Words must die [Comprehensive martial arts]

It is now the end of November, the beginning of winter.

Although the winter in the south of the Yangtze River is not as severe as that in the north, the temperature has indeed dropped a lot. It is not obvious when the weather is good, but once it rains or it is night, the coolness will sweep over.

Ordinary people like Baozi have mostly put on thick winter clothes.

As for Huamanlou, Lu Xiaofeng and Yidianhong, martial arts practitioners were not affected much because of their internal energy, they just changed into thicker clothes.

Only Gu Shenyan stood out from the crowd, still wearing a thin spring suit, standing out from the crowd.

...Of course, there is probably also a reason for this.

In short, when the group of them went to the city to purchase ingredients, wherever Gu Shenyan went, they always attracted the attention of a lot of people.

"Every time I walk with Brother Gu, I feel like my red cloak has faded."

Lu Xiaofeng, who has changed from a flower to a green leaf again, has become accustomed to this, and he still has the time to joke with Hua Manlou who is walking beside her: "In the future, I will go out with Brother Gu, in order to overshadow his limelight, should I Change into more conspicuous clothes?"

Hua Manlou nodded in agreement, and suggested: "Next time, you can dress more festively, for example, in red, and you will definitely become the most eye-catching presence in the crowd."

Lu Xiaofeng rolled his eyes at him, and said angrily: "If you are willing to change with me, then I will accept this suggestion."

To be honest, Lu Xiaofeng was not afraid of being embarrassed.

Anyway, he has always had a thick skin.

But as a good brother and the proposer of this suggestion, Lu Xiaofeng said that Huamanlou must share the blessings and difficulties with him.

To be ashamed is to be ashamed together.

Hua Manlou: "...Forget it then."

Compared with Lu Xiaofeng's thick skin, he can only bow down.

After Gu Shenyan led everyone around the market, he had a plan in mind about how to arrange dinner.

But before starting the purchase, he had to seek the opinions of Hua Manlou and others.

After all, the main purpose of tonight's meal is to comfort other people, not to satisfy his own appetite.

"How about a hot pot at night?"

There is a reason why Gu Shenyan suggested eating hot pot at night.

At this time of year, although there is no shortage of chicken, duck and fish, the types of vegetables are limited, and they only come to the market in the afternoon, and those vegetables are all leftovers, not only poor in appearance, but also not very fresh.

In addition, due to the cold weather, the dishes are easy to cool after they are out of the pan, even vegetarian dishes, once the meat dishes are cold, the taste will definitely be greatly reduced.

So hot pot is the most suitable.

As for the monotonous taste... Gu Shenyan said that as long as the bottom of the pot is well seasoned, the taste will definitely not be bad.

In terms of culinary skills, Hua Manlou and others who have long been conquered by Gu Shenyan naturally have no objections.

In the end, a group of people returned with a full load——

Of course, before going home, Gu Shenyan went to the best restaurant in the city and bought several pots of Immortal Drunk.

It made Lu Xiaofeng happy to praise him for being generous to his friends.

Also hummed a little song all the way.

It's just that the out-of-tune is outrageous, Gu Shenyan listened all the way, but couldn't figure out which song he was humming.

……

After returning home, Gu Shenyan started to prepare dinner.

What he intends to make is not the kind of hot pot that people often eat at that time, but is widely popular in later generations and loved by many people. It originated from Chongqing hot pot in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Well, an improved version.

After all, Chongqing hot pot is famous for its numbness and spicyness. Huamanlou, a Jiangnan native who is used to light food, may not be able to bear it, and the steamed buns with a fragile stomach cannot be eaten too much.

Gu Shenyan also likes to eat hot pot, so when he was planning to open a shop and order kitchenware in advance, he specially asked someone to order a mandarin duck hot pot.

Although he doesn't have any particular preferences in terms of taste, the biggest advantage of hot pot is actually its convenience—even Gu Shenyan, who regards cooking as a hobby and is willing to spend a lot of time on delicious food, occasionally wants to steal it. lazy.

