The softest oysters are surrounded by the hardest shells, and the most beautiful pearls are hidden in the deepest parts.
I expected that the inn would be well-known on the island, but I didn't expect it to be famous not only on the island, but also on the island.
That night, a guest who came to dinner actually took two videos with his mobile phone: one was Wu Julan holding a knife in both hands and chopping; the other was Wu Julan sitting on his knees in front of the mottled stone wall of the old house, playing the guqin. He uploaded the video to Weibo and named it "An Incredible Dinner". The video was reposted at an incredible speed, attracting all kinds of netizens to watch.
There are beauty-controlling women who only care about their appearance, music enthusiasts who like ancient music, textual research who carefully study fish-cutting knife techniques, and foodies who like food. Wu Julan's name is based on the poems he recited, calling him "饔子", an elegant name for a chef in ancient times.
It's so drunk, the picture is so beautiful, I can only play it in a loop.
Is it a musician who can cook, or a chef who can play the guqin? It’s all about being talented, and it’s all about being so handsome.
This is the traditional good man in China. There is history to prove it. In the sixth year of Tianbao, Li Bai took his young son passing through Zhongdu, and a little official who had never met came to visit him. Li Bai was deeply moved, and he personally performed a knife to chop the batter, and when he parted, he presented him with a poem. Needless to say about Li Bai's poems, go to "Baidu" by yourself, please pay attention to the key points, "Li Bai personally cuts and chops", Li Bai Li Bai Li Bai has written poems that have been passed down through the ages, and he can wield the kitchen knife on the tip of his tongue. This is China good man
As early as the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, chopping was not only for eating, but also for people to watch. In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, literati regarded it as a romantic and elegant thing. Wang Wei, Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Changling, and Bai Juyi all described fish meat in their poems. People like Li Bai who are skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship would personally shove them from time to time, "Hu'er brushes the frost blade a few times, and the red muscles bloom and white snow falls."
The crazy blogger replied that he heard that the guqin was made by himself.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Rihua wrote in Liuyanzhai Notes Zitaoxuan Miscellaneous Supplement that he had read a book on cutting that might have been compiled by the people of the Tang Dynasty. , willow leaf strands, double-turning butterflies, and thousand-foot-thick thread." Unfortunately, at that time, the skill of chopping was lost, and Li Rihua had no way to verify the truth of these records. The 饔子 in the video is very likely to use the lost knives.
Fortunately, Jiang Yisheng contacted the guest who uploaded the video in time. Under the crazy inquiries from netizens, he only replied, "The place for dinner is the Conch Inn. The man in the video should be the owner of the inn." He didn't say a word about other personal information. .
Netizens searched around for "Conch Inn", and many of them found the Weibo I created for the inn. Like detectives, they compared the photos of the inn I uploaded before, and immediately concluded that my conch inn was the conch inn in the video based on the background.
Netizens left messages one after another. Some asked about the scenery of the island, some suggested posting more photos of Wu Julan, and some were just watching and gossiping. Some even asked Wu Julan how his parents raised Wu Julan and asked to pass on their experience
My Weibo fans have skyrocketed from more than one hundred to over one million, from not having a single message for a few days to thousands of messages every day. I was frightened by the enthusiasm of netizens, and even worried, for fear that this unexpected "popularity" would bring trouble to Wu Julan.
Although Wu Julan was surprised that the development of things far exceeded his expectations because he didn't consider the Internet, but he didn't mind as much as I thought. Sometimes, he would even read those comments about him with relish.
Jiang Yisheng comforted me with a smile: "At least it proves that he is not a wanted criminal, otherwise he would not be able to watch his video go viral on the Internet so calmly."
I punched Jiang Yisheng, and I couldn't accept Jiang Yisheng's comfort at all.
Jiang Yisheng browsed the comments of netizens, and pointed to one of them to show me: "This product must have come from Mars, it must be"
Jiang Yisheng laughed, "I found that there are a lot of mental illnesses on the Internet, and reading their messages is really healing, and makes me feel that I am really normal."
I looked at Wu Julan in the video, and Jiang Yisheng next to me, and I felt that I was really normal
Since Conch Inn became popular on the Internet, many people called to inquire about room accommodation every day, but I didn't accept any of them.
I carefully feel that the guests who come now are all drunkards, and I am still trudging on the difficult road of pursuit. How can I allow others to add to the chaos
What's more, now that I have successfully passed the economic crisis and found a better way to make a living, I simply gave up my original plan to open an inn.
