Chapter 77 Salty Pepper's Daily Life Back Home

When noon arrived, Lu Qiong realized that she hadn't exchanged food with anyone yet, so she took out the bamboo basket she had put away in the morning, arranged everything, put some pastries and snacks in the kitchen cabinet, and also prepared to find a place to put the cured lamb leg.

The dried lamb leg had a salty aroma, and you could also smell a strong aroma of Shaoxing wine if you got close. Lu Xuan followed behind Lu Qiong without stopping, her eyes glued to the lamb leg.

Seeing how pitiful she was, Lu Qiong took out a small mooncake wrapped in oil paper from the cabinet. Perhaps it was a bit thin, because some oil seeped out from the edges and corners.

It just so happens that Pei Yujiang is skilled, so this year I asked him to make a new batch of mooncake molds, including several with extra-large inner diameters, suitable for the whole family to share.

This time, I brought back some small mooncakes, but one for each person is just right.

Lu Xuan watched eagerly as Lu Qiong lifted the oil paper, revealing a golden mooncake with the words "Hua Hao" (meaning "good flowers") printed on it and several decorative patterns around the edges. This was a design she had specially made for the five-nut mooncake.

Other fillings also have unique appearances. For example, the red bean paste filling is engraved with "full moon", while the salted egg yolk filling is not engraved with words, but instead has three or four azalea flowers carved on it.

However, the salted egg yolk filling hasn't been made yet, because it wasn't made in previous years. It was only recently that we decided to add the lotus seed paste filling because we felt the texture was too monotonous.

The food that resembles salted egg yolk today is called "Xian Yuanzi". As early as the Northern Wei Dynasty, there was a method of pickling duck eggs by soaking them in brine. It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties that plant ash and clay were used for pickling, and the taste was already close to that of later salted duck eggs. It was not until the Song Dynasty that egg yolks were used alone to make a dish.

There are also salted egg yolks made from chicken eggs, but they are smaller than those made from duck eggs. Duck eggs have a rich salty aroma and a soft, sandy texture, which balances the sweet lotus seed paste in the mooncake, creating a more authentic and savory flavor.

Lu Qiong also missed the taste of salted duck eggs, so she went to the street and bought over a hundred duck eggs. Perhaps because raising ducks was more expensive, duck eggs were a few coins more expensive than chicken eggs, but still cheaper than mutton.

After buying the duck eggs, I pickled them directly in Lu Ji's backyard. I washed and dried them, soaked them in wine, coated them with salt, put them in an empty jar, sealed it, and waited for half a month for them to be pickled. Only a few dozen days have passed now, and we still have to wait until the Mid-Autumn Festival to open the jar.

Lu Xuan couldn't wait. Back in Bianjing, she had been asking every day when the jar would be opened. Only here could she find some peace and quiet, not to mention that she was currently being kept quiet by mooncakes.

A window was opened in the kitchen and courtyard, through which one could glimpse figures appearing one after another on the country road. Each person was either carrying a sickle or a hoe on their shoulder; these were villagers rushing home for lunch after the autumn harvest.

They also met Zhou Erniang, whom they knew, and were able to exchange some food.

The mooncake in her hand was about the size of her palm. Lu Qiong cut it into two pieces with a bamboo knife, took out one piece, and wrapped the remaining piece back in oil paper: "You can only eat a small piece, otherwise you won't be able to eat your afternoon snack later."

Even if it was only half a piece, Lu Xuan was happy and nodded eagerly, afraid that Lu Qiong would change her mind if she was a moment too late. She puffed out her chest and assured her, "I can definitely eat my afternoon snack!"

"You're all talk and no action..."

Lu Qiong didn't want to find out who was always stealing pastries from the kitchen; she just turned a blind eye.

"I'll go to my second aunt's to buy some food later. You stay home and check if there's anything else we need."

On Tuesday, there were six people in her family. Lu Qiong took three five-nut mooncakes and three red bean paste mooncakes. Feeling that wasn't enough, she also packed some flaky pastries and a few other pastries made by the shop. Before leaving, she checked the money pouch at her waist, which was enough to buy food for several days.

I used to buy things at the market, but lately everyone's been busy with the autumn harvest, so there aren't many people at the market. Therefore, I can only buy from my second aunt or Yu Niang.

Lu Xuan held a small piece of mooncake, took a small bite, and mumbled as she watched her retreating figure, "Why didn't you go to Sister Li's house? Isn't that closer..."

