"Dear guests, please move to the Mingyue Hall upstairs!" Boss Song of Qingyu Huaiyang Hexia Restaurant smiled and personally welcomed the Wu family and the Xu family. "Waiter, please inform the back kitchen Mingyue Hall to prepare the dishes."
"Okay." The waiter waved the white towel on his hand and walked towards the backyard.
The kitchen was busy at the moment. The waiter smelled the familiar aroma and couldn't help drooling. He shouted loudly: "Mr. Qian, Mingyue Hall is preparing to take out the food."
Following the waiter's line of sight, the fat, tall man who was serving the dishes on the stove responded with a loud voice: "I understand, everyone, get busy and serve the guests."
The sound is transmitted through the air, and the words of the third chef in the back kitchen are equivalent to imperial edicts. This third master was hired by Boss Song with a lot of money. He came from a Huaiyang cuisine family, and his father was the imperial chef in the palace. This kid doesn't have much energy in studying, but he is very smart at cooking. He has learned 70% to 80% of his father's skills over and over again. He is second in this ancient town under the river, and no one really dares to claim to be first.
"In-laws, please!" Mr. Wu bowed and Mr. Xu returned the courtesy. The two families walked upstairs talking and laughing.
"The business of the restaurant is really good." Mr. Xu looked at the restaurant, where there were so many guests upstairs and downstairs. He sighed and said, "This boss Song is smarter than a monkey when it comes to hair. He is indeed a business owner."
Shen Rui walked behind, accompanied by his servant Xiaolong. Although this Xiaolong was only fourteen or fifteen years old, he was very articulate. Not only did he make the young master very happy every day, but the master and his wife were also very happy with his cleverness and energy. .
"Young Master, look at Miss Xu and you, you and I are just as good-looking as the books say. Our young master is well-educated and well-educated, and the young lady is pretty, elegant, and gentle. I'm really happy for the young master!" Xiaolong whispered in Master Shen's ear.
Young Master Shen Rui is not a soft-hearted person, so he naturally has his own judgment about Miss Xu in front of him. It's just that the two parties haven't officially met yet, so naturally it's hard to say, but the glance just now made him yearn for it.
Master Shen had long heard that there was a poetry wall on the third floor of this restaurant. Not long ago, Mr. Huo, Shanyang’s parents, wrote a poem, so he did not follow him to the second floor but went straight to the third floor. Xiaolong followed him in surprise. But his eyes did not leave the maid. He thought to himself that when the young lady married into the Shen Mansion, she must have accompanied her as a personal maid. Then he would be able to see that maid with extraordinary behavior every day. Thinking of this, Xiaolong felt excited and couldn't help but laugh out loud. .
"Xiaolong, why are you laughing?" Master Shen was attracted by the sudden laughter, and he looked back and asked.
"It's nothing, Master." The young master knew Xiaolong's thoughts at a glance with his red face, but he just couldn't tell.
When they arrived at the third floor, the view outside the window was full of greenery. The cool breeze blew in and they felt refreshed and happy. He looked north and had a panoramic view of the ancient town under the river, and then he truly felt the poetic state of "being at the top of the mountain and seeing all the small mountains at a glance".
"Hexia" means the last mouth of the river. This river is the Hangou dug by King Wu Fucha. The purpose of building the Hangou is to connect the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River. The last mouth connecting with the Zhun River is at the bottom of the river in the north of Huai'an City. .
The time was in 486 BC, 2,500 years later, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty dug the Grand Canal, and the Jianghuai Waterway and Zhou Shizong built Puguan and then dams here. Hexia Town became an important town from the beginning. An important water transport town.
Where there is water, there is life. Wherever water comes, there is wealth. The ships coming and going bring a lot of wealth. Therefore, Hexia Town has been extremely prosperous since ancient times...
Master Shen stood in front of the poems of the famous poet Bai Juyi, known as the "Poetry Demon" and "Poetry King", and carefully appreciated the poems. He kept nodding and recited the poems silently in his heart. Huai'an Mansion has been known as a place of outstanding people since ancient times. As one of the four major Huai'an, one of the canal capitals, naturally deserves the title of "The First Continent in the Southeast".
The young master then moved on to admire Ming Dynasty poet Yao Guangxiao's poems praising Huai'an after visiting Huai'an Wanliu Pond (today's Shao Lake).
Huai'an ancient history
Ming Yao Guangxiao
Jin Wu took Chu guests to travel many times, and the first state in the southeast was magnificent.
The mountains and rivers are lined up everywhere, and the mountains and rivers are floating in the sky along the Huaihe River.
