Chapter 33 Lotus Cake "Brother Zhang, study hard and lay a solid foundation..."
"A little further to the left, a little further to the left... Yes, hang it higher!"
The summer weather is so hot that it is impossible to sleep. I finally managed to close my eyes but heard cicadas chirping in the trees.
"Cicada, cicada."
Wei Fuling held her head and jumped out of bed, "I know I need to get up."
The noise she made when she stood up was even louder than that of a cicada. Wei Fuqiu turned over, scratched her head hard, and also stood up angrily.
Wei Jinyun was eating some rice and directing Zhao Xiangping to hang up the banners at the door of the shop.
A square of bright cotton, cut into a narrow strip, with swallowtail-like tassels cut into the corners, swayed in the wind. "Zhao Ji Cooked Food Shop" was written boldly in a striking vermilion, and beneath it, two shiny roasted ducks and geese were embroidered with needle and thread.
This one is much better than the original one, and its exquisite appearance is worth the ten days Zhao Xiangping spent to order it.
The banner-drawing craftsman had originally brought it to the shop to be hung up by the contractor, but Zhao Xiangping insisted on doing it herself. She brought a table, placed a square stool on top, and, half-twirling her skirt, climbed up. The stool wobbled, and Meng Ge'er, anxiously holding it down, even Wei Jinyun put down her rice and water to help hold it in place.
After carefully tying the banners several times with string, Zhao Xiangping took a satisfied look before getting down from her stool. She finished tidying up the tables and chairs, but still unimpressed, she stood at the shop door for a long time, stunned. Someone who didn't know better might have thought it was painted with gold and embroidered with silver thread.
"I'll catch another one for Yuanbao."
The sisters woke early and gathered around a basket on the stone steps outside the shop, scooping up small fish. The minnows were even more clumsy than the mullet, only needing a sprinkle of water and rice grains. As if bewildered by the aroma, they darted toward the sisters. As soon as the basket was lifted from the water, the minnows lay stiffly inside, unwilling even to struggle.
The beautiful minnow was illuminated by the morning sun, and if you looked closely, its scales would glow with color. But Yuanbao was obviously unwilling to appreciate such a beautiful view, and he stretched out his claws and went into its mouth.
There was nothing that could be done about it. It was Yuanbao who had climbed up the tree so majestically early in the morning and brought those cicada thieves to justice. This was his reward.
The two of them, sheltered from the sun by two large lotus leaves, caught a basket of minnows, then a basket of hopping shrimps. Meng Ge'er, envious, stared intently at the rock crawlers in the cracks of the rocks. He also reached out to scoop them up, but when he did, he found a large snail.
Wang Qiulan sat on a bamboo chair by the door, sewing. This chair had been custom-made by Wei Jinyun. Made of pure bamboo, it felt cool to sit on, and even the interwoven bamboo strips on which she sat had been polished to a burr-free consistency.
Make four in total, one for each of the four generations of grandparents and grandchildren.
There was still a lot of cloth left from the original two pieces. Her granddaughter went to Changmen and brought back two more pieces. She was so busy that she had no time to think about anything else. She spent the whole day thinking about what new patterns to embroider on the jackets and skirts so that her three granddaughters could dress up beautifully.
"I won't pay for your watermelon buns unless they are sweet."
Xu stood at the door of Zhang's Stationery Store, bargaining with a watermelon vendor who had rowed a boat from Changshu County.
"Of course! These melons are all grown at home. They are incredibly sweet and crispy."
The vendor took a watermelon and tapped the skin with his hand. The muffled sound was obvious, and he knew it was a good watermelon.
"No matter how sweet it is, it can't be eaten as a meal."
Xu glanced into the basket and picked out a slightly smaller one. "These are five copper coins each. I'll take them all. You came here on the boat, so you can't take them all back, right?"
The vendor frowned and squatted down to pick at the melons. "Sister-in-law, this price is too high! The boat fee alone is..."
