"Hmm, the taste is good. Let's open for business," Lu Xuan said to the old man.
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Chapter Six Mr. An
As soon as the mutton soup restaurant opened, a large number of diners poured in. There were swordsmen wandering around, as well as merchants coming and going. Lu Xuan's mutton soup restaurant was very famous in the town, so many people were already waiting here before it opened.
"Two flatbreads, two pieces of mutton, and a bowl of soup!" the first swordsman to rush in shouted.
"Wow... You're really generous today, aren't you? Why are you eating meat?" the old man joked casually. This was a swordsman with a Shaanxi accent, named Ma Kui, nicknamed "The Deadly Ghost," a Tang Dynasty man. He had committed a crime and fled to this lawless border region to evade the imperial court's pursuit.
Compared to the bandits and swordsmen of his generation who made a living through brute force, Ma Kui seemed to have some background, and his swordsmanship was far superior to the average person. However, he was most infamous for his vindictiveness and ruthlessness. He would kill for the slightest thing, earning him the nickname "The Killer."
However, in this generation, ruthlessness wasn't a derogatory term. Those who were ruthless and still survived were generally highly skilled. Both merchant caravans and gangs preferred to hire such people. Therefore, he lived a relatively comfortable life here. The only problem was that he couldn't control his lust and frequently visited brothels. Most of his earnings were spent on those foreign women.
"Haha, I just made a big deal. I didn't even go to the old alley, I came here to fill my stomach first."
"That sounds nice, I'll pick out a big piece for you." The old man picked out two large pieces of 'mutton' and handed them to Ma Kui. He watched as Ma Kui took them to the table to eat. Then he turned and beckoned to the next person.
However, Ma Kui felt something was wrong as soon as he took a bite.
"You old geezer, what is this crap? Do you really think I've never eaten mutton before?" Ma Kui slammed his hand on the table and stood up, looking utterly displeased. But the old man didn't even lift an eyelid, continuing to work as he spoke.
"You've grown quite bold, Lord Reaper. Don't you even know your own name?"
Ma Kui paused for a moment, then snapped back to reality. He had just closed a big deal and was riding high, a little arrogant for a moment. The old man's soft, slow voice made him shudder. He glanced at the young man behind him serving mutton soup. His gaze involuntarily fell on the nearly tall, broadsword casually leaning against the man's side.
"No, I just... am eating this meat..."
"Not mutton?" Lu Xuan straightened up and asked casually.
"It's mutton, it's mutton. It tastes especially good today... the shopkeeper's excellent cooking..." After saying that, he sat down and began to eat voraciously, not saying another word. Lu Xuan now runs a mutton soup restaurant, but the people here have not forgotten him, who was once hailed as the number one swordsman in town.
Ma Kui is ruthless, both in appearance and with his knife. But he's not a fool. He's an outsider who makes a living here by being ruthless. Lu Xuan is also said to be an outsider. But now, he's a true local. And he owns the best shop in town, a real local tyrant.
He may be ruthless, but he wouldn't recklessly court death. In fact, in the horse camp, selling horse meat as mutton is an open secret. And most of the time, using horse meat is considered relatively ethical. Even using 'other' meat isn't impossible.
Business continued as if the earlier incident had never happened.
"A piece of mutton and two flatbreads."
"Two flatbreads and a bowl of soup."
“.….”
Those who could afford meat, or rather, were willing to spend money on it, were actually quite few. Only the knife-wielders who risked their lives for a living would indulge themselves here after earning some money. People like Ma Kui, who would order two pieces of meat at once, were actually quite rare. The 'mutton soup,' however, sold exceptionally well. This was because Lu Xuan had added a lot of salt to the soup, which was a considerable temptation for these knife-wielders. After all, they needed to replenish their salt after strenuous activity. A large pot of mutton soup was completely sold out by noon. The large basket of baked flatbreads was also almost gone.
By this time, there weren't many customers left at the mutton soup restaurant. The old man was there counting money. It wasn't really money, but rather a jumble of odds and ends. Aside from a few Tang Dynasty coins, the rest were all sorts of miscellaneous items.
Sheepskin, cowhide, wolf skin, cow horns, and even daggers and scimitars. Some items were stained with blood, their origins widely known. Lu Xuan had run a shop here for over half a year, and people even brought their horses here to exchange for food.
The horse was traded for a month's worth of food. Then the man left and never returned. That's how the town is; people come and go every day. But most of those who leave never come back.
After a while, the last guest got up and left. Just as Lu Xuan and the old man were about to rest, several more people walked in.
The old man looked up, his expression changed slightly, and he gestured to Lu Xuan. Without him saying anything, Lu Xuan also saw the newcomer.
It was a man dressed in a white robe, with long hair adorned with several thin braids—a prototype of the dreadlocks of the Tang Dynasty. He wore a half-smile, half-serious expression, his eyes sharp yet sinister. His gait was somewhat languid, yet carried an understated domineering air. Even the surrounding noise seemed to quiet down when he first stood at the doorway.
This man is Mr. An, the owner of the town.
Behind Mr. An were two men, one bald and the other long-haired. Both carried knives, their hands on the hilts. They seemed somewhat nervous in front of Lu Xuan. These two were top-tier fighters from the Great Horse Camp, and also Mr. An's trusted men. A year ago, when Mr. An first arrived here, these two had already earned a formidable reputation in the town.
Of course, Lu Xuan was also involved. This is why he was able to obtain the best shops in Da Ma Ying. During the time when Mr. An controlled Da Ma Ying, Lu Xuan put in a lot of effort.
From then on, the two swordsmen around Mr. An developed a slight fear of Lu Xuan. At that time, Lu Xuan's horse-slaying sword intimidated the entire Great Horse Camp.
"Mr. An, what brings you to my humble abode today?" Lu Xuan greeted him with a smile.
“Brother Lu, everyone in the entire Da Ma Camp knows that your mutton soup is the best in the camp. I could whip all the cooks in my camp and they still couldn’t make it taste like yours. That’s why I’ve been craving it and come here for a treat.”
"Sure, just a moment. I'll go prepare."
"Hurry up, I came here on an empty stomach."
The two exchanged a few familiar words. Lu Xuan then turned and went to the kitchen. He couldn't possibly use store-bought mutton soup to make for Mr. An. Lu Xuan removed some mutton he had reserved for himself from the pot. Then he reheated the pot. He made three large bowls of authentic mutton soup, a large plate of mutton, and heated up a dozen or so flaky pastries before bringing them out.
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New Year's Eve Musings
Spring breeze without snow,
The weather naturally becomes pleasant during the season.
Quickly drink the elixir,
Le Lai is a tassel.
Spring will come again tomorrow.
Enjoying the Lantern Festival
Time flies.
Enjoy all the pleasures of life.
This is just something I made for my own amusement, meant to bring a smile to your face.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and all the best.
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