27. Winter Plum and Jade Dew Kidney Bean Rolls

◎Don't look for Lou Chengjing◎

Yan Yunzhao brought a box of osmanthus pastries that he had just made in the kitchen; it wouldn't be appropriate to visit someone empty-handed.

When the guards outside the vermilion gate saw Yan Yunzhao, although they recognized her, they did not dare to let her in easily. As usual, they checked her name and asked a servant to announce her arrival.

Before long, the servant came running out and bowed, saying, "Miss Yan, this way please. The magistrate is waiting for you in the hall."

Yan Yunzhao nodded slightly and followed him into the inner hall.

The magistrate, still in his official robes, sat upright on a cushion behind the tea table. When he saw Yan Yunzhao approaching, he gave her a rare, kind smile and gestured for her to sit down.

"The Muyu Pu tea from Quanling has recently come into season. I just got a cake; Miss Yan, please have a taste."

The magistrate picked up a purple clay teapot and poured a cup for Yan Yunzhao. She nodded and smiled slightly, then picked up the teacup and took a sip.

It tastes bitter at first, but with a hint of cool, refreshing sweetness. It's very refreshing in the summer heat, but it's not something that people really enjoy.

"This tea is quite different from ordinary tea. Magistrate, would you mind letting me brew a pot and try it?"

"Please go ahead, Miss Yan."

On the table was a small tea stove for burning. She first took some tea leaves with a tea scoop, put them into a small white porcelain bowl with a filter cloth, and then carefully poured the warmed tea leaves over the bowl, explaining as she did so:

"Quanling is evergreen all year round, and the climate is suitable. Evening rain makes Pu tea more delicate. I saw that the tea buds were still small and the leaves were thin, so I used lukewarm water that was not boiling to wash the tea. If I used freshly boiled water like other teas, the tea leaves would probably be overcooked and lose their original flavor, leaving only bitterness."

The magistrate smiled as he observed Yan Yunzhao skillfully brewing tea, and couldn't help but nod in approval.

"Miss Yan is meticulous and knows how to adapt to different times."

As the spring water is poured into the teapot, the aroma of tea fills the air. The taste is no longer bitter; instead, it has a sweet and refreshing fragrance reminiscent of morning dew and jasmine.

"Magistrate, please."

Yan Yunzhao filled a teacup and pushed it in front of the magistrate.

"Hmm, this tea is also known as Jasmine Tea. It is said to be exceptionally fragrant and sweet, but I didn't taste it just now. It turns out that my tea-making skills are not good enough, and I ruined the aroma."

Yan Yunzhao smiled gently and took a sip of tea herself. It was astringent but not bitter, delicate and refreshing, and even after drinking several cups, a pleasant fragrance lingered on her lips and teeth.

"It is indeed excellent tea."

The two chatted casually over tea. After a while, Yan Yunzhao steered the conversation to the Dragon King Temple, saying that the children there were doing better, but their living conditions were still poor and many had developed chronic illnesses.

“Miss Yan is willing to go to great lengths for the children, and I am deeply grateful. It is just a pity that Guiyuelou is withholding a sum of commercial tax. I have tried many times to find a way to make up a small amount of money, which is still far from enough to settle these dozen or so children.”

At this point, the magistrate let out a long sigh.

Yan Yunzhao smiled, took out the hundred strings of cash from his pocket, and handed it to the county magistrate.

Slamming the money on the table directly would likely offend the magistrate, and given his personality, he would most likely refuse to accept it. So, he tactfully said:

“I have raised some meager funds, and I would appreciate it if the magistrate would accept them. Now the children at the Dragon King Temple are working for my restaurant and can earn some money. I would appreciate it if the magistrate would consider building new houses for them behind the Dragon King Temple and providing them with some cloth and food.”

The magistrate, his old and droopy eyelids drooping slightly, raised his eyes slightly and said, “Miss Yan has really gone to great lengths. The children are still young, so I will thank you on their behalf.”

As he spoke, he got up from the prayer mat and was about to bow to Yan Yunzhao.

She quickly stood up to help the magistrate, stopping his formalities: "These days, I have long regarded them as my own people, magistrate, please don't stand on ceremony."

