Chapter 98 The 98th Inn's New Year's Eve Dinner
Yunyin sat down and beckoned to Yinshuang, saying, "Yinshuang, have some candy. I wonder if it suits your taste."
Yinshuang picked up a piece of sesame candy, took a small bite, savored it carefully, and nodded, saying, "It tastes good, almost the same as what I ate when I was a child."
Yunyin knew about Yinshuang's situation and had no intention of stirring up her sadness. She smiled slightly and said, "I'm glad you like it. I've made a lot, so you can eat more." She paused for a moment and then said, "I came to thank you. Thank you for teaching those children to read."
After finishing a piece of candy, Yinshuang wiped her lips and said, "It's nothing. I just have a lot of free time, so I casually taught them a few words and some etiquette so they can handle receiving guests more easily in the future."
Yunyin shook her head and said, "Even teaching them just a few words is a great achievement, let alone teaching them etiquette. I don't know how to thank you enough."
She thought about how, during the time Yinshuang had been here, she not only brought wealthy ladies to visit, but also helped her grow flowers, and now she was even teaching those children to read.
Yunyin looked at Yinshuang carefully, and for the first time, she had the thought of keeping her. "What are your plans for the future, Lady Yinshuang?"
Yinshuang looked up at Yunyin and met her clear eyes. Seeing that she didn't intend to send her away, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "If my wife doesn't mind, I'd like to stay here. I wonder if this will cause you any trouble."
Thinking of the money Lu Xuan had given her, Yunyin gritted her teeth and said, "No, if you like this place, you can stay here. You don't need to worry about your retirement. I'm planning to build a house, and I'll give you a room then." As for the money Lu Xuan had given her, she could only return it to him. Compared to those ten taels of gold, she felt that Yinshuang was more worthy.
Upon hearing this, Yinshuang smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, my lady."
After learning of Yinshuang's plan, Yunyin felt relieved and said to her, "Since you're staying, I'll naturally pay you your wages, just like Zhang Lin and the others, 500 coins a month. As for the fee for playing music, I'll still give it to you separately. I won't accept any tips from the customers either. What do you think?"
Yinshuang rose and bowed, saying, "Thank you."
Yunyin helped her up and smiled, "No need to thank me, it's what you deserve. You also helped me teach those children, so I have to thank you." Actually, Yunyin could teach them, but she was already very busy and couldn't find the time. Even teaching them martial arts was done in the mornings, and she would teach them slowly after they had mastered the basics.
Moreover, since Fu Wang said he would find some children suitable for martial arts training for her, she doesn't need to teach them too many complicated martial arts; as long as they have the ability to protect themselves, that's enough.
The Laba Festival passed quickly. During this time, everyone was busy preparing for the New Year, and no one came to the inn to eat. She also stopped making breakfast and dinner. Only occasionally would some people who had bought things to take back come to eat lunch. There weren't many people, so Feng Hai could still make a meal.
As the New Year approaches, the festive atmosphere grows stronger. A few days before the New Year, they did another thorough cleaning, washing the inn inside and out.
On New Year's Eve, she got up early and put on her new clothes, which were made of the fur that Fu Wang had given her. Wearing these clothes, she felt very warm and didn't feel that it was still winter.
Fu Wang was also wearing the same clothes as her. Yun Yin looked at her clothes, smiled and greeted him, "Fu Wang, Happy New Year."
Fu Wang smiled and said to her, "Ayin, Happy New Year."
Feng Hai had already prepared breakfast. After eating, Yunyin pasted the paper cuttings she had bought on the doors and windows. When Zheng Guilan saw this, she said to Yunyin, "Wife, if you want to do paper cutting next time, you can buy red paper and we can cut it ourselves. It's too expensive to buy it outside."
After Yunyin finished pasting up a "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character, she asked Zheng Guilan, "You can do this too?"
Zheng Guilan smiled shyly and said, "I can handle simple characters. I know a little about characters like 'happiness' and 'fortune.' Although I can't cut as many patterns as my wife bought, it's still alright."
Yunyin looked at the adorned "Fu" character and smiled, "Alright then, when you and Zhang Lin get married, I'll give you the 'Xi' character."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Guilan blushed and lowered her head, not daring to look at her. Seeing this, Yunyin teased, "This is a good thing, we should share in your joy." After thinking for a moment, she said, "I told Zhang Lin that you two can get married after I finish building the house, so that you will have a place to live in the future."
