Chapter 4 Almond Tea: I wonder if the almond soup here is similar to the almond tea of Kaifeng in later generations?
However, judging from Cheng Niangzi's reaction just now, the neighbors in the alley probably only have a stereotypical impression of her as timid, silent, and afraid to talk to people, and are not familiar with her otherwise, otherwise Yao Ruyi would have a hard time justifying her statement.
"Chen Ji's roasted duck smells so good, you can smell it from this far away." Seeing her looking back in the direction of Chen Ji's old shop, Madam Cheng assumed she was craving it and chatted, "Your grandfather used to love their soup noodles and roasted duck the most. For a while, he ate at Shen Ji's five out of three meals a day, gaining over ten pounds. But it was thanks to that extra ten pounds of fat that he was able to keep going. When your grandfather had his stroke, all of us neighbors went to see him. Oh dear, he was unconscious at the time and could only pry open his teeth with chopsticks to drink some rice porridge. He became so thin and weak from the illness. Even the doctor from Zhao Taicheng's family said that if it were a thin person, he would have died long ago. Your grandfather was able to survive thanks to Chen Ji's duck!"
Yao Ruyi listened intently.
She actually...did not intend to "recognize" herself with Madam Shen, who was also a visitor from another world.
Having been passed around like an object among relatives, she was most afraid of causing trouble for others. Now, although she had transmigrated into a book, which was a kind of rebirth, she had no great ambitions and only wanted to live.
She's just grateful that she can eat and drink and live a healthy life.
Besides, it would be a bit presumptuous to suddenly show up at their door. What if they don't want to share their deepest secrets? Perhaps... not disturbing them is the greatest act of kindness.
As they talked, the two turned and headed towards the small goods market street, which was the "wholesale market" of the entire Bianjing city, a gathering place for all kinds of crafts. Bamboo ware shops were piled high with baskets, sparks flew in the blacksmith shops, pottery and wood were displayed in the open space in front of the shops, and in front of the jewelry shops, many young ladies were crowding to pick out the latest pearl flowers transported from the south. Yao Ruyi tried her best to suppress her curiosity and did not look around.
"Ruyi, didn't you want to buy pottery? It's up ahead. Go pick out the vessels you need first." Madam Cheng was very considerate and led Yao Ruyi to a pottery shop first. Yao Ruyi browsed around for a bit and picked out two large celadon wide-mouthed and deep-bellied urns. The glaze was clear and bright, they had lids, handles on both sides, and were decorated with flower and bird paintings. Each one cost forty coins.
Cheng Niangzi kindly helped her bargain, and in the end, it was thirty coins each, plus two long-handled spoons as a bonus.
Further on, Yao Ruyi saw a familiar name: the shop's sign read "Mei San Niang Tea." She immediately stopped and peeked inside. Sure enough, she saw freshly roasted black tea on the counter. She remembered that in the book, the heroine had partnered with Mei San Niang, who ran a tea stall, to ferment black tea. And now it was indeed ready.
She really benefited from the female lead's presence in this world.
Gratefully stepping on the path paved by predecessors, Yao Ruyi happily went inside to find the shopkeeper and weighed out two jin of the cheapest "Gao Mo". Although Gao Mo in later generations usually refers to the dust of jasmine tea, it doesn't actually matter what type of tea it is. As long as it's tea, a lot of dust will be produced during the tea sifting process.
People in the Song Dynasty would even grind tea leaves into "powdered tea" and make fine tea bricks for use in tea brewing or tea competitions. Of course, this was made from the best tea leaves, not the cheap dregs that Yao Ruyi bought.
But Yao Ruyi wasn't picky; she bought broken black tea leaves to make spiced tea eggs.
Tea eggs weren't rare, and similar methods existed at the time. However, Yao Ruyi's recipe was her grandmother's secret, and the method was quite different from others. Previously, their family's small shop would sell out of tea eggs every morning. Almost every student would buy one before morning reading, as they were especially delicious.
Foods like tea eggs are perfect for students to bring to school. They're flavorful and delicious, and you can easily hide them in your clothes without them being noticed.
After packing the tea, she accompanied Madam Cheng to the small vegetable market behind the small goods market to buy groceries. Madam Cheng knew all the shops in the vicinity well; she knew which ones were good, which ones were expensive, and which shops had couples who often fought.
