Chapter 71 Chapter 71-Two in One for Mid-Autumn Festival
After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Pei Ying and Lin Chunxing were a little unconvinced. Lin Chuntao never did anything without certainty, so since she said so, it must be possible.
Lin Chuntao was helpless about their self-confidence.
She knew how to dig a cave and burn charcoal, but she had never done it before; she had only watched videos.
Learning something and doing it successfully are not the same thing.
As they were talking, the evening breeze blew in from the other end of the yard, bringing with it a hint of sweetness. Everyone at the table turned their heads to look at the stove, and saw that the bottom of the pancake seemed to be bulging a little. Lin Chuntao put down her bowl, picked up a bamboo spatula and clean chopsticks, and ran over.
The top of the dough is still raw, but the bottom has changed color and even started to become crispy.
Lin Chuntao watched the color change and stood by the stove waiting for a while before turning the pancake over. The cooked side was baked slightly yellow, and the flavor of the filling overflowed from inside, with a rich bean aroma, sweet rose fragrance, and clear jasmine fragrance intertwined together. Dinner was not over yet, but everyone was already a little absent-minded.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting anything, the few of them quickly finished the rice and dishes in their bowls, washed the dishes and put them away, and sat in the yard waiting for the sweet cakes.
While we were waiting for the bread to bake, dusk fell.
Four pancakes came down together, with three kinds of fillings. Lin Chunxing and the others wanted to eat them all, and they were at a loss as to which one to eat first.
Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "Why not just cut one of each kind of filling? Do you think one is enough for us?"
The sisters reacted and smiled. Although they were full, this cake was so sweet, how could one of them eat it all? They were also confused by the fragrance, so they hesitated for a long time, struggling with what filling to eat.
Cut all three fillings into pieces and cut one pancake into five pieces.
The pancake was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. As soon as it was cut, the rich sweet aroma hit us. Lin Chunxing and the others were more curious about what the pancake with flower filling tasted like, so they ate it first, leaving the one with bean filling steaming on the table.
Lin Chuntao grilled a few more and walked over quickly. She also wanted to know how they tasted and whether they were crispy and soft.
The aroma is very positive, not much different from what she made before, you need to taste it to see the taste.
They all chose to try the flower filling first. Lin Chunxing, who had eaten the rose filling first, was already spinning in circles. She looked at Lin Chuntao excitedly, like a little child.
Before Lin Chuntao could ask, Lin Chunhe and Lin Duoer, who had eaten the cake, also jumped up. The three sisters gathered together like little fools.
"Ahhhhhhhh! This is so sweet and delicious!"
Lin Chuntao ignored their childish exclamations and took a bite herself. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with the fragrance of flowers and honey blending together. It was very sweet but not greasy. Lin Chuntao was very satisfied with it.
She looked at Pei Ying who was standing quietly beside her and asked, "How is it?"
It was the first time Pei Ying ate a cake with flower filling. He thought it would taste a bit strange, but he never expected it to have such a texture that even someone who didn't like sweets very much would be fascinated by it.
"It's delicious." Pei Ying said, "It tastes even better than the ones in the pastry shop."
The younger sisters immediately looked over and nodded in agreement with Pei Ying's words. Their eyes were sparkling, as if they were immersed in starlight.
Lin Chunxing said, "I feel like after eating this cake, we will never miss the dim sum in the dim sum shop again."
Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "That's a bit exaggerated."
"I'm not exaggerating, not at all. This one, my sister made, is much more delicious than the one I had at the pastry shop before!"
Lin Chuntao ate a piece of rose-filled one and then tried a piece of red bean paste. The bean paste she ground herself had a dense texture, and after being baked, it was infused with the aroma of wheat and had just the right sweetness. Lin Duoer ate two pieces of flower-filled one and then a piece of red bean paste. Lin Chunhe discussed with her which one was better, but the two sisters couldn't tell the difference and both thought it was delicious.
Lin Chunxing asked, "Sister, does this cake have a name?"
Lin Chuntao looked up at the full moon that had just risen in the sky and said with a smile, "Rose cakes, jasmine cakes, bean cakes, all are fine. Or maybe just call them moon cakes."
"moon cake."
Lin Chunxing murmured, looked up at the sky, then looked down at the cake in front of her, and said with a smile: "Sister is really good at naming, mooncake sounds nice."
