4 Rock Sugar Fruit Skewers (1)
◎Discover business opportunities◎
Before Jiang Qinglan started working, he carefully told Tuantuan that there were many people inside and outside the temple, so they should play in the kitchen yard and not walk around randomly, otherwise they would be taken away by the beggars.
But Tuan Tuan was just a child after all, and wanted to go outside to watch the fun, so he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Qinglan really values this little sister. Firstly, she occupies her elder sister's body, so she has to bear some responsibilities. Secondly, the little girl is really cute, with a face as white as a snow ball and a smart mind, which makes people love her.
Jiang Qinglan didn't bother to eat. He took the rope and went out to look for someone.
Fortunately, Tuan Tuan didn't go far. He stood at the gate of the Beichan Temple next to him, staring at the people coming and going outside the gate, as if he was looking for someone.
"Tuantuan, let's go back and have dinner," Jiang Qinglan stroked her furry head, "Who are you looking for?"
Tuan Tuan looked around eagerly for a moment and said, "I wonder if Brother Lu will come to burn incense? If I see him, I'll ask him to take us back."
Jiang Qinglan felt a pang of sadness after hearing this. She had no memory of her ex-husband and her original body. But judging by her reaction, she didn't know if they were in love, but at least her ex-husband had put a lot of thought into it.
Jiang Qinglan squatted down, looking at Tuantuan at eye level, and said solemnly:
"Sister knows that Lu Erlang used to be good to Tuan Tuan. But things are different now. We were kicked out by the Lu family, and there's no way Lu Erlang didn't know about it. So, Sister and Tuan Tuan have nothing to do with Lu Erlang now, so there's no need to hold on to him."
Tuantuan started to cry, her mouth pouting. "Before... Brother Lu said... he would treat me well for the rest of my life..." The little girl choked, but still managed to finish her words, "Be good to me and Tuantuan."
Jiang Qinglan thought to himself: Men’s words are deceiving!
"That's because he was our father's subordinate. He said that, so our father promoted him. Now that our father is gone..."
When the little girl heard the word "Daddy", her tears started to well up more and more.
Jiang Qinglan felt uncomfortable, but she believed that Tuantuan was so smart that she had to explain the truth clearly before she could get through this level.
"Father and Mother are gone, but we still have Sister. Tuan Tuan and Sister don't rely on others, they have to work hard on their own and seek justice for Father and Mother in the future, okay?"
Tuan Tuan nodded vigorously.
"Now, I'm going to take you to eat stewed vegetables. It's the best in Lin'an, no, the best in the Song Dynasty!"
"real?"
"real!"
"I believe that sister's cooking is always delicious!"
They didn't know that there were actually a few people secretly watching at the temple gate.
…
Banquets were held at the Jianlong Temple, but only stewed vegetables were served at noon. Breakfast and dinner were all porridge, which was simple to prepare and could be prepared by the monks in the temple themselves.
After finishing her meal, Wang Huiniang observed that there was no need to cook stew today, so she paid the wages of several cooks and agreed to come back here at the beginning of the day at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.
The other cooks had all gone home, leaving Jiang Qinglan with nowhere to go. She heard she could stay at the temple, so she decided to stay the night. The cheapest bunk bed cost only twenty coins per night, and since Tuantuan was young, she didn't care.
The two sisters followed the young monk to the meditation room where they stayed.
Jiang Qinglan looked at it and thought it was okay. The window paper was thick and the draft wouldn't leak in. The blue floral quilt was a little worn, but still clean.
Normally, the women who came to stay and sleep in the shared bunk were odd-jobbers like Jiang Qinglan, who wouldn't come until almost dark. Now, there were only the two of them in the room.
Tuantuan was full and a little sleepy, so Jiang Qinglan asked her to take off her shoes and go to bed. The little girl must have been scared last night, and now she was really sleepy, falling asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
It's okay now. Jiang Qinglan began to think:
She earned seventy wen today. She spent eight wen on buns and porridge in the morning and twenty wen on accommodation, leaving her with forty-two wen left.
You can eat and drink in the temple for free during these three days. Excluding accommodation, you can earn a total of one cent and forty-two coins.
But after three days, if she went to the market to find such odd jobs again, she would have to include the money for food. If she wanted to eat her fill, she would have to spend at least 28 cents a day. According to her current market conditions, she could only make a profit of 22 cents a day.
Apart from other things, in addition to eating, each of the two sisters must have at least two sets of clothes and two pairs of shoes for changing.
——Luckily, it’s April now and the weather is warm, otherwise, buying winter clothes and winter boots would be a waste of money.
In addition, one must buy daily necessities such as toothbrushes, tooth cleaning medicine[1], silk handkerchiefs, wash basins, etc. It is not possible to take a bath in the temple, and going to the bathhouse also requires money.
Cooking a big pot of rice is very physically demanding. After just one meal, her hands and feet were numb, so she had to buy some ointments. If someone had a headache or a fever, she would have to write prescriptions, get medicine, and boil medicine, which would cost her a lot of money.
As Jiang Qinglan thought about it, his head started to hurt again - money is really indispensable for everything!
