Chapter 64 Cold Food Festival: Tremella, Pears, and Qingming Dumplings
Diners in Bianjing crave novelty, which quickly made braised mushrooms in wine Lu Ji's most popular dish, almost always sold out every day.
Later, they would prepare the ingredients in advance so that they wouldn't be caught off guard when customers arrived.
Today, Sister Yang took Lu Xuan to the water vat in the back alley to pick vegetables. During the trip, she also asked the porter to fetch water from the Bian River. It took most of the vat of water to wash the mushrooms, red dates, and goji berries clean.
As soon as the bamboo basket in the water was lifted, the water flowed down through the drain hole. Sister Yang carried the mushrooms, which were covered in water droplets, into the shop, told Lu Qiong, and then went out to prepare other ingredients.
They also tore the shiitake mushrooms into pieces while washing them, which made it easier for Lu Qiong to pour the shiitake mushrooms directly into the broth after cooking.
But she still felt that this dish was much better with white fungus than with shiitake mushrooms, both in terms of texture and flavor...
Wei Pan lit a fire, his face reddened from the heat, and asked curiously with wide eyes, "What does silver ear fungus look like?"
These past few days, Lu Qiong has been talking about silver ear fungus, but she has never seen it before, and this is the first time she has ever heard of it.
"Clang!" Lu Qiong slammed the pot lid shut, trapping all the steam inside.
"Silver ear fungus... grows on specific trees, but unfortunately it's not found in Bianjing. It looks like a rooster's comb, with curled edges, a bit white and translucent. It's easy to break when dried, but it expands when soaked in water, and becomes even more tender and smooth after cooking, like 'bird's nest'! It's also like tofu..."
They are not common now, and wild ones are mostly found in the southwest region. Artificial breeding will take hundreds of years, so she will never get to see them.
If she could train them, she could make a fortune from it, since it's comparable to "bird's nest" (a type of medicinal herb). But unfortunately, she knows nothing about it.
It's heartbreaking to see a chance to make big money slip away right before your eyes! Lu Qiong pressed her chest, met Wei Pan's puzzled gaze, and gave an awkward laugh.
"White fungus can also be used to make soup with pears. Adding sugar makes it even sweeter and more tender."
She ate plenty of pears in the fall, each one sweet and juicy. Unfortunately, this year's autumn was short, and winter came in the blink of an eye. Now all that's left are dried pears and pear syrup.
However, for her, dried pears were too dry, and pear syrup was too sweet.
I heard that the pear blossoms in the pear orchard are in full bloom recently, as white as snow. When the breeze blows, they fall to the ground, attracting many people to admire them. After all, nowadays, the people of Bianjing can only look at the pear blossoms to satisfy their cravings.
After listening to her talk about white fungus and then pears, Wei Pan also felt hungry and kept swallowing her saliva, eager to know what white fungus tasted like.
Both of them were completely absorbed in it until the soup in the pot boiled and steam escaped through the cracks in the pot.
Lu Qiong then lifted the lid of the pot, and the fresh aroma of shiitake mushrooms wafted out. She then poured in a bowl of rice wine that had been prepared in advance, and the aroma of the wine blended into the wine.
The broth is as clear as spring water, without a trace of turbidity. You can see the mushrooms and red dates under the surface of the soup, as well as a few goji berries floating on the surface, creating a scene reminiscent of sheltering from the rain in the mountains.
The fire went out, and the whole pot of soup calmed down. Lu Qiong held one end of the wooden dagger and gently stirred the soup. The aroma of wine became more and more intense. Then she ladled a spoonful into a bowl.
Taking advantage of the fact that there weren't many diners at the moment, she handed the dish to Wei Pan, who was also craving it and thanked her with her eyes crinkled.
Lu Qiong poured herself another small bowl, and smelling the aroma of the wine, she drank the soup along the rim of the bowl, as if she were drinking diluted sweet wine. When she savored the aftertaste, the wine flavor was even more mellow. The jade mushrooms were also marinated in the wine, making them soft, tender, and smooth. No wonder they were a favorite of literati.
Once the shop gets busy, they have no time for sentimental musings, and they forget all about pear juice or white fungus soup; all they care about is serving an endless stream of customers.
A few alleys away, Hao Xiaoren knocked on the gate of the Wei family's courtyard: "Wei Rong!"
After waiting for a long time without receiving a response, he calmed down, after all, it wasn't the first time. Wei Rong was always like this, needing to be urged several times before doing something, and right now he was probably still lying in bed reading a novel!
Sure enough, a quarter of an hour passed before Wei Rong opened the door, looking displeased, perhaps because his peace and quiet had been disturbed: "Why is it you?"
