It was just getting dark and snowflakes were falling outside the window. In just a quarter of an hour, a thin layer of snow had already fallen on the ground.
Jiang Yuzhu was packing the medicine box she was carrying with her. Just as she stepped over the threshold, her foot slipped and her body suddenly fell forward.
If the little girl Ningxiang had not stepped forward quickly to support her, Jiang Yuzhu would have fallen.
Shen Zhilan turned around when she heard the noise, and said with a look of realization: "Cousin, I was careless. I should have prepared a pair of non-slip sheepskin boots for you."
In the north in winter, water turns into ice and the ground becomes slippery with snow.
People wore special shoes to prevent themselves from falling.
When traveling in a horse-drawn carriage, anti-slip chains must be added to the wheels.
Jiang Yuzhu was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, "How can I blame you? I didn't expect it myself."
Some of the local customs and practices recorded in the travel notes can only be used as a reference. Only when Jiang Yuzhu actually sets foot on the land of the border town can she experience it firsthand. What is recorded in the book is just the tip of the iceberg.
The group got on three carriages and headed straight out of the city.
Passing by the city gate, Shen Zhilan showed the Mo family's token. The soldiers guarding the city confirmed it and saluted respectfully. Then a team of more than a dozen people worked together to push open the heavy city gate.
After leaving the city, it was not as desolate as Jiang Yuzhu had imagined. There was a faint light coming from the distance.
Hong Jin asked Chongyang about it and pointed to the bright light and said, "Madam, the villages outside the city belong to neither Da Qi nor the barbarians. Most of them are families that have married into the two factions."
The two countries do not intermarry, so the ancestors of the villagers from the outer areas have taken root here, and even if a war breaks out, no one will bother them.
"When the two countries discussed trade before, they would ship goods through several villages outside to ensure safety."
Shen Zhilan added that she was sitting on a thick blanket, adding firewood to the stove in the corner.
Jiang Yuzhu nodded subconsciously and began to look at the layout inside the carriage.
The carriages in the north have been modified to have stoves to keep hot water hot and chimneys on the roofs to exhaust smoke.
After the fire was lit, the carriage quickly became hot, and even the seat cushions became warm.
"It will take another two hours to reach the camp in the north of the city, cousin, let's eat something first."
Shen Zhilan opened the small table skillfully, and inside was a golden-hot cake.
The pancake had been frozen and there were still small ice chips on it.
"After winter came, the people in the mansion either made pancakes or steamed buns every day and put them in the big vat outside to freeze."
Put the frozen pancakes in a small frying pan, brush them with a layer of oil, wait for the fire to come on, and in half a quarter of an hour they will be golden on both sides, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, just like they were freshly out of the pan.
Shen Zhilan cut the pancake into pieces, put them on the oil paper, and took out a piece of meat to smoke.
There is barbecue hanging on the stove, and a tofu soup is cooked in a small pot on the stove. It is sprinkled with chopped green onions and sesame oil when it comes out of the pot. Although it is simple, it is full of the flavor of fireworks.
Jiang Yuzhu looked at it curiously and poured the soup into a white porcelain bowl. She stirred it with a spoon, waited for the heat to dissipate, put it to her lips, took a sip, squinted her eyes and said nothing.
Chen Zhilan looked unsure and asked carefully, "Cousin, is it too salty or too bland? Do you need to add more salt?"
The people in the north have a stronger taste, while the food in the capital is relatively lighter.
Shen Zhilan was unsure, and since she was cooking for Jiang Yuzhu, she was a little nervous, and her hands shook when she added salt.
It’s not that Shen Zhilan is eager to show off, but looking around, whether it is Mo Yan’s maid or her own maid Xia’er, they really have no talent in cooking and are not up to standard.
If the food is too unpalatable, it will inevitably waste the ingredients.
Jiang Yuzhu blew on the hot tofu soup and said soothingly, "It was too hot right out of the pot, so I didn't rush to drink it. Cousin, you are a good cook!"
Considering that drinking too much soup would cause frequent urination, Jiang Yuzhu tried to eat as much tofu as possible.
On the side, Shen Zhilan was stunned for a moment, and said in annoyance: "I am never as thoughtful as my cousin's wife. Come and try the northern specialty smoked meat pancake!"
After saying that, Shen Zhilan picked up a piece of fried dough cake to demonstrate the northern way of eating it.
The pancake is layered with sliced bacon, spread with a slightly sweet specially made noodle sauce, and sandwiched with chopped green onions.
One bite and the aroma of the fried cake mixed with the aroma of the meat gives people a sense of extra satisfaction.
"Pancakes use a lot of oil, so people in the north only make them during the New Year. In summer or autumn, you can add cucumber to relieve the greasiness."
Chen Zhilan prefers to eat it with cucumber strips, which have a rich meaty aroma and the refreshing taste of cucumber. However, the supply of greenhouses in the north is limited in winter, and the only things left are pickled cucumbers.
"That's good, Xiang!"
The outer skin of the fried pancake was crispy and the inside was chewy. The aroma of meat was filled with the fragrance of smoked fruit wood. After eating two pancakes, Jiang Yuzhu was full.
After the meal, she rinsed her mouth with tea and gave a thumbs up.
Northern dishes are large in portion and are not overly refined, but rather focus on the taste of the ingredients themselves.
This made Jiang Yuzhu feel like she was back home. After being away for a long time, she missed the free days in the capital even more.
"Cousin, the road is difficult to walk on in the snow. It will take more than an hour. Why don't you take a rest first?"
Shen Zhilan widened the stool and took out the bedding from the partition under it.
Jiang Yuzhu hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I'm so excited after arriving in the North that I can't sleep."
Arriving at the border town and not being able to see her second brother Jiang Huaiqing, Jiang Yuzhu told Hong Jin, "Hongli, spread out the letter paper you brought. Your wife wants to write a letter home."
When Hong Jin heard his wife call the wrong name, he remained silent and did not refute.
Shen Zhilan heard it, but she thought Hong Jin and Hong Li had swapped names, so she didn't ask.
Jiang Yuzhu lowered her head and wrote a letter home carefully. She only reported good news and not bad news. She omitted all the disasters she encountered along the way and only talked about what she saw and heard in various places.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
