Everyone was talking about their enthusiasm, and the old lady just wanted to interrupt their chat and couldn't do anything.
Whether in her boudoir or after she was married to Duke Xie's mansion, she hadn't had a lively and chattering family dinner for decades in her life.
It's not that she dislikes liveliness, but it's not in line with the rules at all, so she is instinctively disgusted.
"That's all." She said, putting down her chopsticks, "I'm not feeling well, you can eat."
She said that she was not feeling well, and Xie's family had to express their opinions and asked questions one after another.
The old lady waved her hand impatiently: "You guys use it, I'm just getting old and easy to lose."
After all, the old lady kept her face solemn for many years, and no one noticed her unhappiness. After she left, the excitement resumed.
The old lady's body was fine, it was too early to return to Shouning Hall, and it was not yet time to go to bed. Since I couldn't sleep, I sat down, and after a while I was hungry, so my mother asked someone to go to the big kitchen to ask for a bowl of vegetarian soup.
After taking a few sips, the old lady put down the spoon and sighed: "As expected, she is old, and her stomach is empty, but she still has no appetite for food."
Mammy advised: "Old Madam, look at what you said, if you are old, wouldn't that slave maid be half buried in the ground."
The old lady was in a gloomy mood today, she couldn't laugh, she just shook her head: "I'm getting old, and sometimes I really can't see what the little ones are thinking." The prince came to Xie Guo Gongfu, the queen rewarded Jiang Shuyao, and the prince himself Supporting the snack street, one after another, the old lady not only had a pain in her face, but she also wondered whether she was a good person.
"Am I the one to hate?" she muttered to herself.
When the mother heard the words, she quickly lowered her head and did not dare to answer.
She has a bad appetite, is in a bad mood, and with her age, the old lady's body is not as tough as before, so she pondered over and over again when she remembered one thing, for fear that she would be the one to hate.
A few days later, the old lady received a post inviting everyone to enjoy the flowers. Flower viewing is just a name, the purpose is to let everyone get together and chat together, otherwise you will get sick all day in your own house.
Although the old lady had no interest, she still went, and after she went, she began to think about her thoughts. When she thought about something, the expression on her face became more rigid and serious, causing others to whisper.
The woman with those sharp eyes who wanted to curry favor with the old lady saw her serious expression, rolled her eyes, and said, "What's going on with the old lady Rong today, but is there something bothering you?"
The old lady has a high status and is the object of the high-level mistresses.
As soon as she was unhappy, she grabbed a lot of people who were coaxing her to speak.
"Let me guess, but your daughter-in-law is worried again?" It was much easier to talk to the old lady of her age, and she opened the topic in the tone of an old sister's chat. , the door opened.
Jiang Shuyao can be said to be a man of influence in Beijing. After marrying Xie Xun by tricks, there was no sign of "safety" at all. Instead, he became more and more serious. The dock opened a store, built a snack street, and a breakfast restaurant, which sounded astounding. .
A good high-level mistress, why does she have the smell of copper on her body
While everyone was waiting to see her jokes, not only did they not fail as they thought, but they did a good job in business. Even their husband and son talked about the food of the Lin family. return.
"I heard that she often shows herself in that snack street."
"What can you say, isn't that her mother's temperament? But back then, the shameless people of the Lin family wanted to take over the Lin family's family business, and it was understandable that Mrs. Xiangyang jumped out to support the family business. But the Lin family was so wealthy. , she can't spend all her life just by eating her mother's old money, so why continue to accumulate money?"
"Yeah, this kind of daughter-in-law is really worrying. I heard that not only did I go to the snack street, but also the pier. I really don't understand the rules!"
A group of people talked a lot, and the old lady's face became darker and darker.
With a "bang", she threw the tea cup on the table.
It was only when he was gossiping about Jiang Shuyao just now that he realized that he was flattering in the wrong way, and hurriedly bowed his head, for fear of offending the old lady.
"Good one doesn't understand the rules. It turns out that the rules in your mouth are used to oppress others, not to restrain yourself." Anyone whose eyes swept across her trembled.
If she was called by her name at this time and said that it was out of order, as soon as the word spread, it would be difficult for their daughter to meet relatives in recent years.