Zheng Guilan looked up at Yunyin with sparkling eyes, unable to contain her excitement. She couldn't hold back any longer and knelt down to kowtow, saying, "We have no way to repay your great kindness, Madam. We will do whatever you say in the future and will never let you down."
Yunyin quickly stepped forward to help her up, saying, "Get up. I still trust you all."
After finishing the paper cutting, Yunyin also hung the peach wood charms she had bought under the eaves of the main gate. In addition to the main gate, the other rooms also needed to be decorated with them to ward off evil spirits and pray for good fortune in the coming year. It was a very auspicious and blessing-filled gesture.
Although Yunyin didn't believe in these things, she still hung peach charms on every door, just like inserting mugwort during the Dragon Boat Festival and pasting couplets during the New Year. These are all customs, and Yunyin followed the local customs.
After finishing all that, Yunyin noticed that Fu Wang had dragged back a large bundle of bamboo. When he saw her looking over, he smiled and said, "I saw that you hadn't prepared any bamboo, so I went to the forest and cut some down. I'll throw it into the brazier to burn in a bit."
Looking at the chopped bamboo and seeing Ma Hao and the others preparing the brazier, Yunyin realized that the firecrackers of Dazhao were actually made by burning bamboo.
Bamboo is hollow, and when heated, the gas inside expands, eventually causing the bamboo to burst and make a crackling sound, not unlike firecrackers. She smiled and said, "It's a good thing you went to cut it; I hadn't even thought about it."
Fu Wang threw down the bamboo, wiped his hands, and said, "This is nothing. You can burn some later to bless you with peace and good fortune next year."
Yunyin looked at the fresh bamboo on the ground and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, I want to play."
With a crackling sound, the bamboo slowly began to burn. Other people who were working gathered around to burn bamboo together, and the courtyard became lively. The children's laughter and Ma Hao's conversation made the place less quiet.
After Yunyin finished burning the bamboo, she washed her hands and went back to prepare lunch before it was completely burned. Feng Hai had been waiting for her since early morning. When he saw her coming over, he quickly said, "Wife, let's start preparing now."
The New Year's Eve dinner is very important. Even in her previous life when Yunyin was all alone, she would still cook a delicious meal and not be perfunctory. She would be even less so here.
Although the people of Dazhao place great importance on staying up all night on New Year's Eve, they also prepare some delicious food on this day, and the family gathers together to enjoy the food and welcome the New Year.
Yunyin was, after all, a person from the future, and she valued the New Year's Eve dinner very much. She had prepared for this meal many days in advance. She had prepared a lot of meatballs that were needed for the New Year, which could be eaten simply by heating them up. In addition to meatballs, braised pork and steamed pork with rice flour were also indispensable.
She prepared a large steamer specifically for steaming these things.
Fish and shrimp are essential dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner. Since Fu Wang loves fish, she prepared a lot of them. Fish symbolizes abundance year after year, and shrimp symbolizes continuous advancement. She prepared four dishes just for these two ingredients.
She made the steamed fish and squirrel fish that were very popular at the inn this time. Braised shrimp and stir-fried shrimp were also indispensable. Yunyin and Feng Hai prepared these dishes, and Fu Wang was not idle either, helping her out. He was not very good at cooking, but he had no problem chopping vegetables.
Besides the three of them busy in the kitchen, the others were also busy. Fang He helped carve various flowers and animals for plating, Fang Tang and others followed Zheng Guilan to wash and pick vegetables, and even Ma Hao and the others were busy kneading and fermenting dough with Zhang Lin. For a time, the kitchen was bustling with activity.
Yunyin had stored up a lot of dried vegetables before, and now was the perfect time to use them. She took a handful of dried green beans and soaked them, planning to stew them with pork belly to make a braised pork with green beans dish that would be both delicious and appetizing.
She also soaked the wood ear mushrooms and smoked bamboo shoots, and took the tofu from the well to make Mapo Tofu. With the chili peppers, she could make all of these things. The people in the inn often ate spicy food with her, and they were already quite adept at it.
Of course, light dishes are also essential. Not to mention there are several children, they can't eat all spicy food, so we need to make some light dishes to balance things out. In addition to eight-treasure rice, she also prepared glutinous rice balls and dumplings for the main course. These were all prepared in advance, and now all we need to do is cook them.
