At two o 'clock in the morning, when the sky had just begun to brighten, the city tower on the main gate of the Taichu Palace in Luoyang started to announce dawn to the entire city.
The impassioned sound of drums rippled out from the main gate of the Imperial Palace in all directions. Then the drum towers on the main streets in the east, west, north, and south sounded. The drums were divided into five waves, eight hundred times. In the waves of drums and bells, the gates of the Imperial Palace, the gates of the Imperial City, and the various workshops all opened.
Temples of all sizes in Luoyang also came to join in the fun. The monks rang the morning bells one after another. The impassioned beating of the drums and the deep and distant ringing of the bells intertwined, awakening the divine capital, Luoyang. Millions of people welcomed the rising sun that shot out from the eastern horizon.
In each workshop, the snack shops had already opened for business before the drums on the Taichu Gate sounded.
In the Xiu Wen Workshop, the firewood under the stoves on the snack stalls jumped brightly and warmly.
The bare-chested Hu chef banged the sesame seed cake …
Master Meng from Jiaodong opened the steamer basket. White steam rose, and the fragrance of the dough spread …
Old Yuchi, who had a long beard that was curved like hooks, used bamboo tongs to pick out the sesame seed cake that had just been baked, and placed them in the bamboo basket like flowers. The sesame seed cake was golden and yellow, and the fragrance filled the air …
In the second alley of the Xiu Wen Workshop's Cross Street, there was a small shed. Under the shed was a large pot, and next to it was a long board. A girl of sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a blue cloth apron, her sleeves rolled up, and her two white arms were exposed. She was working as she greeted the customers.
The eldest young lady was quite pretty, especially her small mouth, which was naturally curled upwards. Just by looking at her, one could tell that she was quite happy.
While her stall was small, it had everything. The pot was boiling, the firewood was burning under the stove, and there was a large piece of dough on the chopping board. A rolling pin danced in her hand, and in a moment, a thin and large pancake was rolled out. She neatly folded it, and with a knife, everything was cut into tens of thousands of strands.
With more guests, there was more work under the canopy. She had to knead, roll, cut, cook, and deal with the guests. She could do it all by herself.
A tall and skinny man in a loose robe with large sleeves and a pair of wooden clogs walked up to the stall. He said succinctly, "Pasta, one bowl!"
This restaurant only sold noodle soup, so there was no need to specifically say that they wanted to eat Pasta. In fact, he was greeting this young lady.
The eldest daughter's surname was Jiang Xuning. Because her parents only had one daughter, they gave her a special name, Jiang Xuning. Jiang Kai-shek's Pasta Soup was one of the best in Xiu Wen Workshop. After waking up in the morning, she would drink a bowl of soup, filling her stomach and warming her up. The nearby residents often came to help her with her business. After a long time, they started calling her Pasta instead of her real name.
"Okay!"
Jiang Kai-shek agreed. She took the big bowl, scooped up some noodles from the pot, and added two spoonfuls of soup. They were all familiar customers, so she knew his taste very well. There was no need to ask. She quickly ordered some chopped onions, ginger, and chives. The tall and skinny man with the ancient style of the Qin and Jin Dynasties put down the three coins, rolled up his sleeves, picked up the big bowl, and squatted down by the roadside to fill his stomach.
As soon as the "ancient man from the Han and Jin Dynasties" left, another person came up from behind. He was only a little taller than the big pot. His hair was tied up with an old piece of cloth, but it still looked messy. He bowed respectfully to Jiang Kai-shek and said in stiff Chinese, "Mine, one bowl, thank you."
This was a Wei Nation man. Although he was a customer and had to spend money, he was very respectful and courteous to the owner. The Wei Nation people were not like this in the past. However, in the "Battle of Bai River" a few years ago, the Tang Dynasty completely annihilated their navy. Since then, the Wei Nation people no longer dared to put on an arrogant "Emperor of the East to the West" attitude.
At the entrance of Xiu Wen Workshop, a large group of people waiting to go out had already gathered. Because the workshop workers had not come to open the door for a long time, some people could not help but rush into the street drum pavilion and impatiently beat the drum. Two of the workers on duty today came late and were walking side by side on the crossroads of the workshop.
The worker on the left was about eighteen or nineteen years old and was currently yawning like a hippopotamus. As he yawned, he rubbed his eye wax and his hand felt for the key at his waist. His belt was loosely tied and his hair was a bit messy. When he walked, it was as if there were springs under his feet. With every step he took, he trembled. He looked like a delinquent.
Originally, the function of these workers was equivalent to that of the city management of the future. When Bōshō hired them, he chose them based on their bravery and fierceness, as well as their ability to control people. In this era, people like them were called "delinquents". With this kind of behavior, they lived up to this title.
The servant walking beside him looked to be two years younger than him. This young man was much more pleasing to the eye. He had a slender waist and a tall and straight figure, like a tall beam that had been filled with water. He was full of vigor from his very bones.
