Chapter 346: Repaying a Favor in My Masters Place
Hu Yun hadn’t been to Ju’an Pavilion for a long time. After wandering around for a while, he heard Lu Shan Jun’s words and jumped onto the stone table.
“Is this place bad? I think Ju’an Pavilion is great, the scenery is beautiful and it’s quiet.”
Lu Shanjun looked at Hu Yun and nodded.
“The fact that you can think this way shows that you have indeed made good progress.”
As he spoke, Lu Shanjun walked to the stone table and looked up at the canopy of the jujube tree in the courtyard.
This season should be the time for the jujube flowers to be in full bloom, but although the jujube tree in the yard was lush and green, it had not yet blossomed.
Hidden deep within the lush foliage were fiery red jujubes. However, this jujube tree, which Hu Yun usually described as extremely mystical, appeared today as just an ordinary tree, showing no supernatural features aside from its branches swaying in the breeze.
Lu Shan Jun pondered for a moment, then stood up straight, cupped his hands together in greeting, and bowed deeply to the trunk of the jujube tree.
“I am Lu Shan Jun. Under Sir’s guidance, I have been cultivating in Niu Kui Mountain. Today, I have achieved my goal and have come to pay my respects at Ju’an Pavilion.”
Lu Shanjun always remembered his master’s words that he was not allowed to reveal their master-disciple relationship to outsiders, so even here, he referred to him as “Sir.” The red fox also realized what was happening and pointed at Lu Shan Jun.
“This is Lu Shan Jun, the big tiger from Niu Kui Mountain.”
Ji Yuan had often mentioned Lu Shan Jun, so the jujube tree had heard of him, but had never seen him. Now, hearing the other party introduce themselves, its guard relaxed a little.
“Shh…shh…”
The branches swayed. A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard, and a faint spiritual energy swirled around.
At this moment, Hu Yun stared intently at the canopy of the jujube tree, as if anticipating something.
Sure enough, not long after, a red light flashed in one of the deeper green spots on the jujube tree’s branches, and the next moment, a large red jujube fell from the tree.
Lu Shanjun instinctively reached out and caught the jujube.
The jujube was about half the size of a fist. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, like jade. Its skin was a fiery red, and there is even a subtle sheen flowing across its surface, accompanied by a heat and faint glow. A delicate, refreshing fragrance permeated the air.
‘These must be the fire jujubes Hu Yun mentioned; they are indeed extraordinary.’
Lu Shanjun observed it carefully for a while before bowing and expressing his gratitude once again.
“Thank you for the jujube.”
Lu Shanjun took the jujube, opened his mouth, and inhaled a puff of air, before putting it in his mouth. However, he didn’t swallow it whole; instead, he stored it away.1
He then flicked his sleeve, brushing off one of the stone benches, and sat down at the stone table. He closed his eyes, and savored the tranquility of Ju’an Pavilion for a while.
He sat there for the entire day, only standing up again as the sun set.
Meanwhile, Hu Yun had already fallen asleep on the stone table. He used to sleep here often, and even in the years since Ji Yuan left, he would occasionally come here to sleep.
Because whenever he felt agitated, it was always easier to calm down under the jujube tree.
Lu Shan Jun did not wake Hu Yun. It wasn’t suitable to bring the red fox along to the things he was going to do. Although the fox had become more and more diligent in his cultivation over the years, in Lu Shan Jun’s opinion, it was not enough. He needed some stimulation to motivate him further, and loneliness was such stimulus.
“Shhhh… shhhh…”
A gentle breeze rustled the tree branches.
“Shh…shh…”
The branches of the jujube tree swayed gently. Although Lu Shan Jun had only sat with his eyes closed all day, his tranquil aura had already won the jujube tree’s approval to some extent.
Lu Shan Jun didn’t say much. He simply bowed slightly to the jujube tree again, then leaped lightly out of Ju’an Pavilion and back outside. After bowing deeply to the courtyard, he turned and strode away.
Although he was not skilled in divination, at this moment, Lu Shan Jun had a vague sense in his heart for the nine people who made the pact with him back then. Although it was not always absolutely accurate, it could at least give him their general direction and area.
As Lu Shan Jun walked out of Tian Niu Lane, the stall owner of Sun’s Noodle Stand, who looked to be in his fifties, seemed to be preparing to close up shop. Seeing Lu Shan Jun emerge from the street, he couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times. He recalled that he had seen this person that morning.
“Stall owner, are you packing up to leave?”
Lu Shan Jun stopped and asked. He realized that since he had transformed into human form, he had never tasted any real food, especially crafted dishes made from wheat like noodles. Since he would have to try it sooner or later, he might as well do it outside his master’s house.2
Hearing the refined blue-robed gentleman’s question, Sun Fu snapped out of his reverie and answered with a smile.
“Yes, the sun has set, and my family is waiting for me. I am getting ready to go home, but if you’d like some noodles, I can make you a bowl. I still have plenty of ingredients.”
Lu Shan Jun nodded, took a few steps closer, and chose a seat.
“What kinds of noodles do you have?”
Sun Fu came over and helped wipe down the table.
“Sir, you’re not from Tian Niu Lane, are you? My Sun’s Noodle Stall has been around for generations, and we’ve always sold braised noodles. Our offal soup is also exceptional; everyone who’s tried it raves about it! As for me, I inherited my father’s recipe, and the taste is just as good!”
“Haha, alright, then one bowl of braised noodles and a bowl of offal soup please.”
Lu Shan Jun smiled and ordered.
