This year, the heat is very early, and May has just started, and Xia Jing has already felt a bit of heat, the red sun is in the sky, and the thick clothes on passers-by can't be worn anymore, and it is getting less and less day by day. . But compared to the heat that is gradually sprouting, the melons and fruits sold in the market are becoming more and more abundant day by day. Watermelon sprouts tall shoots, dark purple long eggplants are famous, and there are emerald green asparagus And cool and fragrant cucumber.
This is the season for gourmets to feast their appetites, even if they eat the same food every day, it is still not enough.
Neighborhoods also offered and sold seasonal fruits and vegetables one after another, and even brothers from outside the city carried milk and drinks on their shoulders to sell, as if the business would be taken away by the next door one day later, the sun As soon as the clouds broke through, East Cross Street was already buzzing with shouts.
"Melon, bitter melon, king melon, eggplant, chives, shallots..."
An old vegetable farmer was carrying a burden, and sang in the streets and alleys, but everyone sang in cadence, and even brought his own little girl out to sing with him. Those who sang well could get a bit better business than others However, the old farmer was sad and weak, so he walked two streets without selling a single vegetable in his burden. Later, the sun rose, and his back was tight. Seeing the shed erected at the entrance of the opposite restaurant, he ran over cheekily to rest for a while.
Yu Jinnian went to the inn next door to see the young master of the Xue family, and changed the medicine. Seeing that the new granulation had grown slowly and the wound had gradually closed, he used elephant skin, dried blood, frankincense, angelica, licorice, Astragalus root, ginseng powder and other medicines were developed into Huashu Shengji Powder, and Su Ting asked Su Ting to use it for him. A few more doses of activating blood and regulating qi soup were prescribed for him, and he was allowed to get out of bed and walk around with a cane.
Xue's family had already prepared a carriage to take their precious baby back home, and they also wrapped a generous red envelope for Yu Jinnian as a thank you gift, and promised that when he recovered from his injury in the future, he would definitely pack a big place in the Sanyu Building celebrate.
Although Yu Jinnian was not a big money fan, he was not so lofty that he refused to accept the money that Master Kuo sent to his face, so he happily took Xue Ding's consultation money. As soon as he walked out, he was stopped by a vegetable load in front of his house. He looked aside, and was about to ask whose house was blocking the way, when an old man dressed as a farmer ran away bitterly. Come out, make apologies repeatedly, and go straight as soon as possible. Yu Jinnian glanced into his vegetable basket, and stopped him with a loud voice: "Old man, I think your vegetables are very fresh, how do you sell them?"
The old man froze for a moment, quickly unloaded the food basket, and introduced it to him in the same way.
Yesterday the clerk in the store sent a message to Jin Youting, saying that a nobleman sent a housewife over, saying that he would like to hold a birthday party for the family child on the third floor tomorrow afternoon, and specially ordered a steamed and miscellaneous soup, other dishes are not required , Ask the shopkeeper to watch the preparations by himself. This steamed and miscellaneous soup are both northwestern dishes, and few people in Xiajing like to eat this, let alone eat it in Langlang summer, because the two dishes are made of mutton, which has the function of warming and nourishing.
But since it was a diner's request, it was hard for him to say anything, and this dish was not a tricky dish, so the ingredients had to be prepared early. Moreover, the nobleman ordered two hot dishes for the main course, and Yu Jinnian planned to make some simple and light dishes, which are not only bright in color, but also can be reconciled in sex and flavor, so that he won't be able to eat it all at once, but in the scorching heat Summer is on fire.
That would smash their signboard on the third building.
Yu Jinnian weighed the old farmer's vegetables with his hands. The melons, eggplants, juicy and fresh, and heavy are very handy. At first glance, they are all well-cared for goods, much better than the crooked melons and split dates at some stalls So he took out a few broken silver beads in a very grand manner, and without paying a penny, he went straight to round up all the vegetables that he had two big burdens on.
