Su Er made a hot and sour fish soup and gave a bowl to Xu Ping for him to evaluate.

At this time, the so-called spicy is the taste of Sichuan pepper and pepper. Although there are chili peppers in the vegetable garden outside Zhuangzi that came with Xu Ping's crossing, no one eats it, and it is only beautiful to plant as a flower. Xu Ping has eaten it himself a few times and recommended it to others, but none of them love to eat. This flavor will only be popularized when it encounters the right place, and the Central Plains region has four distinct seasons, which is most suitable for human survival, and does not like this extreme taste. In addition, the spiciness produced by chili peppers is a physical effect, not pure five flavors, and it is not in line with Chinese culture at this time.

After taking a sip, it was sour and numb, with the unique umami of fresh fish, and it didn't taste a little fishy, Xu Ping praised: "Su'er really has a pair of skillful hands, this soup is sour and spicy without covering up the original taste of fish, delicious!" ”

Su Er smiled happily: "This is our Jiangnan daughter's craft, as long as the officials like it." ”

Xiuxiu also took a sip and smacked her tongue: "It's really good!" I've learned it, and I'll make it for officials to drink in the future, okay? ”

After tasting for a while, with Su'er's help, Xiuxiu began to make braised fish pieces.

The craft of braised pork was taught to Xiuxiu by Xu Ping, and she had made braised pork and braised pork ribs several times, but it was the first time for the fish pieces, and Xiuxiu was also a little nervous.

Boiled and stewed every day, Xu Ping couldn't eat it, and after making a small stove, he deliberately cast an iron pot with a briquette stove and burned it with Xiuxiu every day. In order to stir-fry, Xu Ping also deliberately squeezed a large bucket of soybean oil. He originally wanted to squeeze peanut oil, but how did he know that peanuts, a crop that came through the country, were very rare, and Sun Qilang didn't receive much in total, so he planted them all as seeds in the ground, so he had to eat soybean oil.

Su Er was on the side, and Chef Xiuxiu didn't take long to burn a large plate of braised fish pieces. Xiuxiu tasted it first and sighed: "It's okay, the taste is acceptable." Sister Su'er try it! ”

Su'er took a small bite, shook her little head and said, "The taste is okay, it has another flavor." Xiuxiu, I also learned your craft, when to cook it for you to eat, when it is another taste. ”

Xu Ping smiled: "I forgot." You Jiangnan people eat it, you have to add more vinegar and sugar, we are not used to the taste of heavy oil and salt in the north, are you not used to it? ”

He said: "I told Sun Qilang that I would take a few villagers to catch fish in the afternoon." When the time comes, make a few delicate pieces of meat and steam them to eat, which is guaranteed to suit your taste. ”

Seeing that it was past noon, Xu Ping said to Su'er: "You can take the fish soup back and give it to the teacher and your lady to taste." There are also two jars of calamus wine outside, which were specially ordered by your mother to be given to your family, so that Xiuxiu can help you take them home with you. I went outside to take a few bankers and catch fish. ”

After the order, Xu Ping left his small courtyard and went to find Sun Qilang.

Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, and the village has a holiday. Some of the Zhuang Hakka families are close to here, so they go home, and the rest are single men who have no relatives and no reason in the local area.

Gao Daquan was going to play with a few of his brothers, but was stopped by Xu Ping and told him not to go to those people before the surroundings were calmed down, who knew who was involved. When the matter is over, I will give him leave.

Hearing that Xu Ping was going to take someone to fish, a few boring bachelors gathered over, but the rest wore new clothes and hats and made an appointment to go to the capital.

Xu Ping looked at a few men who were going to Tokyo City, and several of them had red pomegranate flowers on their sideburns, which made him look a little weird. Then he said: "You guys will go as soon as you go, just remember not to make trouble, the outside is not as good as the home." Especially when a few big men are taken together, it is easy to get into trouble after drinking a few bowls of wine, remember, you are not allowed to drink when you go out! ”

Several people responded violently, and they didn't know whether they took Xu Ping's words seriously or not.

Xu Ping was also impatient, shook his head, and let those people go. Although the servant is not a relative, he is also a member of this family, and if something happens, the Xu family will inevitably be implicated, so he has to be careful.

Zhuang guests play birds and birds, catch fish and rabbits are usually used to playing, there are ready-made nets in the village, Xu Ping let Gao Daquan and Sun Qilang carry it, out of the courtyard gate, to the nearest big pond.