By the time all the cakes were baked, it was already dark.
They ate the bread, prepared the vegetables and meat for tomorrow's meal, and then went back to their rooms to sleep.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on August 15th. No matter what festival it is in the village, as long as it is a festival, everyone will put down their work and happily relax to celebrate the festival.
But Lin Chuntao was still busy saving money, and they were in the food business, so they naturally couldn't miss such a good opportunity as the festival.
There were a lot of people at the market. People eat meat during the festival, so there were especially many people buying meat in front of the pork shop. Lin Chuntao and her colleagues were still giving away braised eggs, and there was a long line of people waiting to eat noodles.
Lin Chuntao picked up some milk mushrooms today. When she arrived, there was already a queue in front of the stall, so she had to carry the mushrooms into the house and put them aside while she took care of the work at the stall.
Just when he was busy, he looked up and saw the lady who had already lined up in front of him. She was the one who bought half a basket of mushrooms last time. When Qin Suyun just finished saying "two bowls of braised pork noodles" and was about to pay, she looked up and met Lin Chuntao's eyes.
When their eyes met, Qin Suyun was the first to ask in surprise, "Why is it you?"
Lin Chuntao smiled when she heard that, "My sister is looking after the noodle stall, I came over to help."
Qin Suyun glanced at Lin Chunxing, who was busy cooking noodles, and then looked at Lin Chuntao in front of her. An inexplicable joy flashed in her eyes again. This look made Lin Chuntao feel a little puzzled. She had no choice but to take the copper coin she handed over and said, "My lady, please sit here."
Qin Suyun nodded and walked aside so as not to block the people behind her from paying and ordering noodles.
But she didn't sit down nearby. She stood nearby, looking at Lin Chuntao with burning eyes.
Qin Suyun had eaten noodles at the stall several times. She always felt that the noodles and the braised eggs had the taste of old friends. However, she and Lin Chunxing hinted at it several times, but Lin Chunxing didn't respond. She was disappointed for a few days. Just when she had adjusted her mentality, she met Lin Chuntao again. Could it be her? Qin Suyun thought so.
Lin Chuntao felt the man's surging emotions and was a little confused, but she didn't know where to start.
When the noodles were cooked, she brought them over. Qin Suyun thanked her and Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "My lady, please don't be polite. If you need anything, please call me anytime."
Qin Suyun nodded.
She ate braised eggs and another portion of noodle soup. Yao Hong, who came with her, was not used to the taste and found it a bit spicy, but Qin Suyun enjoyed it very much.
Moreover, Qin Suyun likes the food here very much. Her whole family came to Yizhou from the Central Plains, and no one was used to the food, except Qin Suyun, who ate it with gusto. She has come here to eat the braised pork soup noodles several times in a row.
Qin Suyun slurped a mouthful of noodles and a sip of soup. Halfway through her meal, she looked up and saw Yao Hong across from her, her lips red from eating. Suddenly, she came to her senses and said, "I forgot. Go buy some sweet soup. If you can't finish this, then don't eat it."
Yao Hong really wanted to drink the sweet soup, so she asked Qin Suyun, "Madam, do you want some?"
Qin Suyun shook her head slightly. Yao Hong got up and went to the sweet soup shop. Qin Suyun looked at Lin Chuntao and said, "Madam, make me another bowl."
Lin Chuntao responded, took out a number plate and placed it aside, waiting for the previous one to be cooked before she cooked another bowl and brought it over.
Qin Suyun ate two full bowls of noodle soup. She only paid for two bowls. After she finished eating, she came over to pay for the next bowl.
Lin Chuntao took the money and said with a smile, "Come again next time, ma'am."
Qin Suyun looked at Lin Chuntao and said softly, "The small pot of rice noodles cooked by my wife is delicious. It tastes like home."
Lin Chuntao's expression faltered slightly as she stared at Qin Suyun intently. After a while, she came to her senses and her lips trembled slightly. "Is my wife's hometown far away?"
Qin Suyun paused for a moment, then remained silent for a long time before she said softly, "Very far away."
“It’s so far that I can’t even find my way back.”
Lin Chuntao felt her heart beating fast and she clenched her hands tightly, not wanting to show any abnormality in front of her sisters.
Qin Suyun also looked at her until the maid came to call her to leave. She withdrew her gaze and was about to follow the maid when she suddenly realized and asked Lin Chuntao: "Didn't my lady go to pick mushrooms today?"
