Seven bitter flowers

Chapter 3: Changzhou Wonton in Daming Prefecture

Before dawn, Zhan Zhao and Ding Xiu had already left the city gate.

When Zhan Zhao got off his horse and asked someone to open the city gate, the two guarding soldiers were leaning against the city wall and sleeping soundly. When I finally wake up and recognize Zhan Zhao, it's another matter...

After leaving the city and walking far away, Ding Xiu was still lying on the saddle laughing non-stop, holding his throat imitating the soldier: "Zhan Da... Da Da Da..." Before he finished speaking, he was already out of breath from laughing Come.

Zhan Zhao was left speechless by Ding Xiu's childish behavior, and was afraid that she would be knocked off by the horse, so he reached out to hold the rein for her, and said helplessly: "Axiu, there is still a long way to go, you Can you stop for a while?"

Ding Xiu managed to hold back her laughter, straightened up, and said with a straight face: "Who told you to call me Axiu? Didn't you agree? After leaving the city gate, I will be Shangguan Jiu. You call me Ajiu, and I call you …It doesn’t matter what I call you, the key is that you have to get used to changing your words, understand?”

Hearing Ding Xiu mention this again, Zhan Zhao couldn't help but frown: "Ah..., that trick you mentioned is too risky, if someone sees it through, how can we explain it to him?"

Ding Xiu snorted and said dissatisfiedly: "I'm talking about taking risks. You don't take risks when you jump into someone's yard in the middle of the night? How many times have I told you? It's not more than three months in total, even her own father may not remember what she looks like, and I have played with her since childhood, if I know her well, can the Shangguan family understand Ah Jiu better than me?" She suddenly After a pause, he added as if reassuring, "What's more, the Yu Fei that Ah Jiu married was an honest scholar, if he was thrown into the crowd, probably Ah Jiu would be able to pick him out, don't worry, you can pretend to be Yu Fei It's the safest, no one will trouble you."

Zhan Zhao helplessly raised his forehead. He was not afraid that someone would make trouble for him. The dignified Nanxia followed a little girl in disguise and sneaked into Shangguan's house. Let you pretend to be a normal person and go home to mess around, right?Zhan Zhao couldn't help but asked aloud, "What are you going to tell others then? What if Miss Shangguan doesn't want to?"

Ding Xiu didn't care at all: "What should I say? Ah Jiu can't wait for her father to make a fool of himself... Even if she doesn't want to, I can do it. Don't worry."

The more certain Ding Xiu said, the more uncertain Zhan Zhao felt, and after thinking about it, he asked, "How come you are so familiar with Shangguan's family?"

Ding Xiu blinked her eyes, and said casually: "When Shangguan Jiu was born, her mother died of dystocia. She was plagued by various diseases, and was said by a fortune teller to be the lone star of the evil spirit. Shangguan’s house brought disaster, and almost asked Shangguan Yingyang to throw it out and feed the wolves. Thanks to my teacher’s wife, she was rescued and brought back to cure her illness. But in the end, Ah Jiu did not return to Shangguan’s mansion Go, that old thing Shangguan Yingyang said that in order for her to recuperate at ease, she bought another house outside the city to prevent her from going home. Originally, there were a bunch of maids and mothers accompanying her. Later, Ah Jiu said that she loved quietness and sought I drove them all back for a reason." Ding Xiu recalled her childhood, and she couldn't help but smile, and said softly, "When I was young, I often went to play with her, and we always worked together. Come on, play tricks on my brother."

Zhan Zhao was surprised and said, "You still have a big brother?"

Ding Xiu gave a "hmm" and said lightly, "Not here anymore." After a pause, he continued, "His name is Ding Nuo, and he is the biological son of Master and Mistress. Strictly speaking, he should be regarded as my senior brother, but I I've been calling him big brother since I was a child, and I'm used to it."

Zhan Zhao was silent, he remembered that he had heard Ding Xiu say that she "has roots and relatives", at that time he didn't think much about it.Until later, I gradually learned that her parents died early, her master and mother were murdered, and she had an elder brother, but he was gone... I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.If there is nothing from the beginning, there is always nothing to lose, but she originally had something. Although her parents died early, she has a master who loves her, a partner who plays with her, and an elder brother who cares about her. It is happiness, and because of this, it is more difficult to let go when it is lost.

He didn't know what she went through, but when he saw her half a year ago, she was alone, with a secret that no one knew about her, nowhere to go, and no one to trust. So at that time, she had already homeless...

When he was on the empty island, he once said that he had to protect her well. At that time, he said this more out of guilt for not thinking about her, and it was a promise that she could feel at ease.At this time, he is still willing to protect her, but not only to protect her from harm, he also hopes that he can help her fulfill her wish and lead her out of this shadow. She has a long way to go in the future, and he hopes that she There is someone who is willing to believe, so that she is no longer alone.

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Seven days later, the two arrived at Daming Mansion.

Daming Mansion was named "Wulu City" in the Spring and Autumn Period, and it was built as the accompanying capital during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, and was known as "Beijing" in history.Daming Mansion is located in the north of the Yellow River, and has the tendency of "controlling Heshuo and locking the key to the north gate".At that time, although Daming Mansion was not as prosperous as Kaifeng, it was still a big city with a population of one million.