Through her introduction, Yao Ruyi also pushed her cart and picked out two round white eggplants and a bunch of green beans from a reliable vegetable stall, and also bought half a bushel of japonica rice.
The two then went to a general store. Madam Cheng specifically led her to a small, inconspicuous store to shop, which was indeed much more affordable than the larger stores. She bought a lot of spices such as bay leaves, cinnamon, and star anise, as well as two jars of barley wine, two catties of rock sugar, two catties of soy sauce, ten steamed buns, and two reams of oil paper.
Because she bought a lot, Madam Cheng asked the shopkeeper to round down the price and even gave her a jar of pickled cabbage as a gift. The shopkeeper was a good-natured, always smiling, plump woman who didn't argue and happily agreed.
After leaving the grocery store, Yao Ruyi was truly grateful to Madam Cheng. She gave a slight bow as she came out and sincerely thanked her, saying, "Sister-in-law, thank you so much for this trip."
Seeing that her face was pale and sickly, and that her cheeks were so thin that the flesh was sticking to the bones, Cheng Niangzi couldn't help but sigh and feel sorry for her. She thought, "What is this worth? If you need help in the future, don't be shy, just ask."
Yao Ruyi smiled, revealing two dimples on her cheeks.
Cheng Niangzi's heart softened even more, and she gently advised, "Look at you, with your oval face and almond eyes, you are so pleasing to the eye! Don't always keep your head down. It's much better to be open and generous like this. Just hold your head high and don't pay attention to those gossips. Listen to your sister-in-law, as time goes by, those things will pass, and everyone will like you."
"I'll listen to whatever you say, sister-in-law." Yao Ruyi said softly, but took the opportunity to express her opinion.
Cheng Niangzi smiled and took her hand: "Have you bought everything? Come on, let's have some tea and rest before going home. There's a tea stall over there, the old man with the limp there has an exceptional skill in brewing tea."
Yao Ruyi was also thirsty, so she nodded.
The tea stall that Madam Cheng mentioned was indeed very close. After walking a few steps, the two stopped at a stall with a fixed thatched roof. The stall had a thatched roof, which was weighed down with hemp rope and stones to prevent it from being blown away by the wind. A coarse cloth sign with the word "tea" was stuck diagonally on the roof.
Upon reaching the tea stall, Madam Cheng immediately took out her money and said with a smile, "What kind of tea would you like? 'Salted soybean soup' is good for the stomach and intestines; 'Perilla soup' is good for the throat and can relieve coughs and asthma; the almond soup and jujube soup here are also quite good."
"No, no, no, it's my duty to pay. My sister-in-law has helped me a lot, how can I let you spend money?" Yao Ruyi quickly stopped her hand.
“Not at all. You’ve just recovered from your illness. Let me treat you to a cup of tea to celebrate. It’s only two coins, not a big deal at all,” Madam Cheng insisted, paying for the tea first. The tea shop had more than ten kinds of tea, all priced the same regardless of flavor: a full earthenware jar cost twenty coins, one or two cups cost two coins, and two or two cups cost three coins. Madam Cheng was afraid that she would have to pay, so she didn’t even have time to choose her tea. While blocking Madam Cheng’s arm, she hurriedly bought two servings of “one or two cups”.
Yao Ruyi had no choice but to give up, saying, "I'll definitely treat you next time."
Madam Cheng patted her arm gently and said with a smile, "Alright, stop bothering me. We're all neighbors, so why worry about not having the chance to host in the future? Why be so polite? Come and see which tea you like. I prefer jujube tea, with a spoonful of honey on top, it's so sweet."
Although Madam Cheng was middle-aged and not the kind of beauty that would immediately amaze people, she was very pleasing to the eye. Her features were delicate and gentle, and she had a very high and straight nose, which made her not at all weak. She was also very considerate in dealing with people.
Yao Ruyi had only spent half a day with her, but she had already felt a sense of closeness to her.
Hearing what Cheng Niangzi said, Yao Ruyi thought about it. The money she had on her was the hard-earned savings of her grandfather, and this little bit of money was for her and her grandfather's future living expenses. It was indeed inappropriate to use it to treat guests without permission. She would work hard to earn money in the future and then invite Cheng Niangzi out for shopping and tea.
So he carefully selected the tea soup, and after looking around, he chose almond soup.
