The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

The shopkeeper made a note in his ledger and then asked, "Where does the hem of the dress end?"

Di Renjie raised his hand and measured the mid-thigh area.

The shopkeeper noted them down one by one.

After asking the questions, he carried the three bolts of cloth to the table behind the counter, took a soft ruler, and began to draw lines.

The powder clump lightly grazed the cloth, leaving a thin white mark.

After painting indigo, he painted moon white; after painting moon white, he painted Yanzhou silk.

The scissors cut along the line, making a soft swishing sound.

Cut it into several large pieces and stack them together.

"It can be picked up the day after tomorrow."

"What about expedited service?"

"For expedited service, it will be tomorrow evening. However, it will cost extra."

"OK."

Di Renjie took out copper coins from his sleeve, counted them one by one, and stacked them on the counter.

The shopkeeper took the money, wrote out a receipt, and handed it over.

Di Renjie folded the ticket, put it in his sleeve, and left the shop.

The sun outside was gradually rising higher, shining brightly on the street.

Di Renjie continued walking forward at a leisurely pace, stopping from time to time to look around.

I passed by a sugar figurine stall. The stall wasn't big; it was just a carrying pole with a stove at one end. On the stove sat a small copper pot, and the sugar syrup inside was bubbling and sizzling.

At the other end was a bundle of straw, filled with finished sugar figurines—dragons, phoenixes, and the twelve zodiac animals, each one gleaming in the sunlight.

The whiskers on the dragon's head are drawn in fine detail, the feathers on the phoenix's tail are drawn piece by piece, and even the downy fur on the rabbit's ears is drawn.

Judge Di glanced at them, smiled, and said, "Two skewers, please."

The vendor was an old man in his fifties, who was using a small copper spoon to scoop sugar syrup into a mold.

Upon hearing this, he looked up at Di Renjie and saw that the man was an old man who had no children with him, yet he wanted to buy two strings of sugar figurines all by himself.

He looked behind Di Renjie and then looked out onto the street; there was indeed no one else around.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but then hesitated to speak.

He bent down, took two bunches from the bundle of straw, and handed them over.

A string of dragons, a string of phoenixes.

Judge Di paid the money, took the sugar figurine, and left.

Turning into a quiet alley, Di Renjie handed one of the strings of pearls to Zhang Rui.

Zhang Rui took it; it was the dragon, with its whiskers curled up and its scales drawn in fine detail. It was slightly warm in his hand.

The sugar was still warm when it was taken off the bundle of straw.

I bent down and took a small bite; it was sweet.

The sugar crumbles between your teeth, and the sweetness spreads from the tip of your tongue.

Di Renjie had already moved forward with another string of meat in his mouth. The phoenix had a piece of its wing missing, which it had bitten off.

He ate very quickly, like an ordinary old man snacking on the street.

Zhang Rui followed.

The alley was quiet, with high walls on both sides keeping the noise from the street outside.

Some old vines climbed the wall, most of their leaves were yellow, and they rustled in the wind.

Sunlight slanted in from the top of the wall and fell on the ground.

Two people stood one in front of the other, each holding a string of sugar figurines.

The alley was long, and the footsteps were soft.

The sugar figurine swayed and sparkled in the sunlight.

Di Renjie led Zhang Rui into a restaurant.

The restaurant was small, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and the area in front of it was neatly arranged.

A wooden plaque hangs at the entrance, with the three characters "Zui Xian Lou" written on it. The paint is a bit old, but the characters are still clear.

A row of banners hung under the eaves, swaying gently in the wind.

The curtain was woven from bamboo strips and was half-rolled up, allowing a glimpse of several tables of guests in the main hall inside, with the sounds of clinking glasses and toasts faintly audible.

The waiter, with a white cloth draped over his shoulder, came out from inside. Seeing Di Renjie standing at the door, he immediately came forward, smiling and asking, "Sir, how many are in your party?"

"I'd like a quiet private room."

"Okay, please come upstairs—"

The waiter stepped aside to lead the way, guiding Judge Dee up the stairs.

The wooden ladder is quite old; it creaks when you step on it, and the handrails are worn smooth and shiny.

Once you get to the second floor, the corridor is much quieter than downstairs. On both sides are several carved wooden doors with diamond-shaped window lattices covered with semi-transparent paper.

The waiter pushed open one of the doors and stepped aside: "This one faces the street, it's well-ventilated and quiet."

The private room was neatly arranged, with the window open, offering a view of the street below and the roof tiles of the shops across the street. Several gray pigeons were perched on the tiles, cooing and pecking at something.

A pot of asparagus fern sits on the windowsill, its delicate leaves trembling gently in the wind.

A clean blue cloth was laid on the table, with bamboo weights pressing down the four corners.

In the center were four small dishes—pickled cucumbers, pickled radishes, braised tofu, and peanuts. The dishes were small and neatly arranged.

"Sir, what would you like to see?"

Di Renjie took the menu and looked at it. The menu was made of bamboo strips, and the names of the dishes were written on it with ink, and the handwriting was neat and beautiful.

After looking at it for a while, he pointed at the bamboo strip with his finger: "Braised pork, steamed sea bass, seasonal vegetables, and chicken soup."

"Okay, please wait a moment—"

The waiter responded and left, closing the door behind him.

The footsteps faded away along the corridor, and the private room fell silent.

Di Renjie sat down by the window, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself a cup.

The tea was warm, and it fell into the cup with a soft sound.

Holding the teacup, he didn't drink immediately, but glanced out the window before looking away.

"Please sit down."

Zhang Rui sat down opposite him.

The window was open, and the sounds of the street drifted in faintly—the sound of carriages rolling over stone slabs, the drawn-out shouts of vendors, and the laughter of children.

It sounded like it was coming from a very far place, through a window.

Judge Di sipped his tea slowly, his gaze falling on the asparagus fern on the windowsill, its shadows thin and fragmented.

Zhang Rui's gaze kept drifting towards the window. Di Gong noticed this, put down his teacup, picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, and slowly chewed it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Zhang Rui snapped out of his daze, looked at Di Renjie, and hesitated for a moment: "Sir, shouldn't we head back soon?"

"go back?"

"...Li Yuanfang is still alone in the inn. He only ate a few pancakes for breakfast."

Di Renjie did not answer immediately. He picked up another peanut, chewed it, took a sip of tea, and then slowly spoke.

"Don't worry, it's all arranged. I already gave the instructions when I asked the shopkeeper for tea this morning. He'll be served food at mealtimes, so he won't go hungry."

"My lord...did you plan this all along?"

Di Gong picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of pickled radish from one of the four side dishes, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

The radish was crisp and made a very soft sound between my teeth.

After finishing chewing, he said, "It's nothing. Even if you can't go out, you still have to eat."

Zhang Rui fell silent, looking at Di Renjie.

The old man's profile was turned toward the window, where sunlight streamed in, illuminating the silvery white hair at his temples.

He was picking up the second slice of pickled radish, his chopsticks extending steadily.

When you buy pancakes this morning, remember to bring one for Li Yuanfang.

He also brought Li Yuanfang a pot of hot tea and arranged his lunch for him as well.

Visiting a fabric shop is like making clothes for yourself.

Now sit down and order. The portion size is just right, more or less for two people.