Chapter 54 Pickled Autumn Pear Preserved
After finishing a bowl of hot soup noodles, the three of them felt warm all over.
It swept away the chill brought by the drop in temperature.
As usual, Jiang Zhi went to catch up on her sleep. She pulled the covers over herself, closed her eyes, and dreamt sweet dreams.
Meanwhile, Zuo Tianyuan and Yan Mo, who had been helping out on either side, also returned to their own homes.
Ever since Xiao Mahua was sent to school, Yan Mo has always felt a bit of a crisis, but Zuo Tianyuan doesn't, and is still happy to play carefree.
So Yan Mo had to grab the collar of a certain little brat who was having too much fun to remember home, and drag him back to study.
*
After everyone left, the once bustling courtyard became deserted and eerily quiet. Only the rain pattered against the sycamore tree outside, making a "drip-drip-drip" sound.
Even the roof tiles, battered by the rain, provided a kind of accompaniment to the quiet morning.
As soon as Jiang Zhi woke up, she heard the accompaniment music coming from outside the house, "drip-drip" and "splash-splash," each playing its own tune, yet blending together perfectly.
She listened with her eyes closed for a while before getting up, putting on her coat, holding an oil-paper umbrella in one hand, and wearing a long dress. She then wandered aimlessly in the rain.
This was one of the few pleasures Jiang Zhi had after she grew up. She loved the smell of the earth that the rain had brought out, and the raindrops on her face made her feel exceptionally refreshed, not to mention the symphony played by the rain.
If in modern times, listening to the sound of rain is simply hearing the sound of raindrops hitting different materials, then in this era, listening to the sound of rain has truly become an indescribable experience.
The green tiles make a crisp "ding" sound, the red bricks make a heavy "da" sound, and there are also drip tiles where water flows directly into the drip tiles and then falls to the ground with a "splashing" sound.
When Pei Ye arrived, Jiang Zhi knew immediately. The reason was simple: the sound of his spiked shoes splashing through the water was something that most people couldn't bear.
She looked back with a smile and, sure enough, saw the man staring intently at her, wearing an oilcloth and holding something she couldn't quite make out.
"What a rich man!" Jiang Zhi couldn't help but sigh when she saw the oilcloth.
She had seen this before in a clothing store. It was made of silk coated with tung oil, making it waterproof, lightweight, and beautiful. The only problem was that it was expensive!
What she saw was a linen garment coated with tung oil, which cost far more than a normal oiled paper umbrella. Not to mention the silk inside.
*
While Jiang Zhi was grumbling to herself, Pei Ye also noticed her and immediately quickened his pace excitedly.
"Zhizhi!"
That's right. Ever since Pei Ye secretly tested Jiang Zhi and found out that she didn't mind being called by the same nickname, he quietly and gradually changed the name to the unique "Zhizhi"!
Jiang Zhi got used to him calling her that every day.
She had few close relatives and shallow friendships growing up. She was a good-natured person and could get along with anyone, but she could never truly confide in anyone.
The nickname "Zhizhi" used to evoke memories of the Four Seasons Spring milk tea with cheese foam that she used to love in junior high school. But now, having lived in this era for so long, it seems even that name has become a kind of entanglement for her.
Although such a thought flashed through her mind, Jiang Zhi didn't think much of it and let Pei Ye shout like that.
"Zhizhi, look what I brought you!"
The moment Pei Ye jogged up to Jiang Zhi and uttered those words,
He subconsciously straightened his clothes slightly, then his oil-paper umbrella was almost blown over, and he hurriedly opened it again, looking rather disheveled than usual.
Seeing Jiang Zhi's expression and the way her eyes curved into a smile, he felt a little embarrassed and coughed twice, which was unusual for him.
"That was a mistake. Come and see what I brought you?"
As he spoke, he pressed down on the umbrella, preventing it from drifting away in the wind, and then took out the object he was holding in his arms.
Jiang Zhi looked down and saw a whole armful of beautiful, golden pears, each about the size of a fist.
She couldn't resist picking the one at the very top, touching it from side to side, pressing it down, and finally taking a bite.
Sweet juice bursts from the mouth, completely masking the astringency of the pear.
“Mm…m…, Pei Ye, would you like to try some? Mm…m…”
Jiang Zhi munched contentedly while tilting her head to accept the pears that Pei Ye had been holding.
The rain gradually subsided, from a soft pattering sound on the oil-paper umbrella to a light, cool sensation as it touched only the cheeks.
With the pears she was holding in her arms, Jiang Zhi lost all desire to continue her walk in the rain.
I simply changed direction and headed home.
Pei Ye naturally followed half a step behind her, chatting and laughing with her as they walked along the bluestone path.
