Chapter 52 Pickled Crab and Radish, Winter Solstice Dumplings
After the Minor Snow solar term, the Major Snow solar term arrived as expected. Although there were still some days until the Winter Solstice, the Bian River had already frozen over with a thick layer of ice. The government immediately dispatched officials to stand in the ice and direct the ice harvesters to collect the ice.
To ensure the purity of the ice, a boundary was erected on the upper reaches of the Bian River to prevent people from accidentally entering. Lu Xuan pulled Wei Pan to watch from the bank, as it was the first time she had ever seen ice harvesting.
Wei Pan exhaled cold air: "If we could also harvest ice, we could make ice cream... The Bian River is free to use in the summer, so why do we have to pay for it once it freezes?"
Lu Xuan knew she was referring to ice in the summer. The price was indeed high, but it made some sense. After all, the people needed salaries, ice harvesting required manpower and resources, and ice vendors also needed to make money.
Not far away, ice harvesters used ice axes to break open the ice and long saws to cut the ice blocks. Once the ice floated up, the others used hooks and forks to pry up the ice blocks and drag them with the current to the shore.
Wei Pan pointed to the Bian River and said, "Let's not talk about things far in the future. We're not even allowed to collect the ice right in front of us. They've even fenced it off. I collect it myself and don't ask them for help. Why can't we even do this?"
Lu Xuan didn't know how to argue about this matter, and after thinking about it for a long time, she still couldn't come up with a solution.
While the Bian River was being thawed and ice was being harvested, Lu Qiong was busy pulling radishes in her own field. She had been waiting for this for a long time, and now they were finally ripe.
Pulling a radish from the ground, tearing off the leaves at the top, and brushing off the dirt, Lu Qiong admired it with satisfaction: "This one is good, white and plump, with a round top and a pointed bottom, it's a good radish..."
There are many ways to cook radishes: stir-frying, stewing, salting, pickling in vinegar... Lu Qiong plans to make pickled radishes in vinegar, which are sweet and sour, and crunchy!
We harvested a total of fifty or sixty radishes today, which is quite a bumper harvest! The well is also covered with a layer of ice, so we need to light a fire to draw water. After washing the radishes, we peeled and chopped them, poured them into a large earthenware jar, added vinegar, salt, and Sichuan peppercorns, and finally sealed it.
Fortunately, pickled radishes are pickled faster than pickled vegetables, and they can be eaten in a few days.
When I went to Lu Ji, I also brought a bucket of live crabs, all of which had just come from the market with other people and cost a lot of money!
Seeing the live crabs still waving their claws in the bucket, Sister Yang sighed, "Live crabs are more expensive in cold weather. Judging by their appearance, they're probably not going to make it. We need to seal them with fermented rice wine lees quickly..."
They had asked someone to buy wine lees in advance, which was half the amount of live crabs. Lu Qiong brought them out for later use. They cooked them together with yellow wine, adding salt, sugar, and Sichuan peppercorns. They simmered them over a low flame, and the aroma of the wine filled the entire house.
The diners, waiting for their food, noticed the aroma of the wine and asked curiously, "What is Manager Lu up to now?"
"When making pickled crab, we only select female crabs, and they must be alive."
Once the lees in the pot boiled, Lu Qiong reduced the firewood until the fire went out. After filtering out the dregs, the lees brine was finally ready.
Seeing the opportunity, Sister Yang took out a ceramic jar, lined it with a bamboo mat, put in the crabs with their bellies facing up to prevent the roe from leaking out, sprinkled some ginger shreds and scallion whites, and finally poured in the fermented brine until it covered the crabs, then sealed it.
After the winter solstice, the pickled crabs will be ready.
Seeing that they couldn't get any, the diners gave up and just wanted to eat some hot soup noodles as soon as possible...
That day, someone from the Xie family was delayed, so Lu Qiong went ahead to deliver food. She made lotus root starch and osmanthus soup, as well as some small pastries, all of which were gentle on the stomach.
