Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Setting up a stall on the birthday of the goddess of fate Xia Yue...
On the last day of August, the lotus flowers in the pond are about to bloom, and the streets are full of vendors carrying bamboo baskets selling lotus pods that have turned from light yellow to green and fresh red water chestnuts.
Aunt Duan got so angry during the last begging ceremony that she sprained her waist. She has been unable to go out recently, so she sits on a rattan stool and orders you around. One moment she wants to eat well-cooked water chestnuts, and the next she wants to drink bean soup from the tofu shop across the street, although Duan Zhiwei thinks she is just being lazy.
Zhu Niang stayed with them for a few days before coming to say goodbye and thanked Duan Zhiwei very solemnly: "Thank you for taking me in. I was angry with my father before, so I sneaked out. I saw everyone loving each other in the restaurant. Now I really miss home, so I'll take my leave now."
Pu Tao was reluctant to look at her, so Zhu Niang held her hand and comforted her, "My family is rooted in the Ba Zi Niang Niang Temple in the north of the city. You can come and play with me in your spare time. Aye A Niang and my more than 1,000 clansmen will definitely welcome you."
Duan Zhiwei asked, "You mean, there are thousands of spiders that could potentially become spirits living there?"
Zhu Niang nodded.
It's impossible to go, not in this lifetime, Duan Zhiwei thought.
Zhu Niang left with satisfaction, carrying several large bags of Qiqiao fruits.
After sending Zhu Niang off, Duan Zhiwei was about to turn around and go into the fire room, but was called over by Aunt Duan who was lying on a spring stool and fanning herself.
"In two days it will be the birthday of the Eight Characters Goddess. Please go to the north of the city to burn incense for me."
Duan Zhiwei, who was slapped in the face, said: "......"
Aunt Duan didn't notice her silence and continued to talk about the custom of birthday incense burning, such as weaving wheat straw into wicks and pasting gold paper into baskets...
Seeing that Duan Zhiwei was not paying attention, Aunt Duan knocked on the leg of the stool with her fan and said, "Don't disbelieve me. Write your name and wish on the basket and burn it in the temple. The goddess of eight characters is very effective. If a woman burns incense and offers shoes, she can be reborn as a man."
Duan Zhiwei rolled his eyes inwardly and was about to leave.
"It can also bless businesses to be prosperous." Aunt Duan added hastily.
That's somewhat reasonable.
Duan Zhiwei would naturally not make a trip to the north of the city just to make a wish, but the birthday of the Goddess of Eight Characters only comes once a year, so the incense must be very popular.
She began to feel like setting up a stall again.
Two days later, the waiter from the fruit shop pushed a wheelbarrow to the restaurant to deliver ingredients. Duan Zhiwei hurried over and treated the waiter to a bowl of licorice water, then took out the prepared scale and stuffed it into the waiter's pocket.
The waiter accepted it with a smile, bowed to Duan Zhiwei, and left in one breath.
This little bribe is very useful. A large box of emerald green lotus pods was delivered today, emitting a light lotus fragrance, and there was also a basket of lotus leaves that were newly picked this morning. Dew was still rolling on them, and they looked very fresh. I guess there was no stale stuff mixed in.
Duan Zhiwei went into the storeroom to look for Zhen Hui who was reading. When Zhen Hui saw her, he took up the paper and ink and asked, "What do you want to write this time?"
Duan Zhiwei thought for a while and said, "Let's write about summer-season steamed chicken skin with tofu and steamed pork with lotus leaf."
After Zhen Hui finished writing, Duan Zhiwei picked up a bamboo pole and hung the words high outside the restaurant as a cover.
The mafu in this summer mafu chicken skin is made by boiling a mixture of mung bean powder and sesame paste, placing it in cold water to set it, and then slicing it into "mafu". This mafu looks smooth and translucent, tastes cool and tender, and is a delicious dish suitable for summer.
Marinate the pork belly with sauce, cooking wine, etc., and then spread a thin layer of steamed meat rice noodles on it. Wrap the meat slices wrapped in rice flour tightly in fresh lotus leaves, then put them into the steamer and steam them. Soon the fragrance of the lotus leaves will emerge from the steamer.