Fortunately, the old lady is not a rude person. After she said a few words indifferently, she left the house on the grounds that she was not feeling well, leaving a group of people sitting in the house and clenching their teeth secretly, for fear that someone would say that they were annoyed by their tongue-tied words. The old lady's words.
After the old lady left the mansion, she did not return to Duke Xie's mansion immediately.
These days, her heart is depressed, and it is good to come out and breathe.
She instructed the driver to go round the river, and finally got out of the carriage to get some air from the river.
"Do you think what they said makes sense?" the old lady asked Mammy.
Mammy bowed quickly: "Old lady, don't take it to heart, they're just a bunch of unruly women with long tongues."
The old lady laughed, her face even more ugly: "What do I want to do in my heart, don't I think the same as they think?"
Mammy didn't dare to speak.
The old lady walked along the river and said quietly: "Rules? What are the rules? I'm old, old, and confused."
She paused and stood by the river in a daze, while Mammy stood beside her and dared not say a word,
Seeing that the sky was getting dark, Mammy was about to give a warning when she heard the old lady suddenly say, "Where is Lin's Snack Street?"
Mammy was stunned for a moment. Her family was working in the outer courtyard and knew a lot about the outside world, so she heard a little about it and replied, "Yomo is at the end of this river."
The old lady nodded and said, "Let's go."
Mammy was taken aback: "Is the old lady going back to the manor?"
The old lady shook her head and walked slowly along the river bank: "Go to the snack street."
Mammy was completely stupid, and after walking for a while, she realized: "Old Madam, don't you take a carriage?"
"Let's go over there."
The old lady did not bring many servants to the banquet this time. Apart from the two coachmen, there was only one nanny. The two walked slowly. After reaching the snack street, the sky was completely dark. Lanterns were hung in the snack street, and the whole street was lit up like a fire dragon. It was a lively time.
Not to mention the old lady, even the grandmother is not used to the bustling of people coming and going.
The old lady stood on the street of Snack Street, surprised: "Is this the Lin's Snack Street?"
Mammy was also surprised. She only knew that the snack street was doing well, but she never thought it would be so prosperous. Such a long and wide street is actually crowded with diners. Some are poor people at first glance, and some are rich in silk and satin. The crowd is crowded, and there is no other place in the capital that is more lively than this.
The old lady didn't know why she wanted to take a look. She originally wanted to take a look and leave, but she was shocked and stunned after a look.
She turned her eyes to the side, and there was a slightly narrow street next to it. It was abruptly cleaned up and it was named Snack Street. A long wooden frame was erected on the street, and a huge sign was hung on it. 's style.
This street is not as prosperous as here, and the market has not yet been repaired. There is only a long street of food stalls, but it is still very lively.
This street is newly opened, and it also sells cheap food. Although there are still old eaters looking for food in it, the people who travel there are more ordinary people.
The old lady thought for a while, then lifted her foot and walked towards Xinjie.
Mammy quickly followed behind.
The market looks acceptable, but the food stalls are extremely rudimentary.
The old lady had been hungry for so many days and lost her appetite, but as soon as she stepped into the snack street with rich aromas, she started to feel a little greedy.
She turned around and watched the food stall owner scoop out food from a large pot and sell it, and the greedy insects disappeared silently.
The two circled around and were about to walk out of the snack street. When they got to the street, they were suddenly stopped.
The stall owner of the street food stall happened to have no diners in front of the stall. Seeing that the two of them went back and forth without finding food, he enthusiastically said: "This aunt doesn't know what to eat?"
It was the first time that the old lady faced such a down-to-earth reception scene, and she didn't know how to deal with it for a while.
Seeing that she didn't answer, the stall owner thought he had guessed right, raised his hand and pointed to the food stall next to him, "Why don't you take a look at this chicken gravy tofu skewer?"
Instead of buying business from her own food stall, she pushed it to other stalls. Out of curiosity, the old lady did not leave, but came to the food stall she pointed to.
In front of the food stall stood an old man in shabby clothes. His clothes were washed white, his eyes were a little cloudy, and his temples were gray. When he saw a diners approaching, he hurriedly said: "What would you like to eat, a bowl of chicken juice tofu skewers?"