The old man was overjoyed for a while, because he didn't expect that the vegetables could be sold so quickly. He hurriedly wiped the sweat from his palms, took the money, and carefully stuffed it into a purse made of old clothes. Hiding it in the skirt of his clothes, he picked up the burden and turned around towards the west of the city.
Yu Jinnian wondered: "Old man, is it because of the unrest outside the city recently? Why are you so sad?"
"Hey, don't mention it!" The old farmer sighed, shook his head with a bitter face, and chatted with him, "I had a small illness a while ago, old man, and I rested at home for a day, but all the vegetables in the field were harvested. It was not fresh all day long, so my old woman went to the city to sell vegetables on my behalf. The vegetables were sold out, but who would have thought that in broad daylight, a little thief would steal my old woman’s purse! ...You said that we worked so hard to plow the three-point land, but in the end it was stolen! We have nowhere to complain, so why not be more careful in the future?"
Yu Jinnian asked his fellows to help bring all the vegetables they bought to the back kitchen, and asked them to make a bowl of sour plum soup to quench the old man's thirst, while he himself helped lift the burden on the old man's shoulders, wondering: "I heard that There is a new Gyeonggi Shaoyin outside the west city, who is very vigorous and decisive, and the three counties in the west are all governed by him in an orderly manner, and it seems that there is a good custom of not closing the door at night."
The old farmer took a sip of the sweet and sour plum drink, and the porcelain bowl that had been tempered with well water was cool in his hand, but it didn't hurt like ice, and he felt half of the restlessness in his chest dissipated immediately. As soon as summer came, many shops began to sell drinks, but compared with the bowl in his hand at this time, he always felt that those were inferior. He couldn't tell, he just thought he had a good drink, so he drank it clean in two or three sips. After thanking Yu Jinnian, he patted the mud on his clothes and said helplessly, "No matter how powerful the officials above are, they can't finish catching all the thieves in the world! We can't labor those big men for such a small thing as a penny or two. .”
"That's true." Yu Jinnian murmured, "It's really difficult to make a world without thieves."
"However, my old lady told me that the little thief was dressed in rags. He probably came here to escape from the famine. He was not very old, and his height was about the same height as the little boss. Moreover, there was a black mole the size of a soybean on the back of his left leg socket." The old farmer said angrily. Rubbing his hands together, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened an inch for no reason, "I'll look around when I'm going to sell vegetables tomorrow, maybe I'll catch him!"
Yu Jinnian hurriedly said, "Then you have to be careful with your body."
After speaking, he seemed to suddenly think of something, and held his head to recall carefully for a while.
"Hey, old man, when I was young, I was also a good wrestler in ten miles and eight villages!" The old farmer chatted happily with him, and thanked him for buying all his vegetables in one go. Flipping through, he brought out a small wooden box with a lid, and stuffed it into Yu Jinnian's arms, "The little boss is kind-hearted. My wife picked this box of mulberries from a tree when she got up in the morning. She insisted on asking me to take it with me to quench my thirst. I also It hasn't moved yet, if the little boss doesn't dislike it, he can eat it!"
Yu Jinnian refused, "How good is this? Originally, the dishes are not very expensive, and I want to blackmail you with a box of mulberries."
"It's worthless. It's grown on the tree in front of our house. There are so many of them. If people don't eat them, the birds will eat them all in a few days!"
Hearing what he said, Yu Jinnian accepted it in embarrassment, went back to the building and poured out the mulberries, and then returned the box to others, and made another sling of sour plum soup with a small bamboo tube, and tied a handle with a red string , Ask the old farmer to take it back to the mother-in-law who has worked so hard to pick the mulberries.
Back in the back kitchen, he soaked the mulberries in salt water, melted them into flour with sugar water and eggs, put the kneaded dough in a wooden basin to proof, and then prepared to go to the sheep shop in the south to chop some lamb ribs and The leg meat is back.
