Chapter 62 Three-in-one sticky rice cake and crucian carp soup
The small pot of peach wine was almost finished, but there was still quite a bit of radish and beef left.
Lu Qiong ladled some broth over the rice, making it even more appetizing. The beef was stewed until very tender, melting in your mouth, and the radish was soaked in the broth. Because it was too hot, she could only carefully bite off a small piece.
Lu Xuan was also eating silently, occasionally letting out a sigh. Thinking that she hadn't seen it, she secretly drank the last sip of peach wine.
Gradually the rain stopped, but the aroma of beef stew with radish lingered in the air.
Lu Qiong also prepared to pack up the remaining vegetables; since it wasn't hot, they might still be edible if left overnight.
But Lu Xuan acted somewhat strangely, taking the initiative to stop the work. A smile played on her lips as she tilted her head and looked directly at Lu Qiong: "I can take care of these. The rain delayed us earlier, so Sister should go to the shop sooner rather than later; the customers might be waiting too long..."
I was curious to see what she was up to, but Lu Qiong saw through it without exposing her: "Then you do it, I'm not in a hurry, I'll go later."
She was initially happy, but upon hearing what she said next, Lu Xuan's smile froze, though she didn't insist on continuing.
He didn't even notice Lu Qiong's smile.
The air after the rain was chilly, and the weather, which had just warmed up, suddenly turned cold again. As soon as the wind blew, the two of them pulled their coats tighter.
Lu Qiong closed the door to the main room, leaving only a crack.
After the room darkened, I took out an oil lamp from the cabinet, lit it, and it brought a little warmth.
There was a small table next to her with a plate of pickled radishes, and she was sprawled on a recliner, occasionally eating a piece with a bamboo skewer.
The radishes pickled during the heavy snow were all eaten before the New Year. Later, I missed that sweet and sour taste, so I pickled them again.
Once it gets warmer again, we can plant in the yard again, not just radishes, but also peas, pumpkins...
Seeing that Lu Qiong was unhurried, Lu Xuan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She came out of the kitchen, went into the main room, went back to her bedroom, and finally stepped into the main room again.
Lu Qiong finally rested enough and then let her go: "Can you walk now?"
Lu Xuan's eyes darted around, and she began to stammer, "But..."
Before he could finish speaking, a loud noise came from next door, coming from Lu Xuan's bedroom.
Is anyone there?
Just a glance at Lu Xuan and she lowered her head like a quail, looking like she had done something wrong.
Stepping out of the main room, the blue bricks were still damp. The eaves of the rooms were connected, providing shelter from the rain but also protection from the wind.
The bedroom door was still tightly closed, but Lu Qiong only needed to use a little force to push it open.
The familiar aroma of beef stew with radish wafted over, but the earthenware pot had shattered, and the broth had spilled all over the floor.
Her brow twitched as she watched.
Lu Xuan followed closely behind her, glanced around, and then took the initiative to step forward and admit her mistake: "I brought this earthenware pot in. Perhaps I didn't put it down properly and it broke."
"Is that really the case?"
Lu Xuan nodded hesitantly.
Lu Qiong sat down, leaning against the table. When she saw a glimpse of a garment behind the door, she paused for a moment before asking, "You're not hiding anything from me?"
Lu Xuan couldn't withstand the pressure, but remained silent.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned extremely tense; one person sat and the other stood, neither of them speaking.
The person behind the door couldn't stand it any longer. They carefully pushed the door open, their usually bright eyes now filled with a hint of guilt.
Upon seeing that it was Wei Pan, Lu Qiong unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Wei Pan took a few steps forward, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands: "I told Lu Xuan not to say anything... I was the one who broke the earthenware pot just now, I'll pay you back for it..."
"How are you going to compensate me?" Lu Qiong interrupted her.
Wei Pan lowered her head, her lower lip turning white from being bitten.
Lu Xuan really thought she was being stingy, and became impatient and even a little angry: "What's there to compensate for? It's just a clay pot. If it's gone, we can just buy another one. Sister, you don't lack this little bit of money..."
