The next day, Jiang Yanyi slept until noon before getting up.
She had never had such a good night's sleep since she came here.
She dressed neatly and just stepped out of the room, she saw Qiu Kui squatting on the other side of the courtyard wall, not knowing what he was doing.
The already high sun was a little dazzling. Jiang Yanyi squinted his eyes and stretched lazily: "Qiu Kui, when did you get up?"
Qiu Kui turned around when he heard the voice, unable to hide his excitement: "Hua Hua, pomegranates are falling from the sky!"
Jiang Yanyi was stunned when he heard it. He walked over to take a look and found that three pomegranates had fallen into the yard at some point. One of them was smashed, but the other two were big and red, and probably because they fell on the soil of the flower bed, even the skin was not scratched.
The stem of the broken fruit was brown, probably because it was ripe and fell off on its own. The stems of the other two fruits were fresh green and did not look like they would fall off on their own.
Jiang Yanyi looked up at the half-exposed pomegranate tree on the other side of the courtyard wall and wondered, "Could it be that the wind blew these two pomegranates down last night?"
Otherwise it doesn't make sense.
Qiu Kui looked at Jiang Yanyi eagerly: "Hua Hua, can I eat it?"
Although she was greedy, she knew that this thing was not from their yard and was afraid of being scolded by the owner if she ate it.
Jiang Yanyi stared at the two pomegranates with some worry. Theoretically, they should be sent back to the owner, but from a practical point of view, it would seem very contrived.
If we were just ordinary neighbors, it would be fine. If something in your yard fell to my side, I would return it to you. This would also help to bring neighbors closer.
But the wealthy family next door, let alone the master of the house, even the servants would not care that two pomegranates were blown away from the tree by the wind. If she made a special trip to return the pomegranates, I am afraid that the doorman would think that she was taking the opportunity to extort money.
Jiang Yanyi hesitated for a while and said, "You eat it. I will make some cakes and send them to the neighbors nearby. I will also tell the gatekeeper of the Protectorate about the pomegranates."
This can be considered as reciprocity.
Before opening a store, give gifts to all the neighbors around you to build good relationships. It is always better to live in harmony with neighbors who see each other every day.
After all, there is an old saying that "a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor." If she and Qiu Kui, two weak women, really encounter any problems here, they will have to rely on the help of their neighbors.
After hearing Jiang Yanyi say that it was edible, Qiu Kui happily picked up the two pomegranates.
Jiang Yanyi strolled to the corner of the yard, took a look at the peppers he had planted in the flowerbed, scooped a small ladle of water from the water tank in the yard, and carefully poured it into the soil at the roots.
She went to the market with Qiu Kui yesterday and found out that chili peppers here are called fanjiao. It is said that they were brought back from outside the Great Wall by caravans. They are a rare item and you may not be able to buy them even if you have money.
Isn’t this just turning peppers into rare flowers and plants
Jiang Yanyi didn't know how valuable this pot of peppers was before, but now that he knows, he feels unworthy of receiving it.
Although Feng Shuo obviously did not take the pot of peppers seriously in the military tent that day, no matter how little he took it, the value of peppers in the market was obvious.
It's like if someone treats money as dirt and gives you a piece of gold, you can't say that since the other person doesn't value the money, it's natural for him to give it to you, right
Jiang Yanyi felt that if Feng Shuo came to eat again in the future, he could not charge him for the meal!
The hotpot restaurant offers this big boss free food for life.
After returning from the market yesterday, she had a vague idea: given the current rarity of peppers, she should take good care of this pot of peppers and start growing and cultivating them in the future. Before the pepper market becomes saturated, selling the peppers as potted plants might make more money than using them to make hot pot.
When I opened my hotpot restaurant, I started by selling clear soup hotpots. Although people of this era also like spicy food, the spiciness of dogwood is like the difference between bronze and king compared to chili peppers.
It took some time for the ancients, who had never experienced the strong taste of pepper, to adapt to eating spicy food.
The main focus was on red soup pots. Firstly, there was a shortage of peppers in the market and the price was high. What should we do if we ended up losing money? Secondly, we were afraid that people would not accept it. If we opened the door but there were few customers, it would be a disaster!
After much thought, Jiang Yanyi felt that the red soup hotpot should be prepared slowly.
Once her hotpot restaurant becomes famous, she will slowly introduce the red soup hotpot. Old customers will definitely be willing to try it out of trust.
The future is bright!
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that what the general had given her was not just a potted plant, but a treasure pot!
If my pepper cultivation plan is successful, I will have to send a valuable gift to his house. One reason is to thank him for the gift of peppers, and the other is to enjoy the shade under the big tree.
If the business grows bigger and bigger, there will definitely be times of unrest, so the routes must be laid as early as possible.
Jiang Yanyi stared at the pepper plant with a kind look like that of an old mother.
"Huahua, eat pomegranates!" Qiu Kui peeled a handful of pomegranates and handed them to Jiang Yanyi.
