Step on...
Tap tap tap…
The monk walked quickly down the mossy stone steps in his yellow and black monk shoes. At the bottom of the Feng Tower, a young monk spread out his cassock and leaned against the carved stone railing. He slightly tilted his head to look at the lotus buds in the lake, his peaceful eyes showing majesty.
"Have you found out everything?"
"Reporting to the Master, the two snake demons have indeed come to Hangzhou." The green-robed monk beside him lowered his head and said softly, "My fellow disciples in the city brought back news. They saw it with their own eyes."
The monk nodded slightly, looking at the rain lines on the lake, "Do you know what they are doing in Hangzhou?"
"They..."
As the green-robed monk spoke, ripples appeared on the water surface. The fish under the lotus leaf seemed to be startled and swung their tails and quickly jumped out. Fahai, who was listening to the words, raised his hand and looked back behind him. On the bluestone steps that extended downwards, the green-robed scholar was coming down with his hands behind his back and nodded in his direction with a smile.
"The master is still here. It's raining. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Amitabha, monks can endure the bitter cold." Fahai returned the greeting with a vertical seal and said with a smile: "If we are destined to meet again in the future, I would like to discuss Buddhism and Confucianism with you. I wonder if you are willing to do so?"
Hehehe!
Lu Liangsheng walked down the last step and stood still, then smiled: "If fate permits, I would naturally be willing to discuss something with the master. Goodbye!" He casually raised his hand and bowed, then walked away, walking along the stone railing on this side back to the previous place. Hong Lian was leaning against the railing holding a long sword. The corner of her robe was pulled by the old donkey, and she stood up. Seeing the scholar coming back, her cheeks immediately had beautiful dimples. She put Yuelong back on the bookshelf, held up the paper umbrella, and took the scholar's arm.
"Sir, have you found it?"
"But we have to wait until the sky clears up and come back at night. Let's go and take a look at the city."
"Going to the city?" Hong Lian raised her face in confusion. Over there, Lu Liangsheng lowered his head and smiled at her. He brushed away a strand of black hair in front of his eyebrows and tucked it behind his ears. "Since you are in Hangzhou, why don't you take a look at the market and take Master to eat some delicious food."
The small door of the compartment opened with a bang. The Toad Taoist's eyes widened, and there was a light flickering in them. He immediately became energetic, "My disciple is really thoughtful. Hmm... Let me check the recipe to see if there is any delicious food in Hangzhou. Let's go quickly. I will look through it while walking."
Waving its webbed feet, it urged a few words, half of its body went into the closet, took out the vegetable patch that had not been taken out for a long time and spread it out in its hands, and followed the place names one by one with its webbed feet. When it found the Suzhou and Hangzhou area, its mouth was almost split to the back of its neck, and it licked its lips with its long tongue. Its webbed feet stretched and opened with joy.
“Yes, yes… West Lake vinegar fish, fried chicken with chestnuts, shrimp with Longjing tea…”
As Hong Lian covered her mouth and chuckled, Lu Liangsheng walked with the old donkey in the rain. He turned around and looked at the Toad Taoist sitting on the edge of the small door of the bookshelf with his legs dangling. He smiled and said, "Master, are you so particular about Hangzhou cuisine?"
"Haha, Master, I traveled all over the country just to cure my stuttering. Now, all this is just what I heard from others and wrote down."
The Toad Taoist fluttered his flippers, looked at the dishes on it, smacked his lips in praise, and reluctantly rolled up the recipe book into a scroll, carrying it on his back and hanging it, "Speaking of food, these Suzhou and Hangzhou dishes are very particular. Hurry up and listen to my explanation while you walk. It will definitely be a feast for your ears!"
"Where were you talking about just now? Oh, right, the Suzhou and Hangzhou cuisine emphasizes clarity, freshness, crispness, and tenderness, retaining the original flavor. The cooking methods are mainly steaming, stewing, and roasting... light oil and light batter..."
When Toad Taoist talked about eating noodles, his voice did not stop for a long time. The drizzle was accompanied by the sound of copper bells and hoofbeats, and the men and women holding blue and white paper umbrellas went away with the mist and rain.
In the distance, the water was surging. A carp came out of the water, spitting out a circle of bubbles, and then went back into the water. Behind the stone railing reflected on the lake surface, two monks were looking over here. The monk in a green robe came closer and whispered, "Master, the woman next to the scholar doesn't look like a human."
