Chapter 5 Xinjiang Cuisine - Friends from other places, come and try our food...
Chen Mian spent the whole morning squeezing through the crowds, but couldn't get a single job. With her head hanging low, she tightened her luggage and decided to try her luck in the city center again.
But after asking at several shops, not a single one was hiring, not even restaurants. Chen Mian was exhausted and thirsty, so she bought two baked buns and ate them as she walked.
The freshly baked mutton buns, shaped like triangles, exude an enticing aroma. The filling is firm and chewy, and even the thin, crispy crust makes them exceptionally delicious.
Before she knew it, she had arrived at the police station where she had called the police yesterday. Chen Mian looked at the large characters "Jiangjin Road Police Station" on the wall, couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, and slowly sat down against the corner of the wall.
I wonder how my parents and sister are doing at home, and whether they miss her. She was so successful before she left home, and now she's so down on her luck.
After thinking it over, Chen Mian decided to give herself another week. If she still couldn't find a suitable job after a week, she would either give up on saving face and buy a ticket home to continue her studies.
She had finished the baked bun in her hand, only the enticing aroma still lingered between her fingers. She rubbed her stomach, still feeling unsatisfied, and a hint of hesitation flashed in her almond-shaped eyes—should she go buy two more?
On second thought, she decided to be more frugal. She didn't have much money, so she had to save for travel expenses. And then there was Cuiping; she wondered where she was now…
Ji Yu, who had just returned from a field trip, swung her car keys and hummed a tune as she strode towards the office entrance. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a girl crouching in the corner and curiously glanced at her a couple more times.
Upon recognizing Chen Mian, he walked over and asked suspiciously, "What are you doing here? Calling the police again?"
"Shouldn't you already be on the train back to your hometown? Is it because you don't have money for a ticket?" she said, reaching into her pocket to find a few dollars for her.
Chen Mian remained silent. She had been running around all morning, going from hopeful to dejected. She was so tired that she couldn't speak, and felt like she had a lot of breath stuck in her chest, but nowhere to vent it.
Seeing this, Ji Yu also sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall with her long legs casually stretched out, and teased, "What's wrong, little girl? If you have any trouble, talk to the policeman..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mian couldn't help but turn and glare at him. Her large, almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright, but her thick, curled eyelashes gradually became misty. She said in a slightly choked voice, "I can't find a job, and I have nowhere to live..."
“That’s easy. Why don’t you come help out at our farm? They’re picking goji berries and they need a helper,” Ji Yu said with a hearty laugh.
Goji berries? On the train to Urumqi, Chen Mianmian heard Chen Zhelan talk about some details about the ripening time of crops in Xinjiang.
Cotton in southern Xinjiang matures earlier and can usually be harvested in August; cotton in northern Xinjiang matures later and may not be harvested until October.
So Chen Zhelan and her group went to southern Xinjiang, but northern Xinjiang at the end of August was not entirely without seasonal crops to be harvested, and goji berries were one of them.
Goji berries grow in shrubbery and are a well-known traditional Chinese medicine and nutritional supplement. Each plant is about one to two meters tall, with small thorns on its branches. They are not demanding in terms of soil and can adapt to arid and cold environments, but they must receive plenty of sunlight.
In Fengxi City, where Chen Mian's hometown is located, there used to be large-scale goji berry orchards. Every harvest season, the surrounding farmers would go and help.
"Where is your family's farm located? Is it very far?" Chen Mian asked hesitantly after thinking for a moment. She had just been deceived by a fellow villager, and this time she dared not give her trust too easily again.
Ji Yu seemed to sense the other party's distrust, which he could understand. The young girl had just arrived in Xinjiang alone and was unfamiliar with the place, so it was good for her to be cautious.
He offered to introduce it, saying, "It's a farm that my mom runs. It's not far, just in the northern suburbs of the city. If you'd like to go, I can take you there after get off work."
Ji Yu decided to see it through to the end. Last night, after taking statements from Chen Mian and the other person, he was called away again to write a report.
I didn't realize they had left until I finished my work. I had no idea where a young girl like Chen Mianmian stayed last night.
Chen Mian stared at the police badge on the other person's body for a few moments, then memorized his badge number. After thinking for a while, she decided to accept this fate. Although picking goji berries wasn't as lucrative as being a tutor, at least she didn't have to use her brain.
