At first glance, the young man had a dark complexion, his clothes were washed so much that they looked pale, and had two holes in them. He looked like a poor country boy.
However, if you look closely, you can find details that were once missed.
The young man was dressed simply, but he was not easily disturbed by fame or disgrace; he had a simple and honest look, but his pair of black eyes were full of spirit; especially the arc at the corners of his mouth that sometimes raised up, as if he was always smiling even in the face of all kinds of contempt and disdain.
This young man must be no simple person.
"Is this right? Is this okay?" Zhu Ping'an looked at the shop assistant who was standing beside him like a fool, slightly curled the corners of his lips, and asked softly.
The shop assistant swallowed and nodded hurriedly, his eyes a little dull.
"Does that mean I can get free food and lodging for a day?" Zhu Ping'an showed an honest smile, which was very sunny.
The shop assistant nodded stupidly.
"Thank you so much. You Beijing people are so kind. On my first day in Beijing, you showed me your generosity."
"Then I won't be polite. Bring me five or six of your signature dishes, the ones that taste good and are expensive."
"Oh, by the way, please lead my horse to the backyard, and don't lose the things on the horse's back, they are all my assets. If possible, please help me move my things to the room you have reserved. Um, choose a good room for me, a spacious one with sunny views."
"Haha, sorry for the trouble."
After the shop assistant nodded, Zhu Ping'an slightly raised the corners of his lips, revealing a few white teeth, and bowed to the shop assistant and asked for favors.
After saying that, Zhu Ping'an found a table and sat down.
At this time, the shop assistant finally understood what Zhu Ping'an meant when he said "It has to be untied anyway" when he tied the horse to the flagpole. It was exactly what he meant now.
Looking at the simple young man sitting at the table, the shop assistant's face was red so much that he felt hot.
When Zhu Ping'an finished the second couplet, the eyes of the people in the lobby were completely different from the beginning. But when Zhu Ping'an ordered five or six expensive signature dishes of the restaurant without any reservation and asked the waiter to move the food to the good room, the eyes of the people looked at Zhu Ping'an changed again.
Why do I feel so useless
It's as if he has never seen the world.
It's really a pity.
Everyone looked at Zhu Pingan with a hint of contempt. They came to this inn not to write couplets for the free board and lodging they said, but for the couplets. They didn't take the free board and lodging seriously. Even those who wrote couplets didn't choose expensive dishes or good rooms like Zhu Pingan. At most, they just ordered a pot of fragrant tea and tasted tea. What dishes and rooms, please don't lower my taste.
A gentleman's character is not one that values profit too much.
Zhu Ping'an didn't care about people's eyes at all. Before the dishes came up, he picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea into the cup, and sipped it.
Hmm? He's sipping tea!
Maybe we misjudged him. Yes, the waiter looked down on him at the beginning. If someone ordered a few expensive dishes and stayed in a good room, it was just a small punishment for the waiter. The real purpose of ordering food and staying in a good room was not the bar.
People's views on Zhu Ping'an have undergone subtle changes, and many people have taken steps to make friends with Zhu Ping'an.
At this moment, there was a sound of "gulp".
Then everyone was surprised to see that the young man took a sip of tea and drank the tea in his hand with a gulp, like a cow drinking. After drinking a cup, the young man poured another cup, and then gulped it down again with another gulp.
Uh, it turns out that what I was doing just now was not tasting the tea, but tasting whether the tea was hot or not!!
I really haven't seen the world! What a pity, what a pity!
Everyone couldn't help but shook their heads and sighed. Those who were about to make friends with Zhu Pingan also stopped!
"Haha, this boy is so free and easy." The well-dressed boy turned his head and whispered to the boy named Wensheng next to him with a smile.
"He is somewhat similar to you." The young man named Vincent smiled faintly.
While people in the lobby were whispering or glancing at Zhu Ping'an, the dishes he ordered had already arrived. The speed at which this inn served dishes was truly worthy of its unusually luxurious decoration and specifications.
A plate of roast duck with a small bowl of sweet sauce and matching vegetables, a stack of stir-fried tripe, a portion of stir-fried liver, a bowl of bird's nest, a plate of braised abalone, and a portion of out-of-season stir-fried vegetables.
The most expensive dish here is probably the humble stir-fried greens. In the Ming Dynasty, as vegetable cultivation technology improved, the capital area began to use greenhouses to grow vegetables. According to literature records: The best melons come from Yanjing. They are planted in a fire room, forced to grow flowers and leaves, and small fruits are produced in early February. However, the production cost of this kind of green vegetables grown in greenhouses is very high, and the selling price is very expensive. Only the rich and powerful, wealthy businessmen can enjoy it. Ordinary people can hardly eat it in winter.
Zhu Ping'an hadn't eaten since morning. When he saw such a rich table of delicious food, his eyes lit up.
So, as soon as the food was served, Zhu Ping'an picked up a pair of chopsticks and started to eat with relish.
Well
The way you eat is really disgraceful
Everyone in the lobby was waiting for Zhu Ping'an to continue writing couplets. Although they didn't have a very good impression of Zhu Ping'an, they were still confident in his level. But then they saw Zhu Ping'an just start eating.
It turned out that he only knew how to compose those two couplets.
Seeing Zhu Ping'an's ungentlemanly eating manner, finishing the whole plate in the blink of an eye, everyone couldn't help but shake their heads.
What a good appetite!
After a short while, everyone saw that Zhu Ping'an had eaten almost all the food on the table. This young man looked neither tall nor fat, but he had a really big appetite!
After Zhu Ping'an had eaten his fill, he drank another cup of tea, burped with satisfaction, and took out a whitish handkerchief that had also been starched from his pocket and wiped his mouth.
"The food tastes so good, I really don't want to leave."
Then everyone saw a scene that they would never forget. The well-fed young man sighed, then looked up at the couplet, pursed his lips, and recited the remaining four couplets in one breath:
"Lonely and helpless in the cold classroom; far and near, I am free and unrestrained."
"Every inch of land is a temple, and beside the temple is a poem: The bright moon sends the monk back to the ancient temple. Two trees form a forest, and under the forest is a prohibition: The axe and saw must be used at the right time in the forest."
"The sounds of wind, water, insects, birds, and Buddhist chants add up to the sounds of bells ringing for 360 days. There is no silence without sound. The colors of the moon, the mountains, the grass, the trees, the clouds, and the peaks of 48,000 feet. All colors are empty!"
"Water becomes turbid if there are worms in it; it becomes turbid if there are fish in it; water, water, water; the rivers and lakes are vast; the sun becomes bright because of karma; the sun becomes bright because of the moon; day by day, the sun, moon and stars are shining."
After finishing the couplet, Zhu Ping'an nodded, pursed his lips and muttered to himself: "This way I should be able to stay a few more days."
After saying this, he casually glanced at the astonished people in the hall, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and a bright smile flashed across his face.
If I don’t eat so much, how will I have time to think
These people really think they did it all in one go, haha. (To be continued.)