Chapter 245 It's been a long and arduous journey.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the sun rose high in the sky, softening the snow that had accumulated over the past few days.
According to the village's old tradition, this day is for eating "folded basket rice".
The so-called "leftover rice" is not a delicacy, but rather the leftovers from each household between New Year's Eve and the third day of the Lunar New Year. Regardless of whether it is meat or vegetables, all the leftovers are put into one pot, water is added, and the pot is boiled and steamed.
As dawn broke, the open space under the old locust tree at the village entrance became lively.
The men carried several bluestone bricks and quickly built up a few makeshift stoves.
The women carried wicker baskets, bringing leftover New Year's dishes from home. There were both meat and vegetables, and the table was filled to the brim, like a bustling little market.
"Aunt Zhao, your braised pork looks so glossy!"
"That's right, this meat was stewed on New Year's Eve. I specially saved two extra bowls, just to make do with rice today. You have quite a few dumplings too, and they're even filled with cabbage and pork?"
"Yes! My husband loves them. I made a whole basket of dumplings, and there was about half a bowl left. That's perfect for cooking. Rice with dumplings is so much more delicious!"
Although they are called leftovers, they are actually mostly clean, untouched vegetables that the villagers have deliberately set aside.
Grandpa Zhao energetically directed several strong laborers to move firewood and start a fire.
Experienced chefs categorize and group the ingredients together, ready to be cooked.
Jiang Ling, Xiao Ran, and Xiao Yi walked over, carrying half a ham instead of leftovers.
These are leftovers from the Chinese New Year.
The chef, with great skill, chopped the ham into small pieces and stewed it with dried vegetables.
The fire was burning brightly, and soon several large pots were boiling, filling the air with the aroma of various meats and vegetables.
Xiao Qi couldn't contain himself any longer. He dragged Xiao Yi around the big pots, gazing longingly at the bubbling stew inside.
When he was a child, this was his favorite day. He could enjoy lots of meat and vegetables.
Despite its unappealing name, these leftovers can be transformed into delicious dishes under the skillful hands of a chef.
When Aunt Zhao saw them, she waved enthusiastically: "Miss Jiang, come over here quickly! It'll be ready soon!"
The area under the old locust tree became increasingly lively, with villagers gathering around, chatting and laughing, carrying their own bowls and chopsticks.
The men passed around their pipes and chatted about their plans for the coming spring.
The women gathered together, exchanging cooking tips and praising whose cured meat was the most fragrant and whose meatballs were the most chewy.
The children ran wild, weaving through the crowd, chasing and playing, their laughter echoing through the air.
"Dinner's ready!" Grandpa Zhao shouted in a strong voice.
The crowd immediately lined up in an orderly fashion. Several men responsible for distributing the food stood beside the steaming pot with large ladles, ladling a generous amount of "Zhe Luo Cai" (a type of vegetable dish) into each person's bowl.
Although the dishes were a mixed bag, you could see glistening chunks of braised pork, golden fried meatballs, and tender cabbage stalks.
Jiang Ling also filled a bowl and sat down next to Grandpa Zhao. She had ordered a plate of dried vegetables stewed with meat.
There weren't as many seasonings or complex flavors in this era.
It tastes like the most original flavor of food.
"This folded basket rice is so delicious, the more you eat it, the better it tastes!"
Grandpa Zhao took a sip of his homemade rice wine and said with a smile:
"That's right! The older generation says that eating rice together in a basket is a blessing. It avoids waste and allows everyone to get together and have fun. That's what celebrating the New Year is all about."
As the sun rose higher into the sky, the rice in the pot was almost finished.
The men began to clean up the stove and put the bluestone bricks back in their original positions.
The women washed the dishes together, while the children ran and played in the open space.
Jiang Ling stood aside, watching the lively scene before her.
This was the happiest year she had ever lived in her memory.
As dusk deepened, Jiang Ling was about to close the shop door when she seemed to hear someone call her name.
Peeking out the door, she saw two horses galloping towards her in the distance under the snow-covered night sky.
Zhao Jingxing was dressed in an indigo-blue casual suit, his dark cloak billowing in the wind and snow.
“Miss Jiang…”
He stopped in front of the door, his steps unsteady, his usually handsome face now flushed with the smell of alcohol.