The daily life of a salted fish is to take things as they come. Ji Yu is a policeman, so he wouldn't lie to her. If he dares to lie to her, she'll come to the police station and make a scene. Anyway, she's already memorized Ji Yu's badge number.
Ji Yu originally wanted Chen Mianmian to stay in his office first, and then take her to the farm in the northern suburbs after get off work, but he was worried that it would be bad for the young girl's reputation if the two of them were alone together.
As he hesitated, Chen Mian noticed his silence and took the initiative to break the ice, saying, "I was wondering if you had anywhere to put my luggage? I was thinking of wandering around the city and would come over after you get off work."
Ji Yu was surprised that her little scheme had been seen through, and she touched her head and smiled a little embarrassedly.
He then pulled out twenty yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into Chen Mian's hand, telling her to buy something she liked to eat. He then turned around, picked up her luggage, and walked into the house.
"I get off work at five o'clock."
A gentle breeze swept by, dispersing the dark clouds that had lingered for days. The azure sky was gentle and clear, its warmth filling one's heart.
Chen Mian sat there blankly for a while before getting up, dusting herself off, and leaving the police station entrance with light steps.
She was genuinely planning to go to the city center to experience the local customs and culture, and also to see if there were any potential opportunities.
Working for someone else is ultimately a poor choice; it's much more profitable to run your own business. Wu Wei is the best example, but his experience may not be entirely suitable for her. Traveling alone to the south to source goods is too dangerous for her.
But it doesn't matter. This vast Xinjiang will surely allow her to find a career. When she returns home in glory, wouldn't that be wonderful!
At that moment, Chen Mianmian could never have imagined that this was just the beginning, and that there would be many more difficulties and obstacles waiting for her to overcome in the future.
A snack street in Ume City.
Chen Mian held a skewer of grilled lamb in her left hand, two pieces of lean meat sandwiching a piece of fat in the middle, sprinkled with spicy barbecue seasoning. The oil coating the lamb was still sizzling, but the aroma was already overwhelming, stimulating the taste buds of passersby.
Holding a piece of naan bread wrapped with meat in his right hand, which is called "Tawa Kawap" in Uyghur. Naan is one of the main staple foods in Xinjiang. Almost every household has a special tool for baking naan, also called a "naan oven," and women all know how to bake naan.
As the name suggests, naan-wrapped meat is meat wrapped in naan, but unlike baked buns where the meat filling is completely covered with dough, the naan's natural indentation and edges are used to place a stew of lamb and potatoes on top.
The broth from the stew will soak into the naan, making the whole naan with meat even richer in flavor, with a lingering aftertaste and a fragrant aftertaste.
While experiencing the local customs and culture through her taste buds, Chen Mian also observed the composition of their food street.
Half of the food street is filled with food that requires cooking, such as roasted lamb skewers and hand-pulled rice, while the other half is filled with various fruits, such as cantaloupe and grapes.
A thought suddenly popped into her mind: if she could open a food stall here someday, selling local specialties like liangpi (cold skin noodles), roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), and yangyubula (potato cake), it might be quite nice.
However, food stalls inevitably get too much of a smoky, bustling atmosphere, and you might need to get a business license, which is quite troublesome.
As she walked, her gaze was drawn to the little hats on the stall ahead. Each hat had a different pattern, yet each had its own unique charm.
"Hey, pretty girl, come and see this thopa! It will bless you with good fortune and happiness!" The enthusiastic stall owner spotted a potential customer with a glance and started calling out to attract customers.
He was very confident that everyone who came to Xinjiang would take a dopa (a traditional Xinjiang headdress) home with them.
"Oh, come here, let me pin it on for you as lightly as an ant, don't be shy~" Chen Mian couldn't resist the stall owner's enthusiasm and had no choice but to step forward and choose a handkerchief with a cross-shaped frame and intertwined flowers and leaves.
The young woman's face was slightly flushed, making the headscarf on her head even more dazzling. She couldn't help but lean closer to the oval mirror on the stall to admire her current look.
The stall owner exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "Girl, listen to me! Braid your hair into thin braids, and secretly hang up some tinkling silver bells. You'll look like a lark!"
