Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 38 The Night Banquet
On the sixth day of June, the rainy season in the south of the Yangtze River had not yet passed, and the weather was unfavorable. It started to rain lightly early in the morning.

Before breakfast, Xiaocai had already wandered around the house. When he came back, he was gesticulating and chattering: "The kitchen has prepared such thick fresh lotus roots, such big watermelons, and four-gill bass from Songjiang. A whole bucketful of it..."

Wang Hengle said: "This birthday banquet can only be considered perfect if Master Wang Cai is in charge of the chef."

Xiaocai sneered and said, "If I had a conscience, I see that you don't have any followers. Otherwise, if you go and be Master Yuan's apprentice, you would have gotten two hundred big bucks in a month."

Wang Heng said: "Seventh Young Master Wang's entourage is not much better than that of a cook. When I get the official position, you will be the chief steward and the second master, and everyone above and below will not fawn on you and respect you."

"There is an old saying, the Empress of the East Palace bakes big cakes, and the Empress of the West Palace rolls green onions. It is said by those of us who have no experience. When we were in Lanxi, we had no choice. My father worked for Mr. Wang San, and I could only serve the young master. My follower, since I arrived at Ge Laofu, there are so many choices, but I am dazzled." Xiaocai propped his elbows and said sadly: "After all, there is nothing more powerful than being in the government office. Wuling is young, wearing bright clothes and angry horses. "

Wang Heng poked his head and said, "Thankfully Mr. Wei is not here, he will criticize you."

Wang Cai laughed: "This is a joke, I am a person with great ambitions."

Wang Heng was very curious about what his big ambition was, but Xiaocai was secretive and said, "I can't say it yet."

In the late afternoon (one o'clock in the afternoon), guests attending the birthday banquet arrived one after another. Wang Heng waited at the concierge, leading the guests to Tanyingxuan in the back garden one after another.

It was the eldest brother who arrived late. After all, this was the first time Wang Heng saw him after returning to Taicang.

Young Master Chen Yu was dressed in a Lan shirt, and the attire of an ordinary scholar coincided with the vague impression in his memory. He actually felt that Young Master Chen Yu, the young master of Ge Laofu, was not very outstanding, at least slightly inferior to Mr. Yu Ming.

Wang Heng secretly thought that he must be jealous of his cousin, a wealthy and idle man.

Next to the cousin is a tall and thin young man, wearing a turban and a moon-white lake silk robe. He has a graceful demeanor and is clearly a member of a noble family.

Although Wang Heng didn't know him, he often heard from people in the mansion that Mr. Chenyu's classmate and friend Songjiang Chen Zhongchun often lived in Ye Yiju in Nanyuan to study. I think it was him.

"There is a small dog on the left and a big melon on the right." When Wang Heng was ten years old, he was holding three-year-old Xiao Jiu and was teased by his elder brother Chen Yu.

Mr. Chenyu obviously thought of this youthful past and smiled. Then he remembered that he and Chen Zhongchun were holding umbrellas and standing side by side, and his smile became even brighter.

"Hold an umbrella above, let the water flow below, and type a word." Wang Chenyu said with a smile.

Wang Heng was dumbfounded, not knowing what he meant.

Chen Yu flicked him a crispy chestnut and said, "Boy, the essence of our Taicang cuisine is also the main cooking method for today's birthday banquet."

"Brother." Mr. Chen Yu nodded casually and said calmly: "Qi Lang, please bother me a lot," and then walked away with Chen Zhongchun.

The Tanying Pavilion is a very open place, which is suitable for everyone of the same clan and family, so they only use a screen to slightly block the pavilion and form a table for men and a table for women.

The eldest daughter of the Wang family was away with her husband and only sent birthday gifts from her family. The second daughter was a Taoist and was inconvenient to have contact with the common people.

Outside the pavilion, lotus trees are planted in pavilions on the lake, and the fragrance of lotus overflows. What a joy it is to have such a good night.

The Dengyun Troupe is famous in the south of the Yangtze River, and there is a reason for it. All the costumes and props are exquisite, and the Hanbi Fang Waterside Pavilion stage is beautifully decorated.

Because the complete version of "Begonia Pavilion" was to be performed at Mr. Ge Lao's birthday banquet, the theater troupe started performing around one o'clock in the afternoon.

The melodious sound of the flute reaches the ears across the water, which makes people feel a little ecstatic.

"I was wandering around the middle gate with my hand on my chin, making it difficult for people to decide whether to go or not. It's hard to let go of this enemy. So I learned from Wenjun, who thought about it and made people's hearts tighter, regardless of whether the master felt comfortable or not."

Du Tang'er, played by Hui Yun, is charming and graceful, winning bursts of applause from everyone at the table.

Wang Heng stared at the dazzling Zhengdan on the stage, and it was difficult to connect her with the pale face that fainted a few days ago.

Mrs. Zhu was obviously very satisfied with this performance and ordered her to go down and give Miss Huiyun a bowl of longevity noodles.

Wang Yuanyu did not show much joy for his birthday banquet, but occasionally spoke out. He did not talk about current affairs in the court, and only briefly talked about some old family stories.For him, being in the top class now means that he can speak when he wants to, and rejoice when he wants to be happy.

At the end of Youshi (seven o'clock in the afternoon), it was already dark. Lanterns were hung up from the garden verandah to Tanyingxuan. In an instant, the lights were bright, and the servants were like clouds. , I couldn’t help but think of Mr. Yu Ming’s words, “On a good day, there is no beautiful scenery, but who can enjoy the pleasure at home?”

According to the custom of Loudong, at the birthday banquet, cold cuts, soups, and stir-fries are served first, and then the main dishes are served. Firecrackers and fireworks must be set off to serve the main dishes, and then the birthday boy will stand up to toast the guests.The steward ordered the musicians who had already performed two parts of the opera to take a break and enjoy some of the rewarded meals.Even though Mr. Yuan Yu was the elder of the pavilion, he had to abide by the rules of the countryside. He exchanged cups for a while and exchanged glasses of wine. Everyone was half drunk. Even Wang Heng had eaten several cups. Although he was not drunk, he was still drunk. .

Everyone was drinking to their heart's content during the banquet, and I don't know who took the lead in throwing punches. Wang Heng thought they were noisy, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Please stay with us for a while. I'll go out and blow in the air to relieve the hangover."

No one paid attention to him. He walked outside the building alone and saw his cousin Chen Yugongzi and Chen Zhongchun standing by the water, whispering, with a look of worry on their faces. They didn't know what they were talking about.It was inconvenient for him to get closer, so he had no choice but to walk towards the waterside stage.

The cool breeze blew by, making Wang Heng's mind clearer. He vaguely felt something strange. The stage was too quiet.After the main dishes are served, the troupe should continue singing. How can they be so slack after not starting the performance for a long time?

Wang Heng walked along the verandah to the other side. Before he reached the waterside pavilion, he noticed a strange atmosphere.Butler Wang Gen held up a lantern and stood in the middle of the road in despair.

(End of this chapter)