Xu Erlang: I have no family

To address the issue of cooking fumes, the kitchens on official ships were located on the upper deck of the cabin, allowing for easy dissipation of the fumes. The walls and floors of the kitchens were painted with fire-retardant red paint, the main material of which was a resin from a tree called "carnivorous tree," which was both waterproof and fireproof.

Therefore, the Ministry of Works promoted the planting of this tree on a large scale and it was widely used in the construction field.

Inside the kitchen, several cooks were preparing lunch, working up a sweat despite the cold winter weather. A large pot of fish soup was simmering in the pot, steam bubbling and rising from the lid, filling the air with a rich aroma.

Xu Qi'an followed the aroma to the kitchen, lifted the lid of the pot, and asked, "Is the fish soup ready?"

"Almost done!"

The cooks were astonished that an adult would personally enter the smoky and chaotic kitchen.

Xu Qi'an stared at the slightly brownish fish soup, the color of which was due to the addition of soy sauce. He took a sniff of the aroma and said, "Give me a spoon."

A cook obediently handed over a spoon. Xu Qi'an scooped up some broth, tasted it, and said in surprise, "The earthy taste is very faint."

Due to limitations in seasonings and culinary skills, most river fish in this world have an unremovable muddy taste. Of course, the best restaurants are an exception, such as Cassia Moon Tower, where the chefs are highly skilled.

Upon hearing this, the cook proudly replied, "Sir, we who live on the water usually eat fish. When it comes to eating fish, no one in the world knows more about it than us. How to remove the muddy taste? Hehe, we have Secret Method."

He also kept it a secret, deliberately not telling anyone.

Xu Qi'an chuckled, "I also have a secret recipe that can enhance the umami flavor of this fish soup by several times."

The cook didn't believe it, but he didn't refute it because he didn't dare. However, he made no attempt to hide his disbelief.

Xu Qi'an then took out a porcelain bottle containing chicken essence.

"Sir, my lord."

The cooks were horrified. They had served on the official ship for many years and had hosted many officials. They were naturally sensitive about food.

If the officers on board died of poisoning, they would also be executed.

"What are you afraid of? You can just test the poison later," Xu Qi'an comforted them.

The cooks were not comforted at all; instead, they became even more worried.

Xu Qi'an first poured a little into the pot, took a sip to taste it, and added a little more if he felt it wasn't enough. He tasted it again, and after repeating this several times, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Here, have a taste!" He scooped up a small spoonful of fish soup and handed it to the cook who had spoken.

Xu Qi'an's earlier tasting gave him courage. The cook hesitated for a moment, then took the spoon and took a sip. In an instant, his eyes widened.

The savory fish soup soaked into my taste buds, and with a "glug," my Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably as it rushed into my stomach.

The lingering fragrance remains on the lips and teeth.

"It's so delicious!" the cook exclaimed excitedly. "Sir, what's this secret recipe? What an amazing recipe! Please, sir, teach me!"

Xu Qi'an: "Hehe."

Governor Zhang sat on the couch, rubbing his forehead, enduring the rocking of the ship during the voyage. After taking the pills given to him by the white-robed Warlock, he felt much better.

A servant brought over hot tea and said, "Master, once we pass the capital, the wind on the river will subside, and your headache will subside."

Governor Zhang nodded, picked up the teacup, and took a sip.

"It's time for lunch. I'll go get it for you," the attendant said.

"No need," Governor Zhang waved his hand, pinching his brow. "I'm dizzy and have no appetite."

He had barely finished speaking when his nostrils twitched, "What's that smell?"

The river breeze, carrying a fresh aroma, wafted in through the open window, whetting Governor Zhang's appetite and causing his mouth to water.

"Gulp." The attendant swallowed hard, his gaze frequently drifting towards the outside, his mind elsewhere.

Governor Zhang pondered for a moment, "Very well, even if I have no appetite, I can't fight my body. Just get me some food. Hmm, although the fish soup is unbearably fishy, I can't stand it. I have to share the hardships with my soldiers."