Lin Chuntao said, "I went there and picked up some milk mushrooms and pine mushrooms. I don't have time to sell them. Does my wife want them?"
Qin Suyun said: "Yes."
After Lin Chuntao collected the money and number plate from the customer in front of her, she went into the house and took out the backpack. Qin Suyun bought half of the backpack, and the rest was divided among the customers waiting for soup noodles, with each of them getting two kilograms.
Lin Chuntao was busy, but Qin Suyun hadn't left yet. Lin Chuntao looked at her and said, "My dear, happy Mid-Autumn Festival! I'm too busy today. Let's talk again after I'm done with these two days."
After she finished speaking, she asked, "What's your name, ma'am?"
"Qin Suyun."
"My name is Lin Chuntao."
Qin Suyun said, "I've made a note of it. I'll come back to have breakfast with you in two days."
After Lin Chuntao agreed, Qin Suyun looked at her with burning eyes and said, "Mrs. Lin, happy Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Lin Chuntao nodded, and Qin Suyun took Yao Hong away.
Yao Hong was puzzled. How could Qin Suyun and Lin Chuntao hit it off so quickly? They even planned to meet up again? They even wished each other happy holidays? This was the first time she'd heard "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival." Perhaps it was a Yizhou saying.
"Madam, you and this lady?"
Qin Suyun looked at Yao Hong, lowered her eyes and smiled: "Nothing."
Yao Hong frowned slightly and said softly, "Madam, are you planning to ask her to be the cook in our restaurant?"
Qin Suyun lowered her eyebrows and laughed, "That's a little bit of my idea, but seeing that their noodle stall is doing very well, I don't think they will agree to my proposal."
She lied, and Yao Hong was still a little unhappy. It was not that she looked down on people. No matter how good the business of that small stall was, the money it earned in a day might not be as much as what the owner's restaurant earned from a meal. Even if the food at the small stall was delicious, it would not catch the eyes of the nobles. Only ordinary people could flock to it. Their restaurant was supposed to entertain nobles. How could this woman be a cook in their restaurant?
But seeing Qin Suyun's happy expression, she bit her lip and said nothing more.
Lin Chuntao watched the master and servant walk away, not coming back to her senses for a long time. Lin Chunxing next to her said, "Sister, this lady is a little strange. She always calls our braised pork noodles "small pot rice noodles". She came to eat here a few times before, and she always said it by that name. I told her that ours is braised pork soup noodles, but she still got it wrong. I wonder if she did it on purpose."
Hearing what Lin Chunxing said, Lin Chuntao smiled.
"Perhaps this lady just thought that since we cook them one by one and use small pots, this name is very suitable."
Lin Chunxing raised her eyebrows slightly. That was what she meant, but she was also a little puzzled by this lady's persistence. The most important thing was that this lady always stared at her when she spoke.
As if expecting her to answer something, when she replied that this was rice noodle soup with braised pork, the lady's expression darkened and she left in disappointment.
But today was different. She spoke to her sister, and her sister not only did not correct her wrong words, but also chatted with her and sold her mushrooms. She happily said Happy Holidays to her sister.
Lin Chunxing took a deep breath, thinking that she still had a lot to learn from her sister. Don't be so serious. As long as the customers are happy with their food, they will be happy to collect the money. It's not a big deal to say the wrong name.
After Qin Suyun left, Lin Chuntao's mood hadn't been quite calm, but she was still busy today. Yesterday, when the braised eggs were delivered, even more people came today. There was a long line in front of the stall, and the surrounding area was crowded with people sitting and standing. When the soup noodles were cooked, she had to shout out the names to be heard by these customers who were chatting enthusiastically.
Madam Fan brought Meng Yun and Lin Jialang to carry firewood to sell. After selling them, Madam Fan prepared to cut some meat to take back. After all, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. They had traveled through mountains and rivers to get here. Although they were living in poverty now, they had at least settled down and it was time to celebrate.
After Madam Fan and the others came out today, Lin Miaomiao and Niu Hongxi also came, both carrying firewood to sell.
After selling the firewood, Madam Fan and her friends came to the market. Lin Miaomiao also wanted to come, so she followed them not far away.
Lin Miaomiao didn't stop until she saw Madam Fan queuing up in front of the meat stall.