The magistrate, not wanting to be impolite, gave Yan Yunzhao a cake of Muyu Pu tea before he left.

After leaving the magistrate's residence, Yan Yunzhao did not rush back to Cuiliang Mountain, but instead took a step and turned to Ziwei Lane—commonly known as the food street.

While her main dishes and noodles in Lixi Town may not be as good as hers, her snacks are certainly not. She has always lived deep in the mountains and doesn't really know what kind of snacks the people of Lixi Town like to eat. Now that she has opened a shop at the Dragon King Temple at the foot of the mountain, she has to get closer to the people.

As soon as you step into Ziwei Alley, a rich aroma of oil and sweetness mingles with rising steam. The sounds of vendors calling out and hawking their wares rise and fall, and people jostle and scramble to buy whatever they want, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"Five-color baked flatbread—come and take a look if you're passing by! It's a baked flatbread made from five grains and flour, and it's delicious!"

The vendor's enthusiastic greetings made Yan Yunzhao stop in his tracks. Turning around, he saw a young man with thick eyebrows and glaring eyes enthusiastically promoting the pancakes in his hands. They were five colors and glistening with oil, and they looked quite good.

"Miss, try my pancakes! Made with fine flour from five kinds of whole grains, they're incredibly delicious! And only two coins!"

Yan Yunzhao never liked vegetarian cakes, but he felt a little embarrassed by the salesman's persuasion and bought one anyway.

Wrapped in coarse oil paper, it feels hard to the touch, but doesn't taste so. The outer shell is crispy, while the inside is soft and chewy. One bite fills your mouth with the aroma of wheat, and the mixed grain flavor is not overpowering, reminiscent of the simple and rustic taste of the 1970s and 80s.

Having not eaten this kind of plain, whole-grain pancake in a long time, Yan Yunzhao took several bites in a row, finding it increasingly delicious with each bite.

Continuing on, there was a small bamboo cart filled with pots of glutinous rice balls. Many people were buying them, crowding the narrow bluestone path.

At first glance, it was just a pot of ordinary sweet soup with glutinous rice balls, nothing special. But when Yan Yunzhao saw the children eating with flushed faces and smacking their lips, he became curious and bought a bowl himself.

Once she held the porcelain bowl in her hand, she realized that the sweet soup for cooking glutinous rice balls was quite special. It was sprinkled with tiny, bright red flower petals, which had been pickled in some unknown way, and had a strange, sweet and sour taste.

The glutinous rice balls are white and round, quite adorable. Swallowing them whole is a bit hot, but after chewing them a couple of times, the brown sugar filling, similar to that of five-nut mooncakes, overflows in your mouth and soaks into your teeth.

The peanut filling balances the sweetness of the brown sugar. After enjoying the delicious filling, the remaining dough and filling become bland and difficult to chew, even a bit choking. At this point, taking a sip of soup and swallowing it with the glutinous rice flour dough and filling creates a perfectly balanced sweet and sour flavor that is irresistible.

No wonder it's so popular.

However, these are all ordinary snacks. What Yan Yunzhao is looking for are local specialties that he has never seen before.

She glanced at the various stalls on both sides, her eyes finally settling on the words "Jade Dew Kidney Bean Rolls" not far away.

The stall owner was a woman with a fair complexion, dressed in coarse cloth. Although she was over fifty, she still possessed the stunning beauty she had in her youth, and even Yan Yunzhao couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

On the stall were some bamboo tubes filled with multicolored powders, the contents of which were unknown. In the center of the stall was a small table with a translucent dough sheet spread out, and next to it was a small porcelain dish containing some kidney beans.

"Boss, what is this Jade Dew Bean Roll?"

The shopkeeper looked up and smiled, "Young lady, you must be from out of town. This is a pastry that every household in Lixi Town must prepare for festivals. If we talk about its origin, it can be traced back to Emperor Jingcheng during the Yong'an period."

"Legend has it that when Emperor Jingcheng was young, he had a favorite concubine named Yulu, who was skilled in cooking and loved red beans. One day, she happened to get some lotus root starch and had a sudden inspiration to mix it with other ingredients to make ice skin. The ice skin made from lotus root starch was just like Yulu, delicate and translucent, white with a hint of blue. Rolled with red beans and smeared with auspicious osmanthus wine, it had a unique flavor."

