66 Ruby Crisp Mountain
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At the beginning of the afternoon, the small courtyard of sunflowers was covered with thick shade and lush shadows of flowers.
Tuan Tuan raised his head, jumped up and down, and used the bamboo pole in his hand to knock the pomegranates on the tree.
Unfortunately, her bamboo pole was only an inch away from the big pomegranate.
She danced until she was sweating and panting, but she just couldn't knock it down.
She was just about to go back to the house to move the bench when a big pomegranate fell to the ground with a "pop".
When she turned around, she saw that it was Hu Zi. She giggled, her face brighter than a flower.
Hu Zi had no expression on his face.
He had a schoolbag slung over his shoulder. The teacher must have had something to do, so he left school early.
Seeing Tuantuan looking at him with a smile, he immediately threw the stick to the ground and turned into the house.
Tuantuan made a face and muttered softly: What are you doing? Drinking frost and snow, it's so cold!
She picked up the pomegranate, took out a small knife and began to peel it. When she saw the ruby-like seeds, she had forgotten about the tiger seeds and was so eager to bite them directly.
However, as soon as she put it in her mouth, she spat it out with a "Pooh" sound.
The flowers are so red and the fruits are so big, but they are only good-looking and useless. So bitter!
What a fool! She had been looking forward to it since May, and now, who could have imagined that the fruit would be so disappointing!
She got angry, kicked the pomegranate, and only felt satisfied when she saw it rolling into the grass.
She walked around the house bored for a few rounds, then remembered that her elder sister and the others were not at home today. She grinned again, ran quickly to the cold drink shop, and bought a cup of Sushan.
Sushan is a summer dessert made of cream and shaved ice, piled on a plate in the shape of a mountain, hence the name.
Su Shan has been popular since the previous dynasty. At this time, it is divided into cherry Su Shan, rose juice Su Shan, etc. due to different toppings.
Ruby Crisp Mountain is a topping made from pomegranate juice. The finished product is bright red and gorgeous, like a mountain of gems.
At this moment, the Sushan in Tuantuan's hand was poured with a lot of pomegranate juice, and the whole thing was crimson.
The thick cream and fine icing sugar are melting little by little and flowing to the bottom of the "mountain".
Tuantuan picked up the silver spoon, scooped up a huge spoonful of cream, and was about to put it into his mouth.
But then a loud shout was heard: "Jiang Tuan Tuan!" It was Hu Zi.
Tuantuan is prone to overeating.
Last time, Lactose Zhenxue ate too much and hurt her stomach, so Jiang Qinglan banned her from drinking cold drinks.
When Tuantuan saw Hu Zi coming, he quickly opened his arms and protected Su Shan like a hen protecting her chicks.
However, the difference in strength was too great, and Hu Zi pulled her collar from behind, and Su Shan disappeared.
Tuantuan tried every trick he could think of, pestering him like a piece of candy and begging him like a pug, but Hu Zi remained unmoved.
He didn't intend to "keep it for himself," but rather to store the Sushan in the ice cellar as "evidence of his crime." He would wait for Jiang Qinglan and the others to return and then "try to judge" the fat man.
Unable to eat the Tuantuan Sushan, she came up with another plan. Seeing Hu Zi doing homework in the room, she sneaked out, stuck her butt out and searched in the grass for a long time, and finally found the pomegranate.
Although pomegranate seeds are bitter and astringent, they look bright red, like gems.
She peeled them one by one very patiently, put them in a small bowl and held it in front of Hu Zi.
"Brother Huzi, I've figured it out. It's all thanks to you. Otherwise, Tuantuan would have had a stomachache again after eating the Sushan."
"This pomegranate is the one you picked. I peeled it myself. Would you like to try it?"
Hu Zi was a little suspicious.
This little fat girl is the most vindictive. Is she really that kind? But looking at those big red pomegranate seeds, they must be very sweet.