She must have an eye problem, and her gaze fell on the old lady a little, so she couldn't see how expensive the cloth on her body was from so close, and she was not the one who eats here.
Mammy should naturally answer for the old lady, but looking at the old man at this time, she couldn't open her mouth for a while.
"My family's chicken soup is made from whole chicken, but it's fresh." She has a bad tongue, can't attract customers, and doesn't look like she has a quick hand, so there have been no diners in front of the food stall, and now someone is coming, Quickly cheered up.
The old lady didn't answer, she wouldn't eat street food.
She felt guilty for making the old man happy because of her relationship, so she asked her mother to give her some money.
The old man's ear was weak, so he could hear some words vaguely, and then saw that the mother gave a large piece of silver, and quickly said: "Two bowls can't cost that much money." She turned her head and shouted to the stall owner next to her. : "Hui Niang, help me see how many copper coins I need to find here."
Hui Niang at the food stall next to her was busy and shouted, "Wait a minute!"
Seeing that the old man had misunderstood, the old man was about to say that they were not buying food, but the old man swiftly lifted the lid of the pot and started to prepare the food: "You sit first, the tables and chairs are all clean, and the chicken gravy tofu skewers will be coming soon. ."
Mommy was a little overwhelmed for a while, she walked to the old lady's side and hesitated: "This..."
The old lady was silent for a while, and said, "Forget it, sit down."
Mammy's eyes widened in surprise. She's not very particular, and there's nothing to eat here, but how could the old lady agree
The old lady sat down in front of the low table. Although the low table was crude, it was cleanly cleaned. Even if the wood was not good, it still gave off a layer of light.
After the lid of the pot was lifted, steaming white mist came out, with a strong aroma of chicken soup, instantly infusing the food stall with a mellow and delicious smell.
Mammy stood behind the old lady, smelling the smell and a little greedy, and said to the old man: "Mother, why don't you open the lid and cook the soup? The chicken soup is so delicious and tasteless under the cover, no wonder you have no guests here. ."
While scooping up the chicken soup, the old man said, "No way, Madam explained that the chicken soup needs to be simmered slowly in order to make the tofu stick to the taste."
Mammy thought about it for a while, and it was estimated that the wife she was referring to was the Lin family, and she was a little puzzled: "Then your business is not good here, won't your wife blame it?"
"How can it be, Madam said, she gave all the recipes and practices, and she also arranged the business. It's up to her if the sales are not good, but we will get a reward if the sales are good. We only need to ensure the taste of the food, and the rest Don't worry about it."
After scooping up chicken soup tofu skewers for two nights, sprinkled with green onion and coriander, the old man asked, "Do you want garlic sauce? More or less?"
Mammy turned to look at the old lady. The old lady didn't speak, so she replied, "Come on, it's just right."
The old man moved his eyes to the side, and then he found the jar of garlic juice and minced garlic.
Seeing her like this, Mammy was inevitably worried about the smell.
Although the chicken tofu skewers look simple, but her eyes are not good, wouldn't she accidentally put too much seasoning
Just thinking about this, a clear childish voice sounded: "Grandma! Let me come."
The old lady and the mama turned their eyes to the street, and a little girl ran over here with two bowls, panting, watching the two of them sitting here and hurriedly said: "Guest officer, wait a moment, it will be soon."
She ran over, put the bowl down, dragged the bench, stood up, and picked up the spoon: "More or less? Do you want hot sauce?"
The old man repeated what the mother said.
The girls scooped the seasonings separately, jumped off the bench, trotted over with the bowl in hand, and put the bowl in front of them: "Please use it."
The old man followed slowly and put the chopsticks on the table.
The old lady and the mother were stunned.
The girl seemed to have guessed their thoughts and explained: "My grandmother has a bad eye. I watch the delicate work of putting seasonings on weekdays. Don't worry, the taste is definitely not bad."
After she finished speaking, she went back to the food stall and said to the old man, "Grandma, let's have dinner. The steward gave me an extra egg today, and we are divided equally."
The old lady and the mammy looked at each other, and the mama hesitated and asked, "Old madam, do you want to use it?"
