novelAbuy Chapter 72 Dragon Beard Under the Moon
Chapter 72 Dragon Beard Under the Moon
Chapter 72 Dragon Beard Under the Moon (A heartwarming read late at night, please continue reading!)
The night was dark and the wind was high.
The already flimsy wooden door in the backyard of the imperial kitchen creaked open with a pitiful cry.
Li Shimin, without any attendants, with a small, exquisitely beautiful child tucked into his arms, kicked open the broken door that had blocked his way for so long, his face dark with anger.
The courtyard was unusually quiet.
There was no bustling stove as I had imagined, nor that pungent, spicy smell.
Only moonlight.
The cool moonlight shone on that corner piled with scrap wood.
A dim oil lamp hung under the eaves, its light as dim as a bean, swaying precariously in the evening breeze.
A person is sitting under the lamp.
Su Mu.
A large cutting board was set up in front of him, and he was actually holding a book in his hand, flipping through it by the dim light.
On the stove beside him sat a dark earthenware pot, its lid still on, with only a wisp of extremely thin, white steam rising straight up through the vent.
Hearing the noise at the door, Su Mu didn't even lift his eyelids, his fingers turning a page of a book, his voice lazy.
"Closed today, no customers please."
Li Shimin's pent-up anger was choked up by this casual remark.
"Brother!"
The little ox in his arms couldn't resist any longer. Its two short legs kicked wildly, like a baby swallow eager to return to its nest. It struggled to get off the ground and ran towards Su Mu.
"You're lying! Aren't you Su rubbing that thing? Why are you looking at something naughty?!"
Su Mu then closed the book and casually stuffed it into the pile of firewood.
He raised his head.
My gaze passed over the little girl rushing towards me and landed on the middle-aged man standing in the shadows by the door.
He was dressed in casual clothes made of the finest dark-patterned brocade, and the jade pendant hanging at his waist gleamed warmly in the moonlight.
Although he deliberately restrained his aura, the oppressive feeling of someone who had been in a high position for many years, or even someone who had fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, was impossible to hide.
[Ding! Highest-level diner detected: The First Minister of the Early Tang Dynasty, General of the Heavenly Strategy, Grand Commandant, Grand Minister of Works, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Grand Chancellor of Shaanxi East Circuit, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of Yizhou Circuit, Governor of Yongzhou, General of the Twelve Guards of the Left and Right of Liangzhou, Grand General of the Left and Right Martial Guards, Pillar of the State, Prince of Qin, Governor of Asia—Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin]
The system notification sound exploded in my mind.
Su Mu raised an eyebrow.
finally come.
He didn't get up to greet her, nor did he even move his buttocks. He simply reached out and caught the little dumpling rushing towards him, and casually ruffled her hair on her small head, which hadn't grown in yet.
"Did you see clearly?"
Su Mu pointed to the rotten wooden plank still standing by the door, "Whoever knocks is—"
"That's me—that's what I wanted to knock on!"
Li Shimin strode in, swallowing back the word "朕" (zhen, meaning "I, the emperor").
He didn't want to reveal his identity, at least not in front of this lowly servant whose face clearly showed his fearlessness of authority. He wanted to see what this man was really up to.
He walked up to Su Mu and looked down at this young man who dared to cut off the entire palace's food supply.
"You're Su Mu?"
Su Mu picked up the little ox and placed it on his lap, then looked up to meet Li Shimin's gaze.
Those eyes were as calm as an ancient well.
"it's me."
Su Mu toyed with the beaded flower in Xiao Sizi's hair, his tone flat, "Uncle, breaking into a private residence so late at night, are you here to collect a debt, or to freeload a meal?"
Uncle?
Cengfan?
Li Shimin's eye twitched twice.
Who in the whole world would dare to speak to him like that?
Wei Zheng, that old scoundrel, only dared to spout nonsense in court; he wouldn't dare to be so rude in private.
"I've heard that there are excellent cooks here."
Li Shimin snorted coldly, his gaze falling on the still steaming casserole. His nostrils twitched. "I heard you were planning to pave a long and sturdy road for the Northern Expedition? What, are you taking a break already?"
"Roads need to be paved, and food needs to be eaten."
Su Mu put Xiao Sizi down, patted her back, and said, "Go and get three bowls."
As soon as Xiao Sizi heard that it was time to eat, his eyes lit up like two little light bulbs. He forgot all the grievances he had just felt and ran towards the cupboard with his short legs.
Su Mu stood up and walked to the cutting board.
"Since you're here, don't put on airs."
He lifted the lid of a ceramic bowl beside him, revealing a lump of dough that had been resting. "That kind of dry stuff called 'red strips' is bad for your health if you eat it at night. This girl's mouth is just right; she can't eat anything hard."
Li Shimin frowned.
Is this kid disciplining his father?
"Then you'll eat this gigolo's rice for me too?" Li Shimin asked in an unfriendly tone.
