Chapter 17 Aunts: Mother, I want to eat too.
Yao Ruyi leaned against the gray brick wall at the entrance of the alley, carrying a bag of indigo-dyed cloth sewn by herself, lost in thought.
The bag was extremely simple, with a single strap and a drawstring closure. The original owner's embroidery skills were excellent, but Yao Ruyi had inherited only fragmented memories, let alone the original owner's skills, and could only rely on the muscle memory that had not yet dissipated from this body to make it.
However, she can sew herself. Since she didn't go to school, her skills were developed in other areas; sewing and crocheting were basic, and she could even knit bags. She learned it from the uncle from Henan in the hospital ward, and then she became more and more engrossed in it.
Sewing a small cloth bag is a piece of cake.
Because she was about to leave, she packed four or five tea eggs and a few pieces of brown sugar cake in her cloth bag, intending to eat them with Mrs. Cheng on the journey. Right now, she was counting the food, afraid that she hadn't taken enough.
Just as she lowered her head, a loud, unrestrained laugh, the kind unique to middle-aged women, came from behind her.
"Giggle giggle," "Hehehe," "Goose goose goose," "Jerk jerk jerk"
The laughter was quite frequent.
So that's how many people went together... Yao Ruyi turned her head to look.
Madam Cheng, arm in arm with Aunt Yu, and with the other hand holding the hand of a little girl with pigtails, who in turn was holding the hand of a chubby little girl, followed by two other women, all strung together in a large group, walked toward her.
Aunt Yu was the first to walk up to her and look her over.
Yao Ruyi, not forgetting her persona, quickly lowered her head shyly, almost as if she were about to take out her handkerchief and wring it out a few times.
"What are you always so shy about? Hold your head high and stand up straight!" As soon as she lowered her head, Aunt Yu immediately disapproved and slapped her hard on the back with her large, iron-like hand: "That's right! Hey! That's how it should be! What's with such a pretty girl like you, always bowing your head? Do you think there's silver lying on the ground? By the way, why aren't you setting up your tea and braised chicken stall today? I was thinking of buying a couple of tea and braised chicken eggs from you to try!"
Yao Ruyi straightened her back as she heard the words and instinctively took out two warm eggs, continuing to maintain her soft-spoken persona: "I didn't prepare so many today because I was going out. I have some more. Would you like some, Auntie?"
"Eat, give me one." Aunt Yu said without any hesitation.
Yao Ruyi then began to divide the eggs. She first gave one to Madam Cheng, and then, noticing the two little girls holding hands, she bent down and offered them one as well: "Do you want one?"
The chubby, fair-skinned little girl reached out and took it first, beaming with a smile, and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, Sister Ruyi." She then took out a piece of twisted candy from the flowered cloth pocket of her little clothes for Ruyi, saying, "Uncle just bought it for me, Sister, you can have some too."
Yao Ruyi's expression softened, and without any hesitation, she happily accepted the small gift, saying, "Thank you very much."
Another little girl, thin and frail, looked up at her for a long time, her face full of hesitation. Just as she was about to reach out to take it, she was stopped by a middle-aged woman of similar thinness next to her: "Thank you, Ruyi, but this child has a weak stomach and is a picky eater. What if she takes a bite and then refuses to eat anymore? Thank you, but she doesn't like eating outside food."
Taking the opportunity, Madam Cheng introduced Yao Ruyi: "You don't go out much and don't often interact with us, so do you still recognize us? The one who gave you the candy is Xiaosong from Liu Zhubu's family. This is Xiaosong's mother, you can call her Sister-in-law Yinzhu; that's Jasmine and Jasmine's mother, you can call her Sister-in-law You."
"Sister-in-law You, please eat." Yao Ruyi straightened up and handed the food to the middle-aged woman.
Before Sister You could even hesitate, Madam Cheng snatched the egg from her hand and shoved it into her hands: "Take it! In our alley, you're such a fuss-maker! Ruyi is just being kind, so please do her a try! This kid's braised eggs are really good. You can tell from the eggshells that they were washed before cooking, unlike the braised chickens outside, which have chicken droppings on their shells."
