Put out the fire!
Put out the fire quickly!
I was awakened from my deep sleep by the sudden shouting all over the street.
I quickly grabbed my coat and hurried out the door.
To the northwest, the raging fire has been burning red for half a day.
In the distance, a "return-shaped" courtyard, blown by the strong southeast wind, has turned into a huge fire cage, making a "whirring" sound.
People were coming and going to put out the fire, carrying buckets and carrying basins, and they kept coming and going, making it even more chaotic.
I saw that the fire in the two buildings behind was the most intense and the flames were the highest.
The people fighting the fire could not get close, and could only watch the three-story building collapse in front of them.
What is puzzling is that in the middle of the smoky courtyard, there is an old man, head raised, disheveled, waving his long sleeves, running around the ruins,
Running and shouting,
"Okay, I watched you build a tall building, I watched you entertain guests, and now I watch your building collapse! Ha! Ha! Ha! Retribution! Retribution!"
I was about to step forward to stop him, when a beam with flames and white smoke was coming towards me. I instinctively dodged back!
Bang!
My big head hit the ground first.
I couldn't care less about the pain and opened my eyes.
I found myself sweating profusely and fell under the bed.
ah!
It turned out to be a dream
When a servant came to call me, I was still frightened.
I was still thinking about this matter on the way Master Yao took me to Liang Guoxiang's Mansion.
Lord Yao thought I was so strange and frightened.
When I was taken to the front yard of the Prime Minister's Mansion, I discovered that there was also a "return-shaped" courtyard here.
However, this "return-shaped" courtyard is long and surrounded by four-story buildings.
Why does it feel so similar to the scene in my dream this morning?
I began to doubt myself again, whether I was hallucinating again.
Walking further inside, I saw that the front yards of Xiang's Mansion and Yao's Mansion were, on the surface, similar in area and layout.
But when I came to the backyard, I saw a big difference.
There are only two sets of courtyards strung together in the Yao Mansion, but the number of courtyards in the Prime Minister's Mansion cannot be seen for the time being.
I saw Mr. Yao entering the Prime Minister's Mansion with a smile on his face all the time.
When you see the Prime Minister, you should be respectful.
But Prime Minister He Xuan didn't care about Master Yao's behavior.
The body is far away from Mr. Yao, and the face is facing forward.
Lord Yao is not taboo about these things.
Officials in the same dynasty should understand each other.
When Mr. Yao entered the courtyard, he first praised the pines and cypresses in Prime Minister He's mansion and how vigorous they were. Then, as he walked in, he praised the woody plants that He Xiangyang raised and how they matched the Prime Minister's personality, etc., in short, they were all Full of praise.
Afterwards, he turned around and introduced to He Xiang,
"This is the cook I specially hired from Yan State. Come and meet my lord!"
I hurriedly stepped forward to salute.
"Hello, Prime Minister! My name is Liu Bancheng,"
The Prime Minister looked me up and down.
Lord Yao went on to say,
"This boy cooks very authentic food. I thought, with such a good cook, how could I dare to enjoy it myself. So I specially recommend him to you. As for you, you might as well let him try his craft. If it feels good, you can Let him stay in the Prime Minister's Mansion. Then it will be my honor to be able to contribute a little to the Prime Minister during my lifetime!"
After saying that, he pushed his belly forward and smiled even more heartily.
The Prime Minister just smiled politely.
I found that the man in front of me was also of medium height, dressed simply, with a thin body and no formality. It was just that his eyes were a little different from others.
It's big, round, and a bit sluggish, and doesn't seem to be very flexible in turning.
When I came to Liang State from the Jin Kingdom, I had already begun to pay attention to the behavior of the officials of this dynasty, especially their eyes.
I found that officials of this dynasty did not seem to pay much attention to protecting their eyes.
Perhaps due to overuse or other reasons, their eyes seemed to be rusty and not very flexible.
However, it looks very determined.
This is the same as the officials he served before.
However, the difference between Prime Minister He's eyes and those of previous officials is that they are large and solemn.
I felt uncomfortable as these eyes looked up and down.
At this time, the prime minister turned around and called someone to take me to the kitchen behind.
After that, he looked at each other and smiled and said,
"In an hour, let's go to the back stove to taste the food."
After speaking, the group of people entered the main hall of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
I was led through three gardens, and after passing the third arched gate, I turned to the right.
There is a brown plaque with "Xiang Shanfang" hanging in front of the small second floor door.
At this time, it was already noon, and it was steaming inside. People were coming in and out, and it was very busy.
I found that the stove room on the first floor here is particularly spacious, with enough for forty or fifty people working on the stove.
This scene surprised me.
With such a large kitchen area and such a chef, there must be many people dining here.
I remembered.
It has been recorded in history books that Lord He Xuan had the largest number of followers at that time!
Is it possible that all his three thousand guests are here?
No, fifty people are responsible for the food of three thousand people. Isn’t that a joke?
I'm too exhausted to finish it, unless I use a robot to cook.
What a joke, where can I get a robot in this day and age?
I am also amused by my own whims.
At this time, a big chef wearing a high hat was waiting in the lobby on the first floor.
He came to me and bowed.
After listening to the servant's introduction, he led me alone along the kitchen corridor.
The corridor on the first floor is very deep.
The aisle was also very dim, with only a few candlelights illuminating it.
As soon as I entered the room from the outside, my eyes were not used to it and I staggered.
Walking inside, I found dark green solid wood fences on both sides of the aisle.
The corners and joints of the walls are engraved with various patterns, which are antique.
I followed the big chef straight ahead.
When you come to a small door, press the button, and the two sides of the small door separate. In front of you is a set of steps going down.
Enter the underground floor and pass through a corridor, which becomes brighter and brighter as you go.
I saw that there were many separate rooms on both sides of the corridor.
It feels like a current billiards hall, a Western restaurant, and a mahjong room.
The innermost part should be the kitchen, where maids in aprons come and go from time to time, carrying dishes and delivering food.
I was led by the big chef to a small kitchen in the back.
A female chef was waiting at the door.
This female chef is about 1.65 meters tall, with a pink face and a smile.
Her breasts were so high that if I pushed her forward a little, the chef's uniform would burst.
The big man went in front and I went into the small kitchen inside.
The kitchen area is not large, it is a long room with deserted walls.
Four groups of hearths made of gravel are lined up from the outside to the inside.
A pile of wooden stumbling blocks were stacked in the innermost corner.
The flue is located on the rear side, and there is an old-fashioned wind box next to it.
I turned over the bamboo basket placed on the ground.
It contains fresh pork, rabbit, chicken, and pigeon meat.
There are salt, ginger, green onions, sauce, vinegar and other seasonings in the bamboo basket on the stove, and there are some cabbage and potatoes next to it.
Looking up, I saw some ceramic and iron pots and pans, large and small, neatly placed in the stone wall.
With these conditions, what kind of dishes can be made?
I turned back to the big chef and said,
"Brother, do you have any taste preferences or taboos?
The big chef didn't speak to Liu Bancheng all the way.
When asked this question, I trembled, froze, and said,
"I'm telling you, kid, don't take yourself too seriously. My master just wants to give your Master Yao some face by letting you come in alone to try your hand. To put it bluntly, it's just going through the motions. Do you understand?"
Going through the motions? This guy's thick accent made me feel uncomfortable.