It was Shenyou, and the sun was about to set. Ding Xiu led the black horse and looked east and west on the street. He didn't have a moment to relax. Finally, with a cry of joy, he pulled Zhan Zhao to sit down at a wonton stand by the street, and ate Jiangnan dialect ordered two bowls of wontons from the boss, and then said to Zhan Zhao with a smile: "I have eaten this wonton before. The boss is a native of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the craftsmanship is passed down in his family. The chicken soup and three delicacies wonton soup he made are clear and delicious. , it’s delicious, if you don’t believe me, try it, how is it compared to those wonton stalls in your Kaifeng mansion.”

Zhan Zhao smiled, suddenly remembered something, and asked her, "Didn't you say that your master and wife are both from Suzhou? How did you grow up with Miss Ah Jiu?"

Ding Xiu stretched out his hand and pulled out two chopsticks from the barrel, and after hesitantly placed them on the table, he raised his head and said, "Is there any contradiction? My master and wife are from Suzhou, but they didn't stay in Suzhou after they got married. I lived in a mountain not far from the city. Alas, that was really a secluded life in a paradise. At that time, all I thought about every day was how to find a reason to come to the city to play. My master didn’t let me, and my elder brother secretly Take me out a few times." As he spoke, he couldn't help laughing, and said, "At that time, we had no money, and we were so hungry when we ran to the city, so my elder brother went to steal candy for me. The more I ate, the hungrier I became, and finally I had to obediently go home and wait to be punished."

While the two were talking, Xiaoer had already brought up two bowls of wontons, and the steaming heat was wrapped in a fresh fragrance, which was really tempting to salivate.

Ding Xiu scooped up one with a spoon, blew on the hot air, but didn't rush to eat, looked at Zhan Zhao and said with a smile, "Taste it quickly."

Zhan Zhao saw that Ding Xiu was like a child showing off his good things, he was secretly amused, so he scooped up one and put it to his mouth to taste it.

Ding Xiu stared at Zhan Zhao with a blank expression, couldn't help raising his eyebrows, and said with a smug smile, "How is it? Have you tasted it?"

Zhan Zhao asked in a daze, "This is...Changzhou wonton?"

Ding Xiu chuckled: "I didn't expect you to have a good tongue, you tasted it in one bite." He lowered his head and took a sip of the soup, and said, "The taste hasn't changed at all after so many years, it's really not easy."

Zhan Zhao also smiled and said, "It's not easy for you to find such a good place to eat wonton here."

Ding Xiu was triumphant: "That's right, I have traveled all over the rivers and lakes anyway, and I can't even find delicious food, that's too much."

Zhan Zhao was speechless, paused and asked, "Where does Miss Ah Jiu live? Let's go find her after eating?"

Ding Xiu was busy eating wontons and drinking soup, and answered indistinctly, but Zhan Zhao didn't catch her, but seeing that she was eating well, it was hard for her to ask again.

When Ding Xiu finished his last sip of soup, Zhan Zhao had just finished half a bowl.Ding Xiu couldn't help but blush when he saw Zhan Zhao eating politely, and finally realized how indecent he looked just now.Fortunately, she was thick-skinned enough, so she raised her hand and ordered two bowls of tea, and while inserting the chopsticks back into the chopstick holder, she found a step for herself: "Hey, eat slowly, don't worry, the bowl of yours is served at the back, maybe It's hot..."

Zhan Zhao held back his laughter, and asked her again: "Where can we find Miss Ah Jiu after eating?"

Ding Xiu's eyes widened: "Didn't I say that, we have already passed the place where Ah Jiu lived, and we are staying at the inn today, and I will take you to find her tomorrow."

Zhan Zhao almost choked when he didn't pay attention: "It's over? Then why are we going to the city?"

Ding Xiu was serious: "I specially brought you to eat Changzhou wontons, to miss the authentic hometown flavor, why, isn't that important?"

Zhan Zhao didn't say anything, he lowered his head and ate another wonton, and said something vaguely.Ding Xiu didn't hear clearly, and when he asked again, Zhan Zhao just smiled and shook his head without answering.

It's too much, it's obviously not a good word, Ding Xiu insists on letting Zhan Zhao say it out, but Zhan Zhao has a smile on his face, but he doesn't let go.Until the two finished eating and led the horse away, Ding Xiu was still "coercing" Zhan Zhao to confess with a look of hatred, trying in vain to make Zhan Zhao understand that her fists were never vegetarian.

The setting sun cast lazily on the street, and the shadows of the two trailed behind them, slanting and long, gradually going away.

The author has something to say:

Shaoxing's aged Nirhong, Lu's steamed yellow croaker from Zikong Island, Yan Laosan's fried pork with bamboo shoots, Daming Mansion's Changzhou wonton... Xiaoding, you are a foodie o(╯□╰)o marry carefully Don't go out, if you don't restrain yourself, let Xiaozhan discover this attribute of yours, and kick you out for not being able to save money, then your own mother will not be able to save you...

PS: Want to know what Zhan Zhao said?Please pay attention to the next issue. The author has something to say O(∩_∩)O