Chapter 12

Xu Qixian's face was full of disdain as he tugged at his collar, pinched his nose, and kept his body as far away as possible, occasionally glancing sideways. However, he saw his junior brother closely following the servant, his face showing excitement as he frequently peeked into the wooden bucket, his expression as if he had discovered some treasure, unexpectedly gaining a fortune. Sigh, those were pigs, dirty and lazy creatures that would eat anything, and the meat on their bodies was all offal! Not to mention these offal, even the good meat on their bodies should not be eaten. In Xu Qixian's memory, apart from a pig's head placed on a plate during sacrifices, there was no other memory of such a dirty animal. Only the poor people, who could not afford mutton or dog meat, and dared not eat beef, would endure the dirt to raise and cook such dirty meat. Although his junior brother's family was poor, he was now a scholar, and even if he could not achieve fame and fortune, he should still have the dignity of a scholar. How could he be so interested in such things?

Xia Hongsheng, not noticing Xu Qixian's strange gaze, was currently very happy. The butcher was generous; seeing that Xia Hongsheng wanted to buy the pig offal that he was originally going to throw away, his first reaction was not to do business but to advise Xia Hongsheng that these things were not edible and not worth buying, as it would be a waste of money! This was the first time Xia Hongsheng had encountered someone who was unwilling to do business. Seeing that Xia Hongsheng was determined, the butcher sold him a whole large wooden bucket of pig offal for just three coins, even lending him the bucket to carry the goods home, and said he could return it later. The butcher had a loud voice and a generous personality, with a muscular build that made him look like a fierce Zhang Fei. His generosity and earnest advice to Xia Hongsheng about the pig offal being unsuitable to buy were something that could hardly be found in the modern world! Xia Hongsheng, feeling happy, bought another piece of meat, spending all the copper coins in his pocket. The butcher, feeling guilty for selling the pig offal to Xia Hongsheng, deliberately chose a good piece of meat and even gave him a bit extra. Xia Hongsheng did not point this out and accepted it happily. In the general values, if he did not accept it, the butcher would feel that he had done something wrong and would feel uneasy, especially such a generous person, who would feel that he had acted like a petty person, which would be unbecoming.

"Junior brother, what are you going to do with these things? If you really want to eat meat, my family has chickens and sheep, and even beef if you want to try it. Just say the word, and I can get it for you. Your sister-in-law works hard to earn a few coins by making pancakes, and you... sigh!" Xu Qixian looked at Xia Hongsheng with a pained expression, as if he were disappointed in him.

Xia Hongsheng was deeply moved by his kindness and smiled, bowing and saying, "Xu Brother, you didn't believe in the chicken I made earlier, and now you don't believe that this pork is very delicious? Hehe, aside from the classic braised pork and twice-cooked pork, there are countless dishes derived from pork. Even the offal, when stewed, is extremely delicious. Stewed pig's ears, tongue, liver, lungs, large intestines, and trotters... the meat is red and tender, soft and fragrant, and the remaining stewing broth can be used to enhance the flavor of ordinary dishes, making them extremely delicious. Once I cook it, Xu Brother, you won't be able to resist drooling!"

"Is it really that good?" Xu Qixian was half-believing, half-doubting, remembering the beggar's chicken from noon, he was not sure.

Xia Hongsheng helped the servant place the wooden bucket on the back of the carriage, not wanting to put it inside for fear that Xu Qixian would not be able to bear it. He gave the servant detailed instructions on the location of his home, and the servant drove the carriage to deliver the large bucket of pig offal. He also told his sister-in-law that he would be returning home late because he was visiting a classmate.

Xu Qixian's home was not the largest in Luozhou City, but it was certainly not small. It was said that someone in the family held an official position, but from the look of it, the position was not very high, or perhaps they were very low-key.

"My uncle is currently the vice-county magistrate of Yiqu County in Luoyang, a small official, not worth mentioning. He is only slightly better off in Luozhou City." Xu Qixian chatted with Xia Hongsheng. As a teenager, he could not be as cunning as Xia Hongsheng, who had been in the workplace for a long time. Under Xia Hongsheng's guidance, he revealed the situation of his family: "The family's estate was accumulated by my uncle during the previous dynasty. After the war, there is not much left, and my uncle almost died in the war. Now, he has re-entered the government, but he can only start from the smallest official position."

The previous dynasty? That would be the Sui Dynasty. Is there such a person with the surname Xu? Xia Hongsheng did not dare to ask directly, and after thinking for a long time, he could not recall anything. He concluded that this person was not well-known and had no significant achievements. However, being a vice-county magistrate was not bad, at least it was a deputy county-level position, and it was in a county next to Luoyang. From Xia Hongsheng's modern perspective, it was quite good.