They ate a simple lunch and then continued preparing the dishes for dinner. There were a large group of people, all young men, who could eat a lot. If she didn't cook more, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to feed them all.
With help from others, Yunyin and Feng Hai finished quickly, and by the afternoon, before evening, their dishes were ready. Of course, they couldn't eat immediately after the dishes were prepared, as there were still sacrificial rites to be performed.
Yunyin asked them to bring the dishes to the table, serve the rice and pour the wine, set out the tables and chairs, and invite the ancestors to eat together.
We'll all be family from now on, so there's no need to be so reserved. Since we've met by chance, let's all pay respects to our ancestors together and invite them over for a meal. Who knows, they might even become friends in the afterlife!
Fu Wang didn't know if others thought the same way, but he certainly did, so he was very devout and prayed in his heart to Yun Yin's father, telling him that he would take good care of Yun Yin and help him achieve his wish.
After the worship ceremony, Yunyin took the chopsticks off the bowl and distributed the food offered to the ancestors to the children, hoping they could share in the good fortune. She then gave the remaining wine to Fu Wang, and the others took their seats to eat the New Year's Eve dinner together.
Yunyin asked Yinshuang to sit next to her, and Fu Wang's seat was naturally on the other side. After everyone was seated, she poured herself another glass of wine, raised it to everyone and said, "Although I have only known you all for a short year, I consider you all family. I will need your help in the future. If you work hard, I will not treat you unfairly."
"Of course, if we don't have enough fun, I will be fair in rewarding or punishing. I hope we can all be together next year, the year after, and for many years to come."
The group responded in unison, raised their glasses and drank together. Yunyin and Yinshuang drank plum wine, which was fragrant and refreshing with the taste of plums, making it perfect for them. Fu Wang and Ma Hao, on the other hand, drank baijiu (Chinese white liquor), which she had specially bought because she was worried that the men wouldn't be used to plum wine.
Although Yunyin knew that Fu Wang didn't dislike plum wine, she also knew that Fu Wang preferred baijiu. She couldn't afford expensive wine, but ordinary wine was no problem for her. Seeing that they were enjoying their drinks, Yunyin smiled and started eating.
These were all dishes that the restaurant usually makes. They ate very happily. They especially liked the reheated meatballs. This time, Yunyin didn't deep-fry them. She heated them up slightly in the oven, and the skin was baked to a golden brown, making them less greasy. They were fragrant and crispy. When you took a bite, a few drops of oil would come out. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Yunyin ate one after another.
As she was diligently eating the meatballs, Yunyin's bowl suddenly had a rolled pancake filled with roasted duck meat. Seeing Fu Wang withdraw his hand, Yunyin picked up the pancake and said, "Eat some yourself, don't worry about me. I roasted three ducks today, enough for everyone."
The ducks used for roast duck are of high quality, and Yunyin was reluctant to cook them for herself. The ducks she used to make were all sold to diners, and she ate very little of them herself. However, she could occasionally eat a roast duck.
The ducks used for this roast duck were specially purchased from the county. She spent a long time selecting a few, and she plans to cook them during the Spring Festival. Next year, when more ducks are raised in the surrounding villages, she won't have to worry about not having enough ducks, and she won't feel reluctant to part with them.
Fu Wang took the rolled-up pancake that Yunyin had made for him, took a bite, and the crispy duck skin broke in his mouth. The salty sauce in the duck meat was rolled up in the pancake and he ate it in one bite. It was mixed with scallions and was not greasy. In addition, since it was made by Yunyin for him, he found it even more delicious.
He ate slowly, savoring each bite. When Yunyin had already eaten quite a bit, seeing that he was still eating the rolled pancake, she couldn't help but sigh and put another piece of fish on his plate. "You like to eat fish, don't you? I made a lot of fish and shrimp today."
"When Jiang Xiaoyu comes over in the spring to help me raise fish and shrimp, you can eat as much fish as you want."
Fu Wang nodded, a smile unconsciously appearing in his eyes. "Yes, I know. You should eat too."
The two stopped talking and continued to eat the sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, occasionally adding a dish or pouring wine for each other. Not only did the two of them feel the atmosphere was harmonious, but even Yinshuang, who was standing next to them, felt that they were very sweet together.