Before she could finish her words, she saw Xu turning around to go back to the shop, so she quickly changed her tone, "Okay, okay, since you're a regular customer, I'll add one penny, six copper coins and two taels, just as a gift to you."
Xu took out six copper coins from her bosom and handed them to the vendor, then went back to her work and picked out two big ones from the basket.
The peddler threw six coins into a jar beside him, wondering why he looked so noble in his silk clothes but was so stingy.
Wei Jinyun also came to pick melons. The melons grown in Changshu County are famous in Pingjiang Prefecture for their sweetness and crispness. During the summer, vendors would row boats to sell the melons they grew themselves.
Xu returned to the stationery shop and was wiping a Duan inkstone with a fine cloth. She glanced and saw Zhang Renbai leaning over the counter, a brush in hand, his eyes fixed on Wei Jinyun, who was picking melons.
Xu tapped her son on the back of his head with her fingers and said angrily, "What are you looking at? You almost dropped your pen. The entrance exam is coming up soon this year. You've been reviewing so much. Have you delivered the gifts I prepared for the famous teachers at the prefectural school?"
Zhang Renbai covered the back of his head and frowned, turning the pen between his fingers, "Mom, I just casually watched the vendor selling melons..."
"Is selling melons worth your soul?"
Xu glanced over and said, "She earns a few strings of cash from our shop every month, isn't that enough? Can you please focus on your studies? Once you make the list, there will be many young ladies from official families in Bianjing looking for a husband. The young ladies from official families in Bianjing are all delicate and untouched by menial activities. How could they be so sullen every day?"
"She doesn't have any firewood in her."
Zhang Renbai gulped down the cold tea in front of him, but it couldn't quench the anger he felt at his mother's words. He held the pen in his hand, inhaling the sweet aroma of the pastries she had brought to the shop early that morning. He said nothing more, and didn't even bother to watch her pick the melons.
He couldn't help but look. Wei Jinyun had just picked a good melon and paid a few cents when he saw three acquaintances walking towards him not far from the shop.
"Miss Wei, I finally found you."
Tang Yin, the leader, waved his folding fan and shouted from a distance. Behind him came Wu Sheng, who had become much darker, and Zhu Zhishan, who was carrying two strings of candy.
Wei Jinyun looked up and smiled, "It's Mr. Tang and his friends. Why didn't you go to the government school today?"
"The prefectural school is closed today."
Zhu Zhishan walked over to Wei Jinyun and handed the candy in his hand to the two sisters wearing lotus leaves. "Today is the Fengmen Lotus Festival, and even the headmaster is going. We made an appointment with our classmates to go boating on the lake, so we came to you to order some snacks. We wanted to tell you yesterday, but after school, we didn't see you setting up your stall. Whose house did you go to make snacks?"
"Oh, no."
Wei Jinyun held the melon in her hand and said, "My great-aunt came to visit yesterday, and we were busy entertaining her in the shop, so we couldn't spare any time... Just tell me how many snacks you want."
After visiting her great-aunt in Wujiang County last month, she missed her grandmother even more. As Wei Jinyun opened the shop door, she saw her great-aunt's family already at the door, beaming at her. After she and her sisters finally recognized all the relatives, they slaughtered chickens and pigs and prepared a feast.
My great-aunt spent the entire afternoon chatting with my grandmother. She gave my sisters two silver wish-fulfilling locks and a silver bracelet from Wei Jinyun, her courtesy so intense that it felt impossible to leave. Before she left, she urged them to attend her grandson's wedding banquet. I imagine my grandmother will remember my great-aunt next month and go by boat herself.
The two long-lived ladies haven't seen each other for decades, and I wonder how much they have to talk about.
Tang Yin squatted down and picked out some melons for himself, patting them with his folding fan. "I want twenty baskets of exquisite ones. They have to look good when you go boating. I want both jasmine cakes and mint cakes, and some egg yolk pastries. You can choose any combination you like. We've already told everyone in the prefecture school about it. The other day, when the headmaster's wife came to order cakes, wasn't it us who recommended them?"
