Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 205 Tanzhou

The three of them left the small temple and, not far away, arrived at Tanzhou City.

Unlike the cold, desolate, and white landscape outside the city—it was the end of the year, and Tanzhou City was bustling with people, with red and green decorations everywhere!

The previously listless eyes of the passersby and common people brightened, their faces glowing with satisfaction. His thin frame now appeared fuller. Although his clothes were patched, they were a hundred times better than the 'ragged' and 'barely clothed' figures Li Xingzhi had seen when he first arrived.

Along the roadside, steam rose from bamboo steamers, the sweet aroma of sweet potatoes, especially rich and enticing in this winter weather, constantly filling the air with its fragrance. Several greedy children stood beside the steamers, their faces flushed, their little noses snorting as they took deep breaths, finding it the greatest pleasure!

Tanzhou City in the dead of winter is surprisingly warm!

Looking at the scene before him, Li Xingzhi felt a surge of joy and satisfaction.

As he walked further, his nose twitched a few more times, and he took two breaths. A familiar, exotic scent filled his nostrils—it smelled wonderful!

He followed the scent and walked into Shenjing Alley, where the fragrance grew stronger.

"What a weird smell! It stinks!" Li Linzhi groaned. Her brows furrowed, and her small nose twitched uncontrollably, which she frequently covered with her hand. Zhou Rou'er, standing beside her, also had her delicate nose furrowed.

The group walked along Shenjing Alley, and around the corner, they found themselves in a completely different scene, with countless stalls and vendors. At the entrance, the stench was even stronger. An old man sat there, holding chopsticks, picking up small, dark cubes and frying them in the blackened oil. He would then take them out with his chopsticks, poke a few small holes in them, drizzle them with oil, and serve them to customers.

"What's so delicious about this dark, smelly stuff?!"

Li Linzhi looked at the long queue and found it quite strange, but she had no intention of trying it out.

Stinky tofu is something that some people find incredibly delicious, while others find it pungent and unpleasant to eat!

Li Xingzhi looked at the old man selling stinky tofu, raised an eyebrow, and felt a little strange. He had only passed on the recipe for stinky tofu to Ding Yushi, so where did this old man learn it from?

Thinking this, he stepped forward and asked, "Old man, where is the woman who sells stinky tofu?"

"Go away, go away, go away, stop causing trouble!"

The old man raised his head, and upon hearing Li Xingzhi's words, his face showed extreme impatience.

A young man dressed like a peacock leaned over and said, "You mean the 'Tofu Beauty'?"

As he spoke, the man looked at the rather handsome Li Xingzhi with an ambiguous and gossipy expression before pointing in a direction, "Hey, it's over there." Then he added, "'Tofu Beauty's' stinky tofu is not something ordinary people can eat. Even if you go there now, it won't do you any good even if you wait in line until closing time."

Li Xingzhi turned his head and saw a huge crowd of people, forming a long queue.

Seeing this, Li Xingzhi lost interest in going over to take a look and instead asked, "When I came here a few years ago, I only saw that woman and her family selling things, why are they here now..."

"Don't you know there are eyes in the wall? This thing can't be hidden anywhere." The man looked at him like he was an alien, as if asking: How come you don't know this?

The man was clearly a boy of no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, but he spoke with the air of someone who had been through it all, and sighed softly, “She’s a widow with two children, and it’s already hard enough for her. How can she care about anything else? If this method gets out, it might actually be a good thing.”

Finally, he couldn't resist adding, with a nod and a flourish, "What seems like a misfortune may actually be a blessing in disguise?"

Li Xingzhi looked at the awful person in front of him with a frustrated expression, and several bumps appeared on his forehead.

Seeing that the 'peacock' was about to say something, Li Xingzhi quickly used the excuse of buying stinky tofu to go to the back of the line—the aroma was really tempting!

A box of stinky tofu was bought, but the two women refused to taste it no matter what. Li Xingzhi and the other woman, who couldn't eat properly, devoured the entire box of stinky tofu, broth and all. They even licked the remaining bits from their lips with their tongues.

Seeing Li Xingzhi's blissful expression, the two women wondered if they had missed out on some exquisite delicacy. However, the lingering odor made them abandon their thoughts.

The snow made the sky appear a deep white, with a few occasional light gray clouds resembling faint ink washes on white paper.

The streets were still bustling, and the noodle shops and restaurants were ten times more lively.

Before I knew it, it was noon.

Li Xingzhi glanced at the sky and was about to turn back when suddenly, a surge of people appeared ahead of him.

"You little brat, you unfilial bastard, if I don't beat you into submission today, I'll change my surname to yours!" Just as Li Xingzhi was looking up, a loud and aged voice came from the middle of the crowd.

"Father, Father, please be gentle, be gentle. It doesn't matter if you hurt your child, but please take care of your health!" A mournful voice came out, and it was the filial son who heard this.

Hearing the voice, Li Xingzhi suddenly felt a sense of familiarity for some reason. He walked a little further, and a wooden building with carved railings and painted beams came into view.

