Chapter 00251: Fu Ling Cake
# Fu Ling Cake
Chapter 251
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 251: Fu Ling Cake
The dish known as "Man Tang Hong" contained lake shrimp, beef soup, fish slices, and the local specialty known as jumping mushrooms, along with various vegetables.
This dish received unanimous praise from everyone at the banquet, and Li Fubo expressed that he would come often.
Although this master artisan wasn’t very fond of spicy food and needed to drink several cups of wine to ease the fire after eating just a couple of bites, he truly couldn’t resist the spiciness, dabbing at his nose with a soft cloth multiple times.
Madam Ying tugged at He Lingchuan and whispered, “It’s delicious, but it’s making the guests lose their composure.” Every guest eating this dish had flushed faces and runny noses.
What kind of high-end gathering was this? It would be fine for family meals, but for guests, it was somewhat…
He Lingchuan nodded repeatedly, “Mother is right!”
He also spotted spicy oil stir-fried snails at other tables, which indicated that new dishes were very popular among diners.
The newly reopened city had only been open for three days, and He Su Tower was already packed with customers.
He could almost hear the clinking sound of silver coins being collected.
Since the army sent by He Chunhua had achieved initial victory, about eighty to ninety percent of the civilians who fled from Dunyu City had returned.
However, the original order had been nearly shattered.
Many houses, shops, fields, and businesses had changed hands, and while some goods saw a crash in prices, others surged.
It would take time for this chaos to settle down.
This situation had also brought significant harm to Dunyu City.
The incidents of theft, looting, quarrels, and fights had become frequent.
The provincial government was prepared for this, with He Chunhua issuing order after order aimed at calming disputes.
As long as the people were still around and had confidence in the newly appointed steward, the wounds would eventually heal.
This was something everyone understood.
He set down the scrolls, rubbed his sore eyes, and stretched lazily, every joint cracking with the motion.
He was able to study so diligently only in his dreams.
Yes, he was currently in the Dreamland of Longpan City’s Wenxuan Pavilion, which was the largest library in the area.
Over the past five days, he had perused over a hundred volumes.
Indeed, five days had passed.
In the past, his dreams would only last a day or two before he returned to reality.
But He Lingchuan discovered that this time was different; the dream world had cycled through day and night five times, yet he was still here.
He thought he might wake up during short naps, but each time he opened his eyes, he was still facing the bookshelves of Wenxuan Pavilion.
To have to read even in dreams was too exhausting!
However, complaints aside, He Lingchuan turned to the next book.
His consciousness read faster than in reality, scanning each page in just a second or two.
Additionally, the books were thin, with few hefty tomes.
These past few days, Longpan City seemed quite peaceful.
The demonic tide brought by the last imperial outpour had mostly receded.
Newly emerged demons were either clever enough to recognize who truly held power over the Chipa Plateau or were subdued by the patrolling guards of Longpan City.
Such operations occurred every few years, and everyone was familiar with the routine.
Incidents of villagers being attacked and fields being ruined had virtually vanished, and the Chipa Plateau had returned to tranquility.
In this context, He Lingchuan faced significantly less work as a guard, often not having to be deployed for several days.
The skinny guy grumbled about it incessantly.
Over these days, aside from restocking necessities, shopping for food, and practicing combat at the Martial Arts Hall, He Lingchuan sought to recharge at the library.
Fighting too frequently could lead to fatigue, and Meng Shan was still recovering and hadn’t returned to action, so He Lingchuan planned to change up his experiences.
The Wenxuan Pavilion was bustling with people, all eager for knowledge.
Frequently, someone could be found huddled in the corners, quietly debating various topics.
He heard that some scholars and cultivators would randomly hold lectures at the Wenxuan Pavilion.
However, He Lingchuan felt a bit disappointed; the collection of books there did not seem to be as vast as he had imagined.
This was a tall tower divided into six levels.
Except for the top level, which held ancient texts and certain secret materials, the other five floors were open to the public.
But there was one thing:
Books were not to be borrowed unless one obtained a special order.
Each level’s bookshelves reached from floor to ceiling.
To reach the books higher up, one had to climb a ladder.
Yet, there was still half of the shelves empty.
He Lingchuan soon noticed that travelogues, encyclopedias, and miscellaneous works were quite scarce, with the few available volumes being worn and tattered.
The most abundant texts were on government records and military affairs, documenting the politics, economy, and key figures of surrounding nations, along with analyses of famous battles throughout history, rich and varied, leaving one dazzled.
The types of military texts he had read the most these days were immensely beneficial.
Additionally, there were various mythologies and strange tales from ancient times—profound and bizarre, many of which he found astonishing upon reading.
However, He Lingchuan vaguely felt that certain contents he wished to read seemed absent from the Wenxuan Pavilion.
For instance, writings on divination and fortune-telling.
To be honest, he had collected some in the real world, but after reading them multiple times, they either left him feeling overwhelmed or just missed the mark.
Perhaps he simply wasn’t suited for this kind of study.
But in the Wenxuan Pavilion of Longpan City, such texts weren’t available at all.
Eventually, he perused through the catalog until his eyes were blurry.
Was it his unfamiliarity with the place, making it hard for him to search, or were the books he sought locked away on the top floor?
He gathered the books he had read, ready to return them.
Just then, a familiar figure flashed by in front of him.
Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes and looked again.
No, it was true.
