Similar taste
Jiang Yunying is now alone and is the apprentice accepted by his mother.
In this vast world, everything is determined by fate.
Song Tiaotiao didn't want to just pass by anything related to Jiang Liu.
Thinking of this, Song Tiaotiao gently wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingertips and laughed softly: "To have Miss Jiang's trust, I will treat her with sincerity and will never let her down."
After Song Tiaotiao had tidied up her appearance, she led the two of them back to the food store.
Fortunately, she was as graceful and elegant as before when she entered the door. It was now the critical moment in the restaurant, as it was almost time for dinner.
Therefore, the diners and helpers in the store who were on good terms with her did not notice that she was in a bad mood. When they saw her come in, they just smiled and nodded.
But when passing by the counter, a female diner called out to Song Tiaotiao softly.
Song Tiaotiao knew it was the owner of the sewing shop. She was a meticulous worker, so she was very attentive to the people she met.
Song Tiaotiao hesitated for a moment, then turned around. The proprietress lifted her chin and smiled, praising him. "Miss Tiaotiao, the gouache on your cheeks is so beautiful today. You are truly as gorgeous as the peach blossom fairy in the painting. Your almond-shaped eyes are particularly moist and lively, and I am so moved by the sight. Could you please tell me where you bought this gouache?"
Upon hearing this, Song Tiao Tiao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
But she still lowered her eyes and replied with a faint smile: "Madam Li, this gouache was recently developed by me..."
This is true.
In recent days, Gu Chengjue went back to the farm with her every day. In addition to weeding in the fields, he would also collect some necessary herbs and wild flowers for her after finishing.
There are so many wild flowers, and Gu Chengjue figured out which ones Song Tiaotiao likes bit by bit.
Although every time he handed the bouquet to Song Tiaotiao, there would be a bright smile in his almond-shaped eyes.
But there are always times when the light in those eyes is warmer than usual and therefore more brilliant.
Because of her cherishment and love, Song Tiaotiao could never bear to see those beautiful petals go from being full of vitality to becoming withered and dry.
She always thinks of ways to keep the little flowers alive.
Made into specimens, made into collages... Until one day, she and Gu Chengjue were fishing by the stream. Looking at the petals scattered in the water, Song Tiaotiao thought of rouge and powder.
But when she looked at the red sun in the sky, she hesitated.
Just then, the system's chuckle echoed in her ears. "Look at how hard it's been for us. Master will go to the mall to exchange a case of mineral water for you and send it to the river. Will that alleviate your guilt? If not, Master will continue to go to the library to learn about ancient and modern times for you and find a method that requires less water. Since you have accepted me as your master, I will do everything in my power to satisfy you."
A surprised smile in his ear brought Song Tiaotiao back to his senses.
Madam Li smiled at Song Tiao Tiao, clapping her hands in admiration. "I'm truly curious about Miss Tiao Tiao's ingenious mind. You're skilled in cooking, business, and farming, and now, making rouge and powder. You've mastered them all to perfection. I can't imagine what else could stump you."
Song Tiaotiao smiled softly, chatted with Madam Li for a few more words, and then returned to the kitchen with the two people behind her.
In the kitchen, Jin Zhenjiao was mixing today's gift cold dishes in front of the stove. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around with a smile.
She glanced at the three of them, and when she saw the extra Jiang Yunying, she became curious. But just as she shifted her gaze back to Song Tiaotiao and was about to ask about it.
Jin Zhenjiao frowned, walked over gracefully, and held up Song Tiaotiao's face to examine it carefully: "My Tiaotiao, why are your eyes so red? How could they be like this for no reason?"
Hearing the rising syllables at the end of Jin Zhenjiao's voice, Song Tiaotiao seemed to be in a state of panic due to concern. Looking at Jin Zhenjiao, he shook his head and smiled faintly, "Sister Zhenjiao, I'm fine now. My eyes are red because I heard the news about my old friend from Miss Jiang. For a moment, I couldn't help but feel a little emotional..."