When he arrived at the pond next to the mulberry nursery, Sun Qilang said embarrassedly: "Official, this pond is usually harassed too much by a few of us, and although there are fish in it, it is not easy to catch." We'd better take a few more steps, the big pond in front of us is overgrown with reeds, and there are big fish in it! ”

Xu Ping looked at Sun Qilang and shook his head. Dozens of big men live together, and you know what they will do when they are idle. This pond is the closest to the farm, and they come to toss when they have nothing to do.

There is more than a mile to the east, and there is a large swamp, where reeds and iris are thick, and occasionally there are lotus flowers, which are blooming brightly, so that there is a bit of enchantment here. Not far from the detour, there is a large pond. Although the water here is not as deep as before, there are many swamps connected to it, and there are many kinds of wild things in it. Not only fish, but also various water birds and other small animals.

There are several large willow trees by the pond, all as thick as one person hugging, and the branches and leaves are growing luxuriantly. When everyone arrived under the willow tree, Xu Ping said: "This is it!" ”

A few bankers spread their nets on the shore.

Although Xu Ping mostly dealt with the countryside in his previous life, he was born in the north and rarely had a place to fish, so he had no opinions on this business, and only let Sun Qilang lead the people.

Gao Daquan didn't have anywhere to start, turned left and right, and found a few plum trees out of nowhere, picked a large handful of plums and came back, and handed them to Xu Ping as snacks.

Xu Ping ate one, thinking that this plum was wild, no one managed it, and the taste was a little sour, so he put it aside.

Sun Qilang packed up the net, led the people into the water, and shouted in the pond: "Gao Daquan, haven't you fished before?" ”

Gao Daquan said: "Qilang said and laughed, I grew up by the water in Liangshan since I was a child, how could I not have caught it!" ”

Sun Qilang said angrily: "You didn't say it earlier!" Just spin around on one side, come down and pull the net with me! ”

Gao Daquan answered, rolled up his trouser legs, and went down into the water.

Xu Ping listened to their trouble, and it was just funny that he was sitting under the tree.

At this time, the water is not too cool after a morning of sun exposure. Eight big men lined up in the water, Gao Daquan and Sun Qilang pulled the net at both ends, and a few people in the middle helped, pulling them from east to west.

After pulling more than a dozen steps away, a few bankers in the middle shouted: "Report to the little official, there are so many big fish in this water!" ”

After walking another twenty or thirty steps, Gao Daquan suddenly shouted and said to Sun Qilang: "Seventh brother, stop for a moment, there is something under my feet!" ”

A dealer went over from the side to help Gao Daquan hold the net, Gao Daquan bent down and stabbed a fierce man into the water, and in the blink of an eye, he came out of the water again, and snorted: "Bad luck, it turned out to be an old turtle!" ”

Raise your hand, hold a five- or six-pound old turtle, and throw it away.

Xu Ping saw it on the shore, jumped up, and shouted: "Gao Daquan, what are you going to do!" ”

Gao Daquan was startled and looked at Xu Ping blankly.

Xu Ping took a breath and said loudly: "Send that old turtle ashore, don't throw it away!" ”

Gao Daquan didn't know what Xu Ping meant, and seeing that he was serious, he had to hold the old turtle in one hand, slowly walked ashore, and asked Xu Ping: "What do officials want this for?" ”

Xu Ping calmed down and said slowly: "You tie this old turtle here, I'll go back and make a soup to replenish my body." How can you throw away such a good thing casually! ”

Gao Daquan smiled: "This kind of thing, who is going to eat it!" The officials are really joking. ”

didn't dare to go against Xu Ping's wishes, found a few grasses to weave a straw rope, tied the old turtle to the tree, went down to the water, and continued to pull the net.

At this time, the sky is high and the clouds are light, the tall willow trees block the sun, and from time to time there are bursts of cool breezes.

Xu Ping only felt comfortable, looked down at the old man and tossed for a while, then stopped, stared at a pair of mung bean-like eyes, and glared at himself.

Such a big old turtle is still wild, Xu Ping didn't even dare to think about it in his previous life. In this era, casually stepped on the water, and even fished one up, Xu Ping couldn't believe his eyes. This grange is really a treasure land, although it is desolate, but it also hides a lot of treasures.

