Sword Raiders II

In front of a Japanese-style old house with a very old texture, a gray car slowly stopped at the gate.

Ruishan Takatomo got off the driver's seat and quickly went around to the other side of the car, opened the rear door, and Yuli, who was carrying the same handbag as the kimono, got out of the car and landed meanderingly.

Almost not long after she stood firm, the family of the house owner who had been guarding the gate came up to welcome her.

"Master Xinggong, thank you for taking the time to come to the humble house." The leader was an old man about [-] years old, who took a step forward and greeted Yu Li, "It is my honor to invite you to visit, our family It is also an honor."

This is the person in charge of the Maeda branch of the Echizen district. He is followed by a middle-aged couple and a high school boy. The whole family are all dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos, and they are extremely formal, which can be described as quite solemn. It's a welcome gift.

However, Yu Li is also worthy of it, not to mention her own status in the domestic culinary world, but only to say that her star palace restaurant is still rising in wealth. If the power of the Maeda clan is not included, the Echizen branch of The size really can't keep up.

"You are too good, and I should be the one to thank you." Yu Li replied with a smile, his eyes fell on the young man behind him, and his voice was relaxed, "The patriarch of the clan of your family told me that this trip to Echizen is for a big meal. Yes, I've been looking forward to it for days."

As the patriarch of the clan, Mr. Maeda did not come this trip. After all, there are branch brothers of the same generation here to take care of him. It is related to whether this old guy's own grandson can get on his lap, and he must be more attentive than his old brother. That's right, so I feel relieved to be the hands-off shopkeeper.

This is indeed the case. When Yu Li set his sights on the only young man in the family, the old head of the branch immediately pulled the young man behind him to the front: "This is Shesun, Maeda Toshiki, who was just a while ago After graduating and returning to China, they will stay in China for a few years.”

The young man was dressed in a black-patterned hakama embroidered with the Maeda family crest. He looked gentle and handsome. Before, he hid behind his family and peeked at him, but was suddenly pushed to the front by his grandfather and saw the goddess of cooking who was more elegant and beautiful than in the news. He couldn't help but blush. Stretching his back a little stiffly, he immediately bowed and said hello: "Master Xinggong, hello, I'm Maeda Toshiki! Hi, I hope you can have a good time at my house today!"

It's not a meal acceptance apprentice, but an invitation to play.

Although it was just a verbal remark, it still made the atmosphere at the door light.

"That's right, they are visiting as guests." The lady behind responded with a smile, and together with her husband, she pulled the old man and son out of the way, "Come in, both of you, and drink some tea to warm up. Although it is not a treasure, it also has its own uniqueness, and the Echizen crab in this season is a must, and it would be even better if it can satisfy you.”

Stepping into the porch, changing shoes and stepping into the room, Yu Li followed the host's hospitality to guide him along the way.

Over the years, she has been to a lot of old houses of various aristocratic families, but I have to say that each family has different styles and styles, and the layout of the house also has its own advantages and disadvantages. Obviously, there are only so many furnishings and functions, but they can always be played in different ways. .

Today’s weather is very good. Although it’s already winter, the sun is still warm on people’s bodies, and it also makes some evergreen and ever-blossoming flowers and plants very bright in winter. Across the dry landscape vestibule with ancient pines and spring orchids, I watched the host’s family say hello Watching the servants they met on the road doing things, Yu Li and the manager gradually entered the main hall and sat down at the reception of the old master.

It is about whether the grandson/son can become the disciple of the God of Cooking, and even whether they can get the light of the Star Palace in the future to improve the family's property. to accompany.When Yu Li gently asked about the boy's experience of learning to cook in a famous overseas school, he spoke appropriately from time to time, not only to prevent the child from making mistakes in the novel about his age, but also to make the atmosphere comfortable without any trace.

The manager next to him who saw all this in his eyes couldn't help thinking about the fact that Xinggong was invited to the Jingji family a few years ago. Although he was not there for some reason, he could feel the ancient family's love for her just by listening to the person's dictation afterwards. The contempt and disrespectful calculation, compared with the present, makes it difficult for him not to feel emotional.

Yu Li didn't know what was going on in the mind of the manager who silently installed the background board next to him, but he just focused on evaluating this young man who was willing to come to apprentice to his master even if he wanted to be a teacher. He should be said to be a child of a big family. After that, he quickly returned to his graceful and well-spoken appearance. It seems that because of studying abroad for these years, there is still a casual sense of gentleman in his words and deeds.