Lu Qiong knew she meant well, but she felt uncomfortable and brought up another matter: "How long has Wei Pan been here? Aren't her family worried?"
"She ran away from home."
"Running away from home... Could it be that you're the one who led people astray?"
Lu Qiong was truly angry now, and was about to grab something to hit someone when Wei Pan couldn't help but speak up: "I left on my own, it's not Lu Xuan's fault."
Wei Rong was supposed to go on a scientific expedition in February, but because the spring plowing was delayed, his family would have to spend more money.
But he didn't have enough money, so he wanted to borrow from a lender, but the interest was too high, with double the interest rate, meaning he would have to repay twice what he borrowed. Wei Pan naturally refused and argued with his family.
To make matters worse, Wei Rong added fuel to the fire: "Then I'll sell you to Xu San next door!"
Wei Pan was so angry that she ran away from home, and it's been several days now.
However, Lu Qiong was curious about how they had managed to hide for so long.
At this point, Lu Xuan forgot how she had been angry earlier and smiled smugly: "I would sneak back to Wei Pan's place while my older sister was busy at the shop, and bring her food. After my older sister fell asleep at night, I would heat up the leftovers, but there was still some food that wasn't enough..."
Lu Qiong was so angry she almost laughed: "So this time you're asking me to make too much?"
Lu Xuan then hooked her finger and smiled ingratiatingly at her.
Now that she had figured it out, Lu Qiong stopped pursuing the matter of the two of them keeping it from her, but she had only one concern: "Aren't your family members worried about you?"
Wei Pan nodded, then shook her head: "I don't know, but they care more about Wei Rong, and they don't care about me at all."
Lu Qiong had long known that Wei Pan had a tough time, but seeing her say it so casually still made her feel a little sad.
"Then you can stay, but you'll have to share a room with Lu Xuan."
Wei Pan was stunned by the sudden surprise, and it was only after Lu Xuan tugged at her sleeve that she came to her senses.
They met eyes, smiled at each other, and both thought that they finally didn't have to sneak around anymore.
Lu Qiong saw it all, but there were still many things to deal with in the future. Since she had left the person behind, trouble would inevitably come knocking sooner or later.
However, the biggest problem now is the soup on the floor, which needs to be cleaned up. Wei Pan took the initiative to do this job, since it was her mistake.
When they arrived at Lu's shop, Sister Yang was so stunned that she was speechless. She only reacted when she saw them arrive.
There was a dough ball left on the stove, resting. Lu Qiong called Wei Panlai to help: "Go wash your hands, then knead the dough with me."
Wei Pan nodded, and couldn't wait to run to the water vat to scoop water. He washed his fingers clean with the water and wiped them on a clean coarse cloth.
Sister Yang also stepped forward to watch the excitement, and served a plate of hot pot to the new diners, sprinkling it with a small handful of chopped green onions. The steaming hot pot released the pungent aroma of the green onions.
As soon as it was served, the steam obscured the diners' faces. He laughed and said, "Your shop isn't very big, and you need four people to help out?"
Yang Jie'er also looked towards the stove, Wei Pan opened her eyes wide and followed along to learn how to pull noodles, Lu Qiong also played with the noodles in her hands, folding them several times and stretching them into long strips, while Lu Xuan sat to the side watching the fire, propping her chin up and looking a little bored.
With a smile, Sister Yang said, "It's cold, so it's warmer to be huddled together with lots of people."
The diners stopped laughing and nodded in agreement: "That's true."
Although it didn't rain that night, it was still a bit chilly, and fewer people went out than usual. They stayed at Lu Ji's place until 9 PM and then prepared to go home.
Lu Xuan has a bad sleeping posture, which Lu Qiong knew as soon as she transmigrated.
Once, when she was sick, Lu Xuan said she would stay by her side, but in her dream, she snatched her blanket away, causing her illness, which had just been cured, to relapse.
Wei Pan and Lu Xuan had been sharing a bed for the past two days, so they must not have slept well. Lu Qiong thought of bringing an extra quilt, but it was an old one, replaced before the New Year, and it still had a bit of a smell.
