Divine Tang Era

Chapter 155 The Giant Cauldron of the Market

"Brother...brother..."

Xu Dan was halfway there when he suddenly heard someone calling from behind. He turned around and saw Xiao Que'er flying towards him like a cheerful little bird.

The little magpie ran a bit too fast, her hair flying wildly in the wind, and her cheeks flushed red from running.

"School's out! Were you a good student on your way to school?" Xu Dan smiled and patted Xiao Que'er's head, his eyes full of affection.

"I'm the best behaved. The teachers at school all say I'm good, and they even praised me!" Little Magpie said proudly, tilting her chin up.

"That's amazing?" Xu Dan's expression was exaggerated.

"Yes!" Little Magpie nodded vigorously, her little braids swaying with her movements, her earnest expression seemingly declaring her excellence to the whole world.

"Come on, brother will take you to buy some delicious food." Xu Dan took Xiao Que'er's hand and said gently.

Upon hearing this, Little Magpie's eyes instantly curved into crescent moons. She loved going shopping with her brother; every time she went with him, she could eat so many delicious things. Thinking of this, she secretly glanced at her mother beside her, and seeing that her mother didn't object, she chuckled even more happily.

Although it was already afternoon, the market was still very lively.

Xu Dan brought Xiao Que'er to the place and saw that the stalls were filled with all kinds of goods. The colorful fabrics fluttered in the wind, strings of sachets with a faint fragrance hung down, and all kinds of exquisite trinkets shimmered in the sunlight.

The little magpie was extremely excited, hopping and skipping like a happy little rabbit.

Her small hand held Xu Dan's big hand tightly, her head kept looking left and right, and she kept exclaiming in surprise.

"Brother, look at that rattle drum, it's so pretty!" Little Magpie said, pointing to a rattle drum with colorful patterns painted on it at a stall.

Xu Dan looked in the direction she was pointing and smiled, "Do you like it? If you like it, your brother will buy it for you."

Little Magpie tilted her head and thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No, brother, we came to buy food. I want to eat lots and lots of delicious food." As she spoke, the little girl shook her head, her little braids swinging back and forth behind her head, looking extremely cute.

They continued on and came to a snack stall.

The snack stalls displayed snacks of various shapes and flavors, including delicate plum blossom cakes, fragrant osmanthus cakes, layered flaky pastries, pickled vegetable cakes filled with pickled vegetables, and red tortoise cakes filled with sesame seeds and sugar.

The little magpie couldn't help but swallow hard when she saw so many delicious snacks.

Finally, she pointed to the plum blossom cake and said, "Brother, I want to eat plum blossom cake."

Xu Dan patted her head and said to the stall owner, "Boss, give me two plum blossom cakes, and pack one each of osmanthus cake, mille-feuille, salted vegetable cake, and red tortoise cake."

"Brother, this is too much, I can't finish it all." Little Magpie quickly tugged at his hand when she saw that he had bought so much.

"You're the only one eating? Don't your mother and I need to eat?" Xu Dan said, pinching her cheek.

The stall owner, with a benevolent look on his face, handed the plum blossom cake to Xu Dan with a smile, saying, "Young man, your sister is so cute. This plum blossom cake is fresh out of the oven and still warm, please have a taste."

Xu Dan gave one piece to Xiao Que'er and the other to Yun Niang.

Tan Niang, however, did not eat. How could she, a grown woman, be so embarrassed to walk around and eat? It would be too shameful.

Little Magpie took the plum blossom cake and couldn't wait to take a bite. The soft and glutinous cake spread in her mouth, and the sweet taste made her so happy that her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Brother, it's so delicious! You should try some too." With that, Xiao Que'er held the plum blossom cake in her hand to Xu Dan's mouth.

Xu Dan took a bite and nodded, "Mmm, it's really delicious." Then, he took Xiao Que'er to the candied fruit stall. The stall was filled with candied fruits made from various fruits, including bright red hawthorn cake, golden orange peel strips, and crystal clear candied bayberries.

"Little Magpie, which kind of candied fruit would you like to eat?" Xu Dan asked.

Little Magpie's eyes swept across the candied fruit stall, finally settling on the candied bayberries. "Brother, I want these."

Most of these items are not local specialties, and they are only brought by merchants from other places at this time of year; they are rarely seen at other times.

After paying, Xu Dan took his things and headed back. Little Que'er, holding a plum blossom cake in one hand and pulling her brother along with the other, was swaying her head happily. Seeing her adorable appearance, Xu Dan's mood inexplicably brightened as well.

Yunniang followed behind the two, her eyes filled with doting affection.

When Xu Dan arrived at his doorstep, he found Zhang Bin sitting on the threshold, his brows furrowed and his face full of worry.

Zhang Bin had previously asked him to inquire whether Zhu Juding was still available, but Xu Dan hadn't mentioned anything about it since he returned. He had assumed it had already been sold, but unexpectedly, Zhu Juding came knocking on his door today.

"Senior brother, why are you sitting here?" Xu Dan asked with a smile.

"Sigh, it's all about the giant cauldron. I'm really worried about it! That's why I've come to bother you, Junior Brother." Zhang Bin sighed, his face full of helplessness.

"Didn't you ask those shops if anyone would buy them?" Xu Dan asked.

"I asked around, but the prices offered by those shops were outrageous, practically free. I still want to find out if this giant cauldron is really a treasure so I can sell it for more money. You're familiar with Master Mingfeng, so ask him for me; you'll definitely get a cut."

"Okay, I'll ask for you tomorrow." Xu Dan readily agreed.

"Thanks. I've been so worried about this these past few days that I'm almost losing my hair. I can finally go back and get a good night's sleep today. I've already asked the curator to bring that giant cauldron to your courtyard. Remember to take it with you tomorrow. I'm off now." Zhang Bin's worried expression instantly vanished by half. He patted Xu Dan's shoulder gratefully and strode away.

"Why don't you have dinner before you leave?" Xu Dan said politely.

"No need, I need to go home, otherwise my mother will nag me," Zhang Bin waved his hand and said.

Xu Dan watched his departing figure, shook his head, opened the door, and led Xiao Que'er inside.

Upon entering the courtyard, a massive cauldron stood there, leaving Xiao Que'er stunned. The cauldron was rather conspicuous in the courtyard, so Xu Dan stored it inside the Hidden Mystic Cauldron, planning to take it out again the next day when he went to Mingfeng Tower.

These past few days, Xu Dan has been thinking about opening a store.

The weather is getting colder day by day, and the chill is getting stronger, making it a good time to open a shop.

If Zhu hadn't come to see him today, he planned to start recruiting, but starting tomorrow wouldn't be too late. Now that the meat needed to open the shop was secured, and the vegetables grown in the Hidden Mystic Cauldron could be harvested, all he needed to do now was purchase some other essential items, and he could basically prepare to open for business.

He wanted to open a hot pot restaurant, a decision he made after careful consideration.

Opening a hot pot restaurant is relatively simple, requiring minimal cooking skills and hassle, and the initial investment is relatively small. Even if business is slow, the losses won't be too significant.

However, something has gone wrong.

That means the Immortal City is about to open, so the plan to open the shop has to be postponed for the time being.

Xu Dan couldn't help but wonder to himself: What exactly is the City of Immortality? Unfortunately, he had only been here for a short time and had limited information, so he knew nothing.

After a while of random thoughts, Xu Dan practiced the spirit-refining method from the Five Elements Transport Technique for a bit longer before finally lying down on the bed and falling into a deep sleep.