Chapter 118 Hot and Sour Rice Noodles

Since their parting at the yamen, Jiang Baozhu has not come again. Instead, she occasionally sends things to Xiao Xi and passes on messages.

When Jiang Huai learned that he had been tricked by the flower maid magpie and had become the laughing stock of the town, he was furious. However, he couldn't take his anger out on himself, so he took it out on the servants in his household.

The servants who had previously neglected Jiang Baozhu and Xu Shi, despite having served the Jiang family for many years, were still sold off without mercy by Jiang Huai, who then bought a new batch of servants from a human trafficker.

The Jiang family was in complete disarray. The new bride was difficult to manage, and only Xiao Xi's family and the mute old woman who was responsible for cleaning Jiang Baozhu's courtyard remained in the mansion.

Jiang Huai felt guilty towards his daughter and tried his best to make up for it. However, after this incident, Jiang Baozhu seemed to have suddenly seen things clearly and focused her attention on taking care of her mother, Xu Shi.

"Mom, it's cold today, how about we eat something fresh?"

Lin Yuesha suggested that she made some fried soybeans in the morning, mixed them with salt and pepper and chili powder. Her father would occasionally have a sip of wine to warm himself up, and the soybeans would serve as a side dish with the wine. They were not only spicy and crunchy, but also left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.

Because she wanted to practice calligraphy, Chen took the initiative to take over the cooking work. The family ate stewed dishes every day, but they were tasteless.

"do what?"

Madam Chen smiled and tapped Lin Yuesha's head. "I think you're just craving it, aren't you?"

"yes."

In winter, nothing is more appealing than a steaming hot pot. It's the best time for the whole family to enjoy hot pot together. However, Xiao Qi, the stepbrother, has yet to return.

Lin Yuesha suspected that her stepbrother was too kind-hearted. She wondered if he was taken by the teacher to visit his classmates because they seemed easy to bully, so he was taken along to do hard labor, such as carrying loads and running errands.

When will my brother come back?

After some time apart, Lin Yuesha began to miss her stepbrother. At least with her stepbrother around, she was still more comfortable.

"They said it was before the New Year, but now it's snowing heavily all over the north, and the roads are difficult to travel. It might take a few more days."

According to local custom in the north, the Lunar New Year is just around the corner once the twelfth lunar month begins. As in previous years, families have already prepared New Year's goods.

The houses in the village had collapsed and had not yet been repaired, so Chen and Xiao Chenggui decided to stay in town for the New Year.

During this period of making spiced melon seeds, the family kept the fire burning all day long, and the kang (a heated brick bed) was burning brightly. Xiao Chenggui's old ailment has not recurred, and he is much better than before when he coughed day and night.

Chen sprouted bean sprouts and planted scallions and chives in the kitchen, and they all grew.

The chives weren't very long yet, and Chen was reluctant to cut them. She only added a few slices to the stir-fried tofu a few days ago for flavor, planning to save them for making pork dumplings on New Year's Eve.

"You're so concerned about your older brother, you don't mean you want him to sell Spring Festival couplets, do you?"

Mrs. Chen jokingly told her daughter that the family wasn't short of money, and that setting up a stall in this freezing weather would make her hands and feet freeze in no time.

For now, the family can continue selling spiced melon seeds for a few more days, and will take a break around the 20th of the twelfth lunar month.

"No, no."

Lin Yuesha denied it, saying she was just asking casually.

Tomorrow, Lin Yuesha made an appointment with Jiang Baozhu to go to Yutan Temple. If her stepsister goes with her, she asked the old monk to check if there was a white shadow following him. Lin Yuesha was always thinking about this.

As dinner time approached, Lin Yuesha told Chen to rest and went into the kitchen to quickly begin preparations.

She had chicken soup at home, so she cooked a big pot of sweet potato noodles, added pickled mustard greens, wood ear mushrooms, shredded green and red peppers, and minced garlic to a large bowl, seasoned it with vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and chili oil, and finally topped it with crunchy soybeans and peanuts before serving.