The attendant responded cheerfully and trotted out of the room, thinking to himself, "My lord is indeed a scholar; even his shameless words sound so pleasant."

Xu Qi'an and his colleagues sat in the spacious hall, eating and chatting.

"This fish soup is absolutely amazing! I've never had such a flavorful soup in my life."

"Yes, even the slight fishy smell smells good."

"If I could drink fish soup like this every day, I'd be happy to stay on a boat for the rest of my life."

The Nightwatchers ate with great relish, sweating profusely as they savored the delightfully delicious fish soup.

Jiang Luzhong occupied a table alone, his eyes closed, savoring the unforgettable freshness on his tongue. He called over the cook and asked curiously, "This fish soup has an extraordinary flavor; I've never tasted anything like it before. How did you make it?"

There must be a secret recipe, Jiang Lu thought.

He wasn't after someone else's secret recipe; he was simply curious and wanted to know how this amazing fish soup was made.

The cook immediately looked at Xu Qi'an: "It's that lord's secret recipe, it has nothing to do with me."

All the night Nightwatchers immediately looked over.

"Why are you looking at me like that? This is a secret recipe from the Bureau of Astronomy; I don't even have much of it myself," Xu Qi'an said immediately.

He knew that these shameless Nightwatchers, especially Jiang Luzhong, would definitely find ways to ask him for money.

Everyone immediately turned to look at the three white-robed Warlock in the corner. The younger one said, "What are you looking at us for? The secret recipe of the Bureau of Astronomy was taught to us by Young Warlock Xu."

"Damn it, these Warlock are just arguing for the sake of arguing, aren't they?" Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

At that moment, a group of armored guards entered through the cabin door. They smelled the enticing aroma of the fish soup while silently receiving their simple meals.

This trip to Yunzhou was led by twenty bronze gong bearers, six silver gong bearers, one gold gong bearer, three of Governor Zhang's personal attendants, and one hundred Tiger Guards.

Including Governor Zhang, the total number is one hundred and thirty-one.

These elite guards lived in cramped and dark cabins, and their food was not Nightwatchers; naturally, they didn't get any fish soup.

The lean men twitched their nostrils silently, swallowed hard, and looked longingly at the fish soup.

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment, then called the cook, "Are there any fish left on the boat? If not, go net some more and cook a pot of fish soup for the soldiers as well, making sure everyone gets some."

As he spoke, he handed the porcelain bottle to the cook. "Ask me for more if you need more."

The Tiger Guards' eyes lit up instantly, and they unconsciously straightened their backs, saying in unison, "Thank you, sir."

I'm always too soft-hearted, too soft-hearted, and I shoulder all the problems myself. Xu Qi'an nodded. "My surname is Xu."

"Thank you, Lord Xu."

At this moment, Governor Zhang's attendant walked in and said loudly, "Is there any fish soup left? My master would like some more."

Everyone burst into laughter, and the cabin was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

The capital city, before dusk.

Xu Xinnian returned to the capital, intending to go home to retrieve some clean clothes, rice, flour, and silver.

Students at the Cloud Deer Academy are required to pay a tuition fee every three months. They must also bring their own rice and flour, as the academy provides accommodation but not meals.

Therefore, Xu Erlang would regularly go home to bring back dirty clothes that he hadn't had time to wash and give them to the servants, along with enough money and provisions for three months.

"Sigh"

He reined in his horse Xu Residence and was surprised to find the gate locked.

This is no small matter. Even if the master of the house is not home and refuses visitors, the door is locked from the inside. A lock on the outside usually means that no one is home.

Xu Erlang's heart sank; he had a bad feeling.

He dismounted, walked to the wall, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly, "Wall-climbing!"

After finishing reading, he silently took a few steps back, feeling a surge of power fill his limbs. With the help of a sprint, he leaped over the three-meter-high wall and landed steadily.

The mansion was quiet; there wasn't a single person in sight.

