At noon, the blazing sun poured down relentlessly on the bluestone pavement of Xinghua Lane. The slate was so hot it looked like it could fry an egg. Even the moss that usually grew tenaciously at the base of the wall had curled up into thin curls, as if helplessly trying to escape the unbearable heat. Su Jinli gently lifted the hem of her moon-white skirt and walked lightly down the alley. The pearl flower ornaments on her temples swayed slightly with her steps, reflecting a delicate yet dazzling light like twinkling stars. The newly planted jasmine in her hair, exuding a delicate fragrance, was squeezed precariously by the crowd, seemingly ready to fall at any moment.
The sweet and sour aroma wafts from the candied haws stall at the alley entrance. The rich flavor, like an invisible hand, gently tantalizes the taste buds, making one's mouth water. From further down the alley, the sweet aroma of maltose wafts like a gentle ribbon, intertwining with the sweet and sour flavor of the candied haws, permeating the air and becoming increasingly rich, tingling the tip of one's tongue and stirring one's longing.
"Make way, please!" Su Jinli struggled to squeeze past a group of mischievous children gathered in front of the sugar painting stall. As if under a spell, the children gathered tightly together, chattering and boisterous. A little girl with pigtails accidentally tugged on Su Jinli's hair, causing her to gasp in pain. But she paid no attention, only thinking about squeezing to the sugar painting stall as quickly as possible. Finally, she made it to the inner circle. The bubbling sugar juice in the copper cauldron danced joyfully, splashing tiny golden beads. The amber light reflected on the moon-white sleeves of the chef and illuminated the phoenix tail feathers freshly painted on the slate, as if the phoenix was about to take flight.
"Young Master Jiang?" Su Jinli looked in wonder at the figure crouched on a low stool, absorbed in his sugar painting. Jiang Yan's rolled-up sleeves revealed traces of pale blue ink on his forearm, like the still-wet fragments of a verse from the Book of Songs, radiating an air of elegance. He skillfully swirled the copper spoon, his wrist pivoting smoothly. Sugar dripped from the spoon's edge like molten gold, quickly forming translucent, delicate patterns on the bluestone slab, as if telling a beautiful, ancient story.
Hearing Su Jinli's call, Jiang Yan raised his head, and a little sugar residue was inadvertently stained on his forehead. The sunlight passed through the steaming heat, like a layer of dreamy gauze, coating his eyelashes with a layer of gold powder, making him look even more handsome and extraordinary. "Miss Su." He narrowed his eyes slightly, and the corners of his eyes curved into a beautiful crescent shape. With a slight turn of his wrist, the last drop of sugar juice fell accurately on the tip of the phoenix's outstretched wings, as if injecting the last soul into this phoenix that was about to take off. "You've come at the right time, how about trying this phoenix that has just been reborn?" His voice was filled with a smile, like a spring breeze, gently brushing Su Jinli's heart.
The sugar painting gradually cooled on the stone slab and turned into a translucent sheet. The lines of the tail feathers were as thin as gossamer, but clearly visible. Under the light, they shone with iridescent light, which was magnificent. Su Jinli looked at the sugar stains on Jiang Yan's fingertips, and her thoughts could not help but drift back to the glass cups she had seen at the palace banquet in her previous life. Although the glass cups were gorgeous and exquisite, they always felt like something was missing. However, the sweet sugar painting in front of her, with a worldly atmosphere, seemed to have a unique charm that was even more dazzling. "Jiang Zhuangyuan has such skills?" She tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of curiosity and surprise.
"It's just a way to make a living while studying," Jiang Yan said as he gently lifted the phoenix sugar painting with a bamboo stick. The sugar threads stretched out almost invisible strands of light, like threads in a dream. "Back in the day, outside the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, I used this skill to exchange for three dou of rice for pens and ink." He smiled and handed the sugar painting to Su Jinli. When his fingertips brushed against her palm, the warm touch was like the plucking of a zither string. Su Jinli retracted her hand like a frightened deer, accidentally bumping into the child behind her.
"Top scholar! Draw me a dragon!" The little girl with pigtails held up the copper coin high in the air and jumped excitedly. The red hairband in her hair happily brushed across the back of Jiang Yan's hand.
Jiang Yan agreed with a smile, and then handed the copper spoon to Su Jinli with a hint of expectation in his eyes: "Miss Su, are you willing to give it a try?"
The copper spoon felt slightly hot in her hand, and the sugar swirls gently at the bottom, reflecting Su Jinli's hesitant face. In her previous life at the palace, she couldn't even hold an embroidery frame steady. Now, gripping the scalding copper, her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. "I'm afraid..." She bit her lower lip lightly, a hint of fear in her voice.
"Don't be afraid." Jiang Yan immediately stood up, walked around the copper stove, and gently stood behind her. His left hand gently placed on the back of her hand holding the spoon. His palm was dry and warm, with a mixed scent of ink and sweet sugar. That scent was like a brocade quilt warmed by the sun in the Suiyu Pavilion, making people feel extremely reassured. "Keep your wrist steady and follow your feeling." His voice was low and gentle, like the beautiful notes played by the strings of a guitar. "Look, first draw the dragon head..."
Su Jinli held her breath, letting Jiang Yan guide her hand slowly. The sugar syrup slowly dripped onto the stone slab. It should have formed into a proud dragon, but with a sudden twitch of her fingertips, it twisted into a wiggly earthworm shape. The children's good-natured laughter erupted in the surroundings, clear and melodious, echoing through the alley like silver bells. Su Jinli's cheeks instantly burned hot, and she felt so ashamed that she just wanted to throw this failed sugar painting into the copper furnace. However, Jiang Yan gently held her wrist.
"Don't throw it away." Jiang Yan picked up his freshly drawn phoenix sugar painting and slowly spun it in the sunlight. The shadow of its tail feathers fell on the tip of Su Jinli's nose, as if a real phoenix were dancing before her eyes. "How about we trade?" His eyes were full of smiles, as if this "earthworm" sugar painting had a unique charm.
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