Autumn in Shangyuan Village isn't too hot; the wind can be a bit chilly, but the midday sun feels much more comfortable.

Lu Qiong carried a bamboo basket on her arm, with an empty cloth bag casually stuffed into the gap. The air was filled with the fragrance of millet, and the surrounding view was open, which made her feel relaxed.

Zhou Erniang's family home was even farther than Yu Niang's family home, but it was still close to the fields. However, Zhou Erniang's family home also had a piece of land at the foot of the mountain, which is why she was seen passing by the courtyard. It seems that Zhou Erniang was running back and forth between the two places all day long, which is not an easy job.

Several fruit trees surround the yard, among which the pear trees still bear many fruits, hanging heavily on the branches, all fresh and juicy.

The courtyard wall was made of a fence, only half a person high. Perhaps because the villagers of Shangyuan were simple and honest, almost every household knew each other, so it was rare for anything to be stolen from their homes, unlike the houses in Bianjing, which had high courtyard walls.

Zhou Erniang rolled up her trousers and washed the yellow mud off her feet by the well. When she looked up, she saw Lu Qiong standing outside the fence with a bamboo basket on her arm. She immediately shook off the water and ran to the yard to open the door for her with a smile.

"I just heard that Sister Qiong is back, and you've come all the way to our house. Is there something you need?"

Seeing her enthusiasm, Lu Qiong smiled and said, "The market has been closed these past few days, and we don't have much food at home, so I was thinking of buying some from you, Second Aunt. I wonder if it's convenient for you to come to my house?"

The Zhou family has six members. Like most villagers, Zhou Erniang's mother-in-law is in good health and often goes to the fields with them. However, this year she unfortunately fell and injured her back, making it impossible for her to do physical labor for long periods. She wanted to insist on going to the fields during the autumn harvest, but Erniang persuaded her to go back.

Besides working in the fields, Erniang's husband also worked as a porter, earning a considerable amount of money. Moreover, with three children helping with the work, the family was quite well-off and had saved up a lot of money.

However, Zhou Erniang had experienced many hardships in the past, and now she dared not spend much money. She carefully calculated all the expenses of the household and would also do some small business in private to supplement the family income.

Upon hearing Lu Qiong's words, Zhou Erniang's eyes lit up. Afraid of being overheard, she quickly called someone in: "Let's go inside and talk, it'll be cooler there."

The kitchen of the second aunt's house was outside the main room, and wisps of smoke could be faintly seen rising from it, carrying the aroma of meat.

The room was simply furnished, with an eight-immortal table in the center. The edges and corners were somewhat damaged, and years of cleaning had caused the paint on the tabletop to fade, revealing the original yellowish wood color.

Two wooden chairs with armrests were placed against the wall opposite the main gate. A piece of cloth was casually draped over the armrest of one of the chairs, with an unfinished peony flower still on it.

There were two doors on each side of the main hall, and a total of four bedrooms, which was much better than the two bedrooms for eight people in Bianjing.

Zhou Erniang invited Lu Qiong in, poured her a cup of tea, and smiled at her: "We only have some coarse tea at home, which I just brewed when I came back. It's a little cold now, so it's perfect for you to try."

Lu Qiong thanked the second aunt, brought the teacup to her lips and took a small sip. The tea was very light and not bitter, so she drank a few more sips.

However, thinking of Lu Xuan, who was still at home and needed to be fed, she put down her teacup and started talking to her second aunt about serious matters.

After a brief exchange, Zhou Erniang nodded, rolled up her sleeves, and made a gesture as if to bring out all the food in the house.

Lu Qiong smiled and pressed her hand down: "I won't be staying here for long, at most two or three days."

"Only two or three days..."

The light in Zhou Erniang's eyes flickered and dimmed; she was still thinking about selling more, but more than that, she was concerned about Lu Qiong's situation, her face full of worry: "You finally came back for a visit, why aren't you staying long? Did you encounter any trouble in Bianjing?"

Like most of the villagers, she had never traveled far from home in her life, except perhaps to visit neighboring villages. Bianjing was a place she could never reach.

She had heard that Qiong'er's family had gone to Bianjing, and she found it intriguing, but after a while, she became worried. Bianjing was a big city, and if something happened, it would be difficult to find anyone to help. It was better to stay in the village, where life was more stable.

