Kaifeng Bistro

Tan Zhifeng quickly took the opportunity to change the subject, and jokingly said to him: "Why do you like cooking so much? Didn't the ancients say 'a gentleman stays away from the kitchen'? In the future, I will do these things. You just need to spend more time studying."

"Study depends on talent." Xu Gan said flatly, "Besides, cooking to support yourself or your family has nothing to do with being a gentleman."

There was an imperceptible smile on Xu Gan's face again. Tan Zhifeng looked at him and felt his heartbeat slowed down again.

Fortunately, Xu Yan didn't continue to ask Tan Zhifeng about his "learning skills". After kneading according to Tan Zhifeng's method for a while, the disobedient dough completely stumped him this time: "This... ...Why is it still so hard?"

"Take a bowl, hold it." Tan Zhifeng held back his smile, found a large white porcelain bowl and handed it over: "This is called wake-up noodles. When we kneaded vigorously just now, the tendons in the dough were all knotted together. It must be very hard, you need to let it stay quietly for a while, so that the gluten will slowly relax, releasing the twisting force inside, and it will soon become soft."

Sure enough, as Tan Zhifeng said, after about a stick of incense, the face will wake up.The dough became much more obedient than before.Xu Gan said thoughtfully: "It's like forging iron. I heard from my father that you have to stop for a while after each forging. After forging several times, the iron will become tough and can be used for forging utensils."

While talking, two baskets of improved steamed buns came out of the pot.Tan Zhifeng worked for a while, and when he figured he was about to wake up, he stood up, brought the skin jelly that had already been made, mixed the minced meat with soy sauce, added a little wine, and mixed it with chopped skin jelly, thin Stir the shredded shallots evenly, and in this way, the stuffing is ready.

Tan Zhifeng and Xu Gan stood side by side in front of the cutting board, and began to wrap the meat stuffing in the rolled leather, and the people outside burst into laughter from time to time.Tan Zhifeng heard someone say: "Brother Zhang, people say that you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. I think you are in a hurry and can't eat hot steamed buns. What's the matter, you're scalded by the juice inside!"

Zhuo Zhuo hurriedly handed a cold towel to the side: "Oh, guest officer, didn't I remind you just now, our steamed buns, ah, no, it should be said to be steamed buns, which are filled with grout! You have to bite open first, slow down Blow it and eat it!"

As she said that, she proudly explained the "principle" of this soup dumpling: "The fresh soup in our place is definitely not poured in after cooking, but the best... er... what is it... ..."

"Pig hind leg meat and pork belly skin." Yi Yi didn't even lift his eyes: "I want to see how many times you can remember."

"Oh, hehehe," Zhuo Zhuo's interest did not diminish at all: "Yes, it is to use meat jelly made of some refined meat to wrap it in the stuffing, and then, it will turn into soup after steaming! I don't know how to make meat jelly , only our shopkeeper will do it!"

The laughter and laughter outside seemed not to have spread into the small space of the back kitchen. Tan Zhifeng and Xu Gan were busy in a quiet and orderly manner. After a while, another basket of soup dumplings was put on the pot.

It was getting late, but the people gathered in the tavern hadn't dispersed. After all, this was supposed to be a time for family reunion. No one wanted to go back to their deserted and empty hut and spend a long time facing the rows of books. night.

……

"Get him! Get that man!"

In a wide street not far from the inner city, people shouted in panic and a woman cried. A tall man in black jumped out of a mansion.

As soon as he raised his hand, a thick and pungent smoke rushed straight into the sky, but finally turned into wisps of white smoke. When the man turned his head, he saw a pair of cloudy eyes under the same black mask. When the servants and the neighbors who went out to check were choking and coughing, the man in black turned over and disappeared before their eyes.

Tan Zhifeng is seeing off his last batch of guests today. "Shopkeeper Tan, let's go, thank you for your hospitality!"

"Shopkeeper Tan, your steamed buns are really unique in the capital. According to me, this is called: the color is as white as jade, the soup is like fine wine..." One of them praised with a smile.

"Come on, let me add a few more sentences for you..." Another person said: "Mmm... the juice is fresh and the stuffing is delicious, it's beyond words! It's beyond words!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Tan Zhifeng said with a smile: "Actually, when there are fresh crabs, add some crab roe, it will be even more delicious!"

"Okay, then we must come to try this new food!" The few people tightened their robes and walked out of the wheat straw alley.

Tan Zhifeng and Xu Gan stood at the door together for a while. Although the air outside was cold, it was very fresh.Xu Yan's hand hanging by his side grabbed Tan Zhifeng's cold hand and held it, and smiled sideways at him: "Tomorrow..." He seemed to be about to say something, but at this moment, the two heard a voice from afar. , a strange noise.The two of them looked up together. In the vast blue-black winter night sky, there was a strange white smoke gathering in the northwest direction. Tan Zhifeng seemed to feel that the white smoke showed a word.

