Compendio de hombres apuestos en el mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 11

Madam Qian had been ill since last night, lying in bed constantly weeping and moaning, so naturally she couldn't come out to receive guests. Master Qian, holding his youngest son's hand, sat in a chair, his eyes vacant and lifeless. He only seemed to come to his senses after being asked several times, and his answers were mostly irrelevant. Seeing this, the three of them couldn't get any information out of him; the constables had already asked them most of the basic questions yesterday. Xiao Duan suggested going to see Miss Qian's room, and Master Qian beckoned, signaling a servant to lead the three of them there.

A somber mood hung heavy in the air, making it hard to breathe. The young lady was dead, murdered by the lake, and the killer hadn't been found. Her body remained at the government office and couldn't be retrieved, so the funeral couldn't be held yet.

The three of them walked to Qian Dieyou's residence, and the servant leading the way called for the maid in the room to come out quickly. The maid rubbed her eyes, lowered her head, and came out to greet the three of them.

Upon entering the room, Xiao Duan looked around and spotted a embroidery hoop in front of the dressing mirror. He went over to examine it; the image of willows and lotus ponds was exactly the pattern that Miss Lan had embroidered yesterday afternoon! Seeing Xiao Duan standing there motionless, the maidservant sobbed and whispered an explanation: "Miss embroidered this handkerchief all morning the day before yesterday. She went to the elegant residence in the afternoon, had dinner at home, and then went out again. Who knew…"

"She wouldn't let you come with her?" Zhan Yun asked from the side. Usually, when young ladies go out, they are accompanied by one or two maids, especially at night. How could she let a girl like her go out alone?

The little maid shook her head repeatedly: "Miss said we can't go with her, so we can't go with her. Otherwise, if Miss finds out, she'll definitely scold us." As she spoke, the little maid shrank her neck and trembled slightly, looking like she was afraid of being scolded in the past.

"Did she often go out at night before?" It seems this young lady has quite a temper, managing to keep the maidservants who serve her completely under her thumb.

The young maid nodded: "Not often. But she did go out at night before. Master and Madam both know. Their elegant residence occasionally has evening gatherings, going out for a boat trip or something." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again: "But the night before last, I waited and waited, but Miss didn't return, so I went to tell Master and Madam. Master sent the servants out to look for her all night, but they couldn't find her... Yesterday morning, I heard someone say... Waaah..." The young maid's shoulders trembled as she cried, clearly terrified.

Xiao Duan remained silent, her brow furrowed slightly, as if deep in thought. Zhan Yun patted the little girl's shoulder and asked softly, "Do you know if your young lady has anyone she's interested in?"

The little girl was crying with tears streaming down her face, sniffling and panting, "A...good...person?"

Zhao Ting glared at him from the side: "You mean your lover? Do you?"

The young maid wiped away her tears and turned to look around. Seeing that there was no one else in the room, she whispered, "My young lady does have someone she likes."

Author's Note: Hmm, two chapters~

13

Chapter Eight: Peach Blossoms in Full Bloom • A Touch of Anger...

It was already noon when the three of them left the Zhou residence. After the fried rice noodles they had yesterday at noon, Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting had decided to stick with Xiao Duan. Neither of them knew Hangzhou well; they had only been there once at the end of last year, leaving after a few days, so they had no idea where to find good food or fun activities. Anyway, Xiao Duan was just a bit aloof, and since they were going to investigate a case together later, they figured he wouldn't refuse.

Seeing the two men staring at him expectantly, Xiao Duan couldn't help but chuckle. He'd only been in Hangzhou for less than two months in total, and while he'd discovered a few places he liked to eat, they were all small shops similar to those wonton and rice noodle stalls. These two, one a distinguished prince, the other the famous Young Master Xingzhi, might find that kind of food novelty once or twice, but they certainly wouldn't be able to stand it for long. But for now, since they wanted to come along, he'd let them.

This time, Xiao Duan led the two into a noodle shop run by a brother and sister. The brother was in the back, stir-frying noodles and making soup, while the little girl was in the front, holding a wooden sign to greet customers. This time, the two were well-behaved and sat quietly waiting for Xiao Duan to order.

The little girl, dressed in a light green short-sleeved shirt and shorts, pursed her lips upon seeing Xiao Duan, revealing two dimples on her cheeks. Her sweet appearance was simply irresistible. "Brother Xiao Duan," the little girl said, putting down her bowl and gently urging the guests to eat slowly. She took small steps to Xiao Duan's table, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with tears. "Brother Xiao Duan, it's been so long since you've come."