The initial impression was good, and Yu Li's tone became more and more gentle. The young man was also keenly aware that he had passed the first test, and he couldn't help but talk more. The self-confidence and high-spiritedness in the eyebrows can hardly be concealed.

Suddenly, I thought of the young master Changyi in Honmaru.

Just when Yu Li thought of this in his mind, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the smiling lady secretly beating her son who was about to get carried away, and then the young man who was about to show his genius and arrogance became humble in seconds, lowering his head and being cautious in his words and deeds stand up.

Then the baby was kicked out by the family and asked him to go to the kitchen to prepare meals.

"Hey, the child has been overseas for the past few years, and he has learned a little bit more. Now that he is back, he just calms down." Seeing that these details have not been hidden from the eyes of the guests, the grandfather couldn't help but fill in the details for his grandson.

Yu Li didn't care: "Isn't this great? Having such vitality at this age also proves that he is living a happy life, and you love him very much."

Such a sentence made the parents who had been tense to accompany them all involuntarily slow down their nerves, their expressions softened a lot unconsciously, and when they spoke again, they were a little more sincere, rather than simply flattering.

Whether a person's conduct is good or not can be judged not only by himself, but also by the family members who live with him. Since Yu Li agreed to the Maeda patriarch's coming, he naturally also seriously examined whether the school's incoming disciple could really accept him.Therefore, she not only observed the boy, but also the elders who were also watching the boy, so the two sides also chatted a lot afterwards.

During the conversation, a servant woman came forward and told them that the dining room was ready, and asked the master and guests to move to eat there.

Today's focus can be counted.

Probably in order to match the elegant taste of kaiseki cuisine, the restaurant is very artistically decorated, exquisite and elegant, and the outside is facing the plum grove in the courtyard outside the house. The bright red plum blossoms reflect the white snow laid last night, which is really a perfect dining setting up.

Not long after, the first dish was served.

For managers who are not food experts, there is really not much to say about the appetizers that are paid first. The seasonal pickles that can be eaten in a few bites are used to whet the appetite, and the focus is on starting from the second course.

Eight inches, five grades.

The real appetizer of kaiseki cuisine, five dishes made with different cooking techniques in a square blue and white porcelain plate are put together like a flower arrangement.

Served in a small blue glass, cold lotus root and enoki mushrooms, flax tofu in a lemon-shaped bowl, charcoal-grilled old yam, eel wrapped in kelp, and finally a stick of salt The salty fresh prawns are baked straight red, and a few white plum blossoms are dotted in them, and the artistic conception of this colorful seasonal dish comes out at once.

"It's really an exquisite art of plate arrangement." Manager Ruishan couldn't help but let out an exclamation, and glanced at the star palace next to her, seeing that there was nothing wrong with her expression, he knew in his heart that the plan was qualified.

Well, there are ordinary seasonal ingredients in it, unlike the Kyogoku family in the past, who took out the food and said it was his daughter's craftsmanship, and finally found that all the dishes that stand out are high-end ingredients in the dishes.

The third bowl is a bowl made of reddish and steamed small wax gourd, which is also suitable for drinking rice cake and soft-shelled turtle soup in winter. There is also a delicate small carrot carved on the edge of the "bowl". Gourd, thin green onion leaves tied around the waist of the gourd, people can't help but smile.

But what amazed the manager the most was the Xiang Fu, the sashimi platter in the fourth course.He was amazed the first time the servants delivered it to the table.It is a custom-made flat-bottomed flower-shaped bowl. The edge of the bowl is not a flat mouth, but three-petal peach blossom-shaped petals that close the bowl in a triangular shape, implying the looming early spring in winter. In the bowl are thinly sliced ​​shrimp. The meat and fish are arranged in the shape of peach blossoms, and the tender turnips are piled up to form a small slope of ice and snow. The dark yellow mustard is smeared casually on the bottom of the bowl like a land covered with ice and snow.

Flowers bloom in early spring and the land breaks ice. This body shows the beautiful metaphor of the coming spring in winter. It is said that the dishes are more like a miniature landscape, which makes people feel good just looking at it.

After that is the fifth, the sixth...

After eating until the end, the manager's expression was unsatisfactory. He didn't know about others, but he was very satisfied anyway.

Originally, he followed this trip because he was afraid of another accident like the Kyogoku family, so he came here specially to escort him, but now it seems that he just had a good meal at the level of the top ten.