When making hot pot, the ingredients are not the focus, but the preparation of the bottom of the pot is the focus.

Gu Shenyan planned to make two different pot bases, one is the classic Chongqing spicy pot base, and the other is the sour and appetizing tomato pot base.

Of course, clear soup base is also acceptable, but Lu Xiaofeng said that since he wants to try new flavors, he should just try a new one.

"According to what you mean, brother Gu, the bottom of the clear soup pot should be similar to that of ordinary hot pot."

Afraid that Gu Shenyan would be too busy, Lu Xiaofeng, who also went into the kitchen to help out, asked, and after Gu Shenyan gave an affirmative answer, he said more confidently: "Then there is no need to do this, anyway, the bottom of the soup is clear. Everyone has eaten it, and you can eat it whenever you want in the future, and this time is not bad!"

Gu Shenyan: Alright, today the host can do whatever he wants, you have the final say.

Butter is an essential base material for traditional Chongqing hotpot.

After being heated, the butter will emit a unique fragrance, and it can better maintain the temperature and consistency of the soup. After the food is cooked, it will also be covered with a layer of oily luster, and it will increase the flavor of the soup. fragrant.

Also use fermented bean paste, pepper, pepper, dried chili and many other spices, as well as onion, ginger, garlic and fermented glutinous rice...

At the beginning, Lu Xiaofeng was interested in counting the types beside him, but he lost his patience after a while.

Because Gu Shenyan added too many kinds of seasonings, there could be dozens of them.

When Gu Shenyan started cooking, Lu Xiaofeng immediately hid outside the kitchen.

Baozi and Yidianhong didn't hold back, and left the kitchen one after another.

The pungent spicy smell wafted from the kitchen and spread to the whole hall. Lu Xiaofeng pinched his nose and said in a low voice, "I know why Brother Gu prepared two flavored pot bottoms."

This spiciness smells amazing.

It must taste even better.

If there wasn't a lighter pot, even Lu Xiaofeng, who could eat spicy food, might have to rest his chopsticks halfway.

Not to mention Huamanlou and Baozi.

"But I still want to taste the spicy pot."

As an authentic Jiangnan person, Hua Manlou usually doesn't like to eat heavy food, and the spicy smell wafting from the kitchen really makes him feel lingering.

But chili is something that has a magical power that makes people fear and love.

After smelling this smell too much, Huamanlou inexplicably had an idea of ​​wanting to try it.

"...Me, me too."

Baozi, who usually doesn't like spicy food, echoed weakly.

Hearing what they said, Lu Xiaofeng was not surprised at all.

After all, this is the food made by Brother Gu himself.

Just because of this, even people who are usually afraid of spicy food will want to try it.

And once you try it, you won't be disappointed.

After the aroma of the dry ingredients was fully stimulated, Gu Shenyan added beef broth to the pot, boiled it, then added fermented glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and cooking wine, waited for the flavors to blend, and then skimmed off the foam—this hot pot The base material is considered to be done.

Before the bottom material solidified, Gu Shenyan took it out of the pot and put it in a basin for storage.

Then proceed to make another base.

Compared with spicy pot bottom, the method of making tomato pot bottom is much simpler.

Very little seasoning is required.

Onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, shiitake mushroom, wolfberry, longan, and salt for seasoning, these seasonings add up to less than ten items.

But the simpler the method, the more difficult it is to do it well.

For example, the production of ketchup seems to be very simple. After knowing the process, anyone can get started, but the ketchup made by different people will have different tastes.

If you want to make impeccable good taste, you must test the basic skills of the chef.

When to use what heat, and what degree of stir-frying is the most suitable...The control of heat and time is extremely critical.

A good tomato pot bottom must have a bright color, thick soup bottom, moderate acidity, salty sweetness, and ensure that the soup bottom only adds flavor to the ingredients instead of stealing it.

After all the pot bottoms were ready, Gu Shenyan began to process the ingredients.

This step is the simplest and has no technical content. It is enough to ensure that the knife is good enough and the size and thickness of the cut ingredients are appropriate.