Ever since the incident in the Regu Palace got some attention, these gossips in Beijing have been spreading rapidly. The Sanyu Building, which has only been open for less than a month, has been on the top of the storm. Every day, diners of all colors gather to really taste the food. There were some of them, but they were a minority. On the contrary, there were many children from the powerful family who came to join in the fun and inquire about his background.
Fortunately, the master behind this building is the Ji family. Even if some malicious people come to spy, they can only stop here. Yu Jinnian hates these things the most. Today, Min Mao doesn't know where to hang out, Ji Hong goes to work, and everyone else has their own busy schedules, but he seems to be the most idle, so naturally he finds an excuse to slip out so that others don't worry about him. Come and watch as a wild monkey.
From the Sanyu Building to the south of the city, he walked and strolled. It took him more than half an hour to measure it with his feet before he arrived at the Meat Shop Street. There were bloody pieces of meat hanging upside down, and there were also buyers of bloody tofu. Pots of red juice were placed on the side of the street, and strips of white meat were hanging from their heads. It was as bloody as it wanted.
But amidst the bloody atmosphere, there was also a faint fragrance of wormwood, which dilutes the smell on the street a bit.
Since I came to this meat shop, I also bought some other things along the way. I don’t know if it’s his illusion these days, but I always feel that the atmosphere in Jinyouting is different from usual. The little maids at home were very lively in the past. , It's all because of their fights that they feel a little popular. These days, the little maids are all pursing their lips, with a hesitant expression, which makes it hard not to care.
Just a few days later will be the Yulan Festival on the fifth day of May, that is, the Dragon Boat Festival, which is the day when the yang energy gathers. Yu Jinnian thought about wrapping some horn palms at that time, so that everyone in the house would have a happy reunion.
The meat shop is the most murderous among the hundred trades, and it is also the most likely to cause epidemic diseases. Therefore, many butchers have hung mugwort leaves on their doors and shops in advance to dilute the blood evil and resist the epidemic. It is also said that on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the five emperors of the heavens will inspect the merits of the descendants of the world, convict them and measure their blessings, so shops selling lucky candles and ingots are also booming, and the supply of five-poison charms is even more in short supply.
The Five Poison Talismans are not a rare thing, they are printed or cut out the patterns of centipedes, scorpions, poisonous snakes, geckos and toads on red paper, and there are also painted gourds, which are pasted on the bed in front of the door. head to avoid poisonous insects. Seeing the excitement, Yu Jinnian also bought a thick stack on the street, and also bought a few toad nets made of colored silk thread, as a sign of good luck.
On the street, two little dolls surrounded Yu Jinnian and sang: "Mai'er Huang, Xing'er Huang, planted with wormwood, the house is full of fragrance!"
Seeing that the children were cute, he gave each of them a toad net, which was good, and then more children came and surrounded him. When he came back to his senses, the toad in the basket The delivery box was empty, and a few children who couldn't deliver it looked at him aggrievedly. He is the most unbearable person, especially children, so he went to buy a few more, and just turned around to distribute them, when his arms suddenly sank—
A hand seemed to firmly grasp his wrist, pulling him out from the crowd.
"How dare you show up in Nancheng?! Still making such a fuss!"
A scolding sound exploded in his ears, and Yu Jinnian looked up wonderingly. The visitor was dressed in a plain long gown, with a thin figure, followed by a simple and honest old servant. He didn't turn his head for a moment, blinked a few times in confusion, and only after a while did he remember who he was, and opened his eyes wide in surprise. Looking at the person coming, he smiled and said, "Oh, isn't this Mr. Yan, the school secretary? What a coincidence, you also come to buy a magic talisman?"
Isn't this person the "honest gentleman" Yan Rong, if he hadn't met today, he would have forgotten about this person a long time ago.
Yan Rong was a little different from what he was in Xin'an County back then, and it was a little clearer, but he still looked at him with a frown, which made Yu Jinnian feel a little familiar. He dragged Yu Jinnian to a secluded place, and then said: " If you don't cook in your Sanyu building, don't ask Ji Shuluan to cover you well, what are you doing in Nancheng?"
