Chapter 7 Osmanthus Cake, Pickled Vegetables for Minor Snow, Pickled Meat for Major Snow
The north side of the city is closer to the imperial city, but the rent is also more expensive. After weighing the options, Xie Xun decided to live in the south side of the city.
Ago led the two to Tongjifang, which was on the same street as the house that Lu Qiong had previously taken a liking to.
The streets and alleys were crowded, and people were walking almost close to the walls. Qingxian whispered to Xie Xun, "Young master, isn't this alley a bit too narrow? We almost had nowhere to step just now. We should go back."
Xie Xun was not a pampered person. He had previously traveled with a caravan to Hangzhou, enduring the long journey and poor accommodations on the ship, but he persevered. Now, simply changing his lodgings was even less of a challenge.
On the contrary, he was quite interested and said, "It's alright, I think this place is very nice."
Upon entering, one finds the surroundings spacious, with a water vat placed in the center for collecting rainwater on rainy days. To the left are a thatched hut, a water room, and a kitchen. In the center is a main hall for resting, and to the right are two bright bedrooms, one of which has a screen partition to separate a small area for use as a study.
Xie Xun stretched out his finger and tapped it on the table, wiping his hand with dust. Fortunately, the floor tiles were clean and wouldn't be damp, dark, or breed mosquitoes.
Seeing Xie Xun frown, Ago explained to him, "Some people who went to the capital to take the imperial examinations rented this place before, but they failed and had to return to their hometowns. There are also the Imperial Academy and many schools nearby, which will make it convenient for you to make friends with like-minded people."
Xie Xun claimed to be a scholar preparing for the autumn imperial examinations and needed a quiet courtyard to prepare for the exams. Having found a suitable place to stay, he instructed Qingxian to accompany Ago back to Baiya Pavilion to sign the contract.
After the dust settled, Ago bid farewell to Xie Xun and then led Qingxian out of the courtyard: "Beyond the Vermilion Bird Gate is the Longjin Bridge, where the Imperial Academy and the Imperial University are located. There are also entertainment venues elsewhere, which are always packed. The Longjin Bridge night market is always lively; if you need anything, young master, you can buy it here."
Seeing Qingxian's indifference, he also fell silent. He hadn't taken more than a few steps when he heard someone call his name.
"Young Lady Lu?" Ago asked in surprise.
Lu Qiong replied, "But is there a problem with the house I've chosen?"
Upon hearing this, Ago knew she had misunderstood and quickly said, "No, I'm taking this young man back to sign the contract."
Lu Qiong then caught a glimpse of Qing Xian, whose handsome appearance and extraordinary demeanor made her nod to him. Since she had brought money with her today, she decided to go with them to Baiya Pavilion to sign the contract, and A'ge readily agreed.
Afraid of neglecting them, Ago didn't forget to chat along the way, first talking about the people of Tongjifang, some who set up stalls at Longjin Bridge or Zhou Bridge, others who ran shops, apprentices, and those who were going to the capital for the imperial examinations. Lu Qiong listened and nodded, and receiving responses, Ago spoke even more enthusiastically.
Just as he stepped out of the alley, he stopped again and said, "Xiangguo Temple is not far from here. It will be open to the public the day after tomorrow, where you can trade items. If you two are interested, you can go there."
The group then went to Baiya Pavilion, where they quickly signed and affixed their seals.
After leaving the house, Lu Qiong folded the contract neatly and put it into her inner garment. She smoothed her clothes with her hands, and only then did the heavy weight in her heart finally fall off.
Back home, she and Lu Xuan didn't stop. They needed to tidy up the house as soon as possible and move into Bianjing by tomorrow. Otherwise, every extra day of delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances.
Lu Qiong first went to the chicken coop in the backyard to catch Big Yellow. Since they were moving tomorrow, they could use chickens for a farewell feast. Big Yellow was usually very active and its meat was quite firm. It took her a lot of effort to catch it. Its wings flapped frantically, and it lost quite a few feathers.
They put the chicken in the yard and called Lu Xuan to help them process it. They boiled water to scald the chicken feathers, and soon the feathers were plucked.
