Three Kingdoms

The stubborn stone became rich and rich.

Money in exchange for your life.

The ten people led by Shitou entered the no-man's land in search of gold mines. In the vast Gobi, they not only had to survive in the wilderness, but also fought against the wild beasts in the Gobi. In the end, ten people went out, and only three came back.

The stone is just like his name, and his vitality is as stubborn as the stone. He finally struggled back and brought back a piece of gold nugget he found.

It suddenly became a big event in Haitou City...

Among the first batch of people from Guanzhong and Longyou who followed General Hussar to mine gold in the Western Regions, some died on the way, some died while looking for mines, and the rest found nothing, only a very small part. With good luck, they found gold and dug their first pot of gold.

There are many minerals in the Western Region, but many of them have not been discovered or developed at all. Just like the gold mine found by Shitou and others, it is a shallow gold mine. The nugget gold is on the ground and can be picked up by bending down. The problem is that if you bring nugget gold, you can't bring supplies, but not everyone can stay rational in front of the gold. Just like one of the Stone Team, one person regretted not parting with the gold on the way back and ran away secretly. Then he never came back...

Fortunately, Shitou and others did not carry much gold with them. It was not worth it for the soldiers in the frontline military camp to abandon their humanity and disobey military orders and secretly commit crimes. After all, there were only one or two pieces of impure nugget gold. Seeing Shitou and others on duty There were many soldiers and the sealing money was not enough, so Shitou was able to return to Haitou City alive.

For people like Shitou, the Western Region Protectorate not only did not confiscate their gold, but said that Shitou could own the gold, and also rewarded him with an extra sum of money, which was equivalent to buying the information about the location of the gold mine from Shitou. And they also took Shitou as an example, vigorously promoted it, and specially dispatched five guards as bodyguards of Shitou. On the one hand, it was for publicity, and on the other hand, it was to protect Shitou and save money along the way.

The stone covered in red and colorful decorations also received a title, military merit, and wealth at the same time. It immediately stimulated the eyes of other people who came to the Western Regions to hunt for gold, and groups of people went crazy to search for the legendary gold. place.

Everyone envies the good luck of the stone and hopes to become the next good luck stone...

After repairing the stone for a few days, he exchanged most of the gold for money, and then asked the Western Region Bank to transfer it back to Guanzhong to Yue Meizi. Then he thanked the soldiers who came to protect him, which was more or less meaningful. After sleeping for a while, Shitou was ready to reward himself.

In the Western Region, especially the Haitou area where construction was first started, it has gradually become a large town with a large number of people and merchants. Moreover, due to the close business relationship, the bank business of "Fei Qian" has also taken the lead in The Western Regions and Sichuan and Shu developed into two regions, with the reputation of the Hussars as the guarantee and the physical gold, silver and copper coins as the basis for point-to-point exchange and delivery.

Now that Feiqian is gradually being promoted, although some people are still skeptical, it is undoubtedly a great convenience for people like Shitou. After having less money on me, I seem to feel that the threat to myself is also reduced.

Shitou looked up at the wine flags raised high on the cross street, smelled the aroma of food wafting in the air, touched the money bag in his arms, and decided to be extravagant today...

Eat a big meal, a big meal worthy of your noble title.

People of the Han Dynasty seem to have a longing for "Ding Shi" engraved in their bones. Therefore, in Haitou, the Western Region, Han Dynasty is the most popular restaurant, and it also represents the most expensive restaurant. Using "Ding Shi" as a gimmick, let people Many people covet it.

Every time Shitou passed by before, he would always stand across the street for a while, smell the fragrance, and then take a bite of the hard-roasted buns in his arms before leaving. But now... …

The waiter at the door of the restaurant also saw Shitou and came forward with a smile on his face and greeted him hurriedly. Shitou is a celebrity in Haitou City these days. Who doesn't know that this guy has been so lucky that he also received a large bounty?

If you have money, you will naturally be a master, and you will be completely different from those paupers who only deserve to stand across the street and smell the fragrance. The store clerk called Shitou brother one after another, and then led Shitou to the seat and sat down, completely forgetting that he seemed to have driven Shitou away with a contemptuous tone before.