I even felt a little resentful that the road couldn't be longer.
*
When she got home, Jiang Zhi realized something very important.
She counted the pears; um, 16.
How can we finish eating it?
Pei Ye had been keeping an eye on Jiang Zhi, and naturally met her expectant gaze. At first, it didn't seem like anything, but after thinking about it for a moment, he understood what she was thinking. However, he really couldn't eat the pear!
However, seeing Jiang Zhi's expectant gaze, he gritted his teeth and took the smallest-looking one. Then, one bite, two bites... he ate slower and slower, his mouth opening smaller and smaller...
Jiang Zhi started gnawing away in silence, glancing at Pei Ye every now and then. Seeing his increasingly slow pace, her lips twitched.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he simply snatched the pear away.
She took a deep breath and said to Pei Ye:
"Alright, I'll figure out a solution!"
*
After sending Pei Ye out of the kitchen, Jiang Zhi was unusually troubled.
What can you do with this pear?
Pear juice, stewed pears... they're delicious, but they don't keep for very long. Given Jiang Zhi's patience and energy, it's impossible for her to make them every day.
After racking her brains for a long time, she finally came up with an idea—
Dried pear!
*
Dried fruit is not as popular as it used to be in modern times.
Firstly, sugar is already somewhat excessive in modern society; almost every dessert has some sugar added, so candied fruit, which makes hands particularly messy, isn't very popular. Secondly, even if candied fruit is well-made, industrially produced candied fruit is generally very sweet.
Others might not dare to say, but Jiang Zhi herself felt it was a bit too sweet.
However, the advantage of doing it yourself is that you can change everything that you don't like!
*
Having decided what to do, Jiang Zhi got right to work.
She first went to the kitchen and found a small knife blade, then promptly handed it to Pei Ye to peel the skin, and then used a wooden knife to split it open and remove the seeds.
Jiang Zhi went to Yan Mo's house and borrowed a copper vat that wasn't particularly large. After carrying it back with great effort, she crushed the chunks of coarse salt in a wooden mortar and pestle, and then dissolved it in water.
This step may seem useless, but it actually removes the astringency of the pear. After peeling the pear, soak it for an hour, then rinse off the salt on the surface; it won't have any negative effects.
After completing these two steps, Jiang Zhi put the pear pieces into the pot in batches, stirring slowly and cooking for a while. When the pear pieces had changed from white to slightly translucent and could be easily pierced with chopsticks, she immediately turned off the heat.
Then they fished out the pear pieces and lowered them back into the well to cool them down.
While Jiang Zhi kept her eyes on the pot, she was already planning the next step. She also sent Pei Ye, who had nothing else to do but keep an eye on her, out to bring back some things.
The most important of all is the maltose that we'll be using soon.
*
Jiang Zhi first poured out the salt water from the copper vat she had just borrowed, and then wiped the inside of the vat clean from top to bottom with a clean cloth.
Then lay a layer of pear chunks at the bottom, pour a thin layer of maltose on top, then lay another layer of pear chunks on top, and pour another layer of sugar on top.
After laying down three layers, the jar was full, and all the pear pieces were used up.
Then pour in boiled and cooled water, mainly to prevent bacteria. Then gently use a spatula to melt the sugar on top a little, and finally put the lid on.
The next time we open the lid should be tomorrow.
*
After doing all this, Jiang Zhi subconsciously straightened up, rubbing her back as she walked out.
Then I saw that the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared up.
Perhaps because it had just rained, and due to various physical reactions, a faint rainbow appeared on the horizon.
Pei Ye had also come out at some point. He was at least 1.8 meters tall, but at this moment he looked like a little dog, lazily leaning his head on Jiang Zhi's shoulder, watching the faint seven-colored glow with her.
Perhaps because Jiang Zhi was in a daze for too long, Pei Ye thought she had never seen it before, so he simply took advantage of the situation and whispered in her ear, unusually in a formal tone, "I've never heard of it before."
"After the rain, a waterspout signifies the harmony of heaven and earth, a truly auspicious sign!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Here, Xiao Pei subtly shifted the concept for his wife's image. While the ancient term for rainbows was indeed "waterspout," and it was indeed a symbol of the convergence of heaven and earth's energies, however—
It's not exactly Fu Rui!
The most exciting mainstream view among the ancients was actually the Five Elements as described in the Book of Changes, so they believed that rainbows should be the yin and yang energies.
I once heard a piece of gossip that said people in ancient times dared not walk under rainbows for fear of having their luck stolen.
Pei Ye here doesn't really believe in metaphysics. The three of them are the type who might casually offer some prayers, but they don't actually believe in it. He's just saying this because he wants to lean on his wife's shoulder and spout nonsense.
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