Chapter 143

Chapter 143

Lin Taohong gaped in disbelief, "You actually went to deal with Granny Dong?"

She jumped up so suddenly that she nearly pulled the firewood out of the stove, giving herself a good scare.

She was wearing her embroidered shoes, and if they got burned, they'd be ruined.

Lin Taohong felt a wave of fear and first checked her shoes.

"Why such a big reaction?" Lin Chunyan also checked her own shoes.

Lin Taohong relaxed only after seeing her shoes were fine. "Big sister, how can you be so bold! If Mom finds out, she’s going to be furious!"

"Then let's not tell her. Granny Dong won’t go blabbing about it."

Mrs. Zhang had gone to the fields early in the morning to help the second branch with work. Once the millet was harvested, she could rightfully ask for some.

In mountainous areas like theirs, some places couldn't grow rice. But there were fewer restrictions for millet and sorghum; even a small plot of land could yield a crop, so more people planted them.

Jiang Qin and her family also helped the villagers harvest the millet. They didn't ask for wages; their two children followed behind and managed to take back some grain ears.

It was only after coming here that they learned how many different things could be planted in this area. In their hometown, they couldn't grow rice, and they only harvested wheat once a year.

Some people also planted millet, especially in the less fertile areas on the mountain. The yield from planting millet was higher than from wheat.

"If we had land, we could harvest a lot of grain each year and never go hungry."

Jiang Qin's family most hoped to save money to buy a piece of land and live a life without worry about food and drink.

The second and third branches mainly grew wheat and rice. Millet was only planted in small corners, so the yield wasn’t much. Several people worked in the fields, and it was only after they finished that Lin Chunyan and the others managed to make breakfast. By the time Mrs. Zhang returned with a sickle.

The villagers were all like this. As long as it could be produced from the fields, they were willing to plant it themselves and wait for it to grow over several months. Anyone who bought grain from the store would be seen as wasteful and lazy.

"In a few days, once the millet is milled, we can make some yummy yellow millet cakes."

Many people in Zhang family village planted millet. When Mrs. Zhang was young, she thought the yellow millet cakes were the best. "And lamb rice soup, I’ve only had it once, but I still remember how delicious it was."

"How is the lamb rice soup made?" Lin Taohong also became interested. "It sounds good."

"I’ve only seen your grandmother make it once. You just put the lamb in the rice soup, add some cabbage, and the lamb loses its gamey flavor. The rice soup absorbs the flavor of the lamb fat. It’s so delicious."

Mrs. Zhang was almost drooling as she took a steamed bun, cut it open, and put the freshly made mushroom sauce inside, along with a slice of ham and egg.

She took a big bite, and the flavors of the bun, mushroom sauce, egg, and ham blended perfectly, making Mrs. Zhang, who had been working all morning, feel very satisfied.

"This mushroom sauce is delicious. It would be awesome if we could figure out how to grow our own mushrooms."

Lin Chunyan raised her head and slapped her forehead. "Yes, it would be great if we could grow mushrooms, instead of waiting to pick them after the rain."

The mushroom sauce could be stored for a long time, and if made well, it could be sold.

But Lin Chunyan really didn’t know how to cultivate them.

She could only regretfully put this matter aside, thinking that if they met someone who knew how to grow them, they could bring it up again.

After eating, Mrs. Zhang was about to go discuss raising money with Second Aunt Lin. Lin Chunyan told them not to rush. "Maybe Granny Dong will have a change of heart soon."

"Oh, honey, Granny Dong is as greedy as they come. Waiting for her to change her mind is like waiting for pigs to fly."

Lin Taohong also said, "What's the rush? It's not like it's going to change now. Maybe she really had a moment of conscience."

Mrs. Zhang found their words odd and eyed them suspiciously. "Did you two do something?"

Lin Taohong averted her eyes guiltily, but Lin Chunyan was unafraid. "We've been making mushroom sauce all morning. What else could we have done?"

Mrs. Zhang was skeptical but not entirely convinced. It wasn't until Lin Ershu and the others finished harvesting the millet and went to fetch Granny Dong that they found out the charm had been burned.

"It's really strange. Yesterday, she was dead set on getting three strings of coins, but today, she said that since we're all from the same village, she couldn't stand by and enable such wicked behavior."

No one knew what had happened, but it was a good thing nonetheless. With that weight off their shoulders, everyone returned to work with renewed energy.

Mrs. Zhang grew even more suspicious that Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong had done something. Knowing she wouldn't get anything out of Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang, she called Lin Taohong over for a chat.

Lin Taohong clamped her mouth shut, copying Wang Yingniang’s behavior, and didn’t respond no matter what Mrs. Zhang asked.

The day before, the tofu made in the tofu workshop wasn't sold. Instead, it was distributed to everyone who had helped with the work. It had been a long time since they'd had tofu pudding, so no one declined and took the tofu pudding home.

