Yefutidaolu

Chapter 264 Daily life
Shen Du, Liu Su Er.

Gao Jian was watching the commotion in the thousands of households outside.

To be honest, it's pretty good.

There are always some people who are doing quite well, so... they're doing just fine.

It's not necessary to be bitter and resentful all the time. In fact, Gao Jian doesn't have any enemies in this world. If he wanted, he could live a life of luxury right now. It's just that Gao Jian isn't very interested in that.

From the moment he landed at the blood sacrifice site until now, Gao Jian has actually been feeling quite depressed most of the time and hasn't thought about these things.

Just as Gao Jian was feeling dejected, he saw Dan Sha in the back courtyard, pacing around as she said, "I guess I've finally settled down in the capital."

He got up, led Zoulong back to the courtyard, and said, "What do you mean you've settled down in the capital? What kind of settlement? And why do you talk in circles?"

Dan Sha didn't stop, he kept spinning: "I'm looking at the sky, spinning around to see it better. Do you see that? That thing up there, isn't that what the Divine Dynasty uses on New Year's Eve?"

"Oh, look at that? Hmm, I see it. That should be the one that resisted the Twilight Beast. Also, you didn't tell me what happened to the An family," Gao Jian asked.

Dansha stopped, seemingly a little dizzy, then swayed from side to side and leaned against Gao Jian for support before regaining her balance.

After regaining her balance, she said, "What? What happened? Don't you have no home?"

This surprised Gao Jian: "Huh??"

“Yes, don’t you have no family? You’re all alone in Cangzhou, and you’re all alone in Shendu.” Dansha said, happily pointing around, “So I bought you one!”

Upon seeing this, Gao Jian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled knowingly: "This is just a house, not a home."

"Once you've lived here long enough, it becomes home," my uncle told me.

"I'm afraid he won't be staying long." Gao Jian shook his head, then changed the subject: "By the way, aren't you going to continue talking to Lord Jingjiang? Elder Shu hasn't returned yet."

Dansha was immediately drawn into the new topic of conversation and responded to Gao Jian: "Hehe, I've said everything I needed to say~, what are we going to eat tonight? I haven't prepared anything. Tonight is the end of the year, and there should be regulations on the food in the Divine Dynasty, right?"

"There aren't really any rules, but there's something I'd like to eat. Shall we go buy it?" Gao Jian said.

"Sure," Dansha said without any objection.

"Then let's buy it." Gao Jian nodded, then removed the reins from the dragon, patted it, and gestured for him to play by himself.

Zou Long snorted and ran away.

So, only Gao Jian and Dan Sha remained.

The two packed their things, walked out onto the street, and blended into the crowd.

Dansha was quite eye-catching, and she changed her clothes very frequently, always the newest and best-looking ones. Combined with her appearance, she would normally be the most stylish person on the street. But since it was New Year's Eve, everyone on the street was dressed up and made up, so she didn't seem so out of place.

However, Dansha was lively and chattering, hopping around Gao Jian like a little sparrow, looking here and touching there. And this little rich girl had a lot of money, so she bought whatever she liked, whatever interested her, and even if she only glanced at something a few times, she would still buy it. Soon, she had a huge pile of things in her hands.

Unable to carry it all, she naturally tossed it to Gao Jian, who had no choice but to accept it.

However, these things are indeed quite interesting.

For example, right now there are two little people jumping on Gao Jian's shoulders, saying, "Greetings, sir! Sir, why don't you buy a bag? You probably can't carry it like this."

“That makes sense. You two take the money from my pocket and go buy a handcart. They sell them over there,” Gao Jian said.

So the two little men jumped into Gao Jian's pocket, struggled to pick up a gold coin, and then landed on the ground. Together, they carried the enormous coin towards the cart vendor, laughing and joking. Soon they brought a cart over.

These two people were named Maharaja, commonly known as "Mud Boy". They were also called "Clever Boy".

The term "Mahara," also known as "Mohara," "Mohara," etc., is a transliteration from the realm of gods and is a deity name in Buddhist scriptures. In legends, Mahara is the embodiment of beauty and cuteness, so it is often made into these human-like little clay figures.

Generally speaking, mahāra are small clay figurines, but they are often mounted on carved wooden stands or covered with red gauze and green cages. Some mahāra are decorated with gold, pearls, ivory, and jade, so the most valuable ones can be worth thousands of gold pieces.

