At noon in winter, the Jiayunzhai is filled with mist, and the diners who have reserved seats are already full. The dumplings here are one of the best in the city. The fillings are made from crab roe saved in late autumn, pickled with rice wine and salt, and then served with
The minced meat and vegetables are mixed together, and then a thumb-sized shrimp is wrapped in it.
The dumpling skin rolled by Leng Jiayun himself is so thin and translucent that when placed on the paper, the words underneath can be seen through, but it is also very tough and not easy to break. After being cooked, the dumplings are steaming, crystal clear and translucent, and the fillings are faintly revealed.
The green vegetables and golden-red crab roe make your mouth water and your index fingers move.
Some greedy diners could not wait for the dumplings to cool down, so they dipped them in ginger vinegar and put them in their mouths. After taking a bite, the golden crab oil and shrimp soup overflowed from between the teeth, leaving a fragrant aroma in the mouth.
It was so hot that people shed tears, but they still couldn't help but lick their lips and praise loudly:
"Boss Boss, this year's dumplings are particularly delicious. Has the recipe been improved?"
"This year's dumpling fillings are not made by me."
The Dongli woman poked her head out from the back hall, responded and then immediately retracted. Although she was busy at the moment, this outstanding woman still maintained her usual grace, even the bun on her head.
Nothing messed up at all.
"So that girl Ning Yue made the stuffing? She's good at craftsmanship! Seeing that the little girl is almost getting married, boss lady, do you think you can let her consider us regular customers who are not yet married?
ah?"
Someone among the diners made a joke. Laughter floated into the back hall. Leng Jiayun was holding dumplings one after another in her hands. She immediately stuck her head out and shouted to the people outside:
"Stop daydreaming. Xiaoyue is like a real sister to me. If you talk nonsense again, be careful I put some crotons in the dumplings so that you can't eat them and carry them around!"
Since it was a festival and they were already familiar with each other, the diners did not take it seriously in the face of the scolding. They laughed and continued to eat. The red-haired girl also stuck out her tongue at Leng Jiayun beside her, and then held up a piece of food in front of her.
The basket filled with dumplings was carried towards the pot of boiling water.
"Xiaoyue, there are no customers outside yet to order food, so don't be busy cooking it yet. If the dumplings are left out for a long time after being taken out of the pot, the soup will be sucked into the dough and they will not be delicious."
The woman in purple thought she was too busy, but she saw the other party shaking her head: "Sister Jia, I just want to keep food for myself..."
While speaking, Ning Yue had already slid the dumplings in the basket into the pot, and her face could not help but blush. She didn't know whether it was due to the steaming mist or some other reason.
"Reincarnated as a starving ghost, didn't you already eat a lot?"
Leng Jiayun was just about to say something teasing, but she saw an exquisite red lacquer food box placed on the desk at some point. She understood immediately and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Oh, we are not afraid of anything, little one.
When did Yue become so virtuous and capable, and still know how to care about others in her heart?"
Ning Yue was told what she was worried about, and her pretty little face became even scarlet, but she said harshly: "Today, the three of us had originally made an appointment to go to the seaport in the north of the city to watch the tide together. I don't know how long we have to wait. When we arrive,
What should I do if I get hungry?"
"I'm preparing a late-night snack for those two brats, why are you embarrassed to admit it? The dumplings are already floating, why don't you take them out quickly? If you cook them again, they will rot!"
As she spoke, the Dongli woman picked up a bamboo fence on the stove, fished out the round and plump dumplings from the water, and helped the girl neatly stack them one by one in the food box.
Ning Yue, who was standing aside, suddenly lowered her head, as if she thought of something unhappy. Leng Jiayun quickly guessed what she was thinking, and reached out to gently ruffle the girl's flaming hair. , said softly:
"Why, are you still aggrieved for Jiang Yan?"
"Yes, Uncle Baili went too far! Didn't he just beat a few people? He actually punished him with forty sticks. Zi Yin didn't even try to plead for mercy. The little stutter's butt will definitely be beaten to pieces!"
The girl raised her head, her delicate little nose was red, and there were crystal tears in her eyes.