The bedroom was lit and warm. Lu Qiong straightened the bedding before getting up: "If the bedding isn't warm enough, just tell me and I'll get a new one made tomorrow."
Just as I was about to turn around and leave, I remembered something else: Wei Pan hadn't eaten anything that evening; she had spilled some food, so she probably hadn't eaten much.
"I'll go cook a bowl of noodles. Lu Xuan just happened to have collected a few eggs a few days ago."
Wei Pan nodded obediently, speaking softly, while Lu Xuan joined in the fun, saying, "I want to eat noodles too!"
Lu Qiong flicked her forehead until she let out a yelp, then said irritably, "How much did you eat just now?"
Lu Xuan rubbed her forehead and exclaimed dramatically, "Ouch, it hurts so much! Only eating a bowl of noodles will make me feel better."
Eating at home is different from eating in a shop. Lu Qiong usually kneads the dough, rolls it into a thin sheet, folds it a few times, and then cuts it with a bamboo knife. It's convenient and quick, much easier than making ramen.
She poured egg mixture into the pan and fried it until golden brown. Lu Xuan then called out and ran to fetch water.
As soon as the water was poured in, the noodles were added. The pot bubbled and steamed, the noodles and eggs stuck together, and the soup thickened as well.
At the end, a pinch of salt and a drop of sesame oil were added, and no other seasonings were added. It was still very fresh and fragrant, and Lu Qiong also served herself a small half bowl.
Lu Xuan moved the candle from the stove to the table, and the group sat together, slurping noodles with gusto. The soup was clean and had a few bits of egg on it.
Everything before bed tasted delicious. Even with simple egg noodles, Lu Qiong ate half a bowl more than usual, only feeling guilty after letting out a full burp.
She patted her round belly, sighed, and regretted eating with them.
...
The Wei family, just a few streets away, was in chaos early in the morning. Without Wei Pan getting up early to make breakfast for the family, they would all go hungry.
Wei Rong didn't eat enough last night. Cui Niang's cooking was not to his liking, especially since she was reluctant to add salt or oil, so the food ended up being bland and watery.
After feeding the chickens, Cui Niang still had to sweep the yard. Seeing Wei Rong still standing at the kitchen door, she got angry too. She couldn't hit him or scold him, so she could only pull Wei Pan out: "It's all that bastard's fault for running away. It's such a waste of money. I hope I don't catch him..."
Once she calmed down, she forced a smile and said to Wei Rong in a strained voice, "Why haven't you gone to morning class yet? You'll miss it if you don't go now."
Wei Rong frowned, looking impatient, and pointed to the empty pot in the kitchen: "How can I go if my stomach is empty? I'm not going today!"
After saying that, he turned and went into the house, slamming the door shut, probably to go to sleep.
Cui Niang rubbed her back and simply threw down the broom: "This is another ungrateful wretch who can't be tamed."
Fearing that Wei Rong would fall behind in class, he took out the money he had tucked into his waistband, counted out five copper coins, and went to the street to buy a few steamed buns.
The shopkeeper of the steamed bun shop was somewhat helpless and returned the copper coin: "You only have five coins, which is not enough to buy five meat buns."
Cui Niang rolled her eyes at him: "Your steamed buns are so precious..."
"Change it to bamboo shoot buns, is that alright now?"
After Cui Niang finished speaking, she reluctantly took out a few more copper coins. With her belt so tight, the flesh on her waist was squeezed out.
When she got home, she kept muttering, "They cost three coins each, but I could make one for free."
Wei Rong's bedroom was the largest and best in the house. Cui Niang, carrying steamed buns, opened the door and called out, "I bought you steamed buns..."
I thought Wei Rong was still in bed, but to my surprise, he was sitting perfectly fine at his desk, holding a book in his hands!
Our ancestors are blessing us; a top scholar is about to emerge!
Cui Niang's hands trembled as she remembered that the buns had cost nearly ten copper coins, and she gripped the oil paper bag tightly.
Afraid of disturbing Wei Rong, she walked lightly and lowered her voice, saying, "Rong'er, are you tired from studying? Have some steamed buns and rest for a while."
Wei Rong didn't even look up, his eyes fixed intently on the book in front of him, while casually taking out a steamed bun from the oil paper.
