Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The Longmen Inn is located in a back alley of Paper Shop Town, yet it sees a steady stream of merchants coming and going. The inn itself has no distinguishing features; it is merely an ordinary two-story building. If one does not pay close attention, they might mistake it for the courtyard of a wealthy family rather than an inn.
In front of the inn, several hitching posts stand tall, and the attendants are helping departing guests with their belongings. The guests vary in attire, some well-dressed while others are more modestly clad. There are those who travel for business and others from the suburbs who have come to the city for errands but have not returned home before nightfall.
A fox leads Xing Ruyi, followed by Chang Tai, who is dressed in plain clothes. This combination appears somewhat unusual. The only thing that brings Xing Ruyi a bit of comfort is that before leaving, she had the fox change its appearance (using magic to adopt a more ordinary face) to avoid attracting the attention of the female guests at the inn who might be envious of its extraordinary beauty.
Although the fox's handsome features are concealed, the demeanor of the Qingqiu dynasty Emperor still shines through, complemented by an ethereal quality that makes it quite eye-catching. In contrast, Chang Tai, exuding righteousness and chivalry, creates a striking juxtaposition. As the only woman among them and one who is somewhat attractive, Xing Ruyi naturally draws the attention of passing merchants. This sense of satisfaction makes her exceptionally happy, causing her steps toward the Longmen Inn to become more confident.
"Are you three here for a meal or accommodation?" The attendant is quick-witted; with just a glance at these three, he can tell they are distinguished guests. It’s not just that Xing Ruyi is wearing and carrying items from the luxurious brocade shop in Luoyang; even if other guests come with only a silk handkerchief or a simple outer garment, they would flaunt it. But look at this young lady—she seems quite ordinary and doesn’t consider her expensive attire noteworthy at all. Even when her shoe brushed against the wall upon entering, she showed no reaction. Thus, it can be concluded that the two accompanying her are either wealthy or noble, and the one following them is likely not an ordinary person either.
"Brother Chang, should we have a meal or stay overnight?"
While pondering this, the attendant noticed Xing Ruyi turning to ask behind her, realizing that it was actually the person following her who would make the decision. He eagerly approached them with a smile.
"Don’t be fooled by our humble establishment; we serve only the best food and accommodations in Paper Shop Town. Especially our signature dishes—you won’t find anything like them anywhere else in town. Why don’t you three step inside to take a look? As for whether you want a meal or lodging, there’s no rush."
"You’re quite the conversationalist," Xing Ruyi said with a smile, causing the attendant to momentarily freeze in surprise.
"Miss, you’re joking! Someone like me wouldn’t be able to find work in a place like Divine Capital."
"Come work for me! My shop may not be as large as your inn, but I can certainly pay better than what you get here. Why not consider it?"
The attendant chuckled awkwardly while occasionally glancing upstairs, his hands instinctively rubbing against his trousers.
Xing Ruyi took note of all these actions and followed his gaze to look upstairs. A young woman who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen stood there, smiling down at her.
Her instincts told her that this woman must be Lingxiang, the proprietress of Longmen Inn. She was petite with fair skin and a doll-like face paired with almond-shaped eyes that made her look both cute and obedient; however, she wore her hair styled like that of a married woman.
Their eyes met, and Lingxiang nodded at Xing Ruyi: "It’s rare for guests to appreciate my attendants so much. However, this attendant has been with me for some time now; even if he wishes to leave, I may not be willing to let him go. Please come upstairs; whether you want a meal or lodging, I will personally arrange everything for you!"
"Since the landlady personally arranged this, it would be too much to only have one meal. Moreover, we plan to stay in this town for a couple of days to experience the local customs, so we kindly ask the landlady to arrange two quiet rooms for us."
Xing Ruyi lifted her skirt and walked upstairs. Halfway up, she ran into Lingxiang coming down. Xing Ruyi was slightly taller than Lingxiang, making it seem as if they were eye-level at that moment.
"You can just call me Lingxiang, miss. I truly don’t deserve to be called landlady!" Lingxiang nodded and stepped aside to give Xing Ruyi and her companions space to go upstairs.
Lingxiang wore an azure blue blouse paired with a short white embroidered jacket, and below she had on a common style of golden Tang Dynasty skirt adorned with birds. The embroidery was quite ordinary, not particularly eye-catching, but the colors complemented her delicate appearance well.
"I'm a bit hungry. I wonder if there are any signature dishes at your Dragon Gate Inn, Lingxiang?"
"Miss, don't listen to my assistant's nonsense. What good food could there be in an inn? It's just some ordinary fare to fill the stomachs of passing merchants," Lingxiang said, waving her hand for the assistant to bring out a few items. "These are all pastries that I made myself. There's nothing special about them. For example, this lard cake is steamed from flour and lard; it tastes pretty good, and the guests who come through usually like it."
"Lard?" Xing Ruyi shook her head. "Do you have anything vegetarian? I'm not fond of things that sound greasy, but Brother Chang might like it."
