Chapter 85 Ophelia's Summer Candied Fruits
Ye Wan waved and sent them out, then turned around and closed the door of the tavern. "Ophelia is here now, but where is Dracula?"
Yuan shook his head. He didn't know either. The Knights had searched for Dracula for two days but couldn't find any trace of him. They also sent a letter overnight and sent people to the cemetery to check. The tomb where Ophelia had been for more than a hundred years was indeed empty. Dracula should have discovered it as well and was probably going crazy while looking for someone.
He was going to check the situation again, so he told Ye Wan and went out.
Perhaps because of last night's rain, today's morning light was like honey, flowing thickly in Honey Lane. Ye Wan decided to go to the market to buy some vegetables. Pancake couldn't wait to jump onto her shoulders and rub her with his chubby face.
It was determined to kick Youan out of the bedroom tonight, so it had to learn how to act coquettishly and cutely.
However, Ye Wan was completely unaware of the intrigues between the man and the rat in the family. She met Grandma Katya at the market who was also buying vegetables. Grandma Katya was pushing a big cart with various candies and creams on it.
"These are for the children at St. Joshua's Home," said Grandma Katya cheerfully. "At the beginning of the month, the children invited me to see their play 'Little Red Riding Hood' today, so I planned to make some extra cakes to bring over."
Grandma Katya finished speaking with a smile, but then suddenly sighed: "It's a pity that few people are willing to go."
In fact, St. Joshua's House is a small and shabby orphanage. The director is an elderly nun who has adopted many children. The nun is very strong-willed and is afraid that the children will feel inferior, so she refuses to accept donations from all walks of life. The city hall has allocated a piece of land for them to grow flowers, and then they sell the flowers to earn food money.
Sometimes Grandma Katya would go to help, and under her influence, the residents of Honey Lane would go to the orphanage to look after them from time to time.
"I'd love to go." Ye Wan said. Grandma Katya looked up in surprise: "Are you really willing to go?"
"I think I'll bring some fruit with me. When I get back, I'll send a letter to my friends. I believe Emma and Kiara would also be happy to help the children in the orphanage."
The bustling market is filled with the sweet aroma of ripe grapes, and large loaves of bread have just been baked in the stone kiln. The market is particularly colorful and lively in the summer heat wave.
Ye Wan also met Ophelia who was strolling around the market. She was wearing a huge sun hat with the brim covering her pale face. She was wearing a floral dress and walked past the colorful fruit stalls and the kitchenware stalls with shining copper kettles hanging on them, and then stopped at the door of a stall full of flowers.
The stall owner was busy tying bunches of daisies for customers and didn't notice her. Ophelia squatted there, looking at the bucket of rose buds that were about to bloom. She raised her hand and touched it lightly, then withdrew her hand.
Rose paid for a bouquet of flowers for her. Ophelia took it with great care, leaned close to the bouquet and took a deep breath. She could no longer smell the rich sweet fragrance of the roses, but she still felt the pure and beautiful breath of life.
Ye Wan felt that Ophelia was so beautiful at this moment, and not scary at all.
Because he had promised Grandma Katya that he would go to the orphanage to watch the children's performance, Ye Wan bought a lot of summer fruits from the colorful fruit stalls in the market: purple peaches, yellow apricots, black plums, red cherries and figs.
The afternoon sun shone obliquely into the windows of the small restaurant. Ye Wan rolled up his sleeves and wiped several large glass jars clean with hot water.
Rose stood by the stove, stirring the syrup in the copper pot with a long spoon. The syrup had turned amber and exuded a rich caramel aroma. She nodded with satisfaction. "I also know the nun from St. Joshua's House. She's a very upright person. Sometimes I go and help them weed the land."
Ophelia was observing the fruits in the basket closely. Ye Wan didn't dare to give her any work, for fear that she would accidentally drop something.
Now the plump purple-skinned peaches have been cut into crescent-shaped segments; the grapes are piled in bamboo baskets like concentrated amethysts; and the orange apricots have also been cut open.
The fruits were piled into the glass jar, and then the syrup was poured in. The large glass jar was filled with beautiful fruits, and then Ye Wan threw the jar into the refrigerator.
These candied water ghosts are delicious eaten plain, and they also go great with waffles, smoothies, almond brittle, and more.
After waiting for more than an hour, Ye Wan took some pickled yellow apricots and nectarines and poured them into a glass bowl. The fruits became more full and translucent in color after being soaked in syrup. The pulp fibers of the apricots could be seen, and then a layer of passion fruit was dug on top.
She took a bowl for Rose and one for Muffin, and although Ophelia couldn't eat it, she got a bowl too.
This bowl of passion fruit, yellow apricot and nectarine is very refreshing, degreasy and appetizing after being chilled.
