The young couple held hands and went home. They passed by a snack shop on the street. Zhuang Keqing saw the cute shapes and fresh colors of the cakes inside, so he bought two bags and prepared to give them away together with the buns.
I walked around on the roadside and stopped by the way. When I got home, I happened to see a woman holding the ears of her monkey as she walked into the alley, mumbling something in her mouth.
"It's almost noon. I've been asked to eat several times but ignored it. If I don't want to eat, I'll just leave it outside and never come back!"
The child pulled at his ears, moaning in pain, his eyebrows and mouth squeezed together, and begged his mother to let go.
"Mom, my ears are going to fall off!"
"It's better if you drop it! It's useless anyway."
The woman turned her back to the alley and was only focused on punishing her disobedient son. She did not pay attention to the two young men coming from the alley. The child had runny nose and glanced at them.
This seven or eight-year-old boy had just gained some self-esteem and didn't want others to see his embarrassment, so he turned his head and shouted to his mother, "Mom, someone is coming!"
"You kid is always fooling around. Why didn't I see who was coming?"
Then Zhou turned his head and looked at Zhuang Keqing and Shen Ling.
This is very embarrassing.
Although she often teaches her son a lesson at home, she rarely makes fun of others outside. Moreover, the young man and woman look strangers to each other. What are they doing in the back alley?
Zhou had doubts in her heart and could not help but look at the two of them warily.
I saw a pretty and pretty woman, wearing a tender yellow dress with a light grass-colored half-arm, and a man with clear eyebrows, wearing a moon-white robe, with a tall and straight posture, but a cold expression.
His temperament and grooming were good, but he was a stranger after all. Zhou was just going to nod and say hello, but with a casual glance, he saw that the clothes in the young man's hands looked familiar.
How does this look familiar?
Isn't this the robe worn by the scholars in the state school?
I thought I saw it right, that’s right!
"Auntie, our family recently moved here to live in the house opposite the pomegranate tree in front."
Zhuang Keqing's eyes were crooked and he was smiling. His gaze circled around the back door of his house. He spoke in a soft voice, saying that the anger Zhou had just directed at his son was like the roar of a lion from the east of the river.
Mrs. Zhou suddenly realized at this time, she said that there were craftsmen coming and going in the nearest house. It turned out that this family rented the yard and found someone to repair it.
Doesn't that mean that my family will be neighbors with scholars?
She was pleasantly surprised. She just nodded in greeting, but now she became enthusiastic. She pulled her son to her side, glared at him to tell him to behave, and then stepped forward to introduce him.
"I asked why there was movement in this house a few days ago. It turns out that you guys moved here. We all live in Tianshui Lane. We will be neighbors from now on. We need to move around more."
Mrs. Zhou smiled affectionately, turned around and pointed to the courtyard door of the fifth house on the left in the alley, "That's my home. My family is in the bean paste business. If you want to eat bean paste in the future, go to my place."
After that, he said cheerfully, "Why do you say this as if it's a business deal? Don't worry about it."
Zhuang Keqing also laughed when he heard this, and asked if his sister-in-law was at home in the afternoon, as he was going to visit her.
"Zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa but, I happened to come here and have a nice chat."
After that, he took his son and dragged him home. Before entering the door, he glanced at Zhuang Keqing and his wife again, looking a little embarrassed.
"This sister-in-law has a very straightforward temper."
Zhuang Keqing entered the house, put down his things, and cooked with Qin Manzhi. After a while, the food was served, and they set up the table and sat in the small courtyard to eat.
Nowadays, the yard has changed a lot since it was renovated. A rose has been planted in the corner, and a small vegetable patch has been built next to the big black mule shed. A small chicken coop has been stacked on the opposite side, and five pullets have been raised.
I thought that I would be able to get some fresh vegetables and eggs every now and then, which would save me the expense of buying them every day.
After lunch, Qin Manzhi helped divide the pastries she bought, wrapped them in oil paper, and put them together with the steamed buns she had steamed in the morning.
There are about twenty households in and around Tianshui Lane. They have prepared so much in advance. Those who can visit today will give gifts first, and those who cannot visit will not be too late to visit tomorrow. Anyway, there will be a long time in the future.
"Mom, you have to take Aman to rest in the afternoon. A Ling is also studying at home, so I'll just go and visit. It'll be fine."
Qin Manzhi hesitated.
