Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 52 The woman in red
Rong Wanyin didn't know what was wrong with her today, but she was very carsick. Fortunately, she arrived at Wenquan Village quickly. This Wenquan Village was originally called Anxi Village instead of Wenquan Village. It was just because of the hot springs here, which were so famous, that people got used to calling it Wenquan Village.

There were several inns near the hot springs, all of which looked prosperous and lavishly decorated, except for one that looked rather unremarkable. Everyone got out of the car. "That's it," Su Zhan pointed at the unassuming, shabby little inn. "I heard they make the best and most authentic hot spring roasted meat there. I've found out everything!"

The inn was in a dilapidated state, and the already crooked signboard fell down when the wind blew!

Everyone: "..."

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, gentlemen, please excuse me..." The innkeeper had already come out to greet them. He was a skinny old man in his sixties with gray hair. His eyes were sunken, his face was full of wrinkles, and he looked haggard, like a dried corpse pulled out of a coffin, which was a perfect match for this inn!

Everyone was shocked, their eyes met, and they all wanted to retreat.

"My apologies, distinguished guests. I'm afraid I scared you all by looking like this! I'm old, so I'm scary... Don't worry, the food and shelter here are absolutely clean!" Although the old man was quite old, he was still quite kind. He rubbed his hands nervously, his face full of frustration, his voice hoarse, "That's right... Who would still look down on old guys like us... We should be put into the coffin sooner. We're despised even if we're still alive..."

Everyone was kind-hearted and couldn't bear it, and when their eyes met, the decision was made.

"Are you, old man, managing this inn by yourself?" Yan Mingzhang looked around the inn and found that there was no one else inside.

The old man rubbed his hands when someone spoke up. "It used to be my wife and I who ran the inn. Our only daughter got married a few years ago. Now my wife is sick, and I have to take care of her while running the inn. Luckily, there aren't many people here, and there's not much to do. I'm still pretty strong, so I can handle it."

There were many inns nearby, so naturally, no one frequented this small, old inn. Apart from Rong Wanyin and her group, there were no other residents. Furthermore, Changfeng had just inquired at other inns, and none of them had any vacancies. Even if the inn was shabby, there was nothing that could be done about it.

The group had no choice but to stay in this small inn. Fortunately, apart from a strange smell, the room was clean.
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After the group settled down, they set up a dining table in the yard and sat around it together. The old man brought out a charcoal stove, some marinated meats of various kinds, and some side dishes.

The old man rubbed his hands and said, "It's not that I'm lazy. This meat is delicious when it's roasted right away. It's so fragrant when you eat it while it's roasting! Put the meat on the charcoal stove and roast it until one side changes color, then you can turn it over. When both sides have changed color, it's ready to eat. And these spices, just sprinkle some according to your taste."

Rong Wanyin was eager to try it out, so she picked up a few pieces of meat and put them on the iron grid. The thick pieces of meat piled together could not be roasted thoroughly. Su Zhan was also very excited, picking up various seasonings and randomly throwing some on them.

Yan Mingzhang looked at these "delicacies" and secretly groaned in his heart. How could he eat them?

Yan Mingzhang felt a little crazy, and hurriedly used chopsticks to pick up the slices of meat and arranged them neatly, flat and smooth... flat and smooth... now it felt comfortable!

Everyone: "..."

The meat slices were cooked, and Rong Wanyin couldn't wait to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth. Suddenly, a wonderful expression appeared on her face.

Su Zhan asked curiously, "What's wrong? It doesn't taste good?"

Rong Wanyin patiently swallowed the meat, forcing a smile and saying, "It's delicious, very delicious. Rich in texture, with distinct layers... all kinds of flavors bloom in your mouth. Come try it!"

Su Zhan, Chang Feng, and Mo Yun took a piece of meat with a look of suspicion but also curiosity. After the meat entered their mouths, they all spat it out and said in unison: "What is this taste!"

Rong Wanyin clapped her hands with joy.

Yan Mingzhang picked out the pieces of meat that were particularly over-seasoned and added some new meat. He couldn't help but laugh out loud: "There are all kinds of tastes, so doesn't that mean the flavors are mixed?" Su Zhan was unconvinced and retorted to Yan Mingzhang: "You hindsight, why didn't you say that just now?"

Yan Mingzhang smiled slightly but didn't stop moving his hands: "How can you appreciate the taste of this delicious food? This trip would be in vain!"

Mo Yun curled his lips and said, "Master... Master, this is not very kind of you. You are using us to give to your young wife..."

Before Mo Yun could finish his words, Yan Mingzhang glared at him and he immediately changed his words, "You're using us to amuse the Third Miss!"

Everyone laughed. Before coming here, Yan Mingzhang had already explained that he was using the alias "Zhang Ming" and was the eldest son of the Zhang family. Su Zhan was the second son, and Rong Wanyin was the third sister.

Yan Mingzhang smelled the spices one by one, tried a little bit of each, and then chose one or two and sprinkled a little.

This time the roasted meat had a pure flavor and was tender. Everyone picked up their chopsticks and quickly grabbed all the meat on the stove.

The old man served some boiled eggs, vegetables, and steamed buns. "Dear guests, these eggs are laid by our own chickens, then boiled in hot springs. These vegetables are also grown here. You won't find such fresh ones in the city. These steamed buns are made from this year's new wheat. When they are baked over charcoal, the crust becomes crispy, fragrant, and sweet."

Su Zhan knew that Rong Wanyin had eaten eggs in the morning and later vomited on the bus, so he deliberately picked up an egg, peeled it, and handed it to Rong Wanyin with a sly smile: "Third sister, do you want an egg? It smells like real eggs, especially delicious!"

The smell of eggs immediately reached Rong Wanyin's nose. She was already very sensitive to smells, and now that she had just vomited because of eggs, she couldn't stand this smell the most.

Rong Wanyin suddenly covered her nose and retched: "Quick... take it away!"

Su Zhan ate the egg proudly, and while eating, he held the egg under Rong Wanyin's nose and shook it, which made Rong Wanyin almost vomit.

Rong Wanyin glared at him fiercely, picked up a few pieces of meat, and went to eat at the next table. She would record the bill.

Yan Mingzhang just smiled and lowered his head, took some of the roasted meats, put them on a plate, and handed it to Rong Wanyin.

Rong Wanyin raised her eyebrows triumphantly, with the attitude of a winner.

Su Zhan's arrogance was immediately suppressed. He rolled his eyes at Yan Mingzhang and mouthed, "You value beauty over friendship."

Yan Mingzhang raised his chin, glanced at the basket of eggs, and said with a smile, "Aren't these so many eggs enough for you?"

Su Zhan was so frustrated that he fiercely picked up a piece of meat and said, "Forget it, I am a great man and I will not bear grudge against my villain...

Suddenly, Su Zhan saw out of the corner of his eye that there were a few dead trees in the dim light not far away. Beside the dry trunks of the dead trees was a figure. She was wearing a tattered red dress, as red as blood, and her long hair covered her face. She appeared silently.

Su Zhan felt a chill running down his spine, and the flesh in his hands fell off in fear: "Ah! Wait, what is that!"