53 Snowy Northeastern Cuisine
◎You don't have to be afraid◎
Despite the turmoil on the border, Lin'an City remained peaceful and prosperous.
The New Year is coming soon, and there is a New Year atmosphere everywhere.
Small vendors started offering year-end discounts and shouted even harder. Some children from wealthy families put on new clothes early.
Jiang Qinglan and his family were busy moving, determined to spend the New Year in their new home.
Wang Huiniang was always conscientious in her work. Before the lease expired, they had already paid off the money and sublet the house.
The pots, pans, beddings and pillows that needed to be put away have been put away long ago. Some of the shabby ones are no longer needed and will be bought new ones after moving to Lukui Courtyard.
Only on the third day of the twelfth lunar month did they hire two porters and two maids to help with moving things.
The Lukui Courtyard is connected to the Xinghua Restaurant, and it looks a bit like a small house with three entrances - the first entrance is the main hall of the restaurant, the next entrance is the kitchen and the backyard, and the last entrance is the accommodation area.
Just looking at the small courtyard, six bungalows surround three sides. There are two tall magnolias and several pomegranate trees in the courtyard, which were left there specially when the house was renovated.
Now, Hu Zi tied the big yellow dog here. Later, he could also use the rope to hang clothes.
After a busy whole day, everyone finally got everything in order.
Jiang Qinglan stood under the magnolia tree, looking at the small courtyard which was not grand but full of the flavor of home, and felt very happy.
Have your own home.
Even on a cold day, there's no need to rush back to Jiangmi Lane in a horse-drawn carriage after closing time. Just close the main gate, lock the east and west side doors, and head straight to the backyard to warm up by the fire. It's a truly heavenly day!
In the evening, light snow fell from the sky.
Counting the days, the pickled cabbage brought back from Songlin Village was almost ready. Jiang Qinglan decided to use it to stew a pot of pork belly and vermicelli.
In winter, you must eat Northeastern cuisine. After eating, you can curl up in the warm quilt and fall asleep with the snow falling outside the window. This is what it means to "hibernate in winter".
As long as the sauerkraut is pickled well, it will be crisp, fresh, mellow and fragrant, and stewing pork belly is a simple dish.
I cut the pork belly into small pieces, added some onion, ginger and garlic slices, and fried them in an iron pan until both sides were golden brown.
It is just right to use the fried meat oil to fry the crispy and juicy chopped sauerkraut until fragrant, then add water to stew.
When it is cooked to the right degree, add vermicelli and soy sauce. When the vermicelli is stewed until it is soft and smooth, it is ready to be served.
Jiang Qinglan had just put the vermicelli noodles down when Wang Huiniang opened the curtain and walked into the kitchen: "Someone is looking for you outside."
It was getting late, so it wasn't a guest. Jiang Qinglan thought something was wrong with Xue Qi.
She was in a good mood at the moment and didn't notice that Wang Huiniang's tone was a little hesitant. She came out without taking off her apron or armpits.
The room was empty, but a figure stood at the doorway, wearing a narrow-sleeved azure robe, like a pine tree in the snow.
Seeing him walking towards him with a stern face, Jiang Qinglan's breathing became tight and he unconsciously took two steps back.
Xie Linchuan stopped at her arms' length away and sighed, "Don't be afraid, I won't come in."
There were cold specks of snow on his shoulders, and the coldness made his black hair and eyelashes stand out even more, making him look awe-inspiringly handsome.
The wind and snow were howling behind him. Although he was wearing thin clothes, he didn't seem to be afraid of the cold at all. Even his eyes were full of warmth. "It's better to move. This way, we won't have to run around in the middle of winter and catch a cold."
Ignoring her indifferent expression, he asked cautiously, "I was too impatient that day...did it hurt you? Are you okay now?"
Jiang Qinglan was distracted for a moment.
If he was as angry as he was that day, she would subconsciously confront him head-on, but he was so submissive that she didn't know what to do.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward—a slightly ambiguous awkwardness. She pursed her lips and shook her head. "It's okay." She lowered her head and pretended to close the shop. "We're closing. Please go back."
Xie Linchuan said "hmm" and said nothing more. He did not step back, but just looked at her with burning eyes.
Jiang Qinglan made him feel uneasy. He closed the door with a bang, bolted it, and walked quickly to the back.
The small courtyard of Lukui is another world.
Two tall magnolia trees stand like big umbrellas, sheltering several small houses.
