Linxia

Chapter 66, Reading

"Brother Dong, you went to Yang's house for a banquet, why are you coming out in such a hurry?" Fang Lin asked.

"It's a long story."

Dong Zugao sighed: "Let's find a place. I'll treat Brother Fang to a meal and we can talk while we eat."

Without waiting for Fang Lin to speak, he continued, "Brother Fang, last time I invited you to dinner, you said you were busy in the restaurant and would make it up to me next time we meet. You are not allowed to refuse today."

"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey."

……

"Brother Fang, I'm going to take you to a good place today."

Dong Zugao took many detours and finally brought Fang Lin to a restaurant in the center of Fucheng Street. It was still mid-morning, but the restaurant was almost full. The aroma emanating from the restaurant was as good as the aroma from the banquet in Yang's mansion.

Fang Lin looked up and saw three large characters "Donkey Restaurant" written in a flamboyant style on the restaurant's signboard.

"Brother Fang, the chef at the Donkey Restaurant is Sun Erniang's apprentice. He has learned the skills of cooking donkey meat and the donkey meat he cooks is very delicious."

Dong Zugao pulled Fang Lin in. Since the seats inside were full, he chose a seat near the door and called out, "Waiter?"

"Come on, gentlemen, what would you like to eat? The donkey meat in our restaurant is a specialty and you must try it!" The waiter came over with a white towel draped over his shoulder.

"Give me two pounds of stir-fried donkey meat, two large bowls of rice, three pounds of bamboo leaf green tea, and a plate of fennel beans." Dong Zugao reported.

"Okay, wait a moment!" The waiter first brought over a pot of tea and two bowls, and quickly served three pounds of wine and a plate of fennel beans. The donkey meat and rice would have to wait for a while.

Dong Zugao waited for Fennel Bean to come up, grabbed some, looked outside the door, and waved to the children: "Come, come, come!"

The three or five grown-up boys were not afraid of strangers and came over. Each of them got three or five beans. They politely said thank you and left excitedly with their hands carefully in their hands.

"Is this Brother Dong's nephew?" Fang Lin asked curiously.

"Haha, I used to come here to eat, mostly alone. I often saw these three or five kids, and I secretly treated them as my own company. I gave them some beans, and slowly I got to know them."

"Brother Dong has a childlike heart."

"What is childishness? It's just loneliness." Dong Zugao waved his hand and smiled: "But that was in the past. From today on, Brother Fang will accompany me to drink."

As he spoke, he poured Fang Lin a glass: "I haven't thanked you for what happened at Weng Hall last time, but I'm here to thank you today."

"It's just a trivial matter. Why do you have to be so polite, Brother Dong, and thank you again and again." Fang Lin clinked his bowl with the other party and sipped his wine. The wine was clear, lingering in the mouth and had a aftertaste.

I can only say that this Bamboo Leaf Green is indeed a good wine with a great taste.

'From what happened in Weng Hall that day and his clothes today, this brother Dong is not rich. I'm afraid he doesn't often eat expensive dishes like bamboo leaf green and donkey meat. He ordered them today to thank me.' He thought to himself. At this time, Dong Zugao drank some wine and opened up. Because he and Fang Lin had experienced Weng Hall, they hit it off and regarded each other as close friends. He didn't hide anything and told Fang Lin what happened today: "I got an invitation from my classmate and came here today. I didn't expect that I was being too sentimental. After entering, I was 'reminded' again, so I left on my own initiative."

"It was also during that time when I went to Wengtang that my best new clothes were stolen. Money has been tight lately, so I gritted my teeth and spent five taels of silver to buy a pair of calligraphy and paintings as a gift. I just wanted the clothes to be neither torn nor old, but I didn't expect that when I went there, I would find that I was the shabbyest one." He said self-deprecatingly.

"It's those people who 'respect the clothes first and then the person, respect the skin first and then the soul'. How can it be Brother Dong's fault?" Fang Lin shook his head.

"What a saying, respect the clothes first and then the person, respect the skin first and then the soul. This saying should be made clear!"

Dong Zugao clinked bowls with Fang Lin again and sighed, "Nowadays, even if a family is not well-off, they will borrow money to buy clothes that can be worn out in order to save face. As a result, people in the streets wear gold and silver, and officials and common people wear the same clothes..."

As we were talking, the donkey meat arrived. Its bright color and tempting aroma made our throats tingle.

"Brother Fang, please try it! To be honest with you, I'm short of money. I dare not order donkey meat when I come alone. I can only smell the smell. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Brother Fang, and treat myself to a delicious meal." Dong Zugao smiled and teased himself, making a gesture of invitation, allowing Fang Lin to eat first.

Fang Lin couldn't refuse, so he picked up a piece of donkey meat and took a bite. It tasted very fresh, fragrant and delicious. It was simply the most delicious dish he had ever tasted in his life.

"Brother Dong, forgive my shallowness, but this donkey meat can only be described as good. The cooking skills of Sun Erniang's disciples are so good. No wonder Mr. Yang insisted on inviting Sun Erniang to a banquet." He sighed.

"Yes, I wonder what kind of delicacies are in the Yang Mansion today?"

Dong Zugao said, thinking of the previous incident again, with a bitter look on his face: "However, that is not the place I should go. Brother Fang, you don't know how embarrassed I was when I handed over the invitation, and then looked me up and down. When I sat down, that person asked me if I knew the identity of the person sitting next to me, and after he told me, I felt so ashamed!"

"I consider myself a scholar, but today my face was trampled on the ground and stomped on several times. To be honest with you, Brother Fang, when I was leaving, I suddenly had a thought in my mind: I looked like a dog in such a miserable state!"

People are not plants or trees, who can be heartless? The contempt of his classmates and the cold words of his deskmate made him feel so frustrated that he vented his anger in his chest.

"Liu Yuxi said, 'This is a humble room, but my virtue is fragrant.' Confucius said, 'What is shabby about it?' Brother Dong, if you don't think of yourself as humble, then that's not the case." Fang Lin said.

"That makes sense." Dong Zugao clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Brother Fang's words are always thought-provoking. Have you read much?"

"I just teach myself. I read some books after work every day. My progress is slow, but I am making progress every day." Fang Lin said.

"Brother Fang's eagerness to learn is admirable!"

Dong Zugao exclaimed, and talked about his own school days: "When I was young, my family's courtyard was connected from north to south. When I grew up, my father separated the courtyard with a fence and then built a wall for my study. I studied in the courtyard when I was ten years old. Every time my mother came, she would knock on the door and ask, 'Are you cold, or do you want to eat?' I would answer through the door."

"My grandmother also came to see me and said that she hadn't seen you for a long time. Why did you stay in there all day like a girl? I told her that I was reading. When I left, she closed the door with her hand and said to herself: 'My ancestors have all studied for a long time, but few have succeeded for a long time. I hope I can wait for your success.' After a while, she came back with an ivory tablet and said, 'This is what your great-grandfather used to go to court with the emperor during the Zhengde period. You will definitely need it in the future.'"

"Looking back now, it seems like these things happened yesterday."

……

(End of this chapter)