Their school was different from Yingtian Academy. There were quite a few students like Hao Xiaoren whose families were not wealthy and who didn't have the spare money to send them to school. But he was clever and befriended a group of "rich kids," eating and drinking for free and occasionally running errands for them, which helped him scrape together the money for school.
Even though Wei Rong's attitude was bad, Hao Xiaoren still smiled and said, "I need to talk to you about something..."
Seeing his lack of interest, Hao Xiaoren blocked the door, still smiling, and said, "It's related to your sister."
Wei Rong paused in closing the door, his brows furrowed, he glanced at him, and finally let him in.
The yard was a bit messy. The chicken coop hadn't been cleaned for a while, and the droppings had dried on the ground, leaving behind some insects. A dusty straw hat was hanging on the door.
Hao Xiaoren frowned the whole way.
Several teapots were on the table. Wei Rong lifted them one by one, and they were all empty. He clicked his tongue and said, "No water."
Hao Xiaoren then relaxed his brow and smiled, "I'm not thirsty. I'll leave after I finish speaking."
Wei Rong, his face full of fat, snorted through his nostrils and glanced at him sideways: "It wasn't for you to drink... Fine, you said you'd better leave now."
Hao Xiaoren also straightened his posture: "Do you know Lu's Food Shop in Zhouqiao? Yesterday I went there with some people to eat soup noodles. We were talking about those stories when I suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure. I thought that person was your older sister?"
"I immediately finished my soup noodles and wanted to rush to your house, but to my surprise, not a single light was on in your house, so I left."
It sounded nice, but Wei Rong knew his character. He snorted, went into the inner room, took out the storybook he had finished reading last time, and patted it into his arms: "This storybook is for you to read."
Hao Xiaoren knew he was trying to get rid of the customer, so he took the storybook, put it into his inner clothes, exchanged a few pleasantries, and left.
He didn't come here for anything in particular; he just thought Wei Rong would be worried if his family members disappeared. But to his surprise, Wei Rong didn't react much.
Not long after Hao Xiaoren left, Cui Niang started cursing outside, saying that the vendor who had just set up his stall had cheated on the weight again, pinching a piece of fatty meat between her fingers: "How can this little bit of meat weigh six ounces?"
Seeing that she was still cursing, Wei Rong's eyes darted around, and then he grinned foolishly in the courtyard, which frightened Cui Niang. She quickly asked, "Are you tired from studying?"
*
Half a day had passed, and apart from the soil drying out a bit, there wasn't much change in the ground.
The culprit who caused trouble this morning was still lying on the side, its eyelids drooping, looking somewhat listless.
Lu Qiong, hands on her hips, pointed at Xue'er and scolded, "You've really grown up! How dare you cause trouble in the fields..."
Xue'er whimpered weakly, her tail barely twitching. The other two softened upon hearing this and spoke up for her.
Lu Xuan stroked Xue'er's fur, touched its chin, and said with heartache, "It's gotten so thin... Sister, please give it some meat!"
Wei Pan nodded frantically, as if she would be a sinner if she disagreed.
I originally wanted to punish Xue'er by not allowing her to eat meat or gnaw on bones today, but given the situation, I had no choice but to compromise.
Lu Qiong then took out the remaining meat bones from the shop and gave the whole piece to Xue'er, who immediately wagged her tail happily.
It's practically a spirit!
For lunch, I cooked a pot of glutinous rice. First, I chopped up some cured pork and beans and sautéed them until fragrant and the oil was rendered before adding the soaked rice. I used two kinds of rice, glutinous rice and regular rice, so that the cooked rice wouldn't be too soft or too hard.
Lu Qiong prefers this kind of braised rice. There used to be a stall selling pea rice next to her school, and she would buy a serving whenever she didn't have time for breakfast.
No matter what she tried, she could never recreate the taste from back then.
Perhaps because spring evenings come later than winter evenings, the Zhou Bridge was already filled with people admiring the scenery. Willow branches swayed in the wind on both banks of the Bian River, the sky gradually darkened, and the bright moon rose from the riverbank, adding a touch of coldness to Bianjing.
But the people of Bianjing still had the same desire to travel, with vendors hawking their wares in the streets and alleys, and pedestrians coming and going in an endless stream.
Lu Ji's voice came softly reading aloud: "Upon seeing the scholar, Madam Shen wanted to buy his calligraphy and paintings, but the scholar politely refused, saying that they had been reserved by someone else in advance..."
"Madam Shen threw down her money bag full of silver, saying she wanted to invite the scholar to her home to paint. After being publicly rejected, she became furious and embarrassed..."
