Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

"Eat up, don't be shy."

Li Jinrong picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of meat in everyone's bowl. "From now on, we'll live in the same house and share the good times together."

He Songling lowered his head, staring at the thinly sliced ​​piece of exotic beast meat in the bowl, and didn't touch it for a long time.

He had heard his master say that this thing was beneficial for cultivating qi and blood, but this was the first time he had ever seen the real thing.

Shen Bao had already picked up a steamed bun and stuffed his mouth full. "Brother Li... this is too much of a waste..."

"Don't mention it."

Li Jinrong picked up his chopsticks, first taking a slice of lean meat, but instead of eating it, he held up his chopsticks for everyone to see.

"Look at the grain of this meat," he said, pointing to the piece. "It's different from regular pork, isn't it? This is the tenderloin of a Ironback pig, the most tender piece."

Shen Bao leaned closer to look: "Brother Li, do you know anything about this?"

"Of course." Li Jinrong put the meat in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and then squinted his eyes. "My family eats it several times a week. Look at my head and my physique, it's all from eating the meat of strange beasts."

As he spoke, he patted his round belly, and the flesh on his body jiggled.

Shen Bao suppressed a laugh: "This...has it to do with eating meat?"

"Of course it's related." Li Jinrong explained seriously, "The meat of strange beasts contains a lot of vital energy. Eating it will make you strong. I call this solid, do you understand?"

"Being a little chubby is good. Being chubby makes you more stable. You skinny people can be blown away by the wind. I can stand here and not be moved by any wind."

"Furthermore, this Iron-spine Pig is a treasure from head to toe, but the price varies greatly depending on the part."

"The cheapest cut is the foreleg meat, which can be had for forty or fifty dollars. The tenderloin is more expensive, costing over a hundred dollars."

"If it's the loin meat, which is the small piece behind the pig's kidney, only two ounces can be obtained from a pig, and it costs two hundred silver dollars. You also have to make a reservation in advance."

"The dish I ordered today may not be the most expensive, but it's definitely the best value for money."

As he spoke, he picked up another slice, dipped it in the broth, and happily put it into his mouth.

the next table.

A young man dressed in a moon-white silk robe stared at the plate of exotic beast meat in front of him, his brow twitching slightly.

His name is Zhou Jiachang. Today, he is hosting a banquet for three classmates who have passed the Zhenyisi examination.

Liu Ruyan sat opposite him, dressed in a men's long gown, holding a teacup in one hand, her eyes lowered as she watched the tea leaves rise and fall in the cup.

Next to her was a round-faced girl surnamed Fang, who was looking at the cafeteria's furnishings with great interest.

The other boy wearing glasses is named Shen Zihua; his family runs a newspaper.

Zhou Jiachang's gaze swept across Liu Ruyan's face and then landed on the plate of exotic beast meat on the table. Even with his current wealth, he felt a pang of heartache.

One hundred and twenty silver dollars.

He didn't even order any fancy cuts, just the most ordinary front leg meat, which cost forty-eight dollars.

With the fish and a few other dishes, this meal used up almost half a month's allowance.

If it weren't for Liu Ruyan...

Just as Zhou Jiachang was feeling the pinch, the sound from the next table drifted over.

"My family eats this several times a week. Look at my head and my physique, it's all from eating exotic animal meat."

Zhou Jiachang turned his head and saw a few young people sitting at the next table. The one in the middle was chubby and chubby, patting his belly and bragging, while the others listened with great interest.

"The cheapest cut is the foreleg meat, you can get it for forty or fifty dollars..."

His expression turned interesting; the plate in front of him contained the cheapest cut of pork foreleg that the other person had mentioned.

The fat man spoke so casually, as if forty or fifty dollars were nothing more than a bribe for a beggar.

Eating it several times a week? Who do you think you are? The son of Tianjin's richest man?

He was about to look away when he noticed that Liu Ruyan had also glanced in that direction.