"Of course not, thank you for your consideration."
Wei Jinyun smiled brightly, "One basket will make twelve, both crispy and glutinous, and they will be exquisitely made. Twenty baskets will be padded with freshly picked lotus leaves and tied with silk ribbons. Eighty-eight coins per basket. What do you think, Master Tang?"
As the orders piled up, Wei Jinyun was naturally delighted. Seeing that he would have enough money to buy a shop by the end of the month, and seeing that Yun Laixiang had already become a bit of a celebrity in the prefectural school, he couldn't wait to laugh out loud.
Zhang Renbai stared at the scene before him, his knuckles whitening as the tip of his pen drew a crooked line of ink across the paper. He knew these students from the prefectural academy; they had been his classmates for two years. Tang Yin waved her folding fan frivolously, and Zhu Zhishan wanted to get right up to her, as if the snacks were secondary and looking at her more was the real thing.
"Very cheap."
Tang Yin picked out the melons, his folding fan fanning his hair. "Miss Wei, do you know that four pieces of dim sum with a pot of tea at Wufeng Pavilion cost sixty coins? Twelve pieces is enough for us to eat a full meal."
"Then pay a deposit of one tael. I'll make it right now and have it delivered at 3 p.m."
Zhu Zhishan nodded, took out the deposit from his sleeve and stuffed it into her hand, "We trust Miss Wei."
"Thank you very much."
Wei Jinyun smiled with her eyes curved and reached out to take the deposit.
Zhang Renbai suddenly put his pen down on the inkstone, and he didn't even notice that the ink had splashed onto the back of his hand.
He saw Wei Jinyun lowering her head and smiling, as if shy. That smile was directed at them. She had smiled like that before when she brought her cakes. Now, there was no more...
Zhang's father called him to grind ink in the inner room, but he was like nailed behind the counter, staring at the backs of the people in blue clothes, his heart aching and swollen.
Didn't he even have the chance to say a few more words to her?
Seeing that his son didn't respond, Zhang's father walked out from the inner room with a teacup in his hand. He stood in front of the counter and looked in Zhang Renbai's direction. He saw three scholars in blue clothes chatting and laughing with Wei Jinyun. He immediately sneered, "See? How can her business not be prosperous? Without these scholars' support, how can her sweet cakes be sold at such a high price? Maybe she is using the excuse of sending cakes to have some inexplicable connection with these sour guys..."
He spoke a little louder when he said this. Tang Yin frowned and turned around outside the shop to glance at them.
"father!"
Zhang Renbai raised his head and retorted, "Miss Wei is a skilled cook. They like her pastries, so they joked with her. They are here to order pastries."
"What do you know, little kid?"
Father Zhang took a sip of tea. "Good craftsmanship? What decent girl would have to smile at those scholars? You should study hard and stop being distracted all day. You have a bright future ahead of you. You're on the right path. Why bother watching her?"
Zhang Renbai wanted to refute again, but the words were on the tip of his tongue and he couldn't say them.
He would study hard and wait until he had achieved success before asking for marriage. When the time came, his parents would definitely give him some face and let her marry into their family.
After Tang Yin, Zhu Zhishan and Wei Jinyun ordered cakes, they went into Zhang's stationery store, hoping to buy some writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone.
Zhang Renbai was staring at the inkstone in a daze. The pen in his hand had already soaked the paper in front of him. He didn't notice the two people coming in at all.
"Brother Zhang, are you practicing calligraphy?"
Tang Yin picked up a wolf-hair brush and tested the tip of the brush with his fingertips. "Look at you, you're so distracted. What are you thinking about?"
They had been classmates with Zhang Renbai, but they rarely interacted. The stall selling brushes, inkstones, and paper near the entrance to the prefectural academy was small, but the goods were good and inexpensive. They usually stayed with Wu Sheng, and knowing his modest family background, they bought from that stall with him, avoiding the more expensive places.