Hearing this, Jin Zhenjiao breathed a sigh of relief, but still did not relax her brows, obviously she was not relieved: "That Tiao Tiao looks like this, your old friend..." Having said that, she bit the tip of her tongue lightly, and stopped talking without thinking. She looked at Song Tiao Tiao carefully and stopped talking silently.
Song Tiaotiao's eyes were dim, and she shook her head and smiled.
After a moment, she seemed to say to everyone, or perhaps to herself, "I believe she and I will meet again. After all, she promised me."
Jiang Yunying nodded, patted Song Tiaotiao's shoulder, and comforted her, "Yes, Miss Song, Master never breaks her promise."
Hearing this, Gu Chengjue narrowed his eyes slightly and his eyes flickered.
Jin Zhenjiao, however, spoke first what he was feeling: "So Miss Jiang and her old friend Tiao Tiao have such a connection."
At this point, she took in Jiang Yunying's attire and figure. Seeing that she looked dusty and pale, her eyes flickered as she said, "No wonder the young lady looks so friendly. However, Miss Jiang seems to have come from afar. Are you thirsty, hungry, or tired?"
Song Tiaotiao nodded and smiled, "Yes, Miss Jiang, if you need anything, just let me know. I will definitely treat you well. Calculating the time, it's almost lunchtime now. You've come a long way, so I should prepare a table full of food for you."
Gu Chengjue looked at the rejuvenated Song Tiaotiao and chuckled, "Today's special dish is cherry meat."
On their first meeting, Jiang Yunying hadn't wanted to cause trouble for her master's daughter. But her slightly concave belly, having not eaten in a long time, felt empty. At the mention of the word "cherry meat," her stomach, so pampered by her master, nearly let out a few growling noises.
Jiang Yunying blushed slightly and nodded slightly: "Thank you all for your kindness. Yunying will repay you with gratitude in the future."
Song Tiaotiao smiled and said, "Miss Jiang, you're welcome. After all, we agreed to have a future together."
Jin Zhenjiao nodded and smiled, "So your name is Yunying. Since you mentioned that we'll meet in the future, I'll consider you my friend." With a smile, Jin Zhenjiao pointed to Song Tiaotiao and Gu Chengjue, "They're going to make cherry meat together later. I'll take you out for some refreshments to fill your stomach. We can chat while we eat, and you can tell me about any interesting things that happened along the way."
After Jiang Yunying and Song Tiaotiao said goodbye to each other, they were led out of the kitchen by Jin Zhenjiao, chatting and laughing.
Song Tiaotiao and Gu Chengjue smiled at each other, and then started cooking in tacit understanding as they did in the past.
The fresh large piece of pork tenderloin has been marinated in the marinade for a long time in advance. Now it not only has the delicious aroma given by the marinade, but the meat has also become fuller and more juicy due to the penetration of the marinade and the locking of moisture.
Now, Song Tiaotiao was mixing the sweet and sour sauce needed for cooking in front of the stove, while Gu Chengjue was cutting the meat into even cubes in front of the chopping board.
As the clear, wide oil poured into the pot, Gu Chengjue whispered, "Tiaotiao, Pinglang brought me a letter from Mr. Bai today, saying he's successfully submitted the disaster relief plan. But it will take some time for the plan to be finalized."
Song Tiaotiao evenly coated the diced meat with batter and looked at Gu Chengjue and asked, "Chengjue, where is Mr. Bai living now? The situation in Bobei Township is complicated..."
Gu Chengjue dipped his chopsticks into the wok and saw tiny bubbles rising from it. He nodded to Song Tiaotiao and said gently, "Right now, some areas within Bobei Township are experiencing signs of drought. Mr. Bai doesn't want to delay relief efforts, so he's already headed to the areas in need. He's already passed on relief measures to the village heads in other areas, and will set up relief offices in various locations. Once people's livelihoods improve, we'll be preparing to put water conservancy restoration on the agenda."
Song Tiaotiao's eyes flickered slightly. Seeing that the oil temperature was just right, he put the diced meat coated with the batter into the pot one after another: "I hope everything goes well."