There was red paper pasted on the window, with puppies, piglets, and lambs cut out of them in ugly shapes. They must be Tuantuan's work.
In the kitchen in front, the windows cast a red glow on the stove fire, and even just one look at it dispelled some of the chill.
The aroma of sauerkraut and pork belly is already oozing out from the cracks in the pot lid.
Jiang Qinglan really liked this kind of homely atmosphere. He took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen.
Wang Huiniang sat on a wide bench, rubbing her hands in front of the stove fire. Seeing her coming, she said quietly, "It's windy and snowy, and you won't even let people in to see you. How pitiful."
Xue Qi said that Xie Linchuan had apologized to him, and Wang Huiniang emphasized it so much, Jiang Qinglan felt a little uncomfortable and was stunned for a while.
But when she thought of his unpredictable temper, she felt a headache and said stubbornly, "I didn't ask him to come. If he wants to do this, what can I do?"
Wang Huiniang laughed twice and said, "I think he's taking it a little seriously. You might as well just agree to it."
Jiang Qinglan just shook his head.
Her life now is very comfortable, why should she take risks for such a small thing?
Then she thought, even Wang Huiniang felt sorry for him. If his female fans knew about this, wouldn't they eat her alive? She suddenly felt a headache.
Tuan Tuan was wearing a red cotton jacket with a lapel. He wore a warm hat on his head, and the collar and cuffs were trimmed with snow-white rabbit fur. His face was rosy, like a lucky doll.
She ran into the house and threw herself into Jiang Qinglan's arms like a piece of candy: "Sister, let's not eat yet. Tuantuan's teeth, mouth, throat, and stomach are all hungry."
Jiang Qinglan's headache was gone after she acted like a spoiled child. She chuckled, "I know how your stomach gets hungry, but how do your teeth get hungry? Tell me."
Tuantuan opened his mouth, revealing a row of white glutinous rice teeth, but saliva flowed out from the corners of his mouth.
She took a quick breath, swallowed it, and said pitifully, "You see, this is how hungry you are."
Jiang Qinglan laughed so hard that his stomach hurt: "Now I understand, Tuantuan is really not pretending."
She tied an apron and a sling, and together with Wang Huiniang and Hu Zi, they built a small stove in the main hall. They put the pickled cabbage and pork belly in a clay pot and simmered it on the stove.
Since we already have stewed sauerkraut, we might as well put together a collection of Northeastern dishes.
Then I made a few more dishes, such as sweet and sour pork and tofu with green onions.
Finally, I took out four salted duck eggs that had been pickled the day before, cut them with cotton thread, and arranged them on the plate like petals.
There are two Ru kiln plum bottles on the windowsill. They are sky blue in color and have fine crackle on the glaze. At this moment, a few wintersweets are inserted in them, and the fragrance is continuous.
Seeing Jiang Qinglan's concentration, Wang Huiniang had no choice but to explain: "You know what that person gave me just now, I dare not refuse."
He knew that if he gave it to her directly, she would definitely reject it, so he started with the people around her.
She walked to the window and looked at it carefully. The plum vase had beautiful curves and its texture was as smooth as jade.
"After the rain, the sky turns blue and the clouds break, and this color will be the future." This is how Song Huizong described the blue Ru kiln. Although Jiang Qinglan doesn't know much about porcelain, he knows that it is precious.
Although he still had his usual playboy habits, he was not like last time and gave her a golden hairpin that she didn't like, which was considered thoughtful.
She said nothing more about the pair of plum vases.
At this moment, Zhang Yueniang came in from the west door, shaking off a blanket of snow. She took off her cloak, and everyone saw that she was holding a scroll.
Jiang Qinglan immediately called out, "It's cold outside, isn't it? Come and warm yourself by the fire! Our pickled cabbage, pork belly and vermicelli stew will be ready soon!"
It turned out that Zhang Yueniang had just returned from the newly opened Xueji Paihou, where she went to teach Xueji's chefs how to make new drinks.
She said, "There's no rush to eat. Madam, take a look at this first." Then she and Wang Huiniang unfolded the scroll together. "Mr. Xue knew we were moving into a new house and specially sent us a painting."
This is a freehand landscape painting with a vertical structure of one person high. The upper peaks stand tall, surrounded by clouds and mist. The freehand ink painting, with just a few strokes, fully demonstrates the free and easy style.
At the bottom, pale pink apricot blossoms stand sparsely on the bank, with clouds and mist, and the petals of the apricot blossoms are like soaked in mist, which fully captures the essence of the moist spring scenery in the south of the Yangtze River.
