Chapter 8: Yang Fan, Good Morning!

  At 2:00 in the early morning, when the sky was just lightening up with a fish-belly white color, the Tianmen Gate Tower of the Taichu Palace in Luoyang began to announce the dawn to the whole city.

  The majestic drumbeats spread out from the main gate of the imperial palace in all directions, followed by the drum towers on the major streets in the east, west, south and north responding one after another. The drumbeats came in five waves, with a total of 800 beats, amidst which the gates of the imperial palace, the imperial city, and the gates of various neighborhoods were opened one by one.

  In the city of Luoyang, temples big and small all joined in the excitement. Monks struck the morning bells, and the stirring drumbeats intertwined with the deep, far-reaching bell tolls, awakening the divine city of Luoyang. Millions of people welcomed the sunrise bursting out from the eastern horizon.

  In each alley, every household snack shop had opened for business before the drumbeat sounded at the Gate of Heavenly Purity.

  In Xiwenfang, every small food stall had a warm and bright fire burning under the stove.

  A bare-armed foreign master is "bang bang" hitting a shaobing...

  Master Meng from Dongbei lifted the lid of the steamer, white steam rose straight up, and the fragrance of the buns wafted out...

  An old man with a curved hook-like mustache carefully took out the freshly baked sesame cakes from the oven with bamboo tongs and arranged them in a bamboo basket, the golden crispy sesame cakes emitting a fragrant aroma...

  At the intersection of Xizi Street and the second alley, a small shed was set up, under which a large pot was placed, next to it was a long wooden board. A 16- or 17-year-old girl with a blue apron tied around her waist, rolled up her sleeves, revealing two white arms, was busy working while chatting with customers in a cheerful tone.

  The big girl was born with a pretty good appearance, especially that small mouth with the corners of her lips naturally upturned, looking at it reveals a few points of joy.

  Don't look at her small food stall, but it's all complete, the pot is boiling with rolling water, the fire is burning under the stove, and a large piece of dough is placed on the cutting board next to it. A rolling pin in her hand danced agilely, and in an instant, a thin and delicate pancake was rolled out, quickly stacked, cut with a knife, and became a thousand threads.

  There are many guests, and there is a lot of work to be done under the shed. She needs to knead dough, roll out noodles, cut strips, cook in pots, and deal with customers. One person can handle it all with ease.

  A tall and thin man with a wide robe and large sleeves, wearing high wooden clogs, walked to the front of the food stall in a manner reminiscent of ancient Han and Jin dynasties. He said briefly: "Noodle soup, one bowl!"

  This small shop only sells noodle soup. There's no need to specifically mention that you want to eat noodles, actually he is just greeting the big girl.

  The eldest daughter, surnamed Jiang, was given a grand name by her parents, who had only one daughter. Her wonton soup was the best in Xiwen Lane, and every morning she would drink a bowl of it to fill her up and warm her belly. The nearby residents often came to patronize her business, and over time they all started calling her Wonton instead of using her name.

  "Alright!"

  Jiang answered, took a large bowl, scooped up a spoonful of noodles from the boiling pot, and added two ladles of old soup. As familiar customers, she was very clear about his taste, no need to ask more questions, and quickly sprinkled some scallions, ginger, and chives on top. The tall and thin Han man with a somewhat ancient Qin and Jin flavor put down three copper coins, rolled up his sleeves, picked up the large bowl, and squatted by the side of the road to fill his belly.

  As soon as the "Han Jin ancient man" left, another person came up from behind. He was only a little taller than that big pot, with his hair tied up with an old cloth strip, but still looked messy. He bowed neatly to Jiang Niangzi and said stiffly in Chinese: "Mine, one bowl, thank you."

  This is a Wa countryman. Although he was a guest, he still had to spend money, but his attitude towards the shopkeeper was very respectful and polite. The Wa people used to be different, but in recent years, after the "Battle of Baekgang", the Tang Dynasty defeated their navy, and the Wa people never dared to show off their arrogant attitude again.

  At the entrance of Xiuwenfang, a large crowd of people waiting to go out had gathered. Because the gatekeeper was slow to open the door, someone couldn't help but rush into the street drum pavilion and eagerly beat the "drum". The two gatekeepers on duty today were late, walking shoulder to shoulder on the crossroads in the middle of the alley.

  The young fellow on the left, about eighteen or nineteen years old, was yawning like a horse at this moment. He yawned with one hand covering his eyes and the other hand fiddling with keys at his waist, his belt loose and his hat slightly askew, walking with a spring in his step as if he had springs under his feet, taking one step and swaying three times, looking like a hooligan.

  Originally, these bailiffs were equivalent to the city administrators of later generations. When the government hired them, the selection criteria were bravery and ferocity, being able to intimidate people. In this era, people like them were called "bad guys", and dressing up as such was not a waste of this good name.

  The young fellow walking beside him looked two years younger, but this youth was even more handsome, with a slender waist and straight back, his figure tall and upright, like a high cornstalk that had absorbed enough water, exuding spirit from the bones.

  The young man's appearance was also good, with a pair of handsome eyebrows, a straight nose bridge, clear and full lips, and a kind of girlish elegance. When he smiled slightly at people, two small dimples would even appear on his cheeks. Unlike another street boy, he walked steadily without swaying his shoulders or shaking his body, very stable and powerful.

