Chapter 53 Laba Congee: The End of the Year
Lu Qiong changed into a light blue jacket and silver-white embroidered shoes. Holding an umbrella, she walked all the way to Lu's House. Just as she put away the paper umbrella, the snow outside started to fall even harder.
Fortunately, Sister Yang arrived at the shop early. The stoves in the room were lit, and a few sparse pieces of charcoal were still burning. Porridge was simmering in the kitchen, and a lot of firewood was added underneath, making it even warmer.
Outside, snowflakes fell like cotton wool onto the blue bricks, instantly covering the entire street with a thin layer of frost.
Yang Jie'er rubbed her hands, which had been warmed by the fire, and blinked: "Why didn't Xuan Jie'er come? Is she sick?"
The shop was empty, so Lu Qiong sat down by the stove and warmed her hands with them: "I went to find Wei Pan, and she probably won't be back for a while."
As soon as they said it, Lu Xuan and Wei Pan ran into the house hand in hand, yelling, "This snow is biting! It's freezing!"
Then she rushed into the kitchen, practically pressing her whole body against the stove opening. It took her a while before she smiled and said, "It's so warm."
The whole house was filled with the smell of charcoal, which wasn't unpleasant and even made people feel at ease.
A while ago, the Xie family had a happy occasion, so Lu Qiong no longer needed to deliver food and could concentrate on staying in the shop.
Today is Laba Festival, and every household is preparing Laba porridge, so even fewer people are going out.
However, Lu Qiong still planned to cook Laba porridge. She put the pre-soaked rice, millet, beans, red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, and longan into a pot, added a spoonful of water, put on the lid, and waited for a while.
She sat in front of the stove, resting her chin on her hand in boredom. Her eyelids began to droop, and she drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
In my dream, there was a man and a woman. Although I couldn't see their faces clearly, there was a bowl of Laba porridge beside them, and they seemed to be smiling gently at her...
"Sister, the porridge is going to burn!"
Lu Xuan's exclamation pulled her back from her dream, and she instantly forgot everything in the dream, only remembering a bowl of Laba porridge.
Sister Yang also rushed over, took out all the firewood, and scooped up water to extinguish the fire. Wei Pan also hurriedly stirred the porridge base with a wooden dagger, but fortunately it didn't really burn.
Lu Qiong finally came to her senses. She took the wooden dagger from Wei Pan and continued to stir it at the same angle. The various beans and millet were already soft and mushy, mixed with various colors: the dark red of red beans, the deep red of red dates, the milky white of lotus seeds, and the amber color of longan...
As you pour a portion into a bowl, the aroma intensifies, a blend of grain and fruit fragrances, releasing a sweet and cloying scent. Steaming hot, it smells warm and comforting, carrying away the winter chill.
It was placed on the table with a thud, just as the snow outside stopped.
Lu Qiong and the others sat around the stove, warming themselves while eating Laba porridge. The porridge was soft, sticky, and smooth. The red dates were sweet, and the walnuts were crunchy. Everyone ate quietly, without chatting.
The silence of Lu Ji was broken by Duanba's shout.
"I'm starving, I'm starving... Finally I can eat! It's all Ah Lang's fault, the beans in his Laba porridge weren't cooked properly, I hope I get a stomachache!"
Duanba came in first, followed by Alang, who had done something wrong and was bowing his head in silence. Liu Shan was much calmer. Although the others were not as reckless as Duanba, they couldn't hide their laughter. Finally, they didn't have to eat Alang's "black porridge" anymore.
Hearing him say that, Lu Qiong knew that Ah Lang wanted to make Laba porridge for everyone, but he didn't cook it properly.
At that moment, Duanba had already led the group to sit in the center. They were the only few people in the entire shop; everyone else was rushing home to eat Laba porridge!
"The Laba porridge is here!" Sister Yang held a large tray with two bowls of Laba porridge on it, and Lu Qiong followed closely behind, handing them out one by one.
