Chapter 29: Going with the Flow and Against the Tide

  The method of making Beggar's Chicken is simple, with two versions: economical and luxurious.

  The economic version is to wrap the chicken directly in lotus leaves, cover it with a thick layer of wet mud, and bake it in a fire heap. The luxurious version is more complicated, marinating the chicken with yellow wine and salt, stuffing the chicken belly with diced meat, mushrooms, and various spices, wrapping it in lotus leaves and wet mud for baking.

  Qin Kan is now a well-off person, so he naturally chose the luxury version.

  In the spring, Jiangnan's grass is long and the oriole flies, with a lush green atmosphere. The weather is neither cold nor hot. Every time it clears up, there are people strolling in the moat outside the city wall, including ladies from wealthy families, scholars reciting poetry, vendors carrying hot food baskets, and even those beggars who can't cover their bodies, holding broken ceramic bowls, laughing and playing in the green grass outside the city.

  Bo Hu brother today is rare not drunk, consciousness is quite clear, but the eyes are a bit dull, walking on the road as if floating.

  "Does Brother Qin have the elegant interest of going for a spring outing today?"

  "Tang brother should go out and move around more often, it's not good to stay cooped up in the house all day. Although indulging in poetry and wine is a refined thing, it ultimately harms one's health..."

  Qin Kan held two chickens in his hands, patrolling back and forth along the city moat, while Tang Yin carried two jars of wine and a food box containing seasonal small dishes, following behind Qin Kan.

  "Brother, you're holding two live chickens in your hands, what are you going to do with them? Are we going to eat them raw?"

  "Today I'll cook a delicious meal for Brother Tang, although the sage said: 'A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen', but it's okay for men to occasionally cook..."

  Tang Yin looked at Qin Kan with a strange expression, his eyes seeming to reprimand him as if he had eaten the sage for dinner.

  "How does a virtuous younger brother read the sacred books? Mencius said: 'A gentleman keeps a distance from the kitchen', meaning that the kitchen is a place where lives are taken, which is inhumane. A gentleman cannot bear it, so he keeps his distance. What does this have to do with whether or not a gentleman goes down to the kitchen?"

  Qin Kan: "......"

  The byproduct of modern assembly-line education! Qin Kan's face turned hot, and he didn't know if it was red or not.

  "Tang brother, we're out to eat chicken, isn't discussing academics a bit of a mood killer?" Qin Kan's face was stern, with a flash of embarrassment and annoyance.

  Luckily, Little Eight didn't come with me today, otherwise she would have laughed so hard that she'd roll all over the floor.

  Who would have thought that Bo Hu's brother had a very stubborn attitude towards academics, shaking his head repeatedly: "My younger brother studies but is not meticulous, should reflect on himself three times before acting, I have a detailed annotated edition of 'Mencius' with marginal notes, I'll give it to you later, as the saying goes, learning is like accumulating earth, after years of accumulation, one can become a mountain..."

  "Tang brother, come over and dig the earth!"

  "Oh..."

  By the moat, they found a secluded spot where no one was around. Under a weeping willow that had just sprouted new buds, Qin Kan stuffed two chicken bellies with meat and spices, wrapped them in lotus leaves, and covered the leaves with a thick layer of wet mud. Then, he and Tang Yin dug a hole by the tree, put the chickens in it, gathered some dry firewood, and lit a fire on top of the hole.

  Tang Yin looked at Qin Kan doing these things, his expression was hesitant and uncertain, with a few points of disgust: "It's mud and leaves again, can this thing be eaten?"

  Qin Kan didn't even turn his head: "If you don't eat it, someone else will. Later on, there'll be other dishes that everyone will fight to get."

  The waiting process was long, Qin Kan took out a large hemp cloth from the food box, spread it on the green grass, put the wine and snacks he brought on the cloth, and the two of them sat cross-legged with their shoes off, drinking wine while waiting for the called flower chicken to come out of the oven.

  "Is younger brother being employed as a county magistrate's attendant going well?"

  Qin Kan took a sip of wine and smiled, saying: "It's fine, anyway my younger brother has no great ambitions, but with wine, meat, and leftover money, all four seas can be a fairyland."

