After settling a few gentlemen, Lu Xian left the house with the big yellow dog, casually closing the courtyard gate without locking it.
Leaving the small courtyard and turning right, it only took a few steps to reach the west entrance of Yulu Hutong.
A stone wall had been built here with an iron gate that was guarded day and night.
Beyond the iron gate was a small market.
In this market, one could find small taverns, restaurants, as well as various items such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, vinegar, and tea. There were also various small stalls and vendors by the roadside, providing great convenience for the residents of Yulu Hutong.
Walking west along a stone-paved street, the small market suddenly opened up.
The stone-paved square had a wide field of vision, and in front of it was the intersection of several canals within the city. The white ice surface shimmered in the light, illuminating the whole area.
The No. 1 Pier of Anle Lane was located here, with several stone piers extending more than a mile into the city canal. In the past, all sorts of cargo ships gathered here, providing various goods for Anle Lane.
In the cold winter season, with the canal frozen, sleds pulled by snow dogs were still traversing back and forth on the water.
At the edge of the long stone pier, sleds lined up, and burly laborers wearing short sleeves and bare legs shouted as they unloaded cargo boxes from the sleds. Various goods were piled up on the pier and at the docks, resembling small mountains.
Lu Xian walked to the edge of the pier, approaching a small vendor.
There was a four-wheeled cart, a charcoal stove, and a large oil pot. Next to them was a tray of tofu blocks with a hint of bluish-green color. Pieces of tofu were rolling in boiling oil, turning golden yellow.
The air carried an extremely pungent smell, and a few sniffling children stood timidly on the side, biting their fingers and eagerly watching the oil pot.
A tall and burly man, standing over eight feet tall, held a pair of two-foot-long wooden chopsticks. He whistled, swiftly flipping the tofu blocks in the boiling oil.
From time to time, he picked up a piece of fried tofu, unafraid of getting burned, dipped it in the chili sauce on a small plate, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing joyfully. The sight made the children salivate.
This was a stinky tofu stall.
This smelly and delicious delicacy, which had an incredibly foul smell, was not available in Gaojing in the earlier years.
It was only four or five years ago that these stinky tofu stalls sprouted up overnight and quickly spread across hundreds of streets and markets in Gaojing City, filling the streets and alleys with their enticing aroma.
Not only common folks but even some literati and scholars couldn't do without a plate of stinky tofu while drinking and having literary discussions.
Several small square tables and a dozen small stools were placed beside the cart. Even though it was early in the morning and there was not much business, the seats were empty.
Lu Xian shook his long coat and casually chose a stool, taking out a few copper coins from his sleeve and placing them on the table one by one. "Boss, the usual, two servings of stinky tofu, extra spicy, ha!"
Glancing at the burly man who responded promptly, Lu Xian pointed at him and said, "You haven't opened for business yet, but you're eating by yourself. Are you not afraid of losing money?"
Chuckling, the burly man bowed to Lu Xian and took out a coarse porcelain plate from below the cart. He picked up the golden tofu pieces from the oil pot and neatly arranged them on the plate. Then he took some bright red spicy oil and gently placed it in front of Lu Xian.
With a sweep of his hand, he collected the copper coins Lu Xian had placed on the table before. The burly man laughed softly and said, "We eat well, and when the customers see us enjoying it, they can't resist eating more, right?"
Lu Xian picked up two chopsticks from the container on the table and pointed at the burly man with a smile. "It's early in the morning, and there's not a single ghost at your stall. The customers are nowhere to be seen, but you're behaving like this. Ah, with you around, there's no need to worry about losing money."
The burly man sat down beside Lu Xian and took out a ceramic wine bottle from his cart, placing it heavily in front of Lu Xian. He then took a rough ceramic cup and poured a bowl of old yellow wine for Lu Xian.
"Cheers, cheers! If we're talking about ghosts, we might really... have some ghosts!" The burly man sat down next to Lu Xian and made a mischievous grin, crowding his eyes.
Lu Xian picked up a piece of stinky tofu, dipped it in the chili oil, and raised his eyebrows, lowering his voice. "What do you mean by that?"
"Tsk!" The burly man glanced at the sniffing children standing nearby, then suddenly made a fierce grimace.
The kids screamed and turned and ran away in fear.
The burly man chuckled a few times, straightened his expression, and lowered his voice. "Brother, on the 20th of last December, that incident... our brothers have been trying to find out everything about it these days. But whether it's the local magistrate's office or the Bai family, not a single word has leaked."
"However, both families have invited the old master from the 'Longevity Hall' to come and treat them. My cousin happens to be an apprentice at the Longevity Hall, and he happened to have the prescription given by the old master and prepared medicine for the two families."
"The prescription was wrong."
"In that prescription, there were several times the usual amounts of ingredients such as ginseng, lingzhi, and fleeceflower root, all of which replenish vital energy. If an ordinary person were given such a dose, they would have been burned to death by the medicinal effects long ago."
"But the Anle Prefecture Lord and the Bai family did drink it."
"My cousin also said that he overheard the old master and several senior doctors discussing the case, saying, 'The symptoms are strange and beyond the ordinary!'"
"Strange symptoms."