"snort."
Watching the man and woman talking and laughing as they led an old donkey away into the rain, Fahai, expressionless, slowly raised his Dharma seal, and without even looking at them again, shook the reins, raised the seal, and turned away.
"Scholar... wait until the ceremony is over and subdue the two snake demons—"
With firm steps and loud voice, he went to Jingci Temple.
"—Except for the female ghost who bewitched this scholar!!"
…
"The finest silk, authentic Hangzhou silk, no adulteration. If you are a foreign guest passing by, you may as well come and take a look. I guarantee it is silky and smooth, just like touching a woman's skin, you will love it so much!!"
"Tea~~~I'm selling tea. My family member is sick and needs money urgently. I'll sell you a cup of the best Longjing tea at a low price. It's the best gift for your relatives and friends!"
"Sir, please come in. The guest on the street, come to my Louwailou to taste our specialty dishes, drink a pot of good wine, and watch the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon outside the building. That's called elegance, and it suits your temperament very well!"
It was not yet nightfall, but near dusk, the city of Hangzhou was already bustling with people. Lanterns were already lit up in the shops on both sides of the long street, and people were coming and going. Some walked into restaurants with their families or friends, and stood on the street bargaining. It was as noisy as day.
The tea lover smells the tea leaves drying in the winnowing basket, closes his eyes with an expression of enjoyment, then asks the waiter to pack them up and merges into the street crowd with the tea in his hands; under the warm red lanterns that radiate ambiguity, the eunuchs greet the guests coming in and out, bowing and nodding; upstairs, the gorgeously dressed woman leans against the railing, waving her silk handkerchief and throwing seductive glances; indistinctly, through the pink window screen, the melodious Wu music accompanied by the sound of the pipa spreads to the street.
"Sir, this is not a place to eat. Let's go to another place."
Hong Lian's voice rang out from the bookshelf. Lu Liangsheng raised his head and looked at the brothel in front of him. He chuckled twice, and continued to move forward with the old donkey. Walking among the crowd, he said in French: "Why would we go inside? A brothel is not a place to eat."
"Stop talking, Liangsheng. Have you found a place to eat?" On the other side of the bookshelf, the words of the Toad Taoist came from the small door. He used his magical power to transmit his voice, so passers-by could not hear him. "I think I heard a place called Louwailou just now. If that doesn't work, that place can also make do."
Lu Liangsheng nodded, then stopped, turned his head slightly, and looked at the side of the long street in front. There was a fluttering flag with the word "inn" written on it. He pulled the old donkey over there. The waiter who was shouting at the door took the reins attentively and led the donkey to the backyard. In the lobby of the inn, there were also waiters who came to greet him, wiped a table, and quickly announced the names of the dishes.
"From your accent, I can tell you're not from Hangzhou. Well, when you're in Hangzhou, you have to try some Hangzhou specialties. The lotus leaf in our inn is a specialty. The lotus leaf is peeled and the core is open. The lotus leaf is large and round, and as white as solidified fat. It's easy to stew and crisp without falling apart. The soup is clear and delicious. Just smelling it can make your mouth water. And our West Lake water shield is famous far and wide. The soup is pure and delicious, fresh and smooth, and very popular. You can't get it anywhere else."
"Young man, why don't you serve two famous Hangzhou dishes first, and then two ordinary home-cooked dishes." Lu Liangsheng didn't want to order too much. After all, he was the only one sitting here. Ordering too much would attract attention, which was not good.
"Okay, sir, drink some mountain tea first to moisten your spleen and stomach. I will notify the kitchen to serve it quickly!" The waiter wrote down the name of the dish and left. On this side, Lu Liangsheng put down his chopsticks and waited for the tea to be served. Hong Lian, who had hidden her figure, sat opposite him and looked at him blankly with her chin propped up. When the scholar looked over, she gently asked, "Sir, the city is not as good as Chang'an. Apart from some Wusheng minor tunes, there is nothing special."
"Stay in the city tonight."
"Ah?" Nie Honglian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly blushed. She lowered her head in embarrassment, shook her shoulders shyly, and whispered, "Sir, I'm not ready yet."
Then, a chopstick tapped her head lightly. Lu Liangsheng smiled and glared at her: "What are you thinking about? You came to the city because you heard what that little monk said before..."