She downed the plum wine in her glass in one gulp, tears welling in her eyes. But thinking of today as a good day, she forced herself not to cry. She ate the delicious food Yunyin had prepared, chatted with Zheng Guilan from time to time, and helped her take care of the children. Gradually, she began to feel happy. She knew she could spend countless joyful years with them in the future. What more could she ask for?
After a satisfying meal, Yunyin didn't need to clean up the dishes; someone else would do it for her. As darkness fell, she went outside and lit the bonfire she had prepared earlier. Instantly, the courtyard was ablaze with light, as bright as day.
Lighting a bonfire in the courtyard on New Year's Eve is also a custom in Dazhao, symbolizing light and prosperity. Yunyin didn't understand any of this, but she just did as they said. In her first year in Dazhao, she hoped to do everything perfectly.
Looking at the blazing fire, Yunyin thought of Grandma Su in Yunwu Village and Sister Xinxin who gave her the books. She wondered if they were still well. She wished them both eternal peace and health, as their help to her was no less than that of Sister Aman.
The campfire in the yard gradually lit up. Black Bean, who had been tied up in the doghouse, was startled by the bright firelight and kept whimpering. She quickly went over to comfort him and said, "Black Bean, don't be afraid. I'll get you something delicious in a bit."
Hei Dou gradually calmed down under Yun Yin's caresses, lying down and snuggling against her. Yun Yin was amused by Hei Dou's obedient appearance. She rubbed Hei Dou's head vigorously and said with a smile, "I'll go get you some food, you wait here."
On this special occasion of the New Year, Yunyin and the others had a big meal, and Heidou naturally couldn't be left out. Yunyin cooked a lot of chicken for her, and Heidou ate her fill. She also prepared the best bean feed for the two cows in the cowshed. The horses in the stable also had a good meal and are now resting there.
After feeding all the animals in the house, big and small, Yunyin finally had some free time and invited everyone to sit by the tea stove to warm themselves and keep watch.
Yunyin, dressed in thick fur, didn't feel cold. She looked at the others and lit two more braziers, put in charcoal, and asked Zheng Guilan to lead the children to warm themselves by the fire. "Guilan, take them to sit for a while to digest their food. When it gets a little later, take them to bed."
Zheng Guilan helped Fang He sit down and asked Yunyin, "Am I not on night watch?"
Yunyin: "There are so many of us. You take them to sleep first. Children shouldn't stay up late. You should get some rest too."
Zheng Guilan looked at the children, thought about it, and agreed.
After settling the children in, Yunyin sat back down next to Fu Wang, took the tea he offered, took a sip, and said, "We should prepare some milk tea for tonight's night watch. It's a pity that the cow Xia Yan gave us isn't producing much milk lately. If we want to drink milk again next year, we'll have to wait for the cow I bought to produce milk."
Fu Wang shifted his chair, leaning against Yun Yin, and, thinking of the pregnant cow in the cowshed, asked, "Are you looking for someone to help the cow give birth?"
Yunyin: "Yes, I plan to ask Sister Aman later to see if the people who deliver sheep in her area can deliver sheep. If they can't, I'll have to find a veterinarian, and I'll have to go to the county town to find one."
After thinking for a moment, Fu Wang said, "If you like to drink milk, I will ask Madam Luo to buy some milk-producing sheep, so you can have milk whenever you want."
Yunyin let out a breath, "Goat milk has a fishy smell, not as good as cow milk, but we don't mind it when we drink it ourselves. Boiling it with tea leaves can remove some of the smell." She clapped her hands and said, "After the New Year, I'll ask Sister Aman. Raising a sheep myself wouldn't be bad."
After discussing the sheep, the inn fell silent for a moment. Seeing that everyone was getting a little bored, Yinshuang chuckled and said, "Since we all have to keep watch, how about I tell you a story?"
Yunyin looked up at Yinshuang curiously, "Lady Yinshuang, can you also tell stories?"
Yinshuang smiled and said, "I've heard it from others and I've remembered it. If you all have nothing else to do, why don't you listen to me tell you about it? The night is long, and there's still plenty of time."
A glint flashed in Yunyin's eyes, and she said with a smile, "Okay, wait for me a moment, I'll go get some food, and then I'll listen to your storytelling."
She got up and hurried to the kitchen. Seeing this, Fu Wang followed her to the kitchen.
