Chapter 217 Ginger Cola
The kitchen inside the shop was too small, so Jiang Ling worked in a makeshift kitchen set up outside.
After lunch, the older women all went home to take care of their own things.
They had no choice but to do it themselves.
First, slice the ginger and stir-fry it in a pan until fragrant. Then, open a few bottles of cola and pour it in.
These were all large bottles of cola, six bottles in a case, and they were all poured in.
"Sister, is this dark water really drinkable?"
Xiao Yi looked curiously at the Coke bottle in Jiang Ling's hand.
"You'll know once it's cooked and you've tasted it," Jiang Ling said with a smile.
The fire was very intense and quickly boiled over.
After simmering for a while, the sweet aroma of ginger mixed with the bubbly scent of cola quickly wafted out.
It was already evening, and the workers were finishing up their work for the day.
Smelling the fragrance, they all curiously peeked out:
"Miss Jiang, what are you cooking? It smells so sweet and fragrant!"
Jiang Ling explained with a smile, "This is a sweet drink to ward off the cold, called ginger cola. It makes you sweat and prevents catching a cold. Everyone, take a break and have some before you go!"
"A sweet drink? A sweet drink made with ginger?"
Everyone found it strange.
They usually drink ginger soup to ward off the cold, but the taste isn't very good. This sweet ginger soup is the first time I've ever heard of it.
When it was almost done cooking, she personally used a large spoon to scoop the piping hot ginger cola into rough earthenware bowls. The dark brown liquid rippled in the bowls, steam rose, and smelled sweet with a hint of spiciness.
"Everyone come and have a bowl to warm yourselves up and drive away the cold!" Xiao Ran called out.
The workers put down their tools, rubbed their hands which were red from the cold, and curiously gathered around.
Grandpa Zhao was the first to pick up a bowl, carefully blew on it, and took a small sip.
"Hmm!" His eyes lit up, and a look of surprise and enjoyment appeared on his face.
"This flavor is truly unique! It's sweet at first, with a slightly bubbly, sandy texture, followed by the spiciness of ginger, warming you from your throat all the way down to your stomach! It's so comforting!"
Seeing what Grandpa Zhao said, the others also picked up their bowls and started drinking.
Immediately, exclamations and discussions arose at the shop entrance:
"Wow! This tastes both sweet and spicy, and it's quite addictive!"
"Yes, yes, it's unlike any sugary drink I've ever had before!"
"My hands and feet were freezing cold, but they warmed up after a few sips!"
"This black liquid looks strange, but I didn't expect it to taste so good! The things from Miss Jiang's shop are really something else!"
Jiang Ling herself held a bowl, slowly blowing on it and sipping it.
The sweet and spicy liquid slid down my throat, into my stomach, and transformed into a warm current that flowed through my whole body.
After finishing a bowl, I felt much more comfortable all over.
Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi each held a small bowl and sipped their drink.
Xiao Ran had drunk cola before, so she could tolerate the slight spiciness.
Xiao Yi stuck out her tongue from the spiciness, but couldn't help continuing to drink, her face quickly turning rosy.
We made a lot of ginger cola; even after each person drank two bowls, there was still some left.
Jiang Ling then invited the villagers who were passing by the door on their way home from work to come and have a taste.
The children who were studying in the small thatched hut next door also came out, each holding a bowl and drinking contentedly.
Xiao Ran personally served Mr. Fu a bowl and handed it to him with both hands.
"Mr. Fu, please have a bowl to warm yourself up."
Fu Chengze reached out and took it. The hot liquid entered his mouth, and the novel taste made him slightly taken aback.
It has a taste I've never experienced before, and it's easier to drink than ginger soup, but the effects are not diminished at all.
The steam rising from the bowl quickly clouded his eyes.
Fu Chengze carefully removed the glasses and gently wiped them with his personal eyeglass cloth. He spoke as he wiped:
"Xiao Ran has returned from her trip to the capital, and she is much more composed in her dealings with others. She has also caught up on all the lessons she missed in the past few days, which is excellent."
Jiang Ling listened from the side, feeling gratified, and looked at Xiao Ran with admiration:
"Really? Then I'm relieved."
It seems that her trip to the capital yielded more results than she had imagined.
After the workers gradually dispersed, it became completely dark.
The night after the snow was exceptionally clear, with a crescent moon hanging in the dark blue sky, its light shining on the white snow like a natural lamp.
Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi cleaned up the pots and pans and put the tables and chairs back in their place.
After doing all this, the three of them returned to the shop.
It was cold, so I simply cooked three bowls of hot noodle soup and served it with some pickles for dinner.
After dinner, it was cold and dark, so Jiang Ling thought of telling them to go back and rest early.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Xiao Ran standing in front of the counter, her lips pursed, as if she had something to say.
Xiao Yi stood still, looking at her brother and then at Jiang Ling, her big eyes filled with curiosity.
"Sister Jiang," Xiao Ran finally raised his head. At his age, he was going through puberty, and his voice was a little muffled and hoarse.
"I...I have something I want to tell you."
Jiang Ling was tidying up the clutter on the counter when she heard this. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him gently.
"Hmm? What is it? Tell me."
Xiao Ran took a deep breath and said clearly and logically:
“Now I have to learn martial arts from Brother Xiaoying during the day and read with Mr. Fu at night, so I have much less time to work in the shop than before. Xiaoyi is still young and his bones haven't fully developed yet, so learning martial arts is just practicing stances and basic skills, which doesn't take up much of his time.”
He had wanted to study under Mr. Fu, but since he hadn't started learning yet and couldn't keep up with everyone else, he gave up for the time being. Xiao Yi is currently doing most of the odd jobs in the shop.
He paused, then continued, "My original wage was one tael of silver. Just now... just now I learned that you, Sister Jiang, have to spend an extra tael of silver every month to have Brother Xiaoying teach me martial arts. I feel bad about it. I feel... that I'm putting too much burden on you, Sister."
As he spoke, he took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, carefully opened it, and inside were a few pieces of silver.
He picked up one of the larger pieces, which weighed about half an ounce, and gently pushed it onto the counter in front of Jiang Ling.
“Sister Jiang, I’ve made up my mind. From now on, I’ll give half of my wages to Xiaoyi. He also helps out at the shop, so I can’t let him work for free just because I do more work. This way… this way I’ll feel more at ease.”
After saying this, Xiao Ran seemed to have a heavy burden lifted off her shoulders and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Jiang Ling was stunned.
She looked at the half tael of silver on the counter, then at Xiao Ran's earnest little face, and her heart was instantly filled with a complex mix of emotions.
There was surprise, relief, but mostly heartache.
She never expected that this twelve-year-old child would be thinking about these things so quietly.
The child who used to compete with Xiaoyi for attention has grown up.
Little Yi, who was standing nearby, understood as well. She waved her little hands frantically and said urgently:
"Brother, no need! I don't want wages! I'm happy as long as I have food to eat, a place to stay, and my sister and brother! I don't want money!"
He's already very content; how many homeless children are as lucky as him?
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