come back a quarter of an hour late, Who can say anything here?"
Ximen Dazhuang said to the shopkeeper:
"Go and bring two chairs out for me and Brother Rang. We'll sit here and wait! Clean up the bastards who are making trouble and the bastards who are paid to pretend to be blind!"
The shopkeeper knew that there was going to be a good show today, so he immediately agreed and asked the waiter to bring two chairs.
Zhao Rang and Yuan Mingkong were sitting upright in front of this shop, looking like two door gods.
The neighbors all around also heard Ximen Da Zhuang's loud voice just now, and they all stuck their heads out.
People in Suluo City have never disliked the way they behaved.
It's a bit domineering, but it makes people happy when they look at it!
Otherwise, just on this street, I don’t know how many halls will be opened and how many incense candles will be lit. With sticks and swords coming and going every day, how can the common people live a stable life?
Not long after I sat down, the window behind me was opened by someone from inside the house.
Then a middle-aged man opened the door and walked out.
Zhao Rang saw a gloomy face, a circle of bruises around his left eye, and scars on his right wrist. It seemed that the shopkeeper was not exaggerating, and he had indeed been bullied enough.
Sensing Zhao Rang's gaze, the middle-aged man only glanced lightly, said nothing, and went about his own business.
The table was quickly filled with today's roasted meats, including duck legs, chicken legs, goose wings and goose webs, and a whole roasted suckling pig.
The skin of the roasted suckling pig is red and shining in the sun, making it look festive and appetizing. 1
After setting it up, the middle-aged man returned to the house, brought a high stool, and sat behind the propped up table. He held a big cattail leaf fan in one hand and kept fanning it on the barbecue to drive away the insects and flies that smelled the fragrance. .
Ximen Da Zhuang had obviously already had lunch, but when he saw the roast meat like this, he couldn't help but stare straight at it, pursed his lips, and kept swallowing his saliva.
"People are coming!"
Just when he couldn't help it and got up to buy a roast duck leg to eat, Zhao Rang saw a dozen people coming to the street.
"Aren't these the gangsters from the Nujiang Gang?"
When Zhao Rang saw that these were smashed into pieces, his anger suddenly dropped.
Despite their name, the Nujiang Gang is somewhat domineering, but in reality they are just a bunch of gangsters.
After Dawei divided and ruled according to the Taishang River, the royal family requisitioned many villages along the coast to build camps and station border troops. Each of the original villagers received a resettlement allowance and moved inland.
Of course, Suluo City also received many coastal refugees.
At first, the people in the city were extremely warm and friendly to them, thinking that they were abandoning their homes and leaving their hometown for the sake of the overall situation in the north. It was later discovered that these refugees did not farm, do not do any business, and spent their days eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling.
After the resettlement fee given by the court was spent, they got together with like-minded people, gathered soil and burned incense, followed the tricks in "The Biography of Knights", established a gang, and elected an old fisherman with some martial arts skills as the gang leader. Making trouble here.
It wasn't until the government took action that they restrained themselves. They exchanged the money they had spent on forced purchases and sales in the previous period, bought a few shops, started serious business, and finally calmed down.
But these are all on the surface.
Secretly, Nujiang helped open casinos, loan sharks, and kidnap young women into brothels to work as brothels.
Just when the government was about to take action again, the old gang leader heard the news in advance and thought that he had earned enough pension money, so he simply washed up his hands, retired from the world, and became a rich man. The newly appointed leader was much inferior to the old gang leader in terms of abilities and skills. The Nujiang Gang was suddenly leaderless, and many of the gang's elders set up their own businesses. As a result, the Nujiang Gang could no longer afford to make waves.
For some reason, the market has become so popular recently that they even made trouble on the main street in the city. It seems that their new gang leader has not been idle either. He doesn't know who he is fawning over, so he pulls the flag like a tiger's skin and feels that he is capable again.
"Hey! Brothers, you said that Lao Guang's barbecue is delicious! Not only do we come on time and on time every day in the wind and rain, but there are people who come earlier than us!"
The leader was thin, with dark skin but strong and lean muscles. A pair of big feet did not match his figure.
This is a characteristic only found in people who have been on ships all year round.
The current of the Taishang River is very fast. If you want to stand firm on the boat, you must develop a pair of iron feet. Over time, the feet of residents along the coast will become larger than those of people in the interior.
But this was the first time Zhao Rang had seen this person act so exaggeratedly.
"Haha, second brother, we brothers don't have enough of Lao Guang's roast meat. How come anyone dares to steal food from us?"
When the second brother heard this, the evil smile on his face became even bigger and he said:
"Brother, how can a good person snatch food? It's obviously a dog that does this!"
"Hahaha, second brother is right! It's a dog! It's a watchdog that can only eat the bones left by us!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Zhao Rang became interested again.
Although he and Ximen Dazhuang had never had any conflicts with the Nujiang Gang, he did not believe that these people did not know his identity.
This was the first time the two brothers had encountered such open-mouthed shouting after living in Suluo City for so many years.
The shopkeeper of Luo Yuelou across the street heard the Nujiang Gang people shouting like this and didn't know whether they were stupid or crazy.
I guess it’s half and half!
Anyone in Suluo City who dares to speak to Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang like this must be stupid and crazy.
When the group of people were still a few feet away from the stall, Zhao Rang stood up and walked to the stage and said to the middle-aged man inside:
"I bought all your roast meat today, please wrap it up for me."
