Chapter 68 Cherry Pancakes: Nostalgia for the Luohan Noodles of My Past Life
Lu Xuan likes dishes with lots of seasonings and prefers strong flavors. She only ate a few pieces of steamed mandarin fish before giving up, but she preferred stir-fried cured meat.
However, eating too much oily food can also cause discomfort.
Fortunately, Lin Niang was skillful. She took out the dried pears she had dried before the New Year, boiled a small pot of pear water, added sugar, lotus seeds, and a few drops of citron juice, which was appetizing and refreshing.
After it cooled down, it was poured into a wooden bowl. The broth was clear and pale yellow, and the dried pears had puffed up after being soaked in water.
Lu Qiong thanked Lin Niang, picked up the wooden bowl and took a small sip. It was so sweet, and the sourness was barely noticeable. Only when she finished drinking it could she taste a hint of sourness.
Lu Xuan also became closer to Yao Yao, and the two chatted about the food in Bianjing, finding they shared similar interests.
Yao Yao licked the pear juice off her lips, her eyes widening: "Ice cream cheese is really this delicious?"
Lu Xuan's wooden bowl was empty, so she filled it again and shook her head at her: "I don't know either, I haven't tried it yet. The milk used to make ice cream is a bit expensive, but it should taste good..."
One time, as she passed by the restaurant, she heard diners coming out reminiscing and praising how delicious the ice cream was—rich, fragrant, and refreshing, even better than a crispy mountain.
Lin Niang also pretended to scold Yao Yao: "Yesterday you wanted mutton, today you want ice cream, and tomorrow you'll want crystal sashimi!"
If they hadn't heard that the Emperor had bestowed crystal slices upon his ministers, they wouldn't have known about this dish.
It is said that the raw material is fish glue, which requires a large amount of fish to be boiled, and only royalty, nobles and wealthy merchants could afford it.
Of the group, only Lu Qiong knew the secret, so she smiled and explained, "Actually, ice cream isn't expensive. You don't need cow's milk. People in Bianjing also make it with sheep's milk or mare's milk, but the taste is not as good."
However, mare's milk was rare. Although the steward allowed farmers to raise horses, those horses were for the military, so they couldn't collect mare's milk on their own. Goat's milk, on the other hand, was much more convenient. Some farmers in the surrounding area raised goats, or one could buy it at the market.
Lin Niang then asked her how to make ice cream with goat's milk, planning to make it sometime in the future.
"Goat milk has a strong fishy smell, so you need to add more sugar. If you don't have ice, you can add fermented rice juice and then put it in the well to cool down."
Zhou Jingzong frowned the whole time. Seeing that he was listening attentively, Lin Niang nudged him with her elbow: "You know how to do it?"
As expected, Zhou Jingzong shook his head. Lin Niang was quite annoyed by his dazed look, but it amused everyone.
Xie Xun had to return to Bianjing, so he left early. Lu Qiong stayed and chatted for a while, and even learned a lot from Lin Niang.
Before leaving, he filled his empty hands with things again. Seeing that Lu Qiong liked dried pear juice, he gave her a small jar of dried pears he had made himself, as well as a small pot of peach blossom wine.
When Lu Qiong got back, she tasted a small cup. Unlike peach wine, peach blossom wine was more fragrant with peach blossoms, while peach wine was a fruit wine with a richer fruit flavor.
In the following days, they also went to Yu Niang's house. Yu Niang looked more haggard than before, and Li Jie'er was also depressed.
However, Yu Niang said it was alright: "These past few days of spring plowing have been quite tiring, and we still have to select seeds..."
Lu Qiong put the matter aside and packed his bags that very day, preparing to return to Bianjing.
After packing her things, she pushed them into Lu Xuan's bedroom. She neatly folded her dress and placed it beside her. Lu Xuan, from Bianjing, collapsed onto the bed, gazing at the canopy above her head and sighing, "Time flies. I have to leave again. I haven't even had a chance to say a few words to Li Jie'er. Why can't we both stay in Bianjing..."