Lu Qiong could see the second aunt's worries and shook her head with a smile: "I just can't let go of the business in Bianjing. The main reason for this trip is to bring Li Jie'er back. I can't let Yu Niang spend the Mid-Autumn Festival alone at home."

Seeing her explanation, Zhou Erniang was relieved. She said a few more words to Lu Qiong before turning and leaving.

Since no one was home at her second aunt's house, Lu Qiong felt it wouldn't be right to just sit there. Seeing that her teacup was empty, she poured herself another one. The tea was still steaming, which made her feel relaxed.

Not long after, the wooden door was opened again, and Zhou Erniang came in carrying a bamboo basket in one hand. Her fingers were white from the effort, so it looked quite heavy.

Inside was half a bag of flour, some rice, enough for two people to eat for three to five days, vegetables mainly radishes, cabbage, eggplant, mustard greens, some beans, six or seven eggs, fresh persimmons, dates, pears...

Besides meat, almost everything else that's commonly available was included.

Seeing that Lu Qiong remained silent, Zhou Erniang assumed that she was dissatisfied and hurriedly said, "This flour was ground from new millet a few days ago. My family doesn't grow rice, so we don't have much rice. However, the vegetables were just picked and taken out of the cellar."

Lu Qiong interrupted her, afraid that she would continue, "No, I'm just afraid there's too much, and we won't be able to finish it in the next two days."

So that's how it is. Zhou Erniang didn't think much of it and a simple smile appeared on her dark face: "What's there to be afraid of? If we can't finish it, we'll pickle it and take it back to Bianjing."

Then he remembered that he had made some pickled vegetables at home, slapped his thigh, and exclaimed "Ouch!"

"I forgot I pickled some cucumbers a few days ago, I'll go get them..."

Seeing that she was about to get up, Lu Qiong stopped her, a slight smile on her lips: "Second Aunt, you've gone to so much trouble. This is enough. Xuan'er is still waiting for me to come back at home."

Zhou Erniang also realized that this was inappropriate, so she stopped insisting on it.

Lu Qiong gave her the money and left the pastries and mooncakes in the food box, even preparing an excuse in advance in case she refused.

“During the years that Xuan’er and I have stayed in Shangyuan Village, Second Aunt has taken good care of us, especially recently she has caused us a lot of trouble. These pastries are all from the shop, they didn’t cost any money, so please accept them!”

Zhou Erniang was tempted, but she didn't take Lu Qiong's words seriously. These pastries looked expensive. Even if the shop made them for free, the flour still cost money, not to mention the fillings inside.

She had a vivid memory of the mooncake she ate last year. Back then, she shared it with her family, but each person only got a taste, which wasn't enough. Now that everyone could have a piece, she agreed without much hesitation.

When you go outside, there is no one working in the fields, and the road is quiet, with only the occasional sound of flowing water coming from the stream.

Having wasted a lot of time today, Lu Qiong was also very hungry. Even though her belongings were heavy, she quickened her pace to walk back.

Some of the firewood in the yard had been taken away. When she entered the kitchen, she saw that Lu Xuan had already started a fire, and the firewood that had just been dried was at her feet.

"Sister! What are we eating today?" Lu Xuan stepped forward, her eyes glancing at the bamboo basket.

Lu Qiong wanted something simple to eat, so she planned to make an egg custard and cook a pot of rice with lamb leg meat.

Lu Xuan had been thinking about the cured lamb leg for a while, so she nodded without hesitation, put the rice in water to soak, and washed the other ingredients and utensils in advance.

Before long, the cured lamb leg was steamed together with the rice. Lu Qiong used a spatula to turn the rice over, revealing the slightly charred bottom part with a layer of crispy rice crust on the side. Dipped in the fat from the cured lamb leg, it smelled delicious.

However, she wanted to simmer it a little longer so that it would absorb the flavor better, but Lu Xuan next to her smiled shyly and said, "Sister, I want to try a piece first..."

In previous years, they didn't have much money, but they would still put their heart into preparing food for the holidays. They would buy flour to make fried foods and sugar cakes, and if they wanted to be extravagant, they would even render pork cracklings.

One year, the harvest was poor and prices in Bianjing rose. After spending on necessary expenses, they didn't have much money left. In addition, they didn't have enough firewood to burn in the winter, so Lu Xuan caught a cold and spent a lot of money on medical treatment. Later, they even borrowed a lot from Yu Niang.

Having finally survived the harsh winter, the Spring Festival was just around the corner. Every household was preparing for the New Year, and Lu Qiong also bought rice.