  Ma Qiao, a sleepy-eyed young man, was an only child at home, but he had many paternal cousins. As the sixth among his paternal cousins, the locals in the village called him Ma Liu.

  The young man on the right, two years younger than him, is named Yang Fan. He has been in Luoyang for only half a year and is said to have moved from Jiaozhi. His family still has an older brother, so acquaintances call him Yang Er or Second Brother.

  The big girls and daughters-in-law in the village are idle, and Yang Fan is recognized as one of the most handsome among the 187 villagers in Xiuwen Village. Plus he is kind, humble and introverted, so he has a good relationship with others - especially women.

  At this time, he was smiling and nodding to greet the neighbors, his wheat-colored skin, snow-white teeth, and sunny handsome temperament were very popular among the women of the time, especially his smile, which always carried a bit of shyness and blush, when encountering a certain spicy girl's flirtatious eyes, his face would also slightly redden.

  This red is already unbearable, and it immediately makes women's hearts itch.

  Women are a spring-like creature, you're strong and they're weak, you're weak and they're strong. When they encounter such a young and handsome, easily blushing little gentleman, the idle wives and daughters-in-law in the neighborhood often tease him for fun, and every time they tease him until his face turns red, they will laugh happily for half a day.

  Ma Qiao rushed to the front of the Fangmen and saw that the "Dong Dong Drum" was still beating non-stop, so he said discontentedly: "What's all the shouting and drumming about? It's not like we're in a hurry to rush to a funeral!"

  An old man slapped the back of his head and shouted, "You little rascal, you're so impudent, how dare you speak like that?"

  A woman next to him pinched his ear and scolded, "Get out of here, you rascal! Just wait till I tell your mother about this! Look at Erlang over there, how polite he is, how well-mannered. He's two years younger than you, learn from him!"

  Ma Qiao was scolded by his uncle, aunt, and other elders who had watched him grow up since he was a child. He quickly shut his mouth and, like a street rat, squeezed to the front door with a look of embarrassment, took out the key and opened the door. Yang Er also took out the key and opened another lock.

  As soon as the gate opened, "Boom"! The impatient citizens rushed out in a swarm, carrying baskets, shouldering poles, pushing carts, and leading mules...

  Ma Liu and Yang Er stood at the door, unable to move away, like two reeds in the wind, being knocked around by the crowd. Ma Liu was unsteady on his feet because of sleepiness, so he swayed back and forth, as for Yang Er...

  Haha! Who knows, maybe some big girl or young wife will take the initiative to get close to him and flirt with him. The women of our great Tang Dynasty are quite bold and daring, appreciating handsome men is not just a privilege for men, if they see a handsome, lovely and delicious little gentleman, the ladies are also willing to take advantage of it.

  After all the people gathered in front of the gate had dispersed, Ma Qiao and Yang Fan spun around like a top for another two circles before finally stopping.

  Yang Fan waved at Ma Qiao: "Qiao Ge, going to eat noodles?"

  Ma Qiao yawned and waved his hand: "No need, Auntie has already cooked the meal, I'll go back and eat with her."

  Ma Qiao was a well-known filial son in the village, extremely filial, to the point where the village head even considered recommending him as a candidate for the "Hao Xian" title to the imperial court. Unfortunately, apart from being filial to one's parents, the "Hao Xian" also required extensive learning and talent, as well as upright behavior.

  Ma Qiao only has the advantage of being filial to his parents. As for being knowledgeable and talented, it's not worth mentioning, this stupid guy can't even recognize a single character. As for being honest and upright, let's just forget about it!

  Yang Fan responded with a sound, and Ma Qiao walked towards the intersection of the big street with his "unruly person's three-steps-and-two-hops" gait. He walked a few steps in a daze, suddenly remembered something, stopped hastily, turned around, and called out to Yang Fan: "Xiao Fan, tonight, old place, old time!"

  Ma Qiao said, and quickly gave Yang Fan a glance. Yang Fan understood, smiled slightly and replied: "Got it! Brother Qiao, rest assured, I'll definitely arrive on time."

  Ma Qiao nodded, yawned and turned to leave. Yang Fan suddenly stopped him, looked him up and down, and said suspiciously: "Didn't we do anything last night? Why are you so sleepy?"

  Ma Qiao rolled his eyes and said in a bad mood: "You get up so early every day, aren't you tired?"

  Yang Fan looked at his back, shook his head inexplicably, and walked towards Jiang Xuan Ning's face.

  The diners squatting by the roadside with their bowls of soup saw him coming and greeted him warmly one after another:

  "Yang Er, good morning!"

  "Second Brother, good morning!"

  Time has passed slowly, and it is already the first year of Yongchang.

  This is a morning in Eastern Capital Luoyang.

  It's also an early morning in Luoyang's Xiwenfang!

  P: Good morning everyone! I, who have a cold, will join the long queue to pay for heating fee soon, please wait for me to come back. Your people should stay here, and the recommendation tickets should also be left here, must, must! While waiting, please click on the main text every six hours, it counts as one click.^_^