Chapter Sixty Shoulder-to-Shoulder Kings

  I looked at the time and it was still early, so I asked the baozi behind me: "Where are we going now?"

  "Baozi said: 'Let's find a place to eat.'"

  "What about Zhangzi and his brother?"

  "Call him over," said Baozi.

  I dialed the landline at home, and it rang for a long time before someone picked up, but didn't say anything. I knew Liu Bang was definitely not at home, and the remaining three hadn't learned to use the phone proficiently yet. I asked loudly: "Who is this? It's Qiangzi."

  The other party heard my name and said: "Guess who is hungry?"

  I said: "I guess you're a troublemaker."

  Qin Shi Huang also knew I was joking with him, and chuckled: "What's the matter?"

  "I'll treat you guys to dinner, call up Kuai Zi and Yu Ge, and also invite that kid Liu Bang from the mahjong hall... you all come..." It was only then that I realized we hadn't decided on a restaurant yet. Bao Zi pinched my waist and said: "Let's have hot pot." As he spoke, he pointed to the "Sichuan Red" hot pot shop across the street.

  "Right, you four come to 'Sichuan Red', just take a car and tell the driver where to go. The starting price is 6 yuan, let Zhangzi calculate the fare..." I instructed carefully.

  "Alright alright, don't say it again, I'm hungry and not joking."

  He even thinks I'm talking too much!

  What is known as Sichuan Red, actually follows the route of Chongqing Mala Hot Pot. This store has been around since I was a kid, at that time Chongqing probably hadn't become a municipality yet. Over the years, it has undergone several expansions and renovations, and has quietly become the leading hot pot restaurant in this city. The 16 decorative giant wooden pillars are painted bright red, with big red lanterns hanging from them. The tables and chairs are red, the walls are red, even the waiters wear uniforms that resemble small chili peppers. In short, anyone who enters with hemorrhoids will be in pain when they leave.

  As soon as I entered the door, the waitress asked me in dialect: "Sir, how many people?" I told her 7 people, and then curiously asked her: "Are all your waitresses really from Chongqing?"

  Female server: "How is it possible? So many people can only say one or two sentences."

  "You must be from Chongqing then? Your dialect is so authentic."

  The waitress, with a pure and innocent tone, said: "I am from Tangshan."

  Baozi laughed: "How many dialects can you speak?"

  The waiter replied in Mandarin: "I started working at 14, didn't learn anything else, but I've learned all the local dialects from Shandong to Cantonese, there's no place where I can't speak."

  I sighed and said: "Language genius, can you speak English?"

  The waitress's face turned red: "Just passed 4th grade..."

  We agreed to have a snack, and first had three cups of Kung Fu tea. Li Shishi sniffed her nose, smelling the thick hot pot flavor in the store, I asked her: "Do you guys have hot pot?"

  Li Shishi nodded: "What we used to eat was called 'antique incense', and it's the same principle."

  Baozi said: "What are you talking about? Is there still a place that hasn't had hot pot?"

  Li Shishi smiled: "Brother Jing and the others probably haven't eaten yet."

  Baozi suddenly said to me, "Qiangzi, I think Huangzi and the others... including you, Xiaonan, why do I always feel that there's something strange about you guys, but I just can't put my finger on what it is."

  Li Shishi glanced at me and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, you and brother have agreed to get married, so you're considered family now. I don't have much to give you, just keep this as a memento." As she spoke, she casually pulled out a gold hairpin from her pocket, with a pearl the size of a longan fruit embedded in the pinhead. She lightly tapped it on the table, and the pearl rolled out, emitting several strands of misty aura that stopped after a while but still shone brightly, as if blinking repeatedly. I hadn't seen this thing since she arrived, probably because she had put it away early on. No wonder, looking at the pearl in the gold pin, it didn't seem very secure; she used to walk around the palace with ease, but now that she's older and has to help with household chores like making dumplings and washing dishes, she can't always wear it.

  Baozi grabbed the pearl and his hand obviously sank down, happily saying: "Wow, it's still quite heavy!" As he said that, he held it under the lamp to examine it, "Cousin, were you cheated? Why isn't this as shiny as glass?"

  Li Shishi smiled and said: "Take the glass beads over there, they are actually worth more than this."

