Chapter 522: Death before the mission is accomplished, making heroes cry
Everyone looked at the brothels on the riverside, but in the end they were all in vain. They were never open during the day and the lights and partying only came on at night.
Brother Chen San said disappointedly: "Let's go, there's nothing fun here."
As for taking a boat trip on the Qinhuai River in broad daylight, I used to be interested in it, but now, after taking the boat for several days in a row and finally landing, I really don’t want to take the boat anymore.
Faced with the boatman's solicitation at the small pier, Sun Shan and his group chose to ignore it.
As we walked, we arrived at the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall.
Sun Shan stared at the Imperial Examination Hall. It was so huge, much bigger than he had imagined.
Lu Yuming sighed and said, "I heard that it can accommodate more than 20,000 students for the provincial examination at a time. Oh, Jinling is indeed a place of flourishing literary style."
When Sun Shan heard so many people taking the exam inside, his heart trembled.
It's so sad that so many people are competing for more than a hundred places. The hit rate is too low.
Sun Shan was once again thankful that he was a student from Guangnan, not from Jiangnan.
The crowd stood at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall, commented on it and then dispersed.
There was nothing good to see inside the Imperial Examination Hall. The environment inside was so terrible that it was worse than death just thinking about it. Fortunately, they all survived.
I believe that the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall is very similar to the Guangzhou Imperial Examination Hall. Both are places that the successful candidates will never want to enter in their lifetime.
After passing through the Imperial Examination Hall, it was almost dark and the lights along the Qinhuai River were already coming on.
Everyone looked around curiously.
Finally, it was the older brother Chen San who said, "Let's go back. Don't stay outside too long. It's better not to go to such a place. We are here to take the exam, not to have fun."
Since Brother Chen San has said so, no matter how curious everyone is, they cannot be curious.
Since they are on the Chen family’s ship, they should obey the Chen family’s command.
Gui Ge'er asked in a low voice: "Brother Shan, didn't you say that the restaurant on the riverside was a late-night snack stall? Why is it Yanzhidi?"
Although Gui Ge'er is pure and innocent, after reading so many novels, she more or less knows what rouge land is.
Sun Dingnan, who was already married, said anxiously, "Ashan, we can't go to those rouge fields. If we go there, we will never be able to get out. You must not go."
Then he said to Gui Ge'er, "Gui Ge'er, you too, there are charming demons in that place, they specialize in sucking people's money and spirit. Once you go in, you won't want to come out. When you get out, you'll be like a dead body. Not long after you come back, your whole body will be festering and full of pus, and you'll die in pain. Good men won't go to that kind of place, and you should never go there either."
Sun Shan stared at Sun Dingnan blankly, not knowing where he got the information from.
But what he said made sense. Yanzhidi was a den of brothel, where money was squandered like water, and people lived in extravagance and waste of money.
Once you go in, you can only come out naked.
A poor scholar like Sun Shan who does not work would definitely not dare to go in.
Gui Ge'er's face turned red after being told this by Sun Dingnan, and he responded anxiously: "Brother Nan, I definitely won't go in. These are not good places, and good people don't go there. I come from a good family."
After a pause, he looked at Sun Shan again and said firmly: "My brother Shan will not go in either. It costs money and he can't bear to go in."
Sun Shan's heart tightened. Why did his heart hurt so much? What did Gui Ge'er mean?
It seems like he is saying that I am stingy. I believe he has understood it correctly, right?
Sun Dingnan nodded with relief: "Yeah, Ah Shan is indeed reluctant to spend money to go in, yeah, yeah, this is not bad."
Sun Shan: ~~~~~~
Thousands of arrows pierce the heart!
Everyone returned to the inn before dusk and rested for a while. Then Manager Chen called them to eat.
Sun Shan wondered if he should eat the legendary Nanjing duck blood vermicelli soup tonight?
Sun Shan had heard of a rumor that Nanjing people have a three-lifetime hatred for ducks. Nanjing people will not let go of every part of every duck and have created a series of ways to eat duck.
Like salted duck, osmanthus duck, roast duck, pressed duck, and sauced duck.
Anyway, no duck can leave Nanjing, just like no chicken can leave Guangdong.
Sun Shan came to the courtyard expectantly. The scholar had already arrived and was sitting on a stool, staring intently at the delicacies on the table.
