Chapter 29: Sacrificial Offerings

After stepping into the restaurant, Gu Xu and Ma Qin found themselves at a table by the window.

Blossoming peach trees could be seen outside the window, their brilliant hues akin to a blazing cloud at sunrise.

Sunlight showered the peach trees, casting an unmoving shadow on the ground.

The owner of the restaurant was a kind-hearted old gentleman.

Seeing the new customers, he hobbled over with his cane, his face bearing a warm and friendly smile, and enthusiastically recommended the house's special dishes to them.

"Young man, you seem thin. How about some braised pork to strengthen yourself?" He looked at Gu Xu's lean face, speaking with concern. "After eating, I'm sure you'll flourish."

"And our restaurant's green rice dumplings are quite famous in the town—sweet but not cloying, rich but not greasy. Youngsters like you would love them!

"Ah, you also shouldn't miss our osmanthus wine. A literati once composed a poem for it—'Osmanthus wine mixed with pepper juice, the brewed ferment wafts fragrant aroma,' which has cooling and muscle-relaxing properties, beneficial for your health.

"..."

Gu Xu listened with a smile, nodding in agreement from time to time.

Ma Qin's face, on the other hand, looked somewhat uncomfortable—as he was, yet again, ignored.

In the eyes of the Peach Blossom Town's residents, it seemed that only Gu Xu existed, and Ma Qin was nowhere to be seen.

Once the old restaurant owner finished speaking, Gu Xu respectfully responded, "Then we'll have a plate of braised pork, stir-fried soybean sprouts with tofu, a pot of osmanthus wine, two green rice dumplings, and two bowls of mixed-grain rice. Thank you for your trouble!"

"No problem," the old gentleman promptly answered.

His gaze at Gu Xu became even more tender and affable, much like a grandfather cherishing his grandson.

Moments later, the old man brought the osmanthus wine to their table.

"What a wonderful aroma!"

Gu Xu took a deep breath, as if intoxicated by the soul-soothing fragrance of the wine.

He eagerly took the jug of wine and poured himself a glass.

"What a lovely, obedient child," the old gentleman commented with a chuckle.

Witnessing this, Ma Qin, who sat across Gu Xu, furrowed his brows—

If his instincts were not wrong, this so-called "osmanthus wine" actually reeked of a sour smell.

So, was it that Gu Xu had a problem with his sense of smell, or was he just acting?

Ma Qin suddenly felt that he was struggling to keep up with Gu Xu's train of thought.

At this point, Gu Xu's hand trembled as he was pouring the wine.

The wine spilled out, splashing onto the table.

"Young man, be careful when you pour the wine," the old gentleman immediately grabbed a cloth, intending to clean up the spill for him. "It's such a good wine, it would be a pity to waste it!"

"Let me handle it," Gu Xu responded with an upturned corner of his mouth, taking the cloth from the old man's hands.

His smile was as warm as the early morning sun—pure, clean, and brimming with youthful vitality.

All the people in the restaurant couldn't help but turn to look at him, their faces displaying a nearly identical expression of admiration.

"Although Gu Xu is handsome, it's not like he's irresistible!" Ma Qin grew tense at the sight of this peculiar scenario. "Why do the residents of Peach Blossom Town, regardless of gender or age, appear so infatuated with him?"

Silently, Ma Qin began to stir his internal energy.

He was unarmed and hence his combat capabilities were significantly reduced. However, as a cultivator from the Exorcism Bureau, he would not hesitate to act if there was any disturbance.

Soon after, the waiter gradually brought the rest of their dishes.

Something seemed off about the food to Ma Qin, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

"Brother Ma, do you find something odd about the dishes here?" Gu Xu, seeming to guess his thoughts, asked with a smile.

Ma Qin nodded honestly.

"If you pay attention to the dishes the owner recommended, you'll find that they resemble the offerings one might make during the Qingming Festival," Gu Xu explained. "For instance, this osmanthus wine is often cited in poems like 'Fine dishes steamed on orchid leaves, and osmanthus wine mixed with pepper juice' and 'Bidding farewell with osmanthus wine, a dance to clear the soul'... Although such customs may not exist in our Qingzhou Prefecture, in the regions of Jingchu, osmanthus wine is a common offering.

"Moreover, dishes like stir-fried soybean sprouts with tofu, vegetable soup, braised pork, braised yellow croaker, and steamed goose are typical Qingming Festival foods. As for the green rice dumplings and mixed-grain rice, they're common tomb-sweeping offerings in the Jiangnan region."

As he spoke, Gu Xu rested his chin on his left hand, with his elbow propped on the table. He pointed at the food with chopsticks in his right hand, and jokingly asked Ma Qin, "Brother Ma, want to give them a try? After all, everything we see here is just an illusion."

Ma Qin quickly shook his head, "No, not even if it's an illusion."

At the same time, he watched Gu Xu's chopsticks warily, thinking: You're not really going to eat this food, are you?

Seeing Ma Qin's reaction, Gu Xu put down his chopsticks and couldn't help but laugh.

He felt that Ma Qin was a truly earnest and honest man. It was quite amusing to tease him.

Thus, the two of them sat quietly in the restaurant, neither saying a word, allowing the food to gradually cool down.

Meanwhile, the spilled osmanthus wine on the table dripped drop by drop onto the floor. Then, following the crevices of the floor tiles, it gradually spread out.

...

In the following period, the restaurant started to fill up with more and more customers, becoming increasingly bustling. The place was noisy and full of lively chatter.

The restaurant owner, leaning on his cane, shuffled around different tables, obviously enjoying his bustling business.

"Boss, I heard that your restaurant has some new dishes today?" a customer asked.

"New dishes, huh..." The owner cast an inadvertent glance in the direction of Gu Xu and Ma Qin, licking his lips, "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to wait a bit longer."

The customer looked somewhat dissatisfied, "All these years, I'm tired of eating chicken, duck, fish, goose, mixed grains, and green rice dumplings every day. I really want to taste some new meat dishes."

The owner apologized profusely, while promising that the new dish of their restaurant would be an unparalleled delicacy. As long as the customers were patient, they would not be disappointed.

A few minutes later, the owner, with the menu in hand, returned to the kitchen.

When he reappeared, he was surprisingly holding a butcher knife that gleamed with cold light, and he walked straight toward Gu Xu and Ma Qin.

"Young man, why don't you start eating?" He still had a kind smile on his face, speaking amiably to Gu Xu, "Is it because you think the food here isn't good?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the busy restaurant staff nearby also gathered around, each of them holding a kitchen knife, chopsticks, or a fork in their hands, their faces showing off-putting smiles.

...

Footnotes:

(1) "Osmanthus wine mixed with pepper juice, the brewed ferment wafts a fragrant aroma." ——Song Dynasty, Liu Xueji's "Three Hundred Words for the Rhyme of Mid-Autumn Festival".

(2) "Fine dishes steamed on orchid leaves, and osmanthus wine mixed with pepper juice." ——Pre-Qin Period, Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs - Dong Huang Tai Yi".

(3) "Bidding farewell with osmanthus wine, a dance to clear the soul." ——Tang Dynasty, Li Bai's "Seeing Off Wu Wu at the Yao Shrine in Lu Prefecture to Langya".