Seriously speaking, ordinary people cannot enjoy "ding food", but if there are policies, there will naturally be countermeasures. The serious "ding food" requires the use of bronze tripods. This naturally cannot be overstepped, so the restaurant changed it. A wooden tripod was used and painted with exquisite patterns, which was even more beautiful than the bronze tripod, bypassing legal restrictions.

The Han Dynasty was the golden age for the development of lacquerware. The exquisite lacquerware was even preserved to later generations, and the complex patterns on the lacquerware seemed to show the prosperity and greatness of an era...

Of course, this also made Shitou feel a little cramped after sitting down, especially when it came to the "Official Bathing" step, there were a lot of mistakes...

You need to wash your hands when you get up early, and wash your hands before and after meals. This is not a common sense of hygiene that only later generations know. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, it became a kind of etiquette observed by the upper class. From this, a set of watering with a bowl and watering with a dish was formed. The combination of ritual utensils for collecting water is called "Fengbo Wozu".

When two attendants came forward, one carrying a moiré lacquer bowl and the other carrying a moiré lacquer bowl, Shitou was stunned for a long time. He didn't know what he was going to do. He just subconsciously felt that the moiré lacquer bowl was very good. nice……

I saw that the interior of the moiré paint ring in front of me has red paint as the base color, and the rim and outside are painted with black paint. It is decorated with red and brown hook moire patterns and geometric patterns. There seem to be three painted on the bottom of the paint ring. The words rippled in the water waves, as if they were about to float.

"ah? Shitou said hesitantly, "This... what are you doing? Is it for drinking?" 』

"Please take a shower, sir..." the older attendant said, then hesitated and added, "It's just to wash your hands... no, not in here!" Come on, reach out..."

Wo means watering from top to bottom, and Shu means washing hands and face.

"Offering the Wofu" is an important etiquette before sacrifices and banquets in the pre-Qin Dynasty. "Book of Rites" says, "When entering the washroom, the younger ones will be presented with plates, the elders will be presented with water, please use the wash basin, and the soldiers will be given towels." ’ In other words, when performing the ritual of washing water, an older person and a younger person are generally required to assist. The older person is responsible for pouring water on his hands, and the younger person is responsible for receiving the discarded water on a plate or a bowl.

Shi Shi washed his hands and wiped his face, feeling a little red on his face.

Who knew that such a beautiful plate could be used to collect hand water? Just like the mat that the stone sits on now, it actually has two layers, one big one, and then another small one, with complicated patterns...

In fact, Shitou didn't know that the two mats actually had different names. When dining in the Han Dynasty, the larger ones were laid out first, which are called "banquets", and then the smaller ones with more delicate texture were laid out, which were called "seats". Then, according to different status, people sat in the posture of sitting in the posture. On seats in different directions.

The lacquer table for Shi Shi's personal use was quickly placed in front of Shi Shi.

The lacquer case is red on the outside and black on the inside. It has short feet at the bottom and diamond-shaped patterns around it. There are also three characters in the middle of the lacquer case. Shitou still doesn't recognize it. Shitou guesses that it should be the name of the restaurant or something like that. On the lacquer case, On the top, there are three lacquer plates, slightly deeper, obviously used to hold food, a lacquer bowl for holding wine, and a lacquer ear cup for drinking. They are all of the same style, red on the outside and black on the inside, with a circle of diamonds. pattern.

"How much does this set cost..." Shitou touched the lacquered table and suddenly regretted walking in, but he was embarrassed to run away like that, and he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Just as Shitou took a lacquer plate and was examining it, the lacquer tripod was brought up.

Obviously, the wooden lacquer tripod cannot be heated by an open fire, so it is only used to hold cooked food. Such a lacquer tripod is the feature of this restaurant, and it is also what the Han people think about, "Tripod Food" 』.

Although Shitou had a title, he was still in the category of civil nobility. Although the restaurant used wooden lacquer cauldrons to circumvent the law, the quantity still complied with the restrictions of etiquette and law, so only one lacquer cauldron was given to Shitou. "The Rites of Zhou" stipulates that the emperor can use nine tripods, the ministers can use seven tripods, the officials can use five tripods, and the scholars can use three tripods. Therefore, using a tripod for stone does not cross the red line.

