"What, the noodles are all ready?"
As Yunling spoke, she looked into the kitchen and saw Tang Ling kneading dough. Then she heard Lu Yinghuai whisper in her ear:
"She said I didn't do it well and told me to go outside."
Yunling thought that Lu Yinghuai was probably the one who took the blame for her, and she felt both lucky and amused. Naturally, she didn't dare to go into the kitchen again, so she could only stay outside.
But now that it was just the two of them outside, Yunling felt uneasy again. She couldn't help but regret why she had finished washing up so quickly. Wouldn't it have been better to dawdle a little longer or take a nap?
Yunling's mind was racing, her legs wobbling unconsciously, her gaze wandering. She inadvertently caught sight of Lu Yinghuai staring at her, and her face instantly felt hot.
"You...you stop staring at me."
"You caught me!"
Lu Yinghuai's direct admission made Yunling feel as if she had drunk the strongest hot wine, tipsy, her face and heart burning. She glanced at him absentmindedly, then immediately touched her earlobe and looked into the kitchen, muttering:
"I told you to stop staring at me, but you still keep staring. You're shameless."
Lu Yinghuai heard Yun Ling's words clearly, and leaned forward to take in the person in front of him completely, asking softly:
Why can't I just stare at you?
"Then why are you staring at me?"
"You know why I'm staring at you."
Yunling blinked rapidly, avoiding eye contact with Lu Yinghuai's shamelessness. She knew? How could she know?
Fortunately, Tang Ling brought out the basilica shortly afterward, bringing an end to this tug-of-war.
Pei Lin, smelling the aroma, yawned and walked out of the room. Gangzi and Zifu, stretching and shoving each other, also walked into the kitchen.
Everyone gathered around the table, each person serving themselves a bowl of steamed buns, which they ate warmly, thus beginning their day.
Yunling had already exhausted herself just getting up early, so she went back to her room for a nap. But once she started sleeping, she slept all day. When Tang Ling woke her up near dusk, she was still a little reluctant.
After getting ready, everyone boarded a carriage and headed to Fanlou. Since they had booked a table well in advance, they were able to go straight to the top-floor private room and take their seats.
This private room is also slightly open, allowing easy views of the scenery below and in the distance, including the twinkling lights of the imperial city.
Yunling once again marveled at the bustling prosperity of Bianjing. After the tea and wine master served the tea and wine and left, she asked softly:
"Does the Imperial Palace also celebrate New Year's Eve like we do?"
If this is a topic of discussion, Pei Lin is quite knowledgeable about it. He felt that since Yun Ling would be a member of the Pei family in the future, it wouldn't be a bad thing for her to learn more about the affairs of the powerful and wealthy. So he took a sip of tea and began to speak eloquently:
"The palace is quite lively today. The grand exorcism ceremony alone has more than a thousand participants, including those dressed as generals, door gods, judges, Zhong Kui, the Earth God, the Kitchen God, and so on."
"They danced and performed exorcisms during the ceremony, driving away evil spirits and plagues in the palace, all the way to Zhuanlong Bay outside Nanxun Gate, where they 'buried evil spirits,' and only then was the ceremony considered complete."
"At night, firecrackers will sound one after another in the palace. The sound is so loud that even people who live far away can hear it. Our Fanlou can also join in the fun."
Yunling learned something and became more curious about the grand exorcism ceremony, but that was all she was curious about. If she were really asked to go to the palace, it would probably be more painful than having her arms and legs broken.
As night falls, lights and candles are lit everywhere, presumably because people stay up all night to welcome the New Year. Every household lights candles, creating a scene resembling a myriad of lights from afar.
The dishes were served quickly, and the first dish was a spring platter.
Yunling looked at the chives, rapeseed, coriander, garlic, and scallions on the plate, and subconsciously leaned back.
Lu Yinghuai immediately pushed the spring platter in front of Pei Lin.
"I told you, she doesn't like it."
"What's wrong? This is a spring platter, which can ward off illness and disaster, and bring peace and good fortune. Paired with mellow Tusu wine, it's incredibly delightful. Little Lazy Ling, you just don't understand."
"Hey, I said before that you couldn't eat coriander, you eat it, you eat one."
"It's just coriander, I'll just pick it out. I should have put the scallion shreds on the counter earlier, scallions are so delicious."
"Which scallion tastes better? Coriander is definitely superior."
Zi Fu's words made Yun Ling's eyes light up; she was so excited, it was as if she had found a long-lost brother or sister.
"Right, right? I always said that coriander tastes the best. Scallion strips always feel weird. Taking a bite is like eating the slime on the surface of an eel. It's hard to put your mouth on."
"But eating too much coriander..."
The moment the mention of coriander and scallions was made, the deadlock was quickly broken. Everyone expressed their opinions, determined to fight for their favorites. Amid the argument, the second dish, oven-roasted chicken, was served.
Pei Lin immediately picked out the chicken leg that had been cut in half and put it in Yun Ling's bowl. Gangzi then picked out the chicken neck and put it in Yun Ling's bowl. Lu Yinghuai was far away from this dish, and seeing that they had all put it in Yun Ling's bowl, he reluctantly took a sip of tea.
Gangzi picked up a piece of chicken breast, put it in his mouth, and said:
"This chicken tastes best when it's baked in mud. The ones I had with my boss last time were so salty and fragrant, I really miss them."
Tang Ling continued:
“My aunt said that people in Yuecheng like to boil chicken in water, which makes the chicken meat very tender and smooth, and even the chicken skin is crispy and chewy.”
"If you want to eat chicken, you can go to that little eatery in Sweetwater Lane. That eatery specializes in chicken feed. They will divide the chicken into several parts and cook them, including the chicken's internal organs, which can also be used to make dishes. Chicken roe is also a very popular dish."
Yunling felt this method was somewhat familiar, but before she could think further, she noticed that Lu Yinghuai's bowl was empty, so she quickly reached out and put two pieces of chicken in his bowl.
"Don't be picky about food, have something to eat."
Lu Yinghuai was delighted, but Pei Lin was extremely jealous. He immediately pushed the roasted chicken towards Lu Yinghuai to prevent him from playing the victim and gaining Yun Ling's sympathy.
As he pushed aside the roasted chicken, another dish, steamed lamb in a bowl, was brought to the table, its rich aroma filling the air. Following that were appetizing and tempting mandarin fish, tender and crispy pan-fried tofu, fresh and delicious Yuanxiu vegetables, and a flatbread made with fish and shrimp strips.
There is also a bowl of auspicious rice and water, and finally a plate of persimmons and oranges, topped with some cypress branches.
Yunling, out of curiosity, asked:
"Are you serving us digestive fruits so soon?"
Lu Yinghuai responded first:
"This one is called Baishiji."
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