Chapter 234: Specialty Delicacies
Old Mu, whose name was Zhen Mu, was a carpenter and a renowned master of carving. His ancestors studied the art of mechanisms and even participated in the construction of imperial tombs, responsible for setting up the tomb’s mechanisms.
He could be considered an imperial craftsman.
But later, the dynasty declined, and with the wars, fewer and fewer people knew the art of mechanisms, and the lives of those in such professions were greatly threatened.
Because it was a very chaotic time, one could lose their life in an instant,
When he was 27 years old, during the Republic of China era, an officer discovered a tomb from the Tang Dynasty and speculated that it contained many burial objects.
The officer wanted to seize all the treasures within, so he didn’t report to his superior but instead found people himself to rob the tomb.
However, during the first tomb robbery, he lost many men, so he inquired everywhere, searching for those who specialized in tomb raiding or knew the art of mechanisms.
Zhen Mu was one of them. Although he had never revealed that he knew the art of mechanisms, the officer found out that his ancestors did, and thus, he was captured without his consent.
Mu Zhen had great talent in the art of mechanisms, and with some inherited handbooks and notes from his ancestors, he eventually survived successfully within the tomb and escaped.
But when he returned home alive, he discovered that his wife and children had all been massacred.
That officer was cruel and ruthless; he didn’t allow any accidents, so he massacred all those who knew about it and their families.
In his grief, Mu Zhen disguised himself as a beggar and, hiding and fleeing, eventually found the officer’s superior and told him everything.
In the end, the officer received his deserved punishment, but his family was gone forever.
Later, he learned that all those people captured by the officer had died.
Some died in the tomb, while others were completely wiped out by that insane officer.
Only he had luckily escaped.
But after escaping, he faced the tragic end of his entire family being dead, with only himself alive.
In a daze, Mu Zhen buried his wife and children. He didn’t want to stay in this place of sorrow, so he tidied up briefly and left.
Later, after wandering to Bailong Village, he finally settled down.
…………
“My daughter was about your age back then.”
But such a young child was also killed.
Therefore, Old Mu particularly liked Yun Jiao, partly due to transferring his feelings to her.
Looking at Yun Jiao, he vaguely felt that if his poor daughter were alive, she would be just as lively.
“Alright, you should go back to sleep. Staying up late will stunt your growth.”
Yun Jiao obediently said “Oh.”
“Then Grandpa Mu, you should also go to sleep early.”
Grandpa Mu exuded an aura of sadness. Yun Jiao thought for a moment and patted his head.
“Grandpa Mu, have sweet dreams.”
Afterwards, she got off Old Mu and left.
Old Mu poured a drink for Old Wu: “Here’s to us, a toast.”
Although he was smiling, a tear fell into his drink.
When sleeping at night, Old Mu, already drowsy from drinking, rummaged through his luggage and found a mechanical box.
The wooden box looked tightly sealed, as if it were made from a single piece.
But as he moved his hands, the box, which seemed to be one piece, slowly opened.
*Click…*
He opened the lid of the wooden box, and inside were several photographs.
One was his wedding photo with his wife.
One was a family photo of him, his wife, and their son.
And another was a family photo that included their daughter in addition to the three of them.
These photos were already yellowed but were very well protected by him.
They were also his most precious possessions.
He hadn’t dared to take them out for a long time; he was afraid.
But this time, he missed them so, so much.
Suppressed sobs could be heard from the room.
After crying while holding the photos for a long time, Old Mu fell asleep.
This time, to his surprise, his wife, who had never appeared in his dreams, appeared in his dream.
He trembled as he stared intently at the figure, not daring to even touch it.
But the person in the dream touched his face.
“You’ve gotten old.”
Old Mu cried, and crying, said he was sorry to them.
“I, your son, and daughter have never blamed you. It was never your fault.”
Old Mu had always thought his wife and children blamed him, which was why they had never appeared in his dreams.
Beside his still young wife in the dream appeared two people, his son and daughter from his memory.
The two happily called him “Ah Die” (Father).
His wife smiled and said, “We have to go, Ah Zhen. Look forward, and see more of this world with us.”
The three waved goodbye to him.
Old Mu didn’t want them to leave and lunged forward, but grabbed nothing.
He cried, but he also smiled.
From now on, the accumulated gloom in his heart would be relieved by this dream.
The next day…
Old Wu had someone deliver breakfast.
Soy milk, fried dough sticks, scallion pancakes, and the roast duck that Yun Jiao and the others had been longing for.
Because they had eaten too much last night, they didn’t get to eat the roast duck.
It was prepared this morning.
Old Wu, with a mysterious expression, introduced to them: “This is our local specialty, Douzhi. Have a taste.”
Hearing him say this, everyone didn’t doubt him, picked up their bowls, and took a sip.
Then…
*Gag…*
After drinking it, everyone’s expression twisted, and they spat it out.
Yun Xiaowu was the unluckiest.
This reckless guy gulped down a large mouthful, and quite a bit flowed into his throat at this moment.
*Gag gag gag…*
Old Wu burst out laughing.
Yun Jiao: “I’ve never eaten anything so disgusting!”
Several pairs of eyes at the dining table stared at him with resentment.
“Ahem… don’t look at me like that. this thing is indeed a local specialty delicacy.”
Yun Xiaowu drank several mouthfuls of water before feeling a bit better.
“Grandpa Wu, you tricked us! Is this thing a delicacy? It’s more like poison!”
He still felt uncomfortable.
Old Wu took a sip in front of them, and the expressions of the people at the table all contorted.
“Once you get used to drinking this, it’s fine. It has high nutritional value.”
“And, in the past, it was even a daily drink of the imperial family.”
The Yun family members looked disbelieving.
“People who have always lived here are accustomed to it. Outsiders like you won’t get used to it right away.”
“Try other things. I’ll teach you how to eat Peking Duck.”
Yun Xiaowu said suspiciously: “This Peking Duck shouldn’t be like Douzhi, right?”
Old Wu swore: “It will definitely be delicious for you.”
Peking Duck is indeed delicious. Sliced duck meat dipped in sauce is placed inside a nearly transparent round pancake, then add some shredded scallions and cucumber strips, wrap it up, and take a bite. The duck skin is crispy, the meat is tender, and the slightly sweet sauce elevates the duck’s flavor.
The shredded scallions and cucumber strips serve to enhance the aroma and cut through the richness.
In short, this is completely different from Douzhi. The special way of eating and the taste of Peking Duck truly made one’s eyes light up.
“Delicious!”
As expected, everyone fell in love with this dish.
Among them, Yun Xiaoliu’s eyes lit up the most. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging at lightning speed behind his buttocks.
This breakfast, apart from the Douzhi, was all delicious.
Everyone pushed the Douzhi far away in disgust.
Old Wu shook his head, saying they didn’t know how to enjoy themselves.