Lu Qiong tidied up the rest for her, aligning the sleeves and folding the belt into the skirt: "Who knows, when you grow up, you'll all be in Bianjing."
Every time Lu Xuan had doubts, her older sister would dismiss them with a simple "Grow up." She had gotten used to it over the years, but soon stopped worrying about it.
The carriage set off in the afternoon. After traversing the long country roads, and with only a gust of wind blowing, they heard the voices of the city guards and the constant cries of vendors from within the city, which meant that night was approaching in Bianjing.
...
Since I returned, it hasn't rained in Bianjing, perhaps because the spring rains have ended. However, the rain in Bianjing isn't heavy either. Compared to the continuous rain in the south, Bianjing only experiences showers, sometimes even light rain.
This is also more beneficial for the opening of shops, as people are more willing to travel, and when they are tired or thirsty, they will think of resting in the shops. If they see cool drinks, they will also want to have a serving.
With the approach of the Summer Solstice, signs of heat are beginning to appear. Staying outside for a few hours becomes unbearable, and one must quickly find a shady place to hide. At this time, herbal drinks become a panacea.
Sister Yang served the customers bean water, which was refreshing and cooling. The shop was quiet, and the customers' restless hearts calmed down.
Wei Pan and Lu Xuan held their storybooks and found seats against the wall to read. In front of them was a small plate of cherries, still wet with water droplets.
Cherries are extremely difficult to preserve; they spoil in three to five days. They are also very expensive, comparable to precious medicinal herbs. Lu Qiong was so tempted that he finally decided to buy them.
These are cherries that were bumped or bruised during transport, or those that were almost ripe. Cherries that are reddish-yellow are the best, and they are more expensive. Cheaper cherries are those that have been made into candied fruit, which can be preserved for longer, but the taste is not as good as fresh cherries.
Yang Jie'er kept the cherries with thick flesh separately, removed the stems, and used the slightly pointed end of a bamboo skewer to poke the top of the cherry and squeeze out the pit.
"I never imagined that the embroidery shop would be worth a thousand taels!"
Lu Qiong's hands didn't stop either, constantly picking stems and removing pits, casually tossing them into another clean plate: "It's 1,500 taels. Even if I earned money my whole life, I couldn't save that much..."
This is similar to asking her to buy a house in the city center of the future, where land is incredibly expensive. She wouldn't even be able to afford the down payment, and might even become the "first indebted."
Thinking of this, Lu Qiong sighed, "The shopkeeper even told me to go and borrow money from the money lender."
Upon hearing the words "money master," Sister Yang became agitated, shaking her head frantically: "Absolutely not!"
Lu Qiong smiled and agreed. She hadn't planned to borrow money; she was just venting her frustrations.
Lu Xuan and the others had just finished eating the cherries on their plate and had almost finished reading the storybook when they ran over to watch: "I thought cherry fritters were fried in a pan!"
Wei Pan wrinkled her nose, sniffed the sweet cherry scent in the air, and nodded in agreement.
Lu Qiong brought a basin of clear water, sprinkled it with salt, mixed it well, and then poured the prepared cherries into it. The water was clear and shiny, and each cherry was small and exquisite.
"We'll fry it in a bit, but we need to add sugar first."
After removing the astringency from the cherries with salt water, she drained them using a small bamboo sieve, poured them into an earthenware jar, and added sugar and honey.
During the Song Dynasty, the cherry flesh was softer and had a sweet and sour taste, but less juice. During the cooking process, she needed to stir constantly until the juice was extracted, cook it until it was thick and bubbling, and finally reduce the sauce over high heat.
Wei Pan and Lu Xuan stared at it without moving. After all, they had never tasted cherries before and rarely saw them, so they both found it strange.
"Sister, when will this be ready?" Lu Xuan couldn't wait any longer and stretched her neck over the low wall.
Wei Pan also started peeking out; they were like two little gluttons.
