38 Matcha Taro Milk
◎This is so ambiguous◎
The dense branches were parted, and a tall and strong snow-white horse came into view.
The tall and handsome young man jumped off his horse and strode towards the tomb.
Jiang Qinglan was surprised: "It's you?"
Haven't seen you for some days.
Today, he wore a narrow-sleeved plain shirt with black silk details. It wasn't as elegant as his gold-embroidered and silk-woven clothes of the past, but it held a mature and restrained charm.
Xie Linchuan smiled slightly: "Who does Madam Jiang think it is?"
He raised his hand again and touched the furry head next to him, feeling a bit intimate.
Jiang Qinglan complained in his heart: Of course I thought it was Lu Fei.
She came to pay her respects early in the morning and left in a hurry because she was afraid of meeting this man.
Now, meeting this person is not a good thing.
On the day of stewing old duck and winter melon soup, the young man behaved frivolously at first, and then became inexplicably angry.
This fickle temperament made her determined to keep her distance from him.
What's he going to do today?
As soon as she thought of this, she pulled Tuan Tuan behind her.
Xie Linchuan's hand was empty, but he was not embarrassed and smiled brightly:
"Sister Tuantuan, my horse is like a dog and can fetch a ball. Do you want to play with it?"
After saying that, he suddenly threw a colorful straw ball into the grass.
Seeing this, the horse did as he said and nudged him with its nose.
Tuantuan cried for a long time, and her sadness was mostly gone. At this moment, she felt playful and let out a "ha" and went over there.
It's nothing to tease a child, but I don't know whether he came here by chance or on purpose.
Jiang Qinglan was lost in thought when he saw Xie Linchuan lean sideways and take out paper money and other items from his horse bag.
Her heart tightened: "Mr. Yan knows my father?" Her tone was full of astonishment.
But Xie Linchuan put away his smile and said solemnly:
"Since I was thirteen, Lord Jiang's name has been a household name. Now, he's risking his life to make a statement. Who in the world wouldn't recognize him?"
After saying this, he went straight to the tomb, set up an incense table, lit paper money, and bowed solemnly three times.
Jiang Qinglan was stunned and thought:
His behavior was completely different from that of a dandy or spoiled young man.
She also remembered that on the seventh day after her parents' death, she and her sisters were still living in Qinglian Temple.
When they arrived to pay their respects, there were already ashes in front of the grave, which showed that someone had arrived before them.
At the time, everyone said it must be Lu Fei. But Jiang Qinglan felt that there was more than one pile of ashes, as if more than one person had been there.
I just heard him talk about it, and it seems that he is an old acquaintance of my father?
"Mr. Yan, were you also here on the seventh day after my parents' death?"
"Exactly."
Xie Linchuan smiled slightly, and the sunlight leaked through the gaps between the leaves, dancing on his long eyelashes, making him look very energetic.
"But, at that time, I didn't know you were Lord Jiang's daughter."
In an instant, Jiang Qinglan's mind raced.
Who was this Mr. Yan? What was his past with the original body's father?
What does his next sentence mean?
Xie Linchuan took a step forward, getting closer to her, his tall shadow almost completely covering the figure of the slender girl:
"What if I tell you that I was the one who collected your parents' bodies?"
Jiang Qinglan's eyes suddenly widened, and when he looked up, he met his dark eyes.
On that day, Jiang Yuan and his wife committed suicide. When the emperor learned the news, he was furious and accused Jiang Yuan of being "rebellious and treacherous, and unworthy of being a minister." He also forbade his disciples to collect his body.
The bodies of the Jiang couple were transported from the Lin'an Prefecture Office to the charity cemetery. They stayed there for a night before being buried in Biyunling with the help of kind-hearted people.
At that time, the original body fainted and died, and Jiang Qinglan's soul traveled through time and space.
Later, it was heard that it was Princess Anguo who mediated and the government did not pursue the guilt of those kind-hearted people.
A few days ago, Jiang Qinglan had asked Wang Huiniang to inquire about this matter. However, perhaps fearing accountability, these people hid themselves very well, and there was no information at all.