Niu Hongxi looked at her and asked, "Mrs. Fan wants to buy some meat, do you want some too?"
Lin Miaomiao clutched the money in her hand. Chopping wood wasn't easy, and carrying it to the county town to sell was even more challenging. A load of firewood weighing 100 jin only fetched 22 wen. A man like Niu Hongxi could only carry a little over 100 jin in a single load. She could carry half of that in a single load. The two of them had earned over 30 wen this morning. Buying meat? A jin of meat would cost 20 or 30 wen.
But Fan Li'niang had already taken Lin Jialang to queue up to buy it. If she didn't buy it, she would feel like she was being compared to others. She really didn't like it, but if she bought it, the money would be gone.
"Today is a festival, why not buy half a pound to have a snack?" said Niu Hongxi.
When Lin Miaomiao saw Niu Hongxi speak, she gritted her teeth and followed him to line up, with Niu Hongxi following behind.
There were only Pei Ying and Helan in the butcher shop. The person who wanted to buy the meat told Pei Ying what part of the meat he wanted and how many pounds he wanted. He then cut the meat and gave it to Helan, who weighed it and collected the money.
Fan Liniang and Meng Yun recognized Pei Ying and were surprised, but Pei Ying had never dealt with them before. Lin Chuntao was not around, so they were like strangers. They recognized him but did not say hello.
When Pei Ying finished cutting the meat and asked the next customer, he looked up and saw Lin Jialang following behind him, and then he noticed that the people in front were Fan Li Niang and others.
"Brother-in-law."
Lin Jialang called out, and Pei Ying just nodded calmly. He didn't say anything extra, and his eyes were terrifying. Lin Jialang wanted to say something more, but the words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't say them. He couldn't stop the person behind him, so he could only walk over quickly.
Fan Li'niang had already paid and was just about to leave with the meat when she saw Lin Chuntao and Lin Chunxing and her sisters next to her. Lin Chunhe was washing dishes, Lin Chunxing was cooking noodles, and Lin Chuntao was collecting money and serving noodles to the customers.
They were a little surprised to see Pei Ying working in the butcher shop, but they were really shocked to see Lin Chuntao and the others doing business.
Meng Yun looked back at Lin Jialang. Lin Jialang also saw Lin Chunxing and the others, and felt the gazes looking at him. Lin Chunxing raised her eyes and looked over, and happened to meet Meng Yun's gaze.
Meng Yun greeted her, and Lin Chunxing responded. After a pause, she asked, "Are you guys coming to the market today too?"
"Well, we brought some stuff to sell and are about to go back now. Do you have to wait a little longer?"
Lin Chunxing nodded. There were too many people, so they didn't stay for long. When passing by, Meng Yun took a look at the sign hanging on their stall. The name of the stall and the price were clearly written.
Lin Miaomiao and Niu Hongxi followed behind and saw Pei Ying, as well as Lin Chuntao and the others selling noodle soup nearby. Seeing the crowds huddled in front of the stall and Lin Chuntao busy collecting money and greeting customers, she felt extremely uncomfortable. She gritted her teeth and pretended not to see anything, bought some meat, and walked out.
Niu Hongxi followed him for quite a distance and kept looking back.
"Are your cousins so powerful? I see that business is booming."
After Niu Hongxi finished speaking, Lin Miaomiao snorted coldly, "Who knows if it tastes good or not!"
Niu Hongxi frowned slightly as he looked at her like that: "If it's not delicious, why are there so many people queuing?"
Lin Miaomiao couldn't stand hearing this, so she glared at Niu Hongxi and the two of them stopped talking.
But Meng Yun and Fan Li'niang, who were not far ahead, were also discussing. Meng Yun couldn't stop talking after she finished speaking. Sometimes she said it smelled very good, sometimes she said it must be delicious with so many people around, and sometimes she talked about the price tag.
"Sister-in-law, I see they sell it for ten cents a bowl. Looking at all those people, Madam Lin and her friends must be selling over a hundred bowls a day, right?"
Fan Li Niang nodded, "It should be more than this."
Meng Yun sighed, "They must make a lot of money every day. These sisters are really amazing!"
Lin Jialang was silent and didn't know what to say. He only knew that Lin Chuntao and her friends picked mushrooms and sold them to make money, but he didn't know that they were also doing business, and that their business was so good.