At this time, the people in the vicinity didn't even eat much fish, let alone turtle crabs, and I don't know how many of them were in the water, and ordinary people didn't even bother to look at them. But it was cheap Xu Ping, he couldn't afford to eat in his previous life, but in this life, he opened his belly and ate as much as he wanted.

It took almost an hour to pull down this net. On the willow tree beside Xu Ping, there were already seven old turtles tied up, and the smallest one weighed two catties. Seeing that Xu Ping was worried, when would he finish eating.

When they were pulling the net, Lin Wensi's family walked slowly from the road with Xiuxiu.

Seeing them, Xu Ping was taken aback. Isn't he, an old man, only dedicated to reading sage books? I've never seen him go down to the field.

Greeted in a panic, Xu Ping saluted: "I've seen the teacher!" ”

Lin Wensi said lightly: "I have been away from my hometown for many years, and I heard that you are fishing here, so I brought Su Niang over to take a look, so I should take a look at the scenery of my hometown." ”

Xu Ping hurriedly let Lin Wensi under the willow tree, and called a Zhuang guest to go back to the village to get a few chairs and sit for the teacher's family. He doesn't pay attention to himself, Lin Wensi is a reader.

Lin Wensi saw that he was busy, but he didn't say anything, and when he was done, he went over to watch everyone get up together.

The villagers were waiting on the shore, and when they saw Xu Ping and a few people coming, they saluted Lin Wensi together, and then said: "Official, no one has come to fish in this pond for many years, and there are really a lot of big fish." ”

At this time, the net is dense, and large and small fish are crowded together.

Lin Wensi said: "Only pick more than two feet, and put the others back into the water." The way of a gentleman is not to fish with exhaustion. The imperial court prohibits fishing and hunting for a few months every year, which is to save this benevolent heart. ”

Xu Ping nodded obediently on the side. At this time, the Song Dynasty banned fishing, hunting, and wood harvesting because spring and summer were the time for biological growth and reproduction, which was a tradition handed down from the Zhou Dynasty, and naturally also had the positive significance of ecological protection. Lin Wensi's words are Xu Ping, he brought Zhuang Ke to fish at this time, which is not right.

Anyway, if you just catch a few fish and eat them yourself, and don't sell them, who will care. Although Xu Ping nodded, he didn't think so, he was afraid that there were fish every day south of the Yangtze River, and he didn't see anyone say anything.

The farmer in the water listened to the order and only picked out the big fish that were more than two feet tall.

Lin Wensi said again: "Go and break a few willow branches, and put the fish in the water after wearing it." When the willow branches are alive, the fish will not die easily. If you eat fish, you only need to eat it alive, and you can't eat it if you are dead. ”

Xu Ping listened to what his father-in-law said one by one, and couldn't help but look at him twice. I have never heard of what willow branches are alive, but I have only heard that they are suitable for making coffin boards. But he didn't dare to disobey, and obediently let his bankers do the same.

Although Lin Wensi said it mysteriously, it was right to pierce the fish with willow branches. The willow branches are alive for a long time when they are immersed in water, providing oxygen, and the fish will not die so easily.

When the dealer was almost selected, Xu Ping's eyes were sharp, and he shouted: "The crucian carp and osmanthus fish in it are also picked out on the left and right, and this fish is not big." ”

Zhuang Ke looked at Lin Wensi, and when he saw him nodding, he picked out seven or eight more.

Xu Ping said again: "Take out the big yellow lading, this fish is delicious to make soup." ”

Zhuang Ke took out Huang Lading and looked at Xu Ping, afraid that he would think of something again.

Xu Ping smiled embarrassedly, he knew so much.

Lin Wensi looked at the sun and said to everyone: "It's still early, pull another net." Pick a few good big herring and let Su'er go back to make it. The rest is bad, eat slowly. ”

The crowd responded.

Lin Wensi said slowly: "Be careful when pulling, if there is an eel, don't let it run away." Since I came to the Central Plains, I haven't eaten it for a long time. ”

Xu Ping was amused in his heart, it turned out that his father-in-law was greedy.

The dealer changed places and continued to pull the net in the water. Xu Ping asked the teacher's family to return to the willow tree and sit on a chair to enjoy the shade.