Unexpectedly, it was him?
Jiang Qinglan was so shocked that he didn't even care that they were standing so close that they could almost smell each other.
She murmured, "Why do you..."
"As I said earlier, Lord Jiang's name has been a household name to me since I was thirteen. I collected his remains because I admired his character..."
Xie Linchuan lowered his eyes, then suddenly raised them again, staring at her with his beautiful peach blossom eyes, his gaze shining like lightning.
"If I had known that Lord Jiang had two daughters, I would never have let them suffer so much."
It was still early, the summer sun still barely breaking through the clouds. Glistening dewdrops shimmered among the lush green leaves, bringing a touch of moisture.
I don't know where the wild gardenia blooms, but it emits a faint fragrance.
The singing of summer cicadas is still gentle, and the birds flying in the woods chirp non-stop.
Jiang Qinglan came back to her senses from her shock. Why did she feel that these words were a little... ambiguous?
She turned her head and took two steps back, escaping his presence. She saluted with her arms crossed in a righteous manner and said:
"Your words of righteousness are unforgettable to me. With you as my bosom friend, my father can rest in peace in his grave."
Xie Linchuan was so domineering, how could he let her escape? With a smile on his face, he took two steps forward:
"I not only hope that Mr. and Mrs. Jiang rest in peace, but I also hope that those who are still alive can live a happy and smooth life."
Crazy, crazy!
Jiang Qinglan felt his blood rushing to his head, and his face was burning hot.
—Luckily, I just burned some paper money, so my face is red from the smoke. It shouldn't be... too noticeable, right?
"Of course..." She resisted the urge to flee, took a breath, and answered openly, "Nowadays, the sea is peaceful and the rivers are clear, everyone lives and works in peace and contentment, so naturally they are happy and successful."
After saying this, she was at a loss, turned around and tried to leave, calling out in a panic: "Tuan Tuan——"
"Madam Jiang," Xie Linchuan was quicker than her, blocking her way and saying with a smile, "Lu Fei was beaten up recently, did you know that?"
The topic changed so quickly that Jiang Qinglan was a little confused. But at least he stopped saying those weird things, and she calmed down a little.
He said these things in front of the tomb of the Jiang couple. He must have wanted to say that Lu Fei was ungrateful and heartless and got his retribution, so that they could rest in peace in the underworld, right?
She smiled faintly and said, "Justice is in the hearts of the people. However, the past is over. Tuantuan and I are moving on."
After saying that, she gathered up the hem of her skirt and walked towards the man and the horse.
The dead branches and leaves under my feet made a crackling sound, startling the little birds crawling among them, and they flew into the dense green leaves with a "puff".
Outside the woods, there seemed to be a whistling sound of wind, coming from afar in gusts.
Xie Linchuan followed closely, smiled knowingly, and said to himself: Just look forward.
He tilted his head, glanced at the clear sky, stopped teasing her, and said:
"Let's go back to the city. It will be hot when the sun comes out."
Although he stopped teasing her, his intimate tone, as if they were close friends, still made Jiang Qinglan quite annoyed.
She doesn't want to get involved with this old man!
Just as we were about to exchange pleasantries and go our separate ways, he raised his hand, his slender fingers pointing towards the hill outside:
"Haven't you heard? Recently, there have been wolves on Biyun Ridge, and the Lin'an Prefecture is about to send runners to hunt them down."
When Jiang Qinglan heard this, his neck shrank immediately and his hair stood on end!
Wolf!
No wonder there was a strange humming sound just now. She felt that it didn't sound like the wind.
She seldom left the city and forgot for a moment that in ancient times, the mountains were where wild beasts roamed.
Biyun Ridge is located near the outskirts of Lin'an, and generally there are no wild animals there. Therefore, Wang Huiniang and Hu Zi did not notice it.
For a moment, she was worried and looked around.
It was rare to see her with this expression, and Xie Linchuan found it a little funny.
Are you scared now? Two sisters went up the mountain with a kid who hadn't even grown all his hair. Isn't that stupid?
