The wine shop is not big, only a room and a half, with seven or eight long and short tables. The hall was a little dark, and an oil lamp was lit on the counter against the wall. A man wearing a scribe's turban and a blue robe leaned under the lamp, holding an account book or other book in one hand, and pinching it with the other. With a bald pen, he shook his head, curled his lips, and sighed with a sullen expression. He didn't even glance at Tian Xiu and the others when they entered the door. It wasn't until the waiter shouted loudly like a song, "Old customers, two and one! The ones with hot soup and towels are here one by one!" He then raised his head and wandered back and forth with eyes wide open.
In an instant, the sad look on the shopkeeper's face changed into overflowing enthusiasm. He immediately put down the account book in his hand and walked out from behind the counter. As he walked, he wiped his hands vigorously on his clothes. He rushed to the threshold in three steps and two steps. He took the whisk from the waiter's hand and helped Wang Shaoqing first. He brushed the dust off his body, brushed his shoulders and sleeves, brushed his front and swept his back clothes. After Wang Shaoqing stamped his feet and used a dry cloth to wipe the dirt off his shoes, he turned around and planned to help Tian Xiu. How could Tian Xiu ask him to help with such a thing? He turned aside, stretched out his hand and said: "Give me the whisk! I will do it myself!"
Only then did the shopkeeper realize that this seventh-grade official was actually a hypocrite. He immediately suppressed all the flattering words he had said countless times. He was stunned for a moment, and his face changed to a look of embarrassment. Rubbing his hands, he said: "Ah, how can this be good! There are always customers coming to the door. How can you let adults do such a trivial matter by themselves? If the word spreads, others will definitely say that it is my family's fault!" he said. Even though it sounded nice, he still didn¡¯t reach out to help. The words were addressed to Tian Xiu, but he looked at Wang Shaoqing with his eyes and said, "Two adults, please come inside. Do you want a private room one by one?"
"You still have an Accord here?" Wang Shaoqing was startled. He could clearly see from the street that although the restaurant had two floors, one on the ground floor and one on the ground floor, the height of the upper floor was very limited. Not to mention the low cornices and the few windows without latticework. , obviously not a hotel for guests, but probably a resting place for restaurants and waiters. He glanced into the hall, borrowing the light from the lights on the counter, and then saw two areas on the right covered with cotton curtains. It seemed that behind the cotton curtains was what the shopkeeper called the private room. He thought about it for a while, shook his head and said, "Forget it. The weather is bad, and the private room must be dark. It's not as bright as the outside room." He turned around and asked Tian Xiu, "What do you think, Mr. Tian?"
Tian Xiu handed the whisk to the shopkeeper and said, "Just outside."
The two of them chose a table slightly inside and sat down. They washed their hands and faces with the hot water sent by the wine shop. They each held a cup of hot tea and sipped slowly to relieve their fatigue. They said nothing to each other. Chatting. There were no other customers in the wine shop. Two or three big men came and went and delivered four-color fruits and four-color preserved fruits in the blink of an eye. The enthusiastic shopkeeper placed two more oil lamps in the lamp niches on both sides of the wall and helped them. After filling up the tea soup, he asked with a smile: "Two adults, what would you like to eat and drink?"
"Two meat and two vegetables, whatever soup you want." Wang Shaoqing took a sip of the tea soup and said casually, "Do you have any special wines or dishes?"
¡°¡There are fish and shrimps.¡±
Wang Shaoqing frowned and looked around. Yubao is a raw fish with the head, tail and belly removed, cut into thin slices or thin strips, and then dipped in a sauce made of shredded ginger, garlic sauce, mustard, coriander sauce, orange peel and salt grains. If it is made exquisitely, it can be regarded as a delicacy. . But there are more things that can¡¯t be done well. The key to this dish is that the fish fillet should not be too thick, and the miso must be delicious. Otherwise, if the smell of raw fish cannot be suppressed, it will really be called a dish that spoils the whole table. Looking at the layout of the wine shop, he couldn't tell that there was anything like a "maid with golden plate and carp".