As soon as she arrived, Duanba snatched the bowl from her, burning his hands in the heat. He didn't care, picked up a spoon, scooped a mouthful, and slapped his thigh, exclaiming excitedly, "This is real Laba porridge! It's so fragrant and sweet, it makes me want to run around in the countryside! The one Ah Lang made this morning was tasteless..."
Wolf was completely bewildered, his eyes clear: "Where's the wax?"
The bodyguard sitting next to him laughed at him, saying, "Your porridge tastes as bad as wax."
Liu Shan, who had initially reacted indifferently, frowned upon hearing this, hesitating several times as if she wanted to say something but then stopped. Lu Qiong felt that she understood.
Tasteless and bland... it seems to make sense here.
Besides Laba porridge, some meat dishes were also served, and finally, a few servings of yam cakes and a few pots of wine were brought out, and the group started chatting.
Ah Lang was forced to drink some alcohol, and then he started crying while holding the leftover bowl. Tears and snot streamed down his face, making him look extremely pathetic.
"I want to eat Grandma's Laba porridge!"
Duanba slammed his glass down, patted him hard on the back, and shouted, "A real man doesn't shed tears!"
Ah Lang wiped away a tear, looked up at him, and asked, "Don't you miss your sister?"
Duanba was stunned, like a puppet with its strings cut, but suddenly came to life. He took a swig of warm wine, then hugged the wine pot and wailed, "Poor Qiao'er, I only see her a few times a year. What will she do at home all by herself? I don't know if she's gotten thinner or fatter. She'll have to find a good husband next year..."
They were crying, and Sister Yang was gossiping in the kitchen. She glanced at them secretly, then quickly looked away, lowering her voice as if afraid they would hear: "Could they be suffering from some kind of shock?"
Even Liu Shan, who had excellent hearing, frowned. He finally lost his temper and grabbed the two men by the collar with each hand, saying angrily, "If you keep fooling around like this, you're out."
After being scolded, even though he was still drunk, Ah Lang didn't dare to move like a quail.
Duanba was a bit stronger than Liu Shan. He burped and then looked at Liu Shan with a mournful expression: "My Qiao'er can never marry a man like you."
Once Lu Ji quieted down, new customers started arriving and ordered a hot plum blossom soup pancake.
Duanba held a piece of yam cake in his hand. The cake looked even smaller and more delicate against the backdrop of his large hand. After Liu Shan finished one piece, he put two or three more pieces into his mouth, chewing until the crumbs were falling off his lips.
He took a sip of wine to moisten his throat: "Manager Lu, do you still have soup noodles?"
Lu Qiong nodded and replied with a smile, "Would you like one too?"
Duanba shook his head, a rare occurrence for him: "I've eaten enough today."
Ah Lang, oblivious to the situation, asked, "There seems to be a soup noodle shop next door, I think it's called something like 'Third Sister,' which one is better?"
Duanba slammed his hand on the table, insisting, "That Manager Lu's food is delicious, I think the one next door is..."
Just then, Shi San Niang walked in, wearing a snow-white brocade cloak, with a few snowflakes in her hair, carrying a food box, and smiling brightly: "What's going on next door?"
Duanba stared blankly, then said in a daze, "The soup dumplings made next door must be better than the ones here."
This made everyone laugh, and Shi Sanniang also covered her mouth and laughed. After she had laughed enough, she carried the food box to Lu Qiong and said, "I know you made the Laba porridge I just made, but this is what I made, so it's different."
Lu Qiong accepted the gift and reciprocated with a bowl of Laba porridge she had made herself, just like relatives exchanging gifts during the Lunar New Year.
Tomorrow they will be worshipping the Kitchen God, so they will be making malt sugar at night.
The wheat had been soaked in water a few days ago and had now sprouted. Lu Xuan and Wei Pan worked together to lift the sprouted wheat onto the stove. Water was still dripping from it, staining the stone bricks a darker color.
The glutinous rice had been soaked for several hours during the day. Yang Jie'er drained the water, poured it into a pot, added firewood, and cooked it over a high flame until it was soft, sticky, and mushy before serving it.
