Chapter 62: The Jiangnan Poetry League, He Jizhen

There were simply too many novelties in the tavern.

Wang Xingzhai and the elderly gentleman had to respond with the utmost seriousness.

They watched as Ye Xiu explained unhurriedly, "First, we carefully select tall and plump bean sprouts as the raw material, trimming away both the heads and tails. Using a silver needle, we hollow them out and stuff them with strands of Jinhua ham. When hollowing and filling them, one must be careful not to pierce the walls of the bean sprouts, yet fill them evenly and compactly to maintain their complete external appearance. When stir-frying, they are first coated in an egg batter and fried in hot oil, and finally garnished with green scallion shoots before serving... They look simple, but they possess entirely unexpected wonders upon tasting."

Ye Xiu spoke with such mystical flair that it instantly aroused the curiosity of Wang Xingzhai and his companion. Upon tasting the dish, they immediately raised their thumbs in high praise.

Promptly, Ye Xiu instructed the attendants to serve the remaining dishes one after another:

"This fourth dish is called Qianlong Mutton..."

"This fifth dish is called Attendant Tofu, invented by my grandfather..."

"..."

"The final dish, and also the supreme treasure of our establishment, is named—Clear Soup Cabbage!"

Half an hour later, the meal concluded.

The attendants presented warm napkins, and the two men wiped the corners of their mouths, their hands, and their faces.

Subconsciously, they rubbed their bellies, clicking their tongues in wonder.

When they looked at Ye Xiu, astonishment filled their eyes: although the portions were small, they were precisely enough, controlled to absolute perfection.

Both of them understood that unless it were for special guests, things would not be handled with such strictness; every tavern had its own fixed banquet setups and specialties.

Moving toward the tea station, Ye Xiu calmly stoked the stove, boiled a pot of water, and brewed tea for the two men.

"You'an, this is Mr. He Jizhen, the president of the Lanting Poetry Society. He is also the leader of our Jiangnan Literary Alliance."

Wang Xingzhai introduced him with a smile, "The two of us haven't seen each other in a long time. As it happened, he was also visiting Jinling, so he came to your place for a gathering."

Ye Xiu hurriedly stood up and paid his respects to He Jizhen with the formal etiquette of a student toward his teacher. "You'an greets Mr. He. Your prestigious name has long resounded like thunder. That the literary world remains unvanquished is entirely due to your monumental contributions, sir."

"They are merely empty reputations," He Jizhen waved his hand dismissively. "Your father is quite capable as well—a rising talent and a standout figure in Jiangnan. If he were to focus entirely on poetry, he would inevitably become the foremost literary genius of Jiangnan."

"There is nothing to be done; our family fortunes have declined, leaving my father to shoulder everything alone through sheer hardship," helplessness flickered in Ye Xiu's eyes. "I only hope he can pass the imperial examinations and restore our former glory."

"In human life, there are always times of great rise and fall," He Jizhen comforted him with a smile. "The dishes were excellent. Since this old man has come, I cannot leave without showing some appreciation. Prepare the inkstone."

"Thank you, Mr. He!" A look of excitement crossed Ye Xiu's face as he stood up to grind the ink.

He Jizhen rose, walked over to the wall, and began to wield his brush with sweeping strokes:

"The Jiangnan tavern reaches high into the skies,
Cooking dragons and phoenixes with rich and fresh flavors.
Princes and nobles dismount, intoxicated by the fragrance,
A single drink spares no expense of ten thousand coins.
Welcoming distinguished guests and attracting eminent scholars,
Flutes and strings resonate with songs upstairs.
A hundred artistic marvels and rare delicacies abound,
While painted railings adorn the four sides of the eaves."

Ye Xiu stared with wide eyes, unable to do anything but admire the formidable prowess of this literary league leader.

He himself was merely a plagiarist relying on memorization; in such a short span of time, he could never have dredged up a poem so perfectly suited to a tavern from his own memory.

Yet He Jizhen could compose masterpieces effortlessly, dashing off a verse in the blink of an eye. Ye Xiu admired him to the point of complete submission.

Why was He Jizhen the leader of the poetry alliance while others were not?

Was it not precisely because he could compose spontaneous verses of such brilliance that his brushfalls startled the wind and rain, and his poems moved ghosts and gods to tears?

"Princes and nobles dismount, intoxicated by the fragrance, a single drink spares no expense of ten thousand coins... Magnificent verse, truly magnificent!" Ye Xiu praised repeatedly. "In just a few words, you have captured the very essence of the tavern. Mr. He possesses truly great talent!"

Following that, the three of them conversed for a full half-hour.