With the help of a little red and steamed stuffed buns, more than a dozen kinds of ingredients were quickly processed, plated and served on the dining table.

The specially customized mandarin duck copper pot has been cleaned in advance and placed in the center of the table. You only need to put red-hot charcoal into the heating pipe in the middle, then pour the bottom of the pot and broth into it, and wait for a while until it boils , you can start to enjoy the dishes.

While waiting for the soup base to boil, everyone took their seats one after another.

Gu Shenyan picked up the jug and poured wine for everyone present except Baozi.

"Yo, this is really rare!"

Seeing that Gu Shenyan poured himself a glass of wine, Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help laughing and said, "Apart from the time at Xuejiazhuang, Brother Gu, this should be the second time you made an exception this year, right?"

Gu Shenyan nodded, raised his glass to serve first, and then explained: "Today is quite special."

"I made an exception last time because I met Master Xue, a confidant of swordsmanship, and I made an exception this time to thank everyone for their help during this time... and also to celebrate my successful breakthrough."

"Brother Gu, your breakthrough is indeed worthy of celebration."

Lu Xiaofeng laughed out loud, and quickly raised his glass to drink it down, "As for the rest, I'll just say one word - between friends, we should have the same blessings and share the same difficulties! So don't say any more polite words. , as long as I get into trouble and come to you for help in the future, don't dislike me."

Gu Shenyan sighed, saying that your request is a bit embarrassing.

It's okay to ask him for help, but it's a bit difficult to make him not despise Lu Xiaofeng.

Unless he and Lu Xiaofeng cut off their friendship in the future.

"On the matter of 'disgusting' you, it's probably a little hobby that every one of your friends can't change."

Hua Manlou also joked with a smile, "I can testify for Boss Gu."

Lu Xiaofeng was suddenly at a loss for words.

Because if you think about it carefully...it seems to be true.

So, what kind of group of friends did he make?

Or is this actually his own problem?

Before Lu Xiaofeng could figure out why, Didianhong's unexpected move diverted everyone's attention.

Like Gu Shenyan, Yidianhong usually doesn't touch alcohol, but today, he not only drank, but also drank three glasses in a row.

But Gu Shenyan was taken aback. After he realized it, he quickly got up and took away a little red wine glass, not daring to let him continue drinking.

Gu Shenyan didn't drink because he didn't like it, not because he couldn't drink. His alcohol capacity was actually quite good, and if he really drank, he could compete with an alcoholic like Lu Xiaofeng.

A little red is different.

He's the kind of guy who doesn't like to drink, and can't.

It is said that it is not enough to pour one glass, but his drinking capacity is indeed very shallow. After only three glasses of wine, his face and neck are burning red.

Fortunately, his expression is still clear, although he is a little drunk, but he will not pass out immediately.

Gu Shenyan regretted pouring that glass of wine for Dianhong.

At first, he didn't want to let a little red drink. When he was pouring the wine, he just thought that everyone else had it, but it seemed a little unreasonable not to pour a little red... Anyway, if he had known it would happen, he would definitely not give it to him. A little red wine.

A little red when drunk was a little different from usual.

Talking a little more——

He first thanked Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou one by one, then told Baozi to take good care of Boss Gu after he left, and finally asked Boss Gu if he could write to him more often in the future.

The usual introverted emotions are also more obvious——

When asking for Gu Shenyan's consent, the affection in the little red eyes was so obvious that everyone could see it.

Of course, Baozi, who is underage and still a blank slate in terms of feelings, is an exception.

Lu Xiaofeng subconsciously observed Gu Shenyan's reaction.

However, the expression on Gu Shenyan's face didn't change at all, as if he didn't notice anything unusual.

His tone was as gentle as usual, and he smiled and said to Yidianhong: "I said a long time ago, as long as you want, this place can be your home forever, and you can write back at any time. I will also write to you often."

So a little red stopped in satisfaction.

Sitting upright in a chair, he started to daze.

During the conversation, the hot pot was already boiling, so Gu Shenyan greeted everyone to start eating.