Thinking of the two sisters' difficult life in the city, he was filled with pity.
Pointing to Ye Zhaobai in front of him, he said softly, "Don't worry, I will go back with you."
At this time, Jiang Qinglan no longer cared about avoiding suspicion. He nodded and walked side by side with him.
Tuan Tuan was having a great time playing with the horse. When he saw that they were about to go down the mountain, he said, "Brother Yan, I want to ride a horse too. Is that okay?"
Jiang Qinglan was about to move his lips to stop her, but Xie Linchuan smiled brightly and said, "Why not?"
After saying that, he hugged the little fat girl with one hand, kicked his long legs, and took a step forward, and the two of them got on the horse.
The two of them were willing to do it, and the man on the horse frowned slightly, but was helpless.
Xie Linchuan held the reins and winked at Jiang Qinglan childishly.
It was Tuantuan's first time riding a horse. She felt fresh and excited. When the horse started to trot, she laughed out loud.
Jiang Qinglan sighed, went to find Hu Zi, and took a car down the mountain.
Along the way, she lifted the curtain and saw two people, one big and one small, mumbling something to each other.
Tuantuan sometimes laughed so hard that he fell forward and backward.
After returning to the Xinghua Restaurant, Xie Linchuan twisted her again and talked a lot of nonsense.
Seeing that the sun was high in the sky, he mounted his horse and leisurely headed towards the Lin'an government office.
As soon as the people left, Jiang Qinglan quickly grabbed Tuan Tuan and asked:
"Just now, on horseback, what did Mr. Yan say to you?"
Tuan Tuan was still immersed in the excitement of riding, and had no idea that this man was his brother Lu's strong rival.
She said in confusion:
"He asked me if I liked Brother Lu in the past. He also asked me if I had met Brother Lu in the past few days."
Jiang Qinglan was filled with confusion and uncertainty.
It’s over, it’s just as she thought!
Wang Huiniang noticed something was wrong and hurried over to ask, "What's wrong? Why did you come back with Mr. Yan?"
Jiang Qinglan's face turned pale and he shook his head: "He also went to pay tribute to my parents."
He frowned again and said, "Sister Hui, Mr. Yan... is a little strange. I'd like you to check it out in the next few days to find out which family he belongs to."
It was obvious that he was interested in her.
Although he was good-looking, his unpredictable temper gave her a headache just thinking about it.
In addition, the most important thing is, what if he is the son of a high-ranking official and wants to make her a concubine or mistress?
As a highly educated intellectual woman, she would not allow herself to degenerate into someone's plaything or forbidden delicacy.
She clenched her fists.
Prepare early.
Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you counter each move.
Wang Huiniang, realizing her serious tone, hurried to make arrangements. It wasn't until several days later that she received a reply from the informant.
That day, she said, "Mr. Yan's father is a seventh-rank official."
"Seventh-rank official?" Jiang Qinglan was a little skeptical.
From the moment she first met him at the Ministry of Finance, she was certain that he was the son of an official.
What is the second generation of officials? Only the sons of high-ranking officials are worthy of the word "second generation".
Their intimidation and arrogance are ingrained in their bones.
Moreover, without a backer, how could he dare to disobey the order and collect the remains of the Jiang couple?
The government was furious at the time. If he was discovered, he might even lose his life.
Jiang Qinglan frowned and said, "Then... does he have any powerful relatives, the kind who are powerful and high-ranking officials?"
"No." Wang Huiniang was very sure.
Her informant found out clearly that Mr. Yan's father was a seventh-rank official.
Last year, his family came to Lin'an from Jiangzhou and used their connections to find him a job in the Lin'an government office.
"But looking at his appearance, it really doesn't look like it."
Wang Huiniang also agreed, but she had already repeatedly confirmed it with her informant.
"The Yan family is quite wealthy in Jiangzhou. Young Master Yan has an older brother and an older sister, and he was born in old age. Perhaps because of this, he has a somewhat spoiled personality."
This seems to make sense.
After hearing this, Jiang Qinglan remained silent.
In fact, if this is true, it is a good thing.
