Capítulo 892: Chapter 891: Rules of Worship
The next day.
The sky was gray, with a light drizzle of rain falling.
February had passed, and according to the solar terms, it should have been the beginning of spring, but the cemetery in the Jingguan City Suburb did not show signs of spring returning to the earth.
The tombstones were lined up, and the colors were similarly gray.
This morning, Xia Yu and Zhu Qing went out dressed in plain clothes. Zhu Qing wore a black shirt and black women’s trousers, holding a black umbrella, accompanying Xia Yu, quietly standing in front of one unremarkable tombstone.
The gravestone did not bear any inscriptions of whose grave it was, only an ancient and heavy “Xia” character.
“Sister, I have come to see you.”
Zhu Qing placed a bouquet of white flowers at the base of the tombstone, held the umbrella handle with her shoulder socket, joined her palms together, slightly lowered her head, and closed her eyes in remembrance and reflection.
She wore a calm expression, without any trace of sadness.
Perhaps, time had already washed away the pain of losing a relative into dullness. The saying that time is the best cure in the world really held true.
Xia Yu had never met his “parents”, and as for feelings? Before coming, he held an indifferent attitude towards this sentiment; even when truly integrating into this identity, considering himself part of the Xia Family, the shadow of his parents did not weigh much in his heart, or rather, it didn’t exist at all.
However.
At this moment, in the gloomy rainy weather, looking at the Xia character on the tombstone, his heart inexplicably stirred with impulse.
After a while, Zhu Qing slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze swept over another bouquet placed at the base of the tombstone, and the corners of her mouth slightly curled up in a smile, “Looks like that old guy came to the cemetery to see his son before he left.”
The old guy, naturally, was Xia Qing.
Zhu Qing was not surprised by Xia Yu’s stance without any worshipping or mourning expressions. On the contrary, she understood very well and said, “Yu, is this very unfamiliar?”
A bitter smile appeared involuntarily on her face.
“Parents, I’ve never seen them since I can remember. Voices, looks, none of it; in your eyes, they might be even more flat and lifeless than strangers, like cardboard figures.” She whispered.
The old man was very stubborn, never told Xia Yu about past events, and didn’t even have a single photo of his son and daughter-in-law.
Probably in the old man’s view, those things that soften the heart shouldn’t exist.
“I have a few photos here…”
Zhu Qing was about to rummage in her bag, but unexpectedly, with a soft thud, the boy standing dazed at the side for a few minutes slowly knelt down on the cemetery path. Due to the rain, the floor was inevitably slippery and cold. Zhu Qing exclaimed, “I have some paper, you can use it as a cushion.”
“No need.”
A voice softer than usual.
The boy knelt down, joining his palms like a supplicant before a deity, his side profile conveying seriousness and devotion.
Devotion?
Indeed, it seemed he was praying to a belief, rather than mourning deceased parents.
Zhu Qing was stunned.
“Let’s go.” After a while, the boy opened his eyes and stood up.
“Hmm…” Zhu Qing responded.
Just like the raindrops falling from the sky, quietly, the two came softly, and left with light steps too, as if afraid to disturb the slumbering ones here.
Passing by a larger burial site.
This burial site was apparently bought by some wealthy family early on, surrounded by fences. A funeral was silently taking place inside, with clusters of black umbrellas visible in the garden. Xia Yu and Zhu Qing had bumped into people attending the funeral this morning.
At that moment, the funeral ended, and the family members, sobbing quietly, were ushered into a black car.
A few young men in black suits, with sad faces, stood outside the cemetery at a loss after the car departed.
“Master… really gone?”
“Yes, gone.”
“What about Piaoxiang Building! The kitchen can’t function without the master!”
“Why did master agree to such a cruel food duel that takes lives? The food duel that robs lives is backward, ignorant, and dark, long banned by the authorities. Why did master go to attend that meeting!”
A young man felt like the sky had fallen, kneeling down and covered his face, crying out loud.
For these apprentices and disciples, when the top chair of the sect’s inheritance shattered and disappeared, their world would also crumble and fall apart.
Undoubtedly.
No matter what restaurant or tavern, losing the head chef meant inevitable decline!
Xia Yu walked past, giving a glance at the stunned youths.
He got in the car outside the cemetery.
Zhu Qing folded up the black umbrella, patted the water droplets off Xia Yu’s and her own shoulders, and directly sat in the driver’s seat, inserted the key, ignited the engine, and the car emitted slight vibrations.
“Where to? Back to the old house?” Her clear, bright eyes reflected in the rearview mirror.
Xia Yu, seemingly thoughtful, didn’t answer, before raising his head with a smile, “Aunt Qing, did my parents die like that?”
“…Hm?”
Zhu Qing furrowed her brow, “Why suddenly ask this?”
Her heart skipped a beat.
Unexpectedly, Xia Yu didn’t delve into it further, instead continuing to smile, “Actually, I was just praying to the sacred food duel rules.”
“With losses and wins.”
“With life and death.”
“On that kind of gambling table, everything is clear!”
As he spoke, Xia Yu gently lowered his eyelids, “And if unfortunately defeated, it’s simply due to inadequate strength. I guess those who passed away leave with regret and reluctance, not with resentment and anger.”
Zhu Qing opened her mouth, “Yu, the life-and-death food duel has long been explicitly banned!”
“I know, it’s just a metaphorical saying… Furthermore, even if explicitly banned, is it truly banned? There will always be dark corners where light doesn’t reach.” Xia Yu smiled, touched his heart, the earlier agitation upon seeing the tombstone in the cemetery still lingering in his heart, his eyes suddenly deepened, showing a hint of a strange color that made Zhu Qing’s heart tremble, “However, rules are rules; if you place a bet, you must be able to play. The deceased pass away, but it doesn’t mean his descendants and inheritors can peacefully accept it, the affairs of the world often repeat continuously like this!”
He suddenly stopped speaking, “To the Lan Family!”
“Lan Family?”
“Which Lan Family in Shu?” Xia Yu chuckled, “We’re going to visit that old monster Lan Fengxian, I have something to ask of him!”
Zhu Qing finally snapped out of her slight daze, looking down at the steering wheel in her hands, feeling a wave of unrest in her heart, “Yu, is this going to ‘compete’?”
Her eyes showed a hint of comfort, yet more worry and concern.
…
“Divine Hand, huh?”
Imperial City, White Jade Tower.
The head, who was comparing ancient chess scores, setting up games for self-entertainment, put down the chess scores and wandered around the room with hands behind his back.
Unable to calm down.
Ever since an hour ago, when his beloved disciple Ye Feizhou reported a certain matter to him, Zhu Ji was restless.
Few remember this head’s real name.
Zhu Ji.
Compared to his family name, throughout the Chinese Realm, they preferred to call him by a designation that represented his culinary skills and status—a title: the Head.
In a sense, “Head” is also a position.
He oversees the Chinese Cuisine World.