"Heh, is this Nara Charice?"

Zhang Heng picked up the rice bowl in front of him, put it under his nose and sniffed, there was a very wonderful fragrance in the rice cooked by Xiao Shanqian, mixed with the fragrance of tea and grains, mixed with a hint of salt and wine.

In addition to rice, Nara tea rice also includes millet, dried chestnuts, glutinous rice, red beans, and fried soybeans, which are boiled in a bowl with dashi, and served in a bowl with pickles and tofu soup.

"How about a quick taste?" Xiao Shan Qian put down the wooden spoon and urged.

"You're welcome to be down there." After Zhang Heng finished speaking, he picked up the chopsticks, picked up a pickled radish strip, and ate the steaming tea and rice that had just come out of the pot into his mouth.

"How?" Xiao Shan Qian knelt on the ground, leaned over and asked a little nervously.

Zhang Heng didn't answer immediately, but closed his eyes and carefully felt the taste between his lips and teeth, and opened his eyes after a while, "Hmm, it's unexpectedly delicious, I didn't expect your craftsmanship to be so good, Xiaoshan girl." ”

"Where, I just learned it from my father." Xiao Shan Qian said, sat back again, Zhang Heng's reaction seemed to make her breathe a sigh of relief.

"Does Ling Zun still cook?" Zhang Heng asked.

"Yes, my father once said that cooking, like the way of the sword, is a kind of cultivation, and you need patience to finally see your true heart." Akane Koyama said.

…………

At present, five days have passed since Yamada and others came to provoke before.

After the samurai of the Choshu Domain retreated, Zhang Heng proposed to simply join the Xiaoshan Dojo, but Xiaoshan Qian did not immediately agree, but asked Zhang Heng to think carefully for a few more days.

In Xiao Shanqian's opinion, apprenticeship is a major life event, and it can't be decided in a hurry, and Zhang Heng's knife skills are so powerful, even if his father is still alive, he is not his opponent, and Xiao Shanqian doesn't know what else she can teach Zhang Heng.

She invited Zhang Heng to come over today, just to cook and simply thank the latter for coming to the rescue before.

In addition to the Nara tea rice, she also prepares grilled bonito, which is a popular dish in Kyoto because it is grilled and whitened over a fierce fire, soaked in vinegar water, sliced, and dipped in mustard seed miso.

Matsuo Basho (yes, that's right, the famous haiku writer in Hiwari) once left a sentence by Murui Kikaku, "Wisteria flowers bloom / Wait with your fingers on your fingers / Sitting and eating the first bonito day" to express his feelings of wanting to eat bonito, and there is also the ultimate foodie who shouts the slogan "I'd rather pawn my wife than eat bonito", and every year when the price of bonito first comes on the market, the price of bonito can even soar to the same price as gold, and only the shogun daimyo can eat it.

Now it's finally the turn of the common people, but Xiao Shan Qian also spent a lot of money for this meal, plus the food subsidies for those children, Xiao Shan Qian just received the rent I am afraid will not be able to cover for long.

In fact, the best way is to close the dojo and live in Kyoto with the rent, or marry a wife, husband and children, but she never seems to have considered these possibilities.

While the two were eating, there was a knock on the door of the hill dojo.

Xiao Shan Qian extinguished the fire and said to Zhang Heng, "I'll open the door, and you can continue to eat." ”

As she spoke, she trotted to the door, opened it, and stood a strange-looking couple outside.

"Is there anything wrong with the two of you?" Akane Koyama asked.

Before the man could speak, his wife had already knelt down and shouted a benefactor.

"Huh?" Akane Koyama was a little confused.

Fortunately, the man explained, "We are Chiyo's parents, and you rescued two little girls from the market a few days ago, one of which is our daughter. ”

"Oh, that thing, don't take it to heart, it's just a gesture." Akane Koyama was a little embarrassed, but she also saw Chiyo hiding behind her parents, who seemed to be a little shy holding a box.

The man picked up the box in her hand and stuffed it into Xiao Shanqian's hand, "I know that the grace of saving lives cannot be repaid, but I hope you can accept this small gift." ”

Akane Koyama opened the box and saw a handful of ribs inside.

"My ancestor was a famous blacksmith in Ise, but I'm ashamed to say that I can only make some farm tools in my generation, but fortunately, there is still a family heirloom short knife left, I hope you can use it." The man said.

"This is too precious, since it is an ancestral thing, it is better to keep it in your hands." Akane Koyama excused herself.

"No, no, we're not samurai, even if we keep it at home, we just make it dusty, so it's better to give it to someone who needs it, and if it's you, I'm sure you'll be able to use it well." Seeing that Xiao Shan Qian refused, the man was also a little anxious, and pulled his daughter to kneel on the ground like his wife.

And Zhang Heng heard the noise outside the door, thinking that the people from the Changzhou Domain were coming again, so he put down the dishes and chopsticks and walked out of the dojo, but he saw the scene in front of him.

Xiao Chiyo seemed a little surprised to see him, but he didn't expect him to still live with Xiao Shan Qian, a pair of eyes curiously wandered on Xiao Shan Qian and Zhang Heng's bodies, probably guessing the relationship between the two in his heart.

In the end, Xiao Shan Qian still couldn't resist the blacksmith couple, so she could only accept the ribs, so the family of three left with a thousand thanks.

Xiao Shan Akane stood at the door of the dojo with the short knife, as if she was reminded of something, and lowered her head to ponder something.

Zhang Heng didn't bother her either, and it wasn't until half an hour later that she sighed and raised her head, "I'm sorry, I remembered some of what my father said before, Xiaoshan Ming's heart is heavy on defense and light attack, because everyone has something in their hearts that they want to protect, the knife is a murder weapon, but as long as they are used well, they can also save people, which is probably the reason why he opened a dojo, today, I understand his words more deeply." ”

"Can I take a look?" Zhang Heng stretched out his hand and took the rib from Xiao Shan Qian's hand.

It is slightly lighter than the ordinary short knife, although it has been a certain year since it was formed, but the maintenance is good, the blade is still sharp, and the jade gang technique is used to smelt the iron sand into iron in the furnace, and then smash it with iron crushes, melt it into iron bars, and constantly beat it to finally form, it can indeed be called a good knife.

"Take it if you like." Xiao Shan Qian said, she had long noticed that Zhang Heng only had an old knife on his body, and there was no rib difference.

Of course, it is not very commonly used compared to taiken and sword, and in most cases it is used for emergency use after a samurai loses a taiken or sword, or when it is used to break armor and fight in small places.