Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 88 Dinner Party
"There is a banquet at Zuixianlou in the south of the city tonight. I need to take a bath first and then change into clean clothes before attending the banquet."

During the early Tang Dynasty, timekeeping was based on a twelve-hour system. However, in the Song Dynasty, with the prosperity of the urban economy, merchants naturally developed a demand for a more accurate method of timekeeping during trade.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty society began to divide each of the twelve two-hour periods into two parts: the beginning and the middle. Thus, the beginning of Zi, the middle of Zi, the beginning of Chou, the middle of Chou, and so on, were divided into twenty-four parts, which is basically consistent with the modern twenty-four-hour system.

The term "戌正" translates to 8 PM in modern time.

Lu Beigu arrived home at the beginning of the 7th of the lunar month, so he didn't have much time left.

Fortunately, his sisters-in-law didn't wait outside the county school for most of the day. Instead, they sent him in in the morning and went home, where they had luxuriously prepared hot water with charcoal beforehand.

That's why Lu Beigu was able to take a good bath in the big wooden tub.

To be honest, he couldn't go without a shower. It was already summer, and Sichuan was very hot and humid at this time of year. He had been sitting in the cramped examination room for most of the day, and not only was he covered in sticky sweat, but his clothes were also starting to get moldy from the smell of the moldy walls.

Going to a banquet like this, putting aside whether it's dignified or not, would be physically uncomfortable enough.

After showering and drying himself off, Lu Beigu took a moment to admire his abs before pulling out a newly bought, dry blue shirt from his wardrobe and putting it on.

Previously, he had divided up the Northern Qi edition of "Luoyang Garanji". He took 300 strings of cash for himself, spent 42 strings on buying a house, and spent a lot on furniture and other necessities. However, including the money he had saved in Gulin Town, he still had 245 strings of cash. As long as he didn't spend it recklessly, it would be enough for his family to live on.

Therefore, Lu Beigu did not have an urgent need for money in the short term.

Smelling the sweet aroma of rice porridge wafting from the kitchen, Lu Beigu walked into the kitchen.

Pei Yan was gently stirring the porridge in the earthenware pot with a wooden spoon. The rice grains had been cooked until they were soft and fluffy, and the rice soup had a bright white color. There was another small pot simmering yam and poria.

"Have you had lunch yet? Would you like some porridge?"

A few stray hairs from Pei Yan's hair clung to her neck as she asked without looking up.

"I didn't dare to eat it."

Lu Bei thought for a moment and said, "Let's have some. We're too hungry right now. If we eat too much oily food right away, it might not be good for our stomachs."

The two children were already waiting eagerly at the table, and there really was sashimi on the table.

"Drink it while it's hot."

It was cooked in no time, and Pei Yan placed the porcelain bowl in front of the three of them.

Poria cocos floats on the surface of the porridge, and finely chopped ginger shreds are wrapped around the rice grains like golden threads. At the bottom, there are translucent yam slices stewed until they sink.

She took another small dish and put some pickled cucumbers in it: "The banquet at Zuixianlou is bound to be greasy and involve drinking. I'll have a couple of sips to fill my stomach before I go."

The porridge was at the perfect temperature. Lu Beigu ate half a bowl with some pickled cucumber and felt the hunger he had been feeling from not eating properly all day was temporarily suppressed.

Afterwards, he told his two children, who were pestering him, about how they took the exam that day and how they got first place. They also discussed together where they should put the medal they won that day at home.

When the time was almost up, Lu Beigu went out amidst the adoring gazes of his two children.

"I am leaving."

Lu Beigu turned back at the threshold from the front yard to the backyard, where his family members stood in front of the newly built fence covered with small flowers and waved to him.

Lanterns lit up one after another along the long street, wine flags fluttered in the evening breeze, and vendors carrying small red clay stoves carried their late-night snacks, the aroma of roasting meat wafting through the air.

After they had all walked out of the front shop, Lu Beigu suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.

