BFDNS 034

Chapter 34: Chef Lu

Xin Shengyuan’s eyes remained fixed on Xu Yi. Annoyed by his classmate’s tugging, he yanked back his sleeve and glared at them angrily. “Why do you have so much to say? You’re as annoying as rancid meat.”

His classmate wasn’t easily deterred. He laughed heartily and pulled at his sleeve again, determined to get answers.

This person had just been chatting so well with Xin Yao. Now, Xin Yao was usually quite particular, delicate and willful. Usually others had to cater to him when speaking. They’d never seen anyone make him so attentive.

This person must be extraordinary.

Yet even looking again and again, they couldn’t recall seeing this person at any social gathering. It was truly strange.

“My dear Xin Yao, why are you still being so secretive and not telling us? Could this person be your sworn brother?”

Xin Shengyuan froze, then his pupils trembled slightly as he looked at his classmate with some disbelief.

“Bah, bah, bah! Nothing good ever comes out of your dog mouth! Don’t spout such nonsense!” He wasn’t truly ignorant of everything and immediately shot back a retort. “Fine then, Tao Qinghao, it’s one thing for you to love visiting pleasure houses, but you dare to gossip about me like this? Just watch if I dare tell your third brother!”

Among children of great families, some had already tasted forbidden fruit in their teens. Some loved going to pleasure houses to listen to male prostitutes sing and play instruments. Those people all wore rouge and powder, with flowers in their hair. They said scholars were refined and aloof, but quite a few secretly frequented such places.

Several of Xin Shengyuan’s classmates had sneaked there before. Having learned a few plausible phrases, they now used them to tease Xin Yao.

“Oh my, good brother, please spare me! I won’t speak carelessly again.” The one called Tao Qinghao got a fright and hastily begged for mercy. “I only made wild guesses because you wouldn’t say anything. I truly didn’t mean to gossip about you.”

“Hmph!” Xin Shengyuan turned his head away from him, though his eyes’ corners still fell on him, secretly watching his anxiety.

Tao Qinghao feared his third brother most, like a small dog meeting a tiger. He was always very obedient.

“Xin Yao, are you really angry? Don’t be angry, all right? I have something good to give you. It’s a nine-link puzzle made of white jade that my third brother brought back from Guangdong and Guangxi. It’s very rare!”

Xin Shengyuan turned up his nose disdainfully. “Why would I want your things?”

Tao Qinghao’s eyes brightened, knowing he’d calmed down. He said: “I’ll take you to listen to music tonight and bring you crispy pastries too.”

Xin Shengyuan waved his hand, saying he wouldn’t go.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw movement on Xu Yi’s side. Someone exclaimed, then he saw Xu Yi pull up a fish that looked over a foot long.

It was a big fish!

His classmates stopped pestering Xin Shengyuan and ran to the lakeside to look closely.

“That really is a big fish! How are you so skilled?” Tao Qinghao squeezed next to Xu Yi and spoke abruptly.

Xu Yi turned his head to look, saw it was an unfamiliar young gentleman, nodded once, and didn’t speak.

At this moment, a Xin family servant who’d been watching nearby ran over with good sense, took over the fish from Xu Yi’s hands, and asked: “Young Master Xu, shall we head back now?”

His young master had been watching with eager eyes. As a servant, he needed to be sharp.

Xu Yi said: “Mm, let’s go back.”

Emerald Lake had been stocked with many large fish. Catching them really posed no challenge.

Tao Qinghao saw he was about to leave and squeezed out after him, speaking familiarly beside him: “Who are you to Xin Yao? Why did you go down to fish yourself? Over there are all servants. The smell really isn’t pleasant. By the way, what’s your name? How do you know Xin Yao?”

“May I ask who you are?” Xu Yi stopped walking and turned to look at him.

Tao Qinghao waved his sleeves and said: “I’m Xin Yao’s classmate. My surname is Tao, given name Qinghao. I haven’t taken a courtesy name yet. The biggest tavern in Yanting County is opened by my family.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yi smiled and said: “I am Xu Yi, a traveling doctor.”