Jiang Yanyi came back to her senses, put away her motherly gaze, and threw the pomegranate flesh into her mouth. As she chewed it, a mouthful of sweet and sour juice burst out. She shouted with full fighting spirit: "Today is also a day to work hard to open the store!!"
Although Qiu Kui didn't know why Jiang Yanyi was so excited all of a sudden, she was also very happy and followed her and shouted: "Open the shop, open the shop!"
The two of them were laughing together in the yard.
Jiang Yanyi was going to give sweet-scented osmanthus cake to her neighbors. Although she thought pumpkin cake was delicious, sweet-scented osmanthus cake was better as a gift.
She didn't know much about pastry, and the reason she learned to make osmanthus cake was because she read novels in the past, and osmanthus cake appeared too frequently in all the novels.
Out of curiosity, she looked for a tutorial online and tinkered with it herself, and what she made actually looked pretty good.
Jiang Yanyi went into the kitchen and poured the indica rice flour and glutinous rice flour into a bowl and mixed them well.
Indica rice flour is mainly used to make osmanthus cake, so that the taste is not sticky. Adding some glutinous rice flour is just to increase the stickiness so that the cake will not fall apart at the touch.
The method of making osmanthus cake is very delicate, and the water used is also particular. It is best to use milk, but soy milk can be used instead if there is no milk. If you use water directly, the taste will be a little lacking.
Jiang Yanyi had just arrived and didn't know where to buy fresh milk. She found it too troublesome to grind the beans and boil the milk with graphite to make a cake, so she asked Qiu Kui to go outside and see if there was any breakfast stall selling soy milk and buy some back.
Not long after Qiu Kui went out, he brought back two large bowls of soy milk. Jiang Yanyi only used some of it, and she planned to use the remaining soy milk to fry two fried dough sticks to have as breakfast.
When making sweet-scented osmanthus cake, the "moisture" of the rice flour is very important. Too much water makes it sticky, and too little water makes the sweet-scented osmanthus cake loose and not formed. The rice flour must be so moist that it can be lumped together when you pinch it with your hands, and can be completely dispersed when you break it.
After this step, Jiang Yanyi sifted the rice flour with a flour sieve, so that the texture would be soft. After sifting, he covered the dough with a wet towel for a while.
She asked Qiu Kuai to light a fire and heat the pan to fry the stuffing. Jiang Yanyi planned to make some stuffed and solid osmanthus cakes. The stuffed ones were made with peanut powder and red bean paste.
Why use red bean paste? Because sugar is too expensive, Jiang Yanyi felt the pain.
She put the peanut powder into the pot and fried it over low heat until it was fragrant, then scooped it up and immediately mixed it with dried osmanthus and red bean paste. The osmanthus was wrapped in the hot peanut powder and the fragrance burst out instantly. Jiang Yanyi added some lard to add fragrance and color. It is said that this kind of traditional snack will not taste good without lard.
Qiu Kui lay beside the stove, sniffing the fragrance. "I now think that sweet-scented osmanthus cake is the most delicious cake in the world, and pumpkin cake can only be ranked second."
Jiang Yanyi smiled and said, "I'll make you some date paste cake some other day."
Qiu Kui was so greedy that she almost cried: "Hua Hua, let's just open a bakery!"
Jiang Yanyi was amused by her.
She spread a shallow layer of fermented rice flour in the mold, sprinkled it with dried osmanthus flowers, and then spread a layer of flour. She then spread the filling on top, and then another layer of rice flour and a layer of dried osmanthus flowers. She flattened it with a spatula and then steamed it in a steamer.
It’s finally finished!
Jiang Yanyi kneaded the dough and fried two dough sticks. He and Qiukui each ate one with soy milk and that was their breakfast.
When the osmanthus cake came out of the pot, Jiang Yanyi took out the mold, cut it into pieces, and put it on a plate, and sent a plate to each of the nearby households.
The neighbors had heard that Zhao Dabao's rouge shop had been taken over by someone, but the new tenant was so reclusive that they had never seen him before.
Today, I saw a young lady with a pretty face and capable work. She gave them cakes when they first met. Apart from other things, she was really considerate in her dealings with others. I instantly had a good impression of Jiang Yanyi.
When Jiang Yanyi returned, his food box was filled with gifts from his neighbors.
This was a good start. She was happy and walked with a lighter step.
The last large plate was given to the Protectorate.
Jiang Yanyi knocked on the red lacquered door of the Protectorate Mansion with a lion head holding a ring, handed over the plate of osmanthus cake and explained his purpose. The doorman took it and said he would report it to the master of the mansion.
It was just a coincidence that as soon as Jiang Yanyi returned, Feng Shuo rode his horse to the doorstep.
He saw Jiang Yanyi leaving the gate of his house at the street corner. He remembered that he not only did not pick up the pomegranates that fell into her yard this morning, but also deliberately picked two for her. He felt as if a cat's paw was scratching his heart for some reason, and he was eager to know why she came here.