That glance made Zhou Jiachang feel like he'd been scratched by a cat.

The fat guy's voice from next door was still drilling into my ears.

"The loin meat is the small piece at the back of the pig's kidney; a pig only yields about two ounces..."

Liu Ruyan's gaze followed him for a moment, then she suddenly put down her teacup and stood up. "I'm full, I'll be going now."

Zhou Jiachang was taken aback, then quickly stood up: "Miss Liu, let me see you out."

"No need," she said casually, glancing unintentionally at the table next to her.

That fat bastard from the Li family was chatting and laughing with his companions, eating with no manners whatsoever.

There were also young men who got in through connections...

She looked away and turned to walk out.

The round-faced girl and the bespectacled man exchanged a glance, then stood up and followed.

Zhou Jiachang stood there, watching the three figures leave, then looked at the plate of barely touched beast meat on the table, his face turning pale and then flushed.

"Hey, you fatso, what the hell are you bragging about...?"

. . . . . .

The tram clanged and jingled as it passed through Quanyechang, its carriages packed with people.

Liu Ruyan and Fang Yingxia, a round-faced girl, stood by the window, their right hands tightly gripping the handrail, afraid of being separated by the crowd.

"You said you were going back to get something," Fang Yingxia said, standing on tiptoe to look outside. "Why did you have to pick this time? It's so crowded."

"Then what are you doing here?"

Liu Ruyan withdrew her gaze from the window and gave her a disgruntled look.

"Me?" Fang Yingxia blinked, revealing two dimples with a smile. "I'm just keeping you company, we're like family."

Liu Ruyan raised the corner of her mouth slightly, but didn't say anything.

"That's fine, I didn't want to stay there anyway."

Fang Yingxia said to herself, "Zhou Jiachang's gaze is like a leech, sticking to you like glue. I feel tired just looking at him."

"Hey, what do you think of that guy?"

"Not very good." Liu Ruyan frowned. "It's like a fly."

Fang Yingxia was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing: "You don't hide anything at all."

After a few stops, the tram became less crowded, and the two finally found seats.

Fang Yingxia rubbed her numb arm and suddenly leaned closer. "Hey, I have a question for you."

"explain."

"Did you know those people at the next table in the cafeteria just now?"

Liu Ruyan's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't reply.

Fang Yingxia continued, "I saw it. When that fat guy was bragging, you glanced over there several times."

"At first I thought you were looking at the fat guy, but then I realized you were looking at the guy next to him, the tall and thin one."

Liu Ruyan leaned back in her chair, watching the sycamore trees flash by outside the window, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "So what if I saw them?"

Fang Yingxia's eyes lit up: "So that means you admit it?"

"Admit what?"

"Admit that you're watching him."

Liu Ruyan turned her head and stared straight at Fang Yingxia. "You've been talking a lot today."

Fang Yingxia felt a little uneasy under her gaze and shrank back, but she still stubbornly said, "I'm just concerned about you. You don't even give someone like Zhou Jiachang a second glance, but you're staring at a stranger. Is it wrong for me to be curious?"

Liu Ruyan withdrew her gaze and remained silent.

The car turned a corner and entered a quiet street.

The villas on both sides are lined up one after another, with red brick walls, wrought iron gates, and ivy climbing all over the walls.

Fang Yingxia was quiet for a while, then suddenly said, "But then again, that person is quite good-looking."

Liu Ruyan's brow twitched slightly.

Fang Yingxia didn't notice and continued talking to herself: "She's a bit thin, but her eyebrows and eyes are clean, and her features are pleasing to the eye."

"Unlike that fat guy, who wants to spill all his wealth as soon as he opens his mouth, or Zhou Jiachang, who is refined but always seems a bit fake."

"You have a good eye for people."

"Of course." Fang Yingxia shook her head proudly. "My mother said, when judging a person, look at their eyes first; if their eyes are upright, their heart will be upright."

"That person has a clear gaze."

"He was Li Siqing's childhood betrothed..."