I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 292 Even Immortals Have No Extra Money
Yuan Danqiu, wearing a fur coat, also looked over.

"I heard that there's a family in Yongningfang who helped a woman who was asking for water, and they even got married afterward," Yuan Danqiu said, recounting the gossip he'd overheard from the neighborhood.

Li Bai asked from the side:

"Are they also demons or ghosts?"

"Of course!"

Yuan Danqiu said, "I heard that the two later got married, and the man's name was Wang Shen..."

Jiang She asked with great interest.

"Then their family was destroyed and they died?"

Yuan Danqiu stroked his beard.

"Pretty much. They all take it as a story. I heard it from Granny Wang by the well. She told her son, Xiao Sanzi, to be wary of women, especially beautiful ones."

"For example, the woman who asked for water was actually a jealous old man who had become a spirit."

Li Bai laughed loudly beside him.

"Fortunately, we don't have vinegar jars here. Even if they come looking for us, they'll only be looking for wine jars."

Wine jars are consumables for them. There are 360 ​​days in a year, and he and Yuan Danqiu can drink for at least 300 days. Before they become spirits, they would have already drunk them all.

Yuan Danqiu also said:
"I think they're really overthinking it. Whether that young man can even find a wife is another matter entirely. Where would a young, beautiful woman come from to deceive him? They're just dreaming of such a wonderful thing."

"By the way, sir, where are all the ghosts in Chang'an?"

"It's probably in the East and West Markets of Chang'an."

Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu exchanged a glance, both looking on with interest.

Li Bai, in particular, looked at the sun. It was only late afternoon, and the sky was still bright. By the time they arrived at the East and West Markets, it would be almost evening, which was just right.

Should we set off now?

Seeing his anxious expression, Jiang She laughed, "No rush. I just got back, let me rest for a few days first."

"What about Sanshui and Chuyi?"

"They went outside to play in the snow."

Rejected, Li Bai could only regretfully fill his own wine cup and gaze at the unfinished wine jar in the pavilion, feeling a pang of disappointment.

"That demon actually dodged it, really..."

He and Yuan Danqiu sat at the same table, both thinking about the demons and ghosts in the East and West Markets of Chang'an, and began to discuss it in hushed tones.

After drinking two cups, they looked up again and gazed into the courtyard.

"Oh dear, where did the master go?"

……

……

In the same Shengpingfang neighborhood, the residences of officials and literati were close to the Taile Department and the Guchui Department.

In the light, misty snow.

A beautifully crafted three-legged cauldron sits in the center of the table, with a roaring charcoal fire beneath it. Inside, a broth made from bones, meat, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, and orange peel is simmering and boiling. Steam rises from the cauldron, filling the air with its aroma.

Zhang Xu and Wu Daozi were kindred spirits; one was skilled in cursive script, and the other in painting. They were friends for many years.

Zhang Xu drank his wine and casually glanced at Wu Daozi.

"Why are you still so distracted, thinking about the paintings at Jinggong Temple?"

"Who was that person you met today? He looks young, but his demeanor is extraordinary. Could he be a scion of some noble family? How come I've never seen him before?"

Wu Daozi paused.

"It was a friend I met in Yanzhou."

Zhang Xu raised his wine cup: "Did you meet during the Fengshan ceremony?"

"Exactly."

Zhang Xu glanced at it and wondered if it was just his imagination, but Wu Daozi's tone sounded a little strange when he said it.

He took a sip of his drink, not paying it any mind. He picked up a piece of mutton with his chopsticks; the cook had sliced ​​it lightly and thinly, and it cooked quickly after a quick dip in the broth. The cook had even prepared a special dipping sauce for Zhang Xu, his guest.

Zhang Xu tasted it and praised it highly.

"Truly excellent craftsmanship!"

"This kitchen is rare; why don't you lend it to me?"

Wu Daozi waved his hand as if to drive them away.

"Go! Go! Go!"

Zhang Xu laughed loudly.

Wu Daozi was still thinking about what to prepare when he invited Jiang Langjun over in a few days. After the two finished drinking and eating, and his friend rested in the guest room, Wu Daozi called the chef.

What skills do you have?