"To live off a woman and still insist on it, that takes skill."
Su Mu didn't explain, and took the dough out of the basin.
The dough was dazzlingly white, yet it seemed alive in his hands.
"Watch closely."
Su Mu gave a low shout.
Snapped!
The dough slammed heavily onto the cutting board with a dull thud, and a cloud of white steam rose from the flour on the board.
Li Shimin subconsciously took a half step back.
Then, he saw a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Su Mu flicked his wrists, gripped both ends of the dough with both hands, and pulled it outwards sharply. The dough stretched and tumbled in the air, like a white dragon emerging from the sea!
Close it, then pull it again!
One becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight —
Su Mu's movements were so fast that only afterimages could be seen.
There are no unnecessary fancy movements; every pull, fold, and slam carries a strange rhythm.
Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
The sound of noodles hitting the cutting board was so dense it resembled drumbeats, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet of the night.
Li Shimin's eyes widened.
He had led troops in battle for many years and had seen fierce generals wielding spears and wandering knights wielding swords, but he had never seen anyone wield a lump of soft dough with such imposing power.
With one last powerful pull, the noodles in Su Mu's hand were as thin as hair, with countless strands hanging down in his hand, swaying slightly in the night breeze, just like the dragon whiskers described in the opera!
"Put it in the pot."
Su Mu flicked his hand, and the handful of noodles, as thin as silver threads, scattered and fell into the boiling water.
It only took three breaths.
"rise!"
With a scoop of long chopsticks, the silvery threads emerged from the water and were divided into three large, coarse porcelain bowls.
Li Shimin was somewhat stunned.
Is this over?
It doesn't have that intoxicating aroma, nor the visual impact of red oil and soy sauce.
In that bowl, there was only a lump of white noodles, which looked very bland.
Su Mu lifted the lid of the casserole dish that was constantly emitting wisps of steam.
A rich, yet subtly understated, fresh aroma instantly bursts forth!
It's not the taste of cheap seasonings, but the kind of flavor that can only be achieved by using the finest ingredients, simmering them over a low flame for a long time to bring out their essence.
Su Mu scooped up a spoonful of clear soup.
The soup was crystal clear, without any impurities, with only a few golden oil droplets floating on the surface.
Pour the soup into a bowl.
The strands of noodles that were originally squeezed together instantly separated and spread out in the clear soup, just like cloud patterns!
Su Mu then used his chopsticks to pick up three soft-boiled eggs that had been poached earlier, placed them on top, and finally sprinkled a handful of bright green scallions on top.
Green scallions, white soup, golden eggs.
This is just a simple bowl of clear soup noodles.
Su Mu picked up the two bowls and walked to the small square table in the middle of the courtyard, where he put them down.
"sit."
Su Mu grabbed a small stool and sat down, pointing to the slightly wobbly chair opposite him. "We only have this clear soup noodles. Enjoy."
Li Shimin stared at the bowl of noodles.
Is this the work of the master who haunted his dreams and even dared to break into people's homes at night?
It doesn't even look as good as the mutton soup from the imperial kitchen.
"Daddy, hurry up and cuckoo!"
The little ox next to him couldn't wait any longer.
She didn't need a stool; she leaned over the table, chopsticks in hand, ignoring the heat, and picked up a piece of thin shredded food and put it in her mouth.
"Whew—good job!"
The little girl ate with great relish; the noodles melted in her mouth without needing to be chewed.
Li Shimin swallowed.
Forget it, come here.
He lifted his shirt, not caring that the stool was dirty, and sat down with an air of nonchalance.
Hold the bowl.
The bowl was warm to the touch.
Take a sip of soup first.
Li Shimin took a small sip, just to give it a try.
The soup enters the mouth.
boom!
Those tiger eyes, which had seen countless people and witnessed the vicissitudes of life, suddenly widened!
fresh!!
So delicious it'll make your tongue fall off!
It looks like a plain soup, but it's actually so delicious that you'll want to swallow your tongue.
That kind of freshness doesn't come from piling up seasonings; it's the taste of time and the art of cooking.
Let's eat noodles again.
The noodles, as thin as hair, don't become soggy despite their thinness; instead, they have an indescribable chewiness.
The dragon beard noodles soaked up the incredibly fresh broth, each strand bouncing in the mouth, smooth and slippery, before sliding down the throat with a slurp.
warm!
A warm current flowed down his esophagus, instantly calming his stomach, which was agitated by the red stripe, and also soothing Li Shimin's fierce temper.
"this----"
Li Shimin wanted to speak, to say a few words of praise, but his mouth was never free.
He lowered his head, his chopsticks moving rapidly in his hands.
Snore!
The fried egg was bitten open.
The golden egg liquid flowed out and mixed into the soup, adding a richer flavor to the originally refreshing taste.
good to eat!
If the red stripes represent the clash of swords and the thunder of war, then this bowl of noodles is the gentle haven after one has laid down arms, a place one never wants to leave.