Chapter 78 Making Peach Preserves
Shan Yueming's grave is at the foot of a very remote mountain. There's nothing there except trees and rocks, so the villagers don't go there.
According to Old Man Lu, she herself said she didn't want to be bothered by people, so he buried it there.
Between the two trees, there was a small mound of earth, covered and surrounded by wildflowers of various colors, without a single weed.
Apart from the grave, the surrounding area was full of weeds, stones, and clods of earth.
It's obvious at a glance that the wildflowers by the grave were deliberately moved there.
The inscription on the tombstone reads: Tomb of my beloved wife, Yue Niang.
It doesn't even have a complete name.
Old Man Lu said that this was also his wife's instruction.
She said she used to have a fiancé, and if he were to come looking for her, Old Man Lu wouldn't even be able to protect her bones.
Old Man Lu dared not disobey.
When Lu Qingqing arrived, Old Man Lu was repairing the tomb.
Every time he came, he would patch up the soil here and there.
"father!"
"Oh, what brings you here! It's almost dark, I was just about to head home!"
Although Old Man Lu said this, he was very happy. He turned to the grave and said, "Moon Maiden, your daughter has come to see you! She has brought you some food."
"Big peach, you love this the most!"
Lu Qingqing knelt down, bowed, but didn't know what to say, so she remained silent.
Old Man Lu was already very happy.
This was the first time Lu Qingqing had paid respects to her mother.
“When your mother was alive, she doted on you the most. Now that she sees you have inherited her mantle, she must be very happy.”
"Oh, look, Dad's gotten confused. You and Mom have spent so much time together in your dreams, how could she not know?"
“I don’t know why, but I used to worry about you every day and didn’t have time to think about anything else. Now that you’re more sensible and less of a worry, I keep thinking about your mother.”
Old Man Lu kept rambling on and on, showing no sign of leaving.
Lu Qingqing then talked to him.
"Dad, how did you and Mom meet?"
"When we met... it wasn't a pleasant time."
"Then I won't say anything."
"It's no big deal to tell you, just to let you know how treacherous the world is."
Old Man Lu sat down cross-legged and began to tell Lu Qingqing about what had happened to them in the capital.
At that time, Old Man Lu was determined to learn a trade, so he went to the capital with someone.
The capital city isn't a place where just anyone can stay. Forget about becoming an apprentice; nobody even wants you as a helper in a carpentry shop.
He wandered around aimlessly for a few days, and that's when he met Shan Yueming.
She was being stuffed into a sack by two thugs, who were about to sell her to human traffickers.
Old Man Lu couldn't beat the thugs, and hearing the moaning of a girl inside, he couldn't bear to leave, so he quietly hid to the side.
When one of the thugs finally went to contact the human traffickers, he knocked out the remaining man with a rock.
When he opened the sack, he was horrified; the person inside was covered in blood.
"Your mother's tendons were severed, she was flogged, thrown out of the yamen, and left barely alive. Then, some thugs stuffed her into a sack." Old Man Lu quietly wiped away a tear.
"What do you mean by 'under the emperor's feet'? The capital city may appear prosperous on the surface, but it's rife with murder and robbery more often than anywhere else."
Later, I built a thatched hut at the foot of the mountain on the outskirts of Beijing and settled down with your mother...
I pieced together the money to learn the trade, your mother slowly recovered her hand, and then we had you all…
Old Man Lu only mentioned it briefly, but in reality, that period was arduous and long.
For example, Shan Yueming was in a state of depression for a long time.
For example, how Old Man Lu repeatedly encountered setbacks before finally finding a carpentry shop to hire him, where he gradually learned the craft by secretly observing.
The hardships of survival for ordinary people are vividly embodied in him.
Even if he didn't say it, Lu Qingqing could figure it out.
Suddenly noticing something strange on her face, she reached out and wiped it.
My hands were wet with tears.
She actually cried while listening.
Lu Qingqing was somewhat stunned.
In modern times, her colleagues call her a cold-blooded beauty.