For various reasons, the guests who had eaten fish meat that night still came to eat at Conch Inn from time to time.
However, because there are only Wu Julan and me as the chef and the small workers, the menu is not rich, and it all depends on what Wu Julan bought at the vegetable market that day. To be precise, he does what he buys. Of course, guests can also call in advance to explain what they want to eat, as long as Wu Julan can buy it, he can do it too.
At the beginning, I was worried that this would affect the business. I didn’t expect that the guests not only didn’t think Wu Julan’s behavior was wrong, but preferred to come to Conch Inn for dinner. Later, I learned that many well-known private kitchens in big cities operate in this way. Because only the ingredients purchased on the day can ensure that the dishes are fresh enough and delicious enough.
Wu Julan's cooking skills are impeccable, and the dining environment can also be said to be perfect. The trees and vines in the old house are quite old, and the time has accumulated a very special flavor, which is an artistic conception that is impossible for any decoration. The guests who have been here will gradually like the Shanghai Conch Inn. Friends bring friends. According to word of mouth, Conch Restaurant quickly became the most popular private restaurant on the island.
To my surprise, the guests saw that I liked the conch handicrafts and asked me if I would sell them. Of course, I have the money to negotiate, and the price is much higher than when I set up a stall to sell it. Unintentionally, it has also become a source of income for me.
I don't want Wu Julan to work too hard. He only receives ten customers a day, and he can earn about two to three hundred yuan. From time to time, I can sell a few pieces of conch jewelry, sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds. I calculated the accounts, and after deducting the daily expenses and Wu Julan's salary, I can save three or four thousand a month, which is enough, and I don't need to do the inn business anymore.
I was sitting in front of the faucet in the yard washing vegetables when my phone rang suddenly.
I dried my hands and took a look at the phone, it was Zhou Buwen's call.
"big head"
"I heard from Jiang Yisheng that you are not in the inn business now, but in the private kitchen business."
"Yes, the private kitchen business is very good. I think I have made enough money. I don't want to be too tired, so I won't do the inn business."
"Then I'm still welcome?"
"Of course, anytime, when will you come"
"When I finish the work at hand, I will go there."
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
"You do business by yourself, and there are no weekends. You must rest when you should rest. Don't be too tired. When you have time, go out for a walk, watch a movie, play a ball or something, and be nice to yourself."
"OK, all right"
I hung up the phone, thought about it, and found that ever since Wu Julan fell into my house, I have been squeezing him to make money for me, and I have never given him a vacation, nor have I taken him out to play. I immediately decided to correct my mistakes and give Wu Julan and myself a day off as soon as possible.
I called Jiang Yisheng and told him that I hadn't rested for a long time. I wanted to take Wu Julan out to sea and asked Jiang Yisheng if he wanted to go with him. Jiang Yisheng said without hesitation that we would go together, and promised that he would arrange everything and let me prepare delicious food.
On Saturday afternoon, at 4:30, when the sun had slanted to the west and was no longer so scorching, Jiang Yisheng opened the rented boat and took Wu Julan and me out to sea to watch the sunset and have dinner.
After driving for more than an hour, we arrived at the scheduled location. Jiang Yisheng stopped the boat, took out the snorkeling equipment prepared for Wu Julan, and asked, "Have you tried this before?"
"No." Wu Julan looked at the flippers, snorkeling goggles and breathing tube with interest.
"How's your water quality?" Jiang Yisheng asked.
Wu Julan was taken aback for a moment, then said slowly, "Very good."
"Can you dive to the bottom of a swimming pool more than two meters deep?"
"able."
"That's no problem." Jiang Yisheng sat across from Wu Julan, picked up his snorkeling goggles and snorkel, and demonstrated how to put on the snorkeling equipment. "Snorkeling is very simple. For those who are good at water, they can learn it quickly."
Wu Julan saw that I was sitting still, "Aren't you going to play?"
I shook my head, "I can't swim."
Jiang Yisheng sneered, "She fell into the sea once when she was a child and was almost drowned. Since then, she was terrified and couldn't learn to swim no matter what. The big head and I worked hard to make her wear it. Put on a lifejacket and float in the water for a while. If you want her to go into the water without a lifejacket, she will think you want to murder her and resist desperately"
I was a little embarrassed, and argued: "There are many people who can't swim, and I'm not the only one"
"There are many people who cannot swim, but they are not fishermen.