The shopkeeper saw his hesitation and immediately said: "Please, sir, try the 'Xi Fei Crystal Sauce' from the shop. To be honest with you, the name of my shop 'Xi Fei' is derived from this 'Xi Fei Crystal Sauce'." 'Come here." He looked at Tian Xiu again. He is the one who opens the door to do business, what kind of person have I never seen before? Wang Shaoqing is already an old man and has a determined mind. It is difficult to impress him with just a few words. He can only hope that Tian Xiu can do this "little favor".
Wang Shaoqing was still silent, so Tian Xiu said, "Then let's serve a small dish first, and let's take a bite first before talking about it." She was used to living a life of careful planning, and being a woman, she was not afraid of others saying she was stingy. She thought that a small plate of fish and dumplings was not worth paying a few bucks for. If it tasted good, that would be fine. If it didn't taste good, then just put a few coins in it to make money. She thought Wang Shaoqing wouldn't say anything. As she said this, she suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but smile and shake her head.
Of course the shopkeeper didn¡¯t know why she was laughing. Seeing that Wang Shaoqing didn't object, the shopkeeper's eyes immediately narrowed with laughter, he clapped his hands and said, "Okay, I'll fillet the fish myself!"
Tian Xiu saw that there was a smile on Wang Shaoqing's lips, tilting his head and staring at the empty street, and knew that he had something on his mind about his shaking his head and laughing just now, so he quickly said: "A few days ago, it was before we went back to Xiaoluoyi. That night, General Shangguan from the Liyuan Camp hosted a banquet in honor of Changsha.I happened to have a meeting between the Lord and Uncle Yingxian, and was invited by the general to accompany him. The Linyuan Pavilion where the banquet was held also had a fish dumpling called "Crystal Dumpling" - Master Wang must be aware of this dish. This is a famous dish in the East Market, and everyone who goes to Linyuan Pavilion must order it, but Uncle Ying County has not tasted a bite"
Having said this, the unhappiness in Wang Shaoqing's heart had long since disappeared. He asked, "Uncle Ying didn't eat a bite? What kind of reason is this? I really can't figure it out."
"Uncle Ying said that it was the doctor's advice to avoid talking and talking. He has an eye disease, and whenever the seasons change from autumn to winter, he has to avoid all kinds of spicy and fishy food. As a result, he almost had a table full of wine and delicacies that night. I didn't eat a bite, I just watched others feasting, while I sighed long and short while holding the pancake."
Wang Shaoqing raised his face and laughed loudly, applauded and said: "He deserves such retribution! He made us go back and forth on an empty trip. Just when we were teaching him to have good wine and delicious food, he couldn't satisfy his appetite!" He added, " What happened next? Did he obey the doctor's instructions?"
"I still picked up a few chopsticks." Tian Xiu said while holding back a smile. That night she and Shangguan Rui both said they wanted to treat Shang Cheng to a meal and drink. As a result, the host ate happily, but the guests were not allowed to touch meat. Such a coincidence in the world! Especially when Shang Cheng mixed lettuce with salt to eat, he took a bite of bread and swallowed a mouthful of lettuce and then glared angrily at several people. The angry look with gnashed teeth was particularly memorable to her. Just now the shopkeeper mentioned the fish dumplings, and she immediately recalled the scene at that time, and then she couldn't help but laugh out loud
Wang Shaoqing said: "Last time I asked for advice on how to make a sky-watching instrument, I met him once at Uncle Ying's Zhuangzi. He was a very cheerful person. What a pity" What a pity, he just brushed it off without mentioning it. Maybe it's a pity that Shang Cheng has lost his appearance, or maybe it's a pity that he has so much talent that he can only sit around and spend his time He shook his head gently and said, "That's right! Mr. Yiyitian, I'm going to see Di Bao I have seen Uncle Ying's resume in the newspaper, but the few words in it are unclear. I wonder if Mr. Tian knows the past story of Uncle Ying? It is recorded in the Di newspaper that it has only been three or five years since he was a soldier. How did he cheer up? As for this?"
Tian Xiu lowered his eyes and fell silent. After a long time, she said quietly: "You can tell something by looking at his current appearance: those are all the merits and honors he earned by fighting for his life on the battlefield, with every knife and shot."