The weather was perfect for enjoying chilled tofu pudding, and Lin Chunyan brought a lot to the establishment.

Even though the grape harvest hadn’t gone well last time, the wild grapes on the mountain were ripe, and Dog Dan's Father, along with two people from the Wu family, had collected quite a bit nearby.

Worried about the weather, Lin Chunyan feared the grapes would get rained on if left outside. So, she cleared out the west room and placed the pre-cut firewood in the shed at the back. This west room was specifically used to dry the grapes.

The grapes needed to be dried while they were fresh so they wouldn’t spoil. Having dried them the previous year, Lin Chunyan had more experience this time.

Once the tofu pudding was brought to the establishment, some of it was cut into small pieces and mixed with sauce for flavor, still available in both sweet and savory flavors. The rest was placed at Lin Taohong's spot for takeout, for those who wanted to buy it and prepare it themselves at home.

People were still flocking to buy mooncakes, especially with the Mid-Autumn Festival just around the corner, bringing more visitors to town. Standing at the spot where Lin Taohong helped serve food every day, Lin Chunyan could clearly see the boats docking and departing.

"From here, you can even see the raindrops falling into the water."

Not far away, the sesame pancake vendor and her daughter-in-law were making pancakes. The light rain wasn’t enough to make them pack up. They continued working, sheltered by umbrellas.

Jin Niangzi had her stall set up next to the window and, spotting Lin Chunyan, immediately called out, "Yan Niang, my sunflowers are ripe. Do you want some to take home and roast? Your mother loves seeds; she'd be delighted to have some."

The sunflowers matured in autumn, and Lin Chunyan, remembering that the seeds she had shelled the previous year had lasted until now, nodded in agreement. "I'll also give Aunt Zhang some pumpkin seeds. They're delicious when roasted."

"Those aren't for eating. If you give them to me, I'll plant them instead."

Mrs. Zhang had previously given Jin Niangzi some pumpkin seeds, but it was clear she thought it wasn’t enough.

Old Man Zeng, who was selling steamed buns nearby, said, "Don't laugh, but we didn't know pumpkins were edible before. Even when someone came to sell seeds, we didn’t know what they were! Once we learned, the merchant ships started bringing them in."

Lin Chunyan hadn’t been on the merchant ships to buy things for a long time. "Why does it feel like the merchant ships haven’t come around lately?"

"Now that you mention it, it has been quite a while, hasn’t it?"

Jin Niangzi stood up and scanned the shore but didn’t spot any supply ships.

"There are some, but mostly they carry silk fabrics. Not much in terms of food."

Aunt Liu, who was standing behind Lin Chunyan, added, "I’ve heard things are a bit rough out there, and the merchant ships are scarce these days."

Merchants are the quickest to sense trouble. They can detect something is wrong while the common folks are still unaware.

"I see." Lin Chunyan nodded. "No wonder those traders have been less frequent."

Lin Chunyan had been preoccupied with matters on the mountain, so it wasn’t until she checked the ledger that she noticed Mr. Liu hadn’t visited in nearly a month.

Since the tofu pudding supply ran out, the trips made by merchants like Liu became much less frequent. Each time they stocked up on dried tofu and tofu skin, so Lin Chunyan didn’t give it much thought. But now, with what Aunt Liu said, Lin Chunyan began to ponder over the ledger.

"If that’s the case, we should send the ham south for now, rather than risk sending it north."

Lin Taohong was very curious. "Big sister, how do you know the problem is in the north and not the south?"

"Didn’t Aunt Liu mention that the silk fabrics are still being transported as usual? Those are best made in the south and are quite popular there."

It would be safer to wait for Mr. Liu to return and get an update from him.

Aunt Liu had already bought several boxes of mooncakes and had them sent to her son along with Mr. Zhao's books. This time, she came back for more of her favorite snacks, saying they would make good tea accompaniments.

After they moved to White Cloud Town, they didn’t lose touch with the people from Gourd Town. With the boatmen around, they could still meet and exchange letters. Those food enthusiasts would drop by just to pass the time.

As Aunt Liu was picking out mooncakes, she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Aunt Liu, are you buying mooncakes to eat?"

Aunt Liu greeted the person with a smile. "I heard you all had another bet. Who won?"

These food lovers always use the treats from Lin’s establishment as betting stakes. Recently, they used mooncakes. The stakes were simple: the loser had to buy enough mooncakes.

The person waved. "Don’t mention it. I’m here to buy mooncakes because I heard there’s salted egg yolk filling again. Is it delicious?"

"It’s delicious. Nowadays, mooncakes aren’t only sold for a few days like zongzi. You should run a few more trips and buy some fresh ones to eat at home."