  Tang Yin sighed: "Younger brother, you are so open-minded. In those days, I was inexplicably involved in the dance case and had my official rank removed. The capital pitied my talent and gave me a small official position in a county, but I was too proud and angrily resigned. I have been drifting around the four seas until now, still without a fixed place to settle down. If I had your open-mindedness back then, perhaps my circumstances would not be as miserable as they are today."

  Tang Yin let out a deep sigh, and a hint of disdain for the world gradually appeared between his eyebrows.

  Looking at the famous talented person who has been depressed for hundreds of years, Qin Kan couldn't help but persuade: "Tang brother, life is not always smooth sailing, and you will inevitably encounter failures and setbacks. Whether it's going with the flow or against it, life should have a goal and direction. Tang brother, you've been disheartened and frustrated these past few years, indulging in sensual pleasures and wasting your days away. Does this kind of life do justice to your hard work and dedication back then? Does it do justice to your great talent?"

  Tang Yin's expression was dazed as he said: "Life goals? What kind of goals should I have?"

  Goals vary with time and circumstances. When going with the flow, it's okay to set a goal of a thousand miles in one day; when against the current, it's okay to advance an inch or even less every day. Taking small steps every day is just as meaningful as rushing forward thousands of miles every day. Small progress made while swimming against the tide is more admirable than making great strides with the flow. It's better than drifting aimlessly and wasting your life.

  Tang Yin was stunned for a long time, let out a long sigh, stood up and bowed deeply to Qin Kan with his hands clasped together.

  "A single word from a teacher can be useful for a lifetime. My younger brother's words are as precious as gold and jade, I am deeply grateful."

  "Brother Tang is too polite, I'm ashamed and dare not accept."

  "My wise younger brother, why are you talking about these things with foolish me today?"

  "The chicken isn't done yet, but even if it were, there's nothing else to do..."

  The conversation was a bit perfunctory, mainly because Qin Kan's mindset hadn't fully adjusted yet. Previously, when discussing life and ideals, the objects of those conversations were always women; now that it had changed to men, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.

  The chicken is done, Qin Kan uses a branch to pull out two earth packages that have been burned into charcoal, and after pounding them with stones twice, the outer layer of dried mud breaks apart, revealing the chicken meat wrapped in lotus leaves.

  The soil had just been broken open, and a rich aroma of chicken meat suddenly filled the air, making one's mouth water.

  "Smells so good! Younger brother, what kind of cooking method is this? Tell me quickly!" Tang Yin was somewhat shocked, his eyes revealing a greedy look.

  "This is called a pheasant..."

  Tang Yin was too lazy to listen to his explanation, and snatched it over, eager to start eating. He was scalded and cried out loudly, but still sucked in cool air while gobbling down the food quickly.

  Qin Kan curled his lip: "The talented scholar of Jiangnan? Look at this eating posture..."

  Just as they were about to open the last chicken, a surprised "hmm" was heard from the riverbank not far away. A figure flashed by, and a somewhat superfluous person sat down on the mat with his legs crossed, wearing a very luxurious moon-white silk long shirt, with a jade belt around his waist and a good fortune jade pendant hanging from it. He laughed brightly and said: "Hehe, you two gentlemen have arrived early, let's eat..."

  Under Qin Kan and Tang Yin's astonished gaze, the newcomer didn't stand on ceremony either. He snatched the chicken from Qin Kan's hands, imitated Qin Kan's earlier action by smashing the soil with a stone, peeled open the lotus leaf, and started devouring it with his head down. His mouth was full of oil flowers, shining brightly, obviously savoring the taste of the chicken. However, his mouth was too busy to utter any words of appreciation.

  Qin Kan stared blankly at this gentleman, who was eating a lot, and heard him say "two brothers" just now, seemingly familiar with him and Tang Yin, but... he really didn't know him!

  There were only two chickens, and this stranger ate one, which means Qin Kan had nothing to eat.

  Until the whole chicken was eaten clean by the strange brother, only a pile of chicken bones were left on the grass, Qin Kan finally couldn't bear it anymore, and his gaze at Tang Yan was somewhat resentful.

  "Tang brother, you have guests coming and didn't even inform me..."

  Tang Yin was shocked and stared with wide eyes, saying: "I don't know him, isn't he your guest?"

  P.S. There is another update tonight.....

  There are two theories about the origin of Begonia chicken. One is in Southern Song Dynasty, and the other is at the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty. Here we adopt the second one, after verifying the evidence left by the parties involved...