Chapter 58 Don't Add Goji Berries to Medicinal Chicken Too Early
Last night, I walked from Longjin Bridge all the way to East Street and saw a peddler's stall with many lanterns, so I bought two of them, both of which were fish lanterns.
It's so lifelike, with the fish's mouth open and its tail pointing upwards, it's incredibly lively.
Lu Qiong got up early and hung the fish on either side of the door, one on the left and one on the right, with their mouths facing each other. This is called "abundance every year," and since her family had two, it meant double the abundance!
As soon as the weather gets cold, Lu Xuan always stays in bed and refuses to get up, no matter how much you call her. Fortunately, there is Sister Yang in the shop, so she goes along with her.
But today is different. There will definitely be more diners than usual on the Lantern Festival. Lu Qiong deliberately stretched out her hand and put it in the water for a moment. Her fingertips were so cold that she jumped up and down as soon as they touched the water.
He ran all the way to Lu Xuan's bedroom and found her still asleep. He reached his hand under her blanket and Lu Xuan yelled, "Sister!"
Lu Qiong warmed her hands as well, and chuckled as she called her to wake up: "You promised to help out today, if you can't pay up, come again..."
Lu Xuan shrank into the blankets, turned her back to her, and looked like she wouldn't listen.
However, he eventually succumbed to Lu Qiong's grasp. He squinted as he put on his clothes and went to wash up. The water was still cold, and as soon as he touched it, he couldn't help but hiss. This time, he was completely awake.
There wasn't time to make breakfast, so they went to East Street to buy steamed buns. They ran into Yang San Niang, who was standing to the side with Pei Ya being led by the hand. When they saw them, Pei Ya grinned and said, "Buying steamed buns..."
After paying, Yang San Niang turned around and saw Lu Qiong and the other person, and gave them a forced smile.
Pei Ya was dressed in a plump outfit, with a rosy complexion, and it was clear at a glance that she was being well taken care of, perhaps because what happened last time had taught them a lesson.
Pei Yu also went out early in the morning. Yang Jie'er had to go back to watch the shop, so she left first, while Pei Ya ran behind her, kicking her little legs.
Lu Qiong bought red bean buns and bamboo shoot buns, and also bought a bowl of soy milk from the water mill. It was steaming hot, as if it would burn her mouth.
However, in this kind of weather, drinking a bowl of hot soy milk warms you up from head to toe.
The bamboo shoot buns were filled with lard, and the red oil seeped out onto the outer skin of the buns. Lu Xuan breathed on them as she took a bite of bamboo shoot and carrot, which had a sweet taste.
A light snow fell last night, leaving a thin layer of snow on the bluestone slabs in front of Lu Ji's shop, with several footprints of varying depths. Sister Yang held a bamboo broom and gently swept the ground, making a soft rustling sound. The snow was pushed aside, revealing the damp bluestone bricks.
Cheng Niang also said she would come to help make Yuanzi, but she didn't show up even when the sun was high in the sky.
"She must be talking nonsense; she doesn't seem like a diligent person."
Lu Xuan kept talking. Ever since she learned that Cheng Niang was not her relative, she had become bolder and even gossiped about her elders.
Lu Qiong placed the freshly made dumplings on the stove and said from a distance, "You need to be careful what you say in the future. What kind of impression do people have if they hear this?" Being scolded made Lu Xuan unhappy. She put on a sullen face and lost all motivation to make her favorite sesame filling, stirring it haphazardly instead.
Sister Yang took a dough ball in her hand, shaped it into a small bowl, pinched the filling in little by little, and laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up.
Just then, Cheng Niang came in looking tired. Seeing them making glutinous rice balls, she sat down. She picked up a small glutinous rice ball, pressed it in her palm, and flattened it into a pancake shape: "It doesn't look difficult to make."
Seeing that her hands were dirty before she touched the rice dumplings, Lu Qiong was so angry that she didn't even put the rice dumplings in the pot while the water was boiling. Suppressing her anger, she said, "Cheng Niang!"
It's only been two days, and they're already causing her trouble again. If it weren't for her status, they would have kicked her out long ago.
Cheng Niang had no choice but to wash her hands, but she only touched the water briefly before getting up. In the end, Lu Qiong made her wash her hands several times before he finally stopped.
