I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 295 Chang'an East Market
Wu Daozi was already somewhat drunk; he didn't react immediately and subconsciously asked:

"What ghosts and spirits?"

On the other side, Li Bai had already raised his head from his wine cup and looked over sharply.

Jiang She changed his story.

"Would Mr. Wu be willing to come with me to the East Market for a look?"

Wu Daozi asked in surprise.

"Is Young Master Jiang looking to buy something?"

Wu Daozi looked out the window. It was still light, but it wasn't early. They could drive to the East Market and the West Market. But with the curfew in effect, they probably wouldn't be able to return tonight and would likely have to stay at a nearby inn.

Just right.

I'll stay out tonight; the monks won't come looking for me.

Thinking about it this way, Wu Daozi didn't ask in detail what he wanted to buy in the East Market. He simply said...

"I am willing to go together."

"Please wait a moment, I will have someone prepare the carriages and horses."

At his command, the servants quickly prepared the carriage. Sanshui took the opportunity to eat an extra half plate of mutton. With the host's permission, he also borrowed a food box and packed some roasted lamb leg and sashimi for his junior brother and Master Yuan to try.

There were many of them, and they even brought two cars.

Wu Daozi turned and instructed his disciple Lu Lengjia.

"You stay here and keep watch. If those monks ask again, just say I went out, remember?"

Lulenga nodded.

Li Bai glanced at it and said to Sanshui.

"It's a pity that Danqiu Zi and your junior brother didn't come."

Sanshui went to play in the snow that day, but I didn't understand.

Only Li Bai felt a little sorry for Yuan Danqiu for a moment. He sat on the carriage, not letting the driver drive, and instead recalled Yuan Danqiu's driving skills. He drove the carriage wobbly and quickly became proficient.

Wu Daozi glanced at him sideways.

"Taibai, what a talented young man! You've learned it so quickly?"

Li Bai smiled.

“I’ve learned it before, but I’m a bit rusty now. Another friend is traveling with us; he usually drives the carriage.”

"I see."

……

The main streets leading to the East Market were bustling with carriages and horses.

Ox-carts and mule carts laden with goods gathered from all directions, loaded with silk from Luoyang, medicinal herbs from Jiangnan, and rare mountain herbs from Zhongnan Mountain.

The hustle and bustle is overwhelming.

All kinds of rare and precious things from all directions have been collected here.

Jiang She got off the carriage, and they parked the carriage and horses in a designated area.

There are silk shops nearby.

Silks, damasks, and satins hung high in the shop, swaying gently in the wind like colorful waterfalls.

Sanshui looked around as the waiter loudly introduced the product to the customer.

The richly colored brocade comes from Shu (Sichuan). The light and thin fabric comes from Yue silk from Jiangnan (southern China). The strange and ingenious patterns come from foreign brocade from Persia.

The cat followed closely beside the person.

She had never seen so many people before, and there were different smells everywhere.

Stretching my neck to look, all I could see were shoes, human legs, and animal hooves; I couldn't make out anything.

Jiang She picked her up.

It suddenly rose high.

The cat looked around and whispered to Jiang She:
"It's so lively!"

“This must be the most bustling place in the world right now. Feel free to explore as much as you like,” Jiang She said.

The cat tilted its head back.

"There are other people over there, and I can't understand what they're saying."

Jiang She also looked over. At this time, the bookstore was also called the Tomb Bookstore. There was a scholar-looking man dressed in Hanfu standing at the door, talking to his companion.

He listened for a few minutes.

"That must be because they came with the Japanese envoys to Tang China, and they spoke a different language."

The cat was puzzled.

"How can you understand that?"

"It will probably take some time to learn."

Cat suddenly remembered hearing a few days ago that there were many small countries in the Western Regions. She whispered in Jiang She's ear and asked:
"If I want to understand the language of the Hu people, do I also need to learn it?"

Jiang She looked at the cat's small, fluffy head, her eyes clear and earnest, and felt a little reluctant to tell her that there are many languages ​​in the world, and if she wanted to understand them all, she would probably have to learn them one by one.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang She nodded.

