Light Dance Jiajing

After being stuck in the mansion for some time, Meng'er did not forget that she came out to raise money. What was the difference between being stuck in the mansion and being stuck in the palace? She had to go out for a walk. It would be impossible to sneak out by herself. In that era, women in the boudoir were not allowed to go out of the house. If they wanted to go out, they had to get Mrs. Wang's consent first. But she was not familiar with anywhere. At this time, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't seen Wang Wei for so many days. Meng'er thought about it and decided to find Wang Wei first.

Wang Wei is very busy. Although he is only thirteen years old, he has already mixed in the circle of young masters in the capital. The children of officials gather together to show off their elegance and talk about poetry and painting. Wang Wei is not very old, but he loves to make friends and is straightforward, so he can easily integrate into the circle of young masters. People often invite him to drink. Lord Wang is quite confident in Wang Wei. He knows that although he is a little impatient, he still knows when to advance and retreat, so he lets him go out to socialize. Lord Wang just wants to temper his character when he is older, because the family business will be handed over to him sooner or later. Lord Wang is very satisfied with the pair of children born to Mrs. Wang. Both of them are sensible and motivated. In addition, his official career has been good since he got married. He can get a lucrative position if he is sent out. If there are no problems and his performance is good, he can be promoted again when he returns to Beijing a few years later. Some people say that Mrs. Wang brings good luck to her husband, and he agrees with her. Therefore, Mrs. Wang's position in the family is extremely solid, even the favorite concubine, the fifth aunt, cannot compare to her.

"Hey, can't you tell I'm a girl when I'm dressed like this?" Mei'er followed Wang Wei timidly, pulling her collar from time to time.

Wang Wei glanced at her and said, "You insist on running out. If you are scared now, I will send you back immediately."

Meng'er pouted: "Who's afraid? But do you have to dress up as a boy? Wouldn't that make you neither male nor female?"

"How could anyone tell that you are so young?" Wang Wei turned around impatiently and looked at her for a few times, and then straightened her hair. "I skipped classes today and gave up the banquets of several good friends. I came here to accompany you for a walk. You have heard of the temple fair at Longfu Temple, right? I will take you to see it for yourself."

Meng'er immediately thought of the snacks at Longfu Temple: "Longfu Temple, it's very famous, huh? Temple fair? Do they sell snacks?"

Wang Wei sneered, "Why do you only know how to eat? Are you hungry?" He went on to explain to Meng'er, "Longfu Temple is also called the East Temple. It is very popular on weekdays. In addition, it is not far from Chaoyang Gate, where merchants from the south often transport grain. They often bring their goods here to sell. Over time, this place has become the most important temple market in the inner city of Beijing. There is a temple market on the 9th and 10th of every month. There are all kinds of goods. You can buy anything you want. On market days, there are crowds of people here. You must follow me closely and don't get lost."

The two of them gradually entered the downtown area and were involuntarily swept by the crowd. Meng'er felt that her eyes were not enough. There were really silks and satins, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, clothes, food and general merchandise gathered here. There were people selling flowers, birds, fish and insects from far and near, and from time to time she could see divination and acrobatics. It was really a place with all kinds of unique folk skills.

Wang Wei looked at Meng'er's silly expression with amusement. There were more and more people around. Wang Wei hesitated and threw a helpless and disgusted expression. Seeing that Meng'er had no time to pay attention to him, Wang Wei was a little embarrassed and then held Meng'er's hand tightly in his hand, so that he would not be afraid of being separated by the crowd. The two of them wandered around aimlessly. Meng'er was very curious about everything she saw, and she always wanted to play with it for a long time. Wang Wei rarely spoiled her fun and stayed by her side patiently. Since this place was not far from the Imperial Examination Hall, although it was not the day of the joint examination yet, there was an endless stream of candidates coming to Beijing to take the exam. The bookstores here gradually prospered, and scholars and candidates took advantage of the temple fair to exchange some books and items, especially here they could find rare and unique books at low prices.

Because she had just been to Qingshou Temple not long ago, when she arrived at Longfu Temple, Meng'er just strolled around and worshipped in front of the Buddha. Wang Wei took Meng'er to visit various halls and then left the temple. It was still early, so the two of them strolled around the city. Gradually, they walked out of the temple market, and the crowds were not so dense. Meng'er's stomach suddenly growled. Wang Wei glanced at her and pretended not to hear. Meng'er looked at Wang Wei's expression, as if he wanted to laugh or not. Suddenly, she stopped, hesitated for a while, and strode to a very grand restaurant. Looking up, she saw a plaque with ebony and gold characters on the door that read "Chongshan Restaurant". Meng'er pointed inside and said, "I want to eat the best."

Wang Wei walked over slowly. "You really know how to choose. This is the top restaurant in Beijing. Not only are the dishes outstanding, but the owner behind it is Lord Xu. Needless to say, the style is great. However, the private rooms upstairs are not available without advance reservation. Today we can only sit down for the banquet."

Mei'er didn't care about all that. It was enough to have a good meal. When she entered the door, she could only smell a faint woody fragrance. There were green plants everywhere near the windows, and all she could see were lush flowers and trees, and carved railings. The lobby was tall and wide, but it was not filled with tables and chairs like ordinary restaurants. Only some high-quality tables and chairs were placed around the edges. The middle of the hall was open, and looking down, she could vaguely see the railings and columns on the second and third floors. It was winding and deep, with carved beams and painted buildings. It was really rich and magnificent.

There weren't many diners at this time, and the place would only get lively in the evening. The waiter hurried over to greet the guests when he saw them. When he saw Wang Wei, he smiled and said, "Young Master Wang, you're here early. Didn't the other gentlemen arrive at Youshi?"

Wang Wei said, "Oh!" He had postponed the banquet the day before, and they still held it here. It was okay for them to run into him, but it was not good for Mei'er to be a girl after all. He thought about it again, and it was still early, so he should feed this greedy cat first. Mei'er grabbed the menu loudly, "What? What? What is this?" After reading it from beginning to end, Mei'er muttered and threw the menu to the other side, "Hey, you come here often, so you should order."

Wang Wei took it without hesitation, took a quick look at it and called the waiter over: "Jade Cinnamon Fairy, pushing the veil to look at the moon, colorful phoenix welcoming spring, a house full of gold and jade, and a silver bell piled up in snow, come up quickly." The waiter agreed and left.

When the dishes were served, Meng'er pointed at the dishes and said in surprise: "Pine nut corn, isn't this pine nut corn? Didn't you order it? Hey, is there corn in this era? Ahem...what is this...some stewed mushrooms? Uh...isn't this just roast chicken?...What is this...These people are really weird, the names of the dishes are so weird, I don't even know what they mean."

"What's so strange about this? Take this dish, "Pushing the Gauze to Watch the Moon", for example. It uses bamboo fungus and pigeon eggs as the main ingredients. When making it, remove the mesh-like fungus curtain under the mushroom cap and cut it into a rectangular curtain shape with a knife. Then use a round mold to steam the pigeon eggs into a moon shape and put them in a bowl together with delicious clear chicken soup. It looks like a bright moon in front of the window reflected in the clear spring. Don't you think it gives people a fresh, elegant and extraordinary feeling? This dish, "Yugui Xianjun", is cooked with scallops, which are not often available in the capital. And this "Cai Feng Yingchun", you can't get this taste from other places. The chicken is really crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, rich but not greasy, light but not thin, crispy and boneless without losing its shape, smooth and crisp without losing its taste. This dish must be eaten while it's hot, otherwise it will not taste good when it's cold."