Cui Niang took the opportunity to peek over. She couldn't read, but she was relieved to see that it wasn't a children's picture. Before leaving, she thoughtfully closed the door and said, "Rong'er, stay home today and study hard. It won't matter if you miss a day."
Wei Rong ate with grease dripping from his mouth, turned to a page, leaving grease stains on the paper as well, and burst out laughing when he saw the interesting content.
His eyes narrowed into slits with laughter, his mouth was covered in oil, and a bamboo shoot had fallen from his lips: "This person's stories are really interesting."
...
The Lu family also got up early, especially Wei Pan, who woke up before dawn.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Lu Xuan, who was fast asleep. She tiptoed out of bed, picked up her shoes, went to the door, pushed open the wooden door with a gentle push, put on her shoes, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
I hung the clothes that I brought indoors yesterday back under the eaves, smoothed out the folds, so they wouldn't get too wet in the rain.
Bamboo shoots grow quickly in spring, and within a few days, the market on East Street was bustling with activity, with prices much lower than before.
Lu Qiong also bought a lot from the street. Yesterday at noon, she even cut them into strips and stir-fried them. The taste was light, the texture was crisp and tender, and it was also fresh.
She also likes to stir-fry with minced garlic, but Lu Xuan doesn't like the taste of garlic, so she has to settle for sprinkling chopped green onions on top to enhance the flavor.
However, Lu Qiong had just gotten up and hadn't even washed up yet when she asked Wei Pan to go to the kitchen to wash the remaining bamboo shoots, cut them into shreds, and use them to make steamed buns.
She also cut some leftover cured pork from before the New Year into cubes, and Lu Qiong went into the kitchen at this moment.
Since bamboo shoots have a bitter taste, she blanched them first, then added cured meat and pickled vegetables to make a filling. She put the filling into a hot pan, added a small spoonful of lard, and sautéed it until fragrant.
Wei Pan wasn't idle either. She took out a bowl of flour and some fermented old dough from the cupboard, poured in water and added new dough, and kneaded it into a dough.
Lu Qiong scooped the filling from the pot into a bowl for later use. Seeing that Wei Pan's dough was almost ready, she said, "Sprinkle some salt and knead it a few more times. That way it will be more elastic."
Wei Pan did as she was told, and kept all the words she had said in mind.
She learned a lot at Lu Ji yesterday. Making food at home is indeed different from making it in a shop. The shop makes larger quantities and it is more difficult to control the heat and seasonings.
Fortunately, Sister Yang is a skilled cook. If she doesn't understand something, she can just ask Sister Yang. Most of the time, she understands after hearing it once, so she doesn't have to bother anyone else.
Lu Qiong also felt that she had a talent for cooking, at least much better than Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan is a restless person and finds it difficult to concentrate on one thing. It's even more impossible for her to spend several hours learning how to make dragon beard noodles.
When Lu Xuan woke up, the bamboo shoot and pork buns were ready, with thin skins and generous fillings, steaming hot.
Lu Qiong broke one open, and the juice flowed out along the edge. It was still very hot, but the taste was excellent. The pickled vegetables were sour, the meat was salty, and the bamboo shoots sandwiched inside were also very crisp.
My empty stomach was instantly filled, and I had the energy to do everything.
...
The shopkeeper sent a cartload of goods: two large bags of flour, a bag of glutinous rice flour, two jars of sugar, a dozen bamboo skewers, and other miscellaneous items.
The entire shop mobilized, everyone putting down what they were doing to go outside and move things. In the past, large items like flour were carried by the delivery boy.
But today's visitor was a small man, and fearing he might accidentally break his leg, Sister Yang shooed him aside and went inside with Lu Qiong, one at the head and the other at the tail.
Wei Pan was also holding a jar of candy in her arms, and she still had a free hand to hold the string of the bamboo sticks.
After several rounds, they were flushed and panting. Lu Xuan, who had contributed the least, served them a pot of tea.
Especially when she got to Lu Qiong, her smile became almost ingratiating: "I just heard someone say that a good storybook has been published in the city..."