The cook, a middle-aged man, bowed and said with his hands at his sides:
"This humble servant is skilled with a knife; he can use a fine knife to cut tofu into thin strips that can pass through the eye of a needle. He can also make soy sauce and vinegar, which will certainly taste much better than what is sold in the general store."

"Besides that, I can also make some flatbread, steamed cakes, steamed buns, roasted lamb arm, sashimi, and cold toad soup..."

The cook spoke at length. Wu Daozi recalled the delicacies he had seen at the palace banquet and asked:
"I've heard that some people can carve dragons, phoenixes, and flowers out of fruits and vegetables, making them incredibly lifelike. This is called 'carving.' Do you know how?"

The chef never expected he would need to know this skill.

He was a little embarrassed.

"I am willing to learn this, but it will probably take some time."

Wu Daozi gave up.

He then asked, "I've heard that there's a dish called 'Steamed Vegetarian Music Section,' which uses dough to sculpt over seventy musicians, singers, and dancers, each with a different appearance and expression, some holding a pipa, others playing a jie drum..."

"Do you know how to make it?"

The cook scratched his head. He remembered that a servant had just run into the kitchen and joked with him, saying that the young master of the Zhang family had taken a liking to him and wanted to invite him to cook for the family.

At the time, he didn't think much of it.

Now it seems like it's worth considering.

The cook said, "Those are famous dishes served at imperial banquets; they are not something we can learn to make."

He held it in for a long time, but finally couldn't help asking:

"My lord, who would you like to invite?"

Even the emperor in the palace doesn't eat such lavish dishes every day; their young master is truly delusional. The dishes he proposed could be used to entertain even the gods.

Wu Daozi sighed.

He didn't answer, but said:
"That's fine."

"In that case, you should prepare the ingredients and seasonings first. If you need anything, just let me know and I'll buy it back in time. I'm going to invite some distinguished guests over soon, so we can't afford to miss anything."

The cook breathed a sigh of relief and obeyed.

After instructing his servants, Wu Daozi pushed open the door to his study. He picked up the half-finished draft he had been working on for Jinggong Temple, shook his head, and put it aside.

There was no progress on the mural project, and I was worried for several days.

He can't care about these things right now.

Wu Daozi spread out a new sheet of paper and carefully wrote down the invitation.

He recalled the address Jiang Langjun had mentioned; it seemed to be in the southwest of the neighborhood. It sounded somewhat familiar... he couldn't quite place where he had heard it before.

……

……

In winter, it gets dark late, and by the time one is in the twilight hour (5-7 PM), the residents of the neighborhood begin to head home.

Today is a solar term, and it's also the first snow in Chang'an. Everyone is eager to buy something to reward their family.

A little boy and his friend said with great interest:
"There was a giant dog in the sky that ate the sun in one go!"

"My dad was burning bamboo in the fire at the time, which scared away the big black dog, and that's how Taiyang was saved."

His partner disagreed.

"It was clearly my dad who chased them away by banging the gong!"

"He's my dad!"

"My dad!"

“My dad can set off firecrackers, and your dad can bang gongs. They can scare away not only the dogs in the sky, but even the rascal on the street.”

"How can a dog run if it has a limp?"

The two children were arguing, neither willing to give in, each claiming credit for their family's efforts. As they argued, they started crying, tears streaming down their faces, their voices choked with sobs, yet they still refused to admit defeat.

"He's clearly my father!"

The vendor was overjoyed, watching the two children bickering.

He had almost sold out of the minced meat he had prepared today. Apart from two old buildings still warming in the stove, he stood there listening to the lively commotion for a full quarter of an hour.

Jiang She walked over.

"Is there any food left?"

The vendor didn't even need to count; he called out, "There are two left, sir, would you like to buy one to try?"

"Let's have both, how much?"

"It'll be cheaper if we put them together. Just give me 160 coins, sir."

The vendor laughed, surprised by the man's generosity. He asked, "Is this for your family, young master? This is enough for several people!"

Jiang paid the money.

The purse contained only a few copper coins and some loose silver, which jingled and rattled as they swayed. Behind them, the children's sobbing voices echoed, each arguing with the other.

He sighed.

Even gods don't have much money left.

It's time to think of ways to make money.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)