Lu Qiong then pulled out all the malt, crushed and mashed it until the juice kept flowing out, mixed it with cooked glutinous rice, added water and stirred it well, and let it sit overnight.
In winter, the sky darkens quickly, so they go home earlier than usual, huddling together to keep warm.
I took Wei Pan home first, and just as I was about to leave, I heard arguing coming from inside. Wei Rong must have done something again...
Lu Xuan hesitated, but Lu Qiong shook her head, signaling her to keep quiet, otherwise it would cause another disturbance.
...
The sticky candy for the Kitchen God Festival requires maltose. The malted glutinous rice fermented last night and was filtered through gauze, producing amber-colored syrup. However, it is not yet fully formed and cannot be considered maltose.
The sugar syrup was put into the pot and boiled continuously. Lu Qiong stirred it all the while. Soon, the steam rose up from the swirling water, and the surrounding air became sweet as well.
Lu Xuan suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wrapped her arms around her waist, pressed her whole body against her back, and even rubbed against her.
The sugar syrup had thickened, and Lu Qiong dipped a chopstick into it, but it solidified as soon as she held it out: "What's wrong with you today?"
Wei Pan didn't come today either. Usually, the two of them would be holding hands and chatting in a secluded spot by this time.
Lu Xuan stammered for a long time before finally saying that she wanted to eat sticky candy.
"If you want to eat it as soon as possible, you'll have to do some work and help me get the wooden mold."
Lu Xuan obediently did as she was told.
Once the maltose has cooled a bit, pour it into a mold, sprinkle with sesame seeds and peach kernels, and finally cut it into long strips.
Lu Qiong cut herself a small piece, which was still warm.
Because the maltose is cooked for a long time, it becomes crispy after cooling, while the glutinous rice is soft, resulting in a crispy exterior and soft interior, sweet but not cloying.
The next step was to offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God. As the offerings were placed on the stove, Sister Yang murmured to the stove, "Kitchen God, please bless us so that everything goes smoothly..."
The "sticky candy" tradition involves using sweets to "stick" the mouth of the Kitchen God, hoping he will say more kind words.
Lu Xuan followed suit, looking at the stove with a serious expression: "Kitchen God, please bless me with delicious food every day."
Lu Qiong stood behind the two of them, her eyes stinging with tears, hoping only for peace and smooth sailing in the days to come.
The twelfth lunar month passed by in the process of cleaning the house and making frozen tofu.
Later, Jinniang stopped setting up her stall at Longjin Bridge and went to work as an embroiderer in an embroidery workshop. Although she earned more than selling tofu, she didn't have much free time. However, Shuangjie became more sensible and stayed by Jinniang's side without making a fuss.
The year drew to a close amidst all the bickering and joking. In the blink of an eye, the Spring Festival was just a few days away, and Lu Qiong gave Yang Jie'er a break.
That day, he took Lu Xuan to East Street to buy New Year's goods, and they ran into Du Zai and his companion, who were also rushing to buy New Year's goods.
Du Zai was selecting fish, and he chose the fattest one. He took a liking to this fish at first glance; its gills were still bright red, so it must be fresh.
"I want this one!"
Du Yan, however, was far away. Knowing that he would be taking the imperial examination in two months, he knew he had to study hard. So he pointed elsewhere and said, "There are some good books in the study that you haven't read yet."
Lu Qiong wanted to go forward and greet them, but as soon as Lu Xuan heard the word "study," she immediately pulled Lu Qiong away...
After much searching, Lu Qiong finally bought some sugar, candied fruit, and medicinal herbs, and also purchased a considerable amount of yeast from the government. However, after the Spring Festival holiday, the number of people buying yeast was hundreds of times greater than usual, and it took Lu Qiong a long time to get a turn.
Fortunately, the two had brought some scallion pancakes they made themselves, so they didn't go hungry at noon. The others, not being so quick-witted, could only watch longingly, rubbing their stomachs and swallowing their saliva...
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