He drew out the last syllable, waiting for Lu Qiong to ask, "What kind of storybook is it?"
If it's an uninteresting story, then forget it. Although there's not much to choose from, it doesn't mean she's not picky.
Lu Xuan chuckled: "It's about a tyrannical wife and a down-on-his-luck scholar."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qiong's eyes lit up, and she immediately pulled out her money: "Then go buy it quickly, right now!"
Yang Jie'er was also surprised by her actions. Apart from the last time she earned one tael of silver in a day, she had never seen the young lady so excited.
Wei Pan was also curious, but she didn't show any emotion.
After resting for a while, they had to continue their work.
Now that Wei Pan has arrived, the task of kneading the dough has been handed over to her. Yang Jie'er just stands aside and watches, occasionally saying a few words, but mainly she is in charge of cooking.
Lu Qiong opened the newly bought glutinous rice flour, scooped it out several times with a clean bowl, and poured it into a basin. She stopped when she saw that there was almost half a basin full.
Add water and sugar, knead into a dough, divide into small portions, roll into thin sheets, wrap with red bean paste, seal the edges, press into a cake shape, and sprinkle a layer of sesame seeds on the outside for decoration.
Once you've wrapped a whole pot's worth, fry them in oil until both sides are golden brown and the skin puffs up.
...
The bookstores, stalls, and even the book boats near Zuixianlou were all packed with people, each holding a storybook.
"The Way of Being an Official" is a book with a respectable title, but its content is about a scholar who was trapped by a tyrannical wife before he became an official.
"The author of this story must be a veteran...tsk tsk, it's brilliant."
The man paid and immediately started reading the book. He walked and read, his expression becoming increasingly interesting, and he didn't even realize he had bumped into someone.
Fortunately, the person was only interested in the storybook, so they didn't pursue the matter further.
Lu Xuan clutched her purse tightly, squeezed into the crowd, completely surrounded. As she watched the number of stories in the book stall dwindle, she grew increasingly anxious.
When it was her turn, the bookseller was all smiles: "Young lady, you're in luck! This is the last book on my stall!"
Lu Xuan couldn't wait to pay and snatched the storybook. In the end, both of them were satisfied.
The guests behind her looked disappointed, while others looked at her with envy, telling her to walk with her head held high and her back straight.
Unable to contain her desire to return, she couldn't help but smile all the way. Finally, she saw the signboard of Lu Ji and was surprised to find that the road from Zhouqiao to Zuixianlou was actually quite long.
"Sister! Wei Pan! Sister Yang!" She called out to everyone before stopping, panting.
Lu Qiong couldn't hide the smile on her face, her gaze eagerly fixed on the book in her arms: "Did you manage to buy it? I heard that there aren't many storybooks left, and many people have already gone home empty-handed."
Lu Xuan nodded, and before she could even wipe the sweat from her forehead, she pulled out the storybook she had tucked into her clothes. It was brand new and hadn't been turned yet.
Fortunately, it was during the Song Dynasty, when printing and papermaking had developed, and storybooks were plentiful; otherwise, she would have been extremely bored there.
"In the first chapter, Lady Shen meets Mr. Du by chance... It is said that during the Song Dynasty, there was a wealthy merchant named Shen Jin in Bianjing City. He had a daughter named Shen Ru. She was capricious and always did what she said. She usually went out with her servants and acted tyrannically."
"It was during the Qingming Festival... I heard cheers outside the sedan chair. I lifted the curtain and saw a scholar in a blue robe standing in front of the table. He looked to be in his early twenties..."
Lu Qiong stopped there, slamming the book shut. The onlookers, still immersed in the story, were all savoring the moment: "That's all for today."
However, there was still some dough left to make, and if it was delayed any longer, it would rise into buns. So she called everyone to the stove and quickly made the rest.
Wei Pan was the quickest to get back into the swing of things. The dough was incredibly soft in her hands, and she could easily stretch it into various shapes. Perhaps it was because glutinous rice dough was so elastic that she could wrap a lot of fillings.
Seeing how well she pinched, Lu Qiong couldn't help but praise, "Pan'er is the best at it among us. She has a skillful hand and won't break the skin."
