Lord Tywin Lannister lingered in Clegane, for he had many more places to see: the gold mine Clegane had won in a bet—Goldleaf Bay; Master Tob Mort's noodle-making workshop in Clegane's blacksmith shop; and the mountain land where the homeless poor men Clegane had recruited were setting fire to the hills and clearing land…
Meanwhile, in Lannisport, not far from the Clegane Territory, it was a sunny morning with bright sunshine.
Count Aude stood beaming at the foot of the newly built Aude Noodle Shop, surrounded by a steady stream of people entering the shop, the first group of whom were all his vassals.
The Earl's fiefdom is not limited to Lannesport; a large area of land outside the city is his territory.
As the largest city, the most populous city, and the largest territory in the West, it naturally has many minor nobles and propertied knights.
These nobles and knights had come to congratulate the lord on the opening of his noodle shop.
Maester Bancroft and the Earl's tutor and captain of the guard, Grenadier Lannister, were responsible for greeting guests at the main gate. Earl Odd, hand in hand with his daughter Rosamund Lannister, received everyone's congratulations at the gate.
The second group consisted of wealthy businessmen residing in Port Lannes.
As the largest port city in the Western Regions and the third largest in the entire country, the city is home to many wealthy merchants. These merchants have extensive trade businesses, exchanging goods with nearby Riverlands, the Northlands, the Reach, and Oldtown. Further afield, they trade with island nations west of the Sunset Sea, the southernmost island nation with skin as black as night, and the nine free trading city-states of the eastern continent of Essos. Even further afield, they trade with major cities in the east, engaging in trade in fine wines and ivory.
The business covers all aspects of life, including cloth, silk, porcelain, gold and silver, carvings, grains, spices, cosmetics, pets such as cats and dogs, and so on.
This ancient port city has a rich history and many wealthy merchants.
In an era when industry, agriculture, and commerce had little status, merchants, despite their wealth and significant contributions to social progress and prosperity, were still looked down upon by nobles for not holding a noble title. For a wealthy man in Lannesport to receive an invitation from Earl Ode was an overwhelming honor.
As a result, all the wealthy merchants, big and small, who had settled in Port Lannisport came.
This is a good opportunity to get close to Count Ode.
Money is not everything in this society; only the power held by nobles and lords is truly all-powerful.
After the two groups sat down, the noodle shop, spanning several floors, was already packed.
People weren't really there to eat noodles; most had never even heard of them before. Those who had heard of them and had the good fortune to eat them were the lucky few who managed to sample them during the half-day Clegane's men were forcibly selling them throughout the city.
People come mainly to curry favor with Count Ode.
Count Odd is the city's great lord and the highest-ranking official in Lannisport. Everyone, from knights to wealthy merchants of low status, wants to curry favor with Count Odd.
The opening of Earl Ode's noodle shop was an honor for them; receiving an invitation from the Earl was a great honor.
It doesn't matter what the restaurant sells. Even if it sold stones, people would buy a whole truckload to take home, let alone noodles.
The multi-story restaurant was already full, but there were still many people outside.
Not all of the second batch of wealthy businessmen have entered yet, and none of the third batch of captains, out-of-town bosses, mercenary leaders, and others have entered.
This time, Count Ode set aside his true aristocratic airs and chatted outside with the wealthy merchants, out-of-town bosses, mercenary captains, wandering knights, and others who had not yet had the chance to go inside.
The Earl was full of confidence, determined to open Earl Ode's Noodle Shop in all seven countries and win unparalleled fame for himself and his family.
The Earl's hospitality thrilled everyone who, though without a title, was fortunate enough to be invited. Many people normally find it extremely difficult to even meet Earl Odd; some have conducted business in Lannesport for ten years without ever having the opportunity to see him in person.
When Count Aude opened his noodle shop, he sent out invitations to all the commoners in the city who were particularly outstanding and famous in some aspect.
Everyone surrounded Count Ode, using only flattering and respectful language.
In this civilization with a very rough and primitive dietary structure, noodles, a symbol of refined dietary civilization, made a grand appearance.
With a shout, a group of mercenaries came from the street, leading the way with four men in pairs, each carrying a pair of three-meter-long chopsticks. The chopsticks were painted red in the middle and black at both ends.
The paint job is excellent; it's shiny and glossy.
Each chopstick is as thick as a lance and three meters long; it takes two mercenaries to carry just two chopsticks.
Three meters is about the height of a typical one-story house.
The chopsticks bear a prominent family crest: a three-dog emblem. Next to the three dogs is the family crest motto in bright gold: Unrivaled!
Behind the four soldiers carrying chopsticks, there were four more soldiers carrying two identical, round, drum-shaped stone benches. Each bench weighed over a hundred pounds, and each bench had two identical round holes in the center; their purpose was unknown.