Boss Ruishan has a lot of things going on in his mind, but his usual professional poker face makes it impossible to see what he is thinking. Of course, no one at the scene cares about what he is thinking. Everyone in the host family is nervously watching the expressions of the people next to him. .

It's a pity that Yu Li's expression was the same as that of the manager from the beginning to the end, until all the tableware was removed from the table, she didn't have a specific comment other than a polite thank you for the food and entertainment.

What is your child's grade?

Do you accept it or not?

Give me a word!

The anxious waiting was actually the few minutes when the dining table was put away. After all, it was a big family, and the host quickly calmed down.

Thinking about the seven apprentices that Xinggong Yuli had accepted before, none of them had been carefully inspected. They had the cheek to take advantage of the family's favor to invite people here to launch their children and grandchildren, and it was indeed impossible to agree to accept them on the first day of meeting.

Normal operation, calm, don't rush.

The owner's family, who was completely at ease, returned to the enthusiasm they had in the morning. The lady, who is also a woman, took the initiative to invite Yu Li to go outside for a walk, visit their house and eat away food, while the manager continued to talk to the host. We stay together and chat and talk about things.

"If Master Xinggong is interested, let Quanzi set up a tea ceremony in the tea room in the afternoon, and please comment and give some pointers during the introduction."

Yuli has no objection to this.

He also pretended not to see the hidden eye contact between the hostess and the hostess when she got up, because she didn't feel any malice, so she let it go.

——Actually, she already had a rough answer to whether she should accept this new apprentice after tasting the dishes, but it didn't stop her from wanting to see how much thought the family put in to win her over.

"Although in terms of scale and wealth, there is no way to compare with the Zong family, but if it is compared to the old house, my Echiqian branch is not much worse than the Zong family." Leading Yu Li to visit the house along the veranda, the hostess looked proud , "Tea room, quiet room, swordsmanship dojo, open-air martial arts arena, our family has them all. Not only that, there is also a bow dojo and racetrack on the back mountain. Ah, of course, there is also a knife room."

When she said the last sentence, she covered her mouth with her sleeve and smiled softly.

Yu Li, who bears the well-recognized title of "sword-collecting madman", said: "..." At this moment, he seemed to be unable to find any other expression besides a sneer.

Then what, don't give her a knife just to let her accept apprentices, she's really scared.

The hostess didn't mention the hidden knife anymore, she just revealed it as if she just said something, and continued to lead Yu Li to the front. When the two were communicating casually, Yu Li heard a rushing string sound from the front side. It sounded in the distance.

call out!

thump.

It was two consecutive sounds of the arrow feather leaving the string and then sinking into the target.

Subconsciously followed the sound and walked a few steps forward, bypassing a plum tree in the courtyard, a bow dojo suddenly opened up in front of him.

The sound of the arrow being strung up, and the rubber band of the bow string being gradually stretched was very clear this time. Yu Li turned his head to look, and saw a man in bow uniform standing there on the half-open archery platform, holding his longbow high, his posture straight The strings are like a full moon, and at this moment, his expression is solemn and his eyes are highly focused on the opposite archery target.

When the wind blows, the plum blossoms sway, and when the branches tremble, an arrow is shot from the dojo.

Boom!

Right in the bull's eye.

At this time, there were already five or six arrows on the target.

There was a burst of applause beside the dojo, it was Yu Li and the hostess.

"Ma'am?" The man also noticed them now, and he was embarrassed to hear the applause, "I told you to come in the dojo if you want to see it, don't just show up next to the shooting range for convenience, it's very dangerous."

At this time, he had put down his bow, jumped off the shooting platform, and walked to the guardrail of the shooting range, allowing Yu Li to see the man's face clearly.

He is very handsome, and because of his practice in archery, his figure is very graceful, and he has a very temperament when he walks.

Of course, what caught Yu Li's attention the most was the weak spiritual power emanating from the opponent's body, this is not an ordinary person.

"It's an accident this time." The hostess covered her mouth with a smile and waved to him, "I brought guests."

Then she looked at Yuli.

"This is Mr. Sakagami Soshi." The hostess introduced, "He is the priest of Asama Hongu Shrine, and my family is related by marriage. This time when my family returned to China, I asked him to teach the child how to bow. .”

Sakagami?Asama Hongu Shrine?

Yu Li was stunned for a moment, and just when he was thinking where he had heard it before, there was a sound of footsteps behind him.

"Ma'am, there is another visitor at home, and they are disciples of Master Xinggong."

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