Only when people are of similar status can they get along with each other on an equal footing. For example, if she doesn't like Mr. Gao, she can send him away with just a few words.
The son of a seventh-rank official wouldn't dare to act presumptuously in Lin'an, where powerful people abound, right?
Then... he went to collect the remains of the Jiang couple, can he be considered chivalrous?
Wang Huiniang asked curiously, "Why? Did he bully you that day on the mountain?"
"Not really," Jiang Qinglan smiled, finally feeling relieved, "In fact, he helped me a lot."
Wang Huiniang was also relieved: "That's good. I saw you turned pale with fear that day, and I thought something had happened."
She could also see that these days, Mr. Yan, like Mr. Gao before, had his eyes glued to Jiang Qinglan.
In her eyes, what's so special about this? Youth is in its prime, and she admires young people. It's a beautiful emotion that starts from emotion and ends with etiquette.
This girl is good in every way except that she is too dull and cautious in emotions.
Fortunately, Xie Linchuan didn't come to bother them these days, and gradually, the two of them let the matter go.
The drinking area was renovated quickly.
Previously, the dining area had a rustic style, with tables, chairs and benches all made of natural wood and antique style.
Now, the drinking area is painted green, which makes people feel like entering a green forest and gives people a sense of peace of mind.
Under the counter, there are rows of potted jasmine plants, with white flowers and green leaves, elegant and pure.
On top of it is a fake cat made of white porcelain and with red ears.
It was wearing a red scarf with a big golden bell tied around it, with big eyes, a curved mouth, and a sweet smile, looking very naive.
There are four big words written on its belly - "Attract wealth and treasure".
The right hand is raised, revealing cute webbed claws, as if it is really trying to attract something.
On the upper left side of the green wine curtain, the words "Half a cup of matcha, half a day of leisure" are written. Swaying in the breeze, it seems to be a truly leisurely place.
Hu Zi and Tuan Tuan arrived here one after another.
Hu Zi held a snow-white towel in his hand.
Tuantuan picked up a low stool, placed it on the ground, stepped on it, and just reached the fortune cat's huge belly.
When she was high enough, she snatched the towel from Hu Zi's hand and began to wipe the cat carefully.
At the counter, Jiang Qinglan was mixing matcha taro milk. Suddenly, two heads, one large and one small, popped up. She smiled and said,
"You two have rubbed this lucky cat seven or eight times today. I think its hide is almost rubbed off."
Tuantuan couldn't let it go, but refused to admit it. He touched the cat's belly with his petal-like lips:
"I kissed the word 'wealth', and we will definitely become rich."
Jiang Qinglan brought out two drinks and pushed them in front of the two children: "Tuantuan, stop chewing on the cat's belly and try this."
The two leaned over to take a look:
Inside the palm-length cylindrical transparent glass cup, there is a solid paste at the bottom, the color is the lavender of hibiscus flowers;
In the middle is pure white milk;
Above it was the green matcha liquid, with two round little ice balls floating in it, emitting cold steam.
At this time, porcelain firing technology was highly developed. Although colored glaze was also popular, its production process was not yet mature. Therefore, porcelain was cheap and glass was expensive.
Unless wealthy families drink wine, few people use glass to make tea utensils.
But Jiang Qinglan spent a lot of money to buy glass containers of different sizes, just to let customers appreciate the layered and gradient colors, and to raise the price of the drink.
Sure enough, Tuantuan exclaimed, "Hey—how strange! They're as soft as clouds, why don't they just swarm together?"
Jiang Qinglan couldn't explain density or anything like that, so he just asked them to drink quickly and give their opinions.
Tuantuan held a long iron spoon and scooped up a large spoonful of taro paste from the bottom of the cup.
As soon as he put it in his mouth, his eyes widened, and he immediately picked up the glass cup, tilted his head back and took a big sip.
But, he drank too much and his cheeks became puffy like a pair of snow-white, plump buns.
After swallowing it all in small sips, she sighed twice, still wanting more, and said, "It's really delicious!"
