Chapter Nine, Seventh Brother Soup and Pancake Shop
Yang Huaiyu's cloak was covered in snowflakes. As an envoy of the imperial city, he too did not dare to be negligent in such a night. This was already his third time on patrol.
In the wooden bowl of Tie Xinyuan, there lay a slice of bacon as thin as paper, specially prepared by his mother for him. He was only allowed to suck on it and lick it a few times to taste the flavor, as he currently had only four teeth and was unable to handle this item.
The heavy snow continues to fall, and before long, the black shadow transforms into a white sculpture
Thus, many individuals with ulterior motives have appeared here, hoping to capture the fox and deliver it to wealthy households, where they might sell it for a handsome price. However, their plans always come to naught, as the fox never strays more than ten paces from the imperial city
At the same time, rumors about the vixen once again stirred up a commotion, and those with ulterior motives actually brought this matter to the attention of the Kaifeng Prefecture
With a sound of "crack," the large crossbow was triggered, and the dark shadow was immediately pinned to the ground by the crossbow, making no sound at all
Especially when you are faced with a little fox whose sole purpose is to fill its belly, training becomes much simpler
Without saying a word, my son has started to treat food as a toy again
The side of the iron heart that the fox has bitten will never be eaten, no matter what. Holding the cheese, he slowly licks and sucks on it. Naturally, this pace of eating is not fast, but he is already very patient. Being still young and having a large amount of physical activity, if he does not consume some high-calorie food, he will end up like Wu Dalang, a mere three inches tall, which would be disastrous.
The guards on the city wall remained vigilant, watching the surroundings from beneath the canopy. With the emperor having returned to the palace, one must not show the slightest sign of negligence.
With a new idea, Wang Rouhua began experimenting with her new product. It seemed that she had not eaten enough of the bowl of rice just now. In the past, she would have felt ashamed of her appetite. Ever since she started following Seventh Brother, the more she ate, the happier he became
When the mother returned to the dining table after tidying up the stove, she found a beautifully presented bowl of soup dumplings in front of her
No vegetables, negative review
Tie Xinyuan lay in front of the only small window in his home, gazing at the world outside. What a beautiful world it was
The royal guards on the city wall were aware that the fox was greatly favored by His Majesty, and they showed no kindness to anyone who sought to capture the fox
The large grains of salt did not dissolve, negative review
The snow covered the city of Tokyo, yet it did not fall upon the city walls, thus a black iron line emerged in the white world, further outlining the grandeur of the imperial city
Tiexinyuan saw that his mother did not serve him another bowl of rice, so he climbed into the bathtub, pried open the fox's mouth to check, and after confirming that the creature's mouth was not foul, he pointed to his own mouth
Moreover, when standing on the city wall in the biting cold, this fox always manages to bring a small pot of warm yellow wine for everyone to ward off the chill
There is not much difference between myself and the Monkey King; one is trapped under the Five Elements Mountain, while the other is tormented by this frail body.
After Bao Zheng read the lawsuit, he merely smiled it off, dismissing it as nonsense about a fox spirit. If he were to truly mistake a more sentient fox for a fox spirit, it would likely become a great joke among the scholars of the Song Dynasty
Tie Xinyuan also saw Bao Zheng, this old man has always lived in poverty. While others ride in horse-drawn carriages when returning home after court, this old man rides in an ox cart.
In fact, Tie Xinyuan really wanted to tell his mother that since they were engaged in a business catering to the common people, there was no need for so many pretensions. As long as a steaming bowl of noodles was served on the table, even if the soup pancakes were not very tasty, as long as the portion was larger than that of others, the oil on top was more abundant, and the pepper was sufficiently added, once a bowl of hot, spicy noodles was consumed, who would still remember their parents
After returning to Tokyo, Tie Xinyuan began to train it purposefully. Compared to other animals, the intelligence of foxes is relatively high
It is not delicious
Under the umbrella, a civil official, holding a ceremonial tablet, passes through the bustling market, receiving a tide of flattery from the common people without changing his expression. This has become a scene in the city of Tokyo. Tie Xinyuan firmly believes that this old official will one day no longer remain so composed.
Mother is preparing for the family's livelihood—she is planning to open a shop, a soup dumpling store, otherwise, the two of us will eventually run out of resources and go hungry.
The wine is not abundant, merely enough for one person to take a small sip. However, the Tie family is not a wealthy household; being able to think of everyone during the cold and harsh weather is in itself a remarkable act.
The matter of the two empress dowagers has nearly shattered the relationship between the emperor and the ministers, intensifying the conflicts between the ruler and his subjects.
He devoted himself entirely to the safety of the royal family, yet now he has earned a reputation among his colleagues as being harsh and bloodthirsty, which greatly troubles him
The turquoise rapeseed rests atop the pale soup pancake, while a glistening slice of cured meat is subtly concealed beneath the greens. Most remarkably, vinegar has been added to the soup pancake, releasing a fragrant and tangy aroma.