Tuantuan observed the other person's expression, grabbed a few, and put them in his mouth, looking very pleased.
"Wow, so sweet and juicy! We can sell the pomegranates from our trees. They're much sweeter than the pomegranate juice from Sushan!"
When Hu Zi confiscated the Su Shan just now, he had already been selfish and swallowed his saliva several times before he could resist eating it. Now, after hearing what she said, his mouth was full of saliva.
Tuantuan observed Hu Zi's expression and immediately grabbed a handful and stuffed it into Hu Zi's mouth.
Hu Zi chewed it twice and was petrified on the spot!
It’s sour, bitter, astringent, and numb. Even a dog wouldn’t eat it!
He spat it all out with a loud "Wow!", and vomited so hard that his clothes were all soiled. This was the new clothes that his mother bought him.
"Jiang! Tuan! Tuan!"
Tuantuan laughed loudly, and disappeared as if his feet were on hot wheels.
…
On this side, Jiang Qinglan and Wang Huiniang went to Shangxin Tower to see Zhang Yueniang.
In order to make it easier to talk, Wang Huiniang specially chose a courtyard and asked the servants to stay away.
When Jiang Qinglan and the others entered, they saw Wang Yueniang sitting quietly on a brocade stool, wearing a plain dress and her hairpins had all been removed. Having not seen her for a while, she looked even thinner, with a pointed chin.
"Bitch!" Wang Huiniang rushed forward and slapped the person to the ground. "You're a traitor!"
She was a person who had been around all walks of life. When she got angry, she could say all kinds of dirty words. But she endured it for a while in front of Jiang Qinglan.
"My sister saved your worthless life, and provided you with food and drink. Take a few dozen taels of silver every month."
"You are a born lowly person, wanting to seduce men and climb up the social ladder, and she let you go. Could it be that she has done something wrong to you that would make you hurt her like this?"
Zhang Yueniang was slapped and fell to the ground, her fair face immediately reddened by five finger marks. She sobbed and trembled, her frail body trembling, as delicate as a pear blossom in a strong wind.
Wang Hui Niang couldn't stand her foxy behavior and spat, "Even though you've married a noble, we lowly people don't have no connections. If my sister has any problems..."
There was a frosty coldness in her eyes, but she didn't say anything else.
Zhang Yueniang trembled with fear, banging her forehead against the bluestone floor, crying bitterly:
"I deserve death! Madam, if you want to beat me, scold me, kill me, or chop me up, I will never complain!"
Jiang Qinglan said calmly, "Beating, scolding, killing, or cutting are not things I would do. I believe you already know about Mr. Zhu's affairs?"
Zhu Ming dressed himself in plain clothes and went to the Lin'an Prefecture Office to surrender to the yamen runners, saying that he had attempted to kidnap and rape a woman but failed.
The prefect was horrified. He detained the man first, sent a secret letter, and then made a judgment after figuring out the intentions of the emperor and General Zhu.
Considering that he surrendered himself and had made meritorious service, his crime was reduced by one level. He was given twenty lashes of the cane and sentenced to six months in prison.
"He is the principal offender, and you are an accomplice. He promised me that you would be punished with ten strokes of the cane at the Zhu residence, with Madam Zhu supervising the execution."
After hearing this, Zhang Yue Niang was shocked and felt like she had returned from hell to the human world.
The severity of the beatings could be light or heavy, depending on the hand of the person carrying out the punishment. A heavy blow could kill a person with just one stroke, while a light blow could only scratch the skin after a hundred strokes.
The Zhu family's mistress was kind. Furthermore, her period was late this month. If she were truly pregnant, why would she punish her with a cane? Who knows what would happen after the child was born.
This time, she managed to escape.
Then he knelt down in front of Jiang Qinglan, holding her feet and crying:
"My lady, you are the divine concubine from heaven, the Water Moon Guanyin of the South China Sea, appearing with bright light and clear moon, and full of compassion."
