Chapter 69 Dating Cherry Meat
"I need to go back and study. Farewell."
Sun Chengjian's gaze lingered on Jiang Yuzhi for a fleeting moment without leaving a trace. After politely saying goodbye, he turned and left.
The shop returned to silence.
"you……"
"you……"
They spoke at the same time, then looked at each other and smiled.
Their hands, clasped together, did not loosen; instead, with Bai Yan's gentle pull, they drew even closer.
"Pfft, I'll stay here. Shopkeeper and Young Master Bai, please go to the back so you can talk more easily." Madam Zhou, being an experienced woman herself, considerately invited them over.
Jiang Yuzhi felt even more embarrassed, and her fingers unconsciously curled up in Bai Yan's palm.
Jin Xiaohua remained silent as if she didn't exist, and the official document had already retreated back into Jiang Yuzhi's body when Sun Chengjian entered.
I didn't know what to do with my free hands.
Bai Yan calmly accepted Zhou Niangzi's words, "Thank you for your trouble."
Madam Zhou smiled and said, "Go quickly, it's all my duty."
The backyard hasn't changed much; under the willow tree are no longer two comfortable recliners, but rather dried goods that Zhou Niangzi is drying.
Some of the work was sent to the Jiang residence, and some ended up in the stomachs of the weavers.
Since her son moved away, Madam Zhou has not lived in the house behind the shop.
She always felt that living alone in such a big, empty courtyard was a waste.
So they moved in to keep each other company with the weavers.
The study and Jiang Yuzhi's original bedroom are cleaned every three or four days and are still kept as they were when she left.
There were two low wooden stools outside. Bai Yan frowned, glared at the bright sunlight, and led Jiang Yuzhi into the bedroom.
The cushions on the small tatami mat were soft.
Jiang Yuzhi silently allowed Bai Yan to settle her down on the couch, her gaze...
I always followed his busy figure.
First, he went out and brought in a pot of tea, then poured a cup and pushed it in front of Jiang Yuzhi. He then touched her cold cheek and asked with concern, "Are you hot? Should I have someone bring some ice?"
Jiang Yuzhi shook her head. When she stood outside, she could feel the scorching heat waves hitting her exposed skin. The trees, paving stones, and walls seemed to be melting, looking soft and limp.
Fortunately, Jiang Yuzhi was not an ordinary person and did not feel too uncomfortable.
Having lived in the underworld for so long, she naturally couldn't detect the abnormal temperature.
Seeing that she was alright, Bai Yan still didn't relax. He placed his hands on either side of Jiang Yuzhi, enveloping her in his shadow. "This summer is much hotter than in previous years. Several counties near the water have submitted memorials saying that the water level has dropped and they are on high alert for a severe drought."
Not only ordinary people, but officials are also afraid.
Several years of natural disasters have made life difficult for ordinary people, and officials are not having an easy time either.
Jiang Yuzhi leaned back. She didn't know much about this, but she did know that a severe drought meant people wouldn't have enough to eat and would die.
So that's what you've been busy with. Jiang Yuzhi nodded, indicating that she understood. "Is there a solution?"
If not, perhaps we could ask Long Jin for help; that might alleviate the situation somewhat.
"It's not serious yet, just taking precautions. I've been handling the imperial examination matters in the palace these past few days. Did your uncle send someone to tell you?"
Bai Yan's breath was too close to her. Jiang Yuzhi was trapped between his arms, feeling uncomfortable and wanting to hide, but there was nowhere to hide.
She held her teacup, head bowed, avoiding Bai Yan's burning gaze. "No... I went to the Bai residence to ask, but the servants only said you were in the palace. I thought..."
No? Bai Yan paused, a million possibilities flashing through his mind.
The wife couldn't contact him and angrily refused to see him again, or she regarded him as a heartless man and sent Ah Ting to bite him to death, or... No matter which possibility it was, the wife was heartbroken because of him.
1
Thinking about this, Bai Yan almost gritted his teeth. His uncle hadn't kept his promise, and he had worked hard for his uncle for several days.
Emperor Huizong was extremely busy during that period. He not only handled official business during the day, but also had to return to the underworld at night to deal with evil spirits.
Although the civil judge has returned to his post and the paperwork has been taken care of, the most heinous criminals discovered still need to be dealt with by the military judge.
After defeating the evil spirit, Xiao Ji left immediately, without passing through the Gates of Hell. The two judges worked together for more than half a month, yet they never saw each other once.
He casually agreed to Bai Yan's request and then forgot about it. Later, he realized there was nothing to pass on. What could possibly happen while he was in the palace?
Bai Yan softened his voice, took the empty teacup from Jiang Yuzhi's hand and put it back on the table with one hand, but didn't put his hand back down, instead holding it in his own palm.
"What do you think? As long as Yuzhi misses me, no one in the palace will stop me. As long as Yuzhi needs me, I will do everything in my power to get there."
Jiang Yuzhi remained silent. Bai Yan thought his wife didn't believe him. "Uncle forgot to send a message. It's my fault. I should have explained things to you before I went. It was too late that day. I thought I could come back the next day, but it took so long. There won't be a next time, okay?"
Jiang Yuzhi remained silent.
"Don't ignore me, Tamago, look at me, okay?"
Bai Yan moved a little further away and tilted his head to try to see her face.
Jiang Yuzhi's upright body trembled slightly, and she lowered her head even further.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you crying? It's all my fault. Tomorrow—no, later, later we'll go out for a walk together, okay? A new chef came to Fanlou; his cherry pork is really good, it's your favorite. There's a lantern festival tonight, it's lively and beautiful, we can buy some new and interesting things..."
"puff."
Jiang Yuzhi finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
To be honest, she didn't care after Bai Yan explained, but his pitiful appearance was so amusing that she couldn't bear to interrupt him.
