Chapter 14 Laozi is right here eating!!!!!
"What should we do now?" Liu Sihai asked on one side.
"What else can we do?" Wang Hengyu rubbed his nose, thinking of Yu Lei's mention of Zhao Xi and Zhao Yao. He was already feeling uncomfortable: "Yao Sheng? This is quite arrogant, Dong Liu, lead the way, let's go pay our respects to this Zhao Yao!"
Zhao Xi lived in the east gate of Rong County, and Wang Hengyue didn't have any connections. He reported his own name and background to the doorman, asking him to go inside and inform them. Following the usual custom, he also wrapped a red envelope (with money) for the doorman. Unexpectedly, the doorman took it without even looking at it and coldly said:
"Officer, my master has always been honest and clean, not accepting any bribes. We, the servants, if we accept your money, wouldn't that tarnish my master's reputation? Please take it back instead."
He said and turned around to report inside.
Wang Hengyue held the red envelope and hesitated there, not thinking that Zhao Xi's family would be so stubborn!
After waiting for a while, the gatekeeper came out and still had an air of indifference: "My master is busy today, please leave, officer."
"Not busy?" Wang Hengyue was about to turn around and leave, when Liu Sihai smiled and said: "Please go and report again, my family's elder has just taken office today, and specially came to pay respects to Mr. Xiang Song."
"It's none of your business!" The house servant said coldly, and then with a hint of disdain: "A low-ranking officer like you also dares to call himself 'sir'?"
Originally, there was nothing much, but this sentence suddenly provoked Wang Hengyue's anger. Originally, because of seeing that "new army" which looked like a beggar, his mood was already bad. This time, being spoken to by a house servant in front of him like this, how could he still endure it?
"Damn it!" Wang Hengyue cursed with his eyes wide open; "I came to visit Zhao Xi sincerely today, and you, a small household servant, dare to speak to me like this? Go tell Zhao Xi that I must see him today, whether he wants to or not! Damn it, if I don't get to see Zhao Xi, I won't leave today!"
The gatekeeper wasn't afraid at all: "Do you want to act wildly in the Zhao mansion? Even if it's Clock Gong and Clock Tai Zun, they have to show respect. My master said no meeting, then there won't be one!"
"Good, good!" Wang Hengyue was furious and laughed: "Very good, wonderful! I'd like to see who can outdo whom!"
As he spoke, he stood at the gate, and Pete, Yang Fangyun, and Liu Sihai also stood aside. The doorman didn't bother with them either.
After standing for a while, Wang Hengyue's eyes rolled around and he actually smiled: "Are you hungry?"
"I'm starving!" Pete was the first to cry out: "I'm so hungry!"
"When hungry, eat; when thirsty, drink!" Wang Hengyue took out a few pieces of loose silver and handed them to Liu Sihai: "Go find a restaurant, get some food and drinks for me, and bring them here. Hot pot, yes, Sichuan hot pot is famous, I'll have hot pot!"
Liu Sihai was dumbfounded: "Sir, you're really eating here!"
"Eat it right now!" Wang Hengyue's response was final.
Liu Sihai hesitated for a moment: "Sir, why don't we change to something else to eat? Eating hot pot is beneath your status."
"What? Eating hot pot is humiliating?" Wang Hengyue didn't understand what this sentence meant.
No wonder Wang Hengyue didn't understand. It turned out that at this time, hot pot was indeed only something eaten by some boat workers and "stick" men.
Sichuan hot pot originated in the Daoguang period of the Qing dynasty. The real birthplace is Xiaomitan, Luzhou, a city on the banks of the Yangtze River. The cooking vessel was just an earthenware pot, with water added to it along with various vegetables and then chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns were added to remove dampness. After eating, the boatmen found it incredibly delicious, and thus it spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, until it was popularized at every dock on the Yangtze River.
Later, it was passed on to Chongqing. At that time, Chongqing was a major water transportation hub, much larger than Luzhou. This food custom continued and evolved after being transmitted to Chongqing. Some laborers, also known as "bang bang" men, saw this way of eating and ran to the slaughterhouse to pick up discarded cow entrails, washed them in the Yangtze River, cut them into small pieces, and ate them with boat workers, finding it very delicious and filling. Later, someone simply used a bamboo basket, put some beef offal and vegetables on one end, and a mud stove on the other, placed a "large ocean iron bowl" with separate compartments on the stove, and inside the bowl was a boiling and bubbling sauce that was spicy, salty, and fragrant. Every day, they would sell it by the river, bridgehead, or street, calling out to customers. As a result, these boat workers and laborers no longer cooked for themselves, each person had their own compartment, and as soon as they were hungry, they could eat immediately, until they were full, without spending much money, it was economical, convenient, and increased their energy.
Because hot pot was still something that couldn't be served at a banquet, some people with certain status wouldn't eat it no matter how much they were invited. Wang Hengyue came from another era and naturally didn't know about these allusions!
After Liu Sihai explained, Wang Hengyue was not convinced at all: "No matter what, what's the difference between us and the boat workers or the stick handlers now? Go call them to bring the hot pot stall here, I'll eat it right in front of Zhao Hui's house!"
"Yes, your subordinate obeys!"
The team leader "Sir" said so, Liu Sihai didn't think much about it anymore.
The housekeeper saw the officer and his men whispering to each other, thinking that they wouldn't stir up any trouble, and watched them coldly.
After half an hour, Liu Sihai really brought a small vendor selling hot pot, and the two baskets were placed on the road in front of the Zhao Mansion.
As soon as he saw it, how could this "despicable" thing be placed at the gate of a famous scholar? He hurriedly opened his mouth to scold, but saw Wang Hengyue's eyes turn white:
"Listen up, I'm telling you, this Zhao family's place is not worthy of me entering, but this road isn't yours either, where others set up shop is none of your business! If you dare to chase them away, I'll make sure the whole of Sichuan knows that the Zhao family looks down on the poor and loves wealth, their underlings are cruel and lawless, forcing the common people to be unable to live. Do you believe me? I'm a man of my word!"
The gatekeeper was stunned!
Zhao Xi's whole life was most fond of fame, if it really spread out like what the officials said, Master would rather die than live!
"Come on, brothers, let's eat!" Wang Hengyue didn't care about anything else and simply had the vendor put the bamboo basket at the entrance of Zhao Xi's house, calling his men to gather around.
Yang Fangyun and Liu Sihai still had some concerns, but Pete didn't care at all. Firstly, his stomach was indeed hungry, secondly, this way of eating was unheard of, it was very interesting, so he picked up the chopsticks and started eating!
Liu Sihai brought another jar of wine, Wang Hengyue took it over, took a sip and handed it to Pete: "Pete, drink!"
"No, you've drunk from it, that's very unsanitary." Who would have thought that Pete would come up with such a sentence.
"Damn it, foreigners are so particular." Wang Hengyue cursed with a smile and handed the wine jar to Yang Fangyun. Yang Fangyun wasn't that particular, took a sip after receiving it, and then passed it to Liu Sihai and Xie Shuiyang.
"Pete suddenly let out a strange cry: 'Save me, save me, it's spicy, too spicy, this foreign devil is going to die from the spice!'"
It turned out that this Sichuan hot pot was both numb and spicy, and Pete was greedy. He took a big mouthful and couldn't bear it anymore.
But under this sky, there is probably only Pete who can call himself a "foreign devil"!
