Chapter 482 A Dream of Youth 14
This side is lined with shops, but if you cross two covered bridges and look towards Qinghe Bay, you can hear the lively sound of drums. The streets are crowded with stalls of all kinds, selling vegetables and fruits, as well as fresh fish and shrimp. The sound of blacksmithing can be heard from the ironware shops.
Another sizzling sound came from behind. Xie Ning looked in the direction of the sound and saw only a row of stalls that seemed to stretch endlessly. She could smell the aroma of food from a great distance.
Chen and Xie Yun, however, followed the crowd to the opera performance on the high platform. The melodious music faded away, eliciting bursts of applause.
The sound of drums grew louder as it approached, and leading the way was a small, blue-faced boy with fangs. He was probably dressed as a child, and although he looked small, his movements were extremely nimble, and he leaped to the front of the group in one bound.
Xie Ning wasn't afraid, but the other children were so frightened that they hid in the arms or behind the adults.
As the drums and gongs sounded, a goddess dressed in colorful clothes stood on a float, with a male and female dance troupe on either side. Countless petals were scattered by the children on the float. Madam Chen even picked up a small flower and stuck it in Xie Ning's little bun, saying, "Spring flowers ward off disasters, may my son be free from illness and calamity."
An old woman dressed in linen clothes walked up to Xie Ning and said, "I give this green bag to the little boy, hoping he will be happy all day long."
Xie Ning accepted the gift in a daze. Then the old woman gave Chen Shi and Xie Yun two more blue sachets, saying auspicious words. Chen Shi also smiled and took out the sachets she had prepared earlier to give them to her.
"I present this green pouch to my great-grandmother, wishing her good health year after year, and that the spring grass grows ever taller with each passing year."
The old woman accepted the gifts with a smile. Then several more people came over and presented her with sachets, which Chen and Xie Yun returned one by one. They continued exchanging gifts until all the sachets they had brought with them were given to each other.
Xie Ning was carrying many purses in her arms, which were bulging. Her small face was fair and lovely, like a doll in a painting. When passersby saw her, they took off the blue purse from their waist and stuffed it into her hands.
Xie Ning felt like she was about to be buried alive, so she quickly tugged at Chen's sleeve, "Mother, I'm hungry."
They hadn't planned to eat at home anyway. The Xie couple were running a stall, Xie Wangzhi was eating at Biyu Courtyard, and Xie Qi was eating at the academy, so they naturally ate outside.
Moreover, it was during the lively Spring Festival, so there were plenty of snacks available.
An open-air square table, a small flag held up by a bamboo pole fluttering in the spring breeze, with the word "noodles" written on it. The shopkeeper was pulling noodles on the counter, and when he saw Chen and her group looking over, he smiled.
"Ladies, would you like some smooth noodles? My smooth noodles have the most toppings ever, with almond paste, salted bamboo shoots, pickled cucumber, fermented eggplant, shredded cucumber, and fried meat to go with it."
Smelling the aroma wafting in the air, Chen nodded. "Uncle, we'd like three bowls of noodles. Oh, and sister-in-law, what toppings would you like? Fried meat, please?"
Xie Yun doesn't eat out much, so he just nodded and said, "Anything is fine, sister-in-law can choose."
Knowing that Xie Yun was unfamiliar with the dish, Chen continued, "One serving will have pickled eggplant and fried pork, another will have salted bamboo shoots and fried pork, and the last one will have almond paste and fried pork."
"Okay!"
The old man had already prepared fermented white flour in a basin of water next to him. He just needed to tear it into thin strips and put it into the soup. Once the soup boiled, the noodles were cooked.
Then, scoop it out and put it in a large, coarse porcelain bowl. Place a piece of fried meat on top, along with a few sprigs of tender green vegetables and some cilantro. Then, scoop up a spoonful of topping and pour it over the meat, adding a small half spoonful of hot oil. The aroma wafts into your nose with the sizzling sound.
Xie Ning liked this fried pork, which was made by marinating pork belly slices with various spices and then frying them. It was crispy, fragrant, and not greasy. She also took a bite of salted bamboo shoots, which had a slight chewiness, but not so much that she couldn't bite them.
It's most refreshing when eaten with bok choy.
Feeling thirsty after eating, Chen bought three more bowls of sweet soup from a nearby stall. In the early spring, when it was cool, the sweet soup was naturally warm. In the summer, however, cold drinks were everywhere, and one could only lament that one's stomach was too small.
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