The old lady cast her eyes on the chicken soup tofu skewers in front of her. The chicken soup was clear and yellow, with sporadic glossy oil floating on the surface. Bright color, white garlic juice and crushed peanuts are adorned in the center, smelling fresh and warm.
When she had no appetite, the big kitchen in the mansion spent all her time cooking food for her. All the things that flew in the sky and swam in the sea were brought to the table for her, and she had no appetite.
But at this time, sitting in front of a clean low table, the lanterns were glowing with dim warm light, people were walking in and out of the street, and the voice of a girl and an old man could be heard beside her ears. The old lady gradually woke up from her numb stomach. .
The old lady said, "Stop standing, you can also sit down and eat a bowl." Under the shocked eyes of the mama, she took the chopsticks and prepared to eat.
Mix the seasoning a little, pick a chopstick and enter the tofu skewers. The tofu skewers are wrapped in the rich and fragrant chicken soup. The fresh and mellow aroma blooms on the tip of the tongue. The sweetness evokes cravings.
It was the first time for the old lady to eat a soy product such as tofu skewers. It looked fresh and chewed. The skin of the tofu skewers is firm, resistant to cooking, and can be wrapped in soup. The chicken soup is fully absorbed, soft and delicate, and when you bite, the warm chicken soup splashes in your mouth, both fresh from chicken soup and mellow from soy products.
The chicken soup was boiled long enough, and the low heat allowed all the umami to come out, soaking the tofu skewers and green vegetables. The tofu skewers are heavy to pick up. When you put them in your mouth, you don’t care about your posture. You have to suck it a little to prevent the chicken soup from dripping. While sucking the soup, you bite and chew it to the back. In addition to being delicious, green vegetables are also fresh, crisp and refreshing, which further enriches the taste.
After eating the tofu skewers, the chicken soup left behind cannot be wasted.
There was no spoon in the food stall, so the old lady hesitated for a while, but she still picked up a bowl to drink.
The chicken soup is clear, and the spices are filtered out. Only the boiled minced chicken and peanuts are left at the bottom of the bowl. After drinking the chicken soup, pour the dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl into your mouth, chew it carefully, and finish it off completely.
It wasn't until she put down the bowl that she suddenly realized that she had no rules at all today, and she just sat down on the street. She actually ate it, and she ate it completely, even ignoring her appearance.
After she finished eating, her face was not very comfortable. It happened that Hui Niang from the food stall next to her was busy and ran over to help find money. Seeing the old lady's face was not good, she suddenly became nervous: "This aunt, but the taste is not good?"
How could the taste be bad, or even said that it was so good that the old lady began to doubt herself.
"No, it tastes good."
The stall owner nodded, only then did he see that her clothes were not ordinary materials, and she was very happy to receive the affirmation of the nobles with tricky tastes: "That's good." She found the money and put it on the table, sighing, "I don't know why. When the market here can be repaired, then there will be no need to eat on the street, and those noble people will not dislike our food."
The old lady didn't talk to him, and the stall owner said to himself: "Hey, I don't know when the lady will come. I heard from the old street that the lady stayed there for a few days before and improved the recipes one by one. It's on a higher level, and you'll want to remember to try it again."
The old lady was stunned. The lady in the stall owner's mouth was referring to Lin, so the lady was Jiang Shuyao.
How many days did Jiang Shuyao stay in the snack street
Thinking about the snack street where people come and go, and thinking about her appearance to improve the recipe, the old lady couldn't believe it, and she blurted out: "What kind of formality?"
The stall owner didn't understand why she had such a big reaction, and asked inexplicably, "What style?"
"Miss Lin's family walks in the street with a public face?"
The stall owner smiled and said, "Yeah, the lady has no air at all. If you are lucky, she will be able to teach her craftsmanship by hand."
The old lady gasped and said, "How can she be so unruly?"
Only then did the stall owner hear the old lady's disapproving tone, and then looking at the old lady's shocked and disapproving expression, she was suddenly unhappy. Where did the aunt come from, she actually pointed to her young lady.
"This aunt, you are wrong. Look at this street, which woman is following the rules?"
