"Let me read the poems and articles you wrote? Xiao Yi, you really think highly of me!"

Zhang Tiezui obviously misunderstood Ning Fu and thought he was writing some poems for his appreciation.

Although Zhang Tiezui has read a few books, there is still a big gap between him and people like Ning Fu who have been reading since childhood.

"Uncle Zhang, you misunderstood. What I wrote was not poetry, but a storybook!"

Ning Fu corrected with a smile.

"Script?"

Zhang Tiezui was stunned for a moment, then he took the script from Ning Fu and read it carefully.

"The Legend of Di Renjie's Case-solving!"

Zhang Tiezui was also a little surprised when he saw the title.

As a person who is proficient in Tang legends, he certainly knew who Di Renjie was, so he read on with great interest.

Public case novels are originally a major category of storytelling, and Zhang Tiezui has mentioned some of them before.

However, the public case novels of this era were relatively scattered, and there were no fixed protagonists and supporting characters. They were usually officials who investigated the cases and came up with the truth. They were very straightforward.

But this book written by Ning Fu is different. The novel begins with Di Renjie staying overnight in a mountain temple when he went to Bingzhou to take office. Due to a snowstorm, everyone was trapped in the temple.

And in this closed environment, people died one after another, and the murderer was hidden among the crowd.

As an official, Di Renjie conducted limited searches and reasoning under such circumstances, and finally caught the real murderer.

The above is actually the Blizzard Villa model that was used badly in later detective novels.

But in the era of the Song Dynasty, it was very novel.

At least Zhang Tiezui looked at the case with astonishment, his face alternately happy and angry, completely immersed in the case.

Ning Fu did not write many words. Due to limited time, he only wrote less than 2,000 words, and the case was halfway through.

Zhang Tiezui finished reading it quickly, and then asked Ning Fu: "What about the back, who is the real murderer?"

"I haven't written anything yet, Uncle Zhang, what do you think of this case?"

Ning Fu asked with a smile.

"Okay! Great! After so many years of lecturing, this is the first time I have encountered such a wonderful storybook!"

Zhang Tiezui excitedly photographed the case again, and then asked Ning Fu again: "Xiao Yi, is this really what you wrote?"

"Uncle Zhang, there is no need to doubt this. However, my writing is rough and some details are not perfect. I should have no problem with my words, right?" Ning Fu asked again.

Two thousand words is not much, and what Ning Fu wrote can only be regarded as a relatively detailed outline.

If you want to use it as a storybook, it requires a high level of skill as a storyteller.

"No problem, my reputation back then was not for nothing!"

Zhang Tiezui was full of confidence.

Storytellers also need to study hard and practice hard. A good storyteller is very good at talking.

For example, some details need to be perfected by the storyteller himself. Even for one sentence in the storybook, the storyteller may have to expand a large plot.

"I believe Uncle Zhang, how about we talk about this in Dongxian Tower at night?"

Ning Fu proposed again.

He owed Wang Gui a favor, so he happened to pay it back with the help of Zhang Tiezui. After all, Zhang Tiezui had negotiated this passage and it would also help Dongxian Tower attract customers.

"tonight!"

Zhang Tiezui hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then nodded heavily and said: "Okay, I'll think about it carefully today and start the lecture in the evening, so as not to let the people in Dongxian Tower look down on us!"

"That's great. I have to go to Dongxian Tower to do some work in the evening. Then I'll be down there to cheer you on, Uncle Zhang!"

Ning Fu laughed loudly after hearing this, and immediately stood up to leave. He wanted to think about his words, so he didn't stay.

…

In the evening, Ning Fu went out again. Originally, he wanted to invite Hu Tou to join him.

But Hutou was worried about the family's money and refused to leave no matter what, so Ning Fu had no choice but to let him go.

There seem to be more guests in Dongxian Building today, and most of the tables on the first floor are occupied.

The blind man from yesterday was still playing and singing on the stage, so it probably wasn't Zhang Tiezui's turn to come on stage yet.

"The young man is here, please take a seat, Master Wu and the others have been ready for a long time!"

Wang Gui once again welcomed him out enthusiastically, holding a beautiful white cat in his arms.

This cat has long hair all over its body, like a fluffy white cloud, which is very different from the native civet cat in the Central Plains.

"Hey, this should be a long-haired cat from the Western Regions, right?"

