Enjoy the world

At 2:30 in the afternoon on the third day of the Lunar New Year, Hua Zhenxing and Manman came to Binjiang Road in the old town of Wucheng. This road was built along the Jushui River in ancient times and was the most important material transportation terminal and bustling business district where the state capital is located.

Inland waterway shipping has declined in modern times, but Binjiang Road is still lined with shops. More than 30 years ago, Binjiang Road was renovated. The old wooden buildings with great fire hazards were basically demolished, and townhouses were built on both sides of the road.

Most of these facade houses are two-story, with shops on the first floor, warehouses at the back, and homes upstairs. Most of the operators are still the original business residents. Many years ago, local villagers came to the city to buy things and often visited here.

Since the new century, with the development of the city and the prosperity of the market, this place is no longer a prosperous area, and many scattered small businesses have closed down one after another. In the past ten years, with the rise of online shopping, more and more original physical stores have closed down.

Although cities are expanding, the total population has peaked and is beginning to decline.

The new population is decreasing year by year, and the younger generation with spending power and competitiveness are constantly leaving to find opportunities and dreams in larger and more prosperous cities.

The newly absorbed population from surrounding towns and counties has gradually been unable to make up for the decline in the city's original population. Surrounding towns and counties, however, receive little replenishment, and declining fertility rates coexist with one-way net outflow of population.

Some shops have closed while others have opened new ones. On this approximately one-kilometer-long Binjiang Road, most shops are always open, but their business items are constantly changing.

The reason why so few shops have completely closed down is simple, because most of these front-end houses are owned by the residents, and there is no cost of renting a house. They just focus on making a living by doing business.

Nowadays, many of the shops here sell special local products, selling things that are not easily available elsewhere. They also serve as the base for online stores, as well as stores for local manufacturers and service stores for foreign merchants.

There are obviously fewer traditional shops such as clothing, shoes and hats, tobacco, alcohol and daily miscellaneous goods, agricultural supplies, and small department stores. Many new service shops such as specialty restaurants, housing agencies, Internet cafes, foot baths, and manicures have appeared.

This road was built during the renovation of the old city more than 30 years ago. It has four lanes in both directions. It was quite high by the standards at the time, but now it seems a bit narrow. There are often many cars parked on both sides of the road, leaving only two lanes in the middle.

Cars don't drive very fast here. It feels like a pedestrian street without separation of people and cars.

When Binjiang Road was just renovated more than 30 years ago, it felt new and beautiful, prosperous and fashionable, but now it looks outdated, and even the tiles on the walls are mottled and dull.

The old towns in many places have the same feeling. There are also new towns with high-rise buildings around Wucheng. The roads are smooth and the environment is clean, but most of them are not as popular as here.

Zhiwei Building is somewhat different from the buildings on both sides. Although it was built in the same era, it has been well maintained and some very traditional decorations have been added one after another. It looks like it was built three hundred years ago or three years ago. of.

When Hua Zhenxing and Manman walked into Zhiwei Building side by side, the doorman opened the door politely, nodded and said, "Welcome!" Then he asked in surprise, "Director Hua?"

This sentence was spoken with the sound of spiritual consciousness, and ordinary people from a distance could not hear it.

The doorman was a young man, he looked older than Hua Zhenxing, and he was in his early twenties with good features. Hua Zhenxing did not recognize him, and he was very sure that he had never seen him before.

In today's information age, Hua Zhenxing has been having dinner in public for so many days at the Spring Festival Banquet. The short video has probably spread all over the world, and it is normal for him to be recognized by a Kunlun monk.

Hua Zhenxing nodded and smiled: "It's me, who are you -?"

Doorman: "Ye Zhujing, a disciple of Xiaoyao Sect. You met my father Ye Zhifei at the Spring Festival Banquet."

Hua Zhenxing: "Oh, nice to meet you! Let me introduce, this is Manman, the director of our Jili Guoyuanshu Center."

Before he finished speaking, there was only a faint scent of fragrance, and a sweet voice came: "Oh, it's Chinese New Year, why are Director Hua here? This is Taoist Brother Manman, I've admired you for a long time, please come in !”

