Chapter 181 Can't Keep a Low Profile
The scholar looked at him with disdain, too lazy to waste any more words on such a vulgar person.
He turned around and continued to queue.
Boss Chu, unwilling to give up, relied on his bulk and squeezed through the crowd.
He absolutely had to see what was so special about this Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles!
As soon as he entered, he was instantly dumbfounded.
The place was packed with guests! Not a single empty seat!
What made him even more depressed was this:
Eight out of ten people sitting inside were his former regular customers!
Lord Wang, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Scholar Zhang of the Hanlin Academy, Juren Zhao from the west of the city... After all, this area was full of nobles, and although some of them were brought in by the children of the Imperial Academy as shills,
once the lively atmosphere started, everyone followed suit.
These old customers used to drink Maotai or Wuliangye at his place... no, that's wrong, it was Dukang or Daughter's Red, and they wouldn't dare settle the bill without spending dozens of taels on a meal.
Now, they were all here slurping noodles?
Boss Chu felt his heart bleeding.
Yet, he still had to force a polite smile onto his face and approached Lord Wang's table.
"Lord Wang, you're here too?
Just tell me what you'd like to eat. My kitchen just got some new large yellow croakers from the East Sea, they're very plump, and I've saved some for you!"
Lord Wang blew on the chicken soup in his spoon, not even raising his head.
Juren Zhao next to him chuckled lightly, put down his chopsticks, and said,
"Boss Chu, you still don't understand.
We scholars pursue elegance.
Your place, with its daily feasting and reeking of alcohol, merely satisfies the desires of the palate.
Vulgar! Too vulgar!"
Only then did Lord Wang look up, nodding in deep agreement.
"Indeed.
To savor this bowl of noodles, to feel the deep affection between Junior Grand Tutor Li and his wife, to experience the hardship of a senior's diligent studies, this is what elegance is about.
With poetry and books in one's heart, one's spirit naturally shines.
How can this Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles be compared to your large yellow croaker?"
Boss Chu's smile froze on his face.
A million grass mud horses galloped through his mind.
Damn it, eating a meal has turned into a hierarchy of contempt?
Noodles were clearly at the very bottom of the contempt chain!
Crossing a bridge made them a hot commodity?
Seeing Boss Chu trying to poach customers from his shop, Boss Wang was not having it.
He was now the Princess's man, and his back was stiff!
Coming to his shop to poach customers, how could he tolerate that?
Boss Wang rushed over with a rag, pushing Boss Chu so hard that he stumbled.
"You, Chu, what are you doing? Are you trying to cause trouble?
Go back to your roasted chicken shop, don't interfere with our cultural business here!"
"I..."
Boss Chu stumbled, almost falling.
Looking at Boss Wang, who used to bow and scrape to him, now so arrogant, he was so angry he almost had a cerebral hemorrhage on the spot... Overnight, the story of the Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles spread throughout the entire Imperial City.
Scholars spreading news was the fastest channel at the time.
And the common people trusted scholars' words the most, so for a time, the love story of Li Deguang and his wife became the best tear-jerker of the year.
Li Residence.
Madam Hu returned home, still in a daze, not yet recovered from what had just happened.
Public humiliation.
And it came too suddenly.
In the evening, Li Deguang saw her distracted and casually asked,
"How was it eating out with our grandson today?"
Madam Hu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said,
"Very good, very good, grandson was very happy."
Li Deguang nodded with satisfaction.
"Hmm, our grandson's academic success is better than anything else.
However, we should still keep this matter low-key, and absolutely not let Grand Tutor Wang and the others know, lest they gossip again.
After all, Grand Tutor Wang and I have been colleagues for so many years, I can't explain it to him."
Madam Hu was inwardly bitter.
Low-key?
My Lord, you don't know.
You're already famous.
It's too late to be low-key!
...The next day, as dawn was just breaking.
Outside the Golden Throne Hall, civil and military officials gathered in twos and threes, waiting for the morning court.
As soon as Li Deguang stood still, he felt that the atmosphere was not right.
Everyone's gaze, subtly or not, was directed at him.
Those looks made his heart pound.
He didn't know what they meant, all of them pointing and whispering, as if they were discussing something about him behind his back.
Li Deguang subconsciously touched his face, adjusted his official's hat, and quietly asked a colleague next to him,
"Lord Liu, is there something on my face today?"
Lord Liu showed an expression of immense reverence and heavily patted Li Deguang's shoulder.
"Lord Li, I never would have thought! Truly never would have thought!
You had such a difficult history of studying back then, we truly feel inferior!
After so many years as colleagues, only now do I know you have such a story, it's deeply moving!
Your and your wife's affection is even more admirable!
Truly inspiring!
Lord Li is simply a model for us scholars!"
Li Deguang:???
What the heck?
Another colleague also came closer, his face full of excitement.
"Yes! Lord Li, yesterday this humble official also tasted your same noodles, and the taste was indeed extraordinary!
Listening to that moving story, eating those hot noodles, this humble official felt as if he had returned to the years of diligent study, I truly wish to compose a poem!"
"This humble official's admiration for Lord Li now is like the surging waters of a great river, endless!"
Li Deguang was completely bewildered, his head buzzing. He grabbed Lord Liu's sleeve and anxiously said,
"What are you talking about? What same noodles? What story?"
Lord Liu, seeing him still playing dumb, vividly recounted what happened at the Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles shop yesterday.
As Li Deguang listened, his face grew increasingly grim.
He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, his scalp tingling!
Who the hell made this up?!
He had this story?
Why didn't he know himself?!
Li Deguang trembled with anger and quickly waved his hand.
"Absurd! Utter nonsense! This is all slander! This matter has nothing to do with this old man!"
His denial, however, made his colleagues stunned, and their gazes at him became strange.
Lord Liu frowned.
"Lord Li, aren't you being too modest?
Yesterday, your wife admitted it herself, everyone in the shop heard it.
What are you still afraid of?
Are you afraid others will know you came from a humble background?"
Another colleague even lowered his voice, his eyes strange, and said faintly,
"Or... has Lord Li become successful and forgotten his roots?
Do you feel that your former wife is no longer worthy of your current status?"
Damn it!
Li Deguang's eyes widened, so angry he almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
"Nonsense! You... you're slandering me!"
Where did these rumors come from!
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
"So lively early in the morning?"
Grand Tutor Wang Shushi walked over slowly, his hands behind his back.
Wang Shushi said,
"This old man also heard yesterday that Junior Tutor Li had such a tear-jerking story in his youth. Why have you never mentioned it? You hide things quite deeply!"
When Li Deguang saw Wang Shushi, his heart immediately sank, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He could only awkwardly cup his hands and stammer a few words in response.
Even if he admitted to this matter.
He understood now.
It was Shen Yulou!
The matter his wife had promised Shen Yulou before was to help promote the noodles shop.
He never expected it to be such a method of promotion!
Wang Shushi didn't press further, changing the subject, he leaned close to Li Deguang's ear and whispered,
"Yesterday, those children from the Imperial Academy were all sent home."
"That Shen Yulou's teaching is nothing but grandstanding!
This old man asserts that after those children return home, they will surely revert to their old selves, perhaps even more mischievous than before!"
Wang Shushi's eyes gleamed.
"Seizing this opportunity, in court today, you and I will join forces to impeach Shen Yulou! We must make him hand over the Imperial Academy to this old man!"
Li Deguang's heart instantly sank to rock bottom.
Join forces?
Join what forces now!