Yu Jinnian was stunned for a moment, and asked back, "How do you know about Sanyu Building? Have you been there?"
"..." Yan Rong was dumb for a moment, faltered a few words, and simply broke the jar and said, "You don't care how I know."
Yu Jinnian said hilariously: "You man, although we can't be called old friends, we can still be called old friends! When we meet old friends, how can we talk like this? It's like eating chili peppers. There is a new sour plum juice in my building. , unlike other places, you should drink a few bowls of Xiaohuo."
Yan Rong said awkwardly: "It's just that there is more bergamot and tangerine peel, it really is something good."
After finishing speaking, Yu Jinnian smiled and rolled his eyes. Yan Rong realized that this little thing was so smart, and that he mislead himself by saying a word, and suddenly he was extremely annoyed. I don’t care what you do! You might as well be caught and have your skin peeled off.”
Yu Jinnian hurriedly chased after him, holding back his smile: "Master Yan, Master Yan! Don't leave, say a few more words, why can't I come to Nancheng? Is there any monster in Nancheng who wants to eat me?"
Yan Rong stood still and looked back at him: "You didn't do it?"
Yu Jinnian was surprised: "What did I do?"
Yan Rong said: "The young master of Fuguizhai was stabbed a few days ago, and his servants are carrying portraits all over the street looking for the murderer." As he spoke, he stretched out his hand, and the old servant behind him took out a thin sheet of paper from his sleeve. When the paper arrived, he shook it open and showed it to Yu Jinnian, "Look, it's not you that was drawn."
Mentioning Fuguizhai, Yu Jinnian knew that he was talking about that kid Xue Ding, but when he heard that there was still a portrait, he couldn't help but leaned over to give him a few glances, and immediately said: "Go blind, Mr. Yan, this doesn't look like me! Can't you see the big black spot on his face?"
Yan Rong gave a slight "tsk" and asked the old servant to take out another portrait. This one is different from the previous one. Although it is a copy of the previous one, people with a discerning eye can see that the brushwork in this one is more detailed, and the dark spots on the face of the person are not intentionally copied. Previously, there were so obvious spots that interfered with the line of sight, which made people ignore the real appearance of this person. Only in this way, people can return their attention to the original facial features of the portrait.
At that time, the portraits were all hand-painted by the painter, which was already very different from the real appearance. After removing these differences, and looking at it from a distance, it seemed that he really looked a little like him.
Yu Jinnian fell silent.
Yan Rong crossed his arms and said, "Why, there is no denying it? Do you want me to show you the way to Si Ya?"
Yu Jinnian raised his face, and said unconvinced: "I found that you are really strange, just now you looked like you were afraid that I would be caught, and when you turned your face, you would get stabs in your mouth. The girls in the Red Pavilion are not serious. Your lord is so fickle... Isn't it normal that some people can't understand Young Master Xue's rampage in the neighborhood? Why, if I really did it, you can still turn me away."
Listening to his tone, Yan Rong seemed to have something to do with him, immediately put his hand down, stared at him for a long time, then suddenly looked around, and pushed him into the vicinity teahouse box. The two sat down and retreated from the idlers. He was about to open his mouth to question when Yu Jinnian said slowly, "Okay, don't worry, it's not me."
"..." Yan Rongzheng was thinking about what to do, and when he heard this sentence, he choked on his tea, "Yu Jinnian! Which one of your sentences is true?"
Yu Jinnian tasted the fresh scented tea, and said: "Really, it can't be more true. Then Xue Ding was cured by myself, so it wouldn't be the case that I didn't get a spot on my face first, ran to stab him, and then Putting effort into curing him, am I being idle?"
Yan Rong choked: "...you speak more politely."
