83 Candied Fruit
◎I think your little mouth is sweeter than candied fruit.◎
Xie Wuyang leaned against the porch pillar, his arms folded, his long legs folded in a graceful manner. The light under the eaves stretched his shadow out. In the flickering light, his expression was as if he was about to call someone to task.
"Sister, you asked me to boil the medicine. Li He's prescription requires three decoctings, so I stayed by the stove for two hours. The bottom of the clay pot is thin and easily overflows, so I had to watch it constantly and couldn't leave for a moment.
You asked me to urge Li He to take her medicine, and I did. I did everything you asked me to do. Just now, my sister heard Li He crying, and without asking a single question, she put the blame on me. Don't you have anything to say?"
Xie Wuyang's voice was different from usual. When he said that, his voice was hoarse and hoarse.
Song Jinyi really didn't expect that he would take this matter to heart.
There were only two people in the room. If one of them cried, people would naturally blame the other person. Besides, she didn't do anything to him.
It seemed like she was bullying him, and Song Jinyi didn't say anything for a long time.
Xie Wuyang continued, "Ajie is prejudiced against me because of my encounter with her. At that time, I was surrounded by dangers and was only concerned with survival, so my style of doing things was indeed extreme.
But that was a special case, and I can't take it for granted. Sister, you and I have known each other for a year, don't you know me well enough? Is it because of my humble background? Because I once fell into prostitution, do you look down on me from the bottom of your heart?
That's really not the case.
Song Jinyi was afraid that he would misunderstand, so she answered repeatedly: "Of course not."
As early as that time in the palace, the grudges between them were written off. They had been through so much together and there was no grudge in their hearts.
"So what do you think of me now, sister?" Xie Wuyang walked closer, his dark green eyes looking straight into hers.
Xie Wuyang's gaze fell heavily on Song Jinyi. She was a little at a loss, and Xie Wuyang's question made it difficult for her to answer for a moment.
The peach trees planted beside the veranda rustled in the evening breeze, and this inexplicable sound made her irritated. She pondered for a long time, so long that the crescent moon climbed up to the treetops, before she spoke, "I treat you as a family member, just like Li He and Ruolan."
He also confessed his mistakes and offered to make amends if he asked for anything.
Xie Wuyang heard Song Jinyi's answer, his eyes darkened, and Song Jinyi thought she had said something wrong. Then he suddenly smiled and said, "I want a day of my sister's time. Are you free the day after tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow? Of course." Song Jinyi agreed readily.
******
The next day, the morning light was dim and the thick fog at night became thinner and clearer. There was a chill in the air. If someone did not put on an extra coat when getting up in the morning, he would definitely get goose bumps from the cold.
White smoke was constantly rising from the inn's small kitchen. Song Jinyi had agreed with the inn's owner early in the morning to borrow the small kitchen when she had free time.
Yaowang Island has a suitable climate, with four seasons like spring. The fruits grown here are large, juicy and sweet, making them top-quality preserves.
Song Jinyi picked a few crispy and sweet apples, which were delicious even if they were not used to make candied fruit.
She peeled the apples first, steamed them for half an hour, and then dried them in the sun. In the abundant summer sun, the flesh curled up into the orange-red petals of irises by night. She steamed them for another half an hour, letting them air-dry, and the amber-like dried apples were ready.
She also made preserved plums. In her previous life, she had really enjoyed dried plums; they were sour and appetizing. However, Li He didn't like sour food, so the preserved plums balanced out the sourness and added sweetness, which was exactly what Li He wanted.
She rinsed the fresh black plums with clean water, soaked them in light salt water for a while to remove the sour taste, took them out and drained them, then placed them in a porcelain jar and poured honey over them to cover them all.
I used the rest to make candied lychees and candied ginger slices.
The next day, Li He was crying as she drank the medicine. She refused to drink it. Song Jinyi handed Li He a square of preserved fruit and said, "Try this first. Didn't you complain about the sweetness of the preserved fruit you bought yesterday? I made this myself."
The dried apples are beautiful in color, like orange gems. The candied lychees are translucent in color, and the white flesh looks like jade carvings. They look delicious. The candied black plums and candied ginger slices also look good.
Li He took a bite of the dried apples and opened her eyes wide in amazement. The dried apples were sweet and sour, not too sweet; the candied lychees had refreshing flesh and rich flavor, and were also excellent.
She tasted it all and praised it generously, "Delicious."
Seeing that she liked it, Song Jinyi put the food box aside and brought the medicine over. "It's a bitter medicine. After you finish the medicine, you can eat these sweet things and they won't taste so bitter."
Li He was frightened when she saw the dark medicine soup, but thinking that a short pain is worse than a long one, she frowned and swallowed the medicine in one gulp. As soon as she swallowed it, she couldn't wait to grab the candied fruit and stuff it into her mouth.
Song Jinyi was afraid that she would choke, so she quickly advised, "Slow down."
After eating seven or eight pieces of candied fruit, the disgusting taste completely disappeared, and her mouth was filled with the sweet taste of candied fruit. Li He licked her lips and said, "Sister Jinyi, this candied fruit you made is even more delicious and beautiful than the ones sold outside. If you were to sell it, those people out there would definitely lose their business."
Song Jinyi joked, "Really? I think your little mouth is sweeter than candied fruit."
However, Li He's words reminded Song Jinyi that Yu Dongqing's medical fees were not low. If she could sell candied fruits and make some cash, it would be able to solve her urgent problem.
******
The next day, Song Jinyi had dozens of kilograms of preserved fruits drying in the sun. The Jins saw them and asked about it. After some thought, Song Jinyi decided to cooperate with them and told them all about her plan to sell preserved fruits.