He Lingchuan hastily moved forward, but his sudden actions jolted a gray-haired old man managing the bookshelves, who shushed him sharply.
Reaching the figure’s back, he coughed lightly, "Sun... Miss?"
The person did not respond.
He Lingchuan had to raise his voice, "Sun Fu Ling!"
Only then did the girl turn around.
Her snow-white skin and red lips were striking, with apricot-shaped eyes gleaming.
She lightly gasped, seemingly surprised, "What are you doing here?"
"Just here to read."
He Lingchuan raised the book in his hand, "It’s been several days since I last saw you."
In the past five days, he had occasionally returned home, but Sun Fu Ling’s courtyard felt even more desolate than his.
“The Shumin Academy organized a year-end exam, and I was one of the question writers, so I haven’t been able to step outside the academy these past few days,” she explained, to prevent any questions from leaking.
"And now?"
“I finished the exam today and plan to head back.” Sun Fu Ling exhaled, “The kids have thirteen days of winter break, so I can rest too.”
"You've worked hard. Is it paid leave?"
“No, we don’t get paid during breaks.” Sun Fu Ling chuckled, “But the academy distributed some rice, oil, and three pounds of mutton to us.”
Isn’t that more practical than just money? It truly was a winter break to be envious of. “Do you have to cook something special for the kids during the break?”
"What special cooking?" Sun Fu Ling blinked, not understanding the new phrase, “I can’t cook.”
“…” Since arriving in this world, it was the first time He Lingchuan had heard a girl so assertively say she couldn’t cook.
“I meant, will you give some particular students extra lessons?”
Sun Fu Ling shook her head, “The academy doesn’t allow that. If they find out, we’d be heavily penalized.”
“Why?”
“They fear we would conceal knowledge during class and only teach the important points during extra lessons, which would be unfair to other students.”
He Lingchuan first went to return the books.
Once they stepped out of the Wenxuan Pavilion, he realized Sun Fu Ling had two books tucked under her arm.
“You can borrow books?”
“Of course.” Sun Fu Ling brushed back a strand of hair, “I’m a teacher at Shumin Academy.”
She had privileges!
Today was bright and sunny, and the snow on the steps was thick, crunching underfoot.
Outside the Wenxuan Pavilion, two rows of linked corridors lined the street, with the ground smoothed by water-polished bricks.
In the frigid weather of minus seven or eight degrees, the vendors were reluctant to stand outside, yet the shops were mostly open, with people outside calling out for customers.
He Lingchuan caught a whiff of the fragrant rice cakes wafting from a shop ahead, and his taste buds instinctively stirred.
Over the past few days, he had mainly eaten pancakes filled with green onions and eggs, suitable hot or cold, but having too much of them became tiresome.
He asked Sun Fu Ling, “Are you hungry?”
Sun Fu Ling exhaled a puff of white mist, “I am. I’ve been eating at the Shumin Academy these past few days, and the menu hasn’t varied much. I’m already tired of it. Hmm, what should we buy?”
“Just this shop?” The aroma of rice cake was just too enticing.
When it’s especially cold, he craved plenty of carbohydrates.
Once they walked in, they found the shop quite small, but the steam billowed inside, making it particularly warm.
This was a bun shop—steamed buns, twisty rolls, flatbread, and all sorts of dumplings awaited in the steamer.
However, none of these were the source of the aroma He Lingchuan had detected.
He sniffed deeply and approached a round-steamed rack.
Lifting the lid revealed square, white rice cakes within, so clean they looked like freshly fallen snow, only piping hot and fragrant.
“I’ll take this.” After getting Sun Fu Ling’s agreement, He Lingchuan handed over some copper coins.
“Alright, alright, you want Fu Ling Cake?” The matron at the bun shop had a round face that resembled a white steamed bun.
“Uh…” Was it Sun Fu Ling’s namesake?
Sun Fu Ling nodded eagerly, “Yes, cut it into large chunks, a bit bigger, and chop the dates into it too.”
So the two of them stepped outside the shop clutching a square-shaped Fu Ling Cake.
In the freezing weather that turned breaths to ice, the cake warmed their palms.
He Lingchuan enjoyed it immensely.
The cake was soft, fluffy, and warm, with not just the unique fragrance of the fu ling but also a sweet aftertaste of the starch as he chewed.
The shopkeeper had even added some longan flesh inside.
Most importantly, it was very filling!
Looking at Sun Fu Ling, she clasped the cake in her hands, nibbling eagerly in small bites, reminiscent of a squirrel gnawing on nuts.
Observing how she ate made it clear that the treat was truly delightful.
He and Sun Fu Ling walked side by side through the bustling crowd, and for the first time, He Lingchuan felt a sense of laziness in Longpan City, experiencing the small joys of ordinary life.
This city and these people were, in fact, full of the aroma of life.
He couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.
Sun Fu Ling turned her head to ask, “What’s wrong?”
“Have you been to the sixth floor of the Wenxuan Pavilion?”
Her voice was flat, “I’ve been up there with others to move some materials.”
“Are there many secrets?”
“Of course. Perhaps the officials deem certain secrets unsuitable for the common folk, or they fear enemies would steal intelligence, which is why they keep them under wraps,” Sun Fu Ling smiled. “Otherwise, why lock that floor and have someone guarding it?”
“Hmm, why do you ask this?”
(End of Chapter)