Hearing Aunt Liu say it was delicious, the person bought several boxes without even tasting them.

"If there’s nothing to do during the Mid-Autumn Festival, let’s gather in our town. I’ll buy crabs for everyone."

Aunt Liu nodded in agreement, her mouth watering at the thought of crabs. She asked Lin Chunyan, who was organizing the accounts, "Madam Lin, are you planning to make crabs?"

"I am, but I don’t know which family sells good crabs."

Relying only on crabs from Old Uncle Zhang’s village wouldn’t meet the shop’s needs. Lin Chunyan planned to keep those for making crab roe paste.

"What’s the big deal?" The person talking to Aunt Liu wasn’t in a hurry. "I know where there are crabs for sale, all caught by the fishermen themselves."

Lin Chunyan could immediately tell that this person was a gourmand. Seeing that the person looked somewhat familiar, she knew they should be reliable and asked where they could buy them.

This person was enthusiastic and didn’t rush back with the mooncakes. Instead, they personally took Lin Chunyan there.

Seafood wasn’t used much in Lin Chunyan's shop. They rarely made fish, but they did have Sanlang’s crispy fish, which tasted very good without them having to do any work.

After getting off the boat, they indeed saw people selling various kinds of seafood. Lin Chunyan first saw many swimming crabs.

"There are so many! I didn’t know about this before."

Lin Chunyan was like a rat that had fallen into a rice jar. She wanted this and that, and finally, after agreeing on the delivery time, Lin Chunyan left with this person on the boat.

The rain continued to drizzle, but there was a layer of mist on the river surface, making the gently swaying boat feel like something out of a painting.

Lin Taohong, who went along, couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. She didn’t stay in the boat cabin but sat at the bow and talked with the boatman.

The boatman was quite familiar with them and said with a smile, "You’re much better than your younger uncle. He gets seasick every time, and apparently, his son is the same way."

Lin Chunyan also thought she would get motion sickness. Since she arrived here, she hadn't been on a boat much, but unexpectedly, she adapted quite well, with no particular discomfort.

This way, she could go out for a stroll.

Lin Chunyan felt a surge of excitement as she listened to Lin Taohong chattering away, warning her to be careful and not fall into the river.

"If you fall in, don't expect me to dive in after you."

Lin Taohong also became afraid, sitting properly and no longer leaning over to play with the water.

The boatman laughed heartily for a few moments, "Don't worry, I can swim. If the young miss falls in, I'll definitely fish her out."

He also mentioned that he had previously taken a mother and daughter before, and it was the mother, not the daughter, who fell in.

"It scared me half to death. I didn't know if it was an accident or if she wanted to jump into the river to end her life. After I rescued her, I sent her straight to Dr. Hou, but I don't know what happened afterward."

Everyone listening sighed, and even the man who had led the way wanted to know the follow-up, asking Lin Chunyan to inquire about it later.

With the crabs available, Lin Chunyan had Tutor Duan write up a notice that they would be making ginger and scallion fried crabs, limited to fifty portions a day.

Once the notice was out, it did attract quite a few people asking about it, and the first to come was Mrs. Zhao.

She loved crab roe tofu the most and was very much looking forward to the dishes made from swimming crabs, ordering three portions first, two of which were to be sent to her two sons at the academy.

Mrs. Zhang joked with her, "The last time the two gentlemen came, they complained that Mr. Zhao only cared about eating and didn't think to send any to them."

Mrs. Zhao chimed in, "When he got back, he made a fuss with me too. Men aren't that attentive; they can barely take care of themselves, let alone remember the children."

Upon hearing Mrs. Zhao's words, Lin Chunyan's heart stirred, and she asked her, "My lady, do you know when the provincial exams will begin?"

The provincial exams, also known as the autumn exams or "autumn examination," were the next step for scholars in the imperial examination system, held once every three years. This year, someone from their town's academy would be participating.

Mrs. Zhao only knew it was around August, and her two sons were not old enough to participate, so she only had a rough idea.

It was Tutor Duan who spoke up, "It starts before the Mid-Autumn Festival."

The provincial exams had to be held in the provincial capital, and those planning to participate had already left early. Lin Chunyan regretted not having made it in time and wondered if making and bringing along some successful examination pastries would still sell well.

She would have to try.

After leaving White Cloud Town, Jiang Jinyao didn't go on a tour directly but, following the advice of Li Daniang, went to Bian City again.

When she left Bian City the first time, she was full of pride, but now, returning felt like a humiliating retreat. She didn't dare to lift her head in front of Li Daniang, knowing that her actions had been somewhat absurd and could have tarnished the reputation of the school.

Fortunately, Li Daniang didn't mind much. In her early thirties, she had a sweatband wrapped around her head, jade and pearl earrings dangling from her ears, dressed in a simple yet capable manner. Jiang Jinyao hadn't thought much of it before, but now, returning from White Cloud Town, she felt an indescribable similarity between Li Daniang and Lin Chunyan.