One year, when she and her grandmother traveled a long distance to the capital for medical treatment, they shared a ward with an uncle from Henan. He was even more seriously ill than she was, but he was very optimistic and skillful with his hands; he was a man who was very good at knitting.
He always called her "Ni'er Ni'er" with a smile. She was young when she got sick, had just dropped out of school and had her head shaved, and was crying. So he knitted her a woolen hat with pom-poms and a snowflake pattern woven with white yarn around the edge. It was very pretty.
The uncle often talked to her about the delicious food in Henan, praising everything. His most frequent topic was Kaifeng's specialty, almond tea. He said it was made by pouring boiling water into a large copper kettle made of dragon and phoenix motifs. The almonds used for the tea base had to be sweet almonds from Nanyang, soaked in well water overnight to soften them, and then finely ground into a paste on a stone mill. After filtering out the residue, the resulting liquid was a smooth, white color. This paste was then cooked with glutinous rice flour, and topped with a generous amount of ingredients such as peanuts, red dates, sesame seeds, cashews, walnuts, and raisins. Even the red date slices were crunchy. It was served iced in summer and hot in winter, sweet but not cloying—absolutely delicious.
Yao Ruyi swallowed hard upon hearing this. She wondered if the almond soup here was similar to the almond tea of Kaifeng in later generations.
Yao Ruyi stood on tiptoe.
In her past life, she was short and had a small frame, as was the original owner of this body. This morning, while washing up, she noticed that she looked very much like "Yao Ruyi" in the book, except that she had become too thin and her complexion was not good, making her much less attractive than the original owner.
The limping stall owner's stall was set up on two steps, and Yao Ruyi had to hold onto the edge of the wooden board with both hands and crane her neck to see how the stall owner cooked.
However, there's not much to see. The various tea bases are prepared in advance and kept warm on the red clay stove. Only the condiments are added fresh.
The ingredients added by the limping stall owner were similar to what the uncle had described, except that the soup base was thinner; when scooped up with a wooden spoon, it could be pulled into thin threads, unlike the thick and sticky soup the uncle had described.
But she still drank it with satisfaction and appreciation—since falling ill, she hadn't eaten snacks, milk tea, or meals normally for many years—but she had consumed a lot of strange and wonderful Chinese medicines.
Later, we even had to feed him through a nasal tube.
For her, days when she could eat, no matter what she ate, were the best days.
Madam Cheng is right, this tea is indeed delicious. Served in a rough earthenware bowl, the tea is milky white with a hint of yellow, sprinkled with raisins, hawthorn, and walnut pieces. Taking a sip while it's hot, the bitterness of the almonds is quickly dissolved by the sugar, leaving a smooth, sweet aroma mixed with the almond scent. The thick yet warm feeling flows down the throat and into the stomach. After drinking a bowl, it makes one feel completely relaxed and comfortable.
So comfortable, so blissful.
Today was an exceptionally fine day, with plenty of sunshine and thick, white clouds. She and Madam Cheng stood by the shop, leaning against a two-wheeled cart loaded with vegetables, spices, and utensils, holding teacups, enjoying the gentle breeze. Patches of clouds drifted slowly overhead, casting thin shadows on them. It was truly a delightful scene.
Yao Ruyi slowly sipped her almond soup, gazing at the bustling streets, her thoughts drifting back to the hospital room. She and the uncle had fought side-by-side for over two months, but he was the one who passed away first. At the time, she was devastated, covering her head with the blanket, clutching his hat, and crying uncontrollably. Now, thinking back, she truly hoped that the uncle, like her, could go to another world to live a good life after his death; he was such a good person.
Uncle, I'm so glad I got to try the almond tea you mentioned.
Just like you said, it tastes really good.
While Yao Ruyi was lost in thought, Cheng Niangzi had already returned the teacup she had finished drinking from. After she came to her senses, Yao Ruyi quickly tilted her head back and finished her tea in one gulp. The two then chatted and laughed as they pushed the cart home.
When she got home, it was not yet noon. She unloaded her things in the yard and sat down on a bench to massage her back. The original owner of this body had just recovered and was easily fatigued after a long period of exertion.
After resting for a while, she carefully opened Grandpa Yao's door, peeked in, and saw that Grandpa Yao was still snoring. She then slipped back into the kitchen, ate some leftover sesame seed cakes from the morning, and started making tea eggs.
