Chapter 39: The Squeamish Bag
Regardless of ancient or modern times, boys hate it most when their parents praise other people’s children in front of them.
Fan Yanjia was no exception. He originally only hated vain young ladies, but he didn't expect that the gentle young man was equally annoying.
Su Anzhi: ...He is just a fish in the pond.
Su Ruojin: ...She has never met Lord Fan. If Lord Fan looks like his youngest son, then it would be really difficult for his father to be his student.
Maybe this is the hardship of being a breadwinner!
Su Yanli didn't know that his daughter had learned to be considerate of a certain little brat because of his behavior. Could this be considered a blessing in disguise?
It was getting late, so Su Yanli bowed and said goodbye. Mrs. Fan not only gave the children food gifts, but also beautiful palace lanterns, "Take it and play with it."
"Thank you ma'am."
The palace lanterns were beautiful and exquisite, which pleased Su Ruojin very much. When she thanked her, her little mouth was so sweet.
Fan Yanjia turned his face away with a look of disgust.
As the son of a powerful official, he is usually surrounded by many sons of officials and young ladies who try to please him. He is most afraid of this kind of flattery. The sight of it makes him lose his appetite. The palace pastry in his hand doesn't smell good anymore. He takes out a lollipop from his sleeve pocket, peels off the rice paper and puts it in his mouth. Well, this is really sweet.
Su Ruojin, who had already left the shed, caught a glimpse of the young man who hated her and her siblings. When she saw the zodiac lollipop in his mouth, she smiled and opened her arms. Her father picked her up and she nestled in his arms, yawning sleepily. If only candy wasn't so expensive, she could make lots and lots of lollipops.
Seeing her youngest son still eating a lollipop like a child even though he was already eleven years old, Mrs. Fan couldn't help but reach out and knock him on the forehead, "This candy was originally sent in as a gift from the Su family, but you are so rude to eat it!"
After the Su family finished eating the lollipops, the children at home were very noisy, so they asked the pastry chef to try to make a batch, and the children loved them very much.
Fan Yanjia: ...I didn't expect that I hated things from the brother and sister's house. Young Master Fan suddenly felt that even sugar was not sweet anymore.
Madam Fan turned around and asked the housekeeper, Granny Qin, "You said that when you were in the Su family, Miss Su was the head of the household. From what I saw just now, she seemed quite well-behaved and sensible, but..." She was not like the eldest daughter, who always wanted to be held or hugged, "She was quite squeamish."
If it were a wealthy family, they would want the young lady to be raised to be pampered, but if a small family raises a pampered girl, the family she marries into will suffer in the future.
Mrs. Fan couldn't help but sigh: "What a pity for the crystal osmanthus cake."
"If Madam is concerned, why not ask Master to let Dr. Su..."
Mrs. Fan stopped the old woman from speaking any further.
Su Yanli is stuck at the eighth rank, and he must be eager for a chance to give a gift to his master. She can't hold him back.
While parading and admiring lanterns, Su Ruojin fell asleep in his father's arms, not realizing that the two young men hated him for his rare trip. Who did he offend? It was really a pity!
The next afternoon, after lunch, Yang Si Niang, who had not been to the Lantern Festival the night before, came running over angrily and asked, "Why don't you go to my grandparents' lantern shed?"
Su Ruojin didn't even have the chance to pass by, so how could she find her? However, she had already thought of how to coax the young lady. She pulled her hand into the kitchen and brought her a cup of fragrant drink. "There are taro balls in it. Be careful when you drink it. Don't choke."
"What is that?" It smells like milk, making people drool.
Yang Si Niang quickly picked up the small white spoon and scooped a mouthful. "Wow, this is goat's milk, how come it tastes so good, without any smell of mutton."
“I call it bubble tea.”
"Where is the pearl?" Yang Si Niang picked up the mini taro balls in the bowl with a spoon, "You call it a pearl?"
Su Ruojin nodded, "Yes, I added black tea when I boiled goat milk. Does it taste mellow when I drink it?"
"Of course it smells good. This is the best drink I have ever had. Even the nectar drink in the lantern shed at my grandparents' house last night wasn't as good as what you made, Ajin."
This is embarrassing.
The pearl milk tea she made only has a silky and sweet taste that captures people's hearts. When it comes to nutrition and health preservation, ancient drinks are definitely the best. For example, Erchen Drink, which is commonly used by southerners in later generations, is made by decocting pinellia, tangerine peel, white poria, roasted licorice, ginger, and black plums. It can dry out dampness and resolve phlegm, regulate qi and harmonize the stomach. It can definitely quench thirst and preserve health, and can even eliminate some diseases. It is simply a disguised medicine prescription.
This is incomparable.
But bubble milk tea has its own advantages. It is so rich and fragrant, and paired with one or two cakes, it is simply the best afternoon tea!
Su Ruojin scooped a cup for everyone in the family, and everyone drank it with relish.
Cheng Yingzhen also thought, "It tastes good and delicious." She almost asked her daughter if she wanted to sell it. Seeing Yang Si Niang here, she kept silent and just lowered her head to drink the milk tea. There was no tea in the cup given to her by her daughter, only goat milk and pearls. Even an adult like her couldn't stop drinking it. If she sold it, she would definitely make money.
Yang Si Niang drank it all in one gulp, burped with satisfaction, and then stared at the tea barrel with her two small almond-shaped eyes.
Seeing her greedy look, Cheng Yingzhen scooped another cup for her. Unexpectedly, she happily took it in her hand and said, "I'll take it back for my mother to eat."
As a filial daughter, Su Ruojin certainly had no objection and she scooped her another cup and asked her maid to hold it.
The master and servant left the Su family.
Cheng Yingzhen sighed, "It's time for our Ah Jin to have a little girl."
Su Ruojin: ...What if she still isn’t used to it?
"When the weather is not so cold and I am healthy enough, I will pick a little girl for my Ah Jin."
Su Ruojin did not argue with her mother. No matter how uncomfortable she was, she had to adapt to the local customs and let things take their course. At most, when she had a little girl, she would treat her as a sister or a friend. This way, she would feel at ease.
The pearl milk tea that Su Dalang and Xue Wulang had been given to the study was meant for Xue Wulang to drink. Xue Wulang wanted to take it back for Xue Liuniang, but how could Su Ruojin let the young man go without a drink? She scooped him another cup and happily took it back.
After the neighbors had left, Cheng Yingzhen asked her daughter, "Are you going to sell it in the breakfast shop?"
Su Ruojin shook her head, "The breakfast shop needs to have new items, but they're not bubble tea."
Cheng Yingzhen thought it tasted good. "Maybe many people like it?"
Su Ruojin smiled to herself. Pearl milk tea is a business for women and young girls. Most of the people buying breakfast at the breakfast stalls are men. There are no female civil servants in the Dayin Dynasty, and even female vendors are not many. If she wants to sell pearl milk tea, she has to find another small shop, and she also needs a sustainable supply of goat milk. Without these conditions, she can only eat it occasionally.
In the afternoon, when Mrs. Dong heard that something new was going to be launched, she hurriedly asked what it was.
Of course it’s Jianbing Guozi! The griddle that was ordered before the New Year will arrive in a few days, so let Dong’s mother and Shu Tong practice their skills first.
Cheng Yingzhen was sitting under the porch basking in the sun. When she saw the sun moving westward, she picked up her child and prepared to go back to the house, when Su Yanli came back.
(End of this chapter)
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