The woman then advised: "You girl, the state has national laws and the family has family rules. General Baili is the guardian of the army and horses in front of the palace, and General Yan is the Zuo Lieutenant under his command. Naturally, if you cause trouble, you will be severely punished, otherwise you will still be punished." How to run an army?"
"Sister Jia, Uncle Baili only buys wine from time to time in our store, why do you start talking to outsiders?" Ning Yue became more and more angry.
"Then what do you think should be done about this matter? Should we just leave it like this?"
"Of course I can't let it go. But I clearly broke the things in the Shihua Pavilion! Ziyin also beat others, but why was only Little Stutterer the one who was punished in the end? That's not fair!"
Leng Jiayun sighed softly: "Perhaps it was Jiang Yan who took the initiative to be punished for you two. After all, he is such a stubborn character, and General Baili agreed to punish only him, maybe he was moved. Maybe it’s selfish.”
"Selfishness, can this be called selfishness? Sister Jia, are you dizzy from the steam?" Ning Yue's face became increasingly filled with confusion after hearing the other party say something that seemed to make no sense.
"Just think about it slowly by yourself, and you will figure it out one day. But now you just need to remember that you must never act impulsively in the future, otherwise in the end, the person you care about may bear everything for you. consequences.”
The woman smiled slightly, but refused to explain more. Instead, the girl in front of her was so embarrassed that she stamped her feet vigorously: "Who cares? Sister Jia, if you make fun of me again, I will never say anything to you again!" "
"Okay, okay, the high tide is coming soon, and the dumplings can't be left for too long. You should go quickly. Be careful on the way, and come back early after listening to the tide."
"I know, I know. I have Jiang Yan and Zi Yin with me, so don't worry, Sister Jia!"
Leng Jiayun watched the red-haired girl run out of the door like a gust of wind. After seeing off the last table of diners, she also cooked a pot of dumplings and dug out another one from somewhere. It looked pretty. Carrying the dark red food box from some years ago, I walked alone into the ice and snow outside Jia Yunzhai.
The custom of watching tides in Mulu City began in the seventh year after the establishment of the Dasheng Dynasty. Because the mouth of Yanjiang River is in the shape of a trumpet, and the terrain is deep on the outside and shallow on the inside, so this is the only place where a large amount of seawater pours into the river. A rare surge is formed. It is said that it is precisely because of the twin moons that such a spectacular scene occurs in the world.
The tide is greatest on the first and fifteenth day of every month. Although the river is at a low level in winter and the tide is not as high as in August, you can see the spectacle of droplets turning into snow that cannot be seen at other times. It happens to be winter today, except for the people in the city , guests from nearby states and counties also flocked here, hoping to be the first to witness this spectacular scene. The sun has not yet set, but a crowd of tens of thousands of people has gathered densely on the river embankment specially used for tide watching. The team was in an unprecedented state of affairs.
The wind gradually picked up on the river, causing the tide watchers on the shore to shiver, but no one said anything but retreated. They just gathered in groups and talked quietly. Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted loudly:
"The tide is coming!" Immediately everyone stretched their necks and looked out at the trumpet-shaped entrance to the sea.
At the beginning of the tide, a looming white line appeared on the water at the mouth of the river. Under the winter sun setting in the west, it glowed with dazzling golden light. Along with the white line, there was a long-lasting rumbling sound. The tide
The sound came closer and closer, and the tide surged from the sea and squeezed into the embankments built with huge rocks on both sides of the river bank.
As soon as it entered the river, the white line suddenly rose up, and the sound of the tide became louder and louder, like thunder rolling from the sky, and like thousands of horses galloping, screaming and roaring as they rushed upstream against the current. In an instant,
Suddenly, a huge wall with a height of two feet rose up on the water surface. The tidal peak stood upright above the river surface, spraying beads and splashing jade.
The crowd watching the tide on the shore screamed, fearing that they would be soaked by the cold sea water. But who knew that the high wave crest turned into a piece of white snow dust in the air in the blink of an eye, and then scattered down one after another, as if
A heavy snow fell all over the sky.