Each of my parents had a big bowl, and then a big spoonful of minced meat. The sour and spicy aroma made my mouth water.

Dinner consisted only of hot and sour noodles, which was a bit too simple. Lin Yuesha also made a few layered oil pancakes to eat with the hot and sour noodles.

"tasty!"

Xiao Chenggui took his first bite and immediately praised it highly. When he felt it was spicy, he would take a bite of the fried dough. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, which made him feel very satisfied.

In no time, Xiao Chenggui was covered in sweat.

"Little girl, did you figure this out all by yourself?"

Mrs. Chen really couldn't understand how her daughter had so many ideas; any one of them could be enough to set up a stall in town.

"Yes, a few days ago I delivered amber walnut kernels to Lord Zhang and overheard the cook at his residence say a few words about it."

Lin Yuesha received Zhang Daren's care and visited him twice to express her gratitude, each time bringing some fresh snacks.

Lord Zhang didn't have a very good impression of the sweet and cloying amber walnut kernels, and they were all taken by Miss Zhang and Madam Zhang. Because of this, Lin Yuesha also had the opportunity to get to know Zhang Qing'er, the county magistrate's daughter.

"Is Ms. Lin home?"

A maid wearing a light green jacket entered through the door.

Lin Yuesha was slurping noodles when she quickly lifted the curtain and went out. Upon seeing the person who came in, she immediately said, "Sister Qianlu, I'm here!"

Compared to Lord Zhang's residence, Lin Yuesha's house was smaller than his kitchen. This was Qianlu's first visit, which made Lin Yuesha a little uneasy. She didn't know where to entertain her, as there was no flower hall in the house.

“Miss Lin, I won’t go in. Our young lady invites you to her residence tomorrow for a chat.”

Light green blinked and gave Lin Yuesha a wink.

This Miss Zhang Qing'er doesn't look like Lord Zhang's daughter at all. She has a simple and honest face and is a true foodie.

Last time, when Lin Yuesha gave her amber walnuts, Zhang Qing'er stopped her. After a few words, Zhang Qing'er immediately regarded Lin Yuesha as a confidante, and the two exchanged their thoughts on eating.

After not seeing her for a few days, Zhang Qing'er couldn't resist and begged her parents to bring Lin Yuesha to their home.

"Is the day after tomorrow okay?"

Lin Yuesha was somewhat hesitant, but she had promised Jiang Baozhu that she would accompany her to Yutan Temple to offer incense the next day.

This was something the two of them had agreed upon long ago; she had nothing important to do and couldn't break her promise.

"Then I'll go back and tell my young lady."

Qianlu sent the message and was about to go back when Lin Yuesha stopped her, "Sister Qianlu, wait for me for a moment."

Lin Yuesha went to the kitchen, ladled out the broth from the hot and sour noodles that had been cooked at home, added seasonings and minced meat, then drained the noodles, packaged them separately, and handed them to Qianlu.

"This is hot and sour rice noodles I made. When you arrive at your home, just pour the noodles into the soup pot, stir it, and you can eat it."

The light green carriage had a small red clay stove on it to keep it warm, so the journey wouldn't be too long and the carriage wouldn't get cold.

"Then this servant thanks Miss Yuesha on behalf of my young mistress."

With delicious food, Light Green left happily.

Lin Yuesha saw the person off to the carriage before turning back. She admitted that she was a bit opportunistic; in any era, having connections made things easier. Since receiving the reward from Lord Zhang, her family business had become more prosperous, and there were fewer troubles.

If the magistrate's daughter were spoiled and arrogant, Lin Yuesha would only keep her distance. However, Zhang Qing'er was naive and unpretentious, and very easy to get along with.

Talking about food with Zhang Qing'er, Lin Yuesha found a sense of accomplishment from her past life; the two were extremely compatible.