??Chapter 74: Chapter 73: Desire
Chapter 74: Chapter 73: Desire
Yang Chao and Yang Qian, the siblings, were welcod warmly, even the two birds and the dog were revolving around them. Zhui Feng was howling loudly, letting everyone feel his presence.
Dabao was showing off, “Brother Chao, Sister Qian, look, this is my pet, Zhui Feng, he’s incredibly cute.”
He also told Qi Qi and Hui Hui, “Quick, learn how to howl from Zhui Feng. If you do it well, I’ll give you so treats.”
Upon hearing this, Qi Qi and Hui Hui stood in front of Zhui Feng, craned their necks and began to howl. Their voices were identical to Zhui Feng’s.
Zhui Feng was confused. It stopped howling and running. It looked at Qi Qi bluntly then at Hui Hui, its expression utterly perplexed.
Yang Chao and Yang Qian were laughing so hard they were stomping their feet.
Chen Afu thought to himself, looking at Zhui Feng’s foolish looks, there’s no way it could be a bodyguard. It was clearly a pet dog that acted cute. It seems Jin Yanzi’s judgent wasn’t always accurate.
Uncle Yang, Li Dong, and Mrs. Huang took many things out of the carriage – five pounds of mooncakes, five pounds of apples, two pieces of at, and two glossy geese from Xile Restaurant.
Chen Afu guided the two children to the New Courtyard and had Dabao, Alu, and the animals accompany them. He also brought fresh dates for them to eat. Chen Ming was accompanying Uncle Yang chatting and drinking tea while she went to the kitchen to help Mrs. Wang, who had just returned from town.
The dates that were soaked in the morning were ready. Chen Afu scooped them out, sliced them with a small knife but not completely through, and removed the seeds. She added sugar syrup to glutinous rice flour to make a soft dough and rolled a small piece into a strip and stuffed it into the dates. She filled a pot with plenty of water, added rock sugar, boiled it, and put in the stuffed dates.
While she was preparing these, Mrs. Wang was roasting white sesa seeds in a small pot on the side.
The sounds of the children’s laughter and the animals’ noises kept drifting into the kitchen, making Chen Afu feel imnsely content and happy. In her previous life, she craved a lively ho like this.
Especially after turning thirty, she would often dream of a house full of children. In her half-awake, half-asleep state, the sound of children’s laughter would linger in her ears. She wanted children, several of them, both boys and girls. Even if she wasn’t married in her past life, she had many discontents over the one-child policy. When the policy was loosened to allow a second child, she was secretly pleased. But who would have thought, she lost her life… Thankfully, in this life, she has Dabao.
Her eyes misted up, like tears, or perhaps the steam from the pot.
After fifteen minutes, she removed the pot lid. The glutinous rice dates had absorbed the sauce, she then sprinkled osmanthus flowers and sesa seeds on top and mixed them well.
The glutinous rice red dates were sweet and fragrant. Chen Afu tasted one and thought it was even better than the ones she made in her previous life. When Mrs. Wang and Chen Ming tasted it, they nodded repeatedly, saying it was delicious.
Chen Afu took a small plate to the New Courtyard for the children but didn’t let them eat too much as it was almost midday. She also took a plate to Uncle Yang, Li Dong, and Mrs. Huang.
Everyone highly praised the tasty glutinous rice dates. Chen Afu secretly chuckled. It appears this delicacy doesn’t exist yet in this era.
The children still wanted more after finishing what they had, but Chen Afu said, “I will make so more for you to take ho. But you can’t eat anymore now, it’s almost ti for lunch.”
Both children obediently nodded their heads.
Because they ca late, and also made osmanthus glutinous rice with red dates, lunch was made rather simple. They made golden pork chops, Kung Pao diced pork, stir-fried pork slices with wood ear mushrooms, dry fried green beans, radish soup, and carved half a cinnabar goose. They especially stead a bowl of minced at and egg custard, which was specifically made for the young girl, Yang Qian.
Alu led the children to eat, and Mrs. Huang held Yang Qian in her arms to feed her, while Chen Ming accompanied Uncle Yang in having so drinks.
Due to the short marination ti, the golden pork chops were not particularly delicious, but the kids all exclaid that they were scrumptious. Especially Yang Chao, who said that the at in their wine-shop was never this tasty.
Not to ntion the children, even Mrs. Wang was puzzled, how co such lean at, which was a bit dry and had no gravy, beca extrely delicious after their daughter’s cooking? The at was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and it even looked good, all golden and shiny. She didn’t expect that simple pieces of bread could be used to create sothing so appetizing and attractive.
Food lover Chen Afu had rembered golden pork chops from her previous life a few days ago. Considering the ribs and lean at of this era were cheaper than fat at, she wanted to make this dish.
This era didn’t have modern bread crumbs, so she decided to make stead bread crumbs instead. The day before yesterday, she specifically stead so wheat-flour bread, and after drying the rest, she cut the bread into small pieces, slow-cooked it in a wok until it hardened and turned golden yellow, then crushed it into crumbs on a chopping board. After sifting out the coarse particles, she got homade bread crumbs.
She even told Mrs. Wang that these are called Fine Bran, and instructed her not to tell others about the thod.
She made the Fine Bran and put it in a small porcelain jar, sealing it with wax.
Just that there were so many things to do these days, she had no ti to go buy lean at or ribs. But Yang Chao and his sister ca over, bringing tenderloin at with them, so she made this dish. As she had predicted, this was the children’s favorite. She even gave this dish a new na that suited the era, Golden Slip at.
Chen Afu and Mrs. Wang didn’t eat with the rest, as they had more glutinous rice dates to make for the children to take back.
When Yang Qian heard that Aunt Chen was making more dates for them, she especially ran to the kitchen and said, “Aunt Chen, could you please make so more? These dates are so delicious, sister Qian wants daddy and grandma to eat lots of them.”
The little girl was wearing a green embroidered jacket, white middle clothes and pants, her little bundle of hair tied up with a green silk ribbon. Her little face was white and chubby, her big eyes shining. Her voice was soft and sweet, enough to make anyone fall in love with her.
Chen Afu liked pretty girls, but all the children she knew in this life were stinky boys. There was one Chen Daya, but she didn’t want to provoke that child because of Mrs. Hu’s relationship. So, the mont she saw Yang Qian’s little figure, she liked her imdiately.
Furthermore, listening to her words about only having her father and grandmother to eat, undoubtedly she was another child without a mother. Regardless of the era, a child without a mother was always pitiful.
Chen Afu squatted down, smiled at Yang Qian and said, “Oh, sister Qian is such a filial child. Alright, Aunt Chen will make more. This way, not only your daddy and grandma can eat lots, but sister Qian can also have lots to eat too.”
Upon hearing Chen Afu’s words, Yang Qian grinned and said softly, “Thank you, Aunt Chen.”
Mrs. Huang ca along and blushed, “Sister Qian, don’t say such things, it makes people laugh.” Then she smiled at Chen Afu and said, “Ms. Chen, my sister’s just joking.”
Chen Afu laughed and said, “Mrs. Huang, don’t be so polite. Sister Qian is just a child speaking her mind, her filial piety is admirable. Uncle Yang is fortunate to have such a good daughter.”
Mrs. Huang chuckled. Mrs. Huang was Yang Qian’s wet nurse.
After the al, Mrs. Huang, Uncle Yang, and Li Dong started to say their goodbyes, stating that Yang Chao and his sister needed to leave. The siblings started crying, they didn’t want to go, they hadn’t played enough with Dabao, Qi Qi, Hui Hui, and Zhui Feng.
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