Lu Qiong made a few slits in the chicken, rubbed coarse salt inside the cavity, added ginger, scallions, and wine to marinate it, and waited for half an hour before cooking it. The remaining time was perfect for packing her bags.
Seeing that Lu Xuan's bedroom door was not closed properly, she went over and saw that Lu Xuan was folding clothes. There were plain gauze shirts, light yellow short shirts, and knee-length pleated skirts for summer, as well as light pink jackets for winter. There weren't many clothes in total.
The jacket was still filled with silk floss, made from cocoon scraps. Over the years, Lu Xuan had grown taller, and her clothes had been shortened and altered. The old silk floss had also been stretched and loosened repeatedly, making it look baggy. It was time to get her new clothes, and it would also be a good opportunity to take Lu Xuan to Xiangguo Temple. I hadn't had a proper rest these past few days.
Lu Qiong didn't have many clothes; with just a flower-shaped hairpin and a pair of earrings, she could pack everything up in one package.
The chicken in the kitchen was marinated to release its juices, and then placed on a bed of ginger and scallions. After steaming it in a pot for 15 minutes, the aroma filled the air, drawing Lu Xuan in: "Sister, it's been so long since I've had your salted chicken."
Lu Qiong also smiled and said, "Then you should eat more later."
These days, oven-baked chicken is popular. It's cooked and then seasoned with wine, vinegar, and salt. There's no recipe for salt-baked chicken yet. She tried it once, but didn't like the taste, so she made salt-baked chicken instead.
The traditional way to make salt-baked chicken is to marinate it, wrap it in bamboo paper, bury it in a pile of hot salt, and bake it over a low flame. She only makes it occasionally when she craves it, partly because chicken is not cheap, and partly because domestic chickens lay eggs and cannot be eaten casually.
Lu Xuan especially loves this dish; the skin is golden and crispy, the meat is tender and juicy, and the flavor is savory and delicious, making it perfect with rice.
The water in the pot boiled, and Lu Qiong told her to add some firewood. She lifted the lid of the pot, steam was rising from it, and she took a chopstick and stuck it into the meat. It was already cooked through. "Xuan'er, quickly go and tidy up the table."
Lu Xuan agreed and went out, skipping and jumping all the way.
Lu Qiong laughed when she saw this: "Watch out, don't let him fall."
Cut the chicken in half, cut one half into pieces and place it on a plate, and put the other half in a food container.
While the fire was still burning, Lu Qiong quickly stir-fried a plate of leek sprouts, sprinkled them with beaten eggs, and finally added some sauce. The golden color made it very appetizing.
Lu Xuan also came in to serve the dishes. Seeing that half of the dish was still uncut, she asked in confusion, "Why didn't you cut this half together?"
Lu Qiong added water to the pot and scrubbed the pot with a loofah: "Take the rest to Yu Niang. We're leaving tomorrow, so we should at least tell Yu Niang. It wouldn't be right to go empty-handed."
Lu Xuan nodded and took the plate out.
There was a plate of chicken and a plate of leek sprouts on the table. The two of them ate until they were stuffed before they stopped. They also finished digesting their food while delivering something to Yu Niang.
Yu Niang's family was quite wealthy; they had persimmon trees in their yard, with enormous canopies that towered several feet above the house, reaching the height of a three-story building. When they arrived, the gate was open, and Yu Niang was pickling vegetables in the sun, with earthenware jars scattered all over the ground.
“Yu Niang,” Lu Qiong stepped forward carrying a food box, “Are you pickling mustard greens? So early, why not wait until autumn to pickle them?”
Pickled vegetables around the time of Minor Snow, pickled meat around the time of Major Snow. Vegetables are scarce and expensive when it's cold, so they pickle radishes and cucumbers around the time of Minor Snow to eat in the winter.
“Li’er wants to eat this. For some reason, she’s been craving it every day. The other day she even ate the tofu I made with sugar,” Yu Niang said, sprinkling a handful of coarse salt on the dish. “Are you here today to buy pork?”