"Don't worry, I didn't come in, so I sent the things outside."
Zhuang Keqing said this, and she felt relieved. Then she stuffed the small gift into the basket and handed it to her daughter.
"There are only five portions in this basket. You can come back and get them after you deliver them. I've put them all on the kitchen table."
"Yeah, I saved it."
After saying that, Zhuang Keqing took the basket and went out.
The first family did not go to Zhou's place, but started at the end of the alley, knocking on the door one after another, saying that they had moved in recently and that they would ask for more care in the future.
She spoke politely, she smiled, and her hands were polite. No matter which house she was in, she accepted things with a smile, said hello, and praised the family for their politeness after closing the door.
After being busy for most of the afternoon, there were still five or six households that had not yet delivered. Zhuang Keqing went back home again, filled the basket and continued to deliver.
This time I knocked on the door of the house next to the Zhou family, and an aunt in her fifties came out. After hearing Zhuang Keqing's intention, she also smiled and accepted the things, promising to have more contact with her in the future.
As soon as I closed the door, before I even walked into the room, I opened the paper package and saw the three fat white buns inside, and my face immediately dropped.
"Mom, who knocked on the door just now?"
My son Jiang Gen came over and took a look. He was surprised to see his mother holding a bun in her hand.
"Newly moved in the alley."
Mrs. Qin walked into the house and placed the buns heavily on the table. The few flower cakes underneath were also somewhat flattened by the pressure.
"I passed by a few days ago and saw that the front room of this house was sealed up. I'm afraid it's a businessman. My son, do you think this bun is any different from what we make?"
On a street outside Tianshui Lane, the Jiang family is the only pastry maker. The craftsmanship passed down from ancestors is meat, cabbage and meat buns. They make hard money. If another man selling steamed buns and steamed buns comes to the street this time and takes away the business,
Of course she wasn't happy.
Jiang Gen frowned when he heard this, walked to the table, grabbed a bun on the table and brought it up to his eyes to look at it.
It smells like wheat, is white and plump and soft, and just looking at the appearance, it is no worse than our own, and is even better. It looks like it has a bit of work to do.
When I opened it again, I saw that it was an ordinary vegetable stuffing, but it was mixed with some sesame seeds, dried fungus, and the scent of sesame oil. Moreover, the vegetable stuffing didn't turn yellow after being steamed, which is quite a feat.
Jiang Gen's heart was already a little shaken, and he hurriedly broke off another one.
This is just a meat bun, the meat filling is firm and plump, and there is oily gravy between the filling skin and the meat, which is fragrant.
This, this steamed bun that I make every day makes me sick of it, how come it is so delicious when made by someone else, and it looks so tempting.
After suppressing the greed in his stomach, Jiang Gen took the last bun in his hand.
I want to see what other flowers I can make!
Unexpectedly, when he broke it open, there was a dark jujube-colored filling inside, and a sweet bean aroma penetrated his nostrils, which was similar to the aroma wafting from a time-honored pastry shop in the capital.
What is this?!
"Mom, look, what is this?"
Just now, her son was breaking open the buns one by one, and Mrs. Jiang's heart was getting colder as she watched from the side.
To be honest, the buns made here are much better than those made at hers. If the other party really wants to open this bun shop, their business may be in decline in the future.
Seeing that his mother didn't respond, Jiang Gen simply broke the bun in half, stuffed one portion into it, and tasted what the stuffing was.
The result is that the outer skin is soft and slightly elastic in the mouth, and the filling is as soft as fine sand, and the sweetness mixed with the fragrance of beans fills the mouth.
"Sweet, sweet buns?"
Jiang Gen was shocked.
Starting from his grandfather, the family has been making steamed buns, but every time they are made, they are just vegetable fillings, meat fillings, vegetable and meat fillings, with a salty and fresh taste. How could he have thought of making sweet buns?
Aren’t sweet things just desserts?
Hearing her son's exclamation, Ms. Jiang came back to her senses. She looked at the red and black stuffed bun in her hand and took a bite in confusion.
The result was a moment of silence.
It’s over, our bun shop is about to be over!
Even if they knew it could be made into sweet buns, they still couldn't figure out what the hollow was.
And who knows what other novel recipes that family has?
Mother and son of the Jiang family were looking at the three buns on the table, looking gloomy, while Mrs. Zhou next door warmly greeted Zhuang Keqing, a scholar who was extremely rare in her eyes.