He looked up and saw an acquaintance, it was Zhang Lanyi who was wearing a warm velvet cheongsam and a small white fur coat.

Manman took the initiative to greet her and said, "I am Manman, and I have heard of the Fairy in Blue a long time ago. Xiaohua said that you are prettier than me, and it turned out to be true when I saw you today!"

Zhang Lanyi didn't know how to respond to Manman's words, so he had to cover his mouth and said: "Director Hua is really funny. He is just telling you what he means. He is just teasing you!"

Walking into the lobby, this hotel is not as big as expected, slightly smaller than Chunguang Banquet.

There are six round tables in the lobby on the first floor, the kind that can seat six to eight people. There are twelve square tables near the window and against the walls on the left and right sides, suitable for four people.

In addition to the two offices on the second floor, there are also twelve private rooms. The innermost private room cannot be inspected by the spiritual sense. Of course, Hua Zhenxing didn't dare to forcefully spy on anything with his spiritual consciousness, he just sensed it slightly.

Hua Zhenxing: “I didn’t expect to meet Taoist friend in blue here again!”

Zhang Lanyi smiled and said: "I am the lobby manager here."

Manman: "When did it happen?"

Zhang Lanyi: "I just came here in January this year. I finally got this opportunity to stay in Wucheng Zhiwei Building for half a year."

Manman: "That's right, can you still go to Jilidong for Chinese food on the ninth day of the Lunar New Year?"

Zhang Lanyi smiled again: "Just take a day off, and my boss Xing will definitely come to visit then! By the way, why are fellow Taoist Manman and classmate Hua here today?"

Hua Zhenxing: "We are here to visit Alliance Leader Mei. I heard that he works as a cleaner here."

Manman: “Let’s have a meal by the way.”

Zhang Lanyi was startled, a little at a loss, but his tone quickly returned to his natural tone: "That's it, you guys sit down first, and I'll go to the back to see if Alliance Leader Mei is there."

The time they came in was at 2:30 in the afternoon, and Zhiweilou took the order at 3:00. The so-called collection of orders means that no more orders can be taken, and the chef and waiters also need to take a break.

Although you can still order food now, it's already past lunch time, so there aren't many customers still in the lobby, only three groups are left. One group was ready to pay, and the other two groups probably drank some wine. Although they had finished eating, they were still chatting there.

Hua Zhenxing and Manman found a square table against the wall and sat down. There were recipes on the table. Hua Zhenxing picked up the recipe and handed it to Manman and said, "Zhiweilou's recipe is worth studying."

Manman: "I heard that there is also a small cookbook, which is only provided to monks."

Hua Zhenxing: "I'll come and see you later."

At this moment, a middle-aged man walked out from behind, wearing an apron and sleeves. He was holding a bucket in his left hand. There was half a bucket of clean water with detergent in it. There was a rag on the edge of the bucket, and he was holding it in his right hand. He had a T-shaped wiper and a white towel hanging on his arm.

Sleeves, aprons, and towels are all white and spotless.

This person is about 1.8 meters tall, and his appearance can remind people of the words "thick eyebrows, big eyes, and straight facial features" at a glance. His energy is like a majestic mountain, but he has restrained all the pressure, and all he can feel is simplicity and heaviness. .

He came to the table and asked, "Fellow Daoist Hua and Daoist Man, I heard that you are looking for me?"

Hua Zhenxing and Manman quickly stood up and bowed: "Happy New Year, Leader Mei, we are here to wish you a happy New Year! I wish you all the best and good luck!"

Ume Yeshi smiled: "Thank you, thank you! Happy New Year, hello to everyone... You haven't had lunch yet, right?"

Manman: "Indeed not yet."

Ume Yeishi: "Whatever you want, I'll treat you!"

Hua Zhenxing: "How can you be so embarrassed..."

Ume Yeishi: "I have come all the way to pay New Year's greetings at home, how can I not neglect food? What's more, I own a restaurant! Sit down, take a seat first, don't be polite!"

As he spoke, Umenoshi put the wiper into the bucket and started to wipe the table with a white towel.

