Chapter 37 Guessing Lantern Riddles: Red Beans and Longing
Although Zhao could not tolerate overly greasy food, she still picked up a piece and savored it carefully in her palm.
After she finished eating, Huanzhu picked up the freshly ordered tea and presented it with a smile: "This tea was presented to the imperial court by Xinyang. Dalang performed a meritorious service the other day and was rewarded by the emperor. It's perfect for cutting through the richness of the tea now."
Among tribute teas, Beiyuan tea is the most prestigious. Its Dragon and Phoenix Tea cakes are made with complex techniques and are decorated with dragon and phoenix patterns, symbolizing a noble status. Xinyang tea is also considered the best tea from Huainan. Both teas have their own unique characteristics.
Looking at the foam in the teacup, Zhao said, "Xinyang tea leaves are fine, round, and straight; now that they're ground into powder, you can't tell the difference."
When the method of boiling tea from the previous dynasty was passed down to the Song dynasty, it evolved into whisking tea. From roasting tea and grinding tea to whisking, it required a lot of effort and was more troublesome than simply brewing tea.
Hearing this, Xie Xun comforted her, "This tea has a unique aroma; it's fragrant even without tea. If you really want some, I'll have someone brew a special cup next time."
Zhao understood that there was no perfect solution in the world, whether it was for tea or anything else, so she calmed herself down and took a small sip from the rim of the teacup.
Remembering something, she asked someone to remove the tea: "Have you been busy lately?"
The manor hired musicians to play in the courtyard. Accompanied by the gentle music, Xie Xun nodded: "I'm looking for a good piece of land."
These days he has been asking around, because the conditions for planting kapok are extremely demanding, requiring the right time, place and people. Spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvest, winter storage... it is also necessary to adapt to local conditions and choose suitable fields.
The Zhao family had also heard that since the establishment of border markets with the Liao, Jin, and Xia dynasties, the variety of winter clothing had increased significantly in recent years. Not only were there fur coats, but now there were also cotton-padded coats that were even warmer than silk. If this could be promoted in the Central Plains, it would be a good thing.
This time, she didn't argue with him, but just sighed, "It's a pity that you'll hardly be able to drink the tea that is offered as tribute from Beiyuan in the future."
Xie Xun understood what she meant, but since the two of them rarely talked about these things without arguing, he didn't want to explain further.
After enjoying the moon, the guests in the mansion gradually dispersed. Xie Xun and his brother chatted together in the courtyard, drank a few cups of wine, talked about the past and the future.
The night was cool, and since they weren't heavy drinkers, they asked someone to heat up a pot of Yunxianglou's fine liquor. It was made from yellow rice wine, with a fresh and fragrant taste that was mellow and smooth. It wasn't as sweet as rice wine, but it wasn't as strong as sake either.
“You’ve always been very opinionated. I remember when you were eight, your mother asked you what you wanted to be, and you said you wanted to be a strategist like your grandfather. Now it seems I followed my mother’s wishes and entered a career in government, and you really are very much like your grandfather…”
At this point, Xie Zhan's lips curled up slightly, a drop of wine trickling down his chin before quickly returning to its usual calm.
The image of young Xie Xun came alive before Xie Zhan's eyes, but now that it was the much more composed Xie Xun, he couldn't help but sigh...
He put down his wine glass and put his arm around Xie Xun's shoulder: "The Bian River should be lively tonight, why don't you go and relax?"
Xie Xun couldn't hold his liquor; even a little would make his face flush. "And what about you, brother? Why aren't you coming along?"
"Me?" Xie Zhan laughed. "You're not married yet, so you wouldn't understand..."
Although he had been drinking, he was still sober. Mid-Autumn Festival should be a time for family reunion, so Xie Xun gave Qingxian a day off and now he could only walk alone along the streets.
Upon arriving at Xiangguo Temple, the streets were packed with people, shoulder to shoulder. Vendors set up stalls from the back courtyard to the front, and on this day, the street officials had not set boundaries, with stalls occupying their own sections on both sides of the road. The food stalls were the most lively, as were the stalls selling lanterns—jade rabbit-shaped, square lanterns, lotus-shaped…
The porcelain stall owner argued with a customer: "Sir, take a closer look! This is a genuine Ru ware piece; you won't find another like it in the entire capital of Bianjing! Only twenty taels!"
"The glaze is good, but the patterns are not smooth enough..." Perhaps he had met an expert, the porcelain stall owner was seen through.
As the sound faded into the distance, Xie Xun arrived at Lu Ji's place. He somehow found a lantern and invited the guests to guess riddles.
Lu Qiong took down a lantern with a note attached: "White as jade, smooth as fat, boil it, and its fragrance fills the air. Guess the food."
The young woman standing slightly closer to her raised her hand and uttered the riddle: "Little Sheep Slaughter!"
A woman a little further away clicked her tongue and chimed in, "This is clearly fatty pork! It's white and smooth. It would be so fragrant if it were rendered into lard. Even the leftover pork cracklings are delicious, crunchy and crunchy when you bite into them."
The words made everyone's mouths water, but was the answer to the riddle a small, slaughtered lamb or a piece of fatty pork?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lu Qiong's palms were sweating. After all, both of their arguments made sense, and neither answer was satisfactory. In the end, she could only reveal the riddle: "It says—tofu?"
"Then who is right?" the diners whispered among themselves.
"A small slaughtered sheep is just tofu, and tofu is also a small slaughtered sheep..."
Seeing that everyone supported "the little lamb being slaughtered," the woman objected, slamming her hand on the table: "Fat pork is the correct answer! Your riddle is wrong."
The diners automatically split into two camps: one thought it was a small, slaughtered lamb, and the other thought it was fatty pork. Lu Qiong was afraid they would cause a huge uproar at Lu's restaurant.