"Then I'll try it." Sister You chuckled awkwardly. She was indeed quite particular and loved cleanliness. Whenever someone came to her house, she would wash all the tables, chairs, cups, and bowls after they left, and even sweep the floor. Therefore, she always thought that food made outside was dirty.
But since Ruyi was her neighbor, she couldn't very well show her suspicion and disdain on her face, so she reluctantly accepted it. She didn't intend to eat it at first, but as the group was walking and talking on their way to Ma Xing Street, Aunt Yu, Madam Cheng, and Xiao Song couldn't wait to peel and eat it.
The eggs Yao Ruyi packed were ones she had deliberately left in the pot that morning. After wiping the shells dry, she wrapped them in a handkerchief and put them in a small cloth bag, so they were still warm. She was becoming more and more skilled at making braised tea eggs. The braising liquid had been used several times and was now at its most rich and fragrant. Today's batch was so fragrant that even the eggshells were braised. The shells cracked but didn't break. Once you peeled them open, the aroma of the braised eggs was even more obvious, wafting straight into your nose.
Aunt Yu took a bite out of half an egg, revealing its glossy, soft yolk. She was always a loud and boisterous person, and now her exclamation could be heard throughout half the alley: "Oh my, it's still soft-boiled! It's really not easy to make a soft-boiled braised chicken. If you braise it for too short a time, it won't be flavorful; if you braise it for too long, every chicken will be tough. Ruyi, your skills are excellent! It's no wonder your sister-in-law Cheng praised you so much."
I thought it was just bragging, but it was really delicious. Aunt Yu stuffed the remaining half into her mouth, filling it completely, and the flavor filled her mouth.
Seeing this, Xiao Song quickly sped up her egg-peeling. She had only peeled half of it when she opened her mouth and took a bite. The shiny yolk dripped between her fingers. She quickly lowered her head to suck on it, her eyes shining. She looked up at Yao Ruyi and praised, "Sister Ruyi, your braised eggs are so delicious! They're even better than my mother's! My mother's braised eggs are no different from boiled eggs in plain water, they're awful."
Yinzhu's sister-in-law glared at her daughter, feigning anger: "What did you say?"
Xiao Song noticed her mother's gaze and immediately fawned over her, sweetly changing her tune: "My uncle said that everyone has their strengths. Although my mother isn't good at braising chicken, her braised mutton is the best. Even Fanlou and Shenji can't compare. I love my mother's braised mutton the most!"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Sister-in-law Yinzhu also suppressed a laugh and reached out to pinch her soft cheek: "You talk too much. Hurry up and eat. When we leave the city, there will be a lot of dust, and you'll definitely eat a mouthful of sand."
Hmm...this is weirdly dirty. Xiao Song immediately lowered her head and focused on eating the egg.
Yao Ruyi smiled as well.
When Sister-in-law You saw the runny eggs in everyone's hands, she began to waver.
Madam Cheng was also eating slowly and deliberately, and said proudly, "I told you it was delicious, but you wouldn't believe me."
The aroma tantalized her from both sides, making her itch to eat. Finally, she couldn't resist the temptation and started peeling eggs too. Just as she finished, her sleeve was tugged. Looking down, she saw Jasmine, who never liked braised chicken, looking up at her with pleading eyes: "Mom, I want some too."
"You want to eat?" She wouldn't even eat roasted dragon meat at home! Aunt You was surprised and picked up the child. Jasmine was thin, and she didn't feel heavy holding her with one hand. She let Jasmine sit in the crook of her arm and fed her with an egg in her other hand: "Then you try it. If you don't like it, give it to your mother."
Sister-in-law You looked at Jasmine with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness, watching her open her mouth and take a bite.
————————
[Crying] Niu Masong has been so busy lately that he's going bald, but he'll be on V soon, barring any unforeseen circumstances, next week.
I need to keep the word count down these next few days, so please bear with me a little longer. Remember to come back and check on me after I've written more! (Cat wiping away tears)
I'll write more after the V update [heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com