Lu Xuan was also secretly competing with herself, stretching the dough even thinner, adding an extra spoonful of red bean paste, and sealing it well. Just as she was feeling smug, she pressed her other hand on top, and the filling leaked out from the edge.
Fortunately, she wasn't one to dwell on things, so she let it go if she couldn't finish it; eating was the important thing later.
But Sister Yang was engrossed in the story she had just heard, wondering how the scholar would view Madam Shen, and how their relationship would ultimately unfold...
Sticky fire cakes were not popular in the Central Plains, but there were similar ways to eat them. After all, the people of Bianjing (Kaifeng) had a system of research on food, and there was no way they hadn't tried it.
Each one is quite large, but you can fry about ten in one pan. Brush them with oil, stick them to the pan, and they sizzle as the dough browns and becomes even more fragrant. Flip them over to reveal the crispy side, then slide them down the pan to the bottom, splattering oil everywhere.
After being served, the sticky hot spoons were piled on a plate, steaming hot, making the plate itself scalding hot.
Lu Xuan couldn't help but swallow hard, looking extremely hungry. She immediately reached out and grabbed two, her hands burning red from the heat, but she refused to let go. She then handed the other one to Wei Pan.
Wei Pan stared longingly at the sticky rice cake, its outer skin glossy and crispy, still emitting a fragrant aroma: "This is for the guests... isn't it a bit inappropriate?"
Lu Xuan took a bite first. It was incredibly soft and chewy, and the red bean paste filling was sweet, like fried glutinous rice balls. With her mouth full, she said, "Take this first, and we'll talk about it after you've eaten it."
Wei Pan still had reservations, and only after Lu Qiong nodded and tasted a sticky rice cake did she take the one from Lu Xuan.
Everyone was eating; the customers in the shop were all enjoying what they had in their hands, their mouths watering at what was cooking in the stove.
Wei Pan felt warm inside, and she thought these days were wonderful. She wished she could be happy like this forever.
A new customer came to the shop. He was a stranger and I had never seen him before. He was carrying a large basket on his back. He wasn't dressed much, but he was covered up so the wind couldn't get in.
His cheeks were red from the cold, and his palms were rough; they even got rubbed against his hands a few times when he handed over the coins.
Lu Qiong asked him to sit down and introduced the shop's dishes with a smile: "Our shop has pastries, boiled water, soup noodles, and porridge. Pastries and boiled water are five coins a serving, soup noodles are ten coins a bowl, and adding meat will cost an extra five coins. Porridge is ten coins a bowl. We also have freshly made sticky fire buns, which are three coins a serving. Tea is free, but if you want wine, it will cost twenty coins a pot."
Zhou Jingzong was taken aback and didn't remember much, but the reputation of sticky fire cake was quite unique during this period: "Then I'll have sticky fire cake, and a bowl of vegetarian soup cake."
In Lu Qiong's view, vegetarian soup noodles are just plain noodles, with only a thin dough, a little oil and salt, but they are cheap, costing only six coins a bowl, and two more coins for larger portions.
Surprisingly, despite his considerable size, he only ate this much, even though he also added a sticky rice cake.
However, Lu Qiong provided excellent service. She first poured a cup of hot tea, which Zhou Jingzong gulped down. Then she brought over a bowl of soup noodles with extra pickled radish to make it more flavorful and less bland. The sticky sesame flatbread was taken from the plate she had just served.
Zhou Jingzong ate the soup dumplings very quickly, finishing them in just a few bites, leaving not a drop of soup. After enjoying his meal, he took a bite of the sticky rice cake and was surprised to find it so soft. His eyes lit up as he ate it: "It's like the glutinous rice balls my wife makes, just not as big as this!"
Since the topic of wives had come up, Lu Qiong followed up by asking, "Is your wife not in Bianjing?"
Zhou Jingzong hadn't even had time to chew before he quickly swallowed it and drank the tea before saying, "I came to Bianjing during the off-season in the countryside. I've been collecting ice on the Bian River since the heavy snow. It's been several months since I went back, and I didn't even have time for the New Year."