  Baozi listened to her and thought it was really a street stall item, so he pulled out the crucifix from his neck, threaded the string with saliva, and hung the beads on his chest. The beads were hit by the lamp, and the misty air dispersed greatly. Although they didn't dazzle, Baozi couldn't even see what he looked like clearly anymore.

  Although I don't understand much, after working in the pawnshop for so many years, I have some insight. The pearl is not an ordinary object at first glance, and it's cherished by Li Shishi, the second national mother. It's probably a priceless treasure in the Song Dynasty. As for what Li Shishi said about it being less valuable than glass, that's completely a play on words. Did the Song Dynasty have glass? Baozi thought it was just a cheap token of sentiment, so he accepted it without saying much.

  Li Shishi looked at me with a profound gaze and said, "Brother, I really think that villa is not bad." The implication was clear: she wanted me to sell the pearl and exchange it for a house. Never mind a small villa, this pearl could be exchanged for any luxurious villa in the world, but the question was, did I dare to make the exchange?

  "I stuttered and told Baozi: 'Wear it on your head, it doesn't look good outside.'"

  "Is that so?" Baozi lowered her head, took a glance, and put the pearl into her clothes. Under the dim light, I could see her face clearly again. I thought to myself with a sly smile: perhaps in the future when we're being intimate, having her wear it might still have an aphrodisiac effect.

  Baozi slammed the cross he had taken down onto the table and said listlessly, "Why haven't Pangzi and Dage come yet?"

  At this time, a taxi stopped at the door, and the rear door opened. Liu Bang got out first, took out a large mobile phone, dialed while looking around, Jing Ke sat in the front, opened the car door but didn't get out, waiting for the driver to find change. I looked and couldn't help but laugh: these people are exactly like modern people.

  As soon as I picked up the phone, he said directly: "You'll see it as soon as you turn left at the entrance."

  Liu Bang hung up the phone with a sigh and beckoned to the other three who were walking towards us. I had no idea when he bought that phone.

  Liu Bang said as soon as he saw me: "How come you want to eat out again?"

  Li Shishi said: "Today we go see furniture, this meal is considered a formal celebration of Brother and Sister-in-law's engagement."

  Liu Bang waved his hand: "Then this meal is on me."

  "I said: 'Where did you little brat get the money from? Ah, and there's even a small package inside, is it stuffed with counterfeit bills?'"

  Liu Bang smiled and said: "Made a little money playing cards."

  The waiter who had just passed the 4th level came over with the menu as soon as we were all seated. I ordered a yuanyang pot first, and then pointed at a few dishes on the menu: mutton, fatty beef, tripe, fish balls, raw vegetables, celery, rape, sweet potato noodles... I looked at it unsatisfied and said, "What else do you have besides these?"

  "They also have stir-fries, and their specialty dish is steamed fish head."

  "Pick the biggest two."

  "What wine would you like?"

  Jing Ke: "Xuān ní shī..."

  I wiped the sweat and said, "Two dozen beers." Taking these five people to eat, I have to be prepared to be pointed at by thousands of people at any time. You can say that they live very carefree, they are ignorant of the embarrassment their behavior brings to others.

  When the pot was brought up, Qin Shi Huang and Jing Ke were indeed very curious. Liu Bang said: "Isn't this 'dou'?" Jing Ke picked up a piece of bright red meat, looked at one person and then another, saw that no one gave an opinion, and stuffed it into his mouth. I was stunned and didn't have time to teach him, Bao Zi didn't think he had never eaten hot pot, Qin Shi Huang and the others were even more confused.

  Jing Ke chewed a few times, nodded slightly, and when others asked him how it tasted, he remained silent. Qin Shi Huang was the first to take a bite, followed by Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, who all took big bites of the raw meat, making loud noises as they ate. Even Li Shishi couldn't help but pick up a small piece and take a bite.

  They all scrunched up their faces, swallowed the meat with a gulp, and croaked in unison: "Raw..." Then they all looked at Jing Ke with admiration. Jing Ke sat there expressionless, but when he saw that everyone was in pain, he asked Liu Bang beside him: "You say it's raw?" Liu Bang nodded vigorously, and Jing Ke bowed his head and spat the raw meat onto the ground, saying: "If it's raw, then I won't eat it."