"Because it looks and tastes good, and has a good meaning, it has been passed down to people who wish for good fortune."

"I never knew there was such a story behind it. How much is one? Let me try one."

"Five coins a roll."

Yan Yunzhao took out two coins from his sleeve and handed them to her, then began to observe the production process.

The red beans, perhaps from the sauce, had a deep, purplish-red color. The owner cut the translucent jade dew ice skin into neat squares, spread a layer of thick, sticky osmanthus wine on it, then sprinkled it with three-colored fine powder, rolled it up with red beans, and pressed it down with a bamboo stick.

Seeing that Yan Yunzhao was about to ask a question, the shopkeeper took the initiative to explain: "These three kinds of fine powder are made from red bean, purple rice and corn flour, just to reduce the sweetness of the Ruyi Osmanthus Wine and add a refreshing taste."

Yan Yunzhao nodded as if he understood, and continued to watch the efficient movements of his boss's subordinates.

The jade dew red bean rolls were shaped like sushi, and the bright red red beans and three-colored pink hues peeked out from the crystal-clear snow skin—they looked absolutely beautiful.

Just when I thought it was done, the owner took out a thin, narrow tube stick from under the bamboo table and stamped a string of them on the jade dew ice skin.

When the stick was removed, it left behind delicate, vermilion peach blossom patterns on the ice skin, truly elegant.

"This is a stamp for brewing red yeast rice, just for appearance purposes."

As usual, the jade dew red bean roll was rolled in oil paper. Yan Yunzhao thanked her, took the roll, and took a small bite.

The snow skin is delicious and not sticky, with a chewy texture and a unique sweetness from the red yeast rice wine. Biting into it reveals an even richer flavor; the pickled red beans are even more delicate, melting in your mouth with just a couple of light touches on the tongue, perfectly complementing the dry texture of the three-color powder.

After finishing the whole Jade Dew Red Bean Roll, Yan Yunzhao felt quite full. Before returning to the shop, he took a few more to give to Lou Su and Jing Ming.

Having had a fruitful day, Yan Yunzhao hummed a song as he climbed the mountain. He had never found the newly built scenic mountain path so easy to walk on, and soon he arrived at the shop.

As night deepened, the small shop was dimly lit. Pushing open the door, she saw only Lou Su, who seemed to be waiting for her.

Seeing her lift the curtain and come in, Lou Su seemed a little uneasy. He leaned forward, frowned, and looked her up and down by her shoulders.

"I heard you were taken to Biyuefang. Lou Chengjing didn't make things difficult for you, did he? What did he say to you?"

Lou Su was unlike his usual serene and composed self; instead, he appeared unusually flustered. Yan Yunzhao was somewhat bewildered and simply said:

"It's nothing much, just... some business matters. The landlord was very generous, so I exchanged the recipe for 100 strings of cash to build new houses for the children at the Dragon King Temple."

Recalling what Lou Chengjing had said about Lou Su's family situation, Yan Yunzhao felt a little guilty, but couldn't help feeling some sympathy for Lou Su.

Lou Su seemed to realize the inappropriateness of his actions, coughed lightly, released his hand from her shoulder, and looked away: "That's good. Lou Chengjing... he has always acted unpredictably, so you shouldn't associate with him too much."

Yan Yunzhao was even more confused, wondering why the relationship between the two cousins ​​was so strained, and even telling her to have less contact with this person.

However, Yan Yunzhao kept the fact that she had stumbled upon the conspiracy to herself, as she didn't want to cause Lou Su unnecessary worry by speaking out. She just nodded haphazardly.

Seeing Yan Yunzhao's agreement, Lou Su seemed relieved. After considering for a while, he hesitated and said, "If you need money, I will find a way to help you."

He was still wearing that plain robe made of poor material, and for some reason, Yan Yunzhao felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

Lou Su looked serious, and Yan Yunzhao couldn't help but think: Does this mean that if you need money in the future, go to him instead of Lou Chengjing?

But he's so poor, how could he possibly get any money?

Although she secretly complained to herself, she felt warm inside and put on a bright smile: "Whatever you say."