"I'm afraid so."

"So many..."

"You can learn slowly." This cat will live a long life, after all.

Li Bai glanced at the people at the entrance of the tomb pawnshop several times. After a while, the two recognized each other and bowed to one another.

Jiang She and his group continued walking inside.

They passed by the Gold Bank.

We also passed by a Persian mansion run by Sogdians. The owner had high eyes, a deep nose, and a curly beard. He was beckoning customers and speaking fluent Mandarin with an accent.

After walking for a while, a cold wind carrying various smells blew in.

The intoxication Wu Daozi had developed from drinking was gradually dispelled by the cold wind.

He asked curiously:

"Young Master Jiang, what do you want to buy?"

He thought this person was in a hurry to buy something, which was why they rushed to the East Market.

But after walking around for a while, it seemed like they were just strolling around, taking the cat and the little boy to look at things and broaden their horizons, rather than looking like they wanted to buy anything.

Jiang She looked at Wu Daozi.

He asked with a smile, "Didn't you come here to see ghosts and spirits?"

Wu Daozi was taken aback.

He then remembered what he had said earlier, but he hadn't heard it clearly at the time and had taken it as a joke.

Wu Daozi suddenly awoke from his dream.

He looked around. The place was packed with people; it was incredibly lively.

Steam rose from a nearby tavern, where scholars were drinking.

In the distance, a clerk from a jewelry shop is talking to young courtesans in Pingkang Ward, recommending jewelry. Turning around, one sees glassware from the Abbasid Caliphate in a Persian residence.

Lively and bustling.

This……

Thinking of the identity of the person in front of him, Wu Daozi opened his mouth and couldn't help but ask.

"Where are the ghosts and spirits?"

"Could it be... that he's mingling among the people?"

Jiang She chuckled.

He glanced at the wine shop in the distance, where the waiters were busy selling wine, welcoming and seeing off customers. He smiled and said:

"Let's take another look when it gets dark."

Wu Daozi wanted to remind everyone that there was a curfew in Chang'an these days.

Even if it's a curfew.

In the face of true immortals and gods, they would probably be nothing more than empty words.

Two thoughts intertwined in his mind, making him both curious and somewhat fearful.

Wu Daozi swallowed hard, then laughed heartily:
"I'm going to buy some drinks and food, would you like some?"

Seeing the other person's face, which was blue and red from the cold, Jiang She said something considerately.

"We're a bit thirsty, let's go sit at a tavern."

A strange group of people entered the tavern. Several of them ordered only a pot of wine and a plate of snacks. Among them was a young woman carrying a bundle, her hair somewhat disheveled. The other three looked like an official and two others who appeared to be idle people.

Idle people drink, and officials drink too.

The guy took a few more glances.

These people sat there, occasionally speaking, and the officials seemed a little uneasy.

It wasn't until late afternoon that the waiter, having finished serving the guests, wiped his hands on a towel twice, stepped forward briskly, and said with a smile:
"How are you guys eating?"

"Everything is fine."

The waiter glanced at the sky and said with a smile, "It's already late afternoon. You guys haven't finished your drinks yet, so you'd better hurry up, or the closing bell will probably ring soon."

"If you like our wine, sir, come back tomorrow. It will taste the same."

Jiang She expressed his gratitude.

He then asked, "How many years have you been working here?"

The cat stared at him, very curious.

The waiter didn't know why the customer was asking this.

He thought about it carefully, his back slightly more hunched, and he laughed, speaking in perfect Chang'an Mandarin:

"I came to Chang'an in the fifth year of the Kaiyuan era and found a job in a tavern. I have been working there for almost thirteen years now, and I haven't seen my hometown for many years."

The waiter listened to what the young man was saying.

He frowned, thought for a moment, and then asked with a smile:

"Your voice sounds like you're from the north, perhaps from the Youyan region?"

Jiang She smiled.

"I am also very far away from my hometown."

Before the waiter could speak, he asked again in a gentle voice:
"You have been in Chang'an for more than ten years, have you ever seen what the East Market looks like at night?"

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)