The smile on Tao Qinghao’s face gradually disappeared. “…”

“Xu Yi, what are you doing over there with him? What is there to chat about with him?” Xin Shengyuan trotted over, glaring warily at Tao Qinghao, afraid he’d talk nonsense in front of Xu Yi.

He still wasn’t sure whether Xu Yi wanted to be good friends with him. If because of a classmate’s absurd words he lost a good friend, wouldn’t that be tragic?

“He’s no good, loves to play and listen to music, never does anything proper all day long. Xu Yi, you mustn’t befriend him.” Xin Shengyuan said to Xu Yi.

Tao Qinghao: “…!!!”

Wait, we’re all spoiled rich kids, so how are you different!

Xu Yi’s gaze swept across both their faces. He could see there was an issue but couldn’t figure out what. He simply nodded.

This Tao Qinghao wore too much perfume. He didn’t like the smell and could keep his distance.

Tao Qinghao didn’t yet know that Xu Yi found him disagreeable. He pulled at Xin Shengyuan wanting to argue, but quickly discovered that Xin Shengyuan had abandoned these classmates to go play with this traveling doctor called Xu Yi.

…

On the other side, Xin Shengyuan explained to Xu Yi somewhat guiltily: “That person never says anything good. I don’t want you paying attention to him.”

Xu Yi smiled and said it was fine. He didn’t feel strongly about it.

In his view, whether Xin Shengyuan or Tao Qinghao, their ages were similar to his former younger cousins. He regarded them all as children.

“Where are we going?” Xu Yi asked.

Xin Shengyuan said: “To the guest pavilion to wait. Chef Lu has set up elegant seating. If we hurry, we can sit up front and watch Chef Lu prepare tea and food for us.”

The guest pavilion he mentioned was set in the largest courtyard beside Emerald Lake Pavilion.

Upon entering, winding corridors were decorated with various flowers, light curtains and thin gauze. Many uniformly dressed maids walked gracefully forward, guiding guests separately into pavilions.

The square pavilion had a spacious interior with two rows of low tables and cushions arranged inside.

Xu Yi and Xin Shengyuan were arranged to sit in the fourth position. Two rows ahead were still empty, yet no one asked why they couldn’t sit there.

Presumably there was some protocol. Xu Yi silently observed. The maid serving them brought exquisite refreshments, both savory and sweet, each looking tempting.

Xu Yi picked up a piece to eat. Beside him, Xin Shengyuan looked left and right. Seeming to see something, he excitedly tugged at Xu Yi: “Look quickly! Chef Lu is here!”

Xu Yi: “…”

He picked up the half piece of refreshment he’d accidentally dropped on the ground, lifted his eyelids, and looked in the direction Xin Shengyuan was pointing.

He saw a woman wearing a light gauze camisole with a narrow-sleeved short jacket embroidered with goose-pear colored flowers over it, and a sky-blue apron tied at her waist. She wore a married woman’s hairstyle with plum blossom silver hairpins and pearl flowers in her hair. She looked to be in her early twenties, with brilliant coloring and almond eyes full of charm.

As soon as Chef Lu entered, various rustling sounds arose around them. The officials and young gentlemen sitting around the low tables all turned their gazes sideways, many eyes containing lustful glances.

It seemed many came to drink tea and eat fish, but many also came to look at people.

This Chef Lu must have some real skills. Sure enough, before long, there was a commotion.

It turned out that on the opposite side behind a wall, female guests were also seated, all coming to sample and appreciate Chef Lu’s tea and culinary arts.

Xin Shengyuan said: “Chef Lu is a great chef who came from Bianjing. She used to serve in a prince’s mansion. Now she works independently. Many people want to invite her into their households, but she’s unwilling.

She didn’t open a restaurant either. She rents a two-courtyard residence on East Street, keeping over ten to twenty maids, all orphan girls bought from brokers. She often hangs out a sign, and the highest bidder can invite her to their mansion to prepare a respectable, high-class banquet.