Although there were four of them on this trip, Song Yunting was frail and sickly, and Li He had a childish nature, so only she and Xie Wuyang could handle the task. However, they were unfamiliar with the place, and as a woman, she really couldn't go there alone.
If two people work together, the efficiency will be extremely low. It would be better to sell it in this inn. Most of the people who come here are seeking medical treatment, and there are very few people who come here for sightseeing or business.
The candied fruit she makes is more delicious than that sold elsewhere, so there is no problem buying it.
One order of four items costs fifteen cents. I agreed with the Jin couple to split the profits 30% to 70% and let them be responsible for selling it. Although I made less profit, I saved a lot of trouble.
That day, she was busy stirring the preserved black plums when she heard footsteps behind her. "It's already 9:00, sister, are you making the preserved fruits?"
Song Jinyi stood with her back to him, without turning around, and asked curiously: "Yes, what's the matter?"
Xie Wuyang remained silent for a long time, "Have you forgotten what you promised me?" His voice was filled with obvious disappointment.
Song Jinyi then remembered the promise she made the day before and wanted to slap her head in regret. How could she have forgotten about this? She rolled her eyes and said awkwardly, "How could it be? I've been waiting for you the whole time."
As he spoke, he turned around. The moment he saw Xie Wuyang, his gaze paused briefly, and a hint of surprise emerged in his eyes.
She had long known that Xie Wuyang was handsome. Precisely because of his good looks, she was afraid of causing trouble, so when they were in Yunzhou, she always made him wear a hat to cover his conspicuous hair, and his clothes were also very simple.
Today, Xie Wuyang changed into a long gown made of vine purple cloud linen with curly grass pattern, and no longer wore the gray hat. He tied his hair into a high ponytail, and a closer look revealed that he had braided several small pigtails on top of his head.
His facial features were already handsome, and now after this make-up, he looked like a little prince from a foreign race.
Song Jinyi remembered that the clothes he was wearing were made when summer began a few days ago. She made a set of summer clothes for four of the five members of Chayuan.
She expected to pay for it herself, so she didn't care and chose the purple wisteria color for him on her own initiative. Perhaps it was because he was handsome or because Song Jinyi bought a lot, but the proprietress also embroidered a few curling grass patterns on this plain long gown with golden embroidery thread, making it more unique.
But after buying it and never seeing him wear it, she thought he didn't like the color.
She came to her senses, walked over to Xie Wuyang, twisted his pigtail that hung down his chest, and said, "You're so dressed up, it's inappropriate for me to go out with you dressed so casually. How about I go wash up too?"
Xie Wuyang said, "No need to bother. My sister looks beautiful no matter what. She is stunning even without flowers or makeup."
Song Jinyi boasted about her age, but after hearing this, her face still couldn't help but get hot. It was strange! She was very happy with Li He's compliments, but when Xie Wuyang praised her, her head always turned pale.
Why is this? She herself can't explain it.
The inn where Song Jinyi and her friends live is located at the foot of the mountain. This area is full of inns for the guests who come up the mountain. Outside this area, it is a little more lively to the west, where there is a small market.
Of course, it cannot compare with the North Street Market in Yunzhou, but it is the most lively place here. The sounds of hawking are one after another, and the sounds of bargaining seem down-to-earth. There are no expensive jewelry or brocade here, but only common cotton clothes and flowers, fruits and vegetables in the countryside.
It has a unique wild charm.
Xie Wuyang and Song Jinyi walked side by side through the country road. Many pedestrians cast their gazes at them. There was even a little girl who pulled her mother's hand and said innocently, "That sister with golden hair is so beautiful!"
With so many stares, even the socially adept Song Jinyi became socially anxious. She thought with some regret, "I should have changed my clothes earlier."
Xie Wuyang asked her, "Are you unhappy, sister?"
"How come?"
"Sister promised me a wish. I was thinking about how tired she'd been traveling these days and hadn't even seen the scenery of this island, so I thought I'd take her out for a walk, let her relax for a day." He smiled as he spoke, "And today is a special day."
"What day is today?" Song Jinyi asked.
Xie Wuyang turned to look at her and said with a little mischief: "Sister, you don't remember? It doesn't matter. I'll tell you in the evening."
The more mysterious Xie Wuyang was, the more anxious she became to know the truth. She asked him three or four times along the way, but Xie Wuyang just said he would tell her in the evening.
Song Jinyi became more and more confused as she remembered that this day was the second day of the seventh month and there was no special festival.
Xie Wuyang brought Song Jinyi to a flower field in the south. The breeze blew through the pink and purple dendrobium flowers, and the drooping flower bodies swayed like a dancer twisting her graceful body and singing and dancing.
Song Jinyi had been stuck in the inn making candied fruits for the past few days. Now that she had come out and seen such a beautiful scenery, she felt naturally cheerful and her steps became lighter unconsciously. She walked along the ridges of the fields with her skirt lifted.
The fragrance of the dendrobium flowers is slightly light, with a slightly stronger smell of grass. I feel relaxed and happy when I am immersed in it. Walking further, I saw an old man picking dendrobium flowers. I think he is the owner of this flower field.
Song Jinyi entered rashly, first bowed and apologized, and then admitted that she liked the beautiful scenery very much and was just admiring it.
The old man had a kind face and didn't criticize. He just said, "I'm very happy that you like my flowers. It's okay to look at them. Just don't step on them."
"Don't worry, we will pay attention."
Out of politeness, Song Jinyi couldn't help but exchange a few words with the other party. When she turned around, she found that Xie Wuyang, who was following her, was gone!
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