In fact, the table is quite clean and does not need to be wiped at all. However, it is also a service feature to wipe it in front of the guests after they sit down and inadvertently show that the white towel is not dirty at all.

As soon as the towel was stretched out, Hua Zhenxing snatched it away. There weren't many people in the world who could steal something from him, so Alliance Leader Mei was completely defenseless.

Hua Zhenxing: "You are an elder, how can I ask you to clean the table for us? I'll do it, I'll do it!" He said without using a towel, and cast a spell secretly with a wave of his hand. Not to mention that the table was quite clean, even if it was originally No matter how dirty it is, it is now extremely clean.

Ume Yeshi took the towel back with a smile: "Then you guys sit down first, I'll come back when I'm done."

Hua Zhenxing and Manman bowed together and said, "You go about your business first!"

Ding Qi told Hua Zhenxing that he could do whatever he wanted when he came here. It was really not nonsense. Hua Zhenxing came to pay New Year greetings to Mei Yeshi. He and Shi Shuangcheng were friends and alumni, and Mei Yeshi was considered an elder.

This elder owns a restaurant, so of course he will take care of the food when the younger ones come to visit during the Chinese New Year. Ume Yeshi works as a cleaner in his hotel, but how could Hua Zhenxing and Manman sit still and let this elder stand and bend down to clean the table for them?

Of course you have to be polite. When you need to grab a towel, you still have to grab a towel. When you need to bow, you have to bow.

After Ume Yeshi turned around and left, they sat down. Zhang Lanyi came over and handed over another small recipe book, and said with a smile: "You two want to order something, let's take a look first."

In fact, the waiter in charge of ordering food in the lobby is not Zhang Lanyi, but except for the doorman, no other waiter showed up at this moment, so Zhang Lanyi took over the job.

Someone happened to want to pay, so Zhang Lanyi went over to collect the money. Umenoishi pushed a trolley over, cleared away the cups and plates, and wiped the table clean.

Zhang Lanyi walked towards the other two groups of guests and whispered a few words. The guests at the two tables finally stopped chatting to waste time and happily paid their bills and left.

At this time, there were no other customers in Zhiwei Building. Zhang Lanyi came over again and said, "Are you ready?"

Manman quickly ordered four dishes and one soup, four of which happened to be two cold and two hot. The dishes were all served in a few minutes.

The four dishes and one soup flew directly out of the kitchen and landed on the table without any spillage. Anyway, there were no outsiders at the moment.

Seeing these dishes, Hua Zhenxing knew why they were served so quickly. Leaving aside the two cold dishes, the two hot dishes and soup that Manman ordered were actually pots, which were served with a fire and a stove.

The third day of the Lunar New Year is the best time for business. Dishes like these are prepared at noon. You just need to put them in the pot and light the fire.

Those chefs with great magical powers can install the pot with just one move, and it will even burn when it flies to the table.

Hua Zhenxing and Manman didn't move their chopsticks. Normally they should sit facing each other, but now they sat side by side on one side of the table, leaving the opposite side free.

I saw Umenoshi pushing the cart out again and cleaning up the last two tables. Hua Zhenxing and Manman also stood up and stepped forward to help, but Ume Yeshi smiled and persuaded them to return to their seats.

The trolley pushed into the back kitchen. When Ume Yeshi came out again, he had taken off his sleeves and apron. He turned to Zhang Lanyi at the counter and said, "The order has been collected!"

It seems that the time has not yet reached three o'clock, but Zhiweilou has collected the bill in advance, and there are no other customers in the lobby. Except for Ye Zhujing and Zhang Lanyi, no other waiters showed up in the lobby on the first floor.

But Hua Zhenxing could notice that many people were paying attention to what was going on in the lobby in the kitchen and on the second floor, and the monks did not need to get close to them to watch.

Ume Yeshi came over and said, "I'm sorry, I just finished my work."

Hua Zhenxing and Manman stood up quickly: "We're sorry to bother you. Leader Mei didn't have lunch either, right?"

Umenoshi: "We eat after receiving the order, so we can just go together."

Hua Zhenxing: "Please sit down quickly!"

