Lost and Spy

Chapter 8 Chef Tian Qi
Wuxi, in the south of Jiangsu, used to be called "Youxi".

In its territory, there is a tin mountain, rich in lead and tin.

Legend has it that when Wang Jian attacked Chu and passed by Wuxi, he got a stone tablet with twelve characters written on it:

"If there are tin soldiers, the world will fight; Wuxi Ning, the world will be clean!"

So far, Wang Jian changed "Youxi" to "Wuxi".

Nothing but legend.

Wuxi is a land of fish and rice, with beautiful mountains and rivers.

The most famous is a peninsula located in the northwest of Taihu Lake in Wuxi. It is named "Yuantouzhu" because the boulder protrudes into the lake and looks like a tortoise holding its head up.

The rest, such as Meiyuan, Jichangyuan, and Liyuan, have countless beautiful scenery.

"480 temples in the Southern Dynasties, how many towers are in the mist and rain".

There are not a few people who know these two poems, but a few people know that Nanchan Temple in Wuxi is the largest of the 480 temples.

In the past, Emperor Yang of Sui dug the Grand Canal, and Wuxi was suitable for passing through it. It was precisely because of this canal that Wuxi developed and prospered later.

Wuxi Ximen Bridge Wharf is an important waterway connecting Shanghai, Nanjing and Wuhan. Every day, ships come and go, which is very lively.

There are so many people looking for a living, boatmen, coolies, pickpockets...the Ximen Bridge is crowded with people every day.

The boatman is called the "boatman", the coolie is called the "hard worker", and the pickpocket is called the "thief's bone".

Meng Shaoyuan brought his team to the Ximen Bridge Pier. Seeing people coming and going, it was very lively, and everyone felt fresh and curious.

I heard a melodious cry:
"Shaved - shaved... shaved - old Hu swoosh..."

"What do you mean?" There were so many people that they couldn't see where the hawking stall was. Zhu Yanni asked curiously, "What is hawking there?"

Yuan Zhonghe came to Wuxi to perform several missions, and said with a smile: "It's called 'shave your head, shave your beard'. People in Wuxi like to use an old character when they speak. The beard is called the old beard, and the older ones are called the old and the young. People with arrogant personality It's called Lao Ruan... In Wuxi, Shanghai and other places, all the people who shave their heads are from northern Jiangsu, and there is absolutely no way to see people from other places. The master and the apprentice only accept the local people, and they bring three years of rice themselves. Outsiders are determined not to receive."

"Old Yuan, it's quite familiar." Meng Shaoyuan also laughed. Although his aunt was from Wuxi, he had never been there before: "Let's go and find that restaurant."

Ximen Bridge Wharf is full of large and small restaurants, but it is not easy to find one without a signboard.

After searching for about half an hour, I finally found it at the mouth of an alley near the small wooden bridge.

There is no sign, but there is a broken lantern hanging by the door, only one.

This is the mark.

The business in the store was good, and three tables of guests ate there.

As soon as Meng Shaoyuan and the others entered, there was a small square table inside, enough for six people to sit.

The best part is that although the restaurant is small, there is actually a guy.

Generally, a small restaurant like this is either a mom-and-pop shop, or a boss, a buddy, and a chef.

The guy came lazily and opened his mouth: "There are pickled vegetables, mixed fish, gluten meat slices, big four happy..."

There is no menu, and the name of the dish is all relied on by the guy's mouth.

After he finished singing, Meng Shaoyuan smiled: "I want a Wuxi pork rib with two famous Wuxi meat gluten in it, and more green onions."

Upon hearing this, the man's expression changed and his voice lowered: "Wait."

After that, he hurried into the kitchen.

"It looks like this guy is ours too." Mudekai said in a low voice.

Not long after, a man in a young age, probably 27 or [-] years old, came out in a greasy apron and came to Meng Shaoyuan:

"The place is small, there are many of you, please have a seat inside."

The so-called elegant seat is nothing more than a place for the boss and his buddies to rest.

As soon as the man entered, he immediately closed the door: "The place is a little smaller, please bear with me, it's under Tian Qi."

Tian Qi!

This is the person Dai Li specifically mentioned!

Meng Shaoyuan looked up and down: "Why is your name the same as the medicinal material?"

Tian Qi was stunned: "My surname is Tian, ​​and I have many brothers and sisters in my family. I am the youngest, the seventh oldest, and my parents are illiterate, so they gave me such a name."

"My name is Meng Shaoyuan." Meng Shaoyuan briefly introduced himself and this mission.

Tian Qi listened very seriously, and his brows gradually wrinkled: "I know about the Luo family, it is difficult to handle. Yang Xinli is a tyrant in Wuxi, and he is also a native of Shitangwan. Wuxi has his influence everywhere. There is an endless stream of guests at the residence in Shibawan every day, and the people who go to Wuxi are rich and famous.

It's definitely not that easy to make him let go.The first is that his backer is Ji Yunqing. Ji Yunqing knows a lot of people, including dignitaries and dignitaries.Second, our power here is weak, and Wuxi does not have any particularly important strategic value, and the above does not pay special attention. "

Meng Shaoyuan had already considered these difficulties before coming.

If it was a simple task, Dai Li would never have sent him here.

"Brother Tian..."

"Call me the seventh, everyone who knows me calls me that."

"Come on, Seventh."

Meng Shaoyuan was not polite: "I need to visit Yang Xinli in person. Let's bow first and then soldiers. Can you do this?"

"Yes!" Tian Qi answered very affirmatively: "I've been in Wuxi for three years, and it's not just about opening a restaurant. The boss of the boatman, Huo Mazi, is familiar with me. He is in charge of all the people on the boat in Wuxi, and Yang Xinli will also give it to him. A bit of a face."

"Well, you arrange for me to meet with Yang Xinli tomorrow." Meng Shaoyuan pondered there: "Also, I need all the information on Yang Xinli, especially his family. The more detailed the better."

"It's simple." Tian Qi agreed: "I'll give it to you tomorrow."

Meng Shaoyuan was a little relieved: "Lao Qi, this time, besides this, I have another matter. You have been lurking in Wuxi for three years, and the task has been completed. When this matter is finished, you can go back to Nanjing with us."

Tian Qi was silent.

After a while he said: "I am from Hangzhou. I was recruited into the Secret Service in the 20th year of the Republic of China and trained in Nanjing for a year. In the 23rd year of the Republic of China, I was ordered to enter Wuxi. I stayed there for three years.

The first-hand dishes I make, the taste of Wuxi Benbang dishes are similar to those in Hangzhou. They are all sweet, and I gradually get used to them.Originally, I thought I would marry a local daughter-in-law in Wuxi and live here forever. "

A secret agent who has been dormant for a long time, once he knows that he can finally go back, the emotion in his heart naturally doesn't need to be said.

Not only in Wuxi, but also not only one Tian Qi.

In every city in China, there may be an obscure person who is usually invisible, but he is actually a secret agent.

Tian Qi stood up: "Have you eaten yet? I said, my craft is good, I will invite you to eat some of my specialty dishes. Tomorrow, hey... Yang Xinli is really difficult to deal with."

(End of this chapter)