Great Sui Storyteller

Chapter 437 436. Ji An
The stand-up comedy "Ugly Empress" really has a lot of jokes.

She was originally the six fairies in the sky, but when she descended to the earth, she was cast into a yaksha fetus, resulting in an extremely ugly appearance.

This in itself is an interesting contrast.

Coupled with the contrast, the wise and stupid wisdom of the six fairies, and the contrasting and funny plot after returning to the palace, which is quite a bit like pretending to be X in the face.

After an hour of effort, when the Taoist's Xingmu fell, the three of them, including Li Shimin, felt unsatisfied.

However, the two brothers who are knowledgeable know the Taoist rules.

Seeing that the other party got up and bowed his hands, he didn't say any words of persecution.Moreover, it seems that in order to take care of Li Shimin's emotions, Yan Qian specially explained to Li Shimin who was full of emotions of "why doesn't this grandson say anything?":

"Brother, this is the rule of the Taoist priest when telling stories. Each story is only told for half an hour, two episodes a day. I can't say more, because the Taoist priest hopes to prolong the story so that he can earn some tea and hard money .Please don’t be offended, brother.”

Since he came to the library to listen to books, he has seen too many unhappy listeners who ended up getting stuck in the most critical places because the Taoist leader was always stuck in the most critical place.

However, the audience who can be unhappy is also because it is the first time.

After coming here a few times, I became familiar with it, and I knew that the Taoist priest counted on this kind of story every day to seduce people and sell tea money.

I can't make a business of smashing others.

What's more, after the book is finished at half an hour every day, before the opening of the afternoon, I can sit as long as I want, chat with friends, or lie on this very comfortable wicker chair to rest, no one will say anything.

The Taoist priest didn't sell wine, but over tea, some of the topics everyone talked about were quite civilized, which seemed like a gathering of literati, and the stay was comfortable.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin first digested this strange rule, glanced at the Taoist who came down from the platform, and nodded to Yan Qian:

"Thank you, brother, I know about it."

At this time, Li Zhen had already walked over.

According to the rules, Yan Lide knew both Li Zhen and Li Shimin, so the task of introducing each other to each other fell on him.

Then, get up:

"Master, long time no see."

Li Zhen nodded with a smile:
"Brother Lide, long time no see."

As he said that, he cupped his hands and asked the general who was also crying and smiling:
"This general is..."

Just as Yan Lide was about to answer, Li Shimin suddenly got up by himself, and slightly cupped his hands:

"I'm Li Ji'an, who serves in the army and is the cousin of Brother Lide."

"..."

A trace of astonishment flashed in Yan Lide's eyes.

But he immediately shut up wisely.

After Li Zhen heard this name, he couldn't remember such a "historical figure" over and over again in his mind, but he couldn't underestimate it.

Judging from the age of this person, he was about the same age as himself, maybe a little older, but definitely not much, but the shiny and shiny armor on his body, the scales on it were scattered and dense, and swelled up like ravines and mountains.

This is Shanwenjia.

Those who can wear this kind of armor are usually worn on very solemn occasions.

And it can't be worn indiscriminately.

For example, Qin Qiong's mountain armor, as a sixth-rank Jianjie captain, his mountain armor is two inches shorter than the Li Ji'an battle skirt in front of him.

It shows that this young man has an official position, and the official position is higher than that of Qin Qiong.

At such an age, he has become an official of the sixth rank or above. Whether his military achievements are earned by his own life or accumulated at home, it shows that this person is not a simple person.

It's right to think about it... Those who can be called brothers and sisters with the Yan family, no matter how many times, they won't be so bad.

So he bowed politely:

"Poverty Shouchu, I met General Li."

At this time, the young man changed another pot of tea with great insight.

Li Zhen was about to take a seat, thinking about greeting the two brothers... In the past few days, he took ten cents from the person in front of him, and his business was in a mess.The two brothers of the Yan family have a lot of connections, so at least they brought some people over to listen to the books.

Suddenly a figure appeared at the door.

Lao Du.

Du Ruhui walked in with a bag in his hand.

"The Taoist... Uh."