The maharajas were exquisitely crafted, and the most valuable ones were even carved with tiger teeth or ivory, or made with Buddha's hand incense. They were all made of gold, pearls, and jade, and the folds of their clothes, coins, hairpins, bracelets, pendants, pearls, and hair ornaments were all made of the "seven golds".

Some skilled craftsmen create these mahasthamaprapta that are said to be sentient, able to guard your home, tend to your plants, and greet guests, hence the name "guardian boy".

This was just one of the few things Dan Sha had bought.

There's a revolving lantern, a chessboard with a magical atmosphere of thousands of troops, diabolo, and even pots and pans. There's also plenty of food, like sugar figurines, sugar paintings, pancakes, and fermented rice wine.

It's less like strolling around and more like a shopping spree, buying everything in sight. Because of this behavior, many vendors surrounded them and started introducing their wares.

Cinnabar is open to all comers. If you come, you can look at it. If you like it, you can buy it. After you buy it, you can show it off in front of Gao Jian. After you've shown it off, you can throw it in the car and let Gao Jian tow it away.

She had just bought a carousel and was jumping around in front of Gao Jian, showing him the story of the carousel's rotation, with its dazzling light and shadow, seemingly depicting a person's life.

I gave it to Gao Jian after reading it once, and now she's looking at furniture...

"That's enough, why buy so much stuff?" Gao Jian smiled wryly and finally reached out to stop her.

If this continues, the streets will probably be emptied out.

"That house is empty, there's nothing there yet, just some furniture left by the original owner, not even bedding. If you want to settle down, you'll definitely need to buy things. Don't worry about it, I'll arrange it for you." Dansha said casually, then gave the address and asked the shopkeeper to deliver it to her home.

Gao Jian was slightly taken aback. He looked at the pile of things in his cart, including two Maharajas who kept calling him "Master" repeatedly.

He suddenly remembered that the Mahāra... was also called the "guardian boy".

Thinking about it, he suddenly smiled and said nothing more.

Home is something... although you can't just buy a house anywhere and turn it into a home.

But adding some things wouldn't hurt.

This shopping spree resulted in a large amount of purchases. Gao Jian also took the opportunity to buy some food, mostly traditional New Year's Eve dishes—a nice feast to be eaten at home that evening. The food was kept warm very well, so he could simply put it in the mustard bag.

As for the rest, that was all chosen by Dan Sha. In this way, an hour quickly passed, and Gao Jian's mustard seed bag was full, his cart was full, not to mention the many items that were being delivered. He had made over a thousand gold coins in one day.

This is a considerable expense; thousands of gold coins is equivalent to a year's income for many people in the capital. Fortunately, Dansha is a wealthy woman.

As the sun began to set, Gao Jian returned with a pile of things, only to find Shu Jian riding on the head of the dragon at the doorway of the house.

As you can see, the mouse is directing the dragon, which is dragging a bunch of things behind it.

"A rat? What are you dragging?" Dansha stepped forward first, somewhat curious.

"Oh, isn't this the house you bought, Dansha? I was thinking of staying at the Imperial Academy for quite a few years, so I bought some things for Gaojian to settle down. They're all everyday items. Wait, what? You guys are dragging your feet on this too?"

"Oh no, I bought almost the same thing as you, it seems like we bought the same thing twice!" Dansha immediately rushed forward in a panic to check if everyone had bought the same items.

Seeing this, Shu Jian immediately jumped over: "Huh? You bought them and didn't tell me? Let me see!"

Both sides rummaged through the piles of miscellaneous items the other had bought, and actually found quite a few things that, although different in shape, served almost the same purpose.

For example, the Maharajas that Dansha bought were household attendants, while Shujian bought a group of green-clad children who were spirits of plants and trees, also used for welcoming and seeing off guests. They were much cheaper than the Maharajas, weaker in strength and magic, and a bit less intelligent, so they were basically a completely weakened version.

Besides that, most of the things Shu Jian bought were similar. Shu Shu wasn't a rich woman, so she didn't buy anything that expensive. In total, it only cost about three or four hundred gold coins.

This isn't a small amount of money, but it certainly can't compare to cinnabar.

Dansha immediately became smug and said from the side, "Look, what I bought is much better than what you bought!"

Shu Jian didn't bother arguing with her, rolled her eyes, and just put her hands on her hips and looked at Gao Jian: "Is it still necessary? If not, I'll return it."

