Chapter 50 Glutinous Rice Balls
When Jiang Zhi finally relented and said it was almost time, Gu Yuan didn't hesitate at all.
In a few swift movements, he picked up the ladle, poured a ladleful into the bowl he had just scalded, and then drank it heartily!
Gu Yuan was indeed the kind of person who lived a rather flamboyant life. But even with such a hearty and unrestrained way of drinking the tea, she could still sense the uniqueness of this tea-making method.
The first taste is a slightly caramelized flavor that spreads across the tongue. Compared to the slight bitterness, it has more of a caramelized sweetness, which Gu Yuan really likes!
She almost couldn't help but smack her lips!
Once the sweetness dissipates in your mouth, the rich, milky flavor bursts forth...
Finally, a faint jasmine scent lingers on the lips.
*
Milk didn't have a large following in this dynasty. Milk was considered a foreign product, and lactose intolerance had been a long-standing genetic trait in China. However, even so, there were still people who loved to drink it.
But coincidentally, Gu Yuan was the type who was somewhat dismissive of its taste.
It wasn't that she was intolerant to milk peptides; she was physically strong and had never been afraid of anything. The only reason was that she had been to the north and seen others milking cows, which made her a little resistant.
However, since it had been boiled again and then infused with tea and sugar, she wasn't so averse to it anymore and actually savored it properly.
As the caramel fades on the tongue, a rich, creamy flavor rushes into the mouth. There's no way around it; besides milk, Jiang Zhi specifically asked for some cheese to be added, making it an absolute "milky plus" version.
Hmm, it's a bit strange, but the taste is alright!
Gu Yuangang swallowed the mouthful of food, intending to offer this comment, but then stopped himself.
The aroma of tea finally returned! With a slight bitterness and a lingering fragrance, it quietly rose from my throat to my mouth, making my brain momentarily think that I had drunk a flower!
This wasn't the first time Gu Yuan had drunk jasmine tea, but she hadn't really liked it the first few times. It wasn't as refreshing and invigorating as Longjing tea, nor as visually appealing as rose tea; she always found it bland and tasteless.
But today, she discovered that this stuff is absolutely perfect for cooling down in the summer!
Unlike the refreshing, icy coolness of well water and watermelon, this jasmine tea mixed with milk has a subtle, gentle coolness that slowly rolls down the tongue and into the throat. But then the fragrance of jasmine rises from the throat.
One sip and you feel like you smell incredibly delicious!
Gu Yuanzi smacked her lips and couldn't help but praise:
"This is a great way to do it! The bitterness of the tea blends perfectly with the simplicity of the milk, creating something... wonderful!"
She hesitated for a moment before finally uttering the word she was looking for.
However, she felt that putting it here wasn't an exaggeration, so she simply spat it out.
As she spoke, she took two more large sips and continued to savor the taste.
*
Jiang Zhi smiled gently as always, but her mind was racing with conflicting thoughts:
The biggest reason she didn't plan to set up a stall selling milk tea was that, frankly, milk tea wasn't very suitable for ancient times. People in ancient times weren't as physically robust as they are today; not to mention anything else, many were even lactose intolerant.
If people get diarrhea after drinking it, wouldn't that ruin the brand?
She can't possibly lecture everyone about modern biochemistry.
Thinking this, Jiang Zhi chuckled at her own thoughts. Then, seeing Gu Yuan's unrestrained drinking style, she felt even more like laughing.
Gu Yuan doesn't seem to mind having a little to drink.
Jiang Zhi observed that her acceptance of milk was quite good.
It wasn't serious enough to cause diarrhea.
So she brought some tea, and Jiang Zhi then went along with it, suggesting that she make some milk green tea for the greedy girl to satisfy her craving.
If it were anyone else, Jiang Zhi wouldn't bother with this effort!
*
With these thoughts in mind, Jiang Zhi kept looking Gu Yuan up and down.
After scrutinizing him countless times, she finally couldn't stand his incredibly unrestrained drinking style any longer.
Jiang Zhi took a deep breath, then lowered her eyes, touched her forehead with one hand, sighed softly, and finally spoke slowly.
"This stuff isn't meant to quench your thirst like that."
As she spoke, she demonstrated: she poured the warm, milky-white milk into a wooden cup little by little, and with a slight swirl, she slowly sipped it onto her lips before taking small sips.
He was still saying:
"This is a new method I developed, but ultimately, it's just another way of drinking tea. Tea is something that gets better the more you savor it!"
Gu Yuan may not be able to say anything else, but he is certainly a good student. He meticulously copied Jiang Zhi's actions and began to imitate her perfectly.
*
Dinner is ready, and afternoon tea is served.
Jiang Zhi started thinking about what to sell that night.
After much thought, there's only one thing that's most suitable!
That's right, it's rice balls, emphasizing simplicity, convenience, and suitability!
Then, depending on the available ingredients, add some dried small fish that were previously sun-dried and will be pan-fried later, along with chewy fried pork cracklings, and some pickled cucumbers that Zuo Tianyuan casually swiped from his mother. It tastes absolutely...