As soon as Yunyin returned to the kitchen, she went to the stove to look at the braised dishes simmering in the pot. She had originally planned to make this dish for today's New Year's Eve dinner, but since she had made too many other dishes, she didn't take it out and planned to save it as a snack.
It's perfect to eat while keeping watch tonight. Yunyin opened the lid of the pot, and a fragrant aroma wafted out. She took a deep breath and saw Fu Wang come in. She called to him, "Come here quickly. You haven't tried it yet. This braised dish with chili peppers tastes completely different from the ones I made before."
In Yunyin's opinion, braised dishes with and without chili peppers taste completely different. She likes spicy flavor, so this time she mainly made spicy dishes. One pot is filled with meat, and another pot is filled with vegetables.
Yunyin scooped some of the food from the two pots, slicing the pork and mutton into pieces, and cutting the chicken feet, duck feet, chicken legs, and duck legs into chunks. She then took a large chicken leg from the pot and handed it to Fu Wang: "Have a chicken leg first."
Yunyin took a chicken wing and started eating. Compared to the meatier chicken and duck legs, she preferred the wings and feet, which had little meat. Unfortunately, a chicken or duck only has two feet and a wing, so she couldn't make too many chicken feet and duck feet, unlike in modern times when you can buy feet and wings separately, which are cheaper.
However, Yunyin wasn't upset. This pot contained not only chicken legs and duck legs, but also duck carcasses, duck heads, and duck necks. She gave all the chicken breast to Heidou, and braised everything else she could. There was also pork belly, pig's trotters, and pig's ears. There was plenty to eat. She didn't necessarily have to have chicken feet; pig's trotters and pig's ears were also delicious.
Yunyin cooked a large pot of lotus root in the vegetarian hot pot. Lotus root is plentiful this season, and it tastes good when braised. She picked out several plump lotus roots and quickly sliced them.
Seeing that Fu Wang was enjoying his food, Yunyin tilted her head back and asked him, "How does it taste?"
Fu Wang swallowed the food in his mouth, nodded and praised, "Delicious, even more flavorful than the braised meat I had last time. This chili is really a good thing."
Yunyin smiled and said, “So you helped me find the chili seeds, you have no idea how happy I am. Besides, chili peppers can not only be used to make braised dishes, but also to stir-fry. You’ve had my stir-fried bamboo shoots and cured pork, right? I added dried chili peppers to it, which added a bit of spiciness to the dish, making it even more appetizing than the soy sauce flavor.”
Fu Wang nodded: "It really goes well with rice, and chili peppers are also good for dispelling cold. Jiannan Road is very humid and damp. In the past, everyone used dogwood, but you can't use too much of that. If you use too much, it will taste bitter and the dish won't taste good. I think this chili pepper is good except for being spicy. I'll plant more with you next year."
After Yunyin finished cutting and packing the lotus root, she nodded repeatedly and said, "No problem, let's plant more. Maybe the other sisters-in-law will want to plant some too. Sister Qian gave me a lot of vegetable seeds before, so we should give them some of this good stuff."
Speaking of dispelling dampness, Yunyin remembered that she had a book on medicinal cuisine. She had been busy with opening the shop and hadn't used the book much. She remembered that Poria cocos was a good herb for dispelling dampness, and there was a pastry in the medicinal cuisine made with Poria cocos. Thinking that Fu Wang had been injured before, she couldn't help but ask him, "Is your injury alright? I remember you came back from the military camp injured."
Fu Wang looked down at his left wrist, which was no longer seriously injured. He wiped his hand and said, "I suffered a minor injury, but it doesn't affect me much now. I can still ride horses and practice martial arts without any problems." He paused and then said, "Didn't I spar with you before? You didn't even notice it then."
Seeing that Yunyin still wanted to say something, he smiled and said, "My leaving the army camp was partly due to my injury, but another reason was also because of those brothers. Besides the brothers who followed me on the escort missions, there were quite a few who were missing limbs. They are now doing logistics work at the Mianzhou Escort Agency. It was for them that I left the army camp in the first place."
"So that's how it is." Yunyin looked at his arm and felt a little relieved. She said to Fu Wang, "I'll learn some medicinal cuisine in the future and make more medicinal dishes for you."
Fu Wang raised an eyebrow: "You can do this too?"
Yunyin shook her head and said, "I only have a general understanding. I still need to learn it in detail. Wait until I learn it before I make it for you."
Fu Wang smiled broadly and said, "Okay, I'll wait."
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