Chapter 178 Li Shaofu's Love Story
The people who arrived were none other than Zhang Tianbao and General Zhang's family.
Boss Wang, seeing such important customers, quickly and enthusiastically welcomed them in.
After they were seated, the rice noodles were served very quickly.
A large soup bowl, accompanied by several small side dishes, a few slices of pork as thin as cicada wings, and a small quail egg.
It looked clean and refreshing, emitting a rich aroma of chicken soup that made one's appetite stir.
But... no matter how fancy it was, wasn't it still just rice noodles?
Even if there were more side dishes, it was nothing special.
General Zhang frowned.
Just then, several more groups of customers, all adults with children, successively entered through the door.
The entire restaurant instantly became lively.
General Zhang looked at his son and said,
"Tianbao, you behaved so well today, and this is what we eat?
Isn't it a bit shabby?
How about we go to Juewei Tower next door for roast chicken?"
Zhang Tianbao, however, shook his head like a rattle-drum, looking at his father with a serious expression.
"No!"
"Today, we must eat Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles!"
"Because,"
A hint of excitement and solemnity appeared on his face.
"This bowl of rice noodles holds extraordinary significance!"
General Zhang was momentarily stunned. He frowned, feeling his son was being a bit mysterious.
Just eating rice noodles, and it has extraordinary significance?
What, were ginseng or lingzhi added to these rice noodles?
Could one eat them and become a top scholar?
Under the bewildered and disdainful gazes of everyone, Zhang Tianbao cleared his throat and, imitating Shen Yulou's usual profound demeanor in class, began his speech.
"This bowl of Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles has a story."
"Once upon a time, in our Hun Kingdom, there was a Scholar Li.
Next to his house was a small island in the middle of a lake. The island was full of birdsong and fragrant flowers, very secluded, a feng shui treasure land for studying.
So, Scholar Li would go to the island via a suspension bridge to read, preparing for the imperial examinations."
"His wife was very virtuous. Seeing her husband work so hard, she felt extremely pained, so she would prepare meals every day and bring them to him.
What she brought was rice noodles!
But a problem arose: the journey from home to the island was too far.
By the time she delivered it, the rice noodles were already cold and congealed into a lump."
"Scholar Li could only eat cold rice noodles every time, but he felt for his wife and never said anything.
However, his wife could tell, so she pondered daily at home, trying to figure out how to let her husband eat a warm meal."
At this point in his story, Zhang Tianbao even mimicked a storyteller, taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, building up everyone's anticipation.
"Heh, you wouldn't believe it, but she really figured it out!
She accidentally discovered that if you simmer a rich chicken soup from an old hen, skim off the golden layer of chicken oil on top, pour it into the rice noodle bowl, and then use an insulated clay pot to hold it...
This way, the heat wouldn't dissipate for half a day!"
"That day, the madam happily went to deliver rice noodles to Scholar Li again.
But unexpectedly, because she had stayed up too late cooking soup the night before, she was too tired.
Halfway there, she fainted on the bridge!"
As the story reached this point, some women in the restaurant couldn't help but gasp, their hearts aching.
Zhang Tianbao continued to speak eloquently.
"Scholar Li waited and waited on the island. Seeing the sun almost setting and still no sign of his wife, he became worried.
Fearing something had happened, he quickly ran back.
And just like that, on the bridge, he saw his wife collapsed on the ground.
He was scared out of his wits and quickly helped his wife up.
In his panic, his hand touched the clay pot beside them, and guess what?"
"The rice noodles were still piping hot!"
"Later, Scholar Li was deeply moved by his wife's profound affection and efforts. From then on, he studied diligently, tying his hair to a beam and pricking his thigh with an awl, and eventually, he successfully passed the Successful Candidate examination in one go!"
"Therefore, this type of rice noodles is called Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles, and it is completely different from ordinary rice noodles."
When the story finished, the entire rice noodle shop was silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Even a burly man at the next table was secretly wiping away tears.
It was so damn touching!
General Zhang also thought the story was good, but he didn't know if it was true or false.
"This Scholar Li in the story... what is he doing now?"
Zhang Tianbao chuckled, pointed his chubby hand at the lifelike illustration hanging on the wall, and loudly revealed the answer.
"This Scholar Li is far away, yet close at hand!
He is none other than our current Junior Grand Tutor Li, who has students everywhere and is hailed as a titan of the literary world — Lord Li Deguang!"
"And this virtuous madam, naturally, is Junior Grand Tutor Li's first wife, Madam Hu!"
"Boom!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the restaurant instantly erupted!
What?!
Li Deguang?!
That old-fashioned, pedantic scholar?
The Lord Li who once tutored the Eighth Prince and was so angered by him that he vomited blood?
He had such a heartwarming love story in his youth?
The contrast was too great!
It was both inspiring and touching.
Everyone looked up at the painting on the wall.
The figures in the painting were Lord Li in his youth, holding a young woman on the bridge.
A clay pot was on the ground beside them, with the sunset and the island in the lake as the background.
The painting had a profound artistic conception, and combined with this story, it was truly a beautiful masterpiece.
Which scholar in the world wouldn't want such a virtuous wife? Now that Lord Li has achieved success and fame, it truly is a beautiful tale.
Only then did everyone realize that this story had already been written on the wall.
At this, everyone's gaze towards the bowl of rice noodles changed.
What they were eating wasn't just rice noodles!
They were eating culture!
It was sentiment!
It was the integrity of a scholar!
"So that's it! I wondered why these rice noodles were called Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles; it turns out it comes from this bridge!"
"These are no ordinary rice noodles. The soup base is chicken soup, there's chicken oil on top, and so many side dishes. Not only is it high-class, but it also represents the good fortune of succeeding in the imperial examinations!"
In an instant, the atmosphere in the restaurant was completely ignited.
Several passing scholars, hearing discussions about passing the Successful Candidate examination, curiously poked their heads in.
Upon hearing the story, they immediately couldn't move, found seats, and loudly declared,
"Shopkeeper, give us a bowl of Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles that can lead to success in the imperial examinations too!"
The wives of some xiucai (cultivated talent) were even more moved to tears, looking at the painting on the wall with eyes full of admiration.
"Madam Hu is truly too virtuous! I want to learn from her and deliver meals to my husband like this from now on!"
...In the private room on the top floor.
Emperor Ren, after listening to Princess Qionger's vivid retelling, was completely stunned, his teacup suspended in mid-air, almost slipping from his grasp.
He turned to look at the Empress, his face filled with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
"That old stubborn Li Deguang has such a history? Why did I not know?"
The Empress also looked bewildered. She suddenly pointed downstairs and whispered to Emperor Ren,
"Your Majesty, look, isn't that Madam Hu sitting by the window on the second floor?"
At this very moment, Madam Hu on the second floor sat upright, her expression one of extreme embarrassment.
She had been dragged here by her grandson today, intending to eat quickly in a corner and leave. Who would have thought she would become the heroine of the entire story?
Shen Yulou had mentioned to her before, asking her to help promote it.
But she never expected it to be promoted in such a way