She slept too soundly, and the carriage had been traveling for who knows how long. From the unlocked area in the Jade space, it could be seen that they had already passed through two major towns. The dense fog boundary extended to a radius of about two hundred kilometers, and they could already see the three large characters "Coastal Defense City" on the city gate. There were no other major towns along the way, so if they didn't stay with village households, they might have to camp in the wilderness for the night.
About a hundred kilometers away from Coastal Defense Hai Fang City, the wide road suddenly turned southwest at a sharp bend, while to the east, a branch road extended along the Qingxi River all the way to the sea. From the spatial map, this seemed to be an excellent camping spot.
As Xiang Bei looked out the window, the carriage was passing through a village, which seemed to be the largest settlement before reaching the Coastal Defense Hai Fang City. The earth buildings with yellow mud walls and grey tiles resembled the style of modern Hakka houses.
"Madam, shall we take a rest in the village ahead?" Shadow Guard Yin Thirteen finally spotted a village ahead and felt Xiang Bei waking up, so he asked at the outside of the carriage.
"That's a good idea, Yin Thirteen, Why don't you get one of you and Yin One go over and see if there's an inn or something for dinner in the village? I'll wake up your young master and then join you."
"I'm awake. Let's go together." Cheng Mo had slept well, and his tone sounded refreshed.
"Young Master, Young Madam, Yin One has already inquired. The people living in this village are all surnamed Chen. Whenever there are outsiders coming, they must first go to the affairs hall at the entrance of the village, where they will be personally received by the clan leader."
"It's quite interesting. It sounds like the clan is managed very rigorously." Cheng Mo remarked, and by the time he finished speaking, the carriage had already entered the dirt road leading into the village.
"Oh my, we have distinguished guests arriving. Our Chen Village is truly shining brightly today. Welcome, welcome, quickly in, please come inside?" Several people chatting at the village entrance turned around and approached. The first among them, with gray hair and over fifty years old, greeted them with a smile while politely inviting them, "I am the clan leader of Chen Village. Since you have come from afar, we will prepare some special supper and guest rooms for you to rest. Please come on in, follow you."
"The clan leader is too kind. My wife and I will just have something simple. Please prepare some high-quality fodder for our horses." Cheng Mo felt slightly uncomfortable with the excessive enthusiasm of the clan leader, and his brow lightly furrowed.
"Is this place called Chen Village? Could the special meal be Chen Village rice noodles?" Suddenly, Xiang Bei remembered the six-month project she had worked on in Guangzhou in her past life in the modern realm, where she stayed on the street of Chen Village rice noodles. Eating noodles there every day had become a habit.
"Oh? So the Madam has also heard of our little place. It's truly an honor." The Chen clan leader noticed Xiang Bei mentioning Chen Village noodles. "Chen Village rice noodles? We have never had such a dish in our meals before. Madam, have you ever eaten it? Could you please describe it briefly? Perhaps it's just a different name given by some guests. If not, I will immediately have the villagers try to make it for you."
"Hehe, yes, indeed. I heard it from traveler merchants from the south, so I specifically came to disturb you this time while passing by here. Elder Sir, there's no need to prepare anything special. Let us taste your specialties first. It's probably just a difference in naming." It could be considered a beautiful misunderstanding.
The clan leader was originally a warm and cheerful person, and upon hearing that they had come because of their reputation, he became even more talkative. Tea and meals were served quickly. Besides tasting Chen Village rice noodles, Xiang Bei also discovered a type of large-leaf tea suitable for making single-origin tea. The locals fried shrimp with the tender tea leaves, creating a fragrant and crispy dish.
"Clan leader, these wide rice noodles should be the Chen Village rice noodles. It's probably that someone remembered eating noodles in Chen Village after leaving and gave it a name themselves." Xiang Bei was very happy to encounter another familiar taste.
"Oh? Our Chen clan ancestors were from the northern regions and mainly ate wheat-based food. To avoid warfare, they migrated southward until they settled in these mountains. Rice is the main crop here, and it's difficult to find wheat noodles on ordinary days. When people miss the taste of noodles, they grind rice into powder, steam it into thin sheets, and then cut it into noodle-like strips to make a dish resembling noodles to alleviate homesickness." As the clan leader explained the origin of the wide rice noodles, Xiang Bei realized that the Hakka people in this world were similar to those in her own world, and their migration southward should have occurred before the divergence point of the Hua Xia history developed way appeared.
"That's right. The traveler probably remembered the delicious rice ground into powder in Chen Village but couldn't recall the name of wide strip rice noodles, so they gave it a memorable name themselves, which ended up spreading. If the clan leader doesn't mind, let's just call it Chen Village rice noodles from now on. Making rice flour as a travel snack for people to take away, and then using boiling water to cook it for consumption, would truly establish Chen Village noodles as a local specialty."
"Chen Village rice noodles, good, that's really fantastic, Chen Village's unique rice noodles! Madam has given us a livelihood. With the support of noble guests like you, the days of the Chen family will surely improve. Thank you, Sir and Madam, for your great kindness! I'll go downstairs and have the kitchen prepare some more snacks. Please enjoy your meal." The clan leader was overwhelmed with excitement and just wanted to entertain them more warmly.