My grandmother used to make and sell tea eggs every day; she learned how by watching others do it.
Before braising the eggs, Grandma would always add beer to the water to boil them. Since there was no beer available, Yao Ruyi thought that since they were all made from wheat, she would try using the cheapest ale at the time.
Boiling it in wine is to make it soft and fluffy.
She only bought fifty eggs this time, carefully washed them one by one, soaked them in wine, simmered them over low heat for a short while, and took them out when she estimated that the egg white had just solidified. After cooling, she rinsed them with boiling water, and with a gentle tap, the eggshells would crack open like shards. After repeating this several times, she soaked the eggs in black tea.
In a separate small pot, add water, bay leaves, cinnamon, and other spices, along with rock sugar, soy sauce, and two spoonfuls of wine. Once it boils, pour in the tea water and eggs, remove the firewood, and wait for the broth to simmer. In no time, an amazing aroma will fill the entire courtyard.
Tea eggs prepared this way have a deep brown shell, and when you peel off the egg white, there will be tea-colored veins. When you bite into it, the egg white is very elastic, and the yolk, after being soaked in wine and not overcooked, will not have a bluish-gray color, but a tender, oily yellow runny yolk that is not dry at all.
Yao Ruyi took a bite while it was still hot, and stomped her feet because it was so hot. But she nodded inwardly, thinking it was pretty good. The aroma of the barley wine at this time was not as good as in later generations, and the soft-boiled flavor was not yet fully developed. She would have to soak it in the braising liquid for a while longer.
However, it tastes pretty good, and she has achieved some of her grandmother's skill.
After turning off the heat, she let the tea eggs simmer for a while longer in the residual heat, waiting for them to fully absorb the flavor.
At this moment, Yao Qizhao was also awakened by the incense.
Hearing the sound, she quickly scooped out an egg, reheated a sesame seed cake for him, added some pickled vegetables, and then helped him into the wheelchair that Wu had bought before, pushing him out into the yard to bask in the setting sun.
The sun is not too hot at this time of year, making it perfect for elderly people like Grandpa Yao, who are physically weak, to bask in the sun.
Grandpa Yao can actually move a few steps while holding onto the wall, but he gets out of breath after just a little movement, so he usually uses a wheelchair instead, which is more convenient.
As dusk approached, the twilight deepened, and the azure sky gradually turned orange-red, casting large patches of diamond-shaped light on the doors and windows. Yao Ruyi stood in the setting sun, calculating that in about half an hour, the Imperial College should ring the bell to dismiss students, which would be just the right time for her to push out the boiled tea eggs for trial sale.
While waiting, Yao Ruyi prepared the dishes for dinner. After settling Grandpa Yao in, Yao Ruyi sat down by the well to pick green beans.
Yao Qizhao had a thin blanket over his knees, a sesame seed cake on his lap, and his slightly trembling hands clumsily peeling an egg. He even sniffed it and asked, "These eggs smell good. Where did you buy them?"
"I braised it."
Yao Qizhao said "Oh," and then noticed that she had finished picking the green beans, put the vegetable basket aside, and went to the well to draw a bucket of water to start washing rice and eggplants. He chatted with her casually, "Are we having green beans today?"
Yes, that's right.
"Green beans are not good to eat."
"Cheap."
“I have some money, take it and buy some meat, cut off a leg of lamb.”
Even if you have money, you can't just spend it recklessly.
"Does Ruyi eat green beans too? Where has she been running around?"
"Ruyi ate too, but she went to play."
"Green beans are not good to eat."
"It's delicious. Stew it with eggplant. You'll see when I make it." Yao Ruyi poured the rice water into the drain, wiped her sweat with her elbow, and turned around with a smile, "You should eat the eggs first, make sure you're full."
Yao Qizhao could only lower his head and eat a bite, feeling wronged and obedient: "Eggs are no good either..."
Before the word "eat" even landed, the old man's eyes widened, and he took another bite: "...It's actually quite delicious."
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Later in the story, some supporting characters and main characters from the noodle shop will make cameo appearances, but it's unlikely that the two female leads will specifically recognize each other.
Because this is Ruyi's story, perhaps it's better left unsaid. [Sprinkling flowers]
Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous Year of the Snake! [Sprinkling flowers]
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