"Hey hey!" The little girl under the blue flowered quilt suddenly laughed twice, but her eyes were still closed. The little guy's breathing was long and even, with a smile on his lips, he must be having a sweet dream.
Only her snowball-like face was exposed, and the two little tufts of hair on top of her head were touching the pillow, making them a little messy.
When Jiang Qinglan saw her cute appearance, the boredom in his heart disappeared and he was filled with infinite tenderness.
After tucking in the corners of her child's quilt, she cheered herself up and went out to look for business opportunities - she was convinced that odd jobs could only provide a living, and to live a good life, she had to rely on business.
——
In Mingyin Zen Temple, the scent of sandalwood wafts through the air.
Old Madam Xie was sitting on a cushion and chanting sutras, but after a while, she began to snore.
The elderly and children are very sleepy, especially after they have eaten.
Xie Linchuan opened the mauve curtains in the inner room, waved to the maid Xia Yin to come over and watch, and tiptoed out of the Zen room.
He found the young monk who had just delivered the meal and asked, "Where is the kitchen?"
The young monk pointed to the northeast.
Xie Linchuan thought about it, took out the silver mask and put it on.
There is a custom of wearing masks in Lin'an.
There was a skilled Cuju player named Li Zheng. Because his ancestors had committed crimes, three generations of his family had their faces tattooed. Whenever he participated in Cuju matches, he wore a silver mask. Over time, he became known as the "Silver-faced General." Wearing masks also became a trend.
Xie Linchuan thought, there are so many people in the temple today, it would be troublesome if he ran into a group of women, so wearing a mask would be safer. Then, he walked away with a swift pace, like a whirlwind, leaving the young monk in amazement.
Arriving at the kitchen, I saw three large iron pots in the yard, all spotless. The stove fire was extinguished, the ashes cleared. Several senior monks were sorting rice—pour it into large, flat winnowing baskets and discarding the pebbles.
Xie Linchuan wore a gauze cape, a plain white narrow-sleeved robe, and a jade pendant at his waist. Although his face was hidden behind a silver mask, his whole demeanor made it clear that he was no ordinary person.
A monk immediately came forward and said, "Amitabha, what can I do for you, benefactor?"
Xie Linchuan had never been in a kitchen before, so everything he saw was new to him. He looked around until he saw a basket of rice and asked, "Is it just porridge for dinner? No stew?"
The monk said respectfully, "The stew is prepared by an outside cook and is only served at noon. Which temple do you live in? Tomorrow, I will ask my junior brother to bring it to you early."
Xie Linchuan waved his hand, strode out of Jianlong Temple, jumped on his horse, and headed towards Fengle Tower again.
——
Jiang Qinglan came out from the side door of the back Zen temple, walked around a long circle, and came to the main gate of Jianlong Temple.
Wow, I also went through the side door when I came this morning. It was early then and not many people were there. Now, it is packed with tourists!
Adults, children, women, and men—everything was filled with people. Regardless of which Buddha statue it was, whether in the courtyard, inside the house, or in the open air, rows of people knelt on the cushions in front.
The place was bustling with activity, the clamor of people talking, the cries of children, the scolding of adults, and the curling fragrance of smoke filling the air. Anyone who passed by would have their clothes imbued with the "Buddha's aura."
Jiang Qinglan's mind is only on business opportunities.
Looking up, I saw rows of small houses to the west of the main gate of the temple. Most of the vendors inside were selling paper candles, Buddhist incense, wishing ribbons and the like.
There were also people selling black plum drinks. One little boy, trying to force an adult to buy some, rolled around on the ground, and his mother picked him up and spanked him.
Jiang Qinglan's eyes lit up. Got it! Children's money has always been the easiest to earn.
She hurried back to the house, not caring that the child was still asleep, and shook her awake twice: "Tuantuan, wake up quickly, sister will take you to buy some delicious food."
Tuantuan was half asleep, with her hair uncombed. Jiang Qinglan tied her hair into two buns with a red ribbon as they walked. After tying them, he took the child by the hand and trotted along.
There is no other way, time is money, the sooner you get it done the sooner you can make money!
Fortunately, because there were so many people and consumption needs, there was a market not far from Jianlong Temple, so they didn't have to go into Lin'an City.
Although she was mentally prepared, Jiang Qinglan was still shocked when she arrived at the fruit market. Loquats, peaches, plums, mulberries, cherries—everything! It was just like what she had seen in a fruit store in her previous life.
There were also some lychees, packed in small bunches in small boxes. They were very precious and must have been transported here at full speed from the hot south.
She discovered in the morning that the porridge sold at the breakfast stall had a lot of fruit added to it, so a bowl of sweet porridge only cost two cents.
What does this mean? It means fruit is cheap!
The fruit seller was eating a meal when he realized something was not right. He said to the girl beside him, "Hey, why is the vegetarian meal so delicious this year?!"
As businessmen, they often couldn't eat on time, so his wife had begged for this vegetarian meal at the temple and left half for him. It was still a little warm because it was covered on a plate and wrapped in a quilt.
The girl said, "That's right. Eat quickly. I'll go early tomorrow to ask for more. Those who go early get more."
