Daily Life in the Great Song

"Oh, it's Brother Siwen and Brother Ziyu!"

Huang Shang turned around and saw two students riding toward him, calling out in return.

In ancient times, addressing someone directly by their given name was a grave sign of disrespect, even bordering on treason.

The term "minghui" (name-taboo) exists for a reason; the "hui" character signifies a taboo, something to be avoided.

Huang Shang's courtesy name was Shengzhong. "Sheng" implies brightness and prosperity, while "Zhong" suggests occupying the center; choosing such a courtesy name reflected high expectations.

The two arrivals were Liu Yi, courtesy name Siwen, and Chen Sheng, courtesy name Ziyu.

Their horses were privately owned and far more spirited than the one Huang Shang had rented. They quickly reached him and asked, "Huang Shengzhong, have you finished transcribing our books?"

Huang Shang's family was poor, and living in Kaifeng, even with a frugal lifestyle, required a significant amount of money.

Where could he get that money? He had no choice but to work while studying, transcribing books for other students.

In reality, those who could afford to pay for transcriptions were from wealthy families; what they were truly after was Huang Shang's calligraphy.

By reading such beautiful Three Academies Regular Script and being exposed to it constantly, they hoped to gain an edge when they eventually entered the examination halls.

Calligraphy was vital; an examiner's first impression was always based on the script.

Huang Shang nodded, "It is finished."

Liu Yi was overjoyed upon hearing this and praised, "That's wonderful! I love reading the books you transcribe. Your strokes are like iron hooks and silver needles, as neat as if they were carved. If I didn't know you were poor, I would have almost mistaken you for someone from the Chongwen Academy!"

Chen Sheng, seeing his companion being so blunt, felt a bit embarrassed and hurriedly changed the subject, "Shengzhong, have you eaten yet?"

Huang Shang smiled, "I was just on my way."

Liu Yi was a boisterous fellow who looked down on the poor but lacked any real malice. Hearing this, he said, "Then let's go together!"

The group arrived at the Sang Family Bazaar south of East Cross Street, dismounted, and squeezed into the crowd.

The name Sang Family Bazaar sounds peculiar, but it was essentially the ancient equivalent of a Wanda Plaza.

Inside, there were storytellers, opera singers, acrobats, street performers, sumo wrestling, shadow puppetry, variety shows, and food stalls—it had everything.

Every day, it attracted thousands of people, bustling from dawn until dusk with a spectacular, lively atmosphere.

It was called a "Bazaar" (Wazi) because the crowds of revelers would gather and disperse like loose bricks and tiles.

They gathered like tiles and scattered like dust.

Come to think of it, the name was quite fitting.

However, the class of the establishment was clearly not very high.

Liu Yi pointed to a shop, "Please, do me the honor of joining me."

Huang Shang and Chen Sheng sat down, and as Liu Yi ordered, he began to critique the food.

He had read many miscellaneous books and was a standard foodie, constantly expanding on the menu items.

From the perch of Wujiang to the shad of Jiangyin, then shifting to the Yubingshao Wine of Jiaozhou, and finally to the red-salting method of Fujian, he spoke with great authority. By the time the tea was served, he was already discussing the differences between the Dragon and Phoenix Cake Tea of the Tang Dynasty and the Small Dragon Cake Tea of the present day.

If not for the fact that this was a commoner-grade establishment costing only a hundred coins, one might have thought they were enjoying a grand banquet at the most high-end restaurant in Kaifeng Prefecture.

Chen Sheng looked helpless, but Huang Shang listened intently, memorizing every word.

In the history of Chinese cuisine, the two Song Dynasties were indeed among the best eras.

The Records of the Eastern Capital's Splendor contains records showing that the diet of the Song Dynasty was incredibly diverse and affordable. In the night markets, one could find goose, duck, chicken, rabbit, tripe, lung, chicken skin, kidneys, chicken giblets, eel buns, and more, each portion costing fifteen coins, with customers coming and going in a thriving trade.

If one spent a little more, they could buy two hairy crabs and a cup of tea—a very accessible price relative to the average commoner's daily income of about one hundred coins.

However, reading historical records is never as good as experiencing it firsthand.

These were the imprints of an era, the very breath of life.

In television dramas, one could never see these details of daily dining.

But the Heavens were a series of real worlds; one could not live like a castle in the air, detached from the world of mortals—one had to keep their feet on the ground.

Only by doing so could one achieve the perfect infiltration.

Just then, a wind stove was placed on the table—a tool used for boiling tea in the Tang Dynasty. Now, it held half a pot of water. As the water began to boil, thinly sliced meat, which had been marinating in yellow wine, soy sauce, and Sichuan peppercorns, was ready and waiting.

