Chapter 70 Chicken Noodle Soup and the Three People Living Together
The setting sun shone through the crack in the door, and the steam from the kitchen was tinged with twilight, rising little by little until the mist dissipated.
Sister Yang was watching the stove fire, stirring the broth in the pot from time to time. The jade mushrooms floating on the surface of the soup also turned around, and a fresh and fragrant aroma wafted out.
On another stove, Lu Qiong swiftly brought down her bamboo knife, flattening the cucumber into small pieces.
Finally, pour on the secret sauce—a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and Sichuan peppercorns.
The diners were already impatient, their wrists resting on the edge of the table, their fingers tapping the surface from time to time. Lu Qiong didn't keep them waiting any longer and quickly brought over the raw cucumber salad: "It's also dipped in vinegar, so it might be a bit sour."
The diner's furrowed brows relaxed, and he picked up his chopsticks, smiling as he said, "Sourness is what whets the appetite. It's been so hot lately that I haven't been able to eat hot food. This dish is just right!"
He picked up the cucumber at the bottom, which was fully soaked in the sauce and had absorbed the flavor the most. The cucumber was fresh, both crisp and sweet: "It's so satisfying!"
Halfway through the meal, he felt even emptier and needed to fill his stomach with hot food, so he ordered another sesame flatbread: "Remember to put some mutton in it! Don't forget it like last time."
Sister Yang slapped the dough, sending flour flying everywhere, and cheerfully replied, "Alright!"
His fellow diners laughed at him, saying, "Don't find the pancake too dry; why not just bring him some bean soup?"
Lu Qiong smiled and brought over two bowls of bean soup. Seeing their confusion, she said, "These two bowls are free!"
"Alright! The shopkeeper must have encountered something good today..."
Lu Qiong smiled and nodded: "In a few days, our shop will be moving to Longjin Bridge. Please come often, esteemed guests!"
The customer, pleased with the gesture, readily agreed and even promised to promote the business, saying he would invite many more people on opening day: "In Bianjing, there's no one I, Liu Dazhuang, don't know. Even the yamen runners have to give me some face..."
While he was boasting, Lu Xuan returned with Li Jie'er, rushing back in a flurry, her shouts echoing throughout the street: "Sister! Look who's here!"
"Who exactly told you to go to such lengths?"
After entertaining the two guests, Lu Qiong turned around and saw that it was Li Jie'er.
However, what she noticed first was that they were all sweating and had a lot of hair sticking to their cheeks, so she quickly told them to come in and rest.
Li Jie'er's face still had two red blushes, so red they were frightening, as if she had almost been burned.
There was still a lot of bean curd water left in the kitchen, so they immediately filled three large bowls and brought them to them: "You are all still thirsty, drink some of this to quench your thirst."
As soon as their hands touched the rim of the bowl, they couldn't wait to drink it all down in one gulp.
Li Jie'er, on the other hand, gulped down the drink before finally catching her breath.
Seeing that there were water stains on Lu Xuan's lips, which were about to drip onto her clothes, Lu Qiong quickly reminded her, "Hurry up and wipe them off!"
Lu Xuan wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, savoring the sweet taste of the bean water from earlier: "Did you add extra sugar to the bean water, sister? It tastes sweeter than this morning."
Lu Qiong cleared the bowls from the table, then paused upon hearing this: "They're all cooked in the same pot. In my opinion, you're just being too greedy right now!"
Lu Xuan made a face, recalling the past: "The best bean soup I've ever had was made by Yu Niang. When Yu Niang went to the fields, Li Jie'er and I would sneak into the well to steal the bean soup she had hidden. I still remember how it tasted..."
From the moment she entered until now, Wei Pan hadn't said a word, even more silent than usual. Seeing that Sister Yang was still busy in the kitchen, she said a word and then left.
Li Jie'er also tried to minimize her presence, only raising her head when talking about the bean soup made by Yu Niang.
Lu Qiong saw everything, suppressed her confusion, and was about to ask again when Lu Xuan excitedly brought over a plate of cucumbers.