"Uncle!" Lu Yuchi ran so fast her hair in two buns came undone, panting as she handed over a brocade pouch. "Mother said we'd be playing drinking games at the banquet, this is a hangover cure!" "Alright." Lu Beigu patted his little niece's head. "Go back now, go to bed early tonight, you still have to go to Fawang Temple to listen to the sermon tomorrow."

I was walking down the street when I suddenly heard someone call my name.

"Brother Lu."

Lu Beigu turned around and saw his classmate Huang Jingji, who had ranked third in this year's county examination.

"Brother Huang."

This person consistently ranked among the top three in academic performance at the county school in Hejiang County. However, he had no prior interaction with Lu Beigu, so the two were not familiar with each other.

But since Lu Beigu has suddenly emerged as a rising star and become the most sought-after new star in Hejiang County School this year, Huang Jingji naturally dared not be negligent and politely bowed to him first.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two headed to Zuixianlou together.

Zuixianlou may not be the largest restaurant in Hejiang County in terms of scale, but it is certainly the most famous because, in addition to food and drink, it also offers some very tasteful song and dance performances.

The last time Han Ziyu treated them to dinner, it was here, but because Han Sanniang was there and Han Ziyu had difficulty walking, they didn't order anything.

Since today's banquet is hosted by the local gentry of Hejiang County for these newly enrolled scholars of the prefectural school, there must be some exciting programs to celebrate.

At this moment, twelve linked lanterns hang under the eaves of Zuixianlou. These gardenia-shaped lanterns are covered with gold and red gauze, making them look especially delightful at night.

At the entrance, there is an arched gate with a bamboo, wood and wire frame, wrapped with colorful ribbons and decorated with flowers. When the singers holding zithers see guests coming, they pluck the strings and start singing. Their voices are soft and sweet.

Looking at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion from afar, Huang Jingji sighed, "This is just a foot inn; I can't even imagine how bustling it must be when it's the main branch!"

"Then we'll have to find a chance to go to Kaifeng."

Lu Beigu was in a good mood and answered with a smile.

In the Song Dynasty, restaurants were divided into two types: official restaurants and foot restaurants. Official restaurants were luxurious hotels that obtained official brewing licenses and were usually only found in large cities. Official restaurants had the right to brew their own wine and could wholesale finished wine to foot restaurants and wine merchants. They were characterized by their large scale and luxurious decoration. For example, the most famous Fanlou in Kaifeng was a three-story building complex with five floors facing each other, which could accommodate more than a thousand guests and provided performances such as singing, dancing and acrobatics. It was the favorite gathering place for high-ranking officials, nobles and literati.

Foot shops, on the other hand, were city hotels without brewing rights. They usually had to wholesale alcohol from official shops or the imperial wine administration. Although foot shops were smaller than official shops, they were still common restaurants in the city, and many foot shops were quite elegant, with Zuixianlou being a typical example.

When the waiter at Zuixianlou saw the two arrive, he greeted them warmly, first with a curtsy, and then asked, "Which room are you two gentlemen looking for?"

Lu Beigu, of course, did not know which room he had gone to, and only said, "He is a student who entered the state school this year."

"Hey!" the waiter exclaimed, quick to speak. "Please come upstairs, you two literary geniuses!"

As they walked up the stairs, Huang Jingji asked, "Brother Lu, are you preparing for the upcoming quiz at the state academy?"

"A quiz?"

Lu Beigu frowned slightly. He had only heard Xue Zheng mention this matter briefly, which seemed to involve the early selection of teachers for the state school, but he didn't know the specifics.

Seeing that he didn't understand, and wanting to befriend him, Huang Jingji said in a flattering tone, "These kinds of tests are usually extremely difficult. The purpose is not to rank people, but to see who can pass. I heard that this year is even more difficult because Mr. Baisha has just retired and has been teaching at the Luzhou State School for a year. This year, it will probably be very competitive."

Lu Beigu was about to ask more questions when they reached the second floor, where their banquet room was just ahead, so he didn't ask any further.

Meanwhile, the melody of "Crane Soaring to the Sky" drifted from next door, with someone singing sadly, "On the golden list, I missed the top spot by chance."

(End of this chapter)