The descendants of the people do not have a grandpa who is a cow. "Jiang Yisheng said to Wu Julan: "Until now, when the elderly fishermen talk about who is good at water, they will also tell the legend of her great-grandfather. At that time, there were no tools, and it was said that they could dive more than 20 meters, but look at this unworthy descendant, who can’t even learn to swim.”
I glared at Jiang Yisheng, and told him: "Don't focus on catching lobsters, watch Wu Julan, it's his first time snorkeling." Then I told Wu Julan: "Follow Jiang Yisheng closely, and don't dive too far just to chase lobsters." Deep, safety first."
Jiang Yisheng checked Wu Julan's clothes, and after making sure there was nothing wrong, he capsized first, and Wu Julan capsized after him.
The two were swimming around the boat. Jiang Yisheng taught Wu Julan how to snorkel. I watched for a while and found that Wu Julan was very good at water. I learned it quickly and felt relieved.
Jiang Yisheng got on the boat again, and handed Wu Julan a pair of black gloves and a green net bag that could be hung on his body. Jiang Yisheng wore gloves and held a net bag to demonstrate, "When catching a lobster, go behind it so that it can't catch you. After catching it, first float to the surface, then put the lobster into the net bag and hang it back on your waist. You can continue to catch the second one."
After Wu Julan expressed his understanding, Jiang Yisheng said: "Whether there is lobster to eat at night depends on our character." After speaking, he jumped off the boat with Wu Julan and went swimming far away.
I took out my camera, and while taking pictures, I watched Wu Julan follow Jiang Yisheng up and down in the sea.
In order to prevent sunburn or jellyfish stings, the snorkeling suit covers the whole body tightly, only the neck and a section of the calf are exposed. Jiang Yisheng often plays in the sea, his skin is a healthy bronze, but Wu Julan is fair, thanks to his slender figure and vigorous movements, he does not feel weak at all.
Wu Julan was very lucky, and soon caught three lobsters, but Jiang Yisheng got nothing. He said to Wu Julan jokingly: "You really beat the master to death with a blind fist."
Wu Julan smiled slightly, but said nothing. He flipped aboard, dumped the lobsters waving their pincers into the tin bucket, and poured out oysters from the green net bag.
I picked up the prepared bath towel and handed it to him, "Wipe it, be careful not to catch a cold."
Wu Julan took the towel and wiped her hair and body.
I said to Jiang Yisheng who was still in the sea: "Three lobsters are enough, do you want to continue to catch them?"
Jiang Yisheng said: "Of course, what's the point of eating other people's catch? Wait until I catch a bigger one and release the one caught by Brother Ang." After he finished speaking, he waved to us and swam into the distance.
Wu Julan sat beside me, leaning against the cabin, stretching her long legs comfortably.
Without saying a word, he handed me a moderate oyster.
I held it in my hand, hesitated and said, "Although it is said that fresh oysters are delicious when eaten raw, I have never been used to them."
Wu Julan took the oyster back from my hand without saying a word.
He snapped open the oyster shell neatly and ate the oyster meat into his mouth. Then, he grabbed my hand, spit out a black pearl from his mouth, and gently fell into my palm.
I was dumbfounded, and asked blankly: "Give it to me"
Wu Julan turned her head and looked at the end of the sea and sky with a blank expression, "I remember you girls like such boring things."
I stared at the little thing in the palm of my hand, a small black pearl shaped like a drop of water. In this age when artificial pearls are flooded, they are not worth much, but Wu Julan picked them from the sea and gave them to me.
Thinking of his actions just now, I asked, "Did you know that there are pearls in this oyster?"
Wu Julan glanced at me lightly, "Otherwise, why do you think I singled out this oyster?"
To my great chagrin, if I had been willing to eat raw oysters just now, I would have been surprised to eat the pearls myself, and then spit them out in surprise. However, thinking of Wu Julan's sexy look of spitting out pearls, I think it's better this way.
I held the pearl tightly in my palm, "Thank you"
Wu Julan said lightly: "It's just something I picked up at random."
I am a little helpless, other men are like "I have paid a lot for you, come and thank me", but he is good, always put on a look of "I didn't do anything, you must not be moved" look.
However, he forgot that I was a girl who grew up by the sea, and I deeply know that the softest oysters are covered with the hardest shells, and the most beautiful pearls are hidden in the deepest part.
I was playing with the black pearl when Wu Julan suddenly asked, "What happened when you fell into the sea when you were young?"