As expected, the first dish was the famous Jinling Salted Duck, followed by Jinling Pressed Duck, Stewed Raw Duck, Beauty Liver, Chicken Soup Dumplings, Duck Oil Crispy Pancakes, and Zhuangyuan Beans.
When Sun Shan heard about the term "zhuangyuan beans", he stretched his neck out of curiosity to take a look. He thought it was something else, but it turned out to be soybeans.
This dish is specially served, probably for the sake of good luck, and to express good wishes to all the scholars.
Finally, a dish that Sun Shan had been craving for was served, duck blood and vermicelli soup.
Looking at the table full of dishes, Sun Shan ate with satisfaction.
Chen Dongling called the shopkeeper in and asked, "Shopkeeper, can we still eat puffer fish in this season? You have a puffer fish soup cooked in vinegar and pepper, which is really unique. I've been thinking about it."
When the shopkeeper heard this, he knew that the scholar in front of him was a glutton and a loyal fan of the store.
He said with a smile: "Yes, we have this dish, but most people don't dare to eat puffer fish. Only regular customers know that we have puffer fish soup here."
The shopkeeper continued, "People only know that pufferfish is delicious in spring, but in fact, pufferfish is the freshest in autumn."
Chen Dongling smiled and said, "Give me a bowl. Haha, I'm looking forward to eating it again every day."
Chen Dongling explained to Sun Shan and others that the most famous dish of this inn is the vinegar and pepper puffer fish soup, which is nutritious and delicious.
The whole puffer fish is handled super cleanly, and the vinegar and pepper sauce makes the soup rich with a slight sour taste, giving it a layered taste. The meat wontons absorbed a lot of the soup and were very delicious.
Once you eat it, you will never forget it. You have to find ways to eat it again.
Puffer fish
Puffer fish soup with vinegar and pepper
When it comes to pufferfish, everyone is both excited and scared.
There is a line in the poem: Outside the bamboos there are three or two branches of peach blossoms; the ducks know first when the spring river water is warm; the ground is covered with mugwort and the reed buds are short; it is the time when pufferfish are about to come up.
Su Dongpo, a big glutton, loved to eat puffer fish, which shows how delicious it is.
However, pufferfish is highly poisonous. If not handled properly, the mortality rate is extremely high and people can die in minutes.
So foodies have a love-hate relationship with puffer fish.
Chen Dongling added: "Puffer fish is poisonous. If you are afraid of it, don't eat it."
The shopkeeper on the side explained the rules of eating puffer fish to everyone: If you want to eat puffer fish, you can inform your relatives and friends, and you can come or not. If someone dies from the food after coming, it is your own will and no one else is to blame.
In other words, everything is left to fate, and you cannot blame your companions if you die.
Sun Shan didn't know much about pufferfish, but he knew it was poisonous. It's better to be careful and save your life.
So he said firmly: "Brother Dong Ling, I won't eat it."
Chen Dongling didn't mind and said with a smile: "In addition to the delicious puffer fish soup, this inn also has crucian carp and tofu soup. Would you like to have a bowl?"
Sun Shan smiled and said, "Okay."
Chen Dongling asked who wanted to eat the puffer fish soup, and it turned out that everyone ate it except Sun Shan.
Sun Shan was stunned. Why were they all so fearless and brave?
Mr. Juren: Brother Dong Ling has eaten it, so it must be fine. I have heard of pufferfish for a long time and wanted to try it, but I never had the chance. Now I have the chance, I will be struck by lightning if I don’t try it.
Sun Shan looked at everyone speechlessly: Sure enough, there are foodies in Guangzhou!
Soon everyone's vinegar and pepper puffer fish soup was served, and Sun Shan's crucian carp and tofu soup was also served.
The scholar drank the fish soup with great relish, uttering praises from the heart.
Sun Shan drank the lone serving of fish soup and listened to their praises.
As he drank, Sun Shan suddenly felt numbness in his fingers, lips and tongue, his heart beat very fast, he wanted to vomit but couldn't, his stomach ached and he felt unable to move.
Sun Shan was terrified and shouted in a daze: "Help~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"
Not long after he shouted, he fell heavily to the ground.
The moment he closed his eyes, Sun Shan shed two lines of hot tears, and a sentence floated through his mind: To die before accomplishing the mission will make the hero shed tears for a long time.