Ume Yeshi sat down opposite him calmly, and then took the initiative to wave his hand: "You guys also sit down, would you like some wine? Huadiao, do you want some?"

Manman: "It's for drinking. Xiaohua often uses it to cook."

Mei Yeshi raised his head and greeted: "Xiao Lan, take a box of Lao Chun Huang."

Zhang Lanyi: "How old is it?"

Ume Yeishi: "According to the ages of these two children."

Hua Zhenxing and Manman are both nineteen years old this year, but they haven't reached their birthdays yet. Strictly speaking, they are in their early eighteens.

Wine does not get better as it gets older. Different wines have different requirements when the storage conditions are qualified.

For example, the best taste period of strong-flavor liquor is between fifty and one hundred years, while the best taste period of Maotai-flavor liquor is more than a hundred years.

As for rice wine, the taste usually reaches its best when it is close to 20 years old, but the taste will decline after more than 30 years.

Hua Zhenxing brought wine with him, but after hearing what Ume Yeshi said, he didn't take it out. The so-called box sounds scary, but in fact it is only six pounds of rice wine, and the three of them can drink it.

Without letting Zhang Lanyi reach out to help, Hua Zhenxing took the initiative to unbox and pick up the bottles, filled all the wine glasses on the table, then held the glasses with Manman and said: "We are here to pay you New Year greetings. First of all, I wish you good luck in Kunlun, See you forever!"

After drinking the cup, Hua Zhenxing said: "Thank you also for lending me the talisman!"

Ume Yeishi also drank a glass of wine, waved his hand and said: "Sit down, sit down and talk, don't stand up all the time." He didn't seem to have any airs, and he didn't seem to need to put on airs.

After sitting down again, Manman took the lead and said: "On the ninth day of the first lunar month, we will host a banquet for fellow Taoists from all Kunlun sects at the newly opened Jili Dong National Cuisine in Pingjing City. On behalf of Yangyuan Valley, we specially come to invite you to enjoy it!"

Ume Yeshi shook his head: "I won't join in the fun. Shi Shuangcheng can attend on behalf of the Sanmeng Sect. I heard that Zhengyimen also sent Guangren as a representative. You are all old friends. Young people should be closer to each other. !”

This is a normal result, and Hua Zhenxing could have predicted it before coming. Sanmeng Sect and Zhengyi Sect respectively sent Shi Shuangcheng and Guang Ren as representatives to attend, which was already to show their support for Mianzi.

When he was in Jinghu, of course Hua Zhenxing also invited Teacher Ding. Ding Qi didn't want to go, and although Fang Waimen was not excluded among the Kunlun sects, it was still regarded as an alternative and did not have much contact with them.

However, Zhu Shanxian believed that someone had to go. This had nothing to do with the Kunlun factions, but to support Yuanyang Yuangu and Hua Zhenxing, so he sent two young deacons, Shi Buquan and Shang Ni, to represent Fangwaimen.

This is the same approach as the Three Dreams Sect.

Manman took advantage of the situation and asked: "I heard that the employees of Zhiwei Building are rotated by monks from various sects. How long will you continue to be a cleaner here?"

This sentence is a test, because Ding Qi guessed the day before yesterday that Mei Yeshi would be punished until Hua Zhenxing came to the door.

Mei Yeshi's tone was calm: "After finishing this busiest first month, I can replace someone to guard Zhiwei Tower. My replacement will be Tao Ranke, a senior from West Kunlun."

Wucheng Zhiwei Building, in addition to disciples from various sects taking turns on duty, there are also experts and seniors taking turns guarding it. The last guardian was Yu Cangwu, and now it is Ume Yeshi himself. The next person is Tao Ranke, and Hua Zhenxing has also heard of this name.

Tao Ranke came here to replace Ume Yeshi, of course, he may not be a cleaner.

Hua Zhenxing couldn't help but secretly praise in his heart, Teacher Ding really guessed it right! As soon as he came to the door, it meant that Umenoishi's punishment was over. It's just that it's hard to say this directly, and Mr. Feng probably won't let Leader Mei say it either.