They were the guinea pigs for the experiment, and Jiang Qinglan wanted to hear more opinions, so he asked, "Anything else?"
Tuantuan was very busy, scooping some taro paste with an iron spoon, and adding some milk and some matcha liquid.
Now, the colors in the spoon are mixed together, and it is a light macaron color.
Hearing this, she said, "It's fun! It's delicious and fun!"
Jiang Qinglan was at a loss for words. With a boastful little foodie around her who couldn't offer any suggestions, it was difficult for her to make progress.
Hu Zi said softly:
"This taro paste is soft, the matcha is slightly bitter, but has a slight sweet aftertaste, and the milk is rich and fragrant. It's delicious, but..." He frowned slightly, "I think it's a little too sweet."
Tuan Tuan screamed, "Ah!" "Brother Huzi, is your tongue damaged? It's not sweet at all, I think it's too bland!"
She snatched Hu Zi's glass cup and took a swig: "It's not too sweet, it's delicious!"
Hu Zi hurriedly snatched the drinking cup back: "Why...why...why are you drinking from my cup?"
As he spoke, his voice lowered and his dark face turned slightly red with embarrassment.
Tuantuan was only a few years old, and she had no idea about the strict rules between men and women. She thought Huzi thought she was dirty, so she pouted and said, "You said it wasn't tasty."
She turned her head away, ignoring him, and used a long spoon to stir the taro paste in the bowl, muttering:
"I'm a child, and children's mouths are the cleanest. I won't dirty your cup."
Jiang Qinglan could of course see through their misunderstanding and thought: Tuantuan has grown up now, I have to give her gender education someday.
For now, let’s put it aside for now.
From their debate on sweetness and blandness, she thought of the key point -
Girls like sweet things, but men don’t. Everyone has different tolerance for sugar.
It’s no wonder that modern milk tea shops differentiate between different levels of sweetness, ranging from three to ten.
She took out the wooden and bamboo signs from the drawer under the counter.
He dipped a brush in thick ink and wrote different signs ranging from no sugar to three percent, five percent, seven percent, and full sugar, and hung them on the wall behind him.
After that, she started thinking about other drinks.
Nowadays, milk is good, but tea is not.
Therefore, people at that time loved to drink tea, which was made by grinding fresh tea leaves into powder, pouring hot water into it, and then stirring it with a tea whisk.
It was not until the Ming and Qing dynasties that tea frying, roasting, and making tea cakes became popular throughout the country. Therefore, at that time, there was no tea leaves, but matcha powder was everywhere.
Jiang Qinglan accordingly ordered three types of matcha-based daily drinks: Matcha Frappuccino, Matcha Raw Coconut, and Matcha Taro Milk.
Every now and then, we add a new product like jasmine melon ice milk.
These drinks are easy to make. Just prepare the raw materials and mix them.
In this way, the types of drinks were roughly determined.
In the evening, diners saw that the beverage area had just opened and came to see what was new.
Someone stroked his chin and questioned, "Wow, Madam Jiang, this tea is not cheap."
Matcha taro milk tea costs nearly two cents of silver per cup, almost as much as braised pig's trotters.
Jiang Qinglan was calm and composed. He took out a cup of tea and gave it to the man: "My dear, you only need to try it to know whether this tea is worth it or not."
The layers of light purple, pure white and green in the glass cup make it look like a fairyland.
When the man saw it, he was amazed and marveled at it. He scooped it up and drank it, and his eyes lit up.
After three or two gulps of gulp water, the glass cup was almost empty. He stood up and ran out.
Someone asked, "Lord Wang, why are you running?"
"I...I'll go back and ask my wife to come and try it!"
It turns out he loves his wife very much.
Everyone laughed.
…
The beverage area has opened, and Wang Huiniang has also selected a few maids.
On the second day, after having lunch, Jiang Qinglan closed the shop and the three sisters set off in a carriage.
The dental clinic is in the south of the city.
Exit the Xinghua Restaurant, cross the Eight-Character Bridge to Xiejie Street, and merge into Imperial Street. Head south, pass Yongjin Gate, Qingbo Gate, and the Lin'an Prefecture Office, and you'll arrive at the Yuejin Pond.