The middle section shows a small boat floating on a quiet lake. One person stands at the bow, and the other sits in the middle, looking relaxed and contented.
In the upper right corner of the picture is written: Apricot blossoms and spring rain in the south of the Yangtze River.
As a doctor of Tang and Song literature, Jiang Qinglan couldn't put this painting down. She didn't know where Xue Qi had found it, but this gift touched her heart!
Zhang Yueniang handed her another letter from Xue Qi: "Mr. Xue said he had some business matters to discuss, and they are all written in this letter."
Jiang Qinglan called Hu Zi and hung the painting in the Xinghua Restaurant - the east wall happened to be empty.
I unfolded the letter and read it.
Xue Qi said that this painting "Apricot Blossoms and Spring Rain in Jiangnan" was painted by his wife, but she was a Liao citizen and did not sign her name for fear of causing trouble.
Jiang Qinglan also knew a thing or two about Xue Qi's wife.
She seemed to be the daughter of a nobleman from the Liao Kingdom. Despite her family's obstruction, she came to Lin'an with Xue Qi.
In modern times, this is called free love, but at this time it is called unmediated adultery.
The woman's side disagreed, and the Xue family also disagreed, so Xue Qi almost broke off relations with his family. Until now, this lady still lives outside.
The letter also stated that Xue Ji Pai Hu had opened three new restaurants in a row, causing dissatisfaction at the Pan Family Tavern. They had caused trouble several times, and Xue Qi had urged Jiang Qinglan to be more careful.
The Pan family tavern is considered to be a leader among the wine shops. It has opened many branches in Lin'an City and seems to have some backing.
Jiang Qinglan was just thinking about it when he heard a "Gu——" sound.
Tuantuan swallowed his saliva and said with a bitter face: "Sister Yue is wrong. How can we not be anxious to eat? It's urgent!"
Patting her belly, she said, "Sister, now you know why Tuantuan is so hungry."
Jiang Qinglan smiled, put away the letter, and asked everyone to take a seat.
On the large square ash wood table, in the middle was a large clay pot. The hot steam, wrapped in the sour aroma and fresh meat, penetrated into one's nostrils.
A closer look reveals that the thickly sliced meat is a mixture of fat and lean meat, and because it is stir-fried and then stewed, it is slightly browned.
The yellow with green inside are thinly cut pickled cabbage strips, soaked in soup. Just one look at it makes your mouth water.
The vermicelli noodles, however, had already transformed from their initial off-white color to a translucent light brown. Each strand had absorbed the thick broth, becoming smooth and springy.
Placed in a circle next to it are green and lovely tofu with green onions and spicy garlic pork belly.
There is also the famous Northeastern dish, sweet and sour pork, the skin of which is fried until crispy and bubbly, and the meat slices are covered with a sweet and sour sauce, shining like glass.
The red shredded carrots, white shredded green onions, and green shredded coriander are sparsely hung on the meat slices, making the whole dish look extremely beautiful.
Tuan Tuan let out a cry, climbed onto the table and started eating. Seeing this, the others also laughed and talked happily, eating with relish.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they were all smiling and after clearing away their dishes, they went back to their rooms to sleep.
Zhang Yueniang was the only one with a gloomy face. She was a little frightened when she thought of the figure she had seen on Imperial Street that afternoon.
After that, she stayed in the Xinghua Restaurant and rarely went out, but on this day, she had to deposit the money into the bank and had to go there in person.
Little did he know that after leaving the bank, he was stopped by a young man in his twenties while walking in the alley.
When Zhang Yueniang saw him, her expression changed slightly: "What are you doing?! I am a good citizen now!"
This man was Pan Kai, the younger brother of the mistress of the house in Tianshui Lane where Zhang Yueniang had lived before. He had been harassing her since he was a resident of that house.
Pan Kai said sinisterly, "Xiaochun said he saw you at Xue's. I thought he was dazzled, but it turned out to be true."
He looked her up and down and said, "After marrying into the Xue Qi family, she's even richer than she was in the Song family. She's wearing Shu brocade and even comes to the bank to deposit money."
"What...what does it have to do with you!" Zhang Yue Niang frowned, pushed him away and was about to leave.
Pan Kaiqi stepped forward to stop her, pretending to stroke her face, and said with a smile: "Now that you have a good life, have you forgotten about your son?"
Zhang Yueniang was shocked: "Do you know where he is buried?"