Wei Pan listened intently, but was somewhat puzzled: "The scholar was humiliated like this, and Madam Shen was also embarrassed in public. They will definitely hate each other from now on."
Sister Yang agreed, but she was still looking forward to what would happen next.
However, they still had to go to the kitchen to work.
Lu Qiong put the storybook and the account book together, closed the cabinet, and then customers came in.
The young man ordered a serving of braised mushrooms in wine and a serving of Guanghan cake.
Yang Jie'er and Lu Xuan were both busy, so she asked Wei Pan to bring over a plate of pastries, and then went to the back alley to check how much water was left in the water tank.
The cool moonlight reflected on the water, revealing a delicate face. Before one could even appreciate it, a quarrel broke out inside the shop.
With a "crash," it sounded like a cup or plate had been broken.
Ignoring the water vat, Lu Qiong opened the door and rushed into the shop.
There was indeed a broken plate on the ground. The unlucky customer was the one who had just ordered Guanghan cake. Luckily, it wasn't stewed mushrooms in wine, or he would have been burned.
Seeing that the person was alright, she breathed a sigh of relief and went over to ask what had happened.
Wei Pan squatted on the ground, trying to pick up the broken pieces, but Sister Yang had already brought over a broom, apologized to the diner, refunded his money, and replaced the pastry with a new one.
The diner was also a bit angry. No one would be happy in such a situation. He took the money and left without asking for compensation, only leaving behind the words: "Manager, you should take care of your family matters first!"
Although the other diners were not affected, they were also dissatisfied, but Lu Qiong didn't have time to care.
But what does "family affairs" mean?
Thinking this, Lu Qiong saw two new guests sitting in a seat to the side, while Wei Pan was avoiding them.
She had seen the older woman a few times; she was Wei Pan's mother. But how did she find her way here? She had only a so-so impression of Cui Niang, and considering Wei Pan's situation at home, she couldn't feel any goodwill towards her.
The other diners in the shop were still whispering and glancing over at them. Lu Qiong couldn't take it anymore and just wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible.
Wei Pan lowered her head, perhaps too frightened to speak.
Fortunately, Sister Yang was still there. She glanced at Cui Niang and said indignantly, "That person claimed to be Sister Pan's mother and tried to drag her away. At that time, Sister Pan was serving pastries to the guests and dropped the plate because she couldn't hold it properly."
She didn't lower her voice intentionally, but Cui Niang heard it too, and said in an annoyed tone, "Wei Pan is my daughter, and I raised her!"
Lu Qiong had almost figured things out, so she pulled Wei Pan behind her and didn't see Wei Pan's stunned look.
"But you can't cause trouble here, especially with so many diners around. If you continue to act unreasonably, I'll call the authorities!"
Upon hearing the words "report to the authorities," Cui Niang felt a pang of fear. She thought of letting it go, but she was unwilling to give up and gritted her teeth.
Wei Rong grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. Just accuse her of human trafficking and kidnapping. If this gets out of hand, she won't be able to keep her shop open."
He suffered a lot of losses at Lu Qiong's hands last time and was ridiculed by the school staff for a long time. He still remembers these things. Now he has finally found an opportunity to redeem himself!
Even if he couldn't swindle her out of money, he still had to call Wei Pan home, since he had suffered a lot these past few days.
Cui Niang also had other plans, and after thinking for a while, she nodded.
Seeing their confidence, Wei Pan felt a chill run down her spine. They must be planning something, and it might even implicate Qiong Jie'er and the others. But if they went back, they would truly never have another chance to come out.
Her palms were clenched until they bled, but she felt nothing until Lu Qiong separated her hands.
"Then let's report it to the authorities and see who gets arrested!" Cui Niang wasn't afraid of trouble at this moment.
Wei Pan was still at a loss and didn't understand why her family was so terrible, not even as good as Lu Xuan and the others.
The diners in the shop were all watching the spectacle, and who knows, some might even be gossiping about her behind her back. Thinking about this, her heart sank.
Lu Qiong grabbed her hand and silently mouthed "It's okay" to her.
“Since Cui Niang just wants Wei Pan to go home,” she looked around at the people and saw that they had no reaction, “then let’s ask Wei Pan what she thinks. There are quite a few people here.”
Cui Niang was about to retort when she saw the surrounding diners nodding in agreement. The words she wanted to say stuck in her throat, and she felt somewhat unwilling.
Everyone looked at Wei Pan, not even caring that the soup dumplings in front of them had gone cold.
"Young lady, do you want to go back with her, or stay here?" a woman couldn't help but ask.
However, in her opinion, staying here is the best choice. She can learn a skill and earn money. If she goes home, she might suffer some kind of hardship.