It's incredibly tear-jerking.
She doesn't remember ever crying.
She's actually crying now?
"Father, when you think back on all this now, do you feel bitter?"
"It wasn't bitter. It was very sweet, and even now, thinking about it, it's all sweet."
But there's no going back.
We'll never see each other again.
The real suffering comes from not being able to see each other again.
"Oh, by the way, your mother's name wasn't Shan Yueming back then, it was Shui Zhongyue. She only told me her real name later."
I think both names sound nice.
"Water?" Lu Qingqing was taken aback.
What Xu Rui asked about that day was water!
Does Xu Rui know her mother?
"Father, besides the capital, where else has Mother been?"
My time in Liuyun Village was negligible; my mother passed away not long after I returned, and I never even met any of the villagers.
"Your mother visited quite a few places before going to the capital. What happened?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Xu Rui is so young, I don't know how he met his mother.
The county magistrate took office last year, and we don't know where he's from.
As the sun sets, birds return to their nests.
The chirping of birds overhead made the two realize that it was already dark.
It's time to go home.
"Father, let's go."
Lu Qingqing helped Lu's father up.
The two walked onto the village road.
A horse-drawn carriage came clattering towards us.
Lu Yun waved his little whip: "Congcong! Did you see that clearly? That old man in front is our dad!"
"Father! Sister! We've come to pick you up!"
Old Man Lu: "..."
Who is Congcong?
Does he have another child?
...
Of the peaches brought back, Sixi took some back with him, and his elder brother left some for the Feng family.
Then he asked Old Man Lu to distribute a few to the neighbors who had helped the Lu family over the years.
There were 20 jin left in the end.
It spoils quickly in hot weather, so we only need to keep five pounds for the whole family, since we'll have more in a couple of days anyway.
Lu Qingqing then made the rest of the peach preserves.
Making dried peaches is simple: peel them, cut them into strips, and marinate them with sugar.
Because there wasn't enough sugar at home, and she only had less than two pounds of the sugar she bought last time, she poured it all out. Feng Xiaowan, who was following along, screamed in fright.
"Little sister, is the recipe wrong?"
Who adds so much sugar to their food? What's the difference between that and eating silver?
“That’s right, that’s not enough. Normally, you need to add six pounds of sugar to fifteen pounds of peaches.”
Feng Xiaowan stared at him, speechless for a long time.
This isn't about spending money.
This is just throwing money around like a game!
Fresh peaches are the best!
“Sister-in-law, you’ve started earning money now, and you still can’t bear to eat well? A person only lives for a few decades. If you don’t eat and drink well, aren’t you doing yourself a disservice?” Lu Qingqing said.
"I'm not reluctant to part with them, I just think fresh peaches taste better than dried peaches."
real.
It tastes better when it's wet than when it's dry.
Lu Qingqing smiled but didn't say anything. She'd know once the dried peaches were ready and she tasted them.
Both styles are definitely tastier.
Most importantly, make it dry, seal it, and it can be stored for many days.
"Little sister, I asked your second brother the other day. He said Lin Ye is quite nice, and he likes him!"
Lu Qingqing: "Huh? What did you ask?"
"I always said the Lin family has been ravaged by matchmakers. What do you think of Lin Ye, my second brother?"
He said, "It's great; whoever marries her will be very lucky."
Feng Xiaowan smiled, pursing her lips.
"I then whispered something to Lin Ye, and the girl lowered her head, blushed, and didn't say anything."
"Isn't that just because I like it too!"
Lu Qingqing: "Huh?"
No wonder Lin Ye sent the money bag; it turns out it was his sister-in-law's doing.
It seems Lin Ye has feelings for Second Brother!
But second brother, do you understand?
Just a little kid.
Never mind, she wouldn't understand anyway.
After a while, a lot of juice came out from the marinating process. Lu Qingqing poured it into a bowl and added some warm water.
Using a small spoon, I moistened the lips of chubby Xibao.
Xi Bao licked her lips and was overjoyed, dancing around in Feng Xiaowan's arms.
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