Chapter 861 Visiting Jinling Although business was slow, since they were already there, Lu Qingyang and Zhou Fang decided to stay in Jinling for a day or two, both to relax and to see the local market atmosphere firsthand.

We ate breakfast on an old street near the hotel.

The shop is small, with a few greasy wooden tables, but inside the door, a large pot of milky white soup is bubbling and smells delicious.

Duck blood and vermicelli soup. The owner deftly grabs a handful of vermicelli and puts it into a strainer, blanchs it in the boiling soup, pours it into a large coarse porcelain bowl, adds dark duck blood, tender yellow duck intestines, and bright green cilantro, and then pours a large spoonful of hot, thick soup over it.

Zhou Fang slurped up a drink, scalding it and wincing, but couldn't resist taking a second one: "So delicious."

Lu Qingyang ate slowly and nodded: "It's soup made with old duck, it'll be ready soon."

He remembered that Shen Mo loved to drink soup, and wondered if he could recreate that flavor at Xinweiju, or at least learn about 70-80% of it.

At noon, following the directions of a local, they found a state-owned, long-established restaurant to eat salted duck.

The glossy duck is chopped into neat pieces, with white skin and tender meat, savory and flavorful, and not too sweet even when eaten plain.

A bowl of refreshing chrysanthemum brain and egg soup is just the right way to cut through the richness.

Zhou Fang ate with her mouth glistening with oil, saying it had a unique flavor compared to Peking duck in Beijing.

In the evening, the two strolled around the Confucius Temple area.

As dusk settles, the banks of the Qinhuai River come alive with activity.

Instead of going to a fancy restaurant, they sat down at a food stall by the river and ordered several of the "Eight Delicacies of Qinhuai": spiced beans, crispy tofu pudding, savory duck fat sesame cakes, and a dish of mixed vegetables.

With the river breeze carrying a slight fishy smell and the faint sounds of string and wind instruments coming from the painted boats not far away, there is a unique charm to the everyday life.

"You said we should open Xinweiju here and do this kind of thing, is that okay?"

Zhou Fang, biting into a sesame seed cake, watched the passing stream, and his professional habit kicked in again.

Lu Qingyang sipped his coarse tea and gazed at the hazy lights on the opposite bank of the river: "The customs, flavors, and atmosphere here cannot be directly copied. We need to figure out how to integrate our own flavors into this place."

"That makes sense."

In the afternoon, they rented two boats. Zhou Fang rowed clumsily, and the boat spun around in the middle of the lake, making Lu Qingyang shake his head. In the end, he took the oars himself and steadily rowed the boat towards the island in the middle of the lake.

The island was lush and quiet, a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the shore. The two sat on a stone bench by the lake, watching the shimmering water, neither of them speaking, the tension of the past few days slowly easing.

We also went to the department store in Gin-sin Street.

The area was bustling with activity, and the variety of goods seemed greater than in the capital, especially light industrial products from sea markets and the south.

Lu Qingyang carefully examined the clothing and beverage counters, observing the brands, prices, and customer choices.

Zhou Fang became interested in a new type of dual-cassette recorder, fiddled with it for a long time, but ultimately didn't buy it.

"When I get back, I'll bring my wife a silk scarf; the patterns here are quite pretty," he thought to himself.

They also stumbled upon an old alley in the southern part of the city, with bluestone slabs, mottled walls, and occasionally an old man sitting by the door basking in the sun, with Yangzhou opera playing softly on a radio.

Deep in the alley, there is a small, incense-filled temple with stone lions at the gate that have been worn smooth by countless touches.

The two of them went in and walked quietly, smelling the sandalwood incense, and their hearts calmed down as well.

In a shop that sells both tea and local products, Lu Qingyang noticed a type of green tea from the state of Ngok that was scented with osmanthus flowers, and it had a unique aroma.

He bought two packs, one to try himself and the other to send to Chen Mo.