If you’ve eaten that banquet, you’ll definitely never forget it.”

Xin Shengyuan chattered on, telling Xu Yi all the information he’d inquired about.

Hearing that she’d bought many orphan girls to raise in her household, Xu Yi couldn’t help but look at Chef Lu a few more times.

“How do you know so much?” Xu Yi casually asked.

Xin Shengyuan’s face flushed slightly. “I… I just wanted to taste the fish she makes, so I had servants ask a few more questions.”

“Oh.” Xu Yi smiled.

The tea ceremony began.

Xu Yi returned his attention to Chef Lu.

The tea ceremony was undoubtedly a visual feast. Chef Lu in her light gauzy dress was like a graceful dancing butterfly. Each dance movement, each posture, each glance, all were graceful and delicate, like lotus flowers growing with each step.

After her demonstration, female attendants standing on either side stepped forward and distributed the tea one by one.

Xu Yi received a bowl of tea painted with orchids, with a layer of tea foam on top. Through the orchid’s petals and leaves, one could see the tea liquid’s color inside.

It smelled fragrant and elegant. The taste was slightly thick, with a bitter tea flavor, followed by hints of sweetness.

“Excellent tea!”

Someone exclaimed. This cry prompted others to agree one after another.

Immediately, a scholar stood up and composed an impromptu poem in great inspiration. Everyone clapped and cheered, thoroughly delighted.

Xu Yi had a low presence. He lowered his eyes slightly and finished the bowl of tea, pairing it with two more refreshments.

Beside him, Xin Shengyuan also wanted to compose poetry but couldn’t think of anything despite racking his brains. He had to give up.

He looked at Xu Yi and asked how the tea was.

“Not bad.” Xu Yi nodded. “The refreshments are very delicious.”

Xin Shengyuan: “The refreshments were also made by Chef Lu!”

Xu Yi’s eyes brightened. “After the tea ceremony ends, can we take the refreshments with us?”

Xin Shengyuan: “…”

–

Near lunchtime, Chef Lu finally announced whose caught fish was the largest, five jin and eight taels. It was a big fish indeed.

However, it had nothing to do with either Xu Yi or Xin Shengyuan.

Today’s banquet naturally featured fish as the main dish, a fresh bamboo shoot and fish stew.

Who knew what kind of skill this Chef Lu possessed to preserve spring bamboo shoots so well that one could still eat their crisp tenderness in summer?

And that fish meat was tender, smooth, and delicious. The broth was rich like white soup, containing lamb, smoked meat, river shrimp, tofu, and other ingredients. Eating various flavors created a rich taste experience.

Besides this, there were also four hot and four cold dishes, eight dishes total. The four hot dishes were substantial main courses. Among the four cold dishes was one cold salad, one sweet soup, one fragrant beverage, and one cold ball.

Xu Yi loved eating the cold balls most. Biting through revealed soft outside and crisp inside. He couldn’t taste what was used, but they were refreshingly sweet and cut through greasiness, though the portions were too small.

By the end of the meal, Xu Yi felt somewhat grateful to Young Master Shen for inviting him to Emerald Garden today, allowing him to witness the extravagance of Yanting County’s upper-class families.

…

After the banquet ended, Chef Lu was invited away by a prominent household. The remaining people dispersed to enjoy themselves.

Xu Yi was pulled along by Xin Shengyuan, who said he wanted to take him boating on the lake.

“The most fun thing at Emerald Garden is rowing boats! There are even performers who sing and keep you company. Xu Yi, have you done this before?” Xin Shengyuan asked him.

Xu Yi shook his head. Neither he nor the original owner had previously had the opportunity to experience this.

The original owner was a farming family’s son. During those years studying at the private school, he’d only befriended one or two classmates, also from farming families. Other wealthy young masters looked down on him. Talented scholars had their own social circles. He was like a marginal figure, few people would think of him.

