Volume 1: Wild Beasts, Changes Begin Chapter 42: The Great Thief Gu Yunfei
The great thief Gu Yunfei, with a little red-eyed sparrow perched on his shoulder, had already arrived in Qingyu County when the sun set and the western sky was filled with golden clouds.
Qingyu County is bordered by the sea to the east, Pingshan County to the west, Bailang County to the south, and Huiyou County to the north.
A Xiliang River surrounds Qingyu County and connects to the East China Sea at both ends. The river separates Qingyu County from several other counties, so from a topographical point of view, this county is somewhat similar to an island suspended in the sea, hence the name "Qingyu".
This county is the richest place among the 18 counties of Donghai County. It is home to many wealthy businessmen and all kinds of novelties emerge in an endless stream. It became famous twenty years ago, and in the past six years, the word "lots of fun, lots of delicious food, and lots of business opportunities" has spread throughout the entire Da Qi.
Since Gu Yunfei is a big thief, of course he would not ignore such a place. In fact, when he came to Donghai County this time, he originally intended to make Qingyu County his destination.
As we were crossing the Xiliang River with our horses and boats, we saw a bustling scene.
It was time for the men working at the port to take a break. Most of them were dressed in short brown clothes and walked on the street in groups of three or five, or went to a familiar restaurant with delicious food, eating and chatting. Their behavior was rough, but full of freshness and happiness.
Young ladies in half-sleeved skirts can also be seen between restaurants and on street corners, picking among the goods of roadside vendors.
There were also scholars in long robes, some of them were self-respecting and had a conversation with a pot of tea, while others were drunk and laughed loudly. In their wildness and rude behavior, they were no less unrestrained than those men in short robes.
"This prosperity is no less than those majestic cities in the heart of Da Qi."
Gu Yunfei was walking on the street leading a horse. His face was decorated with some unknown material, and he looked nothing like the portrait on the wanted poster. He walked on the street openly, not afraid of being recognized at all.
He looked around, his eyesight was sharper than that of ordinary people, and he observed more details. The impression left by a single glance was enough to remember the movements and expressions of a dozen people around him, and he could see the subtle details of the vendors' goods at a glance.
Things like windmills, masks, dough sculptures, clay figurines, Hu cakes, spices, and cheap jewelry were all commonplace and not worth Gu Yunfei's second glance. However, there were some things that he had never seen even after traveling all over the country for so many years.
"What is this?" Gu Yunfei picked up a piece of still warm pastry from a bamboo mat placed in front of a pastry shop.
The pastry feels a little oily in the hand, but the smell of oil is not strong. It is half the size of a palm, looks crispy, and is brown in color. It seems to have the shape of a small animal carved into it.
"These are little bear biscuits." The pastry shop clerk smiled and said, "You can tell at a glance that this customer is from out of town. These little bear biscuits are very famous in our area. They came from the Changluo Marquis's mansion. They are sweet, fragrant and crispy. They are unique. Would you like a bag?"
Gu Yunfei really bought a bag, and the waiter also gave him a small bag of snacks called Cheetos, saying that their store was celebrating its third anniversary and that if you bought a large bag of cookies, you would get a small bag of snacks for free.
There were quite a few varieties of dishes, and the food was really delicious. Gu Yun ate it all in just a few steps.
After just a few steps, he smelled a strong fragrance again. Turning around, he saw that it was a roast duck restaurant.
Roast duck is dry and tough, and only poor people consider it a delicacy. Gu Yunfei doesn't think much of it. If one really wants to roast it deliciously, one must start with the selection of ingredients and have the chef carefully prepare it, but these roadside shops cannot meet the requirements.
But the fragrance today was a little different, so Gu Yunfei decided to go in and take a look.
As soon as he entered the door, he happened to hear a guest next to him asking, "Why is your duck so fat but not greasy and so fragrant? Did you invite a famous chef from somewhere?"
"That's not the case. We just changed the roasting method and stopped using the oven." The shopkeeper didn't seem to have any intention of keeping the secret method secret. He smiled and said, "This is a method passed down in the Marquis' Mansion. As long as you listen to it once and practice for a few days, any chef can make it. Even ordinary people can make it if they are willing to get an oven and buy a duck. But in our store, the service is attentive and the dipping sauce and spices are sufficient. This is three points better than other places."
Is it the Changluo Marquis Mansion again? Gu Yunfei's eyes flashed, but he ordered two ducks first, ready to try them.
Originally, Gu Yunfei was planning to kill some time and go out to scout the area at night. Unexpectedly, from sunset to dark, he ate more than a dozen rare things that were rarely seen elsewhere, almost equal to the daily food intake of an ordinary person. Even he felt a little bloated.
In order to relax, Gu Yunfei wandered around the streets of Qingyu County for a while.
After nightfall, many yamen runners from the county government began to come out and walk around.
In the past, the Great Qi Dynasty would go into curfew at the first watch. However, during the Anyuan period, with sufficient armaments and prosperous commerce, the curfew was gradually changed to the third watch, which was sharp midnight.
However, in many places, once night falls, although it is still far from the third watch, it will immediately become deserted. Street vendors and pedestrians will subconsciously avoid them when they see yamen runners and the like.
But it's different here.
When night falls, it becomes even more lively.
There were acrobats and magicians, people singing and dancing on the stage facing the street in front of their houses, people guessing riddles using lanterns, and there was also a competition involving a bicycle with only two wheels, one in front and one in the back, but people could ride on it without falling over.
Cowhide is rolled into a circle and embedded on a wooden wheel. The front wheel controls the direction, while the rear wheel transmits power through pedals and chains under the feet, as well as a structure called "gears". Whoever goes around the city and returns here first wins.
This so-called cycling race attracted a lot of people, and some people even ran along. It was the first time that Gu Yunfei had seen this. He watched a whole round of winners and losers before moving on.
He walked on the street until almost three o'clock in the morning, when the crowds on the street finally became sparse. Once the atmosphere was no longer so lively, the coolness of the night gradually set in.
But Gu Yunfei didn't feel cold at all, not only because his physique had long been immune to cold and heat, but also because his heart was extremely hot.
This "Qingyu" is like a corner of the east of Da Qi, a bright pearl inlaid on the edge of the dark East China Sea. The most shining place of this pearl is the Changluo Marquis Mansion.
Gu Yunfei found that at least 70% of the new things he saw here were spread from Changluo Houfu, and the remaining 30% were developed by the local people themselves. But they were also based on the 70% foundation.
He is a marquis and can create so many wonderful things. How much wealth could he have plundered from his mansion through these things over the years?
I heard that the son of Marquis Changluo is still a sickly person. How much of the wealth accumulated by that marquis would he use to collect all kinds of rare medicinal herbs?
As his footsteps gradually approached the area where Changluo Hou's mansion was located, the red-faced little bird on his shoulder began to chirp. Gu Yunfei touched the bird, and its eyes seemed to glow in the dark night.
How many medicinal herbs can a sickly person use? Those things must be stored in the mansion.
"My Lord, I have never met you before. All your accumulation over the years has been waiting for me, your destined person!"