"In this life, the next, and the next, Yue Niang will pray to the Bodhisattva every day to bless you with good health and a long life!"
Jiang Qinglan couldn't stand her flattery. He shook his head with a pale face and gently wiggled his feet: "I called you here today just to ask you a few questions."
She then glanced at Zhang Yueniang a few times and saw that although she was wearing plain clothes and had taken off all her hairpins and jewelry, her skin was excellent. Then she said lightly:
"It seems like you're doing well. Is the Zhu family's mistress better than the Song family's?"
Zhang Yueniang said, "My former wife was from the Song family. The mistress was vicious and the husband was weak. I was depressed after giving birth, so I was unable to think straight for a while."
"Now, the Zhu family's mistress is gentle, and the young master treats us very well, so don't worry, madam."
Wang Hui Niang sneered and laughed: "Idiot! No wonder you gave birth to a son but..."
"Sister Hui!" Although Jiang Qinglan hated Zhang Yueniang for not living up to her expectations, he couldn't bear to tell her about her son, which put her in a dilemma.
"When you use your beauty to please a man, love fades with age. I'm a divorced woman, and Sister Hui raised her son all by herself."
"Although we two dare not boast about how good our lives are now, we have proved that in today's world, we women can survive without men."
"I really think of you as a sister. I thought that if the three of us opened a restaurant together, it would only take a few years of hard work. Once we were successful, we would have a different kind of wealth and a free and easy life."
"Why do you want to be a concubine and be ordered around by others?"
"When you insisted on following Mr. Zhu, I was heartbroken. Although I hated your incompetence, I also felt pity for your difficult fate."
"Back then, there was the incident with Pan's Tavern. I just hoped you were a coward and afraid of Pan Kai, but I couldn't bear to blame you."
"Your house is still here in our backyard, so if you're ever bullied again, you'll have someone to return to."
When Yue Niang heard this, she faltered, her pale lips trembling as she said sadly:
"My lady, I will never forget your kindness to me. I am afraid of Pan Kai, but I also have my own plans."
"I only regret that I met you too late. I was given away and sold again and again, and that has worn away the little bit of my temper."
Jiang Qinglan knew that what she said was from her heart, and felt sad in his heart, so he just said "hmm".
"You are a daughter of high-born noble family. Even though your family is in trouble now, you still have a noble character and a kind heart. You can do anything."
"Sister Hui has a son who is well-behaved and obedient, and is a good student. He will have someone to rely on for the rest of his life. But I, on the other hand, have nothing."
"Since I was little, I've been taught to serve people, to serve powerful men. My greatest hope is that the mistress will be open-minded and gentle, and allow me to bear a son or daughter, so that I can take care of myself for the rest of my life."
"Without a support system, no matter how much money I have, it will burn in my hands. I am truly afraid."
She was used to crying, but she didn't shed tears when she said these heartfelt words. She just lowered her brows, drooped her eyes, and stared blankly at the stone floor in front of her.
Well, I was worried and anxious every day, and couldn't sleep every night. Now that I said it out today, I suddenly feel relieved.
Jiang Qinglan was silent for a while, then he spoke frankly, "Sister Hui's first half of her life was much more difficult than yours, but she never underestimated herself."
"My Jiang family is also a family of noble birth, but what's going on now? It's still falling apart. It's certainly not easy for a small person to make a living, but a big tree attracts the wind. Aren't you afraid in the Zhu Mansion?"
Yue Niang had already considered the interests involved: "If the official family falls, we servants will not be beheaded or exiled. At most, we will just be moved to another place to serve as slaves."
"I'm not afraid of this. It's just another chance. I might be able to prosper with my new master and enjoy wealth and glory."
So, that's what she thought. Jiang Qinglan was surprised and angry. After a while of torment, he could only smile bitterly.
Wang Can wrote in his poem "Poem of Nostalgia": "Everyone has his own aspirations, and they will never be swayed by this."