The lacquer tripod is almost similar to the ordinary bronze tripod, with a bulging belly and three legs. Like other lacquerware dishes in front of the stone, it is red on the outside and black on the inside, full of the unique colors of the Han Dynasty. There is also a lid on the tripod, obviously to prevent the heat of the dishes from losing too quickly. There are three buttons on the lid, and they seem to be some kind of animals. Anyway, the stone can't recognize them. Similarly, the twisting patterns on the lacquer tripod only look good to the stone, and he can't recognize the specific paintings either. Is it an animal or a plant...

The older attendant who served before seemed to understand Shi Shi's embarrassment, and took the initiative to explain in a low voice: "This is a dagger, used to hold vegetables... like this... and then there are steamed buns and side dishes over there... over there ,Did you see it? And among these plates, one is for this, one is for steamed buns, and one is for pickles...The drinks are over there...Guests can help themselves, no limit on portion size...If there is anything you still don't understand, Please call me, guest officer..."

Shitou felt that the so-called "dagger" didn't look like a dagger at all, but rather looked like a slightly dented small shovel...

In fact, it seems to be a high-end "dining food", but in fact it is somewhat like a semi-buffet in later generations, or a set meal. The pot of mutton and radish has a fixed quantity, but the supply of staple food and side dishes is not limited. Until full.

Of course, this model was relatively new in the Han Dynasty, and many people came here to eat, including ordinary households like Shitou, businessmen, and children of noble families...

Yes, the title of hairpin still requires service. In a sense, it is not completely separated from the concept of "people".

It has actually been some time since Qingqi Feiqian reused the title of the former Qin Dynasty, but only in the Western Regions this title seems to be particularly useful. Like Shitou, if you leave Haitou City, you will encounter difficulties. At that time, you could even go to general checkpoints and military strongholds to apply for certain supplies, but civilians did not have such treatment. Of course, the higher the title, the more things you would enjoy, which was almost the same as in the former Qin Dynasty.

The main reason is that there are few titles in the Western Regions, and the Sanfu in Guanzhong and the Shandong area are somewhat worthless due to the proliferation of civilian titles in the Han Dynasty...

Although the stewed mutton with radish was not a top-notch delicacy, Shi Shi still had his mouth watering after eating it. He even felt that the steamed buns in this restaurant were more fragrant than ordinary steamed buns. When he couldn't help but get up again to get the steamed buns and prepare them. When he soaked some of the remaining mutton soup in the lacquered cauldron with steamed buns and ate it, he was laughed at by the two scholars who were present at the table.

There are also many gentry descendants from Guanzhong Sanfu and Longyou areas who have come to the Western Regions. However, few of these people can endure hardships like Shitou and risk their lives to search for gold mines in no-man's land. Don't do something to save your own face, so often when you laugh at others, you have to take responsibility, and when you do things yourself, you are picky...

"It's true that you can't be polite to common people!" Haha, the sages will not deceive someone! 』

"In the etiquette of eating, the food is on the left and the quilt is on the right. Food is on the left of the person, and the soup is on the right of the person. The zucchini is on the outside, the sauce is on the inside, the onion slices are on the right, and the wine syrup is on the right. Those who use preserved meat as a common place are left at the left and right at the end... Haha, look at it, there is no proper etiquette anywhere! 』

"Yes!" As the saying goes, don’t eat, don’t let go, don’t sing, don’t eat, don’t chew bones. Don't eat fish meat, don't throw in dog bones. Don't catch the harvest, don't lift the rice, don't use chopsticks, don't catch the soup, don't prick the teeth... Now it's like strips and evil shapes, just like dolphins and dogs fighting for food, it's really unsightly..."

"The white tiger can communicate with the clouds, etiquette represents knowledge, and punishment represents ignorance." The etiquette used to express hospitality is not as good as that of common people. Looking at it now, this is true knowledge and insight! 』

"Haha, the rat has a body, but the man is rude; the man is rude, how can he die?" 』

"Hmm hahaha!" 』

The two looked at the stone and laughed together.

Although Shi Shi couldn't understand what the two people were talking about, he subconsciously seemed to feel something was wrong with their emotions. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what he should say...

I wanted to continue eating, but I felt very uncomfortable in my heart. If I just stopped eating, and I couldn't bear to part with the remaining mutton soup, I felt a little at a loss for a moment. I didn't know whether I should continue eating or give up. Seeing Shitou's embarrassment, the two people sitting next to him started to stagger with laughter even more. Even the dullest person could notice the problem.