"Yes! This is a layered flaky pastry. Although it has 'oil' in its name, it's not greasy at all. Many ladies enjoy it. There’s also this crystal cake and osmanthus persimmon cake; these are quite popular in the inn as well. I suggest you try one; if you don’t like it, I won’t charge you."
"The innkeeper really knows how to do business; no wonder our inn is so busy," Xing Ruyi observed as she glanced around. The inn was bustling with merchants coming and going without a moment's pause. Additionally, there were many travelers stopping by, some arriving late without available tables, who simply stood in the courtyard to eat. Judging by their expressions, they all seemed quite happy.
"When a lady smiles, it means business isn't good; that's why there are so many people," Lingxiang remarked as she placed various plates of pastries on the table. "As you can see, our inn welcomes everyone—those coming from the south, heading north, traveling east or west—anyone willing to enter our doors is welcomed. Whether you're staying long-term or just taking a break, whether you're here for a meal or just water, we serve them all. If business were truly good, why would we work so hard?"
"Lingxiang makes a valid point; however, having only pastries without any dishes won't do. How about recommending some more options?" Xing Ruyi suggested while pointing toward a donkey shed in the corner of the courtyard. "I see there are quite a few donkeys here that don’t seem like they belong to guests; they must be for cooking purposes? Why not recommend some dishes made with donkey meat?"
"This—" Lingxiang smiled awkwardly. "To be honest with you, these donkeys indeed belong to my inn but are not meant for cooking; they are sold to those from the countryside for labor. Look at these donkeys—some are old, some are fat, and some are thin—none of them are quality ingredients. They’re collected from nearby guests and sold cheaply to those in need; it's just a way to make some money in between."
"In that case, what a pity! I know several delicious dishes made with donkey meat and was hoping to try some since you have donkeys here," Xing Ruyi expressed her disappointment clearly. Seeing this, Chang Tai took out a silver ingot and placed it on the table.
"I hope the innkeeper can make an exception; you see my sister loves to eat. If she misses out on this dish, she might not sleep well for several nights."
Lingxiang looked at the silver and shook her head with some difficulty. "If that's the case, then I'll reluctantly help you choose one."
"No need, I've already picked out the donkey!" Xing Ruyi said, standing up and pointing to the donkey at the back of the Donkey Shed. "I want that one tied up in the back, not too fat, not too thin, not too tall, not too short, not too old—just at the prime age. It would be perfect for a Donkey Meat Stew with Cabbage."
Lingxiang's expression stiffened slightly. "That donkey..."
"What? Are you reluctant, Lingxiang? Or do you think my Brother Chang's silver isn't enough to buy this donkey? If it's not enough, I have more!" Xing Ruyi said, pulling out a gold ingot and placing it on the table. "How about this? Is it enough now?"
"With this gold ingot from the young lady, it would be more than enough to buy not just one donkey but all of them," Lingxiang replied, lowering her head and biting her lip as if making a significant decision. Finally, she looked up with a shy smile and told the Clerk, "Bring that donkey over here and prepare it according to this young lady's instructions."
The Clerk quickly ran over, bowing his head with a smile as he asked, "Rest assured, young lady. I will personally bring that donkey into the kitchen shortly. Everything from slaughtering to preparation will be done in front of you. We guarantee the quality and quantity of the meat; your gold will not go to waste."
"That's good!" Xing Ruyi said as she set up a pair of chopsticks and bowls, as if waiting for the Donkey Meat to be served. "Listen carefully; besides the Donkey Meat Stew with Cabbage I mentioned earlier, I also want your chef to prepare a dish of Donkey Intestine. This Donkey Intestine refers to a specific part between the donkey's intestines and colon, unique to donkeys. An adult donkey only has about a foot of it, which is why it's considered one of the eight delicacies of donkeys—tender and delicious without being greasy. There's a saying: 'You can give up your child but not your Donkey Intestine.'"
"In addition to that, this Donkey Intestine is also an excellent health tonic. It has a sweet flavor and cool properties, benefiting qi and digestion, generating fluids and moistening dryness, clearing heat and detoxifying. It can treat red eyes, thirst, sulfur poisoning, and alcohol toxicity; you mustn't throw it away."
"As for the section in the middle of this Donkey Intestine? It refers to a whole piece—the entire large intestine of the donkey. It's best to extract it while the donkey is still alive. If your chef can't handle it, I can have my Clerk do it."
"Rest assured, even though we are an inn, our chef is definitely skilled," the Clerk said while listening intently and mentally taking notes, afraid of missing any details that might disappoint this valuable guest who could easily pull out gold ingots. If he upset her, he would surely face the wrath of the innkeeper.
Lingxiang stood by listening; although she still wore a smile on her face, her gaze gradually became more serious—especially when she heard that preparing the Donkey Intestine required extracting it while the donkey was still alive; she instinctively pressed her lips together.
Comment 0 Comment Count