Liu Yi was the first to extend his chopsticks, grabbing a slice of meat and swishing it in the hot water until cooked. After eating a piece, he felt warm all over. He sighed and steered the conversation toward a delicacy familiar even to later generations, "It's a pity that it's hard to find a chef who knows how to prepare pufferfish. It's a real regret not being able to satisfy that craving!"

Huang Shang actually knew about this and said, "Pufferfish is toxic in its blood and internal organs. If you remove the organs and soak it in clear water to draw out the residual blood, there's no need to worry. Even with a little residual toxin, as long as you don't eat too much, it won't be life-threatening."

"You've got some knowledge!" Liu Yi raised his eyebrows in surprise, but immediately retorted, "But if you soak the pufferfish for too long to remove the blood, the freshness is gone. It wouldn't even be as good as crucian or carp—would that even be pufferfish anymore?"

Huang Shang had no answer to that. He thought to himself that he shouldn't argue with a foodie who didn't fear death, and instead kept reaching out with his chopsticks to snatch a few more slices of meat.

Although the establishment wasn't high-end, it naturally had some skill to survive in such a high-traffic area. This hotpot meal was a hearty feast, truly a delight.

After eating and drinking their fill, Liu Yi stood up, feeling satisfied, and waved his hand, "Let's go, let's go watch some sumo!"

That statement was quite a shock to a modern person.

Hotpot followed by sumo wrestling?

What kind of combination was this?

Chen Sheng's eyes, however, lit up.

Huang Shang also recalled that among the various entertainment options in the Wazi, sumo wrestling was the most popular, and it boasted the largest number of performers.

Among them, there were even female sumo wrestlers.

Female sumo was not about two tanks colliding; the contestants had to be like Boluosaidong or Liu Fei'er—slightly plump, with pretty faces and excellent temperament.

Two such female sumo wrestlers, lightly clad and full of fiery energy, had always been the most popular attraction.

Not to mention the common folk, even Emperor Renzong of Song had watched female sumo performances while sharing in the joys of the people.

Because sumo was the grand finale of entertainment at Song dynasty court banquets, the Song court even established professional sumo wrestlers known as "Neidengzi."

However, after Emperor Renzong watched the female sumo, he angered Sima Guang and was scolded severely, after which the officials lost their chance to enjoy the spectacle and could only watch it in secret.

Now that they were well-fed and satisfied, Liu Yi was prepared to go and share in the joys of the people, and Chen Sheng clearly harbored the same intentions.

Food and sex are human nature.

Even scholars have their needs.

Huang Shang actually wanted to go too, but firstly, describing anything below the neck was risky, and secondly, he had a plan that could not be delayed by sumo wrestling.

And so, he politely declined: "I still have schoolwork to do, so I won't be going."

Liu Yi's expression darkened: "What a killjoy!"

Chen Sheng was also somewhat displeased, but seeing how diligent Huang Shang was, and thinking of his own Jie Examination next year, he also cast aside his frivolous thoughts and urged: "Let's go to Shengzhong's house to pick up the books first!"

The Imperial Examination was divided into several parts; the first level was the Jie Examination, which was the equivalent of the provincial examinations in the later Ming and Qing dynasties, supervised by local education officials.

Those who passed the Jie Examination were called Gongsheng, or Juren, and only then were they qualified to go to the capital to take the Jinshi examination.

However, note that the Juren of the Song dynasty were different from the Juren of later generations.

This was not a lifelong qualification, but a one-time eligibility for the advanced examination.

In other words, if one passed the Jie Examination but failed the Jinshi examination in the capital, they would have to participate in and pass the Jie Examination again for the next imperial exam cycle before they could attempt the Jinshi examination once more.

Thinking of this, what right did they have to watch female sumo?

Since Chen Sheng had said as much, Liu Yi abandoned his plans and returned with him.

With fast horses to travel, coming and going was convenient, and soon the three of them arrived in front of Huang Shang's dilapidated courtyard and dismounted.

The servant returned the rented horses, and Huang Shang led the two into the room, walking over to the shelf to retrieve the books at a leisurely pace.

Chen Sheng stood quietly waiting, while Liu Yi, bored, wandered around until he came to the table and suddenly saw the characters Huang Shang had previously written on coarse paper, reading them out subconsciously: "To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth! To provide a destiny for the people! To carry on the lost teachings of the ancient sages! To open up eternal peace for all generations!"

Hiss!

He drew a sharp breath, frozen in place.