Fu Chengyi looked like a man who couldn't get what he wanted. Shu Qingnian found it amusing. "So full of sorrow and longing. It seems Uncle truly has feelings for someone. Which young lady is it? Hurry and tell me."
Fu Chengyi turned his head and met his niece's inquisitive and smiling eyes.
He opened his mouth, stammering, but couldn't say a word clearly.
Shu Qingnian leisurely waved her fan. "Let me guess. Could it be Jiaoniang?"
Fu Chengyi's fair and handsome face flushed red. "How could it be?"
Shu Qingnian continued to guess. "Oh, I know. You once worked at Jiaoniang's restaurant. Could it be the beautiful pastry - maker on the first floor? Or the bun - selling beauty next door?"
As she was talking, Shu Qingnian suddenly widened her eyes, her imagination running wild. "... Could it be the female accountant, Lady Hua?"
She was referring to Zheng Huier, Leng Yao, and Hua Sanniang.
For a moment, Fu Chengyi felt his head was about to explode. "Oh, my dear niece, stop guessing randomly! I don't have the bad habit of having feelings for a married woman!"
He covered Shu Qingnian's mouth and pulled her aside.
Fu Shi was counting the almond tea with the maid and didn't notice the uncle - niece pair.
Fu Chengyi whispered quickly, "I'll tell you. It's Jiaoniang's younger sister - in - law, Pei Jin, Brother Pei's younger sister."
Shu Qingnian was stunned for a moment, then reacted and smiled. "So it's her. Pei Jin and Pei Li used to often send food to our mansion. We haven't seen them much lately."
Fu Chengyi nodded. "Don't tell your mother for now."
Shu Qingnian understood. Her mother was bent on finding a well - matched and capable woman for her uncle to help manage the huge Fu family business.
Pei Jin was beautiful and smart, but she was still a bit young, and her family background didn't match.
Shu Qingnian looked at Fu Chengyi sympathetically. "What are you going to do?"
If Shu Qingnian knew this, how could Fu Chengyi not? Otherwise, he would have gone to propose marriage by now.
Fu Chengyi was upset, but his tone was extremely firm. "I've seen many beautiful women since I was a child. But somehow, I'm only attracted to her. Just thinking about me marrying another woman or her marrying someone else makes my heart ache as if being stabbed by a knife..."
Shu Qingnian was in her budding years, with her first stirrings of love. She also had someone she liked.
So she understood her uncle's feelings. "I think if you like someone, you should strive for it. No matter how much you think here, she won't know. No matter what the result is, if you strive for it, you won't have any regrets in your long life."
Fu Chengyi was enlightened as if being doused with a bucket of water. He was surprised. "When did you become so knowledgeable, girl? You're like a little adult! Come on, tell me. Have you taken a fancy to some man?"
Shu Qingnian's cheeks flushed red. She spat at him. "It's none of your business. Go and pursue your A Jin first."
**
At the Pei family in Baiyun Village.
Today was the birthday of the Pei family's twins. Tang Guiniang got up early in the morning to prepare.
She had suffered a lot when giving birth to A Jin and A Li. She had been in labor for a whole day and night.
But both children were good. They were filial and smart.
The two children were having their fourteenth birthday this year, fifteen in nominal age. They should be celebrated well.
Pei Xia and Qi Jiaoniang ended their business in the store early and came back from the city with a full cart of things.
When they got home, A Li and A Jin hadn't come back from school yet.
Pei Xia unloaded the things from the cart one by one. Qi Jiaoniang went straight to the kitchen. She rolled up her sleeves and started to get busy.
Aunt Zheng smiled and said, "I'll help Jiaoniang. Just tell me what to do."
Qi Jiaoniang agreed with a smile.
She saw some cooked bacon, half a pig's head, several fresh lotus roots, and a basin of big prawns in the kitchen. Qi Jiaoniang silently thought of the dishes in her mind and picked up the knife to start preparing.
The pig's head would taste good when stewed. Qi Jiaoniang started with the pig's head first.