At present, one crisis has not yet subsided, and another crisis is brewing. The drought has not yet subsided, and in the west, due to man-made disasters, refugees are pouring into Bobei Township.
In such a complicated and urgent situation, if there is a mistake in any link of the disaster relief process, the subsequent chain reaction would be unimaginable.
But they have done their best and can only take it one step at a time.
The diced meat coated with paste is now put into the hot oil, just like lanterns floating on the water, sinking for a while and then floating up one after another with the crispy yellow color.
After the diced meat is fried and shaped, Gu Chengjue scoops it out with a colander and sets it aside to drain the oil.
The oil in the pot still glows a bright golden color.
Here, Song Tiaotiao put the chopped green onions and garlic into the pan and stir-fried them until fragrant. The sour and fragrant sauce followed closely behind and was cooked into the pan along the edge.
On the other side, Gu Chengjue chose the right moment and put the fried diced meat and sweet fruits prepared in advance into the pot.
After sautéing the two in a thick sauce in the pot, Song Tiaotiao controlled the heat and quickly stir-fried them. From time to time, the diced meat wrapped in crispy batter was replaced with a crystal clear and attractive dress.
Gu Chengjue grabbed the oil bottle and gently swirled the oil in the hot pot.
With the cooperation of the two, a dish of sweet and sour cherry meat was served on a plate.
Most of the remaining food in the pot was delivered to the reserved tables one after another by the brothers and sisters-in-law who came to help.
Noon was the busiest time of the day for Tiaotiao Food Shop. Song Tiaotiao walked out of the kitchen with her plate in hand and looked around, only to find that there were only clusters of people around the tables. The food shop was now completely occupied.
"Tiaotiao, we are here."
Song Tiaotiao looked for a long time before she could barely determine Jin Zhenjiao's location from the noisy voices.
Jin Zhenjiao also understood Song Tiaotiao's confusion and greeted her with a smile, "Look, it's not obvious on ordinary days, but now, Tiaotiao, as the small shopkeeper, you have nowhere to sit. Do you really feel the prosperity of the food shop? I grew up surrounded by business, and reputation is the easiest thing to attract customers. Word of mouth spreads to ten people, and now the whole house is almost full of seats."
If Sister Zhenjiao and Miss Jiang had not reserved a table for tea and snacks in advance, they would have nowhere to sit now.
Thinking of this, Song Tiaotiao chuckled and nodded: "Sister Zhenjiao is really far-sighted. With Sister Zhenjiao by my side to plan for me on the business side, I don't have to worry about it."
Jin Zhenjiao smiled sweetly and led the two to the reserved seats.
Once today's meals are served one after another, lunch will officially begin.
In a table of dishes, cherry meat is surrounded by vegetables and located in the middle of the wooden table.
Jiang Yunying looked at the bright red, round cherry flesh, her eyes flashing slightly.
After a moment, a piece of cherry flesh fell into her mouth as the wooden chopsticks moved.
At that moment, Jiang Yunying felt like she was swallowing a bright red cherry freshly picked from the tree. The crispness of the juicy cherry gradually spread between her lips and teeth, and the sweet and sour fruity aroma gradually spread.
When the cherry flesh-like taste was confirmed by his taste buds, Jiang Yunying's eyes flickered, and he whispered to Song Tiaotiao beside him, "Miss Song, there may be no other similar taste in the world..."
Hearing this, Song Tiaotiao lowered her eyes to look at the plate of cherry meat and chuckled, "That's good." After a moment, her eyes turned, "Miss Jiang, the western border seems to be very unstable right now."
Jiang Yunying devoured the cherry flesh, her eyes dim. "The western border is now plagued by internal and external troubles. My former village, Xichen, is adjacent to the Western Rong, and has been frequently invaded by foreign enemies in recent years. Now, because the imperial court has long neglected to rectify the situation, bandits have begun to stir up trouble. This time, the bandits raided the village at night, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities. This is what caused the exodus."
Xichen Village...the front line of the war between the Southern Dynasty and the Western Rong in the book. Why did my mother live here for a long time?
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