Sister Yang, watching the fire from the side, smiled so much that wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes: "It'll be ready soon, just a little longer..."
Lu Qiong smiled and placed the cooked cherries into a jade-colored porcelain plate.
Since it's for their own consumption, there's no need to plate it or flatten it into a cake shape. Just sprinkle it with sugar and then garnish it with a cherry on top.
The group shared the cherries with spoons. The cherry flesh was exceptionally soft and tender, and even after being dipped in sugar, it had a slightly grainy texture, being both sour and sweet.
It's like tasting salted plums, except that plums are replaced with cherries, changing the sour and salty flavor to sweet and sour, and it's also softer.
Its sweet and sour flavor is appetizing, and Lu Qiong thinks it would be good for brewing wine.
It was meant as a joke, but Lu Xuan was seriously considering it: "Then we'll have to pawn the shop..."
Even though almost a year has passed, in her heart, her older sister is still that "spendthrift" older sister.
...
The eighth day of the lunar month is the Buddha's birthday. People in Bianjing often call this day the Buddha Bathing Festival, perhaps because they would bathe the Buddha statue with clean water.
Many people from Bianjing went to nearby Buddhist temples to pray for good fortune and smooth sailing in the future.
Lu Qiong also decided to close her shop for a day and visit Xiangguo Temple. Lu Xuan, however, was not interested in the "bathing the Buddha statue" and quickly dragged Wei Pan away.
Inside the temple was a statue of a prince, standing in a pond, with a long wooden ladle hanging beside it. Lu Qiong also followed the monks' example and poured water on the statue of the prince.
When she reached the largest Buddha statue in the main temple, she burst into tears, feeling inexplicably wronged.
The abbot was also beside her, bowing to her and smiling: "Shedding tears before the Buddha is a sign of good fortune."
Regardless of Lu Qiong's reaction, he left after saying this and walked towards the other monks, as if he had come only to say this.
After wiping away her tears, Lu Qiong wondered to herself, "Could it be that she will become a nun in the future?"
It's obvious that it's impossible.
However, her heart calmed down, and she even forgot what she wanted to pray for. She was more interested in the vegetarian food at the temple, so she thought she should take advantage of the fact that there were fewer people and try it.
To her surprise, as soon as she turned around, she saw Xie Xun standing not far away, looking at her through the pedestrians, and smiling.
He came with his family and, having nothing else to do, wandered around and happened to run into them.
Lu Qiong extended an invitation: "If you're not interested, Xie Lang, why don't you come with me to try the vegetarian meal at Xiangguo Temple?"
Xie Xun lived up to expectations, nodding with a smile: "Then I will go with Madam Lu."
The monks released animals and provided free medical consultations outside the courtyard, drawing everyone away. The dining hall was nearly empty, and Lu Qiong was happy to have some peace and quiet.
The vegetarian meals commonly found in Buddhist temples include black glutinous rice, vegetarian dishes, vegetarian sesame cakes, and vegetarian soup dumplings. As a royal temple, Xiangguo Temple also offers dishes such as chrysanthemum tofu, lotus tofu soup, and Su Dongpo pork.
Every time Lu Qiong saw a dish, he couldn't help but analyze it: "Black rice, made by dyeing rice with Nan Zhu leaves, is said to prolong life and cure diseases."
Xie Xun would nod, or smile, and occasionally ask questions.
Having provided ample emotional support, Lu Qiong also felt that the conversation had been very engaging.
Xie Xun also mentioned other temples: "I once visited Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. Although both are vegetarian, they are very different. This temple emphasizes imitation of meat, while other temples use less oil and salt."
When he mentioned Lingyin Temple, Lu Qiong was also stunned, as she had often visited that place in her previous life.
Xie Xun was puzzled by her silence and became nervous: "Is something wrong?"
Lu Qiong shook his head, knowing that even after leaving Xiangguo Temple, he couldn't explain or clarify the situation.
She was just missing the Luohan noodles she had tried before.
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