Sitting down, Xu Ping said: "It's hot weather, it would be nice if there was a watermelon to eat." ”

Lin Wensi said: "I have also heard that watermelon is delicious, but I have never eaten it, I heard that this melon is only grown in Khitan, but not in China." Where did you eat? ”

Xu Ping couldn't answer, so he had to say vaguely: "I've just heard about it, where have you eaten." ”

In fact, at this time, there were watermelons in China, but they were rarely planted in the Central Plains, so that the Song people believed that they were Khitan species. Later, Ouyang Xiu and others also wrote down this special thing as a rare thing. It is said that in the Western Regions of Hantong, these species have long been transmitted, how could there be none. However, in the late Tang Dynasty, the war of the fifth dynasty, watermelon cultivation was basically extinct, which caused this misunderstanding.

Lin Wensi didn't pursue it, and said to Xu Ping: "I heard Su Er say that you made a poem at home today, she can't say it all, but I can hear two sentences, a little rough, you read it and I'll listen to it." ”

Xu Ping secretly felt ashamed in his heart. The chairman's poem starts with Qu Yuan, who originated from the Dragon Boat Festival, and has both sympathy for his life experience and praise for his noble sentiments. The aesthetic interest of different eras is really outrageous.

This question can't be argued, Xu Ping thought for a while and said: "It was casually said, coaxing two little girls, how did they get into the teacher's ears." I also have a poem here for the teacher to taste. ”

Lin Wensi nodded: "You just have to read it and listen to it." ”

Xu Ping looked at the pond: "I came to fish this afternoon, and when I saw the water in this pond, the water quality was clear, and I felt that I made this song seven uniques." ”

"Half an acre of square pond is opened, and the sky and clouds and shadows wander together.

Ask the canal to be as clear as promised, for there is a source of living water. ”

Lin Wensi turned his head to look at Xu Ping, and said with a smile: "You made this poem?" ”

Xu Ping was seen by Lin Wensi as weak-hearted, and made up a lie: "It's not that it was made all at once, in fact, I took Zhuang Ke to open the canal a few days ago, and I had such a meaning in my heart." Today, when I see the scenery here, this poem seems to have generated itself and ran out of my head. ”

As for this poem, it is impossible for Lin Wensi to hear it. Zhu Xi is a person from the middle and late Southern Song Dynasty, and this is only in the middle and early Northern Song Dynasty, Xu Ping remembers such a few poems, where can he make mistakes. It's nothing more than Lin Wensi's place, Xu Ping's impression of not learning and not knowing how to do it is deep-rooted, and he suddenly made a poem that looks like it, he doesn't believe it.

Lin Wensi whispered a few times, and said to Xu Ping: "In this poem, the rhyme is neat, the most valuable, although the poem is about the scenery, but it has its own philosophy in it, which can be regarded as a good product." I've been teaching you for years, and I never thought you'd be able to do that one day. I still believe some of Su'er's poems, but I don't believe much in this poem. ”

Xu Ping turned his head and glared at Su'er.

Su Er stuck out her tongue, pulled Xiuxiu to the side, and said: "There are two mulberry trees over there, one tree grows good mulberries, Xiuxiu and I will pick a few and come back to quench the thirst of the lady!" ”

After saying that, the two ran away.

Lin Wensi looked at the two of them and shook his head, and said to Xu Ping: "But you said that you have accumulated it for many days, and once the time comes, it will come naturally, and it makes some sense." Li Taibai once said, 'Clear water comes out of hibiscus, and it is natural to carve and decorate', your poem has a bit of this meaning. ”

Xu Ping interface: "The article is natural, and the clever hand can get it." I also feel that this poem was not made by me, but was born naturally between heaven and earth, and it was just spoken through my mouth. ”

Lin Wensi clapped his palms: "'The article is made by nature, and the magic hand gets it'." This is another golden sentence! Could it be that I really misread you? These days, you are making a lot of fun in the village, and I also see it in my eyes, there are endless ideas, you must be a talented person, but your mind is not used in reading. Today, it seems that you have been studying with me honestly this month, although you have to cope with it a lot, you have grown unconsciously. Virtuous son-in-law, if you really accept your heart and study hard for two years of sage books, the imperial examination will not be hopeless! ”

When Xu Ping heard this, he was stunned. Doesn't that sentence appear now? Which god is this, who gave himself this surprise! It's a pity that I can't remember where this sentence came from. These words came from Lu You, the most outstanding poet of the Song Dynasty, a figure in the Southern Song Dynasty, of course, there is no such famous saying at this time.

Lin Suniang, who was sitting on the side and didn't say a word, couldn't help but look at Xu Ping at this time, and there was something strange in her eyes.