On that day, she was exhausted during childbirth and everyone was horrified when they woke up. The midwife said that the child was a monster and was dead at birth.
The mistress Pan ordered people to carry the body away and bury it, but she didn't even see it.
"Of course I know. The Song family mistress is my biological sister. Why didn't you discuss it with me?"
Pan Kai reached out and gently stroked her fair face with his fingertips. "If you promise me, I will tell you."
The tingling sensation made her feel sick. Zhang Yueniang was torn between her conscience and her desires. After enduring for a while, she spat in his face and ran away.
Pan Kai wiped his face and shouted viciously at her back, "If you help Xue Ji, you will end up in my hands sooner or later!"
After returning to the Xinghua Restaurant, Zhang Yue Niang was still worried.
She remembered that the Pan family owned many shops in Lin'an City. Mr. Song was a sixth-rank official, but Mrs. Song's family was the wealthy.
From what Pan Kai said, did Xue Jipai affect his business?
After discussing it with Jiang Qinglan, she also said what Xue Qi mentioned in the letter, that the Pan family restaurant had caused a lot of trouble.
But they were in the open while others were in the dark, so they could only counter each move as it came. Zhang Yue Niang had to suppress the uneasiness in her heart.
…
At noon that day, Jiang Qinglan was busy with welcoming and seeing off guests. Wang Huiniang came back mysteriously, suddenly pulled her aside and took out a letter.
Jiang Qinglan saw the word "Bianliang" on the seal and knew it was another letter from Brother Zheng, so he opened it to read.
Wang Huiniang waved her hand. "No need to read it. This letter is short, and I understand it. He said his mother's funeral is complete, his property has been sold, and he's coming to Lin'an."
Zheng Wang had to fulfill his promise to his sworn brother, Hu Zi's father, that he had stayed in Bianliang only to serve his parents. Now that his parents were gone, he had no relatives in Bianliang and it was time for him to return to Lin'an.
"So soon?" Jiang Qinglan was also a little surprised. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Have you thought about it? What should we do?"
Wang Hui Niang did not comment and sighed.
Even such a straightforward person, faced with such things, began to worry: "Now, it's impossible not to let him come. Forget it, let's just take it one step at a time."
Jiang Qinglan recalled the last time Hu Zi ate the fish, and said, "In any case, if Brother Zheng is coming, you should tell Hu Zi in advance."
"I know what's going on." Wang Huiniang said in a low voice, took the letter and went to greet the guests.
Jiang Qinglan heard a few clanging sounds. It was from the drink shop where Zhang Yueniang accidentally broke a few glass cups.
Jiang Qinglan looked over and saw broken glass scattered all over the floor, but Zhang Yueniang was still calm.
This is the third time she has broken something in the past few days.
"Yue Niang?"
"Ah——" she came back to her senses.
Jiang Qinglan pulled her out and said worriedly, "You've been feeling restless these past few days. Are you still worried about Pan Kai? Don't be afraid. We've done the right thing and we're not afraid of them."
She thinks in a modern society ruled by law. How could she know the pain in Zhang Yue Niang's heart?
Zhang Yueniang shook her head, her face extremely haggard. "I just remembered the past. I always had nightmares at night, dreaming about my poor child..."
Jiang Qinglan could understand the pain of losing a son, but he could not empathize with him.
She didn't know what words to use to comfort her, so she could only sigh, let Yue Niang go back and rest, and clean up the glass shards herself.
Little did she know at this moment that there would be endless twists and turns in this matter.
…
On the morning of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, before dawn, Jiang Qinglan was combing her hair. She dipped the comb in jasmine perfume, smoothed it, and tied it into a simple tasseled bun.
Nowadays, women all love to use osmanthus oil, which makes their hair smooth, shiny, and fragrant. But after being here for so long, she still can't get used to it.
Perhaps it is because modern hair is oily and greasy, so people have invented various shampoos, trying every possible way to refresh and control oil.
People in ancient times had less oil and water, and most of them had frizzy hair, so they had to apply oil on their heads.
This is the difference between ancient and modern times.
At the beginning, Wang Huiniang laughed at Jiang Qinglan's simplicity. Not only did he not wear any jewelry, he didn't even use osmanthus oil. But later she gradually got used to it.
Zhang Yueniang was thoughtful and found a jasmine-scented perfume for her. When she combed it on her hair, it not only made her look refreshed, but also had a light and pleasant smell.
Tuan Tuan crawled out of the bed with a messy head of hair that looked like a chicken coop. He rubbed his hazy eyes and shouted, "Sister, what time is it?"
