The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

After Di Gong finished chewing the pickled radish, he saw that Zhang Rui was still in a daze, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Don't think about it anymore." He picked up his chopsticks and pointed to the side dishes on the table. "Try this braised tofu, it tastes pretty good."

Zhang Rui obediently picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of braised tofu.

The dried tofu is dark brown, and you can see fine textures when you cut it open.

When you put it in your mouth, the salty and savory flavor spreads from the tip of your tongue; it's really delicious.

A moment later, the waiter came in carrying a tray.

As soon as the door opened, the aroma of food wafted in.

The braised pork belly was served on a white porcelain plate, its color a bright red. The fatty parts were translucent, while the lean parts had distinct marbling. The thick sauce coated the meat and dripped a small circle along the edge of the plate.

The steamed sea bass rests on a celadon plate, covered with finely shredded ginger and scallions. The ginger and scallions, drizzled with hot oil, mix with the juices from the steamed fish, creating an irresistible aroma.

The bok choy with black bean sauce is blanched. The tender bok choy is just cooked through in boiling water, then removed, arranged on a plate, and drizzled with a spoonful of black bean sauce. The sauce seeps into the gaps between the bok choy, making it vibrant green and still moist.

The large bowl contained chicken soup, its color a clear, golden yellow, with a few bright red goji berries floating on top, and wisps of steam rising gently.

The waiter arranged the dishes one by one, and then picked up the teapot to refill Di Gong's tea.

As his gaze swept across the table, he noticed that two pairs of chopsticks had been touched. Slightly puzzled, he didn't say anything and left.

The door closed gently, and the aroma of the dishes slowly spread throughout the private room, filling the entire space.

Di Gong picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and put it in his mouth.

The meat was stewed until extremely tender, melting in your mouth. The skin was chewy, the fatty parts were smooth but not greasy, and the lean meat was tender and juicy. The aroma of the sauce seeped out from the meat, with a hint of sweetness in the saltiness.

He chewed twice and nodded.

"Not bad, this restaurant makes authentic braised pork."

Zhang Rui looked at the dishes on the table, holding chopsticks in his hand, but didn't touch them immediately.

The aroma of scallions and ginger from the steamed sea bass kept wafting into my nose. I glanced at Di Renjie again; the old man was already picking up his second piece of meat.

"...Sir, the two of us can't possibly eat that much, can we?"

Di Gong put the meat in his mouth, chewed it, swallowed it, and then spoke.

"Young people are growing a lot, so they should eat more. Besides, I always feel like I have a better appetite when I eat with you."

"Then you should eat more, sir."

As Zhang Rui spoke, he reached for the plate of sea bass with his chopsticks, picked up the tenderest piece from the belly of the fish, and put it into Di Gong's bowl.

Di Renjie looked at the fish in the bowl, then at Zhang Rui.

"Aren't you going to eat it yourself?"

"...The adults should eat first."

Di Renjie did not refuse. He picked up the piece of fish, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and nodded.

"It's steamed perfectly, cooked to perfection."

As he spoke, he picked up another piece of belly from the plate and put it into Zhang Rui's bowl.

One yuan each.

Zhang Rui lowered his head.

The fish meat is translucent white; it splits open easily when picked up with chopsticks, revealing the snow-white garlic-like flesh inside.

When you put it in your mouth, the tender fish meat hardly needs any chewing; it just falls apart when you press it with the tip of your tongue.

The aroma of ginger and scallions infuses the fish, and the umami flavor released by the hot oil lingers in your mouth before you slowly swallow it.

Di Gong picked up another piece of vegetable heart with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth and chewed it.

"The bok choy is tender, you should try it."

Zhang Rui also picked up a piece with his chopsticks. The bok choy was crisp and refreshing, with a slightly sweet taste. The salty and savory flavor of the soy sauce seeped into the bok choy, making it light and not greasy.

The two took turns eating, their chopsticks occasionally touching, then they moved away from each other.

Di Renjie's chopsticks always yielded first, waiting for Zhang Rui to take the food before reaching for his own.

"My lord, you seem to really enjoy this meat, have some more." Zhang Rui pushed the plate of braised pork toward Di Renjie.

Di Gong picked up a piece and then picked up another piece for Zhang Rui.

"The meat here has the perfect balance of lean and fat. Don't just focus on eating the fish; there are a lot of bones."

Zhang Rui put the piece of meat in his mouth. The skin was chewy, the fatty parts melted in his mouth, and the lean meat was stewed until tender. The sweet and salty sauce coated his tongue and smelled even better than it did.

"Is it tasty?"

"……tasty."

Di Gong picked up another piece and put it in his bowl, chewing slowly, his eyes slightly narrowed.

A breeze came in through the window, and the asparagus fern swayed gently.

The table was quiet, with only the sound of chopsticks touching the rim of the bowl and the distant street noises coming from outside the window.

A few casual words here and there

Judge Di said he had been to this restaurant many years ago, and the food still tasted the same.

Zhang Rui asked who he had come with before, and Di Renjie thought for a moment and said a few old friends, but they later parted ways.

He didn't say anything more, and Zhang Rui didn't ask any more questions.

The steam from the chicken soup gradually subsided, and the goji berries sank to the bottom of the bowl.

By the time we finished eating, the sun was already setting.

Di Renjie did not rush to leave. He sat by the window, held his teacup, and slowly drank another cup.

The warm yellow light of the afternoon sun slanted in through the window, falling on the table, the blue cloth, and the rim of the empty bowls and plates.

The asparagus fern on the windowsill swayed gently in the breeze, casting dappled shadows on the table.

After a while, he put down his teacup and stood up.

"Let's go."

After leaving the restaurant, Di Renjie did not head towards the inn, but continued to stroll along the street.

The afternoon sun was not as strong as in the morning, and it shone on the street with a soft, warm yellow hue.

The stone pavement had been exposed to the sun all day and was slightly warm.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street anymore. The vendors carrying loads on their shoulders were packing up, and the shop assistants at the entrances were taking down their shop signs and rolling them into bundles.

After walking for a while, Di Gong turned into a quiet alley, walked a few dozen steps, and stopped.

At the end of the alley stood a house with gray walls and an old plaque above the door that read "Xu Mansion".

The vermilion gate was tightly closed, the paint was already mottled, and there was a thick layer of verdigris on the door knocker.

Two stone lions squatted at the entrance, their manes covered with a thin layer of dust, but their bases were swept clean.

A pair of white lanterns hung under the eaves, unlit, swaying gently in the wind, their tassels moving back and forth.

Judge Di stood at the entrance of the alley, without approaching.

The wind blew through the alley, swirling up a few withered leaves, which twirled against the threshold before drifting away.

The wind lifted a corner of her dress, then she fell back down.

He watched for a while, then turned around and left without knocking.

Zhang Rui followed beside him, glancing at the tightly closed door and then at Di Renjie's retreating figure.

"Does the adult know this family?"

Di Renjie did not turn around.

"An old friend."

"Aren't you going to see them?"

"inconvenient."

After saying that, Di Renjie offered no further explanation.

The alley was quiet, and the wind rustled the leaves of the old vines on the wall.

Zhang Rui followed behind and looked back again.

The lanterns were still swaying gently in the wind, and the verdigris on the door knocker was dim in the afternoon light.

The Xu residence?

Is this Xu Shide's residence?

I remember he was the head of the Imperial Guard, and his relationship with Di Gong wasn't particularly deep; they weren't exactly friends.

Why did Judge Dee think of this place, or just stand at the entrance of the alley and take a look from afar?