Sun Fu scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said…
“Uh, sorry sir, we still have braised noodles, but the offal soup, uh… is all gone.”
“It’s all gone?”
Lu Shan Jun frowned. As a tiger who had attained enlightenment in the mountains, his sense of smell was naturally excellent. He could clearly smell that there were still some braised mutton offal left, which should be the ingredients for the offal soup.
Whether Lu Shan Jun ate the offal soup or not was actually irrelevant; he figured there might be another reason, so he didn’t delve into it further.
“Then a bowl of braised noodles will do.”
“Okay, I’ll make it for you right away!”
Before long, a steaming bowl of braised noodles was placed in front of Lu Shanjun. However, Lu Shanjun had never used chopsticks before, and when he took the chopsticks from the chopstick holder, he was not quite sure how to use them.
Sun Fu found it strange and came over to ask.
“Sir, is there something wrong with these chopsticks?”
“I can’t pick them up!”
Lu Shan Jun said truthfully.
“Huh? Let me see!”
Sun Fu took the chopsticks from Lu Shan Jun, held them in his hand and tested them. He picked up a chopstick from the chopstick holder and put it down, then picked up another and spun it around. The chopsticks were straight and not bent at all.
“It’s fine, there’s no problem.”
Lu Shan Jun smiled, picked up the chopsticks again, and tried to pick up the food a few times. This time, he used them very skillfully. It was impossible to tell that he had only just learned how.
“Indeed, there is definitely no problem.”
Sun Fu was a little puzzled, but he still said “Please enjoy your meal, sir” and went back to pack up his stall.
After extinguishing the stove fire, wiping the countertop, and tidying up the dishes, Sun Fu glanced at the remaining ingredients in the kitchen cart and cabinet, and sighed as he looked at the scholar who was engrossed in eating noodles.
“Sir, I actually have a serving of mutton offal here. If you’d like some, I’ll sell it to you.”
Lu Shan Jun confirmed that he hadn’t been wrong before. He chewed and swallowed the noodles in his mouth, then looked at Sun Fu and asked.
“If that’s the case, why didn’t you sell it earlier?”
“Ah…”
Sun Fu sighed, wondering why he had such a strong urge to confide in someone today.
“It’s a long story, but if you don’t mind, sir, I’ll tell you.”
Seeing Lu Shan Jun nod, Sun Fu sat down at the same table next to Lu Shan Jun and continued.
“Actually, back then, there lived a remarkable man on Tian Niu Lane, whom everyone respectfully called ‘Master Ji’…”
Lu Shan Jun’s heart skipped a beat. It turns out this was related to his master!
“Many people had only heard that Mr. Ji was an extraordinary person, but it was just something for them to chat about over tea. However, my father firmly believed in Mr. Ji’s extraordinary abilities, so he treated Mr. Ji with great courtesy every time he came to the noodle stall. His kindness was naturally rewarded. One year, when Mr. Ji left his hometown, he asked Star Scholar Yin to send my father some fresh jujubes. By the way, you look like a scholar, sir. You know Star Scholar Yin, right?”
“Of course I know him. Star Scholar Yin is a literary giant of our Dazhen, the three-time top scholar in the imperial examinations, a literary star descended to earth!”
Hu Yun had talked a lot about the Yin family, so Lu Shan Jun was naturally aware of him.
“Yes, yes, yes, it’s that Star Scholar Yin! I ate the jujubes he brought that year. They were really sweet and delicious, and they were really good for my health. They made me feel energetic. Since then, my family has rarely even caught a cold. My dad often says it’s all thanks to those jujubes.
“In short, my dad always told us that Mr. Ji was no ordinary man. He loved our family’s braised noodles and offal soup in particular, so no matter how good business was, our Sun’s Noodle Stand would always leave at least one bowl of noodles and one serving of offal soup in case Mr. Ji suddenly came to eat. If he didn’t come, we’d just have an extra serving and could eat it whenever we got home…”
Sun Fu glanced in the direction of Tian Niu Lane.
“Ah, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye!”
Lu Shan Jun frowned.
“Then why did you sell me?”
Sun Fu shook his head.
“Mr. Ji hasn’t eaten noodles here for many years, and my father has been gone for two years. I feel that there’s not much point in sticking to this tradition anymore…”
Before Sun Fu could finish speaking, he saw the customer who had been eating noodles raised his hand to stop him. The other man had already finished eating his noodles sometime earlier.
“Shopkeeper, since this is a rule left by your father, I think it’s better to stick to it. I won’t eat the offal anymore. How much was this braised noodle soup?”
Sun Fu smiled but did not offer any opinion.
“Three coins.”
Lu Shan Jun felt around in his chest, pulled out three stacked copper coins, and placed them on the table. Then he stood up and solemnly bowed to the stall owner.
“I will leave the money here. The braised noodles tasted great. I used to only eat meat, but this is the first time in my life I’ve ever eaten noodles. It’s very good!”
He only ate meat? He must have been from a wealthy family. Sun Fu quickly returned the bow and put away the coins and bowls after the other party left.
That evening, as Sun Fu pushed his stall cart home and tallied his earnings for the day, he found a dented gold nugget in the stall’s money box. It was heavy and about the size of two fingers held together.
T/n: as much as I love scenes with JY, I also love these quieter scenes where you get to see his impact on the world, even if it’s in subtle ways. It’s part of what makes this story special for me
- Remember LSH has a dimensional storage in his stomach
- T/n: Sun’s Noodle Stand is going to become a popular hotspot for the most powerful figures in the entire world and literally no one will know XD