Seeing Wu Sheng hesitantly talking to Miss Wei, they found it really boring, so they came in to take a look and chat with Zhang Renbai.
Of course, Tang Yin also heard clearly what he said with Zhang's father.
Zhang Renbai's face flushed, and he quickly changed to a new piece of rice paper, "Brother Tang, you are making fun of me."
Zhu Zhishan was flipping through some rice paper and suddenly asked, "By the way, Brother Zhang, are you going to the college entrance examination this year? I'm planning to take the exam, and if you go, it would be great for me to keep you company."
Zhang Renbai tightened his grip on the pen, "Of course I'm going. I'm still studying... What about Brother Tang? Isn't he going with you?"
Zhu Zhishan chuckled and put his pen back on the pen holder. "Brother Zhang, are you really unaware or are you pretending not to know? Brother Tang passed the imperial examination three years ago and is a man of honor. Why would he bother to squeeze into the examination room with us?"
When Zhang Renbai raised his eyes, a hint of bitterness flashed in his eyes, and he whispered, "Congratulations, Brother Tang. Since you have passed the imperial examination, why are you still studying in the provincial school?"
After he passed the county and prefectural examinations, his mother directly asked him to drop out of school and study at home. He never went to the prefectural school again.
Tang Yin picked out a roll of high-quality rice paper and two ingots of ink, placing them on the counter. "Yes, Master Lu is very knowledgeable. We, the younger generation, cannot catch up to him. We still need to learn from him for a few more years."
"Oh, I see." Zhang Renbai said as he deftly helped them bundle up the pens, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Tang Yin paid the money and patted his shoulder as he took the package. He said earnestly, "Brother Zhang, study hard. It's important for you to lay a solid foundation right now."
Zhang Renbai said "Oh" and even reached out to touch the money on the counter.
As soon as Tang Yin and Zhu Zhishan left the shop, Xu came out from the inner room, lifting the curtain. "He's just a scholar, but look at how frivolous he is. His tail is almost up to the sky."
She peeled a bowl of walnut kernels for Zhang Renbai, who was studying, and handed it to him. "Renbai, we are going to Bianjing City. What's the point of the provincial academy? Can it compare to the Imperial College there? In the future, Renbai will meet a great minister and discuss profound knowledge. As for that kid from the Tang family, who knows, ten years from now, he might still be squatting in this alley, nibbling on that girl's cakes and pastries to make a living."
After saying this, she reached out and straightened his wrinkled collar, her tone adding a bit of confidence, "Son, don't look at them making such a fuss now. What's the point of being a scholar? When you pass the imperial examination and ride on horseback in the parade, let them come with cakes and pastries to congratulate you. It depends on whether we are willing to let them in."
Zhang Renbai didn't look up, but just replied in a low voice, "That's what mother said."
Wu Sheng hasn't seen Miss Wei for several days. Not counting the consecutive days, including yesterday and the day she was invited to work as a boatman, the number of days is too many to count.
Why did he feel that Miss Wei seemed to be getting more and more charming the more he saw her?
When I first met her, she was beautiful but a little thin. Recently, when I saw her again, it seemed that her face had gained some flesh, and her lips and teeth were even redder. Her smile was more charming than Xi Shi's, and her appearance was three times prettier than Diao Chan's. It made anyone who saw her feel happy.
Even though they had known each other for a long time, he didn't know what to say to her. He couldn't speak as naturally as Brother Tang and Brother Zhu, so he could only try his best to find some topics to talk about.
"Have you noticed my changes?" Wu Sheng coughed lightly, raised his arms and placed them on both sides of his cheeks.
Recently, he gets up early in the morning and runs around the school for more than ten laps. After school, he fills up the two water tanks at home. Even he feels full of energy.
I think it has changed quite a lot.