Tuantuan felt a little proud after hearing this and said loudly, "This vegetarian meal is from my elder sister..."
Jiang Qinglan immediately covered her mouth.
Of course she was happy to hear others say that she had good skills, but she made up her mind to keep a low profile in this time and space.
This was a feudal, hierarchical society. To those in higher positions, those below them were like ants, just like I was to those horsemen this morning.
Nowadays, even if you live in the market, you still have to be low-key and humble, otherwise, if you are unlucky, you may die without knowing how.
The couple at the fruit stand looked over at them.
Jiang Qinglan: "It's okay, I'll buy some fruit."
I can’t afford cherries and lychees, so I’ll buy some cheap ones to test the waters first.
Plums, green plums, and peaches are seasonal fruits. I bought a pound of each, which only cost me fifteen cents. Loquats are more delicate and difficult to store, so they are a little more expensive, costing eight cents per pound.
Except for peaches, she deliberately chose those that were dark in color and small in size. Although it only cost her twenty-three cents, the total number of these three kinds of fruits was over a hundred.
There were people selling bamboo brush handles in the market. They were made by splitting bamboo into thin strips and then tying them together. I bought two for four cents.
Tuan Tuan was puzzled: "We don't wash dishes or pots, why buy this?"
Jiang Qinglan: "You'll know when you get back. It's really fun."
After returning to Jianlong Temple, he went to the kitchen to ask the monk for some rock sugar. When Jiang Qinglan was making stew at noon, he saw that there were several large jars of rock sugar in the kitchen cabinet. The chef said that they were given by pilgrims.
Nowadays, the sugar industry is well developed and the price of sugar is not expensive. She gave the master thirty cents and the master casually packed some for her, which should be more than one pound.
She spent another five cents and got the chef's promise that she could use the small stove in the kitchen when she was free.
Now that everything is ready, let’s start making the rock sugar fruit skewers. [2]
When it comes to candied haws, hawthorn is of course the best.
The first is that it is easy to store, and the second is that its bright red color, coated with shiny rock sugar, can arouse people's appetite. Hawthorn itself is sour, and when mixed with thick rock sugar, it has a sweet and sour taste.
Unfortunately, it’s only April now, and there’s no sign of hawthorn yet…
While Jiang Qinglan was thinking, he and Tuantuan used bamboo sticks with bamboo brushes to string fruits together.
The bamboo sticks were too thin and too soft, and several had to be put together to support a plum or loquat. But the situation was urgent and there was no other way.
In addition to the peaches, stringing more than a hundred fruits used up all the two bamboo brushes.
The next step is to boil the sugar color, which is the key to the success of the candied haws skewers.
The temperature of the sugar must be controlled carefully. If it's too low, the sugar won't melt and will stick to your teeth when you chew the fruit. However, if it's too high, the sugar will not only turn dark but also taste bitter.
Jiang Qinglan started by turning the heat to high, stirring quickly with a spatula until the rock sugar melted in the pot, then lowered the heat. When the syrup turned slightly yellow, he dipped a chopstick in it and plunged it into the cold water.
The syrup on the tip of the chopsticks solidifies quickly. Gently poke the bottom of the bowl, and the solidified icing sugar will break with a crackling sound. This means it is ready.
Next comes the delicate work. First, roll a few plump nectarines in the pan until they're coated in icing, turning them shiny. Then, one by one, dip them in the plum, loquat, and greengage skewers.
Brush the chopping board with some cooking oil, place the skewered fruits on it to dry, and the rock sugar fruit skewers are ready.
Tuantuan watched the familiar fruit transform, extremely curious: "How did it suddenly become so shiny?"
Jiang Qinglan asked her to try a few.
The little girl ate the plums first.
Nowadays, plums are seasonal fruits with a crisp taste and high sweetness. When you take a bite, you first taste the crispy and sweet taste of the sugar coating, and then the sour and sweet taste of the plum - the sweetness gives people a sense of happiness, and the sourness stimulates people's mouths to be full of saliva, and they want to eat more.
Tuantuan ate two plum skewers in one go and wanted to eat more, so Jiang Qinglan asked her to try something else.
Well, loquat has another kind of taste. The flesh is soft and rotten, and the sweet juice overflows. And because of the crispy texture mixed with the sugar coating, it becomes more fragrant the more you chew it.
But as soon as the green plums entered his mouth, Tuantuan's face turned bitter and he spat them all out with a "Pooh, Pooh, Pooh".
"Sister, the green plums are too sour, they make my teeth fall out."
Jiang Qinglan thought: Oh no, green plums are naturally high in acidity and are often pickled or candied. It seems that this thin layer of sugar coating cannot offset the acidity itself.
But since it’s already been done, it can’t be wasted. Let’s take it out and have a look at it first.
There was no haystack at the moment, and the bamboo brush sticks were too soft to be inserted, so Jiang Qinglan just used a dustpan and squeezed the prepared fruit skewers into it.
Everything is ready, it's time to see the real thing. Jiang Qinglan is very proud and confident:
"Let's go out and set up a stall!"
【Author’s words】
[1] That is, toothbrush and toothpaste.
[2] Candied haws actually originated in the Southern Song Dynasty.
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