Thinking this, Jiang Zhi took out two pieces of ginger candy from the side, put them in her mouth, and stopped her slightly drooling.
*
Jiang Zhi has always been spontaneous and capricious, so she put this into practice.
First, soak the glutinous rice stored in the kitchen in water. Later, steam it together with regular rice in a pot to make a pot of crystal clear rice. This will be the rice in the rice ball that is fragrant and looks exceptionally beautiful.
The dried anchovies have already been dried. Just add soybean oil and simmer over low heat until golden brown and translucent. The taste is simply divine!
It's so incredibly soothing, it melts your heart!
Making pork cracklings isn't difficult either. Jiang Zhi first cut some pork fat and slowly fried it over a fire until fragrant lard was rendered. Then, only the golden-brown cracklings remained. She then added two swirls of soy sauce and sprinkled a thin layer of salt on top. It was crunchy with every bite!
Pickled cucumber is the easiest to prepare. Simply place the ginger on a cutting board, make a few diagonal cuts, and then dice it. That's it.
After Jiang Zhi and the others had finished preparing everything, they packed the seasonings into wooden boxes one by one, and put the glutinous rice in a pot. They planned to take it all to the food cart later and make it fresh on the spot!
*
While Jiang Zhi was busy in the kitchen, outside, Xiao Mahua hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind and quietly pulled Yan Mo aside.
His dark pupils were clear and bright, yet tinged with confusion.
She looked up at Yan Mo and asked softly, with a sense of confusion:
"Aunt Yan, can I... really go to the academy? Sister Jiang, really... are you kidding me? Am I worth it?"
She was wearing a new outfit that her older brother had specially bought for her today. The red color was supposed to make her look more festive, but it only added a touch of color to her face.
She continued, looking at Yan Mo with a gaze that was both somewhat bewildered and filled with a longing she herself was unaware of.
Yan Mo touched her, gazing at her with tenderness and affection, as if he could see through her cold and hard exterior to the innocent soul within.
She crouched down and spoke to her softly.
"Little Twist, you must always believe that you are the best! Look, your brother Tianyuan is scratching his head in frustration every day while you only need to look at the textbook once and read it silently twice, and you can recite it fluently!"
"In my opinion, your talent for learning is unmatched!"
"Besides, no matter what, why didn't you even tell your sister Jiang about Xiao Mahua's choice today?"
While saying this with a smile, Yan Mo also imitated Jiang Zhi's usual manner, wiping Xiao Mahua's fair face with his index finger.
Only after Little Twist, his face still flushed with anger, walked away...
Yan Mo glanced back discreetly, and only after not seeing the little girl did he mutter to himself.
"Mmm, it feels good to squeeze!"
*
They're making inspirational stories here.
While the firewood, rice, oil, and salt were being prepared, Jiang Zhi had also finished packing the ingredients and loaded them onto the food cart.
Then, he prepared to use chopsticks to pick out the pig's trotters that had been stewed until they were soft and falling off the bone, and then poured the milky white and delicate soup, along with the soybeans that had been stewed until they were soft and melted in the mouth, over the pig's trotters.
At this moment, the hesitant little twist finally looked directly into Jiang Zhi's eyes.
As everyone knows, Jiang Zhi may seem tough, but she is actually incredibly soft-hearted.
Especially when you look into Xiao Mahua's clear eyes.
She put down what she was doing, placed the bowls and chopsticks on the table, then stroked the fluffy head before making only one move: staring into those eyes.
Only when Xiao Mahua couldn't help but avoid eye contact did she speak softly.
"What's wrong, Little Twist?"
*
Clearly, when Xiao Mahua recounted the whole story to her most trusted sister, Sister Jiang, it was a great relief.
Jiang Zhi immediately understood the cause and course of events upon hearing this, and after a quick thought, she exploded.
She pursed her lips, but couldn't suppress her anger. She could only manage a long, drawn-out sigh before speaking calmly to the bewildered girl.
“Little Twist, why do you think that? You're the smartest and most capable kid we know! Look, you have a photographic memory, you can help your sister with math, and you have beautiful handwriting…”
"Someone as outstanding as you deserves nothing!"
Jiang Zhi picked up Xiao Mahua, and their two pairs of pure black eyes met, each seeing the other in the other's eyes.
"They say you're not good enough because they can't compare to you, so you must surpass them! Show them who's unworthy!"
Only when she got here did Xiao Mahua feel a little relieved, and the feeling of unworthiness in her heart also faded a bit.
But then, Jiang Zhi's next words stunned her.
"So, are you now willing to tell Sister Jiang who loves to gossip behind people's backs?"
The final sounds of the last few words seemed to be crushed and reassembled in Jiang Zhi's teeth and tongue, making her sound extremely gritted and clenched.
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Author's Note: The next update will be posted tomorrow. Waiting for me to get back to writing! [hugs]
Second update: I really didn't finish writing at 3 o'clock, I'll post it at 10 o'clock!
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