Normally, to save money, they would cook rice into thin porridge, but since it was the New Year, they steamed rice. When they lifted the lid, they smelled the aroma of crispy rice crust, which was a delicacy to them.

Back then, Lu Xuan only reached her chest, and her face would turn red with the slightest breeze. Just like today, she looked at her with wide, expectant eyes.

Thinking of all this, Lu Qiong laughed and said, "Okay, I'll pick out a crisp one for you."

After lunch, the two brought the bedding from the yard into the house. The bedding, after being aired out, had a special smell that allowed them to sleep soundly for the afternoon.

Perhaps it was the end of autumn, because Shangyuan Village fell silent in the afternoon, with only the trees in the mountains being blown by the wind, their branches and leaves swaying.

The next morning, Lu Qiong took Lu Xuan to Yu Niang's house, carrying a food box containing pastries and mooncakes, while Lu Xuan carried a bundle of medicinal herbs. Before they even entered the courtyard, they smelled the aroma of wine.

Yu Niang was nowhere to be seen. All that could be seen was Li Jie'er sitting in front of the courtyard, with two large wooden basins piled up at her feet. One of the basins contained freshly cured pork, and next to it were salt, peppercorns, and rice wine. A lot of dogwood was also used to add spiciness.

Li Jie grabbed a handful of coarse salt and rubbed it into the pork. When her neck started to ache, she looked up and saw Lu Xuan smiling at her.

"Sister Li, the meat from your house smells so good!"

Lu Xuan really loves marinated meat, whether it's air-dried or smoked, it tastes great and goes very well with rice.

Li Jie'er wasn't particularly interested. She did this every winter, and sometimes she even got tired of it. If she made too much cured meat, her hands would wrinkle and peel. It was even worse when the weather got cold and she came into contact with water.

However, she was still very patient with Lu Xuan: "Perhaps it's because there was a lot of marinade, and the meat was just delivered today."

Even with the cured lamb leg, cured meat still held an irreplaceable place in Lu Xuan's heart. However, before she could even speak, Lu Qiong already knew what she was thinking.

"If you want to eat it, when we get back to Bianjing, we'll buy more meat from Qingniang, and then we'll ask Jinniang to marinate the meat too."

Over the past year, Lu Qiong has often marveled at the connections between people. She thought that after moving away from Tongjifang, they would gradually lose contact. Who would have thought that Jinniang would stop making tofu and go to the embroidery workshop, and then there would be more entanglements.

Before I could think any further, a commotion arose behind me.

Yu Niang was leading three or five women towards the courtyard, all with smiles on their faces. When they saw Lu Qiong standing in the courtyard, their smiles deepened, and they even quickened their pace unconsciously.

"Isn't this Sister Qiong, and Sister Xuan... You've all returned from Bianjing?"

Once one person started talking, the others couldn't hold back and joined in the gossip. They exchanged pleasantries first, and then inquired about how business was going at the shops in Bianjing.

Lu Qiong couldn't refuse everyone, so she had no choice but to answer them one by one.

Some people even asked if people in Bianjing (Kaifeng) didn't cook, otherwise why would there be so many food stalls? Others asked if it was possible to raise chickens or grow crops...

It was Yu Niang who couldn't stand it anymore and told everyone to leave; otherwise, Lu Qiong wouldn't know how to handle the situation.

After leaving the courtyard, the group still huddled together to talk about Lu Qiong.

"Qiong's shop is said to be right by the bridge, and people go there all day long..."

"Who told you that?"

"No wonder those sisters are dressed so nicely; the material is clearly not linen, it must have cost a lot of money!"

"Of course! I ran into Zhou Erniang today, and she said that Qiong-jie brought her some mooncakes back, saying they were even tastier than meat buns."

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but click their tongues in amazement. What could be tastier than meat buns, and why would she be so generous as to give them away so easily? But considering that she could open a large shop in Bianjing, it didn't seem so surprising.

I just lamented my own lack of ability; I had previously thought the other person was just fooling around...

Lu Qiong had no idea what others were thinking, and at that moment, Yu Niang forced a few pieces of cured meat into her mouth.

When Yu Niang saw that she wouldn't accept it, she looked unhappy: "Li Jie'er caused you so much trouble recently, consider this as compensation. Besides, I've cured a lot of meat, enough for Li Jie'er and me to eat until the New Year."

Standing to the side, Sister Li nodded in agreement.