This was the winter scenery of Yanjiang - the droplets turned into snow. People clapped their hands and jumped for joy, and continued to run after the tide. But Ning Yue stayed where she was, with no intention of leaving.
During the previous process of watching the tide, she only took a few brief glances absentmindedly, but she could not help but look towards the direction of Mulu City, hoping that her two companions would arrive in time. However, she waited until the tide subsided.
, even the crowd around her became sparse, but she still couldn't wait.
The red-haired girl let out a long sigh, lifted up the hem of her skirt that was soaked by the water, and stood on tiptoes to leave the muddy embankment. Her figure looked a little lonely, but before she could step out, she suddenly
Suddenly, he saw a young man in white standing in front of him with a smile.
"Zi Yin! When did you come? Why didn't you call me!"
Like a child picking up shells at the beach, Ning Yue's blue eyes suddenly smiled like two crescent moons, and the previous gloom was swept away. But soon she pretended to be angry and raised her eyebrows.
Xiao Zuilai turned his face away again, "It took a while, and the tide of the river receded before coming. I think you did it on purpose, right? It made people unable to even take a closer look at the droplets turning into snow. Also,
Where's Jiang Yan's wooden bump? Is he seriously injured?"
Although she complained, the red-haired girl still turned her head and looked towards the road connecting to the city gate.
"He was still changing medicine for his wounds in the camp, so I came over first."
"Then why didn't you come with him? You didn't get beaten up." The girl scolded in a low voice.
Hearing this, Qi Ziyin's heart felt as if someone had suddenly pinched him hard, but he did not let an awkward smile freeze on his face:
"I purposely left him separately because I wanted to talk to you about the brothel girl named Zi Yuan yesterday."
"I didn't expect that you are also a greedy person. Is that girl so unforgettable? Could it be that Little Stutter was worried that I was still angry, so he sent you to find out the news first?!"
Ning Yue suddenly remembered yesterday's unhappiness, couldn't help but rolled her eyes and turned around to leave. She didn't know what the other person meant by asking, and she didn't want to continue discussing this topic. But the boy in white grabbed her sleeves and pulled her away.
He came back with a serious face:
"Ning Yue, please listen to me patiently. Since yesterday, I have vaguely felt that the reason why Jiang Yan carried us on his back to find Miss Ziyuan is because he has recovered part of his memory."
"Isn't that a good thing? Why don't you tell us clearly?"
"Then let me ask you, do you still remember what Miss Ziyuan looked like?"
Seeing that the other party didn't seem to be joking, the red-haired girl stopped choking and recalled it carefully:
"I can't remember clearly, but I just thought she was quite beautiful. She had a Changzhou accent when she spoke, and there seemed to be a small mole on the tip of her nose."
"Don't you think that her appearance is somewhat similar to that of our dark-eyed friend?"
"What do you mean-" Ning Yue was startled suddenly and seemed to realize something.
Qi Ziyin nodded: "Although there is no conclusive evidence, Miss Ziyuan is quite similar to Jiang Yan in terms of accent, age, and appearance. If my guess is right, she is probably Jiang Yan's long-lost girlfriend." Kindred!"
The red-haired girl was immediately startled by her companion's words: "You can't just talk about this kind of thing!"
The young man in white nodded and continued hesitantly: "I think Jiang Yan may not be sure of the other party's identity, so he will go to the brothel alone, probably intending to verify it in person."
"Oh - no wonder he was so serious yesterday, and they both said some strange things. But if Ziyuan is really a stammering relative, how could he end up in a brothel?"
"I can't say for sure. However, too many things happened to Jiang Yan that you and I can't even imagine."
"So you came to me because you want to ask Miss Ziyuan in private?" Ning Yue asked again.
Qi Ziyin kept shaking his head: "Of course not. I carefully recalled the answer I heard from Ziyuan girl at that time. She didn't seem to deny Jiang Yan's guess, but she didn't give any definite answer. It felt like even if she was Jiang Yan, Our relatives don’t seem to want to recognize each other. So I came here in advance today to remind you not to ask about yesterday’s events later.”