Crows and magpies were frightened by the strong cheers at the top of the city, and white gulls were flying on the sails at the mouth of the dam.
The hero under the crotch is gone today, the light smoke and the slanting sun make people sad.
Master Shen has read poetry and books, so he is naturally familiar with this masterpiece that praises Huai'an. As a person who was born in the ancient town of Hexia, he knows that this treasure land at his feet has produced many celebrities in the history.
The ancient town of Hexia in Huai'an Prefecture has a history of 2,000 years. Hexia Town has produced many Jinshi scholars and elected officials. It is known as the "hometown of Jinshi" and has a very profound cultural heritage. There are military strategist Han Xin, writer Mei Cheng, anti-gold heroine Liang Hongyu, etc.
Meicheng, courtesy name Shu, was a scholar of Ci and Fu in the Western Han Dynasty. Han nationality, a native of Huai'an, once served as a literary attendant to King Wu Liu Bi. Before the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, he wrote to the King of Wu to stop him from raising troops. During the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, he wrote to the King of Wu to stop his troops, but the King of Wu refused to listen. After the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion was put down, Meicheng became famous and was regarded as a distinguished guest of the great powers for a long time. Later, he became a literary friend of Liang Wang Liu Wu.
Master Shen admired this famous literary figure very much. Mei Cheng's main literary achievement was Ci Fu. "Hanshu·Yiwenzhi" records "Nine Meisheng Fu", but only three remain today. "Qi Fa" is the first work that marks the official formation of Han Fu. "Qi Fa" is the link between Chu Ci and Han Fu. work.
Master Shen thought that the reputation of "the magnificent first continent in the south of the Yangtze River" was indeed not in vain. Master Huo's poem surprised Master Shen, and the star of Wenqu was really going to fall on this magical land under the river.
"Master Shen. The banquet is about to begin, come down quickly." The waiter's voice suddenly came from downstairs.
Xiaolong quickly urged Master Shen, and the master and servant went downstairs immediately.
There was constant laughter in the Mingyue Hall. When Mr. Shen saw his son arriving, he quickly called the distinguished guests to take their seats. The Mingyue Hall just accommodates two tables. On the main table are the two parents' families and their close relatives. As today's protagonist, Shen Rui naturally sits at this table.
"Here comes the first dish." The wedding banquet is about to begin.
Mr. Shen was dressed more formally than usual today. He stood up happily and delivered a graceful speech: "I am so happy today. What I am happy about is that my son can marry a beautiful and virtuous young lady from the Xu family. That is the virtue accumulated by our ancestors in the Xu family." . As the saying goes, those who come are not allowed to come, and those who are outside are not allowed to come. Everyone here is my distinguished guest, Xu. Quanzi is about to marry Miss Xu. This is the biggest happy event of the Shen family. So, please join us in toasting to all of you. Friends and family pay their respects.”
"Mr. Shen is so polite. Come on, let's drink together!" Mr. Xu quickly stood up, and everyone stood up as well.
The Mingyue Hall suddenly became lively, and the store served dishes from time to time.
"Crab meat lion head." As the waiter announced the dish, a large bowl of "lion head" lined with green vegetables arrived. Because it was large and round, it was exaggeratedly likened to a lion's head. This is the restaurant's signature dish.
"The long fish in the soft pocket is here." This is a traditional famous dish in Yangzhou and Huai'an. It belongs to Huaiyang cuisine and is also the most famous dish in Huaiyang cuisine.
"Stewed Silver Carp Head" uses silver carp head as the main material, and the cooking method is mainly stewed. The taste is salty and umami, the skin is glutinous and sticky, the fish is fat and tender, the soup is thick, delicious and nutritious. , is a leader in Huaiyang cuisine.
"Please use the white-robed shrimps with caution."
Mr. Shen introduced: "The white-robed shrimps and soft-double long fish, which are famous for their fine selection of ingredients and deep cooking skills, are called the Huai-fried twin peaks, representing the highest level of Huaiyang cuisine." The shrimp raw materials of the white-robed shrimps must be The fresh shrimps produced locally in Hongze Lake are used. These fresh shrimps have thin skin and thick flesh, and the squeezed out shrimps are white and plump.
Mr. Xu was fascinated by what he heard. He never expected that there would be such a restaurant in the ancient town of Hexia, Shanyang County, and that it could make this dish to the highest level. Respect arose in his heart.
"But." Mr. Shen pretended, and everyone listened more intently.
"The master chefs of Huaiyang cuisine still have such a secret for this dish through their practice day after day, year after year."
"What is it?" Mr. Xu's appetite was whetted and he couldn't help but ask.
If you want to know what happens next, listen to the explanation next time.