"Going back now will be just in time for spring plowing."
He also brought his daughter some toys that were only available in Bianjing. He took out a small rattle drum from the bamboo basket, with little fairy children painted on both sides of the drumhead. He said proudly, "This is the most sought-after item in Bianjing. I managed to snag it for twenty coins. And this kite, it's just in time for Qingming Festival, there's wind too..."
Finally, he accidentally pulled out a box of face powder, and Zhou Jingzong became unusually shy, his voice softening: "This is for my wife, she's been wanting it for a long time."
Lu Qiong smiled too, her eyes crinkling into small boats: "Your wife will be overjoyed to see this..."
Zhou Jingzong was also pleased by the praise and bought several servings of food, including peach shortbread, osmanthus cake, and sticky rice cakes. If it weren't inconvenient to take them with him, he would have even wanted a few servings of boiled water.
The bamboo basket, already full, is now even heavier.
Seeing Wei Pan staring blankly at his departing figure, Lu Xuan brought over a bowl of citron drink and tugged at her sleeve: "You haven't tried this drink yet? It's a new one I made recently. It's better than perilla drink. It has a sour taste, but it's also sweet."
She didn't know how to describe the taste, but it was simply delicious!
When food was mentioned, Wei Pan's thoughts were interrupted as she was drawn to the clear drink in front of her. She carefully brought it to her lips, took a sip, licked the water off her lips, and her eyes immediately lit up: "It really is sweet!"
The citron was extremely sour. She had once eaten one raw and found it very unpleasant. She even disliked using it in soup. Unexpectedly, it tasted quite good when made into a drink.
The two women huddled together, chattering away, and the diners in the shop would often glance at them, which made them feel a little happier.
...
After the addition of a new member to the family, Lu Qiong would buy an extra portion of the groceries. To reward the two hardworking individuals, she even set aside a portion of the money she earned that morning to buy a plump and tender crucian carp from the fishmonger.
Especially around the fish's belly, it was difficult for her to hold it with both hands. As soon as she got home, she grabbed the handle of a bamboo knife and slapped the fish's head with the blade. She had to slap it hard two or three times before she finally stunned the fish and the tail stopped thrashing.
Seeing Wei Pan and Lu Xuan squatting beside her, staring intently, Lu Qiong found it amusing: "You two hurry up and cut the tofu, and wash the pot while you're at it, we'll be making crucian carp soup later!"
Recalling the delicious aroma of the fish soup, Lu Xuan licked her lips and nodded firmly. Before she could even react, Wei Pan was pulled away.
It took some time to process the fish, and the lingering smell of blood in the yard was hard to get rid of. In the end, we had to sprinkle some wood ash to remove the smell, and we even washed the bamboo knife several times with soapberry water.
After squatting for a long time, Lu Qiong's legs went numb. It took her a while to feel better. The kitchen door wasn't closed tightly, and there were rustling sounds coming from inside.
Through the crack in the door, she could only see two people with their backs to her fiddling with something.
Wei Pan tugged at Lu Xuan's sleeve: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Lu Xuan quickly covered her mouth, deliberately lowering her voice: "Keep it down, don't let my older sister hear... This is my secret recipe."
Lu Qiong was also curious, wondering what was being kept from her, so she pushed open the door, which inevitably made the wooden door creak.
Lu Xuan turned around like a startled bird, her eyes wide with fright. She was quite frightened, but she didn't forget to cover what was behind her with her body and forced a smile: "Sister, have you cleaned the fish?"
Lu Qiong tilted her head and smiled, revealing the cleaned fish in her hand. The scales had been scraped off, the internal organs removed, and the blood washed away.
He approached them step by step: "What are you hiding behind you?"
Wei Pan couldn't lift her head anymore, only Lu Xuan was still struggling: "It's nothing, I was just preparing fish soup... Oh dear, sister's clothes are all wet, hurry up and change! You'll catch a cold!"
She's getting more and more cunning!
Lu Qiong waved her hand, saying it was alright, and insisted on walking behind them. She then saw that the tofu on the table had been cut into pieces.