As a result, the girl became more and more confused: "Why? According to what you just said, Zi Yuan may be Little Stutter's only relative in the world now. Shouldn't we help him?"
"But if you and I intervene, I'm afraid it will only increase the burden on Jiangyan's heart. After all, we have been separated for so many years. If he is sure that the girl is really his relative, I don't know what Jiangyan will do under the impulse... …So, at least until further investigation becomes clear, don’t say anything.”
Ning Yue looked at her companion's amber eyes, and after a long time she nodded: "Okay, I won't tell you if I don't say it. But Ziyin, why are you suddenly so concerned about the little stuttering--"
However, before she could finish asking, she suddenly saw a figure wearing a black robe of Mo Lingwei limping out of the corner of her eye on the path beside the embankment. The girl immediately cut off her words and walked towards him with excitement. .
Looking at the red-haired girl talking and laughing with Jiang Yan in front of him, Qi Ziyin also subconsciously laughed bitterly and replied softly, but he had no intention of letting the other party hear:
"Because - the three of us are best friends! And, this is also for you..."
"Oh, Ning Yue, please stop pulling me, it hurts!"
The shouts of the black-eyed boy brought the dazed boy in white back to reality. He raised his head and saw Ning Yue holding Jiang Yan with her hand in pain, her face full of worry:
"Huh, Uncle Baili is so cruel! I have to argue with him again tomorrow, and I will scold him even if I can't say it, so that I can stop you from saying this!"
"Yue'er, please don't mess with General Baili again! I'm thick-skinned and my injury will heal in a few days. Besides, if we hadn't caused trouble first this time, the Governor wouldn't have done it."
Jiang Yan covered his butt with his hands and shook his head like a rattle.
Looking at the stubborn companion in front of her who had shouldered all the punishment alone, Ning Yue suddenly remembered what Sister Jia had said to her before. She felt extremely guilty, her nose felt sour, and she hurriedly reached out and handed the food box in her hand forward. Want to compensate the other party:
"You two haven't eaten yet, right? Hurry up and eat the dumplings. Although they are already a little cold, you have to finish them all. No one is left, because I made them all with my own hands!"
"It turns out there are dishes to go with the wine, that's great!"
Jiang Yan chuckled, and then he picked up a small jar made of clay.
Qi Ziyin recognized it at a glance: "This is Wu Liang Xuan's Bu Yan Zui?"
"Yeah. The three of us haven't drank together for a long time. We wanted to stop by Sister Jia's to ask for some clear lychees to burn, but we were afraid that she would complain that I was injured and couldn't drink strong liquor, so we had to go somewhere else. Bought."
"Little stutter, your injury - does it really not matter?" Ning Yue pinched her nose quietly and tried to hold back her tears.
"My injury is nothing at all, but it does involve you two. Fortunately, the king did not pursue it further, so I feel relieved! Tonight, we will not return until we are drunk!"
It seemed that Jiang Yan was sincerely happy that his companion was not punished. Qi Ziyin was infected by his emotions and hurriedly took the wine jar from his hand:
"Okay! Although I can't bear to drink, I will definitely stay with you until the end!"
Looking at the hearty smiles of the two big boys in front of her, Ning Yue couldn't help but recall everything she had experienced together in the years she had known them. While being moved, she finally realized her recklessness yesterday. This precious friendship almost suffered irreparable damage. It was this friendship that supported her over the years and made her feel the warmth of home again——
Although she is far away from her parents and her home, she is still able to make friends with whom she can drink, talk, and advance and retreat together. Is there anything she is not satisfied with?
In this way, the three children found an open space by the river embankment that was not wet by the waves, sat on the ground, faced the two moons in the sky, and drank cup after cup. Unknowingly, a whole jar of strong wine was consumed by them. After drinking to the point of drinking, the three of them fell asleep with their clothes on, back to back, leaning on a large bluestone in the open space.
The moon sets over the river, the sky is pale and the clouds are long. The sea, the night sky and the stars all over the sky silently imprint this kind and innocent time in the memories of the three of them. But they could never imagine that this would be between them. It was the last time we got together without any worries.
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