The middle-aged man stopped fanning his hand and said to Zhao Rang:
"The roast pork I make is for eating, not for you bastards to use to fight each other!"
Zhao Rang was so shocked that he laughed out loud.
Four days after I came back, I went out for the first time, but I was ridiculed twice.
The Nujiang Gang people said that he and Ximen Dazhuang were dogs, so let it go. Zhao Rang is not prepared to hold back on them, so don't get angry. But he clearly meant to help this middle-aged man, but he didn't know what was good or bad.
But then I thought about it, it was normal for someone to be wary of the people in the city and even harbor bad intentions for someone who came from such a far away place and relied on their craftsmanship to make a living, but was often bullied.
"You can buy it if you want, just pay first!"
The middle-aged man changed his mind again for some reason.
It was Zhao Rang who was embarrassed this time.
He and Ximen Dazhuang left in a hurry when they went out, without taking a penny with them. If you go to Luo Yue Lou to eat, you can save your face. But this middle-aged man has no idea who Zhao Rang is, so how can he be given credit?
"Haha, I knew it!"
Seeing that Zhao Rang had no intention of paying, the middle-aged man sneered.
Before Zhao Rang could say anything else, the Nujiang Gang people had already arrived at the stall.
The second brother reached out and divided the roasted suckling pig into several pieces and handed them to the others.
After eating, his mouth was full of oil, and he did not forget to say:
"Lao Guang, your craftsmanship has improved again! Today's skin is crispier than yesterday's!"
After the second brother finished eating, he put his fingers in his mouth one by one and sucked them again.
"What are you looking at? I haven't seen you eating before? Your dog's eyes are dripping. Get away from me!"
After speaking, he rolled his tongue and spat out the meat residue stuck between his teeth towards Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang.
If the force were stronger, this scum could be spat on Ximen Da Zhuang's face.
Fortunately, the second brother's ventriloquism was not that good, so the meat residue only stuck to Ximen Dazhuang's clothes.
"Huh? Your clothes are quite nice. Take them off and give them to me as an apology for disturbing me!"
The second brother followed the meat residue he had vomited and saw the clothes Ximen Dazhuang was wearing.
He was wearing a murex purple shirt today.
Not to mention the texture, the important thing is the dye "murex purple".
Murex purple is made from the mucus secreted by snails in the sea. The mucus produced by tens of thousands of snails can dye half a collar, and it is much more precious than gold.
"you want?"
Ximen Dazhuang was surprisingly not angry.
After traveling in the Western Regions, he also learned to speak irony.
"nonsense!"
"Okay, then I'll give it to you."
Ximen Dazhuang took off his coat and threw it towards his second brother.
Then he leaned forward, wrapped his clothes around the second brother's head, and kept slapping him down with his big palms, just like he did to the man from the cult in Chagan Tologai.
Zhao Rang looked at it for a few times and then turned away, feeling that this slap was too cruel for the second brother...
Fortunately, Ximen Dazhuang still had some strength left in his hand, otherwise the second blow would have twisted the second brother's neck to the back.
After the beating, Ximen Dazhuang pulled off his clothes, and the second brother fell straight back, completely dead. Although the eyes were open, there was no look at all.
The rest of the people were all stunned in place, and no one came to help them.
Ximen Dazhuang was very satisfied with the result. He was about to hug his wrist and say some heroic words. Unexpectedly, his second brother, who had just been beaten to the ground by him, suddenly stood up like a carp, turned around and ran away.
How arrogant he was just now, how fast he ran away now!
This made Ximen Dazhuang doubt himself a little. He looked down at the palm of his hand and wondered if he had used too much strength just now?
But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't run faster than Zhao Rang's knife.
Before the third step even landed, the second brother felt a chill on the right side of his neck...
"Whose money did you accept, whose power did you rely on, and how dare you do it so blatantly."
The second brother saw that Zhao Rang did not swing the sword directly, but instead inquired about their details. He thought that Zhao Rang was afraid, so he was not afraid of the blade on his neck, straightened his back and said to Zhao Rang:
"Haha, if you say it, you'll scare the whole street to death!"
"Then you're not going to say anything?"
Zhao Rang asked.
The second brother rubbed his neck and said with dignity:
"I'm telling you, if I tell you, I'll scare everyone in the street to death! Let me go as soon as possible. This matter can still be discussed."
Zhao Rang saw that he was not pretending to be dead, but was really tough, so he couldn't help but ask:
"When did you come to Suluo City?"
The second brother made no secret and said:
"The day before yesterday! What's wrong? I am the second brother of the gang leader! They are all brothers I just brought from the river!"
Zhao Rang understood in his heart, put away the knife and said to himself:
"No wonder!"
The day before yesterday happened to be the day when Zhao Rang came back.
It is natural for people who have only been here three days not to understand what is going on in the city.
His brother, the gang leader, would not have thought that his younger brother would get into trouble with Zhao Rang and Ximen Dazhuang so quickly.
Don’t be surprised if you don’t know.
So Zhao Rang put away the knife, and then hit him on the back of the head with the handle of the knife, knocking him unconscious. He casually pointed to one of the people he brought who seemed to be quite smart, and said:
"Go back and give your gang leader a message. Tell him that I, Zhao Rang, and Ximen Dazhuang will treat him to barbecued pork. This is the place opposite Luo Yue Tower!" 1