She had met Lady He Mu of the manor many times, but Xie Zhan was always out working. Today, however, he was staying by Lady He Mu's side.
Although they are brothers, Xie Zhan has a rather aloof appearance, while Xie Xun is more gentle.
Perhaps fearing she would feel uncomfortable, He Mu even asked Xie Zhan to leave. In the end, only the three of them and Tao Hong remained in the room. Afraid that He Mu would get tired, Tao Hong brought out cushions and placed them on the chaise lounge.
It had been a long time since she last saw He Mu, and she looked even more plump, with a deeper smile on her face, showing none of the fatigue she had shown recently. Lu Qiong knew how hard it had been for her, so she could only put some effort into making her more comfortable by preparing food for her.
However, He Mu only asked her to come because he wanted to find someone to talk to. There were many skilled cooks in the Xie family, and Song Niang was one of them. They had even chatted a few words before.
Lu Qiong also sat down next to the chaise lounge, placed the food box on the table, and as soon as she opened it, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers spread out.
Her lotus root starch and osmanthus soup didn't look very appealing, but it tasted authentic, since the lotus root starch was handmade, not pre-made powder.
“Song Niang’s work is definitely no worse than mine.”
He Mu tasted a spoonful of lotus root soup before saying, "But since Song Niang is in charge of preparing food for everyone in the mansion, I can't very well ask someone to make a special portion for me."
Lu Qiong laughed at her: "So you came to me?"
He Mu scolded playfully, her brows furrowing with annoyance: "You clearly know that's not what I meant..."
After putting down the lotus root soup, she looked at her bulging belly and sighed, frowning: "I really miss ice cream. I haven't had a chilled drink this year."
Lu Qiong picked up the leftover lotus root soup, told Tao Hong to move it aside, and said with a smile, "I'll make you a portion when Nu'er is born."
He Mu then smiled. Because he hadn't spoken to outsiders for a long time, he chatted with Lu Qiong until evening.
Taking advantage of the mansion's presence, Lu Qiong carried a food box out of the courtyard gate, only to run into Xie Xun, who was rushing home.
Compared to Xie Xun's surprise, Lu Qiong was quite calm and even greeted him with a smile: "Has Xie Lang returned to the manor? We rarely see him."
Hearing her say this, Xie Xun realized that his background had long been exposed. Thinking of what he had said a few days ago, he felt embarrassed and just wanted to find a cave to hide in.
Under the dim moonlight, Xie Xun's face was shrouded in shadow, only his eyes remained bright, staring intently at the person.
Lu Qiong, who was being stared at, looked away and hurriedly walked past him: "There's still soup simmering in the pot, I need to go back early..."
Only a faint fragrance of osmanthus remained, lingering around Xie Xun's nose for a long time.
...
The Winter Solstice was also known as the "Second New Year" by the Song people, and it was a relatively important festival of the year. There was also a saying among the people that "the Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year".
On this day, sacrifices were offered to Heaven in the southern suburbs, officials paid homage, ancestral halls were worshipped, and "Winter Solstice Plates" were exchanged as gifts...
But for Lu Ji, the most important thing is to launch a new product for the Winter Solstice – Winter Solstice Dumplings.
Dumplings come in both meat and vegetarian varieties, but they are all made in the same way, generally by wrapping different fillings in glutinous rice flour. Meat fillings consist of minced pork, diced winter bamboo shoots, and chopped shiitake mushrooms, stir-fried with sauce. Vegetarian fillings include peach kernels, walnuts, or red bean paste stir-fried with sugar.
These glutinous rice balls are coated with soybean flour, making them round, delicate, soft, and chewy, so tempting that you'll want to grab one and try it.
Lu Xuan did the same, and in the end, her mouth was full of powder, but she still wanted more: "It would taste even better with sesame seeds..."
Lu Qiong was busy making winter solstice dumplings. Seeing that she had eaten three or four in just a few bites, she really wanted to tap her on the head: "Still trying to sneak some?"