At 5 p.m. sharp, Chen Mian appeared at the police station entrance.
After waiting for only a few minutes, Ji Yu hurriedly came out with her luggage. "Come on, when we get back, I'll treat you to my mother's cooking."
On the way to the suburbs, the two fell silent for a moment. After a while, Ji Yu took the initiative to break the silence and began to introduce Ebony City and his family's farm to the girl beside him.
"Once you arrive at the farm, don't rush to work. Just stay at my house first. My parents are very easy to get along with..."
As Chen Mian watched the beautiful frontier scenery rushing past and listened to the sincere words in her ear, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and a few crystal tears silently slid down her cheeks.
This was the first time since arriving in Xinjiang that she had truly felt the warmth from a stranger. The policeman was such a kind person.
“Xinjiang has a large temperature difference between day and night. It gets light later in the morning and dark later at night than in other parts of China. So after dinner tonight, I can take you for a walk around the farm,” Ji Yu added.
Chen Mian smiled and replied, "Okay, thank you, Officer Ji!"
Ji Yu: "No need to be so polite, just call me by my name."
As they spoke, the car had already arrived at Ji Yu's mother's goji berry farm. They had contracted hundreds of acres of land specifically for growing goji berries, and their house was also built on the farm.
During the harvest season, many temporary pickers are hired. Local pickers go home after finishing their work each day, while those from other places stick together on the farm, pitch tents, and cook together.
After the harvest season ends, they will move on to the next farm, and the cycle will repeat.
"Come on down, dinner's ready." A cheerful female voice came from outside the car window.
Chen Mian got out of the car and was taken aback. Was this... Ji Yu's mother? She was so young.
The woman in front of me had short, neat, jet-black hair and tanned skin with visible muscle definition. She walked over with a dashing and handsome air, looking like she was only in her thirties.
Yu Xiaoyue warmly took Chen Mian's hand and said, "You're finally back. Ji Yu called me this morning and said she found me a helper."
"I'm short of help right now, and the young lady is really pretty!" Chen Mian was a little embarrassed by the compliment, and a blush rose on her face.
The two followed Ji's mother into the house, where they saw that food had already been laid out on the dining table. In the center was a large plate of chicken with noodles, surrounded by mutton pilaf, baked buns, and other dishes. Each dish looked and smelled delicious, making them very appetizing.
Yu Xiaoyue: "Mu Mian, come and try this. I know you Northwesterners love noodles, so I made belt noodles especially for you."
"Oh, thank you for your hospitality, Auntie." Chen Mian picked up a piece of chicken and put it in her mouth. It was smooth, spicy, and numbing. She then took a piece of potato, which was soft, sweet, and fragrant with spiciness.
With each bite, the chicken and potatoes are coated in the rich broth. The chicken is tender yet slightly chewy, paired with soft, sweet potatoes infused with the aroma of meat. Add a bowl of wide noodles soaked in the chicken broth, and it's absolutely divine.
The mutton pilaf was also made to perfection. The strong aroma of cumin was irresistible, and the rice was coated with egg, each grain distinct. One bite left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.
And the rich Xinjiang milk tea also has a unique flavor. Chen Mian had drunk goat milk at home before, but no matter how she prepared it, it always had a goaty smell.
The milk tea made by Ji's mother didn't taste like this at all. The aroma of milk and the fragrance of tea blended together, and it tasted a little salty at first, but gradually became sweet after tasting it.
When paired with baursak, the noodles make the milk tea even more flavorful.
After dinner, Ji Yu took Chen Mianmian to visit the farm as promised, while Ji's mother went to tidy up the house.
Looking up across the farm, all you see are bushes as tall as a person. Small red berries hang from the verdant branches.
Ji Yu casually picked a handful of fresh goji berries and handed them to Chen Mian, "Want to try some?"
A note from the author:
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Little Cotton: Beep, friend card!
Crucian carp: He's a good policeman!
Little Cotton: Thank you, police officer, for helping me! o(╥﹏╥)o
Crucian carp: We're from different generations, little sister...
New author here, please comment and add to favorites! Waaaaah, playing single-player mode is so hard! o(╥﹏╥)o
Tomorrow I'll be writing about super, super, super delicious potato fritters. Why the sudden shift to food writing? I'm hallucinating from cravings while dieting.
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