"The house is a bit simple." Su Yun'er looked around and shrugged.
“No, I think this little courtyard is very cozy, and there are traces of a family living together everywhere.” Sun Wanqing shook her head and smiled.
After letting the guests into the house, Su Yun'er poured Sun Wanqing a cup of hawthorn tea.
“You’re used to eating all sorts of delicacies, but you’ve probably never tasted this before,” Su Yun’er said.
Sun Wanqing watched with interest as the hawthorn slices floated up and down in the hot water in her cup. The hawthorn slices, which were originally shriveled and curled up, began to slowly unfold in the hot water, emitting a faint sour smell.
“It’s sour again.” Sun Wanqing smiled and said, “My family knows what I don’t like, so they never serve me these things. But I’ve only seen my wife twice, and she’s made these things for me to eat both times.”
"I know you don't like sour flavors, so I added sugar to it."
Sun Wanqing did as she was told and took two sips. It was indeed sweet and sour, but it wasn't as delicious as yesterday's food, so she put down the cup and stopped drinking.
“Yun’er… Xiaoshu’s mother…” A familiar voice came from outside the door.
It was He Liu and Old Lady Chen.
Su Yun'er rushed to open the door and saw two guards from the Sun family blocking He Liu and Old Madam Chen. The guards had expressionless faces and frowned as they looked at the two people who were trying to force their way in.
"Auntie, Mother," Su Yun'er called out to the two of them.
Seeing this, the guards released their hands that were blocking the way.
He Liu and Old Lady Chen stepped forward nervously and asked Su Yun'er in a low voice what had happened.
"The village children are shouting that a fairy has come to our house! Who is it?"
"It's the young mistress of the family who cooked for us yesterday. She's a girl who hasn't reached marriageable age yet, so their guards naturally have to be extra careful."
"Mother, Aunt, let's not stand at the door, let's come inside."
He Liu waved her hand: "No, no, I get scared when I see those rich and powerful families. I'm glad your family is alright. I'll head back now."
Old Mrs. Chen had nowhere to hide, so she had no choice but to go into the courtyard with Su Yun'er.
Sun Wanqing was seen carefully observing the food cart, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Mother, this is the young lady from the Sun family. The pastries and fruits I brought back yesterday were from her."
"Thank you for your kindness, young lady." Old Mrs. Chen looked at Sun Wanqing carefully. She saw that the girl had a graceful figure, a pretty face, and a charming dimple when she smiled. She was very likable.
"What a beautiful young lady! If I didn't say she was from the Sun family, I would have thought a fairy had come to my house." Old Mrs. Chen's affection for Sun Wanqing was evident in her words.
"Little Tree's mother, you must cook more delicious food today and clean up even more thoroughly. Don't neglect our honored guest." Then, Old Mrs. Chen gave instructions one by one on how to handle the pots, pans, rice, vegetables, and fruits.
After coaxing Old Mrs. Chen back into the house to sit down, Sun Wanqing and Su Yun'er whispered to each other, "My wife's mother-in-law is such a kind and loving person."
Su Yun'er smiled, indicating her agreement. "You're absolutely right."
"Alright, it's time to start cooking. Although my family isn't poor, we can't afford to cook like a young lady's family, so please make do with what we have."
"With you here, my wife, I don't have to worry about these things. Is that big fish you caught today going to cook?" Sun Wanqing asked.
"Yes, I woke up today craving fresh fish. Since I couldn't find such good ones, I decided to catch one myself."
"How does my wife plan to cook the fish?" Sun Wanqing asked with great interest.
"Braised, or..."
Before she could finish speaking, a voice calling for her mother came from the doorway again. Su Yun'er said, "It's probably my two children who have returned."
Sure enough, the little trees and grass have returned.
The guards of the Sun family were indeed cautious, even stopping and guarding against such a young child.
"I'm sorry for causing trouble for your family," Sun Wanqing apologized again.
"Don't be silly, this has nothing to do with you. If I found it troublesome, I wouldn't have brought you back."
"Are you the fairy from the novel?" Xiao Cao was amazed when she saw Sun Wanqing, admiring everything about her, from her headdress to her clothes.
"Go back inside and find Grandma. Don't cause trouble here."
After sending the two children back inside, Su Yun'er continued to hold the menu for Sun Wanqing.
"Where were we? Oh, right, braised. This fish is so big, we can cook it in two ways, one braised and one stewed in soy sauce, both are delicious. Don't let the fact that this fish lives in the river fool you, the water is so clear and clean that I heard the fish doesn't have any strange taste, meaning it doesn't taste muddy." Su Yun'er said, glancing at the sun. It was getting late, and she needed to start cooking.
"Why don't you have lunch at home, young lady?" Su Yun'er invited. Sun Wanqing was naturally happy to accept, as she hadn't planned to go back right away anyway.
She was curious about Su Yun'er's cooking, so she stood in the kitchen watching.
After removing the scales and gutting the fish, Su Yun'er first chopped off the large fish head.
Although it's called a fish head, it also includes a section of the fish body, which is used to make braised fish head.
The braising process is simple: sauté the fish in hot oil with star anise and bay leaves until fragrant, then pour in pre-made caramel coloring and various seasonings, add hot water, and simmer over low heat. Before serving, you can add a small handful of chopped green onions and cilantro to bring out the freshness of the fish.
The remaining fish body and tail are chopped into large pieces, bones and all. They are then pan-fried in a small amount of oil on several sides until they are golden brown. Water is then added to the pot to simmer, along with soybean paste, scallions, ginger slices, and other ingredients. The pot is heated over a high flame and quickly boils. After simmering for about 15 minutes, some tofu cubes are added, and the dish is simmered for another 15 minutes before serving.
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