This is a man who has firmly established himself as a slave - even if it is temporarily unstable, he still has the determination to regain his position.
Different from Hui Niang and her.
When she first met Princess Anguo, the princess asked her if she resented the emperor and Jiang Yuan because of the Jiang family's affairs.
At that time, although she occupied the body of Jiang's daughter, she was still an outsider and answered with Hegel's tragic theory of "the confrontation between two one-sided ethics."
Now, how could what she and Zhang Yueniang were not a clash of two one-sided ethics? It was just that she was in the dark at the moment.
This "mystery" alone hurts people's hearts and breaks their hearts.
Forget it, summer insects can't talk about ice. She felt a little tired, raised her hand, and whispered, "You can go."
Zhang Yue Niang's face was as pale as snow, and the wind behind the door made her hair flutter, making her look very pitiful.
"Get out of here!" Wang Huiniang said viciously, fearing that if she looked at her again, she would dirty her eyes.
Zhang Yue Niang finally heard it clearly. She kowtowed to the ground again with a bang, stood up, rubbed her stomach, suppressed her worries, and took light steps.
"Yue Niang," Jiang Qinglan suddenly spoke. Seeing the pale face of the woman turning back at the door, she forced a smile and said sincerely, "I wish you to give birth to a son soon, so that he can have a lifelong support in the Zhu family."
After hearing this, Zhang Yueniang's teeth trembled and chattered, and tears flowed down her face like beads that had broken off the string.
She held onto the door frame to steady herself. This time, she didn't kneel down and kowtow. She simply bowed solemnly and said in a trembling voice, "I wish my lady to see the vast sea in the east and climb the famous mountains in the west. May the sky be high and the sea be vast, and may you be free and happy."
At that time, the sky was clear and blue, the windows were full of green shade, and the golden sun was shining through.
Behind Zhang Yue Niang, a few yellow orioles chirped melodiously, disturbing the tranquility of the courtyard. They flew by and landed on the pomegranate tree laden with fruits.
…
The matter of Zhang Yue Niang came to a conclusion, and Jiang Qinglan's knot in his heart was also untied.
That person hasn't appeared these days, so her life is simple.
When you are peaceful and happy, the days pass by like willow leaves.
Xueji auction houses gradually spread from Lin'an to the surrounding small towns, and by autumn, they had reached Jiangning Prefecture.
High-end buffets must be opened in big cities. Jiang Qinglan immediately wanted to open one in Chengdu.
But Xue Qi believed that Chengdu was too far away and transportation was inconvenient, so it would be better to establish a foothold in Yangzhou, Jiangning Prefecture and other places, and then slowly radiate.
From the perspective of production and operation, Xue Qi was right, and when it came to business matters, Jiang Qinglan was only responsible for providing ideas and did not participate in much else, so it was hard for him to say anything.
In late autumn, something big happened.
Emperor Chengping was hunting in the Western Mountains when he accidentally fell off his horse and almost broke his leg. The Crown Prince and the Third Prince took care of him day and night. Emperor Chengping finally got better, but his health was not as good as before.
Three months later, Emperor Shuntian of Liao died. After a series of changes, his eldest son Yelu Cai succeeded to the throne, changed the country's name to Xiantian, and named his younger brother Yelu Wang as King of Wei.
The bright moon shines over the nine provinces. The palaces of the north and the south are filled with mysterious clouds and waves, but the Xinghua Restaurant is bustling with activity.
The dazzling array of food on the table, the red charcoal fire in the stove, the steam rising from the pot, the noise, laughter, and drinking games make up the vibrant city life.
In the depths of winter, there's nothing better than a Chuan Chuan Xiang hotpot. The hotpot is filled with red oil, and the cornel and Sichuan peppercorns float in the clear, red oil.
There are piles of skewers in the bamboo baskets on each table.
The blanched broccoli flowers are small and have green caps and white stems, which are very cute.
