Chapter 93
Chen Sanhe's hands were covered in rice ash. He wiped them on his clothes before gently pinching the white rice cake with his thumb and forefinger.
Shu Wanxiu watched her take the first bite with a hint of nervousness.
"—Excellent! Really excellent!"
After squinting and savoring the taste, Chen Sanhe uttered several words of praise.
"Is it really delicious?" Shu Wanxiu asked incredulously.
Chen Sanhe's eyes were brimming with laughter, the lines at the corners of his eyes crinkling into a frenzy. "Would I lie to you?"
She gestured for Shu Wanxiu to also take a piece and try it.
"No..." Shu Wanxiu politely declined.
The other two aunts were still beside her. Shu Wanxiu quickly handed out the portion meant for their families, and then took out a small package from her bosom.
She didn't take any from Chen Sanhe's portion to taste, because she had already packed some scraps for herself and Shu Shouyi, thinking that she and Shouyi could have a taste after Chen Sanhe finished eating.
How can I describe the feeling?
It's very dense and soft, with a strong rice aroma, and a slight sweetness mixed with a barely noticeable hint of sourness.
This is the taste upon first bite; after chewing and swallowing, the sweet flavor in the mouth intensifies.
The other two aunts, who had just received their share of rice cakes, couldn't wait to open them and take a bite, and both gave them good reviews.
Shu Shouyi also looked like he was enjoying his meal immensely.
Shu Wanxiu herself thought it tasted good, but was this the authentic taste of rice cake? She had never eaten rice cake made by anyone else before and had no way of knowing.
"Did I... really not do anything wrong?"
“That’s right, that’s the taste.” Chen Sanhe patted her shoulder encouragingly. “You did it perfectly.”
Afterwards, we distributed the food to every household in the village, and everyone who tried it said it was bad.
Finally, she carried her small basket on her back, along with the last generous portion of rice cake at the bottom of the basket, to the stream, on the opposite bank of Xun Yi's house.
She gave extra rice cakes to the families who lent her the steamer and to Chen Sanhe, who taught her how to make rice cakes, as a way of repaying them.
Xun Yi got here because he borrowed his rice-pounding bucket, and because Xun Yi helped him pound rice that day.
After today, there are only four days left until the wedding.
Shu Wanxiu's face flushed slightly—when she was delivering rice cakes in the village, Lin Xinghua and Chen Sanhe had both quietly reminded her that with less than five days until the wedding, it would be best not to see Xun Yi again in the next few days.
They said it was a local wedding custom, and breaking the rules would bring bad luck.
Whether it's true or not, who would want to risk this misfortune?
Shu Wanxiu stopped obediently and handed the thick bag of pastries to Shu Shouyi to carry across the stream.
Xun Yi had also received instructions from Chen Sanhe and Lin Xinghua last night. He was so anxious at home today that he was scratching his head in frustration. He knew that making rice cakes required grinding rice into a paste, and he had planned to come and help, but he was persuaded not to by the 'unlucky' words.
Shu Shouyi called out "Uncle Xun" affectionately as he came to him. As soon as he squatted down, he was fed a mouthful of sweet food.
In the ten years since he settled here, he has helped several families in the village build houses and has also eaten rice cakes as a token of his gratitude on several occasions.
This rice cake was the sweetest and most fragrant he had ever eaten, but at this moment, rather than comparing today's rice cake with the previous ones in more detail, he wanted to hear whether their production process went smoothly.
Shu Shouyi has become sensible, and his voice is clear and crisp.
He answered Xun Yi's questions honestly and diligently, sometimes even racking his brains to recall the details, never being perfunctory.
Shu Wanxiu waited for a long time on this side of the stream. At first, she stood there, hoping that Shu Shouyi would come out. But when he didn't come, her attention was distracted, and she picked some wild mint leaves growing by the water.
Whether she boils mint with honeysuckle to make herbal tea or simply steeps it in water, she enjoys it all because mint has a unique aroma.
She squatted by the stream and carefully washed a handful of mint leaves. Finally, Shu Shouyi, panting heavily, crossed the wooden plank bridge and ran to her.
Shu Wanxiu felt the ground stop shaking as he stopped.
She frowned and turned to look at him. "Running so fast, aren't you afraid of falling?"
"Auntie~" Shu Shouyi called out in a coquettish tone. Knowing that the stream was dangerous, he moved slowly like a crab to Shu Wanxiu's side and behind her, quickly stretching out his right arm and showing off like a treasure: "Look! It's something good!"
A small earthenware jar?
Not knowing what was inside, Shu Wanxiu looked at him suspiciously, threw all the mint in her hand into the basket, and lifted the small lid on the jar.
Inside was a semi-solid substance, white like lard, not much, about half a jar.
Shu Shouyi only said it was a good thing, without specifying what it was. It really looked too much like lard, so she brought her nose close to smell it in confusion.
The doubts only increased afterward, because this thing emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.
"What is this?" she couldn't help but ask.
"Uncle Xun said it was applied to the hands."
He lightly touched the part of Shu Wanxiu's hand that had just been burned red with his thin fingers.
Xun Yi was a blacksmith; how could he not get burned while working near a furnace?
Men are often careless and sometimes don't even realize they've been burned, even when they get big, scary-looking blisters.
Xun Ai was meticulous. Blacksmithing was already tiring work, and her brother didn't care about his health. She could only think of a solution for him, and that's how the Xun family came to have this ointment.
After that, whenever Xun Yi got burned, she would supervise him to apply the ointment. Over the years, Xun Yi didn't know how many jars he had used up, each one bought with money he saved from selling eggs.
After rinsing with cold water, Shu Wanxiu's arms had already regained their fair complexion, though they felt slightly different to the touch.
She hesitated slightly, but finally used her clean fingertips to scoop out a tiny bit and apply it to the areas with unusual symptoms.
It has a refreshing effect, like drinking mint water when you're thirsty. The skin feels cool and comfortable after applying this medicine.
—It is indeed a good product.
The calm lake of my heart rippled as if a small pebble had been thrown in.
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