Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 32 (Part 2)
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Translated by Pure
Chapter 32.2 False Rhetorics and Flowery Speech
"I used to go boating on the waters in my leisure time, and wouldn’t head back even when there was wind and rain. After a morning, in a straw raincoat and hat, there always bound to be some catches. Most of them were crucian carp, with the occasional mandarin fish. One time, I even caught a four-gilled perch—it's a pity there was no one to share it with." Li Yue's smile gradually faded.
After a pause, Li Yue smiled once again, "When I was in Jiāngnán, I often reminisced about the thick oily red sauces of the city food, the smell of flat cake in the morning, and the various mutton meats served at the ethnic minority restaurant in West Market. Now that I'm back, I miss Wuzhong district's watershield soup and raw perch slices. Such is the mystery of human nature."
Lin Yan calmly replied, "Jiāngnán is humid and warm, while the seasons of the capital are distinctly different. The diets of various locations correlate with their climate, such is their affiliation..."
While Shen Shaoguang continued on her ledge, she also eavesdropped on their conversation. Heh! How fastidious and artistic the Grand Chancellor was, coincided with how unromantic and insensitive the Deputy Magistrate was!
The elderly Chancellor was referring to Jiāngnán River’s misty rain and the thought of watershield and perch, while Deputy Magistrate Lin was referring to the stipulation of local conditions and difference in diet. It was as if poetry had collided with a lesson about nature... Deputy Magistrate Lin’s poetic and picturesque face was put to vain.
Shen Shaoguang took a peek at the Grand Chancellor’s profile, he was really a handsome old man; with a gentle countenance and a touch of philosophical ideals, he was probably a lady killer thirty years ago. Compared with this real, well-aged Jinhua Ham, Deputy Magistrate Lin could only be regarded as a half-cooked product, just beginning its fermenting process. Shen Shaoguang, as a self-proclaimed ‘lover of art and literature’, immediately disdained the Deputy Magistrate.
However, Li Yue didn't seem to mind as he lamented with a nod, "You're right! The more considered, the more it’ll build on to eternal regret."
Lin Yan's cold and cheerless face finally couldn't help but flash a trace of regret before quickly regaining its tranquility.
Perhaps due to the overcast weather, or the shorter days in winter, the room was gradually getting darker. Shen Shaoguang brought a lit candle holder and placed it not too far from the two guests, lit the lamps on the wall, and rewarmed their wine jug.
Watching the gentle and soothing movements of the young lady of the tavern, and her gentle and refined face, Li Yue suddenly remembered that she had addressed him as a ‘senior’, and laughed, "It's no wonder I always recount about the past! When I first entered, this young lady called me ‘senior’. I was even taken aback for a moment. It turned out that although I was never 'engrossed in studies until meals forgotten; so cheerful until worries aflutter', I’ve already ‘reached old age’[1]."
Li Yue married late, his preceding children had ceased to have long lives, and there wasn’t any news of a third generation(grandchildren). With his colleagues usually addressed by their official titles, feeling a bit unfamiliar with the title ‘senior’ was unavoidable.
Shen Shaoguang’s movements paused before she wiped the bottom of the jug with a white towel, and gently poured wine for Chancellor Li. "Sir, enjoy."
Both Li Yue and Lin Yan were taken aback for a moment. Very soon, Chancellor Li bursted out laughing, and even Lin Yan was unable to restrain a smile.
"Miss, you are—" Li Yue pointed at Shen Shaoguang and cheerfully exclaimed, "quite mischievous."
The thick-skinned Shen Shaoguang replied with a smile, "It was I who had misaddressed before."
Li Yue laughed again.
Lin Yan glanced at Shen Shaoguang. While warming the wine, she bore some semblance of a palace maid, but now with her cheeky smile, she resembled that of a naughty child. He then recalled the strange remarks she made in the past, and couldn't help but label Shen Shaoguang as a person of ‘false rhetorics and flowery speech’ again.
A’Yuan brought up Crispy Fried Chicken, and Shen Shaoguang helped to place it on the table. She smiled and introduced the dish, "The chicken used for this dish is tender, we only use young chicken that is less than three months old to ensure the texture. It is first boiled, then stewed, and then fried; it's crispy on the outside but tender inside. It’s best eaten while hot, please enjoy it." Once she finished, Shen Shaoguang slightly bowed and then retreated behind the counter.