Sister Yang inexplicably took a liking to her, so she personally taught her how to make glutinous rice balls, placing a dough ball in her hand: "First roll it into a ball, then press it in the middle, tear a small opening, and slowly turn it into a small nest..."
Cheng Niang had several scars on her hands, some new and some old. Her hands were shaking the whole time. She pinched the dough into small, uneven buns, which could only hold less than half a spoonful of filling. However, the buns were still round when sealed, so they were considered finished.
Looking at Yuanzi, who was "similar" to Yang Jie'er, Cheng Niang laughed: "I didn't expect I to be so talented."
Those who didn't know better might have thought she had done something big.
Lu Qiong was too busy to rest. Yuanzi had just finished cooking a pot when she brought over a fresh batch of dough. Meanwhile, several of the dumplings that Cheng Niang had made had their fillings exposed, turning the broth black.
But why isn't Wei Pan here today? She's always the most enthusiastic one during holidays.
Mentioning this, Lu Xuan sighed, put down the medicine, and said indignantly, "Wei Rong is going to take the imperial examination next month. Her mother said that if she passes the exam, the family won't be able to support two people, so she wants Wei Pan to get married."
Yang Jie shook her head and remained silent, while Cheng Niang couldn't help but say that if she encountered such a person, she would beat her to a pulp.
Lu Xuan was heartbroken, but she was startled by the commotion and didn't dare to say a word.
Lu Qiong grabbed Cheng Niang's sleeve, leaving a deep mark, her words carrying a threatening tone: "If you leave this shop, you don't need to come back next time."
Only then did Cheng Niang sit down obediently, muttering under her breath, "She doesn't look like your mother at all..."
Perhaps it was just a casual remark, but it stirred something deep within Lu Qiong's heart.
On the Lantern Festival, there were indeed more diners than usual, and the women were so busy that they forgot about their troubles.
By noon, she could finally catch her breath, so Cheng Niang secretly ladled out a bowl of glutinous rice balls, choosing only the sesame-filled ones and refusing the other ones like date paste or red bean paste.
Seeing that she hadn't caused any trouble and was obediently sitting in the seat against the wall with her bowl, Lu Qiong had no objection, especially since the others also filled their bowls.
Shi San Niang seemed to have some free time, and even went to visit Lu Ji: "You guys are really lively here. I haven't had any Yuanzi yet."
Lu Qiong was already used to her visits, and handed her the glutinous rice balls in her hand: "They're fresh, still warm."
Cheng Niang, who was sitting with her back to the door, pricked up her ears. She felt that the voice sounded familiar. But Yuanzi was really delicious. Even though she was a little full, she wanted to have another bowl.
"Third Sister, why doesn't your shop sell steamed dumplings?"
Just as Lu Qiong finished speaking, a noise came from the corner of the wall. With a bang, Cheng Niang ran away with the bowl!
Never mind, nothing she does is surprising, so he continued chatting with Shi San Niang.
Shi San Niang was puzzled, pointing her chin in the direction Cheng Niang had left: "Aren't we going to chase after them? They've all run away."
“She’s the relative I mentioned earlier,” Lu Qiong said with a smile, shaking her head and pointing to her head, “It’s just that this part isn’t quite clear…”
Shi San Niang nodded, gazing thoughtfully at the steaming Fu Yuanzi.
...
Outside of Bianjing, every household hung up various lanterns, some made of paper from the market, and others made of bamboo by hand.
The aroma of wine still wafted from Yu Niang's courtyard. Li Jie'er added a few pieces of charcoal to the stove, and the flames leaped up. She used iron tongs to hold the wine pot and heat the wine from a distance.
Seeing that the wine pot was turning slightly red, she took the wine out, endured the heat, removed the cork, and poured it into a bowl. The aroma of the heated wine became even stronger.
Li Jie'er leaned forward to smell it first, and her face turned red, whether from the fire or the alcohol, it was hard to tell.
She recently made some money by roasting chestnuts and sweet potatoes, and sometimes she also did odd jobs, running errands for others, but she didn't earn much, since people in the village were unwilling to spend money to have things delivered.
After taking a sip of wine, Li Jie hesitated for a long time, but finally made up her mind: "I will go to Bianjing after the spring plowing season."
Like Sister Qiong, she was able to find her own place in Bianjing.