"Raw cucumber salad is delicious! Sister Li, you should try it."
After saying that, she pushed a whole plate of juicy cucumbers over, and a sour aroma filled the air, constantly stimulating Li Jie'er's taste buds.
She couldn't help but swallow, and her hand, as if acting on its own, picked up a piece with a bamboo skewer. The overflowing juice dripped onto the table, making the sour taste even stronger.
The crispness of the cucumber, the sourness of the vinegar, the saltiness of the sauce, and the spiciness of the Sichuan peppercorns all blend together unexpectedly, creating a delicious sweet and sour flavor.
Lu Xuan also took a large piece, making a crisp sound as she chewed the cucumber, and mumbled, "Sister's is still the best... even better than bean soup!"
The shop was quiet until her shouting made it lively. Even Wei Pan in the kitchen looked over and saw her eating cucumbers while chatting and laughing with Li Jie'er.
Diners chimed in with praise: "What you say is true, young lady. I used to think that cucumbers had a strange taste and that only people from the Hu region liked to eat them. But after trying them today, I can say that they are really different and taste quite good!"
Lu Qiong knew what he meant by the "strange taste"—it was just a substance secreted by the cucumber, especially in unripe cucumbers. Therefore, before cooking, you had to choose good cucumbers: those with dark green skin, a prickly texture, and a firm, not soft, feel. These cucumbers were the freshest.
The pointed ends of the cucumber should also be cut off first, as these ends secrete the most, and removing them early can reduce the astringent taste.
Another point is the cooking method. She prefers raw cucumber salad rather than stir-fried cucumber, and adding more vinegar or citron juice can neutralize the odor.
But she wouldn't tell the diners these things; making a dish that suited their tastes was the most important thing.
However, the sweetest cucumber Lu Qiong had ever eaten was the one grown by her aunt. It had been a year since she had eaten it, and now that she thought about it, she was really craving it.
"Are you going back today, Miss Li? It's getting dark soon."
Lu Xuan then remembered this as well. Yang Jie slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "Oh dear! I forgot about that. I was so busy getting you to the shop. Otherwise, you would have caught the bus home by now..."
She immediately became worried and ran outside to look. There was still half a sun in the west, but the sky was getting dark.
Seeing how anxious she was, Li Jie'er finally spoke up: "I've moved to Bianjing."
The words were spoken too softly for everyone to hear clearly, so Li Jie'er repeated them. Lu Xuan was so shocked that she couldn't close her mouth, while Lu Qiong was somewhat prepared, but after confirming it, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"What about Yu Niang? Didn't she come along?"
Lu Qiong asked the question that everyone most wanted to know, and Lu Xuan was also anxiously waiting for Li Jie'er's reply.
Li Jie'er only dared to nod slightly.
Under Lu Qiong's persistent questioning, she finally revealed her current address. Although it wasn't a "dilapidated temple" like a relief center, it was close enough to be a "dilapidated house," only the rent was cheap, only one hundred coins a month.
Lu Qiong couldn't help but admire Li Jie'er's abilities. She knew that many poor people lived in Bianjing, struggling to make a living, but she had never been to such a place. She had only seen illegally built shacks on both sides of some streets, which could neither keep out the cold nor shelter from the rain. The government demolished and rebuilt them, just because there were too many poor people and nowhere else to go.
As for the "dilapidated house" that Li Jie'er mentioned, it can barely keep out the wind and rain, but it still won't hold up when the weather gets cold.
After hearing this, Lu Xuan's eyes filled with tears, and she held Li Jie'er's hand: "Why don't you move in with us..."
Lu Qiong couldn't help but facepalm, feeling like her home had become a shelter. She quite liked Li Jie'er, and putting aside the question of how to solve the problem of food and lodging, this was really going too far.
They caused a lot of trouble last time by sneaking off to the mountains without telling everyone. Now that Sister Li has come to Bianjing alone, Yu Niang might be extremely anxious.
"Does Yu Niang know? What about the fields? The Grain in Ear season is almost here..."