Xiao Duan looked up, a slight smile playing on his lips, and even his usually cold and aloof phoenix eyes softened a little: "It's been a few months, and the little girl has grown taller again."

The little girl smiled sweetly: "Brother Duan is so thoughtful. My brother just said yesterday that I've grown taller again." As she spoke, she glanced at Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun, then turned to look at Brother Duan: "Brother Duan, you brought your friends over?"

Xiao Duan nodded: "Three servings of 'Yunying Fried Noodles' and a pot of 'Rose Wine'."

The little girl nodded while holding the wooden sign. Just as she was about to turn around, Xiao Duan added, "Both of them should be a bit stronger in flavor. Mine is the same as before."

The little girl grinned, tilting her head to one side: "Remember, Brother Duan, this time I brewed the 'Rose Wine'! You'll have to try it later, see if it's fragrant and mellow, all the other guests said it was delicious!"

Xiao Duan nodded, and the little girl skipped and hopped towards the kitchen.

Xiao Duan sat on the stool, his phoenix eyes half-closed, quietly pondering the information he had gathered from the Zhang, Zhou, and Qian families, sorting out the details of the case. He was completely unaware of the two men opposite him, each with a different expression. Zhan Yun, a faint smile playing on his lips, idly waved his folding fan, thinking to himself, "This Xiao Duan really has a way with women! Yesterday at noon, that incredibly charming proprietress; today at noon, this sweet and obedient little girl—this Xiao Duan really has a way with women of all ages, from eight to eighty!"

Zhao Ting was already feeling uneasy, and seeing the little girl's shy and coquettish smile at Xiao Duan only made him feel even more depressed. What was so good about this guy? His face was deathly pale, his phoenix eyes were long and narrow, his mouth was small and his chin was pointed—he didn't look like a man at all! And he was always expressionless and aloof; how come he attracted so many women?

What the two of them didn't expect was that the places Xiao Duan brought them to were all small shops. The most respectable people there, whether they were shopkeepers or customers, were no more than Xiao Duan himself; wealthy young masters and ladies would never frequent such places.

Although Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun dressed modestly, the fabric of their clothes was clearly of the finest quality. The jade pendant at Zhao Ting's waist was made of priceless mutton-fat jade, and the white jade folding fan in Zhan Yun's hand was also no ordinary item. Even if an ordinary person couldn't identify the items or name them, they would know they were valuable and expensive. Furthermore, both men were handsome and had an extraordinary bearing, making them far beyond the reach of most shopkeepers. As for Xiao Duan, he was handsome, polite, and dressed simply in a cotton shirt. Naturally, the young women and wives in the shop liked him and dared to approach him.

A short while later, the fried noodles were served. Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun had eaten fried noodles before, but these plates were truly astonishing. Instead of long, thin noodles, the plates contained thin, white slices of dough. Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun were both stunned, thinking to themselves that the difference was too great. Yesterday's fried rice noodles were so delicious! Why, after changing the setting, did they insist on eating these thick, white fried noodles? Even the green vegetables on the side looked utterly unappetizing!

Seeing the two of them like this, the little girl understood perfectly. She put her hands on her hips, pouted her little mouth, and said in a crisp voice, "Gentlemen, our 'Yunying Fried Noodles' are famous throughout the entire North City for their delicious taste! You two should try a bite first. If you don't like it, I won't charge you a single penny!"

On the other side, Xiao Duan had already poured the wine, tilted his head back, and drank the entire cup in one gulp. Xiao Duan pursed his lips, looked up at the little girl, and said, "It's very fragrant and mellow, no worse than what your brother brews." As the name suggests, this "Rose Intoxication" has a faint rose fragrance, is sweet and smooth, and has a gentle taste. It doesn't have a strong aftertaste, so many locals are used to drinking a couple of cups at night, as it's both refreshing and helps them sleep well.

The little girl smiled so sweetly when she heard this! Her two dimples deepened even more, making her even more intoxicating than "Rose Wine".