"Brother Wu, do you want to go swimming in the river?"
Wei Fuling lifted the lotus leaf above her head and blinked, "Then can you please catch two more wheatear fish for Yuanbao to eat?"
"Egg...Brother Wu, there's a small hole in the clothes on your right arm."
Wei Fuqiu observed very carefully.
Meng Ge'er and Wu Sheng also turned around and said thoughtfully, "Qi Jie'er is right, there is a hole, but it is not small, as big as two of Meng Ge'er's fingers."
Wu Sheng supported Zhu Zhishan who was standing beside him. In his expectant eyes, Wei Jinyun finally spoke.
"You look a little darker, probably because you've gotten enough sun exposure. Mr. Wu, you seem to be in good health lately."
Tang Yin laughed so hard that he almost dropped his folding fan into the river. Fortunately, Zhu Zhishan was quick enough to catch it.
"Brother Wu, please let Miss Wei go and let her make some snacks."
Tang Yin picked up the melon he had just picked from the vendor and said, "Come on, let's go to Fengmen together and open a melon for you to enjoy."
Several people were staring at each other at the door of the shop when they saw Zhan Ziming, dressed in a green shirt, walking slowly towards them with an oil-paper bag in his hand. When he got close, he handed it directly to Wei Jinyun.
Wu Sheng stared at the oil-paper bag that suddenly appeared, his face twisted into a bitter melon. Who was this person? Did everyone like to give her snacks?
"Don't get me wrong."
Zhan Ziming quickly waved his hand, "I'm just passing by."
Meng Ge'er held up the lotus leaf and said, "But Brother Ziming passes by my shop several times every day."
"cough."
Zhan Ziming looked up at the sky and then at the tip of his shoe. "This is what my brother asked me to give to Miss Wei."
"ah?"
Wu Sheng's face quickly turned into a shriveled bitter gourd.
"Don't get me wrong."
Zhan Ziming stared at Wu Sheng's face and said solemnly, "This is what Lord Lu gave to my brother. My brother asked me to give it to Miss Wei."
I don't know why my younger brother is so full, but he even tells Master Lu about it every day when he passes by Tianqing Temple. These days, he's been bringing out fried stinky tofu, pan-fried peaches and bayberries in honey, pears, dried apples, roasted pork jerky, and mutton buns...
This was not enough. He had to take some from Miss Wei and give it to his brother, who would then deliver it. He was a lawyer, so why did he end up doing the work of an idler?
Right now, he just wanted to wait for the pirates in the canal and the Yangtze River to be eliminated quickly, so that Lord Lu could come in person when he had time to avoid misunderstandings.
After Zhan Ziming finished speaking, there was silence.
"Hey, Brother Wu, let's have some sweet melon and go."
Zhu Zhishan and Tang Yin held the melon in each hand and walked towards Fengmen with Wu Sheng, whose face had become as withered and bitter as a bitter melon.
Wei Jinyun said goodbye to the others and returned to the shop. He opened the oil-paper package and saw that it was another piece of fried stinky tofu. It seemed that Lord Lu was very fond of stinky tofu.
Since she had promised to deliver the dim sum by 3 p.m., Wei Jinyun had to start cooking right away. Steamers, oil pans, clay ovens, and stoves were all used, and the whole yard was filled with the clanging and clattering of bells and bells.
Lotus crisps were fried in a pan, jasmine cakes were placed in the steamer, and walnut kernels were crushed. The whole family put down their work and helped her.
The Lotus Pond at Fengmen in Pingjiang Prefecture reaches its peak visitor count on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month each year, marking the Lotus Festival. At this time, the pond is filled with lotus blossoms, a scene so beautiful it evokes the image of Yang Wanli, who wrote, "The lotus leaves stretch to the heavens, their green leaves endless; the lotus blossoms, reflecting the sun, are a striking crimson." The people of Pingjiang Prefecture flock to Fengmen to admire the lotuses, cool off, feast, and pray under lotus lanterns.