Lu Xian swallowed a chunk of stinky tofu and said in a deep voice, "I personally saw the injuries on Bai Qiong's body. The color was dark green, deeply embedded in the flesh, and Bai Qiong seemed to be completely devoid of vitality, as if he had been drained."
"This kind of method is truly strange."
"Bai Qiong and He Jun also. It can be inferred that from the 20th of last December until today, why has it been so calm in Gaojing? It seems that this strangeness has either been suppressed or its harmfulness is limited."
"Regardless, it has been so many days since the incident, and Gaojing City, especially the officials, should have calmed down."
"If that's the case, we should strike while the iron is hot."
Lu Xian picked up another piece of stinky tofu and muttered, "That night, in the backyard of Zui Xianju, I clearly felt something unusual. I originally thought that our Lu Xuezheng would be in trouble. Unexpectedly, he turned out to be unharmed."
"In that case, we should break his legs these two days."
The burly man grinned foolishly, nodding repeatedly. "Rest assured, Brother, I guarantee that we'll break his legs and make him famous."
Lu Xian chuckled, shaking the chopsticks in front of the big yellow dog. The big yellow dog opened its mouth and quickly swallowed the stinky tofu without even chewing, exhaling contentedly.
The burly man laughed as he watched the big yellow dog and stood up, throwing a few tofu blocks into the oil pot.
While busy working, he suddenly slapped his head and exclaimed, "Ah, there's another interesting thing. My cousin said that the wife of Bai Xi, the second young master of the Bai family, went to the Longevity Hall a few days ago and got several prescriptions to ensure a safe pregnancy. She acted suspiciously, as if trying to hide something from others."
Lu Xian raised an eyebrow and pointed his chopsticks at the burly man. "Hush, don't pry into the affairs of other people's households. Mind your own business. Whether it's a prescription for a safe pregnancy or an abortion, as long as it's not your wife or concubine, you shouldn't bother with such news."
The burly man chuckled, lowering his voice. "It's just that this kind of news came to us. Tsk, that woman, my cousin said she has a tender and alluring appearance, with a pair of enchanting eyes that can seduce anyone."
Pausing for a moment, the burly man exclaimed with surprise, "Especially considering her identity, her personally buying the prescription for a safe pregnancy is strange."
Lu Xian was about to respond when a young man wearing a blue robe, a square-warmed hat, and standing with his hands behind his back, walked steadily towards them. Lu Xian stood up and greeted him with a slight bow. "Uncle An, good morning!"
Lu An, a genuine uncle of Lu Xian, was considered a 6th-rank official in the Ministry of Imperial Household. His position was not high, but his actual power was not small. Moreover, his income was plentiful. Among the Lu family members of Tian'en Marquis Mansion, Lu An's family was considered to be living a very comfortable life.
Lu An and his family were also quite benevolent and took good care of their relatives.
Since he was young, Lu Xian received financial support from Lu An's family during festivals and holidays. Lu Xian's heart was grateful for their kindness, and he sincerely respected Lu An.
Lu An, unlike Lu Xian, came from a wealthy family. Currently, his father held the position of a 6th-rank official in the Ministry of Imperial Household. Although his official position wasn't high, he held substantial power and had a desirable income. Among the Lu family of Tian'en Marquis Mansion, Lu An's family enjoyed a particularly prosperous life.
Lu An and his family were generous and took good care of their relatives. Lu Xian had always remembered their kindness, and he genuinely respected Lu An.
Lu An was also a rare studious individual among the Lu family members of Tian'en Marquis Mansion.
At the age of eighteen, he was recommended by the Lu family clan school to study at the Gaojing Imperial College. Now, after six years, he was considered top-notch in the fields of poetry, ritual, and especially mathematics. He was recognized as a first-class scholar in the Imperial College.
However, in the past few years, Lu Xian's reputation in the clan school had plummeted, and Lu An scolded and berated him whenever they met. As a result, Lu Xian gradually began to distance himself from Lu An and kept a low profile whenever they interacted.
But today, being cornered at the food stall, he couldn't escape.
Seeing Lu Xian, Lu An's cold expression suddenly revealed a smile. He walked to Lu Xian's side and patted his shoulder heavily. "I said that with your character, your handsome and elegant appearance, you're definitely not a dull person."
"Yesterday, I had drinks with several senior masters at the Imperial College, and two doctors mentioned their evaluation of you on behalf of Bai Mountain."
"The headmaster of the clan school, Lu Jun, is indeed a waste and an incompetent person who has wasted a talent," Lu An said.
"Bai Mountain reviewed your progress in the clan school over the past few years. They said you have thoroughly read the classics of the sages and excelled in commentaries and other works. Your talent in poetry is excellent, and even top scholars like Cai Wei praised you highly."
"Your calligraphy is majestic, dignified, and stable, seeming like a mountain standing tall, showing a unique style."
"Bai Mountain highly praised you and recognized you as a true seed of learning. However, you were delayed by a bunch of waste at the clan school."
Lu An took out a small string of copper coins from his sleeve and tossed it generously to the burly man. "Twenty servings of special tofu, five spicy, five mild, and ten sour. Hurry up!"
Lu Xian stood next to Lu An, dumbfounded.
Assistant's note: The translation provided aims to capture the detailed elements, cultural nuances, and traditional ethos of the Xianxia genre while maintaining the author's intended tone and style.