It is merely a gluttonous fox; if it can, as the eunuch said, allow the emperor to eat an extra bowl of rice, that would also be its contribution
The lights of the Tie family shine like a gem on this iron wire, sparkling brilliantly. Every time Yang Huaiyu sees the Tie family's small house, an unnamed anger always rises in his heart.
One transmits to ten, ten transmits to a hundred, and through word of mouth, diners will surely flock to it
Men typically have a large appetite, so a single bowl of rice is insufficient. During winter, there aren't many vegetables available for those individuals, so they can only rely on pickled vegetables. As for whether to include slices of meat or not?
Children should not speak of strange powers and chaotic spirits
A heavy snow fell in a flurry
A black figure approached the city wall in a crooked manner. Upon seeing this, Yang Huaiyu did not hesitate to seize the control of the eight-bull crossbow from the guard and activated the mechanism.
The world is adorned in silver, and after all the filth has been covered by the heavy snow, Tokyo transforms into a realm from a fairy tale
Too much sesame oil was used, negative review
However, he always inexplicably recalled the eyes of that infant from the Tie family; no matter what, that was not the gaze one would expect from a baby
The performance of the fox is nothing short of stunning, yet for Tie Xinyuan, it is merely an inevitable outcome
It is very painful; Tie Xinyuan's dinner is still the product of his mother's failed experiment—soup pancakes. His mother placed the soup pancakes on the broken table, then set her son on a small stool, and continued to busy herself.
This is a grave mistake, Wang Rouhua shot a glance at her son, believing that the habit of treating food as a toy should not be indulged. She thought that Tie Xinyuan should go hungry for a meal today.
It is unclear what she is thinking, as she stubbornly believes that the soup dumplings praised by Brother Seven must indeed be good soup dumplings. The name of the shop has already been decided, and it will be called—Brother Seven Soup Dumpling Shop
Regarding the Iron Wang family residing at the foot of the imperial city, he had quite a few grievances. The emperor's words were law, and what was said in public could naturally not be changed.
When they saw the little fox running home from a distance with a small bamboo basket in its mouth, their eyes nearly popped out. They had never heard of a fox that could help its mistress by bringing back the freshly washed clothes.
The mother was clearly somewhat disappointed and continued to test the signature product of her soup dumpling shop with a sullen demeanor
Now Tie Xinyuan can finally understand what it feels like to be trapped under the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years like Sun Wukong, possessing great abilities yet being unable to move, what a torment it is
Good and bad are merely the traits of a pet beast, and the greatest harm is nothing more than overeating. Compared to the damage caused to the Song Dynasty by those inept officials who occupy their positions without merit, this matter is trivial
Therefore, the people of Tokyo sometimes see foxes crouching on the walls of the Imperial Palace, calling out with their yowls. It is evident that the royal family has acknowledged the presence of this fox
As Tie Xinyuan gazed at the pristine white snow, lost in thought, a small bowl of noodles suddenly appeared before him
The fox, extremely impatient, climbed out of the bathtub and squeezed through the gap at the bottom of the door. After a while, it returned, holding a large piece of cheese in its mouth
After the fox has eaten, it must bring something back to Tie Xinyuan, even if it is just a piece of wood; otherwise, there will be no next meal. If it eats without bringing something back, it will also face punishment from Tie Xinyuan
He also disdainfully refused to engage in any sordid matters with the emperor over such a trivial issue
No toppings, negative review
The fox from the Tie family had seen the emperor in the palace. When the emperor was delayed in his meal due to reviewing memorials, this fox impatiently waited outside the window, occasionally jumping up to the window to check if the emperor was having his meal.
The attentive mother discovered that her son was indeed a picky eater; any food that the child ate more than a couple of bites of was guaranteed to be delicious. Over the past month, she had conducted many experiments, and now this small bowl of noodles represented another little thought in her mind
Tie Xinyuan secretly criticized his mother while finishing his noodles with a beaming smile, and then turned around to play with the little fox
Outside, heavy snow is falling, and a beam of orange light from the small house shines on the white snow, giving it a hint of rosy color
If you were to lay a thin slice of fatty meat on top of the noodles, it would be nothing short of a feast for those in Tokyo who toil for a living. In that case, the reputation of a conscientious establishment would surely spread throughout Tokyo, warranting the erection of a ceremonial arch in its honor
On the table, there is boiled green vegetables, which is simply a luxury in the winter of the Great Song era
Indeed, this is the privilege of the emperor; a single word can elevate a person to the highest heavens, while another can cast them into the depths of the abyss, never to rise again
After training for a full six months, the little fox understood that when others offered him food, he must reciprocate in some way. Thus, he began the journey of collecting his treasures, and that piece of Shoushan stone was one among many of his treasures
Bao Zheng has always believed that it is a waste to expend the emperor's and ministers' energy on matters that do not contribute to the national economy and the well-being of the people
The fox of the Tie family has nearly become a curious spectacle in Tokyo, with many idle individuals coming to the vicinity of the Tie family, intending to see what the fox of the Tie family is truly like
In the Tie family, there is a fox that brings everything back home, thus the vegetables that the royal family can enjoy are also placed on the Tie family's dining table with great pomp.