During a casual chat with the shopkeeper, I learned that the production of this tea is not large, and it is mainly circulated among old tea drinkers in the area.

Lu Qingyang bought a few cans to take home to his family.

Seeing that it was still early, he became interested and said to Zhou Fang, "Let's go for a walk and pick up some things for the family and children."

Zhou Fang was naturally happy to agree. The two then walked along the old street towards the more bustling market.

More and more vendors selling food and trinkets gradually appeared on both sides of the street.

The air was filled with various aromas: the caramelized scent of freshly baked sesame cakes, the savory aroma of boiling tea eggs, and the sweet, warm steam of roasted chestnuts.

The shouts, the sounds of bargaining, and the ringing of bicycle bells mingled together, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with the aroma of smoke.

Lu Qingyang stopped in front of a stall selling pastries and candied fruits.

The glass cabinet was filled with a dazzling array of items: peach shortbread, cloud cake, peanut brittle, and preserved plums and kumquat cakes wrapped in transparent paper.

He remembered that Shen Mo sometimes liked to drink tea and have some snacks when she stayed up late reading or doing accounts.

He picked out a few that looked refreshing and not greasy: the cloud cake was as white as paper, with distinct layers; the kumquat cake was golden and translucent, with a natural fruity aroma.

The shopkeeper wrapped it in thick yellow paper and tied it tightly with thin hemp rope. When he handed it over, I could smell a faint sweet fragrance.

“This is good, your wife will definitely like it,” Zhou Fang said from the side, adding that he also bought two packs for himself to take back for his wife to try.

Walking further, I saw an old lady tending a stove, making and selling a kind of plum blossom cake on the spot.

The molds are shaped like plum blossoms. Pour in the prepared rice batter, add red bean paste filling in the middle, cover with another layer of rice batter, and bake on an iron plate for a while.

When it comes out of the pot, it's steaming hot, golden in color, with slightly charred edges, and decorated with red and green shreds, making it very appealing.

Lu Qingyang bought a few, placed them on oil paper, and took a bite while they were still hot. The crust was slightly crispy, the inside was soft and glutinous, and the red bean paste filling was just the right amount of sweet.

“Bring this to the fish. It’s delicious even when it’s cold. Just heat it up a little in a steamer when you get home,” he said to Zhou Fang.

Zhou Fang also bought some, saying she wanted to bring it to her son.

Then, they were drawn to a stall selling traditional toys.

The stall owner, 놆个꿛艺그, displayed many exquisite bamboo and wooden trinkets: a chicken that nods and pecks at rice, a windmill that spins with a whooshing sound, a bamboo dragonfly, and lifelike grasshoppers and birds.

Lu Qingyang picked up a bamboo dragonfly, rubbed it between his hands, and the propeller flew into the air with a "whoosh," drawing an arc before gently falling back down.

Zhou Fang took a fancy to a set of ingenious Luban locks, where the wooden blocks were tightly interlocked and required some thought to unlock.

"I'm getting this for my son, so he won't run around all day and can exercise his brain," he said with a smile.

Finally, they stopped in front of an old shop selling Noji silk products.

Several silk scarves hung in the shop window, with elegant patterns. They were not the bright, large floral patterns commonly seen on the market, but rather had ink-wash style orchid and bamboo rock patterns, or elegant checks and stripes.

He went inside, carefully selected a square handkerchief, and finally chose one with a moon-white background and a few sparse ink bamboo strokes on it. It was smooth and delicate to the touch and had a warm luster.

"Comrade, you have a good eye. This old factory uses plant-based dyes, so the colors are long-lasting and beautiful. They look elegant with any clothes." The shop owner, an older woman, spoke softly.

Lu Qingyang nodded and asked her to wrap it up.

After completing the purchase, both families carried quite a few items.

Back in his hotel room, Lu Qingyang took out the items he had bought and began to organize them.

Gather the food together, ready to eat on the way or take it home as soon as possible; carefully put away toys and scarves to avoid wrinkling.