Zhao Ting picked up a piece of snow-white noodle and put it in his mouth, chewing it without much thought, intending to just swallow it casually. But who knew that this one chew would be so delicious! The more Zhao Ting chewed, the sweeter and more delicious it became. He picked up another piece and put it in his mouth, glancing sideways at Zhan Yun. Zhan Yun also tasted the aroma. It turned out that these noodles weren't made from ordinary white flour; he didn't know what they were made of, but they were fresh, fragrant, and smooth, with the salty aroma of meat, and seemingly also the fragrance of lotus root and the sweetness of mushrooms. The aftertaste was simply unforgettable!

Actually, these so-called "noodle slices" are made by first mixing lotus root, water chestnuts, taro, arrowhead, and lily bulbs together, then adding chicken breast and lean pork, steaming them until tender, letting them cool in the wind, pounding them into a fine powder in a stone mortar, adding rock sugar and honey, steaming them again, and then pounding them in the mortar until the sugar, honey, and all the other ingredients are combined. The mixture is then taken out, kneaded into a dough, and left to cool and harden before being sliced into pieces. These are then stir-fried in oil with some seasonal vegetables, resulting in a sweet, chewy, and incredibly delicious dish!

Seeing Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun eating so heartily, the little girl grinned and explained in her clear voice how to make the noodles, which the two boys nodded in agreement. A customer at another table overheard this and teased the little girl, "Little girl, stop talking! Aren't you afraid someone will hear you and steal your family's business? Your brother will be furious!"

The little girl raised her chin, her bright almond-shaped eyes sweeping over everyone: "No way! Let whoever wants to hear it listen. Anyway, that's how it's done. The steaming time, the force of pounding, the number of days to dry, and the heat of the stir-fry—it's not something just anyone can learn. In the whole of Hangzhou, only our family makes it this way! Even the most expensive 'Chunjianglou' can't replicate the taste of my brother's!"

The other customers laughed. A man in his mid-twenties came out carrying two plates of noodles. He pursed his slightly thick lips, revealing a small dimple on one cheek: "Don't listen to this girl's nonsense. Our noodles are just something our old neighbors patronize, a casual meal. How can we compare to the chefs at 'Chunjianglou'..."

Zhan Yun ate with lingering relish, finally managing to look up and speak. Taking a sip of wine, he interjected, "Boss, you're being modest. This is the best noodles I've ever had in my life. Absolutely amazing!"

The man was taken aback, glanced at Xiao Duan, and smiled, "Xiao Duan's friend! Welcome, welcome. If you like, please come often. Next time you come, I'll treat you two and Xiao Duan to drinks." With that, he nodded to Xiao Duan and turned to go back to his work.

The three ate noodles and drank wine. Zhan Yun swallowed the noodles in her mouth, her crescent-shaped eyes curving even more, and said gently, "The maids from these three households all said that their young mistresses had an appointment that night and went out alone. According to the personal maid of the Qian family's young mistress, Qian Dieyou has special feelings for Song Qiao. So, can we boldly assume that the person Qian Dieyou dressed up carefully and went to meet alone that night was that Meng Lian Jushi?"

Zhao Ting slammed down his wine cup and parted his thin lips slightly: "At least now there are clues pointing to him. This guy has always been problematic, so this is a good opportunity to thoroughly investigate him!"

Xiao Duan took a sip of wine and said in a deep voice, "In any case, we have found a very good excuse to meet this lay Buddhist."

The three of them ate their fill, and Zhao Ting's complexion improved slightly, while Zhan Yun's eyes crinkled with delight. When it was time to leave, the little girl was incredibly reluctant to part, clutching her clothes, her eyes half-closed, and calling out "Brother Duan" shyly.

Xiao Duan smiled and said, "I'll be back in a couple of days." The little girl's almond-shaped eyes brightened even more, and she nodded repeatedly, reluctant to leave. Anyway, Brother Xiao Duan always kept his word. If he said he'd come back, he would definitely be back for noodles within three days. If he couldn't come, he wouldn't have agreed to it.

Once outside, Zhao Ting finally couldn't hold back any longer. He glanced at Xiao Duan and said coldly, "With all the women you've got, aren't you afraid your fiancée will get jealous?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Duan blinked, seemingly unable to process it: "Fiancée?" Xiao Duan was puzzled. How did he suddenly have a fiancée after just one meal?

Zhao Ting's thin lips curved into a slightly mocking smile, his dark eyes fixed on Xiao Duan: "How come you've already forgotten about your fiancée so quickly? Didn't you say this morning that you would treat her well?"