Lu Xuan went to play with Wei Pan, leaving only her and Yang Jie'er in the shop. Yang Jie'er had never seen such a scene before and trembled with fright: "Young lady, what should we do?"
"Don't be afraid, I have a way."
Lu Qiong clapped his hands and called everyone over: "Since both sides have their own reasons and no flaws can be found, then both are right."
"So you can get a whole mooncake?"
The one who asked the question was the "Little Sheep Slaughter" lady. Lu Qiong nodded. After the commotion passed, the shop returned to normal, and the lantern riddle guessing activity was nearing its end.
"Listen carefully to the last riddle: A tiny red beauties, their longing carried a thousand miles."
Diners rushed to answer, but none of them were correct. Just when Lu Qiong thought the answer was about to be revealed, a commotion arose in the crowd.
The usually low-key Xie Xun wore a light pink round-neck robe, which, combined with his watery eyes, made him look surprisingly cute.
"This young man is quite handsome."
If you say that, I'm afraid Mr. Xie will blush again.
Lu Qiong shook her head. But it was a free signboard. Every time he came, Lu Ji's business would improve significantly. She couldn't just turn down money.
Thinking this, he smiled and called the person over: "Young Master Xie, do you know what the answer to the riddle is?"
The smell of alcohol on Xie Xun had long since dissipated, leaving only a chill in his eyes. He smiled and looked directly into her eyes: "I didn't hear you clearly just now, could you say it again?"
Does Mr. Xie seem even bolder today?
Lu Qiong looked away first, clearing her throat lightly: "The answer is... no, the riddle is 'A tiny beauty, a thousand thoughts of love.' Does Master Xie know?"
"Red beauty... This thing should be red, small in size, and associated with longing..."
Xie Xun's eyes were smiling, and his pupils seemed to be sparkling with stars, but they were obscured by a layer of misty water.
"That is—a delicate die inlaid with red beans, a longing so deep it pierces to the bone, do you know?"①
Regarding red beans, Lu Qiong is most familiar with this line from a poem, but she always felt that Xie Xun's line was more meaningful.
"That's right, the answer is red bean."
This time, the diners managed to avoid any argument. After all, the people of the Song Dynasty preferred elegance, and once the poem was recited, everyone was immersed in the mood of "longing for each other."
Lu Qiong asked him what kind of mooncake he wanted: "How about five-nut? But red bean paste is also good, soft and delicate, smooth yet with a grainy texture, and distinct layers..."
After all, most of the red bean paste in later generations is made with technology, which can't compare to the red bean paste she pressed little by little by hand.
Seeing her praise the red bean paste so highly, Xie Xun smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll have the red bean paste one."
Tonight, the diners' enthusiasm for red bean paste has waned. Lu Qiong didn't say anything on the surface, but she still felt a little lonely inside, always feeling that her skills were not recognized. Now that another person has chosen red bean paste, she is naturally overjoyed.
Without stopping, they invited him to sit down and then ran to the wooden cabinet, wanting to take out the best tea. Unfortunately, there were only some crumbs left in the tea canister, which was too shabby.
Holding the empty tea canister, she looked at Sister Yang expectantly: "Does the shop have any other teas?"
"Perhaps because there are so many people tonight, the shopkeeper forgot to ask someone to send tea. I just asked and he said that it was sold out early, and the shop has also run out of tea."
Seeing that she had been busy all day and was still in such a pitiful state, Yang Jie'er found it quite strange. She didn't know why, but she always felt that it was related to Xie Langjun.
However, since there was wine, and it was osmanthus wine, it was presentable enough.
"But this wine is different from the usual ones; it's quite strong."
Lu Qiong was still holding the tea canister, squinting as she pondered: "Osmanthus wine... that's not bad either. It's the Mid-Autumn Festival, and osmanthus is at its most fragrant."
I didn't hear what Sister Yang said after that.
Xie Xun had already drunk twice tonight, but he couldn't bear to disappoint her, so he forced himself to drink it down, after all, it was osmanthus wine, a sweet wine...
But why is it so spicy when it goes down? It's like strong liquor mixed with osmanthus. "How is it?"
Suppressing the choking sensation, Xie Xun's face instantly turned red, but he still managed to say calmly, "This wine... tastes excellent."
Seeing that he liked it, Lu Qiong filled his glass again and urged him to drink it quickly.
After she left, Xie Xun felt a little dizzy and had to hold on until his temples were open to keep from collapsing.
Even during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lu Qiong closed her shop before 9 PM, which is an art in itself. After all, if you're not eager to leave work, there's something wrong with your thinking! Besides, she had made plans with Lu Xuan to release water lanterns on the Bian River.
There were very few customers left in the restaurant. On Xie Xun's table, there was only half a red bean paste mooncake and half a cup of wine.
However, she could understand that Xie Langjun must have eaten too much at dusk.
Lu Qiong gently patted his shoulder: "Thank you, young master. This shop is about to close. You should go back as soon as possible."
After waiting for quite some time, Xie Xun recovered, but his reactions were somewhat slow, and he took a long time to respond when asked questions.
He hesitated for a moment and then said, "I was rude earlier. I'll go back now."
After saying that, he got up and started walking outside, his hands and feet moving in unison.
Suddenly, a chuckle came from inside the shop; it was unclear who it came from.
Before leaving Lu Ji's, Lu Qiong packed the remaining mooncakes into a food box, intending to take them with her the next day.
I had previously agreed with Lu Xuan that I would return to Shangyuan Village tomorrow. After all, it had been almost half a year, and it was time to go back and take a look.
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The author's note: ① This line comes from Wen Tingyun's "Newly Added Tune: Willow Branch Song" from the Tang Dynasty.
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