She pointed to the food stall opposite: "Her husband is an alcoholic who died of drinking, and the rest of the family drank blood and meat, and forcibly took away their mother and son's remaining family wealth. If she doesn't come out to sell food, they will Mother and son will starve to death." She pointed a few more at random, "If she abides by the rules, she will be sold by her brother and sister-in-law into the pickled land to earn silver taels; if she follows the rules, she will be bullied to death by her daughter-in-law and son; If you follow the rules, you will be given to an 80-year-old man as a toy."
She finally pointed to the old man who sold chicken tofu skewers: "And Aunt Hu, if she follows the rules and doesn't let Xiaohua come out to sell food, what will their grandparents rely on to support themselves?"
After Hui Niang finished speaking, she turned to the old lady and said, "There are no women in this street who obey the rules, but this is the most lively place in the whole capital. The dignitaries, the common people, whoever comes here should give a thumbs up."
The girl who was squatting and eating noodles at the back of the food stall heard her name, and stuck her head out from behind the food stall: "Yeah, what's the use of rules. Madam said, only craftsmanship is true, learn a craftsmanship. You can't starve to death anywhere." She smiled, her eyes full of longing, "When I'm a little older, I can learn to do accounting. The lady said that as long as I pass the test, I will be used. When I make money, I will put the thatched roof at home. With big tiles, it won't drip when it rains."
The old lady just blurted out a sentence. She didn't expect to be refuted like this. She looked at Hui Niang, not knowing what to say for a while.
Seeing that she didn't seem to find fault with Jiang Shuyao, Huiniang softened her breath and shook her head: "If you want me to say, the rules are all things that eat people. You don't understand, the lady understands. She told us that life is alive and alive. Happiness is the most important thing. Although she didn't say this clearly, she took us in, taught us how to cook, and showed up here regardless of her status, turning the snack street into the most prosperous street in Beijing, and let us live again freely... This One by one, they are all saying this truth.”
After she finished speaking, the food stall came to the diners, and hurriedly turned around and went back to entertain.
The autumn night is slightly cold, steaming white mist wafts from the food stalls, diners on the street come and go, either stop or pass by, the lanterns sway with the wind, and the orange light sprinkles in front of the food stalls, casting a circle of bright shadows , merged with the ethereal heat.
It was obvious that the old lady was surrounded by the most annoying noise, but she felt extremely peaceful in her heart, staring at the lantern in a daze.
Seeing the old lady sitting there motionless, the old man thought that Hui Nyong was causing her displeasure, and stood up nervously, wiping her wrinkled hands on the white-washed apron.
When the girl saw this, she said, "Grandma, eat quickly, it won't taste good if the noodles are lumpy." She followed the old man's line of sight to the old lady, saw her sitting there in a daze, and ran over and said, "You have to come again. bowl?"
The old lady returned to her senses and collided with the innocent gaze of the girl.
"Hua, come here quickly." The old man noticed the dignity of the old lady, and the ignorant granddaughter came over quickly, for fear of making the noble person unhappy.
The old lady laughed suddenly, and she said, "Okay, two more bowls..." She said that she got stuck, looked at Mammy, and asked, "Would you like to bring a few bowls for your grandchildren when you go back?"
Mammy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "Okay, they will definitely like this food."
The girl got the business and jumped away.
After a while, she came over with two bowls of chicken gravy and tofu skewered on the table, and was about to turn around when the old lady stopped her: "How about you come and eat with us, don't squat there and eat, sit down and eat. "
The guests didn't dislike it. Of course Ah Hua was willing to sit and eat, so she quickly broke the bowl and came over.
Eat without speaking, sleep without speaking.
The old lady stirred up the tofu for a while, and finally said, "Is it only you and your grandmother in your family?"
"Yeah, my mother didn't make it last winter and left. My father married my stepmother and didn't want me anymore, so I followed my grandmother."
The old lady touched her bun: "I'm sorry for you."
"It's neither bitter nor bitter. Since my wife asked us to work in the snack street, I can eat enough every day."
"Oh? What to eat, and the food is still in charge here?"
…
One old and one young chatted slowly while eating. From the story of this house, to the story of the food stall owner, and then to the story of the snack street. Bowl of simple chicken gravy tofu skewers. The cold air of the autumn night is dissipated by the aroma of the food, and the warm air brings a warm and lively white mist.