Jiang Ling was slightly taken aback. "Why is Young Master Zhao here?"
He smiled slightly, struggled to steady himself, and solemnly bowed with his hands clasped. Even though his eyes were blurry with drunkenness, he had not forgotten the etiquette ingrained in his bones.
"Jingxing sends New Year's greetings to Miss Jiang."
A refreshing smell of alcohol wafted over, indicating that he had drunk quite a bit this time, and he looked as if he had just come from a banquet.
Seeing that he was about to fall, his bodyguards quickly stepped forward to support him.
Jiang Ling assumed he was attending a banquet in Ping'an County and was just stopping by to visit her.
She then stepped aside to let him in: "It's cold in the wind and snow, please come in. How much have you had?"
Zhao Jingxing staggered slightly and chuckled awkwardly.
"Today... there was a banquet in the palace, and His Highness the Crown Prince drank some wine... I drank a couple too much and thought I'd come and see what the festivities were like here, but I didn't expect to be late."
Jiang Ling asked in surprise, "The palace? You came all the way from the capital?"
It would take two hours to get here from the capital by horse.
Besides, it's snowing outside right now.
Zhao Yi helped him sit down in a chair and said, "After the banquet, the young master rode off at full speed, and we couldn't stop him. He said he wanted to see Miss Jiang."
Zhao Jingxing waved his hand, trying to give a reassuring smile, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.
"Having received Miss Jiang's New Year's gift, how can I not come to wish her a Happy New Year? Wouldn't that be extremely impolite?"
Jiang Ling sighed, "Never mind, we're already here. Sit down for a bit, I'll go make you some hangover soup."
As soon as she turned around, her wrist was grabbed by a force that was neither too strong nor too weak.
That hand, still icy cold, was from the moment the horse galloped over.
Turning around, she saw Zhao Jingxing smiling at her, but perhaps due to the alcohol, his eyes held a sadness that seemed out of place with the atmosphere.
"Miss Jiang... Jiang Ling, thank you!"
Jiang Ling didn't think there was anything wrong with grabbing someone's wrist, but Zhao Yi, standing to the side, awkwardly explained:
"Miss Jiang, please don't misunderstand. Our young master was just too happy at the banquet. He got drunk, so... so..."
As he went on explaining, he didn't know how to explain anymore.
Could it be that my young master is so happy about his upcoming promotion and raise that he rode for two hours to come and grab the girl's hand?
Jiang Ling didn't struggle or say anything.
Zhao Jingxing continued, "If I hadn't met you, I, Zhao Jingxing, would still be struggling in the bottomless darkness..."
Jiang Ling silently sat back down, because she could tell that at this moment, Zhao Jingxing just needed someone to confide in.
He remained sitting upright, but his eyes were somewhat vacant as he continued talking incessantly.
From the tedious rituals of the New Year, to the backlog of official duties in the military, and then to the trivial matters at home...
The fragments are scattered, as if he just said whatever came to mind.
From the floods in Ping'an County last year to the most recent donation of supplies.
It is said that he suffered countless scorn and disdain from childhood due to his status as an illegitimate child.
He talked about how hard it had been all these years, how he had finally made it through...
Finally freed from the scorn of being born out of wedlock, she earned a respectable status for herself through her life...
"...For so many years, I've lived in constant fear, as if walking on thin ice..."
"Everyone says that I, Zhao Jingxing, achieved early success and climbed the social ladder... But who knows that the road ahead has been fraught with difficulties..."
Sometimes, I really feel... like I can't take it anymore...
"But...it's all in the past! It's all in the past! I've finally...finally made it through!"
Jiang Ling listened quietly.
She knew Zhao Jingxing's situation and how hard he had worked to get here.
He joined the army at thirteen and went to the battlefield at fourteen. The trials and tribulations of life tempered his strong will.
Despite being abandoned by everyone at a young age, he persevered step by step.
Jiang Ling didn't ask any further questions. She simply picked up the teapot on the table, poured him another cup of warm tea, pushed it in front of him, and said softly:
"Yes, I know. It must have been a tough journey."
As Zhao Jingxing looked at her, the silly grin on his face gradually faded, and the drunkenness in his eyes seemed to clear up a bit.
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