Shitou gritted his teeth and stared, but the two people at the table didn't care and continued to laugh.

"Are you two humiliating the hussars?" 』

Behind the partition screen, a man stood out. He raised his head and looked coldly at the two nobles who were swaying with laughter.

"Gao...Captain Gao..." Shitou was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up and saluted Gao Wutong.

Gao Wutong waved his hand, then placed his hand on the handle of the sword at his waist, staring at the two people sitting next to Shitong sideways, "I asked you two, why don't you answer me?" ! 』

In the past, Shi Shi was mocked because he was bullying Shi Shi for not understanding. Now that he met someone who understood, the two people sitting next to Shi Shi immediately felt what the four words "Extreme joy brings sorrow" were, and they were so frightened that the sweat on their foreheads rolled down. , stammered a few words of denial, and then ran away in a hurry. He tripped on the threshold and fell far away. He screamed pitifully, but did not dare to stay for long, and limped away.

"It's okay..." Gao Wutong patted Shi Shi's shoulder, "If you're not full, keep eating, and ignore those crazy dogs..."

"..." Shitou looked at the remaining sheep's head soup on the table and suddenly lost his appetite, "Captain Gao... what on earth are they talking about?" Did I do anything wrong? 』

Gao Wutong stared at Shi Shi, then sighed slightly, and asked the waiter in the store to move his original food table over. He asked Shi Shi to sit down again, and gestured: "It costs money to eat. If you don't feel full, How? Want to know? Wait until you finish eating! 』

Seeing Gao Wutong's behavior, Shitou had no choice but to agree and continued to eat. Then he ate up the food on the lacquer plate like a whirlwind, drank the last bit of mutton soup, and then let out a big burp...

"I am full? Gao Wutong asked.

"Um! ” Shitou nodded.

Gao Wutong stood up and said, "Let's go." 』

Shitou wanted to pay for the meal, but was blocked by Gao Wutong. Then he went to the street. After walking for a while, Gao Wutong asked, "Still don't understand?" 』

Shitou shook his head.

"Which two boys were laughing at you just now for not following etiquette when eating..." Gao Wutong sneered, "What is etiquette?" In the army, if you have food, you must eat it as soon as possible, and if you have sleep, you must lie down and sleep. What kind of etiquette can be observed? They all talk about etiquette, why not talk to the enemy about etiquette? What a bunch of bastards! 』

"We..." Gao Wutong raised his chin, "We are not the same kind of people as them... Our military achievements, money, and status are all earned by ourselves, little by little, at the cost of our lives... And they... …snort……"

"Have you ever seen a chick?" Gao Wutong asked.

Shitou nodded.

"These people are just chickens. They chirp all day long, comment on this and laugh at that. They are either dissatisfied with this or have an opinion with that..." Gao Wutong said as he walked forward, "No one is really capable. Talk...for example...think about Li Changshi..."

Shi Shi nodded deeply, "Every time I see Chang Shi, I feel a little scared..."

Gao Wutong also nodded, "A certain... well, so, last time I asked you to read more books, but you were still unwilling. Don't complain about having a headache again after you go back!" Otherwise, you won’t even know what others are saying when you get scolded! 』

"Hehe..." Shitou laughed innocently.

"Study more, don't suffer a loss..." Gao Wutong patted Shitou's shoulder, "Study hard, do well, don't be afraid of them, let alone care about their comments... Can the country be rejuvenated by just relying on comments? Ha ha! After all, we and they can't pee in the same pot! When you make more achievements, these guys will eventually be trampled under your feet! 』

"only! Shitou straightened his back and replied loudly, "I understand!" 』

Gao Wutong nodded, "Just understand." When you return to camp, study hard. You must know all three books on Cai's elementary school! I will test you next month! 』

"ah? ! Shitou swallowed his saliva and said, "Three, all three books... do you want to learn them all?" or……"

"how? Gao Wutong glanced sideways, "You still want to be laughed at?" 』

"..." Shi Shi was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "No!" I studied! 』

"Haha, that's right!" ” Gao Wutong pointed ahead, where people were coming and going on the wide street, “This road, go forward, you can’t go wrong!” 』