Obviously, the mouse is a reliable adult mouse and wouldn't compare itself to cinnabar in such matters.

Dansha was clearly quite dissatisfied, looking at Gao Jian as if hoping he would praise her.

When Gao Jian saw this, he smiled, and then... his vision suddenly blurred.

That's good.

It's really good.

Gao Jian has been busy in the Divine Dynasty until now. Even when he takes a break, he is suddenly overcome by loneliness, just like before.

But now he feels like it doesn't matter anymore.

Before I knew it, the rusty knife's blade had grown to a foot long.

However, he didn't seem particularly happy. He simply waved his hand and said casually, "No need to return it. Just set out two portions. The grass spirit and Mahara can keep each other company. Alright, it's almost dark. Let's eat. I bought some food, and then I'll show you my skills! I'll cook for you tonight!" Gao Jian rolled up his sleeves and said this.

"Cooking yourself? Hmm..." Dansha looked suspicious.

Shu Jian nodded: "Okay, then let's go, let's take the things back first. The things on the stove should all be ready, so the kitchen is yours."

"Okay!" Gao Jian then picked up the things and went into the kitchen.

He lit the firewood, prepared the pot, and checked the ingredients. Full of confidence, Gao Jian began to cook.

Logically speaking, this should be the time for him to show off his skills, create some otherworldly cuisine, and instantly conquer the taste buds! Let's watch his performance!

After working in the kitchen for about an hour, and as darkness fell and fireworks lit up the sky outside, Gao Jian finally carried the dishes into the main room.

He set up a table and even went outside to prepare a bunch of medicinal herbs for Old Ma, so he could give him something good to eat today.

After that, they called people to eat.

As Gao Jian had predicted, now it was time for Dan Sha and Shu Jian to loudly praise him.

"Alright, all done. Come and try my cooking." Gao Jian pointed to the table.

He certainly wouldn't cook anything complicated, so he made a hot pot. All the other dishes on the table were bought from outside, but the hot pot was homemade.

Dansha and Shujian looked at each other, glancing at the table. They knew, of course, that only the hot pot was made by Gaojian, so after looking at it, Dansha picked up his chopsticks.

The mouse didn't use chopsticks; it used a fork to skewer food onto the plate and then ate it with its paws.

After just one bite, Dansha's expectant expression vanished.

"Uh... maybe you shouldn't cook anymore?" Dansha's expression was somewhat subtle.

"Huh? It's not good?" Gao Jian asked in surprise. He had already tasted it and it definitely tasted like authentic hot pot.

"Well... if you gave it to a mortal to eat, they would probably find it delicious." Dansha carefully chose her words before continuing, "But... this is just too... unchanged."

"Look at these things I bought outside." Dansha casually pointed to a dish: "This steamed meatloaf contains lotus root, water chestnut, taro, chicken head, water caltrop, arrowhead, and lily bulb. The meat is selected, chopped and steamed until tender, then pounded into a ball in a mortar. After it cools and hardens, it is sliced ​​and eaten. The process of controlling the water and fire, adjusting the heat, is an art. The firewood used is mulberry wood, which is the essence of the constellation Ji, capable of dispelling wind and aiding. Oak charcoal has a strong fire nature, so it cannot be used. It is boiled continuously throughout the process, so that a strong fire is also possible. It is stirred dozens of times with a ladle and boiled dozens of times before it becomes a dish."

"With such changes, the qi in the ingredients can subtly transform and change, allowing them to transfer their flavors to each other. Various ingredients intertwine and create variations, resulting in a flavorful dish. There are hundreds of types of qi, each changing and interweaving. Different cooking times produce different flavors, and different consistency complements different flavors. The flavor is achieved through the interplay of ingredients, which is how a dish is made."

"What you made... it's so dry, just a pot of spices. Everything tastes the same, and it only has one texture. Plus, you have to control the texture yourself. It's awful," Dansha said mercilessly.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jian nodded slightly.

That's true. This world has done a lot of research on these things, so it's impossible to use some kind of otherworldly knowledge to achieve a dimensional reduction attack.

This world is not lacking in smart people, nor is it lacking in technology.

The development of the Divine Dynasty into what it is today has its own historical reasons; it cannot be changed simply by the arrival of something from another world.

Moreover, the idea of ​​allowing flavors to 'enter and exit' between ingredients by controlling the heat and consistency sounds truly ingenious.

Wait a minute... spiritual practice seems to follow the same principle?

(End of this chapter)