Ning Fu was also a little surprised when he saw the cat in Wang Gui's arms. This kind of long-haired cat is only found in Central Asia, and the Persian cats in later generations are descendants of this kind of cat.

When Wang Gui heard this, he was also very surprised and said: "Young Master, you are so knowledgeable. I know so many people, and there are very few people who can tell the origin of my Jade Buddha like you!"

"Jade Buddha? This name is really unique!" Ning Fu smiled again.

"Young gentleman, please sit down quickly. I spent hundreds of dollars to buy my jade Buddha from a businessman from the Western Regions. I can't find another one in the entire capital!"

Wang Gui very enthusiastically took Ning Fu to the back kitchen and sat down. He held the cat in his arms to Ning Fu like a treasure to look at.

Ning Fu looked at the white cat carefully, then nodded and said: "This cat has pure white fur, a well-proportioned frame, and very bright eyes. It is indeed a good cat, but it's a pity..."

"What's a pity?" Wang Gui asked nervously.

"It's a pity that the cat's eyes are green. If they were blue, they would be even rarer!" Ning Fu replied with a smile.

"Yes, yes, the cat seller Hu Shang also said that blue-eyed cats are even rarer, and one would sell for thousands of coins. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any."

Wang Gui was even more excited. It was the first time he met someone who knew cats as well as Ning Fu. For a moment, he felt like he had met someone so late.

"You don't want blue-eyed cats, because although this kind of cat is rare, it is often accompanied by ear problems. But if you cross this kind of blue-eyed cat with a green-eyed cat, you may give birth to a cat with different eyes, one blue and one green.

This kind of cat is even rarer!”

Different pupils often appear in Persian cats of later generations, but Persian cats were only bred in the 19th century.

Although there were no Persian cats in this era, there were occasionally some cats with different pupils, but they were extremely rare.

"There are actually cats with different eyes. I thought it was just a legend!"

Wang Gui once again showed a shocked expression after hearing this.

Ning Fu not only knew about cats with different eyes, but also knew about the breeding of cats with different eyes, and even talked about it openly, which was really beyond his expectation.

At this moment, Master Wu personally brought two bowls of braised noodles.

One is the ordinary mutton braised noodles, and the other is the more luxurious three-fresh noodles braised with squid and sea cucumber added. Not only is the recipe complicated, but the taste is also better.

"Young gentleman, please taste it!"

At this time, Master Wu, who was also a little nervous, replied to Ning that he and several apprentices had been busy all day yesterday just to practice making noodles.

Ning Fu was not polite. He picked up his chopsticks and tasted the ordinary braised noodles first, then nodded in judgment.

“The soup is thick and delicious, especially the noodles are very chewy. Master Wu is indeed a chef of Bai An!”

Hearing Ning Fu's compliment, Master Wu breathed a sigh of relief and immediately invited Ning Fu to taste the three delicacies braised noodles.

This braised noodle dish requires more effort and the taste is more difficult to master.

Ning Fu picked up a piece of squid, which was called soft fish in this era and was recorded in Tokyo Menghualu.

The same goes for sea cucumbers, which are sold as dried goods.

Ning Fu tasted the squid, but frowned slightly.

Because he found that the texture of squid is slightly hard, and people with poor teeth may not be able to chew it easily.

"Master Wu, how do you soak this squid?"

Ning Fu raised his head and asked, squid is dry food and needs to be soaked before eating.

"Isn't soaking hair just soaking in water?" Master Wu was stunned for a moment before saying.

"No wonder."

Ning Fu smiled slightly: "The squid soaked in water tastes a little harder, and people with bad teeth cannot eat it, so it is best to soak it in alkaline water."

"Does sea cucumber also need to be soaked in alkaline water?"

Master Wu was surprised when he heard this tip. Alkali is often used when making pasta. This was the first time he heard that squid can be soaked in alkali.

"No, sea cucumbers can be soaked in cold water. Squid needs to be soaked in cold water for about six hours, and then soaked in alkaline water for about two hours. This will make the squid more crispy and tender."

Ning Fu introduced the process of soaking hair to Master Wu.

It’s like Master Wu has found a treasure. Most of these tips for handling ingredients are the chef’s secrets.

Although it is very simple to put it bluntly, if no one tells you, you may never think of it in your life.

After Ning Fu finished speaking, he tasted the sea cucumber and mutton in the braised noodles.
To be continued...