Chapter 234: Specialty Cuisine

Mr. Mu’s name was Mu Zhen. He was a carpenter and a renowned master carver. His ancestors had studied Mechanical Techniques and had even participated in the construction of the Imperial Mausoleum, where they were responsible for setting up the tomb’s mechanisms.

They were practically craftsmen for the Royal Family.

But later, as the dynasty declined and war broke out, the number of people who knew Mechanical Techniques dwindled, and the lives of those in this profession came under great threat.

Because those times were truly chaotic. A single misstep could cost you your life.

When he was 27, during the Republic period, a military officer discovered a Tang Dynasty tomb and suspected it contained many burial goods.

That officer wanted to seize all the treasures inside for himself, so he didn’t report it to his superiors. Instead, he found his own men to rob the tomb.

But he lost many men on his first attempt, so he started asking around, rounding up professional tomb robbers and people who knew Mechanical Techniques.

Mu Zhen was one of them. Although he had never revealed that he knew Mechanical Techniques, the officer found out that his ancestors did. So, the officer had him captured, completely ignoring his wishes.

Mu Zhen was very talented in Mechanical Techniques. Coupled with the notes and journals passed down from his ancestors, he ultimately managed to survive in the tomb and escape.

But when he finally made it back home, having escaped death, he discovered that his wife and children had all been slaughtered.

That officer was vicious. He wouldn’t allow any loose ends, so he slaughtered everyone who knew about the tomb, along with their families.

Overcome with grief, Mu Zhen disguised himself as a beggar. After hiding and moving from place to place, he finally found the officer’s superior and told him everything.

In the end, the officer received the punishment he deserved, but his family could never be brought back.

He only learned later that all the people the officer had captured were dead.

Some had died in the tomb; others had been completely wiped out by that crazed officer.

He was the only one who had luckily escaped.

But after his narrow escape, he was faced with the tragic reality that his entire family was dead, and he was the sole survivor.

Dazed and numb, Mu Zhen buried his wife and children. Not wanting to remain in that place of heartbreak, he packed a few things and left.

After drifting from place to place, he eventually settled down in Bailong Village.

...

"My daughter was about your age back then."

And yet, a child that young had also been murdered.

That was why Mr. Mu was particularly fond of Yun Jiao; part of it was because he was projecting his feelings onto her.

Looking at Yun Jiao, he felt in a daze that if his own poor daughter were still alive, she would have been just as vibrant.

"Alright, you should go back to sleep now. Staying up late will stunt your growth."

Yun Jiao obediently said, "Okay."

"Then, Grandpa Mu, you should go to bed early too."

Grandpa Mu was exuding an air of sadness. Yun Jiao thought for a moment, then patted his head.

"Sweet dreams, Grandpa Mu."

She then got down from Mr. Mu’s lap and left.

Mr. Mu pulled Old Wu over to drink with him. "Come on, drink up."

Though he was smiling, a tear fell into his drink as he drank.

That night, as he was going to bed, a drowsy and drunk Mr. Mu fumbled through his luggage and pulled out a puzzle box.

The wooden box appeared seamless, as if it were carved from a single piece.

But as his hands moved, the seemingly solid box slowly began to unfold.

CLICK...

He pushed open the box’s lid. Inside were a few photographs.

One was a wedding photo of him and his wife.

Another was a family portrait of him, his wife, and their son—a family of three.

And there was one more, a family portrait of the four of them, now with a daughter.

These few photos were already yellowed with age, but he had kept them well-protected.

They were also his most precious possessions.

He hadn’t dared to take them out for a long time. He was afraid.

But this time, he just missed them so, so much.

The sound of stifled sobs came from within the room.

After crying for a long while, clutching the photos, Mr. Mu fell asleep.

This time, to his surprise and delight, his wife, who had never once appeared in his dreams, was finally there.

With trembling hands, he stared intently at her figure, not even daring to reach out and touch it.

But the person in the dream reached out and caressed his face.

"You’ve gotten old."

Mr. Mu cried, saying through his tears that he had failed them.

"Our son, our daughter, and I... none of us ever blamed you. You were never the one at fault."

Mr. Mu had always believed that his wife and children blamed him, and that was why they had never appeared in his dreams.

Two figures appeared beside his still-young wife in the dream: his son and daughter, just as he remembered them.

The two of them happily called out, "Daddy."

His wife smiled and said, "We have to go now, Ah Zhen. Look forward, and take us with you to see more of this world."

The three of them waved to him, as if saying goodbye.

Mr. Mu couldn’t bear to let them go. He lunged forward, only to embrace empty air.

He was crying, but he was also smiling.

From now on, the gloom that had long weighed on his heart would finally be lifted by this dream.

「The next day...」

Old Wu had someone send over breakfast.

There was soy milk, youtiao, and scallion pancakes, as well as the Peking duck that Yun Jiao and the others had been longing for.

They had been too stuffed to eat the roast duck the previous night.

But it had been prepared for them this morning.

Elder Wu introduced it with a mysterious look on his face. "This here is a local specialty, douzhir. Give it a try."

Hearing him say that, no one suspected a thing. They all picked up their bowls and took a sip.

And then...

BLEGH~~~

After taking a sip, everyone’s face twisted as they spat it back out.

Yun Xiaowu had the worst of it.

The reckless fellow had gulped down a huge mouthful, and now a good amount of it had already gone down his throat.

GACK! GACK! GACK!~~~

Old Wu burst out laughing.

’I’ve never tasted anything so disgusting!’

Several pairs of resentful eyes at the table were now glaring at him.

"Ahem... don’t look at me like that. This stuff really is a local delicacy."

Yun Xiaowu had to drink several gulps of water before he started to feel better.

"Grandpa Wu, you tricked us! You call this stuff a delicacy? It’s more like poison!"

He was still feeling awful.

Elder Wu took a sip right in front of them, causing the expressions of the others at the table to contort in disgust.

"You just have to get used to it. It’s quite nutritious."

"Besides, back in the day, it was a daily drink for the Royal Family."

The Yun family all looked utterly unconvinced.

"People who have lived here their whole lives are used to it. It’s natural for outsiders like you not to be used to it at first."

"Here, try the other food. Let me show you how to eat this Peking duck."

Yun Xiaowu looked wary. "This Peking duck... it’s not going to be like that douzhir, is it?"

Elder Wu solemnly swore, "You will absolutely find this delicious."

The Peking duck was, indeed, delicious. You take a slice of duck, dip it in sauce, place it on a nearly transparent, round wrapper, then add some shredded scallion and cucumber sticks. Wrapped up and eaten in one bite, the duck’s skin was crispy while the meat was soft and tender, and the slightly sweet sauce elevated the flavor to another level.

The shredded scallion and cucumber, meanwhile, added fragrance and cut through the richness.

In short, this was completely different from douzhir. The unique way of eating Peking duck and its texture were a truly refreshing surprise.

"Delicious!"

Unsurprisingly, everyone fell in love with the dish.

Yun Xiao Liu’s eyes were the brightest of all. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging so fast it would be a blur.

For this breakfast, everything was delicious—except for the douzhir.

Everyone shoved their bowls of douzhir far away in disgust.

Elder Wu just shook his head, muttering that they didn’t know how to appreciate the finer things.