The young man's appearance was also very good. His eyebrows were handsome, his nose was straight, and his lips were clear and full. He had a kind of girlish elegance. When he smiled at people, two small dimples would appear on his cheeks. Unlike the other worker, when he walked, his shoulders did not sway and his body did not sway. He was very steady and powerful.
The sleepy-eyed worker was called Maqiao. He was the only child in his family, but he had many cousins. Among his cousins, he was ranked sixth, so the acquaintances of the workshop called him Epsilon Majoris.
The handsome young man on the right, who was two years younger than him, was called Yang Fan. He had only moved to Luoyang for about half a year. It is said that he moved here from Jiaozhi. He also had an older brother in his hometown, so acquaintances called him Beta Persei or Erlang.
The young girls and young wives of the workshop chatted with each other. They all agreed that Yang Fan was the most handsome out of the one hundred and eighty-seven workers of Xiu Wen Workshop. Coupled with his amiable and simple personality and shy personality, he was very popular with women — — women.
At this moment, he was smiling and nodding his head to greet his neighbors. His wheat-colored skin, snow-white teeth, and sunny and handsome temperament made him very popular with the women nowadays. Especially his smile, it was always a little bashful and shy. When he met the coquettish eyes of a hot girl, his face would slightly blush.
Just this blush alone was enough to make the women's hearts itch.
Women are like springs. If you are strong, they will be weak; if you are weak, they will be strong. Encountering such a young and handsome man who would blush at every turn, the bored girls and young wives of the workshop would often tease him for fun. Every time they teased him until he blushed, they would laugh for half a day.
Maqiao rushed to the front of the workshop and saw the 'dong dong dong' drum was still beating incessantly. He said with dissatisfaction: "What are you shouting for, what are you beating for, it's not like you're in a hurry to attend a funeral!"
An old man immediately slapped him on the back of the head and roared: "You little bastard, you have no respect for your elders, how can you say that?"
An aunty next to him grabbed his ear and shouted: "Get out of here boy, I'll tell your mother later! Look at Erlang, he's so polite and knows the rules. He's younger than you by two years, you should learn from him! "
After being lectured by the uncles and aunts who watched him grow up, Maqiao quickly shut his troublemaking mouth. Like a street rat, he awkwardly squeezed to the front of the workshop and pulled out his key to open the door. Beta Persei also pulled out his key to open the other lock.
As soon as the door opened, there was a loud bang, and the people who had been waiting for a long time rushed out. Some were carrying baskets, some were carrying poles, some were pushing carts, and some were leading mules …
Epsilon Majoris and Beta Persei stood at the door and did not have time to leave. Like two reeds in the wind, they were pushed around by the crowd. Epsilon Majoris could not stand steadily because of his drowsy eyes, so he swayed. As for Beta Persei …
Hehe! Maybe some young lady or wife took the initiative to squeeze in and take advantage of him. The women of the Tang dynasty were very valiant. Men were not the only ones who could appreciate beauties. If they saw a handsome, cute, and delicious young man, women would also be willing to take advantage of him.
When the people gathered in front of the workshop door had all left, Maqiao and Yang Fan spun two rounds like a top before they stood still.
Yang Fan greeted Maqiao, "Brother Qiao, do you want to eat noodle soup?"
Maqiao yawned and waved his hand, saying, "No, Ah Niang has already made dinner. I'll go back and eat with Ah Niang."
Maqiao was a well-known filial son in the workshop. He was very filial, so much so that the workshop even thought of recommending him as a candidate for filial piety to be reported to the imperial court. Unfortunately, in addition to being filial to one's parents, one also needed to be knowledgeable, multi-talented, and honest.
And Maqiao only had the advantage of being filial to one's parents. Being knowledgeable and multi-talented was out of the question for him. This fool did not even know a word. As for being honest, hiss … let's not talk about it!
Yang Fan agreed, and Maqiao walked with his "Bad People's Workshop Ding Steps" to the Cross Street. He walked a few steps as if he was sleepwalking, and suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly stopped and turned around, calling out to Yang Fan, saying, "Xiao Fan, tonight, same place, same time!"
As Maqiao said this, he quickly gave Yang Fan a look. Yang Fan understood and replied with a shallow smile, "Got it! Brother Qiao, don't worry, I'll be there on time. "
Maqiao nodded, yawned, and turned to leave. Yang Fan suddenly called out to him, looking him up and down. He suspiciously asked, "Didn't we do anything last night? Why are you so sleepy?"
Maqiao choked and rolled his eyes at him, saying, "You wake up so early every day, aren't you sleepy?"
Yang Fan looked at his back and shook his head strangely. He then walked towards Jiang Xuning's noodle stall.
The diners squatting by the roadside with bowls of soup in their hands saw him and greeted him enthusiastically,
"Beta Persei, good morning!"
"Erlang, good morning!"
Time flew by, and it was already the first year of Yong Chang.
This was a morning in the eastern capital, Luoyang, and also a morning in Xiuwen Workshop!
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