Upon arriving at Xu Qixian's home, Xia Hongsheng met Xu Qixian's father, a middle-aged man who looked quite kind and had the air of a scholar. Xia Hongsheng was very polite and followed all the etiquette, and his answers were neither humble nor arrogant, speaking with propriety, which seemed to satisfy Xu Qixian's father.

After learning the reason for Xia Hongsheng's visit and that he was going to make beggar's chicken, Xu Qixian's father's expression changed, showing confusion, incomprehension, and a hint of disdain? Damn, does he think I am a scheming scholar who is willing to lower myself to flatter his family? I am someone who would rather suffer than flatter, and even if I were, I wouldn't try to flatter a family like yours. Xia Hongsheng pretended not to notice, but Xu Qixian was very loyal and took his father to the study, explaining the new interpretation of "a gentleman stays away from the kitchen" that he had heard from Xia Hongsheng. His father, being a scholar, immediately showed a similar reaction to the scholars at noon, nodding and laughing, and then laughing heartily. Indeed, like father, like son, his father's reaction was similar to Xu Qixian's after his epiphany in the afternoon.

Xu Qixian's father no longer looked down on Xia Hongsheng and, ignoring the oil and seasoning on his hands, held Xia Hongsheng's hand and said, "Jing Shi, you and Qixian are of similar age and are good friends. You should support and encourage each other, and improve together. You should interact more often! Hahaha..."

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback. Why is a scholar laughing so heartily? And "hahaha"? Xia Hongsheng realized that the habit of laughing before speaking, which he had always thought was just a literary device, was actually real in the Tang Dynasty. Whether it was the old man in the neighborhood, the scholars in the academy, the butchers in the market, or the middle-aged landlord in front of him, they all habitually added "hahaha" or "hehehe" to their speech, regardless of whether there was a funny point. This made Xia Hongsheng feel nervous and uneasy, as in the modern world, such laughter often indicated that the other person was about to do something underhanded.

Xu Qixian was very happy that his father treated Xia Hongsheng so well, thinking that his father had not embarrassed him in front of his friend. He had originally thought that his father might look down on Xia Hongsheng and was worried about it. Seeing that both of them were smiling, he relaxed and urged Xia Hongsheng to start cooking, eager to learn as well. He even asked Xia Hongsheng if his family's chef could learn, and swore not to spread the knowledge.

"Xu Brother, it's fine. Even if you don't spread it, I will. It's just a minor skill, not worth keeping secret," Xia Hongsheng said generously, waving his hand. Xu Qixian was very happy and called the chef, who looked at Xia Hongsheng with a slightly resentful expression. Hehe, Xia Hongsheng secretly laughed, thinking that after tasting it, the chef would probably beg to learn.

Xia Hongsheng was very skilled, and Xu Qixian had seen him in action at noon, so he helped as an assistant. Xu Qixian's father did not interfere and watched curiously, eager to see what interesting new dishes the two young men would create. The Tang Dynasty was an open-minded era, with less ideological restriction than later dynasties, so people were more accepting of new things. It was the early part of the Zhen Guan era, a time of great stability and prosperity, and the national confidence was rising. With confidence came a broad-minded attitude, and people were more accepting of new things. This was a good era; if it were the Ming or Qing dynasties, any of his modern skills would probably get him labeled as a heretic and beheaded.

The family's chefs quickly prepared several chickens, and Xia Hongsheng was responsible for applying the seasonings, while Xu Qixian wrapped them in lotus leaves and then in yellow mud prepared by the servant. They built a large fire and threw the seven or eight mud-covered chickens into it. The rest was waiting.

"Hehe, Jing Shi, this method is quite novel. I have never seen a chicken wrapped in yellow mud before. Haha, I wonder if it will taste like mud when we eat it!" Xu Qixian's father spoke humorously, not appearing stiff and knowing how to joke. However, the middle-aged man calling himself "old man" made Xia Hongsheng feel a bit uncomfortable.

Xia Hongsheng laughed heartily and patted his chest, saying, "Uncle Xu, rest assured. The scholars and teachers at the academy, including Master Yan, all ate the beggar's chicken I made at noon and said that all the chickens they had eaten before were a waste. So, Uncle Xu, you can be completely at ease!"

"Interesting, interesting! How can a young person like you have so many novel skills?" Xu Qixian's father smiled, watching the yellow mud harden in the fire. "This unique beggar's chicken, the eye-opening interpretation of 'a gentleman stays away from the kitchen,' the ingenious feather pen, and the lofty ideal of 'looking at the masses, having the world in your heart, establishing the mind for heaven and earth, establishing the destiny for the people, continuing the lost learning of the sages, and opening up peace for future generations,' hehe, these are all things that Qixian has told me. Oh, and the two poems that even I feel inferior to, truly admirable!"

Uh, you big mouth, you'll get us into trouble one day! Xia Hongsheng secretly glared at Xu Qixian when Xu Qixian's father was not paying attention.