Only a small portion remained; the rest were used to make tofu pudding, and both portions were sprinkled with a lot of sugar.
She chose soft tofu for making soup, which is perfect for making tofu pudding, but now it makes it easier for them to "commit a crime".
Now, only half the tofu can be used for the crucian carp soup.
Lu Qiong was worried about what to add to the crucian carp soup to enhance its flavor.
Lu Xuan, however, thought she was angry and pushed the carefully prepared tofu pudding forward: "Sister, this soft tofu is for you..."
Wei Pan was also worried, her brows furrowed, fearing that Lu Qiong would blame her.
Seeing that they knew they were wrong, Lu Qiong chuckled, but pretended to scold them: "Since you've already made it, you can't waste it. You're punished by eating it all, but you have to leave room for the crucian carp soup, after all, this fish is not small."
Lu Xuan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her chest-patting expression particularly endearing. Wei Pan also looked at her, her eyes gradually lighting up as she smiled.
Lu Qiong had forgotten to make a few cuts on both sides of the fish, so she added them back in to help it absorb the flavor better.
First, pour in oil, add ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the crucian carp. This removes the fishy smell and adds aroma. Fry until golden brown on both sides, which also helps the fish skin hold its shape, preventing it from breaking during stewing and resulting in a clearer, richer soup.
Lu Qiong poured water, enough to cover the crucian carp, and added a little wine to enhance the flavor. Lu Xuan and the others watched the fire at the stove, adding firewood when they saw that the fire wasn't strong enough.
Once the soup turns white, add the tofu. After it has absorbed the flavors, you can add the seasonings.
The aroma grew stronger, so Lu Qiong told them to cut off the firewood, sprinkle some chopped green onions on top, and then it was ready to serve.
Next, stir-fry some bamboo shoots with pork and serve a small plate of pickled radish. That's it for lunch today.
Wei Pan and Lu Xuan had already set out the bowls and chopsticks and were sitting obediently at the table, waiting for her to bring out the last dish, just like little birds eagerly waiting to be fed.
So cute!
Xue'er was also lying down nearby, diligently gnawing on the pork bones she had brought back from the shop.
Lu Qiong felt her heart was filled with joy; now all she needed to do was earn more money!
With the ambition to make a lot of money, she drank two bowls of fish soup in a row. The soup was very fresh and sweet, but she regretted not adding some pickled vegetables, which would have made a dish of pickled fish.
The soup was a bit hot, so Wei Pan decided to wait until it cooled down before drinking it. She did pick up quite a few bamboo shoots, but avoided the meat.
Lu Qiong saw everything, but Lu Xuan was a bit slow-witted and not as sensitive as her, so she couldn't see or notice anything.
However, it's hard to change someone's temperament; you can only wait and see, and who knows, they might change someday.
After lunch, the group went to the yard to digest their food and also turned over the soil. As soon as it warmed up a bit, weeds grew everywhere, so they had to weed first.
It's also her fault for forgetting to till the soil when it was cold, which buried the grass roots and caused weeds to grow rampant the following year.
Lu Qiong held a hoe in front to loosen the soil, while Lu Xuan and Wei Pan pulled weeds behind her, and the plot of land was quickly cleared of weeds.
Unfortunately, I haven't chosen the right seeds yet, so I'll have to wait a few days to plant the vegetables.
After a while, they were all sweating and had to clean the mud off their bodies.
Lu Xuan and Wei Pan's clothes were a bit dirty, so they had to change. Fortunately, Wei Pan remembered to bring a change of clothes when she "ran away from home," so they came in handy.
Lu Qiong had been waiting in the courtyard for a while, so she knocked on their door: "If you don't come out soon, I'm leaving!"
Lu Xuan hurriedly agreed, her tone suggesting she was putting on her shoes: "Almost done! Just wait a little longer..."
Lu Qiong shook her head, somewhat helplessly: "He's even more slow than me."
This time, they didn't have to wait long before they went out into the street under the moonlight.
East Street has returned to its former bustling state, with more vendors pushing carts and hawking their wares than before the New Year, the Zhou Bridge brightly lit, and painted boats flowing endlessly beneath it...
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