A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

Yanzhou.

Returning here, Li Bai felt as if he had returned to his youth, carefree and full of vigor.

All the world's talent is in my hands, Li Bai, the immortal poet.

But when he arrived in Yanzhou, it was still a bustling place. The century-old shops along the roadside were still there, but the chefs in the hotels were no longer the same people, and the food and drinks no longer tasted the same.

Walking on the roads of Yanzhou, the outline of the city walls is still there, but the people and things have changed.

He reached out and stroked his full head of white hair; the once dashing young man with a sword was now old and frail.

Li Bai came to a tavern he loved to visit in his youth. The tavern was still called Youjian Tavern, just like it was back then.

The furnishings inside the tavern were exactly the same as they were back then, which made Li Bai feel extremely familiar with it.

Led by the waiter, Li Bai arrived at the inscription board on the second floor and was slightly taken aback.

The poem hanging in the very center of the inscription board was the one he wrote on his first visit to this place.

"Sir, isn't this poem excellent?!"

"This was left behind by the former wise prime minister, Li Xiang, who was known as the Poet Immortal."

"This small shop was a place that Prime Minister Li used to frequent during his leisure time. He also often came here to meet with his friends."

"It's also thanks to Prime Minister Li that my family's tavern business has always been booming."

Li Bai could see a sense of pride and familiarity on the waiter's face.

"Who is Er Gou to you?"

Li Bai suddenly spoke up and asked a question.

The waiter was taken aback. Er Gou?

Isn't that his grandfather's nickname?

"Do you know my grandfather?"

The waiter asked in surprise.

Li Bai nodded, and in the waiter's face, he could vaguely see the shadow of an old friend.

"So you're a descendant of an old friend."

Li Bai smiled. "How's your grandfather? Is he still in good health?"

Xiao Er sighed. "My grandfather passed away more than ten years ago."

Li Bai was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, "So he has passed away."

"That's true, after all these years, he's not young anymore."

Li Bai still remembered that Er Gou used to admire his literary talent greatly, and whenever he came, Er Gou would serve him food.

Er Gou didn't know many characters, but he was familiar with all of Er Gou's poems and could easily recite them.

He initially wanted to give Er Gou a formal name, but Er Gou refused because his parents had given him a humble name, which was easier to raise.

However, Er Gou asked Li Bai to give his son a name, Zhang Ming, replacing his original lowly name.

"And what about your father, Zhang Ming?"

Li Bai asked again.

The waiter carefully examined the old man in front of him. Although his hair and beard were all white, he was in good spirits, with bright and piercing eyes. He exuded an air of nobility, yet also a sense of etherealness, which was both contradictory and harmonious.

My father also passed away last year.

Li Bai opened his mouth, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, it's all in the past. I heard that my father's name was given by Li Xiang. When my grandfather and father passed away, their biggest regret was that they couldn't see Li Xiang one last time."

"However, they all passed away with smiles on their faces. My father had six brothers and sisters, and our family is still thriving with many descendants. They passed away without any illness or suffering, so they can be considered to have died peacefully."

"That's good, that's good."

Li Bai murmured, "How many of my old friends are still alive when I return to Yanzhou this time?"

"Has the elderly gentleman not yet inquired about your name?"

The waiter asked curiously.

Li Bai smiled slightly, did not reveal his name, found his usual window seat, and slowly sat down.

"Is the head chef in this restaurant a descendant of the chef from back then?"

Li Bai's voice was somewhat hoarse, yet every word was clear.

"That's right. The staff in the shop are almost all from the same generation. The owner is kind and has not changed any people."

The waiter smiled and said, "The food and wine taste exactly the same as they did back then, sir, please rest assured."

Li Bai nodded, "Bring a jar of aged Shaoxing wine, made locally."

"Roast two catties of yellow beef, cut into thick slices; a plate of braised chicken, a dish of salted wild leeks, and a dish of sesame cakes."

"Another bowl of soup, nothing fancy, just a simple millet and meat soup will do."

The waiter was taken aback. Why did the tone and content of the order seem so familiar?

The waiter racked his brains, searching through his memories, and suddenly, he remembered.

When he was a child, he would pester his grandfather to tell him stories, and his grandfather would often tell him the story of how Prime Minister Li ate here back then.

Li Xiang's favorite order was a pot of yellow wine brewed by the tavern, two catties of yellow beef, a plate of braised chicken, a dish of salted wild leeks, a dish of sesame cakes, and a bowl of ordinary meat soup.

His tone was exactly the same as the one his grandfather had taught him.

Looking at his appearance and age, he seems to be exactly the same as Prime Minister Li.

He can even name his grandfather and father, and judging from his aura, there's no doubt about it!

"You, you are...?!"

The waiter suddenly covered his mouth, looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, whispered, "Are you Prime Minister Li?"

Li Bai nodded. "Don't make a fuss. After we finish eating, take me to pay respects to your father and grandfather."

The waiter nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with excitement. "I'll go tell the kitchen what you ordered right away."

Even when carrying several dishes, the waiter's legs, which were usually very steady, trembled slightly, and he almost tripped and fell when turning a corner.

Soon, the food Li Bai ordered was served to him. Li Bai picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of beef, and put it in his mouth.

It still has the familiar taste, but it seems a little different from what I remember; it doesn't seem to have the same fragrance as I remember.

Li Bai couldn't tell whether it was because the chef's descendants were less skilled than him, or because his own memories of the past were filtered through a lens.

Having tasted the delicious food he hadn't had in a long time, Li Bai ate most of it, which was quite unusual for him.

Looking at the remaining food in front of him, Li Bai shook his head. "I'm getting old. Even my appetite isn't what it used to be."

"The fact that you can still eat so much at your age is enough to show that you are in good health."

The waiter chuckled, "These days, many young adults don't eat as much as Li Bai did."

"Haha, pack up the rest for me."

Li Bai laughed.

The waiter was somewhat surprised. It was one thing for a great figure like Li Bai to order only a few dishes, but he actually wanted to pack up the rest.

"When it comes to a bowl of porridge or a bowl of rice, we should remember how hard it was to come by; when it comes to a thread or a strand of cloth, we should always remember how difficult it was to obtain resources."

The waiter's respect for Li Bai deepened even further.

Soon, the things were packed up, and the waiter took leave and led Li Bai back to his hometown. Not far behind his hometown, there were several grave mounds.

His father and grandfather are buried here.

Li Bai took out some sacrificial items he had bought on the way, placed them in front of their graves, squatted down, and seemed to see the figures of his old friends before him.

He suddenly felt a little afraid to go back to the academy, where his former classmates, fellow students, and teachers had given him earnest guidance.

He maintained contact with old friends from the college and knew that many of his teachers and fellow students had passed away.

He didn't know if he would lose control of his emotions once he returned to the academy.

After staying there for a short while, Li Bai took his leave.

Now that we're back, we should at least visit Yanzhou Academy and pay our respects.