Lu Xuan nodded and said that Yu Niang knew. Seeing everyone silent, she felt a surge of irritation: "I just want to go to Bianjing to make money."
Lu Qiong glanced at the pickled plums and sour plums she had brought, sighed, and felt that she was the one who started this trend.
As the night wore on, and darkness fell completely, Lu Qiong became even more worried about letting her go back alone, even if it was just to the "shabby house" in Bianjing.
Li Jie'er was reluctant: "That place is a bit crowded, it's not suitable for so many people."
Finally, Lu Qiong followed. They walked through several streets. These dilapidated houses were all near the city walls and waterways. There were not many lights. The alleys inside the dilapidated houses were very narrow. If you were a little tall, you would really have to walk close to the wall.
The place where the girl lived was not bad, but that's relative. Besides, it was too small. There was only enough room for a wooden bed and a small round stool. There was no kitchen, water room, or outhouse. They just put a stove in the middle to start a fire.
Perhaps feeling that it was too simple, Li Jie'er didn't dare to look Lu Qiong in the eye and regretted bringing people here. Seeing that Lu Qiong was still looking her over, Li Jie'er couldn't help but say, "Actually, I'm quite happy living here."
From the moment she entered, Lu Qiong's brows never unfurled. Without saying a word, she packed up Li Jie'er's things: "You shouldn't stay here either. Not only is this place small, but the surrounding area is also a mixed bag and unsafe. Once it gets dark, you won't be able to find anything."
After saying that, she couldn't help but complain in her heart that even the urban village she lived in when she first graduated from college was a thousand times better than this.
Seeing that Li Jie'er was standing there motionless, she frowned again: "You should hurry up and help pack. If Yu Niang finds out that you're staying here, she'll be very upset."
When Yu Niang was mentioned, Li Jie'er finally reacted, following behind her blankly and helping to put the things away.
After leaving the alley, they went straight home. Lu Xuan and Wei Pan also returned early to rest. They changed their clothes and sat on the swing in the yard.
Wei Pan held a plate of peeled loquats in her hands. The two shared them, and then the juice burst out. The remaining pits were spat out under the jujube tree.
Seeing the courtyard gate open, they hurriedly got off the swing. Lu Xuan was a little disappointed: "Sister, why is it that only you came back?"
Lu Qiong then took a step, revealing Li Jie'er behind her.
"Li-jie will stay with you for the time being..."
Lu Xuan became excited after hearing this, and led Li Jie'er inside, introducing the vegetables planted in the yard, the swing, where they usually cook, and how to use the water room.
"And this too, we'll sleep here tonight!"
Looking at the bed she was pointing to, Li Jie'er hesitated and asked, "The three of us together?"
Lu Qiong also appeared at the right time, leaning against the door frame, looking rather gloating: "This bed is a bit small for the three of you, but you can squeeze in and sleep."
Lu Xuan was still overwhelmed with joy, and patted her chest confidently, saying, "Sister is right!"
After she finished speaking, the room fell silent, and the rumbling in Li Jie'er's stomach became even more abrupt.
Seeing her face flush red, Lu Qiong patted her shoulder and went out of the house: "I'll go cook something for you."
At noon, they slaughtered the fattened little yellow dog and made a bowl of chicken soup. Lu Qiong used the fragrant soup as the base, and the three little ones behind her squeezed into the kitchen, saying they wanted to help knead the dough.
In the end, Lu Qiong only helped bring out the chicken soup; the rest was all done by the rest of them, especially Wei Pan, whose kneading and pulling skills had become increasingly proficient, and she could almost cook on her own.
The chicken soup was so fragrant that even the noodles were infused with its rich aroma. They didn't leave a drop of the soup behind and ate it all up.
Lu Qiong ate a small bowl of food, and after they finished cleaning up, she went to bed. She thought she could get a good night's sleep, but in the middle of the night, Lu Xuan quietly climbed into her bed.
With dark circles under her eyes, she cried, "It's too hot, I can't sleep..."
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