A Pan and Pu Tao sat on a small hut and sorted the lotus pods that had just been delivered by the fruit shop. The lotus pods were rough in texture, and the lotus seeds were hidden in the honeycomb-like holes, making them a little difficult to peel.
While peeling the rambutans, Duan Zhiwei fetched a bucket of well water to wash his hands, and joined the group peeling lotus seeds.
A Pan is an expert at peeling lotus pods. She just pinches the edge of the lotus pod and pulls it hard to both sides, and a white and tender lotus seed can be peeled off.
Duan Zhiwei picked out the lotus core and took one to taste. It was sweet and crisp.
It’s delicious. I will order from this fruit shop next time.
Duan Zhiwei once ate a kind of lotus seed soup at a small stall near Shichahai. It was an iced sugar water filled with fresh lotus root, water chestnuts and lotus seeds. If you are willing to pay more, you can get a few candied red cherries.
A bowl of lotus seed ice, red and white, sweet and refreshing. In the hot summer, there are crowds of tourists. It is a real pleasure to sit in the pavilion with a bowl of lotus seed ice and look at the ten-mile lotus pond in Shichahai.
The big pot of lotus seed soup is smooth and mellow. After it cools down, it is added with the old ice bought earlier. It looks very good.
Duan Zhiwei put a jar of lotus seed soup on the donkey cart and set out to the Bazi Niangniang Temple. Pu Tao said that he missed Zhu Niang and wanted to go with him.
Duan Zhiwei thought of Zhu Niang and her more than a thousand tribesmen... no, it was the spider tribe. He was silent for a while, and without waiting for her to refuse, Pu Tao climbed onto the donkey cart using his hands and feet.
Aunt Duan looked at their backs and shouted, "Don't forget to go to the palace to burn the bamboo baskets."
Today is indeed the busiest day for the Ba Zi Niang Niang Temple, with all kinds of BMW cars parked at the entrance. The ladies of Chang'an had their hair decorated with flowers, and held straw baskets in their hands as they walked hand in hand into the palace.
Through the ancient yellow walls of the temple, you can see from afar the green smoke from the incense rising and dissipating through the gaps between the trees, interweaving with the golden sunlight.
Zhu Niang had been waiting for them under an old tree outside the palace since early in the morning. Pu Tao walked over. Duan Zhiwei handed them the straw bamboo basket he had tied together and told them, "Don't go too far. Don't forget to burn the bamboo basket. Come back early to eat the lotus seed soup. There's ice in it, so it won't be cold if you wait too long."
The two of them responded with a smile, carrying the bamboo baskets and running away hand in hand. Seeing them walking away, Duan Zhiwei unloaded a large jar of lotus seed soup from the donkey cart.
The area outside the Temple of the Goddess of Eight Characters was very lively. The ladies who wanted to come to worship would buy some rouge, pollen, needles and thread and other things after their visit. The vendors from Chang'an gathered around, selling all kinds of drinks, sweet cakes, Hu cakes and wontons. There were also people selling needles and thread, flower powder and other daily necessities, and the whole street was bustling with activity.
Duan Zhiwei used the same trick again. He took a high-legged food tray and placed it in front of the table. He put a bowl of lotus seed soup with a warm white jade color on it. In addition to lotus seeds, the soup also contained peach kernels, white fungus and chopped red dates, so it was a little sticky.
August was the height of summer and the cicadas in the trees were chirping loudly. Next to Duan Zhiwei stood an old man who was selling katydids in hand-woven cages. The cicadas' chirping sounds were of varying pitches and rose one after another.
Duan Zhiwei had to comfort himself that they were all the sounds of summer.
Soon, the beautiful lotus seed soup attracted the ladies of Chang'an. Duan Zhiwei quickly encouraged them and asked, "Madam, would you like some lotus seed soup? The lotus seeds are budded and cooked very soft, and ice is added to it. A bowl of this soup will cool you down in the summer."
The lady was fanning herself with a round fan, and her eyes lit up when she heard the words "ice-covered": "Give me a bowl and try it."
The lotus seeds were cooked just right, soft and glutinous, the white fungus was smooth, and had a slight aroma of red dates. Most importantly, it was served cold, and you could vaguely taste some ice chips inside.