No matter what kind of question He Jizhen raised, Ye Xiu offered distinct and unique insights.

Even when the questions covered a myriad of diverse topics, Ye Xiu handled them all with composure and ease.

In the final moments, He Jizhen extended an olive branch to him.

The Jiangnan Poetry Alliance owned the Lanting Garden in Yangzhou, which remained idle except during poetry gatherings.

He Jizhen wished to invite Ye Xiu into a cooperative venture.

Ye Xiu readily agreed, on the condition that once the Cheap Flavor House was running smoothly, he would travel to Yangzhou of his own accord to pay a formal visit.

He Jizhen was extremely satisfied with this response; had Ye Xiu agreed instantly without hesitation, he would have had to seriously consider whether Ye Xiu was a qualified partner at all.

After seeing the two men off, Ye Xiu was just about to turn back into the tavern when he abruptly halted in his tracks.

He noticed that the carriages parked at the entrance were in complete disarray, and horses lacking manure-catching bags were leaving droppings all over the ground.

This severely impacted the favorable atmosphere and spiritual outlook of the tavern.

"Uncle Qi, find some workers to tidy up the courtyard in the back. Mark out spaces with lime according to the dimensions of carriages, and from now on, all carriages belonging to visiting guests must be parked within these designated bays."

"Place a feeding trough along every row of parking spaces to make it convenient for coachmen to feed and water their horses. Furthermore, have some custom manure-catching bags made; for any carriages lacking them, our shop will provide them free of charge. Leaving dung and urine everywhere is simply too disgusting, and the stench is overpowering."

"If anyone ignores the rules and continues parking randomly, no matter who they are, put them straight onto the tavern's blacklist and never serve them again."

Upon hearing this, Qi Santai looked at Ye Xiu in utter disbelief; this young man had an endless stream of ideas in his head.

Even with his many years of managing taverns and his experience with runaway successes, Qi Santai had never thought of this angle.

Although it would require hiring two people to clean the parking lot every day, it would unquestionably be worth far more than the cost.

Only by maintaining a comfortable dining environment could they attract even more people to spend money at the tavern.

He immediately dispatched someone to invite the elder ward chief and communicated Ye Xiu's requests.

The elder ward chief offered an even better suggestion: paving the ground with flagstones and sealing the gaps with impermeable glutinous rice mortar, which would make cleaning much easier and ensure that the entire parking area remained entirely free of any urinous stench.

Having busied himself through the entire noon period, Ye Xiu was also tired. After giving Qi Santai a few more instructions, he headed home.

After the Beginning of Summer, the weather grew increasingly hot.

To prevent her grandfather-in-law and her husband from suffering heatstroke, Zhao Youyou was brewing mung bean herbal tea at home.

A Chang'an youth of about twenty years old, wearing a scholarly cap, was furtively staring at the small courtyard.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Zhao Youyou gripped a fire poker tightly, a look of vigilance on her face. "If you don't leave right now, I'm going to call for help!"

"Young lady, this humble scholar is He Daoxuan, and I have come here to study under a master." He Daoxuan straightened his lapel and bowed respectfully toward Zhao Youyou.

"Study under a master?"

Zhao Youyou relaxed her grip slightly, though she still refused to let him enter. "Grandpa has gone to the academy, and my husband hasn't returned yet. Come back after dusk."

"The one at the academy is my grandmaster; the one I wish to serve as master is my teacher... Wait, husband?" He Daoxuan looked at Zhao Youyou with absolute solemnity before abruptly dropping to his knees. "This student pays respects to my mistress!"

Oh heavens!

This sudden kneeling frightened Zhao Youyou so badly that the fire poker dropped from her hand onto the ground.

With a piercing shriek, she prepared to cry out for assistance.

The response time in Wulong Alley was the fastest in the entire city of Jinling; almost no thief could ever hope to escape from Wulong Alley.

One could only wonder what was going on in the mind of Xu Yougong, but fully ninety percent of the retired veteran soldiers and military dependents from the anti-Wokou border campaigns had been settled right here in Wulong Alley.

It was no exaggeration to say that when Wulong Alley was fully occupied by its residents, a single command from the elder ward chief could easily muster a regular military force of five hundred men.

Without needing any preliminary training or adjustment period, once issued swords, spears, halberds, and armor, they were ready to take the field and slaughter the enemy.

For this reason, Wulong Alley was universally acknowledged as the safest sanctuary in all of Jinling City.

Just at that moment, Ye Xiu returned. With a tearful tone, Zhao Youyou rushed to him, "Brother You'an, you're finally back! This suspicious fellow has been lurking around our house for ages, chattering nonsense about wanting to apprentice..."