Lu Xuan forced a smile, and took the opportunity to grab two more dumplings, saying smugly, "I'll take them to Wei Pan to try!"
Seeing Lu Xuan run away, Lu Qiong wanted to call her back, but Yang Jie'er smiled and said, "Xuan Jie'er is so lovable, even winter doesn't feel so cold."
That's true, something lively is always better than something quiet.
The pickled crabs we made earlier are ready today, and customers who have been enjoying them for a while have come especially, even braving the snow.
"You said last time that we could eat pickled crab after it snowed, don't go back on your word!"
Lu Qiong waited for people to come and taste it, so she took out a plate of pickled crab, placed it on a plate, the crab shell was amber in color, and a strong aroma of wine wafted out. She smiled and handed it to the diner: "Here it comes!"
The crab roe, yellow and smooth like agate, is a top-quality product at first glance: "The pickled crab looks amazing! I'll have a bowl of rice, preferably short-grain rice!"
Pickled crab is cold in nature, and pairing it with glutinous rice can dispel the cold and enhance the flavor. If you like wine, you may even feel that the wine flavor is not strong enough and want to heat it up with yellow wine to eat together.
The rice, infused with the aroma of wine, is inhaled deeply by the diner before being eaten with the pickled crab meat. The diner may grimace at the taste, but then pours the remaining marinade over the rice, creating a golden, oily dish that is a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate…
Without asking, Lu Qiong knew it suited her taste, so she left with peace of mind and busied herself preparing food for the next customer.
The new customer was Xie Xun. Although he came with an umbrella, his clothes were still quite wet from the snow.
Ever since his identity was exposed that day, he has been going to Lu's place all the time, coming every few days. Is he trying to solidify his reputation as a "playboy" who does nothing?
Since everyone who comes is a guest, Lu Qiong cannot turn him away and must patiently entertain him: "What would you like to eat today, Xie Lang?"
Xie Xun frowned, as if he had made a major decision, before solemnly nodding: "Let's go with the pickled crab. I smelled alcohol as soon as I came in."
liquor?
Lu Qiong always felt that he had been drinking on his last few visits, and might even be an alcoholic, adding another label to his reputation as a "spoiled brat".
Serving him the newly opened pickled crab, Lu Qiong was also a little puzzled: "Isn't Song Niang's pickled crab delicious? When I went to the Xie residence earlier, I happened to see her having someone make pickled crab. Judging by the time, it should be good now..."
Xie Xun, who had just eaten pickled crab yesterday: "..."
After a moment of silence, he clenched his fist and casually said, "Song Niang's mind has been on Sister-in-law lately."
This is interesting. He Mu was saying that Song Niang's mind was on the whole Xie family.
However, Lu Qiong knew Song Niang's character well, and she dared not slack off with anyone in the mansion, no matter who they were.
Song Niang was in her thirties. Unlike other cooks, she hadn't learned to cook from a young age; she had fled from Huainan during a famine. At that time, a locust plague was severe, and Huainan's grain production was reduced. She planned to escape all the way to Bianjing. The journey was arduous, and she encountered bandits, which separated her from her family. In the end, she arrived in Bianjing with several young women.
However, after the disaster, the government wanted to send them back to their hometowns. Song Niang and the others got separated again, and in the end, she was kept in the mansion by Zhao Shi, where she stayed for more than ten years.
Thinking about it now, Lu Qiong couldn't help but sigh. She didn't press him about Song Niang's matter, but instead asked about He Mu's recent situation. After learning that everything was fine, she left.
The light snow that had fallen when Xie Xun arrived was now falling heavier and heavier, covering the entire capital of Bianjing in a layer of silver. The carriage had left a trail in the snow, which was quickly covered by fresh snow.
"It looks like we can't leave right now..."
Lu Qiong also stretched out her hand, shivering from the cold, and nodded, "The snow is getting heavier."
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