Behind the eight mercenaries carrying the load followed dozens of fierce-looking mercenaries, all clad in fine armor. One of them had an exceptionally large head with a horrifying scar on his forehead. He wore a longsword at his waist and a massive bull's helmet hanging from his waist. The helmet was entirely black, exquisitely crafted, and gleaming.
This big-headed guy is none other than Chiswick, the infamous gangster boss of Lannisport. He used to be the kingpin who ruled the East, South, and North of the city, but later he founded the Warblade Mercenary Group and became its leader. The men surrounding him are all gangster leaders who rose from the streets with him.
The group consisted of about fifty people in total. In the center stood a tall banner, the Roaring Three Dogs Banner of House Gregor Clegane. Below the large banner was a smaller banner, the banner of the Clegane Warblades: a black background with a blood-dripping cleaver. These lowly thugs couldn't afford good swords; the cleaver was an essential weapon that everyone had used.
Many people lined both sides of the street to watch the spectacle, while residents at home peered out of their windows and doors at the somewhat unsettling procession.
The two giant chopsticks carried by four soldiers attracted people's attention.
Because Duke Tywin Lannister ordered the replacement of iron with wood, every household was required to replace all iron basins, plates, knives, ironware, cutlery, and even spoons with wooden ones within six months. Chopsticks then entered people's lives as tableware. Today, although people don't use chopsticks exclusively, they are quite familiar with them. Especially knightly and noble families, who were expected to set an example of reform, were among the first to learn to use chopsticks.
But this was the first time people had ever seen chopsticks that were three meters long.
Can chopsticks really be made this long? This is unbelievable!
When Earl Odd's noodle shop opened, he naturally invited The Mountain, but since Lord Tywin was in The Mountain's Clegane Village, The Mountain sent Big Head Chiswick from Lannister Harbor to deliver the gift in his place.
There's another reason why Mo Shan doesn't come: his reputation is terrible, and he doesn't want to scare away his guests.
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Count Auder stood still, not moving. As a count, he didn't need to give Chiswick any face. The count was not welcoming to Chiswick and his men. These people had unfriendly faces, fierce and menacing, and looked at everyone with murderous intent. Moreover, the more than twenty people with Chiswick were death row inmates he had recently released.
Captain of the Guard, Gna Lanny, quickly stepped forward to greet Chiswick and his entourage.
Chiswick raised his hand, and his brothers behind him stopped in their tracks, displaying remarkable discipline.
Count Aude breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the bandits stop.
He opened this noodle shop to make money, so these bandits better not 'harass' him.
Chiswick and his foul-mouthed companion led eight soldiers carrying stone benches and giant chopsticks up, and the people quickly made way for them.
Two stone drum-shaped round stools were placed on the left and right sides of the noodle shop's entrance. Two giant chopsticks, each three meters long, were inserted into the two round holes in the middle of the stone stools, fitting perfectly.
As soon as it was placed, everyone clapped and cheered.
Using such giant chopsticks as a facade is truly astonishing! Count Ode himself was both surprised and delighted.
"Lord Odd, the stone bench and chopsticks are a gift from Lord Mountain to you for the opening of your noodle shop," Chiswick said. He addressed his lord by his unseemly name without any hesitation.
"Thank you, Sir Gregor!" Earl Odd said with a smile.
"Earl, here is another pair of chopsticks, a gift from Lady Jenny." Chiswick gestured, and the foul-mouthed man took out a beautifully packaged box, opened it, and took out a pair of chopsticks, saying, "Earl, these are the Golden Jade Chopsticks. The tip of the chopsticks is green jade, the middle is gold, and the end is also jade. They are also engraved with your name and family crest, symbolizing that your noodle shop will be prosperous and your house will be filled with wealth."
The fact that chopsticks could be made into such an elegant thing, with such auspicious meaning, was something that none of the onlookers or Count Ode himself had ever imagined.
It turns out that chopsticks can not only be made into three-meter-long signs and decorations, but also made of gold and jade; they are not only tableware, but also works of art.
These gold and jade chopsticks are exquisitely crafted, polished to a smooth, lustrous finish, and gleam brilliantly in the sunlight. The interplay of gold and green creates an elegant and perfect effect.
Made of jade and gold, it exudes nobility and elegance. Engraved with Count Aude's name and family crest, it instantly becomes a treasure that can be passed down through generations.
The exquisite inlay technique and the fine craftsmanship are truly astonishing and admirable.
Among the onlookers were many wealthy businessmen, who were all amazed by the exquisite and elegant chopsticks. Their limited thinking about chopsticks as merely small tableware was suddenly broken. Compared to the gifts they had given, these gold and jade chopsticks were ingenious, showcasing craftsmanship, and were unique among all the gifts.
Just as Chiswick was about to leave after delivering the gifts on behalf of the Mountain couple, bowls of steaming noodles were being served to the third floor, which was filled with noble knights.
Next to each bowl of noodles is a bowl of specially made noodle soup.
The aroma of vegetables from the specially made noodle soup, which was served separately from the noodles, immediately filled the entire floor.