Maybe it's because skilled cooks often have a calm and composed demeanor.

Li Daniang didn't say much about Jiang Jinyao's reckless behavior, only asking her to give a full account of what happened in White Cloud Town, including what she said and what Lin Chunyan had made.

Jiang Jinyao didn't suspect anything and truthfully recounted the events, even bringing up the zongzi that Lin Chunyan had given her before she left, "I truly am not as skilled as she is. I had never known there were so many varieties of zongzi."

She had only learned and eaten sweet zongzi before and had never known that they could be made salty. The first time she tried one, she was amazed by the taste of the meat zongzi.

She had already been impressed, but after tasting those zongzi, her admiration grew even deeper.

"I've told you before, there’s always someone better out there. You can't dismiss others just because of your own talent. This journey was a learning experience; if you can learn something from this, it won’t have been in vain."

After hearing about the meat zongzi and salted egg yolk zongzi, Li Daniang wasn't as surprised as Jiang Jinyao. Having traveled to many places, she knew that customs for the Dragon Boat Festival varied, and there were all kinds of zongzi. In some places, they use mugwort water to wrap the zongzi for flavor, while others use grass ash for tradition. There are even alkaline water zongzi and yellow rice zongzi.

"I didn't call you back for any other reason. Since you're thinking of traveling far and wide, go out and see the world, just don't let setbacks crush your spirit."

Jiang Jinyao couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about Li Daniang calling her back this time, though she couldn't put her finger on what. Since she had returned to Bian City, she thought she might as well visit those noble households she usually interacted with.

Although she was a chef, she had regular close contact with these families. She planned to return after honing her skills and continue to engage with them.

But Li Daniang stopped her before she could leave. "It's a good thing you didn't make a big fuss when you came back. Not many people know you're back. Get your things together and head out of Bian City as soon as possible. The political situation has been tense lately; don't stay here any longer."

Li Daniang's last sentence was very soft, but Jiang Jinyao heard it clearly, her face turning pale as she tightly grabbed Li Daniang's hand.

The most dangerous place right now was where Li Daniang was—at the Zhao Wang Estate!

Everyone knew the emperor was getting on in years and was in poor health, and the princes below were all eyeing the throne with hungry eyes. Especially Zhao Wang and the Ninth Prince were fighting the most fiercely. Who knew which prince would ultimately succeed?

At this time, getting out of the Imperial City was the smartest move.

Li Daniang gently held Jiang Jinyao's hand in return, signaling her not to worry. "I have reasons why I must stay here. If there comes a day when I send you a letter, you must come back for a visit."

The swimming crabs had only been delivered for a short while, and more than half of the fifty portions had already been ordered. Neither Lin Cuixiang nor Zhao Zilan had processed crabs before, so Lin Chunyan went to the kitchen to demonstrate.

"I have to say, it's been a while since I've cooked, and I'm feeling a bit rusty."

Lin Chunyan recently hadn't had time to cook at all. Everything in the kitchen had been left to Lin Cuixiang and Zhao Zilan. Fortunately, the two of them were already used to doing these tasks and were very adept at them.

After washing the swimming crabs, the claws and shells were removed, and the crabs were cut in half.

The cut areas were also dipped in a batter made from eggs and flour and fried in a pan first.

When they turned a red color, they were taken out, and scallions and ginger were added to stir-fry until fragrant. After adding oyster sauce and other seasonings, the crabs were braised by covering the pan with a lid.

There was another method that was popular at the time, though it was a bit more complicated. The swimming crabs needed to be steamed in a steamer first, and after removing the shells and claws, the meat was taken out.

Swimming crabs were relatively large. Although they had less crab roe, the meat was very tender and fresh, yielding quite a bit.

The meat was mashed together with fresh river shrimp, and some shredded bamboo shoots were added before being rolled up and deep-fried until golden. The taste was exceptionally delicious.

Lin Chunyan made one batch, letting everyone taste the flavor of the scallion and ginger stir-fry, then had Zhao Zilan and Lin Cuixiang make the rest.

Zhao Zilan knew that Lin Cuixiang always felt she learned quickly, so she no longer tried to compete for first place in everything. She discussed and consulted with Lin Cuixiang on how to proceed.

Lin Cuixiang knew that Zhao Zilan was being considerate of her, and apart from feeling a little embarrassed, she thought Zhao Zilan was a very nice person.

After making a pot, Lin Chunyan tasted their work first, then had them each taste it and point out areas for improvement.

The air was thick with humidity after the rain, making everything feel damp and heavy. Still, they were in front of the stove in the kitchen. Although they would sweat from the heat, it was still more comfortable than being in a damp environment.