Xu Gan's eyes became sharp and vigilant again, he took Tan Zhifeng's hand tightly, wrapped his arms around his shoulders and said, "I have something to go out tomorrow."

Tan Zhifeng moved his gaze away from the sky, and when he looked up again, the gray-white smoke had blurred, leaving only a cloud of mist that seemed to exist and seemed to disappear.

He forgot what Xu Gan said just now, "What is that...?" He asked in fear.

Xu Gan's face looked gloomy. He patted Tan Zhifeng's shoulder and said, "I can't tell, let's go in. It's too cold outside, and you wear so little."

Tan Zhifeng looked in that direction again in doubt, this time, there was indeed nothing there.

Back in the house, Zhuo Zhuo was standing in the messy room, lost in thought, Yi Yi didn't know where he went, and Shang Chang and Ling Er were leaning against me at the small table, and I was dozing off against yours.

Tan Zhifeng started to tidy up, but Xu Gan stopped him and said, "Go to bed with Ling'er."

"No..." As soon as Tan Zhifeng objected, Xu Yan stopped him: "Didn't you say that you are going to invite Zhan Zhao and the others to come here as guests tomorrow? Why don't you go to bed early?!"

"You..." Tan Zhifeng still wanted to persevere, but Xu Gan had already picked up Ling'er and stuffed it into his arms: "I just said that I might come back later tomorrow, so I'll clean it up tonight. I'm afraid it will take a lot of effort for you to entertain them by yourself tomorrow."

Tan Zhifeng didn't know how to refute, so he could only hold Ling'er, opened the door and went back to the wing room next door.For the convenience of getting in and out, Xu Yan simply opened a door on the wall of the back kitchen, so that at night, if Ling'er fell asleep, there was no need to carry him in and out, and he could just open the door. Sent to rest next door.

Tan Zhifeng carefully put Ling'er down, sat on the edge of the bed and watched him for a while, at this moment, Shangshang poked his head over, and whispered to Tan Zhifeng: "Xu, Xu Gan asked me to come and accompany Ling'er."

Tan Zhifeng finally changed Shangshang and Zhuo Zhuo's address to Xu Gan as "Xu Wood", but Shangshang still dared not call Xu Gan by his name directly, and seemed cautious every time he mentioned him.

"Okay, you two rest, I'll go and have a look." Tan Zhifeng hurriedly put Shangshang on the bed, and Shangshang and Ling'er leaned against each other, and soon the two people's equally even and long breathing sounded .

Looking at Ling'er and Changshang, Tan Zhifeng breathed a sigh of relief. Although the wisps of white smoke in the sky just now made Tan Zhifeng quite uneasy, since the winter solstice, they have been busy running taverns and preparing for the New Year. He hadn't forgotten Beau's existence, but he hadn't given much thought to when exactly he would show up again.

Come to think of it now, he's just a ghost, and he'll never go away until they beat him for good.

Tan Zhifeng sighed, but still couldn't bear to leave Xu Gan alone to work next door. He opened the door and returned to the familiar kitchen. The fire was still burning, and most of the dishes and tables had been cleared away. clean.Xu Gan had his usual apron tied obliquely around his waist, and held a half-wet cotton cloth in his hand.

"Why didn't you go to sleep with Ling'er and the others?" Seeing Tan Zhifeng's figure appearing by the door, Xu Gan raised his face and showed a calm and gentle smile: "Look, we're almost done."

His smile made Tan Zhifeng feel very comfortable, even sleepy. "What's the matter?" Xu Gan looked at him, walked over and rubbed his brows lightly again: "Quick, go to sleep."

"I'll sit here for a while." Tan Zhifeng said as he walked to the table where Shangshang and Ling'er usually played and sat down.

Looking at Xu Gan's busy back, at this moment Tan Zhifeng felt that Xu Gan was no longer the carrier of Ying Long's soul in a certain life to him, maybe... maybe because this time, he was such an ordinary person, Xu Gan is no longer a royal family, they started a new, down-to-earth life together.For the first time, he felt that he was so equal and close to the distant and mysterious Ying Long.

"Is it even different from last time?" A voice asked Tan Zhifeng in his heart.

Tan Zhifeng was thinking hard, the table and chairs were a bit short, he had to curl up next to the hot wall fire, "Is it cold?" Xu Gan came over and stirred the weak flame, watching it burn vigorously little by little stand up.Tan Zhifeng was getting warmer and sleepier, watching Xu Gan continue to clean, he just fell asleep in a daze...

……

When he opened his eyes again, what he met was a pair of unfamiliar eyes filled with surprise.The young man's face gradually became clear in Tan Zhifeng's eyes. Under the bright moonlight, his pupils shone with a faint amber luster.

"This is the one who has been protecting me..." The young man muttered to himself, "...is it a god?"