Xu Xinnian walked from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard, pushing open each door—his sister's, his parents', and the servants'—but they were all empty.

Most importantly, everything in the house had been moved out, leaving only empty beds in the rooms, without blankets.

Where is my home? My big home. Oh, it's still here, but where are my family members? Xu Erlang stood blankly in the courtyard, contemplating life.

"The door was just locked, not sealed, which means my brother didn't commit another crime and the house wasn't emptied. But the floor was spotless and clean, which means it wasn't looted."

With the wisdom of a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, Xu Erlang deduced the result: they had moved.

Why was I notified of the move? Have they forgotten that Cloud Deer Academy still has a Erlang? Xu Xinnian was so angry that he wanted to curse.

Oh no! Immediately afterward, his expression changed, and he quickly gave himself a buff, climbed over the wall, mounted his horse, and planned to leave the capital before the city gates closed.

At that moment, the faint sound of drums could be heard in the distance; these were the drums beating before the city gates closed.

New house.

Second Uncle Xu has to work the night shift today, so he has to go out right after dinner.

The aunt looked at her husband and asked doubtfully, "Logically speaking, Erlang should be back by now. He didn't bring much money or provisions last time."

A mother naturally cares about her son and is always calculating when he will return home.

"Probably in the next few days," Second Uncle Xu said casually.

"Dalang, did you write him a letter?" Auntie asked.

"Have no idea."

"I don't know what that means?" Auntie raised her eyebrows.

"I didn't ask," Second Uncle Xu replied, finishing the last bite of his meal, hanging his sword on his back waist, and putting on his helmet.

"I'm going out. Watch Lingyin tonight and make sure she doesn't go to the well again. Also, don't be so paranoid; the house isn't haunted."

After saying that, Second Uncle Xu went out.

That evening, he led a squad of Imperial Saber Guard on patrol in the outer city. When they passed by his ancestral home, he saw a figure squatting at the gate, hugging his knees, burying his face in his arms, shivering in the cold wind.

There was also a horse nearby, listlessly snorting and pawing at the ground.

There was no curfew in the outer city, and the people could travel freely. However, the Imperial Saber Guard had the right to conduct random checks and questioning. When the Second Uncle saw someone squatting at his door, he immediately led his men to greet them.

Just as he was about to question him, the torchlight illuminated the man's scholar's robe, and he suddenly realized that the man looked familiar.

Second Uncle Xu was taken aback, thinking to himself, "No way."

"Erlang?" he asked uncertainly.

The scholar in the Confucian robe slowly raised his head. He was handsome beyond compare, but looked haggard. It was Xu Erlang.

The father and son stared at each other in silence for a long time. Second Uncle Xu felt a chill run down his spine. "Why don't we go to the inn?"

That damned Xu Ningyan actually didn't write a letter to his brother.

"We're out of money."

Why not stay at the manor to rest?

The horses will be stolen.

Why not go back to the academy?

"The city gates are closed."

"We've moved to the inner city, I forgot to tell you. Oh, there's a curfew in the inner city, let me take you to the inn."

Xu Erlang slowly turned his face away, his voice hollow. "My lord, I have no family."

Second Uncle Xu: "."

At night, the lonely moon hangs high in the sky.

The official ship had limited rooms, Xu Qi'an, a mere copper gong, did not have the privilege of a private room. He shared a room with Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao.

It's one of those row beds.

He turned his head to look to his left, where Song Tingfeng was facing him. He looked to his right, where Zhu Guangxiao was facing him.

Xu Qi'an suddenly remembered a joke: If you were sleeping between a man and a woman, would you face the man or the woman with your buttocks facing towards them?

If your buttocks face a woman, you'll be mistaken for being gay; if they face a man, you risk being assaulted. In my situation, I choose to sleep lying down. Xu Qi'an thought to himself, when there was a knock on the door.

A voice came from outside the door from Governor Zhang's attendant. "Lord Xu, my master requests your presence."

P. S.: I don't have any drafts saved up. If I get writer's block, it will delay the update time.