"It's delicious!" Rose likes this very much. The fruit is sweet on the outside and sour on the inside. When chewing the yellow apricot, the juice explodes in her mouth.
Apparently Pancake liked this too, as it ate with a smacking sound in its mouth.
At dusk, the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the entire Honey Alley. Ye Wan loaded several large glass jars of pickled fruits into the car. The peaches, grapes, and mulberries soaked in syrup looked like sparkling gems and were very beautiful.
Leo from next door also baked a lot of bread. He often goes to the orphanage to help repair the roof, swing sets and other things, so he will also participate in the orphanage's performance today.
"Isn't your Youan going?" Rose asked as she helped push the cart for Ye Wan, who blushed. "Oh, I sent him a message. He said he's a little busy. If he has time, he can just meet us at the orphanage."
The sun was no longer shining, but Ophelia still wore the huge straw hat, and her steps were filled with curiosity and uncertainty.
"I'm worried I might scare the kids," she said, a little worried.
"No, they are much braver than you think," Rose comforted.
St. Joshua's House is located in a tree-lined avenue. Several children are busy working. A little girl is trying to turn old red curtains into a cloak; another boy is wearing a wolf grandmother mask and is scaring people everywhere with his fangs and claws bared.
When Little Mary saw Ye Wan and the others come in, she ran over happily and said, "Sister Ye Wan, what delicious food have you brought again?"
"It's candied fruit! After you finish your performance, each of you can have a bowl. It's icy cold."
The children cheered.
Rose ran to help Leo hang the curtain on the tree, and Ye Wan followed the old dean Jennifer to move the glass jars to the old refrigerator in the house.
"I'm so grateful you came," Jennifer said, her face serious, but her words and actions revealed a kind touch. "Holy Mother, the children wanted to put on a fairy tale to earn money for new year's flower seeds, but no one wanted to come. They all know the play wouldn't be good."
"How can it not look good? We all feel the children's sincerity." Ye Wan comforted her.
Ophelia couldn't help and didn't dare to talk to others, so she had to lower the brim of her hat and sit alone under a big tree.
Little Mary's ball rolled to her feet. Ophelia slowly squatted down. Her body was stiff and made a strange sound of bones rubbing against each other.
She picked up the ball clumsily, but was afraid of scaring little Mary, so she had to put it gently in front of her.
"I'm sorry, I look a little scary," she said apologetically.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew Ophelia's straw hat away, attracting the afterglow to shine on her face. The powder that Ye Wan had applied on her was almost all gone, and now her face with ugly, crooked seams was exposed in front of the children.
The air was as stagnant as the plate of yellow-orange jelly in the freezer, so heavy that it seemed like water was about to drip out. Ye Wan and Rose looked at each other, their hearts obviously in their throats.
Ophelia covered her face with her hands in confusion. Just as Ye Wan was about to explain, little Mary said loudly in a voice full of curiosity and without any fear:
"Your face is the same as my doll." Mary took a doll with a gray dress that was sewn with many stitches and showed it to Ophelia.
"This doll was picked up by a little girl when the old nun took me to the street and she refused to keep it."
Mary slowly approached Ophelia and raised her hand to touch her face: "My doll is crooked, and you are crooked too, but you are both equally cute."
These words aroused great curiosity among the children, and they rushed to Ophelia like a tide.
"Really? Your face is so cool. Could you please do this makeup for me this Day of the Dead?"
"Can you act with us? I think you'd be perfect for the role of a rag doll."
Ophelia, who had already covered her face in shame, was now completely stunned. She sat there stiffly, surrounded by innocent, chattering children.
She was prepared to be expelled and hated, but that was not the case at all. The closeness of those children made Ophelia feel very warm.
Ye Wan and Rose breathed a sigh of relief.
Ophelia lowered her hand, no longer trying to hide the ugly scar on her face, and placed her hand on little Mary's soft hair.
Emma came here with a big piece of cake, Kiara and Big Iron bought a lot of iced pumpkin juice, and Arthur brought several roast chickens. The rich aroma of various delicacies, mixed with the beautiful atmosphere of the summer evening, filled the small courtyard of the orphanage.
Before the play tonight began, everyone had a delicious dinner: the roasted chicken legs were very tender and juicy, the sausage pizza was grilled crispy, and they finished off the meal with a glass of ice-cold pumpkin juice.
Ophelia also got a bottle of iced pumpkin juice. She didn't drink it, but just held it in her hand, watching the adults chatting animatedly, the children's happy faces, the colorful clouds in the sky like a phoenix, and the daisies in the corner swaying gently in the summer breeze.
She felt like things were going in a wonderful direction, she was falling in love with the world and the people, but it seemed like there was still something to be done.
She always felt that someone was waiting for her in a dark, cold place.
Who is it?
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