It's a cloudy day today. Occasionally there is a little sunshine, but it is quickly covered by thick dark clouds.
However, the enthusiasm of the small vendors was not disturbed at all.
As the most prosperous street in Lin'an City, Imperial Street is bustling all the way.
Especially in the southern section, which is where the Lin'an Prefecture Office and the Imperial Palace are located, there are crowds of tourists.
"Blowing sugar figures—blowing sugar figures—sweet and cute little sugar figures—"
"Selling flowers, selling flowers—fresh lotus, roses, jasmine—"
"Sharpening scissors and kitchen knives——"
Listening to the shouting outside, Jiang Qinglan calculated that it was almost time, so he lifted the curtain and looked outside.
Just then, we arrived at Zaozi Lane in the southern section of Imperial Street.
There is an iconic jujube tree here, with green shade like an umbrella and tall and majestic like a canopy, which is very eye-catching.
The surrounding area is covered with green tiles, white walls, red doors and stone slabs.
The low courtyard wall is shaded by green trees, and the branches of plum trees, laden with green leaves and fruits, stretch out beyond the wall...
Tuantuan also watched it seriously.
The door of the house, which had been closed, was now wide open, and several servants were coming in and out, apparently packing their luggage.
Tuantuan exclaimed: "Sister, what's going on..."
Jiang Qinglan made a prompt decision: "Sister Hui, stop here for a moment."
Before the carriage came to a complete stop, Tuantuan had already jumped out and ran to the side of the alley.
She looked past the mottled vermilion lacquer door and stared blankly inside.
"What's wrong?" Wang Huiniang was surprised.
Jiang Qinglan also got out of the car.
The plaque above the gate had been removed, leaving the lintel bare. She said quietly, "That's my old house."
Jiang Yuan is honest, and it is difficult to live in Lin'an City, so he can't afford to buy a house at all.
Fortunately, the Jiang family has lived here for generations, and their ancestral house remains. The old house has been renovated over the generations, and although it is not large, it is still full of flowers and a natural environment.
After the death of Jiang and his wife, their old house was confiscated by the government and put up for sale at the Lin'an Prefecture Office.
Tuantuan often said that they would buy it when they had money in the future.
When renting a shop, Jiang Qinglan had asked about it. The Jiang residence wasn't too big, but it would still cost one thousand taels of silver. She figured that if she saved up for a few years, she'd still have a chance.
Now it seems that someone has gotten there first.
She walked over and observed for a moment.
The servants and maids all looked straight ahead, walked briskly, and were well-behaved.
It seems that the new owner of the house is either rich or noble.
She picked him up and sighed, "Let's go, we still have to go to the dental clinic to do some serious business."
Back in the carriage, Tuantuan opened the curtain and looked at the old house reluctantly.
Suddenly, she lowered the curtain again, clenched her fists, and said with a firm face:
"Sister, we will definitely make enough money to buy that house, right?"
Jiang Qinglan smiled brightly: "Of course."
She was also very pleased that the little guy finally had confidence in her and stopped mentioning Lu Fei so often.
She pointed outside:
"They say a house deteriorates easily when it's empty; it stays better when it's occupied and full of life. Let them look after the house for us for a few years, and then I'll buy it."
"Yeah!" Tuantuan gritted his teeth, frowned, and nodded very firmly.
The two sisters gathered themselves together and walked for another quarter of an hour.
When you reach a clear blue pond, you will see lotus flowers and round lotus leaves.
At this moment, the sun emerged from behind the dark clouds, casting its rays on the water, making it sparkle and dazzle.
This was the edge of the Leaping Golden Pond. The brothel was almost there.
As soon as the carriage stopped, the two sisters were about to stand up, but they heard a "splash" outside and the sound of splashing water in the pool.
"Hurry up! Someone fell into the water!!"
【Author’s words】
After summarizing yesterday’s clip, the data crashed [laughing and crying], and the first, second, and third male characters were all being scolded [laughing and crying].
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