“Let’s go.” Xu Yi said lightly.

He also wanted to see what entertainment activities people of this era enjoyed.

Coming out from the courtyard by Emerald Lake, the two encountered Tao Qinghao searching for them.

“Xin Yao! Xin Yao!”

Tao Qinghao waved and called out, pulling along another classmate as he hurried over.

Unable to avoid it, Xu Yi and Xin Shengyuan had to stop.

“Where are you going? Can we come along?” Tao Qinghao asked Xin Shengyuan.

Xin Shengyuan looked at him, then at Xu Yi. He didn’t want to abandon Tao Qinghao, but he also didn’t want to dampen Xu Yi’s spirits.

Tao Qinghao sensed something was wrong and spoke up: “It’s fine if this… Doctor Xu comes along with us too.”

Xu Yi nodded. “That sounds good.”

Two people became a group. Xin Shengyuan called a servant to go check if the lake boats were ready. They leisurely appreciated the surrounding scenery while chatting about how Xin Shengyuan had met Xu Yi.

Their status difference was truly too great, making Tao Qinghao extremely curious.

Xin Shengyuan didn’t want to talk about it. Bringing this up would involve Xing Yuesen and also bring up those words Xu Yi had said confronting him for Xing Yuesen’s sake.

So Tao Qinghao asked Xu Yi.

Seeing that Xin Shengyuan didn’t want to mention it, Xu Yi redirected the conversation: “He’s back.”

“Huh?” Tao Qinghao didn’t react.

At this moment, the servant who’d gone to check bowed and said: “Young master, the boats and boatmen are all prepared, just waiting for us to go over.”

Due to this interruption, Tao Qinghao didn’t have time to ask again, and the topic passed.

Lotus Lake was filled with beautifully blooming red lotus flowers. When Xu Yi and the others arrived, several boats were already in the lake’s center, and one could hear melodious music drifting over.

Several young boys couldn’t wait any longer. Xin Shengyuan was fine, he’d always been the center of his playgroup. He was first to board the boat. Tao Qinghao wanted to be second, but Xin Shengyuan called out, letting Xu Yi board.

Tao Qinghao gritted his teeth, feeling that in Xin Shengyuan’s eyes, he probably didn’t compare to this Xu Yi!

How infuriating.

He boarded the boat third with a sullen face, huffily brushing past Xu Yi’s shoulder to sit down.

Xin Shengyuan didn’t care whether he was angry or not. He was already telling Xu Yi about the pleasures of boating on the lake.

“Xu Yi, what tune do you want to hear? Young Lady Yue knows all the popular songs.” He said.

Young Lady Yue was sitting upright at the bow. She held a pipa, wore a veil over her face, and had a graceful figure.

Xu Yi asked her: “Can you play ‘Huaiyin Pingchu’?”

Everyone else on the boat: “…”

Then came bursts of laughter, mocking from those young classmates.

Xu Yi’s gaze swept over them, seemingly carrying a trace of killing intent.

The laughter stopped abruptly. Tao Qinghao said with a laughing face: “Who would come boating to listen to such a tune? Doctor Xu is quite interesting.”

These words were an insult.

Xu Yi said lightly: “Then in Young Master Tao’s esteemed opinion, what tune should we listen to?”

Sitting beside him, Xin Shengyuan’s body stiffened, a sense of familiarity washing over him.

Sure enough, he heard Tao Qinghao say: “Naturally we should listen to ‘Yingying’ and ‘Wanwan Farewell Songs.'”

Xu Yi replied unhurriedly: “A beauty placed a silver ingot worth perhaps three or four taels. The scholar tucked it into his sleeve. The beauty took a handkerchief, held his hand, and walked out laughing, saying ‘Unbearably vulgar.’ These words are quite suitable as a gift for Young Master Tao.”

Tao Qinghao was stunned, then understanding the meaning, jumped up angrily: “You’re insulting me!?”

Xu Yi remained calm: “No.”

