Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

This small bowl of porridge was very small, just enough for four mouthfuls at most. After Zhao Yue finished drinking it, she felt that it was almost the same as not drinking anything. She was a martial artist, and Cui Bianxu's good appetite was inherited from her. If it were based on her appetite, she could eat ten bowls, let alone this small bowl.

When she first got married, she was never full when dining with the Cui family. They had appetites like birds, and she didn't know how they grew them. But she didn't dare to fill her stomach as much as she could as she would when cleaning a battlefield. Later, she learned her lesson and would always have a snack in advance and eat her fill before going out, so that she could have enough time to relax.

Although the food was tempting, she still remembered why she came here. Her eyes glanced at the two glasses of emerald green wine, and she wiped the corners of her mouth with the handkerchief in her hand. She pretended to be dissatisfied and said, "Why is there still wine? Women are not allowed to drink outside casually."

"Madam, please don't be surprised. This wine is called Bamboo Leaf Green. It lives up to its name, with a lovely translucent green color. It's crisp and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste and the delicate fragrance of bamboo. Lately, every lady in Chang'an has been buying this wine to take home. I figured that since it's been a rare trip to Chang'an, when you return to Qinghe, if a close friend asks about the differences between Chang'an and Qinghe, you could share them. So, I took the initiative to bring this wine to show you."

The game is to retreat in order to advance, she just brought it here to show her.

Zhao Yue felt a little uncomfortable when she heard her say that she was only allowed to see it. She was quite happy when she saw the wine just now, but when she heard her say that it was a fashionable thing in Chang'an City, she became even more greedy. Who doesn't like to follow fashion?

Jiang Shangxian had been secretly observing her expression, and seeing that she was a little interested, he continued, "It's just a small drink. If you like it, Madam, you might as well take some back on your way back. Nowadays, whenever the literati and scholars in Chang'an gather to discuss the past and present, they always have this Bamboo Leaf Green. It is said that drinking a cup is like traveling with the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. I heard that the Cui family are all learned scholars, so I think they must like this wine too."

If you don’t drink and I don’t drink, how can the drinking culture be passed on?

Zhao Yue was quite satisfied with this reason. She licked her lips, reached out and picked up the glass of tempting and refreshing wine. She looked at it carefully. The wine was clear without a trace of impurities. She sniffed it closely and could indeed smell the fragrance of bamboo leaves. When she closed her eyes, she felt as if she was in a sea of ​​bamboo...

She opened her eyes, a hint of desire flashing in them: "Then I... will taste this wine for them to see if it is really that magical?"

Jiang Shangxian nodded like a little chicken pecking at rice, and continued to persuade him to drink very cooperatively: "It was my fault for not thinking carefully just now. This wine should be tasted. If it is good, it will be worth bringing it back from thousands of miles away, right?"

The climate in Guazhou is dry and rainy, with plenty of sunlight but a large temperature difference between day and night. The locals love to drink. In addition to dairy fermented wines such as camel milk wine, horse milk wine, and goat milk wine, the most popular wine is grape wine in luminous glasses.

The characteristic of these wines is that they are sweet with a hint of sourness.

After Zhao Yue married into the Cui family, although she could still drink the wine she wanted, her position in the Cui family was still a bit awkward. For her, the more important thing in the Cui family was to give birth to a son, gain a firm foothold, and manage their small family.

Therefore, she seldom drank heartily anymore. Today, she just took a sip of the Bamboo Leaf Green, savored it carefully for a moment, and then her eyes lit up and she couldn't help but swallow the whole small glass of wine.

"This wine is really good, no wonder so many people like it."

She said this sincerely. Although this wine was different from the one she had been drinking since she was a child, anyone who knew how to taste wine and loved drinking could easily tell the quality of the wine. This Bamboo Leaf Green wine had a warm taste and was not spicy in the throat. Only after it completely entered the stomach did a faint feeling of heat rise up, and the mouth was filled with the fragrance of bamboo leaves.

Jiang Shangxian didn't rush to pour her a second glass of wine. Instead, he picked up a piece of spicy chicken with chopsticks and said, "Madam, try this spicy chicken. It goes really well with wine."

"The color is quite bright." Zhao Yue looked at the spicy chicken cubes with a small piece of chili on top with some hesitation.

Jiang Shangxian did this on purpose. After eating chili peppers, you have to drink water. There is no water, so you have to drink alcohol!

"Yes, this dish looks very popular. Every time during Chinese New Year or other festivals, there are a lot of people coming. They all say that this dish is suitable for the occasion. The chicken is made with bones removed. You can eat it piece by piece without even rubbing off the lip grease. This dish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Even if it looks a little dry on the outside, you will know after one bite that all the flavorful juices are locked inside. It is very tender."

Jiang Shangxian was very dedicated in selling the dishes, and the more he ate, the more he liked to drink.

Zhao Yue's appetite was aroused by what she said. Without hesitation, she picked up the piece of spicy chicken and put it into her mouth. The moment it entered her mouth, the fragrance, numbness, spiciness and saltiness burst out in her mouth. She chewed it subconsciously, and the crispy skin was bitten open, and the delicious gravy inside filled her mouth.

Almost in just a few breaths, Zhao Yue's eyelids turned slightly red, and her cheeks were also stained pink.

Jiang Shangxian quickly stuffed a glass of wine into her hand. Zhao Yue, who was feeling the spiciness, drank it all in one gulp without hesitation. After she finally recovered her breath, she glared at Jiang Shangxian angrily: "Did you do this on purpose?!"

Yes, she is.

But can you admit this?

Jiang Shangxian resolutely bowed his head and admitted his mistake, "Madam, I really didn't mean to do that. This dish is a favorite of Cui Lang, Zhao Xueshi, and the General of the Central Army. Even the Fifth Lady of the Jiangxia County Prince's family likes to order it every time she comes home. As the saying goes, a son resembles his mother. I thought that since Madam is Cui Lang's biological mother, her taste should be similar to his, so I added this dish and wanted Madam to try it too."

"Sweet talk and flattery, huh..." Zhao Yue did not clearly indicate whether she believed what she said.

Seeing that she had no intention of continuing to hold on, Jiang Shangxian immediately picked up another piece of dried tofu mixed with shepherd's purse for her with his chopsticks: "Madam, try this. Although shepherd's purse is a wild vegetable, many people say that only poor families eat it, but they don't know how delicious it is."

Zhao Yue didn't pick up the shepherd's purse with chopsticks, but looked at her face covered with it and said: Let's see how you blow it.

"Your cooking is good, but the quality of this dish is still a little lacking. Who among the noble families would serve this kind of thing? Look at your hands, they are still a little rough. The noble ladies of the noble families write, paint, recite poems, and manage the household affairs, and their hands are as soft and boneless as white jade."

These words almost made her disdain known. Zhao Yue just stared at Jiang Shangxian, watching how she was going to respond. If she turned against her, that would be great!