12dz Chapter 287 The Man with the Golden Mask
Chapter 287 The Man with the Golden Mask
After saying goodbye to Jiang Ya, the family of three returned to Wangyue Village.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people came and went at the village entrance.
The road from Pingyao to the village is smooth, and most wealthy families come to the village to offer incense.
Seeing that more and more strangers were coming to the village, Mengze decided to start work on the first day of the Lunar New Year with Hei Yi and the others.
This would reduce the risk of them being "discovered" while "wandering" in the village.
So, the sudden, horrific sound of a pig being slaughtered in the cured meat drying room puzzled Gao Mengli for a moment.
We were originally scheduled to start work on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, but I never expected Mengze and the others to start working on the first day!
However, she didn't have time to ask, because Da Niu was going to the Guanyin Temple to sell those "three hundred pieces" of jewelry, and she and Lin Xi had to go help him.
In front of the Guanyin Temple, worshippers come in an endless stream, and incense smoke swirls around.
Da Niu quickly took the "blessed" jewelry off the altar in front of the worshippers.
"Hey sir, could you sell me one of these incense-infused pieces of jewelry for good luck?!"
An older woman patted Da Niu on the shoulder with a smile, her eyes already picking out the item she wanted.
Da Niu didn't expect business to come to him so quickly, but he wasn't sure what price to set, so he turned to look at Gao Mengli.
Gao Mengli received a questioning look from her son and quickly stepped forward to help her eldest son greet the customer: "Auntie, these are for sale!"
These pieces of jewelry were placed in the temple before the Lunar New Year and received incense offerings for many days, so they are full of spiritual energy!
Each one costs 388 coins. Take a look, see which one you like, and I'll wrap it up for you.
The old woman nodded, then immediately turned to her maid and gestured for her to take out her purse to pay the bill.
Lin Xi quickly took out the silver hairpin that the old lady wanted and wrapped it up for her.
The surrounding worshippers were taken aback at first, but then they realized what was happening.
This thing has been blessed by the incense offerings from the temple, so it's equivalent to being consecrated.
Immediately, people rushed over and surrounded the stall.
An older woman also surged forward.
As she spoke, she reached out and shoved the people around her, trying to squeeze herself into a better spot at the front, saying, "I want one too, save one for me!"
"Don't push, don't push, there's enough for everyone!"
Da Niu shouted at the top of his lungs, but being small, his voice was drowned out by the crowd that surrounded him.
Seeing that her eldest son was surrounded and almost invisible, Lin Xi quickly ran over and pulled him out of the crowd.
At this moment, the village chief hurriedly ran from the village entrance into the temple and saw the Lin family of three surrounded by people.
He quickly shouted, "Lin Xi, a guest has come to the village canteen and specifically asked for your homemade dishes. Come with me."
Lin Xi greeted the guests while looking up and responding.
Gao Mengli nudged Lin Xi: "Xi Xi, you go ahead. Da Niu and I are here, nothing will go wrong."
Lin Xi put down what she was holding, nodded, and quickly squeezed out of the crowd.
Then they hurriedly headed to the village entrance with the village chief.
Upon reaching the canteen entrance, the village chief pointed to a place surrounded by a screen: "That's it. There's a young master inside who says he wants to eat the food you make."
Lin Xi looked at the screen with a face full of curiosity.
This person is quite particular!
Lin Xi wanted to step forward to greet him, but two attendants blocked her way from behind the screen.
"Unauthorized persons are not allowed to approach."
Lin Xi was slightly taken aback, a look of surprise flashing across her face.
This person is either rich or noble!
Lin Xi smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I heard that you want to eat my homemade dishes."
So I thought I'd ask about your taste preferences, so I can have a better idea of what to cook for your son.
The two attendants exchanged a glance. Seeing that Lin Xi had a kind face, spoke sincerely, and dressed simply but cleanly, he did indeed look like an honest and hardworking country cook, so they were slightly relieved.
One of the older attendants looked Lin Xi up and down and said, "In that case, you wait here while I go in and inform him."
Having said that, the attendant turned around, gently parted a corner of the screen, slipped inside, and whispered a few words to the young master inside.
A moment later, the attendant turned around and stepped aside to make way for him.
He gestured to Lin Xi, saying, "My young master has allowed you to come in. Don't say anything more. After you've finished asking your questions, hurry up and prepare the meal."
Lin Xi nodded quickly and hurried inside.
Inside the screen sat a man dressed in a dark purple brocade robe.
He wore a jade crown, his black hair was neatly tied up, and the half-gold mask on his face was very eye-catching.
Lin Xi glanced at it briefly, then quickly lowered her eyes and bowed: "Greetings, young master. I heard you ordered my homemade dishes. I wonder what your taste is like, or if you have any special requests so I can prepare the ingredients."
The man did not answer immediately, but picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and his movements were elegant yet somewhat nonchalant.
He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Lin Xi through the holes in the mask, scrutinizing her from head to toe.
After a moment, he slowly put down his teacup: "I've been traveling a lot lately and have no appetite. Just make me a few special dishes."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xi immediately felt reassured. After bowing and taking her leave, she turned and quickly walked towards the kitchen of the cafeteria.
Prepare cured pork, cold preserved eggs, and pork ribs with gray tofu—all for him.
When Lin Xi was carrying the prepared dishes to serve them, she was stopped at the screen.
"Just give me the food."
Lin Xi was slightly taken aback, but then she realized what was happening and handed the dishes in her hand to her attendant.
The attendant carried the food behind the screen, placed it on the table, and then took out a cloth bag from his pocket.
Take out the silver needle from the cloth bag and insert it into the dish.
After confirming that there was nothing wrong with the silver needles, the attendant respectfully said to the man, "Young master, you can eat with peace of mind."
The man nodded slightly, picked up his chopsticks, and reached for the stir-fried cured pork, picking through the meat in the plate: "Is this meat?"
The attendant was taken aback, then quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and replied, "Young master, it is said that this is cured meat, a specialty of Wangyue Village."
"Cured meat? What is that?" The man frowned slightly, his eyes behind the mask full of curiosity.
Then, he picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.
Upon first taste, the firm and chewy texture surprised him slightly.
Moreover, this cured meat has a smoky, salty aroma that makes you want to eat one piece after another.
Lin Xi also brought over the prepared dishes one after another.
After the poison was tested, the man couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks and take a piece of cold preserved egg.
The smooth and tender texture of the preserved egg immediately caught the man's eye.
The gray tofu, soaked in broth, burst with juice when you took a bite, a sensation he found quite novel.
"Youye, go and have the cook hand over the recipe. Tell him not to make these dishes anymore."
The man put down his chopsticks, his eyes filled with coldness and calculation.
Youye accepted the order and quickly walked outside the screen to find Linxi, who was tidying up the kitchen in the dining hall.
"You, let's talk in private."
Lin Xi's face lit up with joy upon hearing this.
Does this mean they've eaten and drunk their fill and are now offering a reward?