Xin Shengyuan and the other several people also froze.

Xin Shengyuan understood first. Afraid Tao Qinghao would strike out, he immediately grabbed him: “Sit down, sit down! What kind of behavior is this, quarreling on a boat?”

“You’re scolding me too?” Tao Qinghao breathed angrily, staring at Xin Shengyuan in shock for a long while. “Just who is he that’s worth you getting angry at me over? Xin Yao, you said last time that I was your best confidant.”

Xin Shengyuan hemmed and hawed, shamefacedly muttering in his ear: “I was also criticized before.”

“What? You can tolerate even that?” Tao Qinghao was even more displeased.

Seeing this, Xin Shengyuan could only steel himself and continue softly: “He’s Xing Yuesen’s good friend. We fought before becoming friends last time. Just bear with it. He’s very capable.”

Tao Qinghao’s breathing caught. What kind of capability could make Xin Yao restrain his temperament and befriend someone?

Xu Yi kept his eyes forward. When his anger subsided and he sat back down with puffed cheeks, Xu Yi knew Xin Shengyuan had mollified him.

Xin Shengyuan sighed. “Say less.”

He knew Xu Yi’s sharp tongue and that he knew many classical references, but he didn’t know the source of those words just now.

The others also wanted to know.

Xu Yi said: “I read it in a curious book. Using it to joke with people is quite amusing.”

Naturally he wouldn’t say these words came from “Strange Tales: The Scholar of Yi River,” written by Pu Songling in the Qing Dynasty.

Using it to criticize Tao Qinghao as vulgar, unable to appreciate elegant tunes and only able to listen to common marketplace ditties, even if Tao Qinghao didn’t know the source, he could understand the four words “unbearably vulgar,” which naturally made him jump in anger.

However, Xu Yi wasn’t someone who liked stirring up trouble.

For the rest of the time, he focused on listening to Young Lady Yue play the pipa and sing graceful melodies.

Tao Qinghao also changed from his earlier anger. While talking with Xin Shengyuan, his eyes’ corners kept glancing at Xu Yi, wishing he could stare holes through him.

The boat drifted leisurely on the lake surface, making one’s bones tingle and drowsy.

When the boat reached near the lake’s center, surrounded by clusters of lotus leaves making progress difficult.

The boatman leaned the wooden oar to one side and sat cross-legged at the bow’s edge.

The young men sitting inside couldn’t contain their boredom. They all got up and came out to the bow to walk around and admire the surrounding beauty.

Xu Yi also came out. His gaze fell on the opposite shore. Before boarding, he hadn’t thought this lake was very large. Now in the center, he realized it was deeper and larger than imagined.

Suddenly, Xu Yi’s gaze fixed in the distance. He called out: “What happened over there?”

“Where?” Xin Shengyuan looked but found it a bit far.

“A boat has capsized!” The boatman had good eyesight and immediately spotted the problem. He quickly shouted in that direction: “Hey! Can you hear me?”

Xu Yi frowned, speaking extremely rapidly: “We need to get over there. Quick, give me the oar.”

“Young master, can you row a boat?” The boatman wanted to ask.

Xu Yi had already moved past him and picked up the oar resting to one side. He’d watched the whole journey and knew how the boatman rowed.

The boatman didn’t delay either. He immediately grabbed the spare oar from the boat’s bottom, and the two exerted themselves to row toward the accident site.

Soon, they heard cries for help.

Several people had been sitting on that boat. When it tilted, two young gentlemen standing at the edge fell into the lake.

The boat had no servants, only one boatman who could swim. The boatman quickly went down to rescue them, only managing to reach the nearby one. After pulling that person up, the other young gentleman had disappeared!

“Cough, cough, cough… cough, cough, cough… quickly, quickly, there’s still… still someone…” The drowning young gentleman was soaked through. Covering his mouth and coughing violently, he also shouted hoarsely with an anxious, pale face.

Seeing this, Xu Yi jumped into the lake without a second thought.