Eating hot pot is a very atmospheric thing. Everyone sits around in a lively manner. You take food from the pot with one chopstick. Even strangers will have a wonderful sense of intimacy. What's more, it's a friend who was already very close?

So when everyone was half full and the speed of chopsticks slowed down a little, they started chatting with each other.

Perhaps because of the good atmosphere, when everyone was chatting, they were obviously less worried than usual.

Some topics that I usually avoid intentionally, are also unknowingly spoken.

When Lu Xiaofeng suddenly asked himself curiously about the Chunyang Palace, Gu Shenyan was stunned for a few seconds.

"Pure Yang Palace..."

Gu Shenyan lowered his eyes, a very gentle smile slowly appeared on his face, and his tone was also very gentle: "That's a very good place."

That's why I called him such nostalgia and reluctance.

"The elders in the master's school are very kind, and they are very patient when teaching students swordsmanship. If you encounter any problems in practice, you can ask the elders to explain them at any time. The disciples of the same generation are also very friendly. No matter what difficulties you encounter, As long as you say it, everyone will find a way to help solve it..."

"Because of my young age, my brothers and sisters of the same generation usually take good care of me and treat me like a younger brother. Every time I go out and come back, they will bring me a gift."

"The gifts I have received since I was a child almost filled the house."

Following Gu Shenyan's narration, Lu Xiaofeng and others' image of Chunyang Palace gradually became three-dimensional.

It was undoubtedly a very beautiful place.

Just the sound of it will make people yearn for it.

But there is one problem that has really troubled Lu Xiaofeng for a long time.

So he endured and endured, but in the end he couldn't hold back, and asked.

"Then what, Brother Gu, why is your Chunyang Palace so different from other Taoist sects?"

Disciples in the sect can eat meat and drink, and they can also talk about marriage, which is an extremely rare existence in the Taoist sect.

At least according to Lu Xiaofeng's knowledge, except for Chunyang Palace, all existing Taoist sects in the martial arts are more or less restricted in these aspects.

"Speaking of which."

Gu Shenyan couldn't help laughing: "On the first day I became a teacher, when I went to the cafeteria to eat, I was very surprised to see that there were not only meat dishes but also drinks in the cafeteria."

"Later, I foolishly went to ask my master why Taoists can drink and eat meat."

"Then how did she answer?" Baozi asked curiously with his eyes wide open.

"She said it was because Lu Zu was enlightened and cared about his disciples." Gu Shenyan paused for a moment before continuing: "Chunyang Palace is located on the top of a mountain, covered with heavy snow all year round, and the climate is very cold. Eating meat can strengthen your body. , Drinking alcohol will help keep out the cold."

But later Gu Shenyan realized that these words were just used by Yu Rui to fool himself.

The truth of the matter is that because Lu Zu was the best at wine and meat in his life, the sect he created naturally would not restrict his disciples in this regard.

Otherwise, if a disciple asks later, why his ancestors can drink and eat meat, but they can't, it will be embarrassing.

Of course, Gu Shenyan would not tell everyone about this.

As a disciple of Chunyang Palace, it is an obligation to maintain the image of one's master in the outside world.

"Just from your description, I can imagine how good the atmosphere in Chunyang Palace is."

Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "If the disciples called Wudang Emei heard what you said, they would definitely be envious."

As a Taoist sect, Wudang and Emei have a lot of rules to abide by, and there are distinct classes and lack of human touch. There are those secret factional rivalries—

Of course, most of the other martial arts schools are also like this.

Even in a place of pure cultivation like Shaolin, there will inevitably be disputes.

Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that a sect like Chunyang Palace, which has enlightened ancestors, kind teachers and friendly disciples, is really a clean stream in the martial arts world.

"It's such a good place, no wonder it can cultivate such an excellent disciple as you, Brother Gu."

In the end, Lu Xiaofeng concluded like this.

"of course."

Gu Shenyan raised his eyebrows, not only was he not modest, but also confidently affirmed Lu Xiaofeng's words.

"Pure Yang Palace is the best sect in the world."

At least in his mind.