Drip drip drip!
Pat pat pat!
Just then, it started raining outside.
Initially, the rain was quite light, the crystal clear raindrops like countless tiny pearls, rendering the entire dim and dark earth poetic and picturesque. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
But soon a downpour arrived, feeling as if the sky had a hole, all the rainwater began to pour down, even making pleasant clear sounds when hitting the windows!
"Sosuke, it's raining outside."
"If there's nothing else, I should head back to Harukatei."
Glancing at the scenery outside the window, Kuguchi Sonoka stood up and said to Sosuke.
"Kikuchi."
"You've worked hard these past few days!"
Seeing her about to leave, Sosuke quickly took out a few Shao Mai from the steamer, then packed them and handed them to her.
In the past, facing such a situation, Kuguchi Sonoka would inevitably blush and then awkwardly refuse.
But now, perhaps having spent more time with Sosuke, their relationship was no longer so estranged, so she didn't say much and directly took the Golden Ratio Shao Mai from his hand!
Then, she bowed slightly in thanks, picked up an umbrella, and left the Izakaya.
...
"She's gone, what about you?"
Looking back at Erina, who had just finished eating, Sosuke asked directly.
"Ah?"
"This... that... it's raining heavily outside..."
The sudden question made Erina, who was still immersed in the taste of the Shao Mai, pause, and then a faint blush quickly crept onto her pretty face as she softly mumbled in response.
"Alright, then I'll go tidy up an empty room for you. You can stay at the Izakaya for now."
Seeing her like this, Sosuke didn't say much. Instead, he turned and went up the stairs, arriving at a room on the third floor to tidy up!
As of now.
The Izakaya, despite having been upgraded once.
Still only has three floors. The first floor is definitely used for operating the Izakaya.
The second floor is currently vacant, and in the future, as the Izakaya continues to upgrade, some functional areas might be set up here, such as a coffee area, dessert area, and so on.
Then, unless Sosuke gives permission, all diners are strictly forbidden from going above the second floor.
As for the third floor, it is naturally Sosuke's bedroom, as well as the bathroom and a few empty rooms.
"Ding dong!"
"Host successfully checked in once."
"Ding dong!"
"Congratulations to the Host for successfully obtaining the special recipe, Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night."
After busying himself, Sosuke, as usual, dragged his slightly tired body to the bathroom for a hot shower.
Immediately, just as he returned to his bedroom, the system's voice surprisingly rang out in his mind again.
"Hmm?"
"Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night?"
Learning it was such a special recipe, Sosuke couldn't help but feel surprised.
In Du Mu's poem "To Han Chuo, the Judge of Yangzhou" from the Tang Dynasty, there is the line: "Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night, where is the jade maiden teaching the flute?"
From the fourth month of the seventh year of Emperor Wenzong's Dahe reign to the beginning of the ninth year, i.e., from 833 to 835 AD, Du Mu served as a staff officer and secretary under Niu Sengru, the military governor of Huainan, and became acquainted with Han Chuo, who was then serving as a judge under the military governor.
And this poem was written by Du Mu shortly after leaving Yangzhou, sent to Han Chuo.
Yangzhou is renowned for its Huaiyang cuisine.
The so-called Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night, while its name comes from Du Mu's poem, is actually from Huang Rong's hands in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."
Its method involves first cutting open a ham and carving out 24 round holes.
Then, Tofu is carved into 24 small balls and placed into each hole, the ham is tied up and steamed. Once steamed, all the savory flavor of the ham is infused into the Tofu.
In the original plot, Hong Qigong tasted it and was naturally greatly impressed, and this steamed Tofu dish also received a Tang poetic name, called:
Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night.
Of course, this dish also requires Huang Rong's family secret technique, the "Flower Flicking Acupoint Hand."
One's fingers must be nimble and gentle, applying force as if it were there and not there, to be able to carve the delicate Tofu, which easily crumbles upon touch, into 24 small round balls.
"This is interesting."
"I didn't expect the system to give such a check-in reward."
Although this special recipe is fundamentally different from the recipes in "cooking master boy," for Sosuke, there's naturally no such thing as too many.
Afterward, feeling very sleepy, he stretched and prepared to lie down and sleep.
...
Rumble rumble rumble!
Just as Sosuke was about to fall asleep.
A particularly dazzling lightning bolt appeared in the sky, illuminating the entire dim night as if it were broad daylight, very bright!
Immediately after, there seemed to be some movement outside the door, which made Sosuke quickly open his eyes.
Now, the Izakaya had one more person, Erina, so this movement must be related to her. Sosuke could only helplessly say: "Is that Erina outside the door?"
"Yes, it's... it's me!"
From outside the room door, Nakiri Erina's slightly trembling voice immediately came.
"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Sosuke frowned. This noble young lady was still awake so late, why would she have the thought of coming to find him?
"I can't sleep!"
"And being alone, I... I suddenly feel a little scared."
Erina continued softly.
"Okay, then I'll go tidy up an empty room for you first. You can temporarily stay at the Izakaya during this time."
Seeing her like this, Sosuke didn't say much. Instead, he turned and went up the stairs, arriving at a room on the third floor to tidy up!
As of now.
The Izakaya, despite having been upgraded once.
Still only has three floors. The first floor is definitely used for operating the Izakaya.
The second floor is currently vacant, and in the future, as the Izakaya continues to upgrade, some functional areas might be set up here, such as a coffee area, dessert area, and so on.
Then, unless Sosuke gives permission, all diners are strictly forbidden from going above the second floor.
As for the third floor, it is naturally Sosuke's bedroom, as well as the bathroom and a few empty rooms.
"Ding dong!"
------------------------
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