Yu Jinnian smiled and said: "Come on, I forgot that Mr. Yan is a gentleman. Then Mr. Yan, since I did not do this bad thing, can I go now, I have to buy meat, make zongzi at home, and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. We all If you have a family, your lord, go back and accompany your wife, what kind of tea will you have with a third-rate cook like me?"
Yan Rong paused his teacup, rested on the back of the chair, and said speechlessly: "I'm so worried, I'm well-intentioned, but you all treat me as a donkey's liver and lungs. Hurry up, let's save people from being annoyed!"
Yu Jinnian was about to leave, but he turned around and asked him, "Apart from me, is there anyone else bothering you?"
"Isn't it the childhood sweetheart of your son of the season?" Yan Rong said angrily, "A few days ago in the imperial study, he publicly interceded for a notorious power official, the emperor's thunder was furious, and he was taken aback by his immortal His tongue was blown away, and he was only fined 30 boards and confined to the darkroom for a month. Now the government and the public are in turmoil, and people are guessing whether he has voted for the eunuch party. I only advised him to cherish his feathers, but he was fined. A taunt."
Yan Rong wondered again: "Although Min Xuefei is tactful, he has always been upright. Now that the Ji family has risen, and Ji Shuluan has been reused by the emperor, it is a good time to show his fists. Why did he hook up with that eunuch instead! Isn't he with Is Ji Shuluan inseparable?"
Yu Jinnian was stunned for a while, then said, "I don't know."
"That's right, you don't understand what I'm telling you about these things." Yan Rong muttered a few words and waved his hand, "Forget it, let's go, don't let the Xue family really catch you by mistake, I'm not going to tip you off!"
Yu Jinnian rolled up his little basket and smiled: "Then you can go to the third building if you have time. Remember the tea money, and I will pay you back for a meal then."
Yan Rong muttered: "Who's missing a meal for you..."
Turning around, the boy had already left, leaving only a colorful silk toad on the table.
—
Yu Jinnian bought a bunch of things in a daze and went home. The conversation with Yan Rong today seemed to be nothing serious, but when he thought about it carefully, the piles were not too small, enough for him to ponder for a while. So it wasn't until I entered the Sanyu Building that I realized that I forgot to buy zong leaves, so I had to ask the assistant to go again.
When he arrived at the back kitchen, he washed the mutton, disassembled it, and marinated it. I also grabbed a little ginger pepper, grass fruit, tangerine peel and other seasonings, and together with the apricot mud pine pollen that I told the cooks to prepare, stir-fry over medium heat to get the aroma, and then season with salt and sauce.
After the sauce was finished, Yu Jinnian was busy with a few dishes ordered by the previous diners, and when the time was almost up, he was ready to make a steamed dish.
This dish is also very rough in the west. Compared with the delicate style of a radish in the Central Plains, it is more tolerant of cooks. The cut mutton is placed in a bowl, with some simple mixed vegetables on top, poured with the Songhua apricot paste that was fried before, and put it in the drawer for steaming.
It takes half an hour to cook, the meat is crispy, the juice is thick, the smell of mutton is neutralized by the fragrance of pine flowers, and the meat is tender but not greasy. In addition, Yu Jinnian did not follow the original recipe meticulously, and there are some changes. This dish is more in line with the taste of Daxia people.
After he had finished taking care of the back kitchen and tidying up the private rooms, he was nestling in the backyard picking beans, and couldn't help but miss the time when he was in Xin'an County, when Ji Hong wrongedly held the wooden basin to pick up beans for him. That's leisure time... The guy at the front suddenly called, saying that the nobleman had arrived.
Yu Jinnian hurriedly put down the bean basin to wash his hands, and went out to greet him, but saw a burly middle-aged man in a capable riding outfit getting out of the carriage.
"Mr. Yu Xiao, my son thanked you last time!" The other party entered the door without saying a word, and gave a big thank you first.
After he reminded him like this, Yu Jinnian suddenly remembered - it turned out that this nobleman who likes to eat mutton turned out to be the famous General Lu.