Chapter 98 Go out for a stroll
It was an incredibly delicate lotus seed paste filling, sweet but not cloying, melting in your mouth, and even wrapped with two salty and sandy salted egg yolks in the middle!
Two completely different flavors blend together perfectly, bringing a wonderful taste experience!
"Mmm! Dad! Mom! It's sweet! This cake is so delicious!"
He thought maltose was delicious enough, but the pancake in his hand was ten times tastier than maltose!
The little boy, his mouth stuffed full, shouted incoherently, his eyes narrowed into slits with happiness, and he tugged hard at his parents' clothes, wanting to pass the rest over to them so they could have a taste too.
His shout was like flipping a switch.
Other children and some villagers who couldn't resist also unpacked the packages.
Immediately, exclamations of amazement and praise rose and fell:
"My God! This filling is so fine! And it smells so good!"
"Sweet! So sweet! And it even smells like eggs!"
"Is this egg yolk? Salty? And sweet mixed together? Wow! It's really delicious!"
"I've lived most of my life and never eaten such a sweet and delicious pancake!"
At the entrance of the grocery store, the unique sweet and oily aroma of mooncakes wafted through the air, mingling with the cheerful laughter of the villagers, officially kicking off the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The children ate the food slowly and carefully, while the adults savored the rare delicacy, their faces beaming with simple and contented smiles.
Jiang Ling's gaze swept casually across the crowd, but she noticed that something seemed to be missing today.
Where is Lu Qian?
Even Li Hong wasn't there.
Just as Jiang Ling was wondering, a familiar-looking worker walked over from the makeshift shed where they were harvesting vegetables.
He bowed respectfully to Jiang Ling: "Miss Jiang, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Our young master has something to attend to today and specifically instructed me to come and tell you that he probably won't be able to come. The young master has also prepared a gift for you as a token of his appreciation, please be sure to accept it."
As he spoke, he handed over an exquisite gift box with both hands.
Jiang Ling took the gift box; it felt quite heavy.
Upon opening it, I found several finely crafted mooncakes inside, but unlike modern ones, they were made using the traditional handmade method.
Next to it is a small, exquisitely crafted revolving lantern, with what appears to be a hand-painted image of Chang'e flying to the moon on the lantern's gauze.
At the very bottom is a small brocade box containing a pair of warm, white jade rabbit pendants, small and cute, warm to the touch.
"Young Master Lu, you've gone to too much trouble. I can't accept this..."
Jiang Ling was somewhat surprised. The gift wasn't particularly expensive, but it was very thoughtful, especially the handmade lantern and the pair of jade rabbits, which clearly showed that a lot of thought had been put into it.
"You're too kind. This is just a small token of the young master's appreciation." The waiter smiled. "Now that the message has been delivered and the gift has been given, I'll head back to my work."
"Please wait a moment. I've also prepared some return gifts. Please take them to Young Master Lu." After saying this, Jiang Ling went into the shop.
Last night, while shopping, in addition to loose mooncakes, she also specially picked out some nicely packaged gift boxes of mooncakes and tea, and bought more than a dozen boxes of Qiuyue pears.
These were all standard gifts her father used to give her.
Now she's following in her father's footsteps and giving holiday gifts to her friends.
She packed Lu Qian a box of top-grade Seven Stars Accompanying the Moon mooncakes, a box of fine Longjing tea, and a box of Autumn Moon pears.
A separate box of mooncakes was also prepared for Li Hong.
"Please thank your young master for me and wish him a happy Mid-Autumn Festival."
Jiang Ling handed the return gift to the shopkeeper, and also slipped him two separate loose mooncakes.
"Okay, thank you, Miss Jiang. I will definitely pass on your message."
The shopkeeper accepted the package with a smile, thanked him repeatedly, and then turned and went back with the package in his arms.
The area outside the shop was still bustling with activity, and the air was filled with the relaxed and joyful atmosphere unique to the festival.
The villagers gathered in twos and threes, chatting about their plans for the evening.
Many teenagers surrounded their parents, chattering and whining, begging to go to town to see the lantern festival.
"Dad, there are lanterns in town tonight! It's so lively! Take me to see them!"
"Mom, Gou Dan and the others are going, I want to go too!"
"I heard this year's lantern festival is especially lively, with dragon and lion dances too!"
The children's eagerness also piqued the adults' interest. It was a rare holiday, and the work in the fields was almost done. It was time to relax.
Having made up their minds, many villagers began inviting each other to go together.
Perhaps because of the holiday, the shop is very quiet today.
Xiao Ran continued working tirelessly, wiping the counter and then organizing the shelves, taking inventory of the warehouse and then picking up a broom, as if she wanted to use every bit of her strength to the fullest.
They seemed to think that only in this way could they be worthy of the one or two taels of silver given to them by Sister Jiang.
Jiang Ling sat behind the counter, her gaze following Xiao Ran's busy figure. Suddenly, she remembered that he still had an injury on his hand, and hurriedly called him to stop.
"Xiao Ran, don't be busy right now. How's your hand injury? Do you need to change the dressing?"
Too many things happened at the shop yesterday, which made her a bit confused, and she momentarily forgot to change Xiaoran's medication.
Xiao Ran put down the rag, walked up to Jiang Ling, and opened her palm. "Sister Jiang, Xiao Ran's wound is all healed now. Sister Jiang's medicine is very effective. It has healed and I don't need to apply any more medicine."
Jiang Ling carefully examined his hands, which had turned white from being soaked in the water. The knife mark was still clearly visible on the web of his right hand, but it had healed and there was no trace of redness left; only a layer of skin that had been cut by the knife was peeling up.
She breathed a sigh of relief as it healed very well and showed no signs of infection.
"That's good. Remember in the future, if you get injured, tell us immediately. We have plenty of medicine in the shop, so don't try to tough it out. It'll be troublesome if the wound gets infected."
Xiao Ran asked, puzzled, "Sister Jiang, what does infection mean?"
Jiang Ling paused for a moment, unsure how to explain it to him.
"When you get injured, the wound gets exposed and comes into contact with dirt, which can cause redness, swelling, and inflammation. In severe cases, it can even lead to persistent high fever and endanger your life."
Xiao Ran was terrified by these words. Life had only just started to get a little better, and he didn't want to die!
He even hoped to work in the grocery store for the rest of his life.
"Xiao Ran, remember this! Next time you get hurt, be sure to tell Sister Jiang right away!"
Jiang Ling nodded.
Seeing that she had no further instructions, Xiao Ran went back to work.
The shop fell silent again, and Jiang Ling was wondering what to have for lunch.
There were still some chicken wings and ribs left in the shop, but Jiang Ling didn't want to cook.
While she still had some time, she went upstairs, took out her phone, found the nearest restaurant with good ratings, and ordered takeout.
My phone beeped, and a message popped up: "The merchant has accepted your order and is working as fast as possible to make it for you."
Jiang Ling smiled slightly and went downstairs.
Now that Xiao Ran is watching over the shop, and I'm sure I can open the wooden door from the outside, I finally don't have to guard the shop all the time like before.
After being here for so long, I finally have time to take a stroll around the village.
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