It's no wonder Yu Niang asked that. Lu Qiong rarely visits Yu Niang's house. Every time he comes, it's to buy meat or to ask her to bring something. He really can't talk to Yu Niang. If they were married and had children, he could at least talk to her about sex.
She and Li Jie'er were not of similar age. Usually, only Lu Xuan would visit Yu Niang's house every day and often freeload. Li Jie'er was happy for her to come, and only when Lu Xuan came would Yu Niang bring out the good food.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, Lu Xuan greeted Yu Niang and went to find Li Jie'er. She was probably secretly eating pastries in her boudoir, and Yu Niang would turn a blind eye and let them be.
Lu Qiong opened the food box and said with a smile, "This is freshly made salted chicken. I brought you half of it. Xuan'er and I have rented a house in Bianjing and will move in tomorrow. I thought I'd let you know now."
"So sudden," Yu Niang frowned, "So you're not coming back?"
Lu Qiong shook her head: "How could that be? My home is still here."
Yu Niang nodded silently, rolled the mustard greens into a ball, and stuffed them into the earthenware jar.
Meanwhile, Li Jie'er was still happy about her good friend's arrival. She took out the pear syrup candy that Yu Niang had hidden, grabbed a handful, and ate it until her mouth was covered with sugar frosting.
Lu Xuan also took one and put it in her mouth: "I won't be able to come visit you anymore. My sister and I are going to live in Bianjing."
Li Jie'er listened, chewing on her candy and pouting, "So you're not going to eat Qiaoguo (a type of pastry) and Su Tang (a type of sweet candy) with me on Qixi Festival? And you're not going to release lanterns or play with Mohele (a type of amusement park)?"
Yu Niang always complained that Li Jie'er was fat and told her to watch her mouth, but actually Li Jie'er had a very good figure. Although she wasn't the slender figure that was popular at the time, she could be considered plump even in the Tang Dynasty. Right now, with a pout and a furrowed brow, she actually had the makings of a beauty.
But her brows quickly relaxed, and she said cheerfully, "Then I'll come to Bianjing to visit you."
Emotions come and go quickly. Li Jie put the pear syrup candy in the candy box, went to the cabinet and found two plain brocade purses. She handed one to Lu Xuan: "Here, don't lose this, or we won't recognize each other."
Li Jie'er recently bought a storybook about exchanging tokens when parting ways, which are then used to recognize each other years later. She found it very interesting and decided to try it. Lu Xuan also carefully put it away, swearing to her that she would never lose it.
Little Yellow was left in the yard, so Lu Qiong sold it to a neighbor for thirty coins and went to bed early that night.
The next day, Lu Qiong woke up at the crack of dawn. In addition to making perilla drink, she also added osmanthus cake. The dishes were not repetitive, so as to attract more customers.
Lu Xuan was left to stay overnight by Li Jie'er last night and hasn't returned yet, but it's alright, she can manage on her own.
Osmanthus cake, also known as Guanghan cake, is made by Lu Qiong washing osmanthus flowers, sprinkling them with licorice water, mixing them with flour in a bowl, sprinkling with sugar, pouring into molds, and then steaming.
Lu Qiong then made scallion pancakes as provisions for her journey. First, she prepared the oil paste by pouring water, flour, lard, and salt into a bowl and stirring with chopsticks until well combined. She then mixed the flour with salt and kneaded it into a dough, rolled it out into a pancake shape, spread the oil paste and chopped scallions on it, rolled it up, flattened it, and pan-fried it until golden brown on both sides.
She couldn't wait to take a bite. It was thin, crispy, salty, and fragrant. Before she knew it, she had finished the whole thing. She packed a few into a food box to eat on the way. Lu Xuan also happened to return, still sleepy-eyed. She must have been chatting with Li Jie'er until midnight. Lu Qiong washed her hands and told her to go wash up as well: "Eat it while it's hot. We have to go out too."
Lu Xuan squinted and nodded, still not fully awake.
Lu Qiong ignored her, cut the pastries in the pot into pieces, packed them into food boxes, and the fragrance of osmanthus filled the air. It was time for them to go to the city.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