There is nothing to hide, I said straightforwardly: "It happened when I was seven years old. My parents were divorcing. Grandpa wanted to save their relationship and asked them to go back to the island for a few days. My mother is different from my stepmother. She is very I respect my grandpa, but I don’t respect my dad. Our family of three went back to the island, and my grandpa specially drove the boat to take my dad, mom and me out to play. I remember that the weather was very good that day, the sky was blue and there was no wind. The sea is as flat as a mirror. Grandpa hid in the cabin to rest, I splashed in the sea, and my parents sat on the side of the boat and watched me. At that time, I could swim."
I smiled wryly, "As they were talking, they started arguing again. I had cramps in my legs and suddenly choked on water, but they were arguing so hard that no one noticed me, and I drowned. What happened later, I I don’t know anything, I only know that I almost drowned, and it was my grandfather who saved me. My parents decided to divorce on the day I woke up, thank God, I finally don’t have to listen to their quarrel anymore.”
Wu Julan looked at me silently.
I shrugged my shoulders and said with a smile: "It would be a lie to say that I don't feel uncomfortable at all, but it would be too hypocritical to say that I still feel uncomfortable until now. After all these years, my mother has a new family and a new child. , Dad has a new family, a new child, and I have my own life, all the past is just the past"
Jiang Yisheng's loud cry suddenly came, "I caught a really big lobster!"
Wu Julan and I followed the reputation, Jiang Yisheng paddled the water with one hand, and held up a huge lobster with the other.
I waved to him, signaling that we had all seen it.
Wu Julan said nonchalantly, "I'll bake oysters for you later."
I held the black pearl in my palm, smiled and nodded.
With the brilliance of the setting sun, we had a very sumptuous seafood meal.
It was almost nine o'clock when I got home, full of wine and food, and it was completely dark.
Jiang Yisheng took a bottle of red wine with him, considering that he was going to set sail, so he tasted it briefly, and Wu Julan only drank a few sips, most of which was drunk by me. I was drunk, and the road in the old street was uneven, I walked staggeringly, looking very dangerous, Wu Julan had to hold my arm.
Jiang Yisheng's house arrived first, and after he waved goodbye to us with a smile, he closed the courtyard door.
Wu Julan helped me to continue walking.
Before the two of them reached the gate of the courtyard, Wu Julan stopped suddenly. I asked puzzledly, "Didn't you bring the key? I have it in my bag."
Wu Julan pushed me to the corner of the courtyard wall, and said in a low voice, "Hide here and don't move." After speaking, he ran a few steps, borrowed some strength from the slightly protruding stone on the wall, and directly climbed from the top of the wall. Turned into the yard.
The remaining alcohol in me disappeared immediately, and I stared at the courtyard wall of my house with wide eyes, as if I had never seen it before. Is it so easy to climb over the two and a half meter high courtyard wall
A person suddenly opened the courtyard door and rushed out of the courtyard. In the darkness, something flew out and hit the plaque of "Conch Inn" hanging under the eaves. The plaque fell and just hit the man's head. He shook, fell softly to the ground, and passed out.
I was dumbfounded, and suddenly thought that Wu Julan was inside alone. I rushed over, stepped on the broken plaque, stumbled and fell into the yard.
"Little Conch" Wu Julan's worried voice.
"I'm fine"
I hurriedly got up from the ground, looked up, and saw a burly man fighting Wu Julan in the yard. Wu Julan was unarmed, but the man was holding a gleaming dagger in his hand, stabbing viciously around, brushing against Wu Julan's body almost every time, which made me jump with fear.
Wu Julan was not nervous at all, she still had time to look back at me, and asked displeasedly, "Why didn't you wait outside?"
I shivered and said, "Be careful with me, I'll call the police"
I took out my phone tremblingly, my eyes widened suddenly, and I was too scared to move.
Probably because he heard me say that he wanted to call the police, the man with the dagger tried to run away several times, but was stopped by Wu Julan. He suddenly went crazy and began to stab Wu Julan regardless.
In the light of Sen Han's knife, Wu Julan stretched out his hand as if he was looking for something, and snatched the dagger lightly and deftly. With the other hand, he grabbed the opponent's neck, like an iron hoop, firmly fixing the man to the wall superior. The other party tried to resist, Wu Julan lifted his hands up, his legs were hanging in the air, the weight of his whole body was hanging on his neck, he couldn't breathe, and soon lost all strength in his whole body.
Seeing that he was honest, Wu Julan lowered his hands a little so that his feet could touch the ground, "Who are you and what do you want?"