chsdbacks Chapter 161 Northeast Bathing Culture
Chapter 161 Northeast Bathing Culture
Gao Lian took them to a Northeastern Chinese restaurant hidden in a residential area.
The storefront wasn't large, and the signboard was old; the paint on the words "Old Northeast Home-Style Cuisine" was peeling off, but the parking lot was full of cars, and there were people queuing up. Gao Lian was clearly a regular customer; he greeted the owner and went straight into a private room.
"Sit down, sit down, don't be shy." He gestured for the two to sit, then called out to the outside, "Old Sun, the usual, bring out a few more hearty dishes!"
"Okay!" came a cheerful reply from outside.
The dishes were served quickly.
Sweet and sour pork, stewed pork with vegetables, stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, green peppers, and green peppers, chicken stew with mushrooms, blood sausage, pickled cabbage with glass noodles, braised pork ribs, cold noodles... the dishes were piled high, almost overflowing the table. Each dish was steaming hot, and the aroma wafted straight into your nose.
Chen Duo's eyes lit up.
She had never eaten Northeastern Chinese cuisine before, and looking at the colorful dishes on the table, she was a little overwhelmed. Nie Lingfeng picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and placed it in her bowl.
"Try it, this is the best."
Chen Duo picked it up and carefully took a bite.
The sweet and sour pork was fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the sweet and sour sauce was perfectly seasoned, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour, and a rich aroma of meat. She chewed it, her eyes curving into crescents.
"tasty."
Then she stopped talking and ate in small bites, but not slowly. Piece after piece, the plate of sweet and sour pork was soon empty.
Gao Lian stared in disbelief: "This girl has quite the appetite!"
"Eat slowly, no one will take it from you." Nie Lingfeng smiled and put some food on her plate, including a piece of stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers, and a piece of braised pork ribs.
Chen Duo accepted everything offered and ate it all.
Gao Lian looked at her and suddenly grinned: "Brother, your sister is doing a great job. She looks much better and more energetic than the last time I saw her."
"Yes, she's been doing well lately." Nie Lingfeng nodded, not saying much about Chen Duo's bloodline awakening. The fewer people who know about this, the better.
After finishing his meal, Gao Lian checked the time and said, "It's still early, there's no rush at Tianchi. Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
"where?"
"A public bathhouse." Gao Lian blinked. "Coming to the Northeast without getting a scrub is like not having come at all."
Nie Lingfeng paused for a moment, then looked at Chen Duo. Chen Duo looked back at him, her emerald green eyes filled with curiosity.
"What's a public bathhouse?"
"It's a place for bathing," Nie Lingfeng explained. "The bathhouses in Northeast China are different from other places. They have bath scrubs, saunas, and you can even drink tea and chat."
"Scrubbing?" Chen Duo tilted her head. "Is it...rubbing off dirt?"
Gao Lian laughed heartily: "Yes, yes, yes, scrub off the dirt! Scrub all the dirt off your body, and you'll feel so relaxed, like you've gotten a new layer of skin!"
Chen Duo thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay."
So the three of them went to the most famous bathhouse in Changchun—a place called "Longquanchi," which was decorated in a lavish style and had various luxury cars parked at the entrance.
Nie Lingfeng hesitated at first, but then he thought that he hadn't had a proper bath in the past few days since leaving Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley. Besides, Chen Duo also needed to relax.
Separate showers for men and women. Nie Lingfeng and Gao Lian went into the men's area, while Chen Duo was led into the women's area by a staff member.
Nie Lingfeng soaked in the hot water pool, feeling warm all over, and the fatigue from the past few days gradually melted away. The pool was large, the water was very hot, and the steam made people drowsy.
Gao Lian sat next to him, also soaking in the water. After a while, he suddenly spoke:
"Brother, what do you think of this matter?"
Nie Lingfeng opened his eyes and looked at the mural on the ceiling: "That kid Wang Kui has someone backing him."
"I think so too." Gao Lian nodded. "Spirit binding and commanding isn't easy to learn, especially evil techniques like spirit devouring. Without being taught, he can't figure it out on his own."
"And he knows there's something beneath the Heavenly Pool," Nie Lingfeng continued. "This is a secret most people don't know. How did he find out about something that the shamanic families have kept for hundreds of years?"
"So, someone must have been passing him messages," Gao Lian said. "It could be a remnant of the Wang family, or it could be... someone else."
The two remained silent for a while.
"No matter who it is," Nie Lingfeng said, "we'll deal with Wang Kui first. He swallowed five spirits and injured Feng Xingtong; we have to settle this score."
"Alright." Gao Lian nodded. "I'll arrange for men to seal off the area around Tianchi tonight. Old Master Guan will also help with the shamanic practices. You just focus on dealing with Wang Kui; leave the rest to us."
"it is good."
After taking a bath, Gao Lian took Nie Lingfeng to get a scrub.
The bath attendant was an old man in his fifties or sixties, burly and with calloused hands. He had Nie Lingfeng lie down on the bath bed, then picked up a bath towel, dipped it in hot water, and began to scrub.