A plaque stands in the center of this building, which reads: Yuelai Inn.

Li Xingzhi found it even stranger—who could have caused such a disturbance in front of his inn, and why no one had come out to deal with it?

"Now that I've caught you, don't even think about becoming some worthless cook! To take up such a lowly profession would be a disgrace to our ancestors!"

"Ouch, ouch, my ears~" "Dad, Dad, be gentle~" "How about we have some tea here first and talk slowly?" The voice was mournful, with a cautious and ingratiating tone.

"Stop babbling! You're leaving today whether you like it or not!" "If I don't take you away today, I'll call you my father tomorrow!!" The voice was still old, but louder and more resonant, filled with a fiery aura.

"Ouch—be gentle! Ouch! I'll go, I'll go with you." "Fine, I'll go with you!"

"What are you looking at? Get out of my way!!"

A shout of cursing rang out, and the crowd quickly parted to make way. A seven-foot-tall, extremely strong, muscular, and gray-haired old man, carrying a nearly two-hundred-pound fat man, walked out step by step.

The old man, with a ruddy complexion, a thorny beard, and an aura of menace, walked out step by step, and no one dared to stop him in the slightest. As the old man moved away from the crowd, the lively crowd fell silent.

Li Xingzhi was looking at the old man, but before he could pay much attention, his eyes were drawn to the fat man in the old man's hand, whose eyes were pinched so hard that they were bulging, and whose already thick ears were pinched so hard that they were bulging.

This person was none other than Luo San, or Fatty Luo, who had stayed in Tanzhou!

Hearing the conversation between the two, Li Xingzhi realized that the imposing and robust old man was Luo Pangzi's father. When he first met Luo Pangzi, he was curious—how could such a fair-skinned little fat boy have such a scumbag-like beard? But seeing the old man, he finally understood.

However, to be fair, apart from their beards, the two really don't look alike at all.

He had thought Luo San had no family, but unexpectedly, an old man appeared out of nowhere. However, since it was a family matter, he couldn't very well step in and say anything.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Li Xingzhi didn't want to get involved, but this matter still came knocking on his door.

Supported by the old man with one hand, Luo San, his face as red as a roasted pig, squinted at the three people not far away, his eyes practically bulging like duck eggs. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, and seeing that the people in front of him were still there, his expression instantly lit up with excitement, like a dying man finding a remedy for his demise, his whole body bursting with adrenaline. As the old man carried him past the three people, Luo San pounced, breaking free from his hold, and grabbed Li Xingzhi's leg, crying out pitifully, "Li Dalang, Li Dalang, help me!"

Seeing Luo San's humiliating appearance, the old man's eyes blazed with fury that could have burned them all to ashes!

Seeing that the old man's face was flushed red, like a firecracker about to explode, Li Xingzhi quickly helped Luo San up, bowed to the old man, and said, "Old man, just call me Li Dalang. Luo San and I are friends." "Since you've come to Tanzhou, why don't you come and sit at my residence?"

One doesn't hit a smiling face. Even though the old man was still dissatisfied, his flushed face calmed down slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Luo San quickly pulled Li Xingzhi aside and said, "Father, this is Li Dalang, my savior." "Don't let his thin appearance fool you. That day, I was captured by thieves, but he single-handedly killed all the bandits with his sword and rescued me."

Luo San knew that his father valued gratitude and righteousness above all else and respected warriors the most, which is why he said those words.

Old Man Luo was half-believing and half-doubting Luo San's words, but his expression improved somewhat.

He knew his son, though slippery, was an honest man. But to say he trusted him—the young man before him, judging by his figure and bearing, clearly didn't seem like the kind of hero who could single-handedly wipe out a group of bandits. It was the two girls beside the young man who, however, exuded a chilling aura, clearly not ordinary.

However, since his son claimed to be his benefactor, he must be right. He immediately clasped his hands in a salute and said, "My son is very unfilial, and I have made Mr. Li laugh at me. Since Mr. Li has invited me, I can only bring my unfilial son to bother you."

Upon hearing Old Man Luo's words, Fatty Luo's eyes crinkled with laughter, and his previously mournful face revealed a hint of joy.

"Ouch!"

Before he could even feel happy, Fatty Luo felt a sharp pain in his ear, and tears involuntarily streamed down his face. He forced his eyes open and saw Old Man Luo dragging him along, following Li Xingzhi and the other two, heading towards the Li residence.

Heading southwest, the road became increasingly remote. Further on, the once quiet alleyways regained some liveliness, and soon, a heavy, dark gate appeared before them.

----

S. Regarding stinky tofu, this is based on my personal experience. Real stinky tofu is absolutely black, and after frying, it remains black as well, with an incredibly fragrant aroma that can be smelled strongly from 30 to 50 meters away. This aroma is strong, but not pungent. If it's not black and doesn't have a strong smell, it's definitely not authentic. (To be continued.)