The potato slices are cut thinly and look very crispy because they are soaked in water with salt and oil and are shiny. Three slices are skewered on one skewer.
There are also small black fungus and chicken leg mushrooms, which are also delicious vegetarian dishes.
The final highlight is the beef.
The most popular meat dish is tender beef rolls - some ingredients are rolled into beef, then skewered together and eaten in a spicy hot pot.
The beef slices marinated with cornstarch, rice wine and cumin powder are tender, smooth and fragrant, and are also good to eat directly.
It is even more delicious if you add side dishes.
Paired with shredded young ginger, it's spicy. Paired with cilantro, it's refreshing. Paired with pickled dogwood, it's sour, spicy, and sweet. Or paired with zheergen, it's a powerful yet unique flavor.
In short, it is all adding fuel to the fire and making things worse, being cruel and ruthless, and being crazy and crazy.
After the pot base mixed with dozens of spices is cooked, pick up the skewers from the pot and rinse the chili oil coated on the beef.
Finally, use chopsticks to pick up the meat from the skewers and put it into your mouth while it’s hot.
Ah, fresh, fragrant, numb, spicy, tender, which word is it? I can’t say it. Even if you have a poor appetite, you can still eat three bowls of rice.
…
Jiang Qinglan supported his chin with his hand and stared at the bustling atmosphere in the store.
There are flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, cool breezes in summer and snow in winter. She even feels that if life can continue like this, it will be quite pleasant.
While he was idly counting the beads on an abacus, a plump woman came in, pulling her padded jacket tightly together and raising the thick cloth curtain.
Jiang Qinglan smiled whenever he saw someone: "Madam Sun, do you want to take a pot back to eat?"
They had just launched the skewers hotpot and the restaurant was small, so many people like Sun Niangzi who lived nearby would just take the hotpot home to eat. After eating, they would just return the hotpot.
"If you want to hold the pot, I have other things to do!" Madam Sun laughed, and her eyes narrowed into slits on her fat face.
"Before, I thought that Mr. Yan was interested in you - and sure enough, he turned out to be Prince Xie. He even gave you a gift during the Dragon Boat Festival. Oh my God, I actually lived in the same room with Prince Xie!"
Madam Sun patted her chest, as if she was really frightened, but there was a smug look on her face.
"But it's been several months, why hasn't he come?"
Jiang Qinglan felt a stir in his heart, as if he had been pricked by a needle. He smiled slightly and said, "He was just joking."
I think everyone is like Madam Sun, thinking that she was abandoned by Master Xie.
Madam Sun said, "I've always remembered what happened to you."
He took out a piece of paper with a picture of a young man with delicate features and an introduction written on it, saying something like "scholar" or something like that.
Jiang Qinglan was at a loss for words. It turned out that Madam Sun still remembered helping her find a son-in-law.
"This Mr. Xia is truly remarkable. He's good-natured, good-looking, a scholar, and never married. Most importantly, he knows your restaurant and is full of praise for you, Madam Jiang!"
"I know you have parents to mourn for, so there's no need for us to talk about the rest. Let's just get along first. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, at least you'll have a friend."
Jiang Qinglan glanced at the letter with a playful smile.
Judging from his conditions, this Mr. Xia is quite good, and he looks pretty good too.
If it were more than a year ago, she would have really considered it. After pondering it enough, she shook her head: "Thank you for your concern, Madam Sun, but I don't have the heart to think about this right now."
"Hey, what does this mean?"
Madam Sun paused, then continued, "Sister, I'm telling you the truth. You're not young anymore. Even if you're looking for a husband while you're pregnant, it's rare to find someone as good as Mr. Xia."
That makes sense. It is unheard of that a scholar would marry into the family of a remarried merchant woman.
At this time, Zheng Wang was carrying out a red pot.
Jiang Qinglan called out loudly, "Brother Zheng, this pot is very hot. Please help Madam Sun take it to the store!"