"Young man, is this your first time in Northeast China?" the old man asked as he rubbed the wound.
"Mm," Nie Lingfeng replied.
"You'll have to experience it properly." The old man scrubbed hard, turning Nie Lingfeng's skin red. "Our Northeastern bathhouse scrubbing is different from other places. Elsewhere it's bathing, we 'scrub' it. We scrub off all the old dirt and dead skin, and afterwards you feel so refreshed!"
Nie Lingfeng lay on the bed, feeling the old master's strength. It was indeed different; the kneading from skin to muscle to bone was both painful and pleasurable.
After rubbing him for half an hour, the old man patted his back and said, "Alright, go take a shower. I guarantee you'll sleep soundly tonight."
After Nie Lingfeng finished showering and changing his clothes, he came out and saw Chen Duo also coming out of the women's area.
She changed into clean clothes, her hair was still wet, her cheeks were rosy, her eyes were bright, and she looked much more energetic.
"How is it?" Nie Lingfeng asked.
"It feels so good," Chen Duo said. "An auntie scrubbed my whole body and put something on me that made my skin smooth and smell nice."
She raised her arm and sniffed it, like a kitten.
"There was another person who massaged my feet, and I fell asleep while doing so."
Nie Lingfeng smiled: "I'm glad you like it."
Gao Lian walked over from behind, saw Chen Duo's appearance, and smiled: "Miss Chen Duo, how's the service in Northeast China?"
Chen Duo nodded: "Very good. I'll come again next time."
The three of them burst into laughter.
As evening approached, darkness fell.
The car slowly ascended the winding mountain road, the pine trees on both sides laden with snow, gleaming faintly white in the twilight. The higher they went, the lower the temperature became, and a thin layer of frost formed on the car windows, obscuring the view outside.
Gao Lian drove, occasionally commenting on the road conditions. Nie Lingfeng looked out the window, mentally planning how to make his move later.
Chen Duo leaned on his shoulder, hugging a panda plush toy, her eyes half-closed, it was hard to tell if she was asleep or thinking.
An hour later, the car stopped at the viewing platform by Tianchi Lake.
Nie Lingfeng pushed open the car door, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, making him shiver. He tightened his clothes, walked to the edge of the viewing platform, and looked at Tianchi Lake.
In October, Changbai Mountain is already covered in a blanket of silver. The distant peaks are covered with snow, which shimmers with a faint blue light under the moonlight. Tianchi Lake, nestled among the mountains, lies there quietly like a huge, azure gemstone. Its surface is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the bright moon and stars in the sky, a beauty that takes your breath away.
But Nie Lingfeng could sense that a faint, cold, and bloody "qi" permeated the area around the Heavenly Pool.
Those were traces left by the binding of spirits and the dispatch of generals, mixed with some ancient and evil aura. The aura was faint, yet clear, like something sleeping breathing.
"This is it." Gao Lian walked to his side and pointed towards Tianchi. "That kid Wang Kui fought with the Feng siblings over there yesterday. There's been no movement today; they're probably still preparing."
Nie Lingfeng nodded, his gaze sweeping around the Heavenly Pool. The water was calm and clear, revealing the stones and aquatic plants beneath. But deep within the pool, something seemed to be moving slowly, like a giant shadow flashing by.
He squinted, trying to see more clearly, but the shadow had already disappeared, leaving only the calm water.
"Where are the Feng siblings?" he asked.
"Over there." Gao Lian pointed to a cluster of wooden houses on the west side of Tianchi Lake. "The temporary camp of the shamanic family. I'll take you there."
The three walked along the boardwalk toward the wooden house.
The pine trees lining both sides of the boardwalk were covered with colorful strips of cloth and prayer flags, which fluttered gently in the night breeze, making a rustling sound. These were hung by members of the shamanic families for blessings and warnings.
After walking for a few minutes, Nie Lingfeng could feel several gazes cast upon him from the shadows, filled with vigilance and scrutiny. It was members of the shamanic family, keeping watch. They were hidden behind bushes, rocks, and snowdrifts, motionless like statues.
As we approached the wooden house, an elderly man with gray hair but a sprightly spirit, dressed in traditional Manchu clothing, came out to greet us.
He wore a dark blue robe over a black mandarin jacket, and a melon-shaped hat on his head, beneath which were a pair of sharp eyes. Behind him followed several young men, all dressed similarly, with solemn expressions, carrying various magical implements—copper bells, drums, whips, and command flags.
"Manager Gao, you've arrived." The old man nodded to Gao Lian, then looked at Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo, "And these two are...?"
"Special envoys sent by the company headquarters, Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo," Gao Lian introduced. "This is Old Master Guan, the head of the Guan family of shamanic practitioners from Changbai Mountain. The Guan family has been here for over three hundred years and is the largest shamanic family in this area."
"Greetings, Grandpa Guan." Nie Lingfeng bowed. Chen Duo followed suit, giving a slight bow.