He thought Yu Niang would agree, but to his surprise, her expression changed immediately. She was unhappy and even a little angry: "You're not allowed to go."
Li Jie put down her wine and stood up excitedly: "Why? It's just going to Bianjing, it's not like I'm doing anything. Qiong Jie and I aren't that much different in age. If she can do it, why can't I?"
Yu Niang didn't explain, and still insisted: "You're not allowed to go."
Looking into her eyes, Li Jie'er felt breathless and locked herself in her bedroom, but her desire to go to Bianjing grew stronger.
Yu Niang paused for a long time before squatting down to clean up the spilled wine. She sat in the main room for a long time before going to the courtyard to feed the chickens.
"Eat the rhubarb first, it's the fattest!"
Lu Qiong and Lu Xuan crawled into the chicken coop, one in front and one behind, determined to catch "Big Yellow".
"Big Yellow" looks heavy, but it can actually run very fast. With a flap of its wings, it pounces on Lu Qiong's back, but Lu Qiong can only grab a single feather.
In the end, "Big Yellow" led the two of them around. After a lot of time, it still couldn't escape death. Lu Qiong tightly bound its paws with hemp rope, but its wings were still flapping incessantly.
The yard was also covered with a layer of snow, but fortunately the well was covered with a thick layer of straw, so it didn't freeze.
After fetching water, they took it to the kitchen, boiled the water, and processed the chicken. Lu Qiong cut it into small pieces, then put it in cold water with ginger slices and wine to blanch it and remove the fishy smell. After the water boiled, they skimmed off the foam and took out the chicken pieces for later use.
The scum contains blood and impurities; if it is not skimmed off, it will easily produce a fishy smell, and the soup will also look unappetizing.
Finally, put the chicken pieces into an earthenware pot, add angelica root, red dates, lotus seeds, etc., and simmer for about half an hour. When it's almost done, add the prepared goji berries, since adding goji berries too early will make them mushy and affect the taste.
Lu Xuan sat obediently. The table had been wiped clean and the bowls were set out. She was just waiting for the chicken soup to arrive.
Lu Qiong placed the earthenware pot on the table through a cloth, and also placed another cloth on top to insulate it from the heat. Just then, someone knocked on the door.
She put down the earthenware pot, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack. The wind blew in, making her shiver with cold, so she quickly closed the window again.
"Sister, who is it?"
Lu Qiong shook her head and decided to go out and take a look first.
He wrapped his clothes tightly around himself and ran to the gate of the courtyard, where he saw Cheng Niang standing alone outside, having changed back into her original thin clothes.
After she came in, Lu Qiong closed the door tightly: "Why aren't you wearing the cotton coat I bought for you?"
Cheng Niang's face was still red from the cold. She looked around, surveying the courtyard, but didn't reply to her words: "It's really nice. The courtyard wall is also sturdy, much better than the original one."
Lu Xuan also came out to see what was happening. She hid behind the wooden door, peeking out with only her eyes showing, following Cheng Niang's figure as she moved around.
When Cheng Niang reached the door, she was startled by the child's eyes, clutching her chest and saying irritably, "Whose child is so frightening..."
Once inside, the crackling fire of the stove warmed the room considerably. Lu Qiong took the Tusu wine from the stove and poured a cup for Cheng Niang, while Lu Xuan also insisted on having a cup.
This wine isn't strong to begin with, and you can get addicted after drinking it a few times. However, it's usually locked up by Lu Qiong, so she can't find anyone to sneak a drink from it.
Cheng Niang poured herself a few cups before finally asking the question that had been puzzling her all day: "Who is Third Sister today? What is your relationship with her?"
It was just an ordinary remark, but she was acting rather strangely that morning, so Lu Qiong became a little wary and said with a smile, "She's just the owner of the soup noodle shop next door."
"Then how can you have such a good relationship? It's already a miracle if you don't trip each other up behind our backs."
In short, Cheng Niang didn't believe what she said. Seeing and hearing nothing conclusively, she simply drank her wine in silence. Lu Qiong, worried that she might get sick from drinking, served her a bowl of chicken soup. It had been simmering for a long time, until the meat was tender and smooth.
After finishing a bowl of wine, which replaced the spicy liquor, Cheng Niang felt a little better in her stomach.
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Author's Note: Take a sip of chicken soup, then get back to writing...
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