When Du Ruhui saw that there were outsiders in the library, Du Ruhui was taken aback for a moment, but it could be seen that Lao Du was pretending to be busy and didn't intend to exchange pleasantries.

After the three of them looked over, he just nodded politely, and then walked quickly towards Li Zhen:

"Come and see, isn't it like this?"

As he spoke, he opened the bag, which contained five golden-colored smoked fish.

After entering the hall, he bowed his hands to the three of them, but without any intention of communicating, he came to a corner table, and after Li Zhen, who had said "stay with me" to the three of them, came over, he put the burden on the table Yipu said directly in a low voice:
"These five fish were smoked for three, three and a half, four, four and a half, and five hours respectively."

While speaking, he picked up the dried fish that seemed to be the darkest and most shriveled.

After tapping twice with the knuckles of his fingers, he said:
"I tried it just now, but I couldn't bite it at all. Later, I broke off a piece and soaked it in water. After soaking for about half an hour, the fish meat was broken immediately. The taste is basically fishy."

"Um……"

Li Zhen responded and took the dried fish.

This is the difference between smoked and waxed.

If it is cured fish, although the texture is hard, it can be rejuvenated and soft after being soaked in water.However, over-smoked fish does indeed have a texture that is out of the category of meat, and it is normal to be broken.

To put it bluntly, Lao Du was too eager for success.

If it is also smoked for two hours and hung up to dry slowly, then no matter how many days pass, this situation will not happen.

But well...

Knowing what Lao Du meant, he broke off a piece of fish and threw it into his mouth, chewing while saying:
"Actually, it doesn't smell like fish, but it can be stored for a longer time. Look at these fish, you can't cover them. But this kind of dried fish is not afraid, even if you cover them in summer, as long as the cloth is dry It doesn't matter. If you store it properly, you can eat it when you take it out. It will definitely not go bad. And don't look fishy, ​​at least it's a full stomach. Throw two into the water. It's salty by itself. After being made into a pot of minced meat and surimi, it can replenish strength and is not unpalatable. Even mixing some wild vegetables is no problem at all. It’s good, not bad.”

Because there were other people around, he didn't explain so much.

But Du Ruhui understood.

"Well, that's the reason. After all, not all places are next to the river. If you really need to dispatch relief at that time, then it's best to start storing in the north a little bit from summer. Reasonable distribution, so that everyone may be hungry. Stomach, but at least not in winter, starving to death because there is no bite to eat, right?"

"That's it."

The voices of the two were not loud.

Du Ruhui obviously avoided these three people.

At first glance, the two looked like Brother Gongzi, but the other was a general in armor.

This kind of disaster relief method that is separated from the royal power and pondered by oneself, when the human nature of the other party is not clear, it is best to avoid it.

And the two brothers of the Yan family are not fools, they didn't want you to listen, so they went to the corner to chat with the Taoist... looking at the fish in his bag...

The Tiehanhan brothers took it for granted that Du Ruhui might be a fish seller.

I came to Li Zhen to talk about the salted fish business.

People in Jiangnan have the habit of eating dried fish and bamboo shoots with tea.In the past two years, it has gradually spread to the capital. This person may be chatting with the Taoist priest about the purchase price or profit.

A gentleman can't listen to it.

Besides...they couldn't hear clearly.

So, after sitting down again, the two of them drank tea and extended an invitation to Li Shimin to have a meal together at noon.

Although meeting for the first time, etiquette cannot be lacking.

But Li Shimin, as a cultivator, could clearly hear the words of the Taoist priest and the scholar.And he can also use two things at once while greeting the two brothers, while pricking up his ears, wanting to see what the two of them are muttering about there.

But when he heard the words "it's okay to cover Xia Tian, ​​it won't break", Li Shimin's eyes instantly looked at the hands of the two of them.

fish.

Won't it break if you hold it?

Cured fish?

No, that thing is too wasteful.

But if it's not cured fish, why is it salty?

The instinct of a soldier made his mind fall directly on those two people.

Can river fish be used as military rations?
the answer is negative.

Although it can be admitted that if there is a river nearby when the army is fighting, when the battle is stable, you can grab a few teeth for sacrifice.But if it is stored, it is basically impossible.

Because that thing can't be put down.

Although it can be made into cured meat, it requires a lot of salt.