Li Yue came to Chongxian Lane today, revisiting an old haunt, and recalled many past events. Coupled with the entrustment of an old friend, and in the presence of Lin Yan, couldn’t help but down himself in regret and sorrow. However, his melancholy feeling was half dispersed by Shen Shaoguang's ‘sir’. Li Yue no longer mentioned any more unhappy thoughts, and instead, began to talk business.
"An Ran, how old are you now?" Helping with other’s marriages always started by asking the recipient’s age.
"I am twenty-five."
"It's about time to marry a bride. Does your Elder Madam have a suitable candidate chosen?"
Shen Shaoguang almost patted herself on the back. See, I’m truly a semi-immortal who was delayed by their own cooking skills! The ‘blessed with a beautiful wife’ had arrived. With the Grand Chancellor as the matchmaker, it must be a high-ranking noble lady.
"That, I am unaware of." Lin Yan replied.
If unaware, then it hasn’t been decided. Li Yue smiled and said, "I went to Chancellor Qin's house for a drink the other day, and saw that his fifth granddaughter had blossomed into a fine lady. The last time I saw her, she was only a meter tall, naughty little child with two hair buns. Even at such a young age, the child had already memorized the <The Analects of Confucius> and <Book of Songs>, and could compose simple poems. When I saw her this time, she had already grown up, and her temper had also steadied..."
Lin Yan just listened quietly.
"Has An Ran seen this little fifth young lady of the Qin Residence?" Nevertheless, Li Yue turned the subject and asked with raised eyebrows.
"I have met her before, yes."
Li Yue just looked at him with a smile.
Lin Yan pursed his lips, and resolutely stated, "My family is in decline, and am not worthy of a lady from Qin Residence."
Shen Shaoguang scribbled on the ledger. Fifth Young Lady Qin was noble, beautiful, and talented, so why wasn’t he willing? Sure enough, Deputy Magistrate Lin still cherished the memory of his fiancée, and this deep love of his rendered him unmoved? What an admirable man...
After a pause, Li Yue asked, "An Ran, are you still holding on to when Minister Cui was exiled back then, the fact that Chancellor Qin didn't extend a hand?"
Lin Yan looked at Li Yue, and said after a while, "I don’t dare to blame anyone, it's just– Qin Residence’s and my conduct methods greatly differ, even if we get married, it would not be lived in happiness."
Li Yue was not a very good-tempered person, but he was very patient when communicating with this junior of his.
Looking at the closed door with draped curtains, Li Yue said slowly, "This is the first time I’ve visited Chongxian Lane since my return to the capital. Back then, I would make a visit every three to five days. Two of my old friends used to reside in this Lane. Among the two, one you should be acquainted with, it’s Teacher Xiliu from Guangping Academy."
Teacher Xiliu was a great scholar, more than ten years ago, he resigned from his government post, but was still currently well respected by other scholars.
"He lives behind your house, which seems to be a nunnery now."
Lin Yan was a little surprised. Many dignitaries in Chang'an donated their houses to buddhist monks and nuns, but he didn't expect that Teacher Xiliu would do the same, and so close to his current residence at that.
Lin Yan waited for Li Yue to mention his other friend, but the latter never did.
"At that time we often drank together, and would regularly do so at Chu Nine's house." Teacher Xiliu's surname was Chu, and was the ninth son of his family.
"Chu Nine was younger than us, only in his twenties, but still unmarried," Li Yue looked at Lin Yan and smiled, "just like you."
Lin Yan faintly smiled.
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Footnote:
[1] (One is) so engrossed in his studies that he forgets to have his meals on time; so cheerful that he forgets all his worries; so youthful that he forgets his actual age (发愤忘食，乐以忘忧，不知老之将至云尔) - Is a quote from Confucius, it's his evaluation and summation of his personal character, which fully reflects Confucius' pursuit of selflessness and no regrets.
Food:
watershield soup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNBBFtSz_-s
Pure: This chapter gives us a lot of insight on why our ML and MC are the way they are, but there’s still one more part to this, so stay tuned!