  Everyone was stunned, looking at each other in confusion, Baozi couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, I also laughed loudly. Li Shishi wiped her mouth with a napkin and scolded: "Brother Jing is too bad." Xiang Yu and Liu Bang finally found their tacit understanding at this moment, looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. These two people both thought themselves heroes of the ages, but today they were actually fooled by Er Bai together. Ying Baozi gave Jing Ke a punch and scolded: "You're a deceitful scoundrel."

  Baozi laughed and said, "I finally know why you're so weird - you're too noisy!" At this time, the pot was opened, I poured a plate of meat into it, stirred and invited them: "Now you can eat."

  Baozi was eating and casually pulled out the pearls from his neck to show Qin Shi Huang, who glanced at them and said: "There were many more on your hat before." Liu Bang leaned over to take a look and said with a smile: "Baozi, you like this? You should have told me earlier! I also had some on my hat, but I didn't bring it."

  Qin Shi Huang held a large piece of sweet potato and said regretfully, "Qiangzi, you can't reach the bowl." Baozi opened his chopsticks and said, "It's not cooked yet."

  Qin Shi Huang continued: "Otherwise, I'll starve you to death as the King of Qi, or I'll just send you and Baozi's engagement gifts." Li Shishi smiled: "Now is also possible to grant a title."

  Qin Shi Huang waved his hand and said, "Can you do it? Don't think it's too small, Wang Zhi - but you can't fill that bowl either."

  Although it's a joke, it shows that Qin Shi Huang really didn't consider me an outsider. After the unification of the Qin dynasty, the system of enfeoffing kings was abolished, fearing that the power of the various kings would overwhelm the imperial court. Moreover, Qi is the territory farthest from Xianyang, which means it's the easiest place to start a rebellion. The fact that Qin Shi Huang didn't hesitate to give me this place shows his greatest trust in me.

  Liu Bang's eyes rolled and he said: "What's the use of sealing up a piece of land? Without an imperial edict, you wouldn't even dare to enter the capital city. Strong son, I'll make you a shoulder-to-shoulder king, completely equal with me. Within 3000 li of wherever you go, all will be under your jurisdiction, and you'll have the power to collect taxes, grant amnesty, and decide cases..."

  "Cut the crap, isn't he just an invincible county magistrate? Stop trying to swindle me with empty checks!"

  Liu Bang shrank his neck and said: "Then this time I'll pay..."

  "This meal was originally going to be on you anyway, so as a penalty, you'll have to take us out for drinks at the bar later."

  Liu Bang frowned and opened his bag, looking at it and asking: "Is 1,000 enough?" It seems that this kid didn't win less in the wild mahjong a few days ago.

  Xiang Yu drained his cup and said gloomily, "Xiao Qiang, your brother Xiang has no money to give you, nor any land. There's really nothing I can give you." Ever since he arrived, Xiang Yu had not been in a good mood. Thinking about it, it was understandable - the world was lost, his woman was dead from humiliation, and now the King of Chu was drinking cup after cup, the whole table falling into silence.

  Baozi smiled and said, "You guys are really getting into the act! Hurry up and eat, after we finish eating, let's go sing songs. We can't let Liu Ji get away with it - come on, cheers!"

  This time Baozi's ignorance saved our atmosphere. Xiang Yu swept away the gloom, raised his cup high and said loudly: "Let's drink!"

  Li Shishi joked with me: "Your Majesty King Qi, where are we going to play next?"

  Before I could speak, Jing Ke suddenly said: "Reverse time..."

  "Baozi shouted loudly: 'Alright, alright! I've heard of this wine before. Let's go there in a moment!' The crowd naturally had no objections and nodded repeatedly."

  I stared hard at Jing Ke, feeling a bit numb on my scalp.

  ————————————————————————-

  Note: The origin of hot pot has different sayings, "Dou" and "Huangtong Huo" are both classical names for hot pot.

  Divider

  Recommend this week three Jiang recommended new people's new work "Enemy of the State", book number: 176540 American drama "Prison Break" starting point version, hehe.

  The following is connected

  Click to view picture link: