Chapter 321 It’s the end of the year, so busy
It is almost the end of the year and all departments are very busy. After all, a year has passed and a lot of things need to be summarized and counted.
The harvest and expenditure information in all parts of the country must be registered and audited.
Those who need to plug the gaps need to plug the gaps, those who need to settle the accounts need to settle the accounts, or those who want to apply for imperial funding next year should take advantage of this time.
There are also year-end benefits for officials and other expenses.
All of these are under the charge of the Ministry of Revenue, which is so busy that sparks are about to fly.
Even when we were too busy to handle everything, we had to borrow people from other departments.
Officials from all over the country were also preparing to return to the capital to report on their work and to begin arranging the year-end assessment of officials, so the Ministry of Personnel was also very busy.
As the year draws to a close, case summaries from all over the country are submitted to the capital, so the Ministry of Justice is naturally busy.
Needless to say, the Ministry of Rites is responsible for various sacrificial rituals at the end of the year.
The construction of the greenhouse requires the active cooperation of the Ministry of Industry, so the Ministry of Industry has become busy.
Only the Ministry of War is slightly less busy, but every year when the weather gets cold, there are always some frictions at the border, so they are actually not very idle.
Shen Zhaonian shamelessly borrowed money from people every day, and even set his sights on his own son at one point.
But other departments are also very busy and they also want to borrow people from other departments.
Shen Zhaonian has been very busy these days. After working for several days in a row, he finally finished the work at hand.
Today happened to be a day off, and he didn't want to go anywhere. He just wanted to have a good rest at home for a day.
Zhou looked at the two big dark circles under Shen Zhaonian's eyes and felt a little distressed.
"Didn't I tell you to sleep a little longer? Why are you up now? You don't have to be on duty today."
Shen Zhaonian smiled and said, "Why do you need to sleep for so long? Too much is as bad as too little. Just get enough rest."
He slept until he woke up naturally. Compared with the previous period, he slept longer today.
Besides, sleeping too much is not good.
Seeing that Shen Zhaonian looked quite energetic, Zhou stopped talking.
"That's perfect. I'm going to have breakfast with Zheng'er. You can come too."
A smile appeared in Shen Zhaonian's eyes: "Okay. You go first, I'll go over after I wash up."
During the day off, don’t go anywhere, just stay at home with your family, this is the real rest.
Zhou nodded and turned to leave.
Shen Zhaonian had just finished washing up when he heard a servant come to report that Lord Huang had arrived.
He frowned slightly, Sir Huang?
A few days ago, Sinong Temple planted a lot of potted vegetables, and they grew quite well.
Emperor Jingning was very pleased and praised the Sinong Temple and Mr. Huang, the Minister of Sinong, at the morning court.
Since then, Mr. Huang has visited the Shen Mansion from time to time with potted vegetables.
The excuse was to find Chen Huazheng to exchange experiences on growing potted vegetables, and to learn and discuss.
But Shen Zhaonian accidentally discovered that he always seemed to show up at mealtime.
It seems that learning and discussion are secondary, and eating for free is the main purpose.
Mr. Huang is Shen Huazheng’s superior, and he is a nice guy.
Shen Zhaonian didn't really care whether he was eating for free or not.
Moreover, every time Mr. Huang came, he would always give some vegetable potted plants that were growing well.
Just thinking about how busy everyone is and how they all have dark circles under their eyes.
Shen Zhaonian felt a little unhappy that Lord Huang, the Minister of Agriculture, was so idle.
But then again, that’s all the work that Sinong Temple does throughout the year.
Although various statistical work still needs to be done at the end of the year, such as food reserves and statistics of various accounts.
They also had to cooperate with the Ministry of Rites to supply firewood, charcoal, geese, ducks and other supplies to meet the needs of sacrifices, court meetings and banquets for guests.
But compared with other departments, it is still much easier.
If I had known that we were short of people, I would have borrowed some from Sinong Temple.
However, there will be even busier times in the future, so I will just borrow people from them then.
*
While Shen Zhaonian was secretly thinking of a bad idea, he came to the hall and saw Mr. Huang... and his potted plants.
When he saw Shen Zhaonian, Mr. Huang became even happier and looked full of enthusiasm, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
He smiled and picked up a pot of chili peppers, holding it in front of Shen Zhaonian and Shen Huazheng like he was presenting a treasure.
"Master Shen, Little Master Shen, how do you think the peppers are doing?"
In fact, Shen Zhaonian guessed wrong this time. Mr. Huang did not come here to eat for free. He really came to discuss and learn with Shen Huazheng.
When Emperor Jingning praised him in front of all the officials at the morning court, Lord Huang was so excited that he lost his mind and almost fainted.
In Mr. Huang's view, this is undoubtedly a great recognition of his work ability.
After working in the Sino-Agricultural Temple for many years, this was the first time he felt so clearly the appreciation and respect of Emperor Jingning.
Mr. Huang now feels joy from the bottom of his heart every day when he goes on duty, as if he has found the dreams and passion he had when he was young again.
He is now very proactive in all matters that can promote agricultural production, and sometimes he immediately sets out to do something once he has an idea.
Occasionally appearing at the Shen Mansion at dinner time is just a coincidence.
The pepper potted plant looks small and cute, yet full of vitality.
Today is a day off, and Mr. Huang specially selected a few pots and brought them over, wanting Shen Huazheng to take a look.
Shen Huazheng took the potted pepper plant from Mr. Huang and looked at it carefully.
The peppers in the pot have dense and compact branches and leaves, and the leaves are slender and smooth, exuding a healthy luster.
The emerald green leaves and the small red, orange, or purple peppers dotted in between look rich and bright in color, giving people a strong visual impact.
Shen Huazheng looked at the grown peppers again. The pepper fruits had different shapes, some were slender and conical, and some were round and full like small lanterns.
The peppers are not ripe yet. When they are ripe, the color of the fruit will gradually deepen and eventually become brighter and more vivid.
It not only gives people a sense of joy of harvest, but also makes people feel the vitality.
Shen Huazheng nodded: "She looks pretty good."
Shen Zhaonian also made one or two symbolic comments such as "it is growing well" and "it looks exquisite".
Shen Huazheng thought about it and explained some precautions.
For example, maintain ventilation, avoid water accumulation, and reduce diseases.
You can also rinse the leaves with warm water to avoid infestation by pests such as aphids.
Mr. Huang wrote down everything Shen Huazheng said, and asked a few questions from time to time.
Shen Huazheng looked at the potted peppers in front of her and suddenly thought of the wolfberries she had grown.
"Master Huang, I'll show you the wolfberries I planted later."
"Let's go now."
When Mr. Huang heard this, he immediately put down the chili pepper and looked like he was about to get up.
Shen Huazheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but there was no need to be so anxious.
Shen Zhaonian also advised: "Master Huang probably hasn't had breakfast yet. If you don't mind, you can have breakfast at the Shen residence today. After breakfast, how about going to see the wolfberries?"
When he heard the word "breakfast", Mr. Huang realized that he had rushed to someone else's house as soon as he got up and even forgot to have breakfast.
As if in response, his stomach growled at the right moment.
Mr. Huang blushed and said, "Sorry to bother you then."
Shen Huazheng waved her hand: “It’s just a breakfast, it’s nothing.”
Shen Zhaonian was also trying to hold back his laughter. Seeing how obsessed he was, he must have really come to Zheng'er to exchange ideas on growing vegetables.
However, the next time the Ministry of Revenue is busy, he will go to the Sinong Temple without hesitation to borrow people.
*
The breakfast for the Shen family today is hand-pulled pancakes and fish and bamboo shoot porridge.
Chen Huazheng pointed at the food on the table and introduced: "This is a hand-pulled pancake, and this is fish and bamboo shoot porridge."
After a pause, she added, "There are three flavors of hand-pulled pancakes. This one is cucumber and egg flavored, this one is cucumber tenderloin, and this one is lettuce chicken thigh."
Mr. Huang looked at the tempting golden and layered hand-pulled pancakes, and smelled the porridge aroma lingering at his nose.
Although they looked like just ordinary cakes and porridge, Lord Huang felt that the greed deep in his heart could no longer be suppressed and burst out.
He swallowed, the hunger in his stomach seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.
Shen Zhaonian took the lead in picking up a cucumber and pork tenderloin pancake and opened the oil paper package on it: "Master Huang, you don't have to be polite. Just treat it as your own home."
As he spoke, he took a bite of the pancake.
He liked all three flavors. Today's breakfast was so sumptuous, it must have been specially prepared by his wife and daughter.
He had to enjoy it well and not let them down.
The crust looks soft, but when you bite it, you can clearly feel the crispness of the crust, and it also has a slight toughness.
After the crispy feeling, the tip of the tongue keenly captures the rich flour aroma emanating from the pancake.
After swallowing, the fragrance still remains between the lips and teeth for a long time.
Shen Zhaonian only bit the crust of the pie with his first bite, and did not taste the cucumber and pork tenderloin wrapped inside.
So he took another big bite of the pancake.
This time, Shen Zhaonian finally bit into the filling.
The tenderloin is fried crispy on the outside, and the juicy meat inside meets the crispy and refreshing cucumber slices, making the taste instantly richer.
The tenderloin is marinated to perfection, and the cucumber helps to relieve the greasiness, making the aroma of the meat and oil more prominent.
As you chew, the fresh sweetness of the cucumber and the deliciousness and tenderness of the pork tenderloin complement each other, and the crispy outside and chewy inside of the crust perfectly interprets the deliciousness of the hand-pulled pancake.
Crisp, fragrant, refreshing, crunchy, tender, smooth...all kinds of flavors intertwined in the mouth, giving people endless surprises.
Just as Shen Zhaonian started eating the scallion pancake, Mr. Huang also picked up a cucumber and egg scallion pancake.
Although the one wrapped with tenderloin and chicken thighs would taste better, he was used to eating light meals in the morning.
The scorching temperature passed through the oil paper to his fingertips. Mr. Huang could no longer hold back. He brought the pancake to his mouth and took a big bite.
The crust is layered, fluffy and chewy, crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
There are cucumber slices, eggs, and some sweet and spicy sauce in the middle.
When you take a bite, the sauce inside will ooze out.
The cucumber is refreshing and the eggs are fragrant and smooth.
These two flavors, when mixed with sweet and spicy sauce, give people a completely different taste experience.
As you chew it, the sweet, salty and spicy flavors intertwine in your mouth without conflicting with each other. Instead, they create a unique delicious taste.
Mr. Huang ate the pancake in his hand bite by bite, and was extremely satisfied.
Shen Huazheng ate the one with chicken thigh meat. The freshly made hand-pulled pancakes were as thin as paper, with thousands of layers.
The chicken thigh meat inside is tightly wrapped in the crust, locking in the juice and flavor.
Take a bite and you will find the noodles are golden and crispy on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside.
As the pastry is bitten open, the chicken juice inside seeps into the pastry, making the pastry more fragrant, soft and tasty.
The chicken thigh meat is firm, plump, tender and juicy.
The presence of lettuce makes the whole taste fresher and balances the greasiness brought by the chicken and the crust.
If you taste it carefully, you will find a refreshing aftertaste.
It was simply amazing, and my taste buds were instantly awakened.
As you chew, the sweetness of the lettuce and the tenderness of the chicken thighs blend well together. Coupled with the crispiness and elasticity of the crust, they penetrate into the tip of your tongue little by little, dancing happy notes on your taste buds.
People will unconsciously indulge in this feast of taste.
After Mr. Huang finished his scallion pancake, he picked up the spoon and stirred the porridge in the bowl.
At first, he thought it was just an ordinary bowl of porridge.
But at this time, Mr. Huang discovered that the ingredients in this bowl of porridge were unexpectedly sufficient.
The delicate and fragrant rice porridge is interspersed with tender yellow bamboo shoots, and is wrapped with scallops, snail meat, peanuts, white beans, soybeans and other ingredients.
When Mr. Huang took a sip of the warm porridge, he couldn't help but be stunned.
The smooth and fluffy porridge base is topped with minced fish, shredded bamboo shoots and fresh snail meat.
There are also the soft and sweet taste of peanuts, white beans, and soybeans...
The taste is rich and distinct, the porridge is really fragrant and delicious.
Chen Huazheng also scooped up a spoonful of fish porridge with a spoon and put it into her mouth.
The dense and fragrant porridge slides into the mouth, like a silent drizzle that moistens everything, invading every part of the mouth.
Each ingredient in the porridge has its own function, and the salty, fresh and sweet fragrance instantly blooms on the tip of your tongue.
Bamboo shoots are the most delicious of all vegetables and have always been praised by scholars and literati.
The Book of Songs mentions: "What is the sound? Only the sound of bamboo shoots and cattails."
As Mr. Lin Yutang said in his book The Art of Living: "Meat borrows the freshness of bamboo shoots, and bamboo shoots are delicious because of meat."
Although bamboo shoots taste delicious, they are a bit greasy.
Chen Huazheng likes to eat bamboo shoots very much, whether they are delicate bamboo shoots, sweet bamboo shoots or bitter bamboo shoots.
But she doesn't like to eat bamboo shoots alone, instead she likes to eat them cooked with meat.
But compared to stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat or braised meat, Shen Huazheng still prefers fish and bamboo shoot porridge.
Winter bamboo shoots are more tender and delicious than spring bamboo shoots, and it is best to use them to cook fish porridge at this time.
This porridge may seem simple, but it actually hides a lot of little thoughts.
First use minced fish and seafood porridge as the porridge base, then add white beans, soybeans, and peanuts.
Add tangerine peel to enhance the flavor, and finally add bamboo shoots and simmer for at least two hours.
Fish and various seafood ingredients add a fresh and sweet flavor to the porridge, and the addition of bamboo shoots makes it even more fresh.
The healthy beans can effectively neutralize the cold properties of bamboo shoots, while the tangerine peel removes the fishy smell of fish.
A seemingly ordinary bowl of porridge contains a lot of wisdom from our ancestors.
Mr. Huang took a bite of cake and a mouthful of porridge and ate them with gusto.
Shen Zhaonian quickly finished two hand-pulled pancakes and joined the group eating porridge.
The three of them ate the delicious breakfast quietly. The warmth flowed from the tip of their tongue to their throat, and then into their stomach. Their stomachs felt warm, and even their hearts felt warm.
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