Bai Yan realized he was being teased, and while he breathed a sigh of relief, he pretended to be angry and embarrassed, "Fine, Yu Zhi has ill intentions, I'm going to get my revenge on you!"
"Revenge? What do you want... Hahahaha, Mingze, stop..."
Jiang Yuzhi tilted her head back, waiting for Bai Yan to continue, but unexpectedly he reached for her waist, and a light laugh filled the room along with the scattered light spots.
...
At night, Fanlou is brightly lit and bustling with people.
This was actually Jiang Yuzhi's first time coming here just to eat.
On the stage set up on the first floor, famous actors specially invited from the brothel were waiting to sing and dance.
During the day, the storyteller would slap the table in amazement on the stage, telling legendary tales, some true and some false.
Bai Yan has a private room on the second floor with a wide view, which is convenient for watching the performance on the first floor without being disturbed by the noise below.
The manager of Fanlou respectfully invited them upstairs, arranged for the staff to stand guard at the door, and then withdrew with a smile.
Aren't you going to order anything?
The shopkeeper wore a strange smile throughout and didn't ask them what they wanted to eat.
Bai Yan busied himself wiping Jiang Yuzhi's cup, poured her a cup of light yellow tea, and handed it to her, saying, "Try it, it's barley tea. If you like it, I'll have someone send some to your home."
The grains in the cup floated up and down, round and plump. Jiang Yuzhi took a sip, and the aroma of wheat and bitterness filled her mouth. Upon closer tasting, there seemed to be a sweet aftertaste.
Seeing that she didn't show any displeasure, Bai Yan casually answered Jiang Yuzhi's question.
"Fanlou is considered a royal property. The manager was originally the steward of the Xiao family, surnamed Huang. Later, he retired, and the old man was unwilling to enjoy his retirement, so my uncle handed over the management of Fanlou to him."
No wonder, the simple wooden plaque that Xiao Ji initially asked her to contact him through Fanlou is now kept at the bottom of Jiang Yuzhi's small bag.
"Manager Huang said that he met you once and felt that you were a remarkable young lady. He never expected that you were family. He is determined to have the kitchen staff put on a good show and entertain you properly. He sent someone to ask me what dishes you like to eat during the day. Yuzhi just needs to wait patiently."
The so-called brief encounter was merely when Jiang Yuzhi and Xiao Ji met, and Jiang Yuzhi only handed over her name tag to Fanlou once.
I didn't expect Manager Huang to still remember her.
The chefs at Fanlou are truly skilled. When the cherry pork was served, it was steaming hot, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a delicious sweet and sour flavor.
It also has some diced cucumber inside, making it a satisfying and refreshing bite, much tastier than her mother's.
Once all the main dishes were served, no one would come in to disturb them anymore.
“My mother’s best dish is cherry pork,” Jiang Yuzhi said softly. “She can’t eat any other dishes, but only cherry pork can get her to the table. Although it can’t compare to the chefs at Fanlou.”
Bai Yan paused in her hand, which was holding food for her, but quickly and naturally placed a piece of cherry meat into Jiang Yuzhi's bowl.
“Home-cooked dishes are naturally different from those made by professional chefs. I imagine your aunt has a lot of experience with this dish.”
"Yes, my dad has never let my mom into the kitchen. Firstly, he's afraid she'll get tired, and secondly, he's thinking about the safety of everyone in the family."
Although the Jiang family was not a wealthy household, they were still quite well-off. They had several servants to do the manual labor and a cook to prepare the meals.
Jiang's mother was quite interested in cooking, but she had nowhere to use her skills at her parents' home. After marrying into the Jiang family, Jiang's father was never stingy in fulfilling his wife's small wishes.
The moment the flames shot into the sky from the kitchen, Jiang's father finally understood why his wife couldn't even enjoy her little hobby of cooking at her parents' home.
Jiang's mother also felt a little embarrassed and thought that maybe they should just let it go.
Jiang's father had many ideas. He set up a small stove in the open courtyard and prepared two large vats of water next to it for emergencies.
As expected, Jiang's mother, under the guidance of the cook and through repeated practice, was able to make a perfectly edible dish—cherry pork, a favorite dish among children these days.
Jiang Yuzhi's brother, Jiang Yuchuan, was honored to be the first to taste it and gave it a very high rating—it was palatable.
Jiang's mother was overjoyed and from then on, she often cooked it for the brother and sister.
Jiang Yuzhi spoke to Bai Yan in an almost indifferent tone, as if she were simply telling someone else's story, recounting those long-gone, everyday little things.
The hustle and bustle of Fanlou seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier at this moment, leaving only her soft voice and Bai Yan's focused gaze in the private room.
Bai Yan listened quietly without interrupting.
He could sense the deep longing and unspeakable loneliness hidden beneath the deliberately maintained calm in his wife's voice.
Those memories of her parents and brothers are the most vivid imprints of her life as Jiang Yuzhi at the age of seventeen.
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Yan reached out and naturally placed his hand over hers, which was resting on the table.
His palms were warm and dry, carrying a reassuring strength. "It's still edible," he said, his tone carrying just the right amount of teasing, diluting the sadness that hadn't yet had a chance to spread. "To receive such praise, your aunt's cooking skills must have improved even more over time?"
Jiang Yuzhi smiled at his words, and her faint sorrow dissipated somewhat. "Improved? Not really. It's just that I'm more familiar with it now, so the kitchen won't burn anymore. As for the taste... it's always the same, so sweet and sour that it can sometimes make your teeth ache."
The human and the ghost exchanged a smile, and the atmosphere, which had been slightly stagnant due to the memories, began to flow again.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door of the private room.
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Author's Note: [Hugs]
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