Soon a line formed in front of Duan Zhiwei.
Today is the birthday of the Goddess of Fortune, and even the Prime Minister's wife has arrived early in the morning, not to mention other officials. Therefore, the Jinwu Guards strengthened patrols near the temple.
Yuan Shenji was patrolling near the temple with his guards and saw a stall with a long queue at a glance, so he paid special attention to it and sure enough, it was her again.
After noon, the number of people in the Ba Zi Niang Niang Temple began to thin out. Yuan Shenji walked over there again, and this time there was no one in front of Duan Zhiwei's stall.
The two children were sweating from playing. Duan Zhiwei served each of them a bowl of lotus seed soup, then turned around to clean up the stall. When he looked up, he saw Yuan Shenji striding towards him.
She hurried to meet him, and Pu Tao and Zhu Niang behind her also put down the lotus seed soup in their hands and ran towards him.
Duan Zhiwei had been thinking about the Mohele doll recently, but she couldn't meet Yuan Shenji. Now that she finally met him, she didn't even bother to greet him, and hurriedly asked, "How is the doll and Granny Gao doing?"
Zhu Niang and Pu Tao also looked up at him. Three anxious faces turned to him at the same time. For some reason, Yuan Shenji found it a little funny: "They have been sent over. Granny Gao is also safe. Don't worry."
Duan Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief, and then added a cross-arm salute with an embarrassed look: "Captain, if you don't mind, I'd like some lotus seed soup. There's ice in it to cool you down in the summer."
She opened the sealed porcelain jar and poured him a bowl.
Duan Zhiwei was busy, her face was slightly flushed, and a few strands of black hair fell down, making her snow-white skin look even more beautiful.
It was not Duan Zhiwei's fault that her hair was a little disheveled. Ever since she gave the leaf-veined hairpin to the Mohele doll last time, Aunt Duan was determined not to let her wear any gold jewelry, so she had no choice but to tie a bamboo chopstick to her hair.
Seeing her charming appearance, Yuan Shenji looked away calmly, thought for a moment, and took out a leaf-veined hairpin from his bosom.
Duan Zhiwei was very surprised.
Yuan Shenji said, "The Mohele asked me to return it to you, saying that I have received great kindness from my lady and cannot take your precious hairpin again."
Duan Zhiwei took it with mixed feelings. In this world, it is difficult to get by without money. He wondered if Mohele and Grandma Gao could live well there.
Yuan Shenji saw through her worries and said, "Madam Duan, don't worry. I gave a bag of silver to Granny Gao. I think it will be enough for her to use for a while. If there are any officials passing through Mian County in the future, I will ask someone to look after them."
Now several people showed joy on their faces. Duan Zhiwei said: "The captain cares about the people. It's really admirable!"
Pu Tao was unwilling to be outdone, and after a long pause he said: "The Commander is as reliable as the peaks of Mount Zhongnan..."
This metaphor was so novel that everyone laughed.
Not far away, several ladies in luxurious clothes looked towards them.
One of them was Yuan Shenji’s cousin, Du Jia Er Niang. From their perspective, it looked like Yuan Shenji gave a hairpin to Duan Zhiwei.
Although the customs of this dynasty were open, men would only give jewelry to women during the Lantern Festival, when "the moon is above the treetops and people make appointments after dusk."
A lady in blue clothes nearby watched Du Erniang fan the flames and said, "I thought that Commandant Yuan was like a rock on Guzang Mountain that couldn't be warmed up. It turns out that he is only like this in front of us, but when he is with others, he is very enthusiastic."
Another lady smiled and advised, "The Yuan family of Runan is good at producing military commanders. Captain Yuan must have a promising future. It is impossible for him to be involved with a merchant. It must be a misunderstanding."
The lady in blue asked, "How do you know she is a bartender?"
"I have ordered Lixia sweet fruit and Qiqiao Qiaoguo from her restaurant. They taste good and are very unique in shape."
Du Erniang didn't show any jealous expression. She just looked at Yuan Shenji and Duan Zhiwei who were talking in the distance and said thoughtfully, "Where is the restaurant you just mentioned?"
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