Taking out a jade plum hairpin the size of her little finger and pinning her hair up, Jiang Qinglan glanced at the clepsydra: "It's not even morning yet, you should sleep a little longer."
Tuantuan broke his bad habit of staying in bed today and jumped out of bed: "Chenshi!"
She jumped out of bed, "Where are my clothes? Where's the water for washing my face? Today is Laba Festival, and I want to go to the Imperial Street to watch the parade to exorcise the Nuo!"
For the people of Lin'an, Laba Festival is a very important festival, with a series of activities from the government to the people.
The Lin'an Prefecture Office would organize a large-scale ceremonial procession, with yamen runners wearing ghost masks such as "Zhong Kui" and marching along the Imperial Street, beating drums to drive away exorcism and epidemics.
Major Buddhist temples also set up porridge stalls, with monks lined up to chant sutras. I heard that the porridge at Jianlong Temple is the most popular, with people lining up before dawn.
On the banks of West Lake, some people cut "Laba ice," which, as the saying goes, is "better than ginseng," and store it in cellars for use in midsummer.
On the Qiantang River, fishermen would smear glutinous rice porridge on the bow of their boats, called "Hu Longkou", to worship the boat god.
Seeing Tuantuan so excited, Jiang Qinglan also became interested in the ancient Laba Festival and immediately helped her wash and clean up.
After eating a few cakes and filling their stomachs, they went to the Imperial Street together.
Zhang Yue Niang doesn't like crowds and hasn't had a good rest in the past few days, so she took the initiative to stay and look after the store.
When they arrived, the sky was still the color of crab shells. A team of several thousand people, including yamen runners, imperial guards, and Nuo opera performers, had already lit up the southern part of the Imperial Street with torches.
In the team, five people wearing blue, red, white, black and yellow cotton robes are the "Five Generals", representing the five elements to drive away the epidemic.
The judge wore a red robe and a black gauze hat, with a long red beard hanging down to the ground, and held a book of life and death in his hand.
A group of "epidemic ghosts", "poor ghosts", "sick ghosts" and "gambler ghosts" were driven forward with sackcloth clothes, tattered shoes and disheveled faces.
A bailiff from the Lin'an prefecture held a peach wood bow and arrow and shot in all directions, shouting "Nuo! Nuo!", and the people on both sides of the street also joined in the shouting.
When the beans were being scattered, Tuantuan and Huzi vied to catch them. Each of them grabbed a big handful and was extremely happy.
The bailiff winked at them.
Jiang Qinglan took a closer look. The man was wearing a blue padded official uniform and a black soft-soled hat. Who else could it be but Yang Song? She smiled slightly.
Yang Song walked away with the crowd again. When he reached Taiping Building, he suddenly raised his hand and threw it towards a window on the second floor.
The light ones like beans and rice fell down naturally, but the large longans and dates were caught by a delicate hand that stretched out from above.
A young girl wearing a veil was so excited that she turned around twice on the upstairs.
Others may not know, but Jiang Qinglan knows that this person is Princess Baoqing.
Why would a princess be short of dates and longans? It's the ones thrown at the exorcism ceremony that make it interesting.
It seems that Yang Song looks silly, but he is actually a master at picking up girls! Jiang Qinglan couldn't help but chuckle.
Seeing Yang Song, she couldn't help but think of Xie Linchuan, who was also in the Lin'an Prefecture Office. She was afraid that he would suddenly appear from nowhere and scare her. Fortunately, after searching around, she couldn't find him.
That's right, such a hard job as patrolling the streets would only be assigned to Yang Song and others, how could it fall to someone like him who has so many connections?
The exorcism procession marched from the south of Imperial Street all the way to Yuhang Gate in the north, and the exorcism ceremony was finally declared over.
Tuan Tuan and Hu Zi were clamoring to go to Beiwa to watch the acrobatics "Tightrope Walking on Porridge".
After all this joy, everyone's faces turned red and they felt hungry, so they went to a roadside shop to eat Laba porridge.
Today's Laba porridge is also varied.
Ma Ji Porridge Shop's special recommendation is the candied fruit porridge. In addition to the usual Laba porridge ingredients such as barley, longan, and raisins, they also add a variety of carved candied fruits to the porridge, and mix it with malt sugar, honey, and other ingredients to bring out the sweetness.