Who would be so frantic and willing to waste such a thing on soldiers?

Therefore, ordinary military rations basically consist of "meat sauce" with dry biscuits.

The smell of that thing...

Li Shimin, who has been eating for many years, naturally does not think it is so good.And at this moment, that Taoist and that businessman are actually talking about a kind of fish that "will not go bad for a long time"?

At this moment, he didn't care about prejudice anymore. His instinct as a soldier made him stand up instantly after hearing the Taoist's words.

Not to mention the second brother of the Yan family, even Li Zhen turned his head to take a look at his movements.

He saw the other party striding forward, staring at the smoked fish in his hand, his eyes full of searching.

Li Zhen seemed to understand what he meant all of a sudden, and passed the dried fish in his hand without him saying a word.

"..."

Du Ruhui turned his head to look at Li Shimin, frowning slightly.

But he didn't say much, but said to Li Zhen:
"But that kind of dried fish is less after all. The reason why I let people smoke it in batches is actually to divide it according to the season. Hurry up and catch the fish according to the four seasons. This dried fish is the last bottom line in winter, while other times …The difficulty I have is how to preserve the oil. There is oil and water in the stomach, so you won’t be hungry too quickly. Otherwise, one fish is enough on weekdays, but when there is no oil and water, you can’t say two..."

"Well, this is..."

Li Zhen nodded, and the two continued to communicate.And as the Yan family and Tie Hanhan came over, Li Shimin had already finished observing the dried fish in his hand.

Knock first, smell second.

Feeling the salty taste revealed in the smoky fire, he directly broke off a piece of the most plump fish belly.

Indeed, as the scholar said.

There is only a little fat left.

When you rub it with your hands, there is a feeling of scratching and solidifying lard.

A lot of fat is wasted.

But he didn't say a word, the grease was just icing on the cake.

But if you want to really fill your stomach and have the strength to kill the enemy, what you need is real meat.

Put that piece of belly meat in your mouth.

very hard.

If you don't put in a little effort, you can't chew at all.

He used his strength.

Immediately, the fish without any moisture was crushed into pieces by the teeth.

Chewing.

Not fishy.

The smoky smell was strong.

But not too salty.

I can taste the salt, but it is far worse than the salty taste of cured fish.

Faint, not obvious.

And compared to it... It seems that this taste is better?
It's a pity that it has no taste, just a mouthful of scum.

but……

After thinking about it, he broke off another piece of fish, bypassed the puzzled Yan family brothers, and walked to his teacup on his own.

The teacups of Chunyoushe are made of earthenware.

This thing is cheap and not afraid of falling.

The mouth of the cup is very deep, a bit similar to the feeling of the old-fashioned glass cylinder cup of later generations.

He threw the fish into his teacup, and filled the cup with water to two-thirds of its body.

clutching a teacup...

Suddenly, both Li Zhen and Du Ruhui turned their heads.

In the induction between the two, the qi of heaven and earth was scorching hot.

that method...

"????"

Li Zhen was in a daze.

Why does it look so familiar?

However, in an instant, the tea began to boil.

Li Shimin, as if he couldn't feel the temperature, continued to hold the tea, making the tea boil.

Under the effect of high temperature, a smoky flavor quickly spread together with the water vapor.After rolling for less than a minute, he stopped.

The original cup of tea has completely dissipated.

The dried fish still maintains a complete shape.

In fact, anyone who has cooked dry goods knows that dry seafood does not depend on how long you cook them in water.It really takes patience to deal with this stuff.You have to soak it slowly with water.

But Li Shimin obviously didn't have this understanding, and he didn't think there was anything.

The water is gone?
Keep pouring.

Another glass.

Gumbling.

Gone.

Pour again.

When the third cup was bubbling, the fish finally couldn't withstand the pressure far beyond ordinary people, and instantly turned into a cup of cloudy debris.

"Wenguan."

While Li Shimin was staring at the broken glass, Li Zhen, who had been watching the other person's movements, yelled at the boy.

"Huh? Sir."

"Go, get a bowl, and some spoons."

"Oh oh oh."

The little guy who was watching the fish boiled in tea just now hurried to the kitchen, holding an empty bowl, and came over with a few wooden spoons.

