87 Mint Chicken Soup
◎Diet therapy is always better than taking medicine◎
Ye Yunzhao was very happy to get the mint. He went to Aunt Hu's house that night and asked her to help him kill a chicken the next morning.
The next day, although it was already 2:15 AM, the sky was still covered with a layer of gray gauze because it was winter. Ye Yunzhao wrapped his clothes tightly and picked up the big bamboo cage in the corner of the yard. Inside the bamboo cage was the old hen that he had asked Liu Mazi to buy last night.
Not to mention old hens, even ordinary chickens are extremely difficult to buy. Even in the wealthy city of Yuezhou, only chicks are available for sale in the East and West Markets on weekdays.
Old hens can lay eggs and are nutritious, so they are quite precious to ordinary people. Ye Yunzhao didn't know this at first. It was Liu Mazi who told him yesterday: If an ordinary family is going to get married, the family needs to order old hens two or three months in advance and raise them at home early. After the bride gets married and becomes pregnant, she can be slaughtered in time to replenish her body.
Ye Yunzhao needed it urgently, so Liu Mazi naturally helped her think of a solution. At 2:15 am last night, he returned to the county government office exhausted, carrying the chicken coop.
She was pleasantly surprised and naturally wanted to thank the seller's family. However, when she asked about this matter, Liu Mazi was a little abnormal and spoke vaguely, and his words almost made her dizzy.
However, having gotten what he wanted, Ye Yunzhao had no energy to think about the twists and turns involved. He waved his hand and immediately pulled up the piece of pork hanging in the well. Apart from the money for the chicken, this was his way of expressing his gratitude.
The hen in the bamboo cage didn't crow, but stayed in the cage very docilely. Ye Yunzhao looked down at it, and it looked back at her. Its small black eyes were moist, and its eyelids opened and closed. She could actually see some sadness on its face.
Her lips moved slightly, and she didn't know what to say for a moment, and she didn't know why she should say anything to an old hen. She was hesitant in her heart...
But thinking of Cuihua's appearance, Ye Yunzhao gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and went out with the chicken coop. Although he pretended to be indifferent, he walked very slowly, and on the way he even talked to himself to comfort the chickens in the cage.
When they arrived at Aunt Hu's house, Ye Yunzhao handed the cage to Hu Er with some reluctance and turned his face away.
Hu Er paused: "Are you reluctant?"
Aunt Hu unpacked the pork and comforted her, "It's okay, Magistrate Ye. Why don't you wait outside the courtyard? It won't take much time."
Ye Yunzhao stood there, with a hint of worry between his brows, and shook his head: "It's nothing serious."
It was not until this moment that she understood why the ancients wrote: A gentleman stays away from the kitchen. He cannot bear to see the animals die when he sees them alive, and cannot bear to eat their meat when he hears their cries.
Human morality instinctively made her empathize with life, but she remained so. This so-called morality not only added a touch of pity to Ye Yunzhao, but also brought endless self-mockery - she had seen others slaughtering pigs before, but now this posture seemed like a pretense.
Aunt Hu's knife was very quick, so it didn't take her long to finish the job. By the time she came to her senses, the old hen had been chopped into pieces, wrapped in large, wide dry bamboo leaves, and placed in a bamboo cage that was handed to her.
Ye Yunzhao breathed a sigh of relief, a smile on his face, and returned to his usual self. He put down a few copper coins and said, "Thank you very much."
Fresh old hens are the best for making soup. Just add a little salt and the taste will be top-notch.
Ye Yunzhao scrubbed the chopped chicken pieces, then found a larger ceramic pot, put the washed chicken mixed with cold water into the pot, and she also stuffed a piece of crushed wild ginger into the bottom.
After lighting the fire of the small stove, Ye Yunzhao was not idle either. He took out the mint leaves that he had accidentally found yesterday, grabbed a handful and put them into a large ceramic bowl. The crisp mint leaves quickly absorbed water and the leaves also stretched out.