Since it was an annual festival, Wei Jinyun naturally wanted to make a new product for them to try. The students at the prefectural school were so nauseatingly talkative, but they were all warm-hearted and willing to support her business.
In addition to giving them a basket of twelve dim sum, two of each, she also made a basket of stacked lotus cakes.
The filling is made from thin pancakes, then rolled up into the shape of blooming lotus flowers. However, her pastries are already sweet enough, so the lotus flower filling should not overshadow the other snacks.
Instead of making the usual lotus cake, let’s make it salty.
What's the best way to enjoy a savory wrap? It's definitely a wrap with braised duck, chopped scallions, and cucumber strips, all served with the sauce. The braised duck can be bought directly from Aunt Zhao's house, and rolling the wraps doesn't take much effort on her part.
This is the last one to be made. If left for too long, the pancake will become soft and the sliced braised duck will no longer be crispy.
The table was covered with freshly steamed pancakes, half of which was braised duck wrapped in white wrappers, and the other half was braised goose wrapped in rice flour rolls.
She put the ingredients inside and rolled it from the edge to the center. She stopped halfway and gently pushed the crust outward with her fingers, making it look like lotus petals. She continued to roll it tightly and placed it in rows in a bamboo basket lined with lotus leaves.
This process is repeated dozens of times, and dozens of rolls are stacked in the lotus leaf basket. Each roll looks like a half-opened lotus flower, with the outer crust slightly curled up like petals, revealing the red and green filling inside.
She looked at the lotus cakes in the basket and found them to be very elegant in appearance. If they were placed in a modern store, they would probably sell for 1,880 yuan per plate.
Grandma took two bites and then stopped tasting, but Wei Jinyun and her sisters really liked it.
When you take a bite of the braised duck roll, the crispy skin is crispy and the aroma of fat spreads between your lips and teeth. The tender meat is juicy, the sweet sauce has a salty and fresh taste, the cucumber and green onion shreds are refreshing and relieve greasiness, and the lotus cake skin is soft and chewy.
They were asked to wrap the remaining slices of braised duck and goose in pancake skin and eat them all.
This is a snack that Wei Jinyun gave to the students. It is free of charge. I hope you don’t blame her for saying that the lotus rolls with green onions are not elegant. They are not elegant at all.
However, she also made a small basket early in the morning and asked "Zhan Xianhan" to give it to his brother and then send it to Lord Lu.
I think Lord Lu, who loves to eat fried stinky tofu, will definitely not dislike green onions.
After noon, Wei Jinyun looked at the sun, ate a bowl of pickled vegetable and shredded pork soup noodles ordered by Wang Qiulan, and then asked a donkey cart to deliver her snacks.
The donkey cart needed to be covered with several layers of clean mats, and the baskets containing the pastries needed to be covered with two layers of cloth before being placed in a flat basket to ensure that nothing got dirty. She folded the flower baskets and arranged them one by one when she reached Fengmen, to avoid the pastries breaking on the way and making it difficult to arrange.
When she first arrived in Pingjiang Prefecture, Wei Jinyun thought it was expensive to hire a donkey cart. Now she has begun to think about how to get a convenient delivery cart for her shop in the future.
She patted the seat beside her and smiled playfully at her two sisters, "Let's go to the Lotus Festival with me."
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The author has something to say: Lotus cakes come from "Qing Yi Lu", "Guo Jin's family is good at making lotus cakes, there are fifteen compartments, and there is a broken lotus branch between each compartment, and there are fifteen colors..." There is no specific method or fillings.
I have a plan: nutrient solution stuffing.
The Su You in front is a little easter egg. He has been passing by Pingjiang Prefecture. He was about 37 when he passed by three times. But since the reform has been successful, there is no xx poetry case. The old man can eat good food and travel around.
I feel like wives are quiet these days. Honey, please say something! [Breaking down in tears]
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