In all the debates about sweet and salty, Jiang Qinglan was a salty person, and porridge was no exception. She let the three of them eat sweet porridge at Ma Ji Porridge Shop while she went to find salty porridge.
The owner of Grandma Cao’s Meat Pie Shop recommends Laba Porridge with Meat Sauce and Lamb Marrow Porridge.
The former, enhanced by minced mutton, was delicious, sweet, and full of aftertaste, which really suited her appetite. The latter, however, was a white mass. Could it be that it was made with mutton brain?
It is also delicious when eaten with chives and pickled cucumbers.
She remembered that Zhang Yueniang also loved mutton, so she packed her a bowl of Laba porridge with minced meat. After returning to Ma Ji Porridge Shop, she and the other three walked back to the Xinghua Restaurant.
Everyone was flocking to the Imperial Street, and the Diagonal Street was much quieter.
There were few people in the store, and Zhang Yue Niang looked listless, staring blankly at the lucky cat on the counter.
When she saw Jiang Qinglan brought her Laba porridge, she was surprised at first, then her eyes turned a little red, and she ate it silently.
Jiang Qinglan knew that she was a thoughtful person, so he didn't ask any more questions.
In the evening, Jiang Qinglan thought, having tried all kinds of Laba porridge, sweet and savory, why not try Laba noodles for dinner? It's simple to make and unique.
Noodles are popular in Guanzhong, and during the Laba Festival, noodles are eaten instead of porridge. However, like Laba porridge, eight kinds of臊子 are added to the noodles, expressing the hope for a good harvest with these rich ingredients.
Jiang Qinglan didn't know how to knead or mix dough, but at that time, business was booming and all kinds of noodles were sold in the market. She immediately sent Hu Zi to buy diamond-shaped noodles.
Laba noodles must be made with thick noodles, diamond-shaped noodles or knife-cut noodles, and they need to be stretched thin by hand before cooking.
This kind of noodles is very chewy, thin in the middle and thick in the two sections, and the taste is different when you chew different parts.
What Jiang Qinglan needs to do now is to pour the topping.
Common toppings and side dishes for Laba noodles include black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, day lily, and sliced meat.
In fact, like Laba porridge, there is no fixed number of ingredients for Laba noodles. People often use whatever is available at home.
Soon, the Laba noodles were ready and served on the table.
Because of the addition of carrots and dogwood powder, the soup is reddish, and because of the presence of potatoes, it has sufficient starch and the soup is rich as if thickened with starch.
The steaming hot diamond-shaped noodles are soft and chewy, soaked in the soup. Daylily and pork slices are also faintly visible.
Everyone finished their delicious meal and were cleaning up when they heard a series of puffing sounds, like a cat purring.
When everyone looked, they found that it was Tuantuan who made the sound - she was leaning on the chair, with her head lowered, her thick eyelashes curled up, and she was actually asleep!
This guy had too much fun today and is exhausted.
Jiang Qinglan smiled, her heart aching. Just as she was about to carry the little girl to bed, Zhang Yueniang took a deep breath and walked forward, "Madam, I have something to tell you."
Seeing her serious look, Jiang Qinglan had no choice but to hand Tuantuan over to Hu Zi and followed Zhang Yue Niang to the Xinghua Restaurant in the front yard.
When she left, she thought that there was no charcoal fire over there and it was colder than the back, and Zhang Yue Niang was weak, so she picked up her plain satin cloak.
Arriving at the front yard, Zhang Yueniang said nothing but rolled up her sleeves, revealing two jade bracelets on her snow-white wrists, which were warm, green and rich in color.
Jiang Qinglan didn't know much about jewelry, he just thought it was very beautiful and didn't know what she meant.
Zhang Yue Niang pursed her lips and lowered her eyes: "This... is the jade bracelet that Mr. Zhu gave me before."
Mr. Zhu?
Jiang Qinglan then remembered that when he returned from Songlin Village, two young men who claimed to be Xie Linchuan's friends came to dinner. One of them, named Zhu, had teased Yue Niang, and she had gotten angry at the time.
What's with this bracelet? Are the two of them secretly colluding?!
Zhang Yueniang fell to her knees with a thud:
"I have met Mr. Zhu in private. The day before yesterday he said he wanted to take me in as his wife and asked my lady to agree." She was also aware of her shame and lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone.
【Author’s words】
[1] The customs of the Laba Festival in the Song Dynasty refer to the Laba Festival activities in Bianjing and Lin’an recorded in books such as Dongjing Menghualu, Sui Shi Guangji and Wulin Jiushi.
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