He couldn't help but think that if they had a good relationship, Lin Chuntao would be willing to take them with her, and things wouldn't be like this now, right?
Unfortunately, there is no if.
Lin Chuntao didn't see Fan Li'niang, Lin Miaomiao and the others, and Lin Chunxing was busy and didn't say anything.
They were so busy that their shoulders and arms felt sore. They kept busy until almost lunchtime, and only then did the peak period pass.
The braised eggs in the jar were almost gone. The lady who asked for two bowls yesterday had not come yet, so Lin Chuntao still left the last two for her.
"Sister, I'm afraid that lady won't come?" Lin Chunxing asked.
Lin Chuntao raised her eyes and looked in the direction where the woman came from yesterday, but saw no one.
"Whether she comes or not, keep it for now. Just two servings. If she hasn't come by the time we get home later, we can cook it and eat it ourselves."
Lin Chunxing nodded, gathered the gauze baskets on the bamboo rack together, poured all the remaining vegetables into one, and first took the emptied winnowing baskets to wash them.
The woman came hurriedly after they had almost finished packing.
Seeing Lin Chuntao and the others packing up, Fu Ling's heart sank, as if she was late again.
"Boss, are you closing the stall?"
Lin Chuntao looked up at the person who came and said with a smile, "I took it, but I left some for your wife. Should I cook it for you now?"
Fu Ling laughed when she heard that, and the worry in her eyes instantly relaxed: "Okay, cook it now. Please, boss."
"It's my duty." Lin Chuntao said and started to cook. They cooked two pots at the same time. It was done in a short time. She brought a pot and poured the money directly into her pot after it was cooked. She counted the money and handed it to Lin Chuntao, thanked her again, and then left.
After seeing off the last of the guests, Lin Chuntao and the others moved the washed items into the house, put them down, and packed them up. This time, they packed their things and prepared to go home.
Today is a festival, and we always eat better to celebrate.
Lin Chuntao smiled and asked Lin Chunxing and the others, "What do you want to eat today? Mutton or chicken?"
My sister had been busy all morning and her face was flushed. When she heard Lin Chuntao's words, her eyes lit up, but she didn't answer for a long time which one she wanted to eat.
Lin Chuntao made the decision directly.
"I'm going to buy two pounds of mutton and we'll take it back for lunch. Then we'll kill that big rooster tonight, okay?"
The sisters' moods fluctuated with her words. They were happy at first, but then froze when they heard that the rooster was going to be killed. Looking at their expressions, Lin Chuntao frowned: "What's wrong? Don't you want to eat chicken?"
Lin Duoer and Lin Chunhe shook their heads at the same time.
"I want to eat it, but can we buy a new one to eat? We can keep the one at home for telling time."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I thought you didn't want to eat chicken, so you went shopping and bought one? I wonder if anyone still sells it."
“If you don’t find it at the market, you’ll have to go to the village and buy it.”
But Lin Chuntao didn't really want to go back to the village to buy it. There was a rooster at home that told time. If she said she bought a chicken to eat, the people in the village would definitely think they were rich and there would be another round of discussion.
Speaking of going to the village to buy chickens, Lin Chunxing finally had time to talk to Lin Chuntao.
"Sister, Madam Fan and the others came to buy meat this morning and saw us."
Lin Chuntao's face was calm, "Let them see it." They were doing business at the market, so they would always meet each other. Besides, many people in the village knew that they were doing business at the market.
Lin Chunxing nodded slightly, and when she thought of Niu Hongxi looking back every few steps, a hint of disgust appeared in her eyes.
"Miao Miao and her husband are here too."
Her tone was somewhat displeased. Lin Chuntao looked at her. Lin Chunhe and Lin Duoer were there, so she didn't say much. She just said, "Don't worry about them. Let's do our own thing. It has nothing to do with them."
Lin Chunxing nodded, and Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Let's go buy some mutton first. I don't know if they still have any at this hour."
"Sister, whose house should we go to buy it from?" Lin Duoer asked while jumping beside her.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "The place that sells cooked mutton in this market is the one that sells mutton soup noodles."
Lin Chunxing felt a little embarrassed when she heard that. Ever since they came to sell soup noodles, the business of the mutton soup noodle shop had not been so good. At first, the shopkeeper could still look at them calmly, but later on, he would have a gloomy face whenever he met them.
If I go to buy something from someone now, I won’t see a nasty face, right?
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