Many of the diners present shared her mindset, but the choice ultimately rested with Wei Pan, and she hesitated to make a decision.
Seeing that Wei Pan couldn't choose, Cui Niang wiped her eyes and forced out a few tears: "Pan'er, this family can't live without you..."
Wei Pan had never seen her cry before, and her heart immediately panicked. At the same time, she noticed Wei Rong behind her, whose face held a hint of ill intent.
Yang Jie'er in the kitchen was also anxious. The cold noodles that the customer had just ordered were not ready yet. No matter how she kneaded the dough, it just wouldn't work. She also had to comfort Lu Xuan, who was frowning as well.
"I'm sure Sister Pan will stay..."
But I also know that this is hard to say, after all, who can be heartless when they see their parents crying?
Before she knew it, the fire in the stove had gone out, and she hurriedly went to the back alley to fetch firewood.
Before Wei Pan could make a decision, she asked Cui Niang, "Has anyone been feeding the chickens, fetching water, and watering the vegetables these past few days?"
Lu Qiong couldn't help but feel disappointed, but she couldn't stop her.
Cui Niang thought she had been chosen, and her face immediately lit up with joy. With tears still on her face, she looked quite ridiculous and began to complain.
“It’s such a mess without you at home. Wei Rong can’t do anything, he can’t even boil water, let alone cook. Your father and I have to boil water and cook when we get back from our work outside…”
Lost in her joy and still proud of having outdone Lu Qiong and the others, she failed to notice the disdain of the other diners around her.
Especially when they saw Wei Rong with his plump face and flesh squeezed together, while Wei Pan opposite him was short and thin, anyone who saw him would feel sorry for him.
Lu Qiong frowned as well. She would feel uneasy if she asked Wei Pan to go back with Cui Niang: "Have you made up your mind?"
Yang Jie'er and Lu Xuan also stared intently at Wei Pan, their eyes brimming with worry. Wei Pan smiled inwardly and nodded.
As soon as she was about to speak, the noise in the shop immediately quieted down.
Cui Niang looked smug and waited for her reply.
"I want to stay!"
Over the years, Wei Pan has always held hope for them. When she was young, she always felt that if she did a little better, her parents would treat her better.
But Wei Rong could easily obtain what she struggled to get. She thought it was because her parents didn't like hardworking children, but just as she was about to take a nap, her mother would drag her out of bed to loosen the soil.
Gradually, she learned to be a little "clever," hiding the food to eat and running outside whenever she had free time, so she could do less work.
Now she could finally get away from it for the time being. After thinking it through, Wei Pan suddenly felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders.
Cui Niang continued to curse, uttering words like "ungrateful wretch" and "wicked child."
In the end, a kind customer helped pull the person away. Wei Rong also felt ashamed, so he pulled the person away as well.
Lu Qiong finally breathed a sigh of relief and was able to smile after Wei Pan chose to stay.
Lu Xuan also rushed over, looking pitiful. She was really afraid that Wei Pan would go back: "If you leave, there will be no one to chat with me at night."
Wei Pan burst out laughing, never expecting her to react this way.
Lu Qiong patted her on the shoulder: "Now I know why your bruises are so bad!"
Soon, the sounds of chopping vegetables, boiling water, and conversations gradually returned to the restaurant, and Lu Ji finally regained its former atmosphere.
*
The Cold Food Festival is just before Qingming Festival. On this day, fires are forbidden, and people in Bianjing prepare cold foods in advance, such as wheat porridge, jujube cakes, and green rice dumplings.
Pour glutinous rice flour into mugwort juice and knead it into a dough. When the dough is no longer sticky, it is ready to be filled.
Sister Yang scooped a spoonful of sesame seeds into the dough: "I used to try Qingming dumplings with meat filling, but now they're all filled with red bean paste."
Lu Xuan looked up abruptly, incredulous: "This is too strange..."
"There are many strange things in this world," Sister Yang said softly before continuing to wrap dumplings.
The qingtuan had just come out of the oven when a customer ordered a serving. With the soft, chewy qingtuan stuffed in his mouth, he mumbled, "So delicious... but when can we eat sushan (a type of pastry)? When will it get hot?"
The other diners couldn't help but laugh: "In previous years, when it was hot, you were eating ice cream and thinking about roasted chestnuts in the fall..."
Lu Qiong couldn't hear the argument between the two diners clearly, as she was too busy to hear anything.
I need to go back to pay respects to my ancestors tomorrow for Qingming Festival, and Sister Yang won't be available either. So I'll have to close the shop for the next few days, and there are still many things to take care of.
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