She walked to the door, helped to open the thick curtain, and smiled as she saw the two of them out.
As Madam Sun left with a resentful look in her eyes, a young man wrapped in a Tibetan padded jacket came in.
When he took off the felt hat, a simple and honest face was revealed. Who else could it be but Yang Song?
He felt much more at ease without Xie Linchuan. Entering the house, he rubbed his hands, stamped his feet, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Madam Jiang, for holding the curtain for me."
Jiang Qinglan smiled and said, "Your Highness won't ask you to play mahjong today?"
These days, Princess Baoqing lived in the Princess's Mansion and often invited Yang Song to eat, drink and have fun. Sometimes, she even ordered takeout from the Xinghua Restaurant.
Yang Song bowed and said, "I have a mission today." He took out a letter and said, "This is what Master Xie asked me to pass on to you."
The envelope was bare, without any handwriting. Jiang Qinglan stared at it, stunned for a moment, and even the loud laughter in the room could no longer be heard.
After that incident, she thought that, given his personality, he would continue to pester her. However, a few months later, he seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth.
Where did this letter come from?
Yang Song thought she didn't want it, so he kept talking:
"The city of Taiyuan was closed due to heavy snow, and the Fen and Huai rivers were completely frozen."
"This letter was probably written a month ago. It must have been difficult to send it back from such a long distance. For this reason..."
Jiang Qinglan's eyes suddenly widened and his heart skipped a beat.
What was he doing in Taiyuan Prefecture? That was the front line against the Liao army!
Yang Song was also surprised when he saw her expression. "How could you not know? Prince Xie joined the army in Taiyuan Prefecture in August and served under General Yang Mao."
"Now, after fighting a few small battles with General Yang, I have become a commander!"
Jiang Qinglan's breathing stagnated, and then his heart began to beat like a drum.
He is a playboy, can he really fight?
When the Western Xia invaded the border, she told him that she would kill Yelu Wang, and he vowed: "I will do it!"
But she didn't take it to heart. Could he really do it?
A guest opened the thick curtain and came in from outside, and a gust of cold wind blew in.
The guest stood there for a while and still wasn't served. He was about to get angry, but fortunately Yingtao was alert and ran over to accommodate the person.
Jiang Qinglan's heart was surging, just like the spring tide in Qiantang River that day, and he was oblivious to what was happening in the outside world.
After calming down for a moment, she took the letter, took it out and read it, and was shocked again.
She did this very quickly. Yang Song was taller than her, so he could have seen it even if he hadn't tried hard.
There were no words on the letter, just a simple sketch of a wildflower. The brushwork wasn't great, but the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers were all drawn with great clarity, like something from a natural history book.
He murmured, "Strange, why would I send a painting of wild flowers all the way here?"
Jiang Qinglan ignored him and turned the envelope over again. Sure enough, a small cloth bag came out of it, containing some small yellow particles.
Chili seeds!
Hot pot, maocai (stir-fried vegetables), cold rabbit, boiled pork slices, preserved eggs with chili peppers, shredded beef with pickled peppers and ginger—with chili peppers, what dish can't she make?!
There are also chili sauce and bean paste!
Even if you are unfortunate enough to flee and migrate thousands of miles in the future, with these things, you will not be able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables for a long time, and you will not lack vitamin C and get scurvy.
This thing really touched her heart!
Jiang Qinglan laughed silently.
But slowly, her smile disappeared and her face was full of confusion.
He's in the military camp! Compared to the replay of the Jingkang Shame, the shitty things between them are really not worth mentioning.
Can he really fulfill his original promise?
Yang Song saw the changing expression on her face and scratched his head. What kind of riddle were these two talking about?
He curled his lips, glanced at the sky outside, and said with his hands crossed, "The letter has been delivered. I still have to go to the Princess's Mansion, so I'll take my leave now."
Jiang Qinglan hesitated for a moment, then spoke: "Mr. Yang, please wait a moment."
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