Then the very clever hands presented:

"This general, please."

"Ah."

As it was related to military affairs, Li Shimin didn't have any intention of playing tricks, and directly poured the muddy soup from the teacup into the bowl.

He took a wooden spoon, scooped it up first, and took a sip.

Next came Du Ruhui.

Lao Du also scooped a spoonful into the bowl with a spoon.

And when the two of Yan's family came forward with bright eyes, they each took a spoonful, and finally left the bottom of the bowl for Li Zhen.

Li Zhen tasted a little, and gave the last leftover to the greedy boy.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The whole room was silent.

Feeling the... fresh smoky and salty aroma in his mouth, with the bitterness of the tea base, Li Shimin couldn't help but look at Du Ruhui, the uninvited guest.

hand over:

"I didn't ask Your Excellency..."

"The seventh-rank judge of the Prison Division——Du Ruhui."

The seventh-rank judge of the Prison Division is not a high-ranking official after all.

But Li Shimin was extremely polite, and cupped his hands:

"It turned out to be Judge Du, disrespectful and disrespectful, serving in the army under Li Ji'an."

He didn't report to his family, but Du Ruhui could clearly see the mountain armor on his body that was longer than Brother Shubao's battle skirt.

He didn't say much, and after bowing his hands to salute, he heard the other party ask:

"Dare to ask Judge Du, who did this... method of making fish? How many out of ten fish come out? Is there any restriction? How to preserve it?... I wonder if you can give me some advice?"

Hearing this, Du Ruhui glanced at the Taoist priest... and then at the two young masters.

Finally, he looked at the general.

I first made a judgment in my heart.

this person……

is a trouble.

Being in the military, the origin is still unclear.

Inquiring about these is likely to be linked to military rations.And anything that has anything to do with the army...

If it is not handled well, it will be troublesome.

The most suitable way right now is to remove the Taoist priest from here.

"The general is polite, but Du made a mistake."

Li Zhen was taken aback.

Although he didn't want to understand why Lao Du said that, he chose to trust the other party and kept silent.

I heard Lao Du continue to say:

"However, in terms of catties, this kind of dried fish can yield five out of ten fish. It's nothing to restrict, but it just consumes some time. If you want to save it, according to the words of the Taoist priest, it's best not to cover it..."

"It doesn't matter if you cover it like this, as long as it doesn't get wet, there is no big problem."

Li Zhen gave an explanation.

"..."

Li Shimin's eyes were really full of surprise.

This... based on his experience, it can be seen at a glance that it is the most suitable method of making fish for military rations in the world. In fact, it did not come from this judge... combined with the way the other party discussed and asked just now.

This fish...could it be taught by this Taoist?

In an instant, his eyes were on Li Zhen.

But... after thinking about it, he temporarily suppressed the absurdity surging in his heart, and lowered his posture:

"Please sir teach me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Du Ruhui stopped hiding and asked directly:

"The general wants to serve as military rations?"

"Exactly."

"..."

After getting the answer, Du Ruhui glanced at Li Zhen again.

"May I ask where the general works?"

"This……"

It's not that Li Shimin didn't dare to tell Du Ruhui.

It's because... If he told the truth about himself, then the lie he told the Taoist just now would be self-defeating.

It's better to deceive yourself first, and this method is obviously from this Taoist, if the other party finds out and feels unhappy... wouldn't it be bad?
But just after these words, Yan Lide took a step forward:
"Brother Du, I'm Yan Lide."

Du Ruhui was startled...

"Ah?...Dare to ask...your father is...Yan Shaojian?"

"...?"

Yan Lide was also taken aback.

The corner of Li Zhen's mouth twitched...

But looking at the astonished Yan Lide, Du Ruhui stood up straight:
"Du Ling, Du family, Du Ruhui, father Du Zha."

"...Du Zha and Du Shibo?"

Yan Lide and Yan Qian also stood up straight and bowed to salute:
"It turned out to be Brother Du, my little brother was rude."

"I met Brother Du."

The two brothers hurriedly greeted each other with extremely respectful expressions.

On the other hand, Li Zhen sighed quietly.

Fine.

(End of this chapter)