After entering the mansion, the first thing he did was to ask the doorman: "Did the cook from the shop next door come here just now?"
The concierge was stunned by the question, and when he came back to his senses, he quickly told the story of Jiang Yanyi sending him sweet-scented osmanthus cakes: "The girl said that the pomegranate tree in our west wing had two pomegranates blown down by the wind last night, so she specially made a plate of cakes and sent them over."
Feng Shuo's dark eyes lit up slightly, and he asked, "Where are the cakes?"
As soon as the doorman entered the room, Feng Shuo rode his horse to the gate of the mansion. The cakes had not been sent away yet.
When he opened the door for Feng Shuo, he put the pastries in the ear room next door. When he heard Feng Shuo asking about it, he hurried to bring them out.
He was a little surprised in his heart. He thought he should just report the matter to the housekeeper and let the housekeeper know about this favor, but unexpectedly Feng Shuo seemed to be quite concerned about this matter.
The doorman thought of the good-looking young lady who delivered the cakes, and had a vague guess in his mind. He secretly thought that he would have to be more careful if he encountered anything with that young lady in the future.
***
Feng Shuo strode towards the west wing with a large plate of osmanthus cake in his hand. The fatigue from a sleepless night seemed to have dissipated a little at this moment.
The west wing is only separated from Jiang Yanyi's yard by a wall, and his sense of taste can be restored to about 90% here.
He sat in the pavilion eating cakes. The osmanthus cake on the plate was cut into beautiful diamond-shaped squares, dotted with dried osmanthus flowers. It was soft in the mouth, and the filling in the middle was sweet and soft.
It tasted like the sweet-scented osmanthus cake he had eaten before he lost his sense of taste.
Perhaps it was because sweets can make people relax, at this moment, the sharpness between his eyebrows and eyes faded, and his expression was even a little lost. His delicate eyelashes were half-drooped, the broken hair on his forehead was gently blown by the wind, and the corners of his mouth were raised in a slightly bitter arc.
The wound on his palm that day had not yet scabbed over, and today's military training had torn the wound again. Some blood stained the osmanthus cake, and he swallowed it all, as if swallowing the past.
It tasted fishy and sweet in his mouth, and he realized that the blood he had swallowed with clenched teeth countless times over the years was full of the taste of rust.
Everything he has now was snatched by him like a vicious dog.
Only the sense of taste, something he thought he would never have again, suddenly appeared.
He wanted to preserve his sense of taste.
Only when he could tell the sour, sweet, bitter and spicy taste of the food he ate did he feel like he was still alive.
But apart from the taste, he could vaguely feel something else from the cook, but it was too vague.
He had a hunch that if he got closer to her, perhaps he would be able to figure out what it was.
"Huahua, osmanthus cake is delicious!"
The sound coming from the next yard interrupted Feng Shuo's thoughts.
Because of his martial arts training, his hearing was much sharper than that of others. Even if he didn't deliberately listen, the noise coming from the other side was particularly clear to his ears.
“The filling is so sweet!”
"Huahua, try it!"
There was a lot of chattering, all coming from one person, but it was not the voice he wanted to hear.
As if the heavens had finally granted his wishes, a beautiful female voice with a smile soon rang out from the other side of the courtyard wall: "I'm eating pomegranates. The sweetness of this one is more to my liking."
Feng Shuo's gaze couldn't help but shift to the pomegranate tree in the corner of the yard.
She likes to eat pomegranates.
This plate of osmanthus cake was exchanged for two pomegranates.
If more pomegranates fell, what would she do tomorrow
That night, a dark figure avoided the patrolling guards and entered the unused west wing of the mansion. He madly plucked all the pomegranates from half of the tree, climbed over the wall and secretly put them into the next yard.
Xing Yao stood on the wall, helping his master keep watch, and couldn't help but remind him, "Master... the tree is almost bald."
Under the moonlight, Feng Shuo's delicate lips were tightly pursed. He looked in the direction of Jiang Yanyi's room and murmured, "I can't be the only one who is upset."
The author has something to say: The next day
Jiang Yanyi (looking at the pomegranates all over the yard): I suspect someone wants to frame me!
I'm sorry, my dears. I'm not in a good mood and everything I wrote feels not right. I've been revising it until now.
I didn’t think too much about it before I started writing. Now the data is much better than expected. I’m actually under a lot of pressure. I hope I can write this story well more than anyone else.
I'm really happy that you like this article. I'm trying my best to write it well.
But I also know that my ability is not enough. No matter how I write, there will always be some plots that cannot meet the expectations of every reader. If this book disappoints you, I believe that it is just a temporary break. The future is so long, maybe one day I can write something you like, and then you come back to read me.
I hope all readers can read books in a good mood~ If this book doesn’t work, try another one. There are so many books on JJ that you can always find one that suits your taste~
Of course, I will keep working hard!
Good night~
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Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!