They happened to have brought a lot of snacks, which they used to exchange for the cured meat.

As the sun rose and the morning mist gradually dissipated, the group moved from the courtyard into the house.

The main room was neatly decorated, the furniture was arranged in an orderly manner, and a tea set was placed on the table. The medicinal herbs that had just been brought were taken away by Yu Niang, and then she asked Li Jie'er to boil a pot of water, brew tea and serve it to everyone.

Lu Qiong took a sip of tea, carefully choosing her words: "Has Yu Niang ever thought about going to Bianjing? Nowadays, there are many shops in the city, and even setting up a stall by the bridge can bring in a considerable income."

Yu Niang did indeed have her own plans: "I plan to sell this land before the end of the year."

Lu Qiong nodded, after all, Yu Niang was getting older and would definitely not be able to work in the fields in a few years.

Lu Xuan, who had been in a daze, snapped back to reality upon hearing this: "Selling land?"

"This land is perfectly fine, why sell it?"

Li Jie'er didn't react much, perhaps because it had been discussed beforehand.

Yu Niang was amused by Lu Xuan's words: "It's better to sell the land so we can move to the city. Otherwise, if the land is left here unattended, it will soon become desolate."

By the end, Yu Niang was still somewhat dazed.

However, this matter was temporarily settled. When they could move into Bianjing depended on when they could sell the land.

Having not seen each other for a long time, the two chatted for quite a while. By the time they came to their senses, it was almost noon, so Yu Niang invited them to stay for lunch.

Lu Qiong didn't stand on ceremony with her and took Lu Xuan to the field to pick some cucumbers, which they stir-fried with eggs.

The freshly marinated meat was sliced ​​thinly by Yu Niang and put into the pan to fry. With a sizzling sound, the meat was turned over under the spatula and fried until it turned golden brown, and the aroma filled the air.

Fresh cured meat is more tender than dried meat, and Lu Qiong ate an extra small bowl of rice, which was rare for her. The others were so full that they didn't put down their chopsticks until they were stuffed.

They were to return to Bianjing the day after tomorrow, so they didn't stay long at Yu Niang's house. They strolled home leisurely, stopping to greet passersby as they went.

Before leaving, I visited Uncle Zhou's house. Uncle Zhou was still doing carpentry in the yard as always. There was a lot of firewood piled up under the eaves, and an axe was placed next to it with a faded red ribbon tied to the end of the handle.

Besides some pastries and mooncakes, Lu Qiong also brought a jar of osmanthus wine, since Uncle Zhou loved wine and could sit in the courtyard and finish a whole pot of it by himself.

Besides, Uncle Zhou rarely interacts with people in the village, and she figured he would be spending the Mid-Autumn Festival alone. So she thought she would bring him a jar of wine so that he could have a better Mid-Autumn Festival.

They stayed there for a while, but Lu Qiong did most of the talking while Uncle Zhou listened, and Lu Xuan wandered around.

Uncle Zhou didn't talk much, he just nodded. It wasn't until they were about to leave that he took out some dried rabbit meat from the house: "Meat is expensive in the city, take this with you."

Looking at the scars on his palm, Lu Qiong felt a mix of emotions. She gently hummed in agreement and accepted the rabbit meat from Uncle Zhou.

Although I didn't stay in Shangyuan Village for long, I still received quite a lot of things: sweet potatoes, dried pear slices, persimmons, melons and fruits, various kinds of pickled meat and vegetables, and river delicacies made from fermented rice wine.

Many of these gifts were given by Qingniang's family, who specifically asked her to help take care of Qingniang in Bianjing, and Lu Qiong agreed to them all.

They then returned to Bianjing the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Even before nightfall, the festive atmosphere in the city was already very strong. Lanterns of various sizes were hung on the streets, and stalls selling all kinds of pastries and ornaments attracted many people to come and watch.

These days, Li Jie'er has been with them all, and now that she's gone, Lu Qiong is a little unaccustomed to it, let alone Lu Xuan.

Back in their own courtyard, it was already late. They put down their luggage and hurried to the shop.

The lobby was packed with people. Before Lu Qiong could even exchange pleasantries with Sister Yang and the others, she began serving diners and continued working until late at night.

When they had some free time, they would sit in the backyard and chat, mainly about the shop's business and some difficult customers.

However, they didn't chat too late, since they had to get up early the next day. Lu Qiong tidied up the backyard and then told everyone to clean up the kitchen and hurry back.