After about half a minute, Ye Yunzhao poured the mint water on the stove, along with the mint leaves, into the chicken soup. Soon, the kitchen was filled with a fresh and tender aroma. She sprinkled a little salt in it, and the mint chicken soup was ready.
Ye Yunzhao turned off the fire, wrapped the clay pot with coarse cloth, and placed it steadily in a bamboo basket. He then half-knelt down and carried it on his back, a smile showing between his brows, and walked towards Xixiang.
*
When I arrived at Madam Cuihua's house, it was only a quarter past two in the morning. Before I even entered the door, I heard the sound of vomiting coming from inside.
Ye Yunzhao didn't care about anything else. He pretended to knock on the door and pushed it open anxiously: "Cuihua, it's me. Why does it sound like you vomited again..."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Dazhuang came out of the house in a panic, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. He forced a smile and said, "County Magistrate Ye is here. I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while. Cui Niang just vomited, and the smell in the room...is not strong...Anyway, you sit here first. I'll go get some tea."
"No problem." Ye Yunzhao said, "I'll go see her."
Once I entered the inner room, I realized what he said was true. The air was filled with an unpleasant smell. In addition, the window was very small, and even though it was half open, it didn't provide much ventilation.
Madam Cuihua was lying on the slightly dim bed. She had only not been seen for three or two days, but she had lost a lot of weight. It must be because she had not slept well. Under her once bright eyes, there were dark circles that could not be ignored.
"Master!" Seeing her coming, Cuihua's eyes lit up and she forced a smile, but before she could say anything, she realized belatedly, "The smell in the room is really bad. Master, you'd better sit outside..."
Ye Yunzhao said nonchalantly, "I haven't seen you for a few days. How come your fearless personality has disappeared? I made some chicken soup. Try it."
She had just taken the pot out of the bamboo basket and hadn't put it down when Liu Dazhuang, as if facing a formidable enemy, said, "Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Cui Niang and I appreciate County Magistrate Ye's kindness, but she hasn't had much of an appetite lately, so it would be a waste. County Magistrate Ye, please keep it for yourself."
Madam Cuihua, who was lying on the bed, also echoed, "Master saw it last time. I really have the will but not the strength to do it now..."
"I've seen it, and I feel really bad. This chicken soup is naturally my way of trying to alleviate your situation." Ye Yunzhao said to Liu Dazhuang, "Go get a bowl."
Ye Yunzhao blew on the chicken soup that was covered with oil, took the opportunity to reach down with a spoon and poured a bowl of clear soup, then did the same thing again, picking up two pieces of meat without skin.
"Try it." She looked at Madam Cuihua eagerly, feeling a little uneasy. If mint was useless, she couldn't think of any other way and could only pin her hopes on Li Xianjiang.
But diet therapy is always better than taking medicine.
The expected fragrant and greasy chicken soup would rush into the nasal cavity, but when Cuihua wrinkled her nose and sniffed it again, she could only smell the fragrance, without any greasiness or meaty smell.
She looked up at Ye Yunzhao, whose face was full of anticipation, then lowered her eyes to look at the chicken soup in her hand, and put it into her mouth with determination.
After drinking it all in one gulp, she felt a little nauseous. Madam Cuihua patted her chest as if to relieve herself and said in surprise, "I... I didn't vomit!"
Liu Dazhuang was stunned for a moment, then said happily, "This...this...my dear wife, drink more quickly. You've been vomiting all the time these days. It's really pitiful."
Ye Yunzhao looked at it eagerly and said, "Try the meat quickly."
She picked up a piece and put it into her mouth. The tender chicken had a light fragrance, sweet but not greasy, and the taste lingered in her mouth. Madam Cuihua said in disbelief, "Master, what's in here..."
Ye Yunzhao said: "Added night-breath incense."
【Author’s words】
Mint chicken soup is super delicious, recommended~
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