She scooped up a pot of water, shaved and cleaned the pig's head. She put a long firewood in the stove, mixed a big bowl of oil sauce, anise, and spices. Then she covered the pot with the lid.
In less than an hour, the pig's head was cooked until the skin peeled off and the meat melted. It was fragrant and full of flavor.
Qi Jiaoniang put it on a big plate and put the ginger and garlic on the side. It was very tempting. Aunt Zheng was lighting the fire beside. She had swallowed her saliva no less than seven or eight times during this period.
Qi Jiaoniang laughed and picked a piece for her to taste. Aunt Zheng ate it and almost swallowed her tongue.
At this time, Pei Jin and Pei Li came back from school.
They put down their book bags and ran towards the kitchen together.
"It smells so good!"
"What delicious food is sister - in - law making for us?"
Qi Jiaoniang carried out the big plate of pig's head meat and said to them, "Go and wash your hands. Wait for me to prepare a couple more side dishes. We'll start the meal right away!"
While cooking the pig's head, Qi Jiaoniang also quickly made bacon and mushroom fried rice, stuffed tofu, boiled big prawns, brown - sugar steamed cake, and honeyed osmanthus lotus root.
Take the bacon and mushroom fried rice for example. Qi Jiaoniang asked Pei Xia to set up a small stove and cook it in a casserole.
After the rice was boiled in water, she dropped a few drops of sesame oil into the water. Then she started the oil pan, put in ginger to fry until fragrant. She added bacon, dried radish, green beans, mushrooms, and black fungus in turn, and then stir - fried vigorously. She added soy sauce, sugar, and a small amount of yellow rice wine. Finally, she added salt and sprinkled some green scallions. After the water was fried dry, she took it out of the pan. The fragrance was amazing.
The home - cooked stew was Aunt Zheng's specialty. It had pork skin, black fungus, and quail eggs. These three ingredients were cooked with dried vegetables. The soup was delicious, the dishes were rich, and it was fresh but not greasy. Qi Jiaoniang also deliberately added fish balls, meatballs, and egg dumplings, making the taste even better.
Qi Jiaoniang's favorite was the honeyed osmanthus lotus root, a famous dish from the south of the Yangtze River.
She cut off one end of the peeled and cleaned lotus root and stuffed the white glutinous rice into the holes of the lotus root.
She put the lotus root lid on and fixed it with bamboo skewers. Qi Jiaoniang patted it with a knife to make the glutinous rice more compact. After making it, she put it into the pot, added water to cook, and put in brown sugar and rock sugar to color and flavor it.
She took out the glutinous rice lotus root, thickened the juice, pulled out the bamboo skewers, sliced it and put it on a plate, and poured a spoonful of her homemade golden osmanthus sauce on it. The osmanthus was soaked in honey, looking like amber, rich and sweet.
It was a birthday, so Tang Guiniang made longevity noodles for the two children.
Qi Jiaoniang took out the peach bursting mochi she made in the city. She put it on a porcelain - white plate and decorated it with all kinds of fresh fruits.
The peach bursting mochi was a new pastry Qi Jiaoniang developed.
This time, in order to celebrate A Jin and A Li's birthday, she made the mochi buns in the shape of peaches of longevity. They were rosy and plump, making people unable to take their eyes off.
The filling was made of white peach jam, with a fragrant peach aroma and rich fruit flavor.
A big table full of sumptuous dishes was the best blessing from the whole family for A Jin and A Li's birthday.
Since it was a birthday for the younger generation, Tang Guiniang only invited relatives and friends nearby. Even though she didn't publicize it, there were still two full tables of people.
Everyone brought something to eat. They were all in high spirits.
Especially A Li and A Jin. The two children went to toast Tang Guiniang, Pei Xia, and Qi Jiaoniang. Their gratitude was beyond words.
Normally talkative A Li said a lot of nice things, making Tang Guiniang feel very comfortable. She thought to herself that A Li's studies were not in vain.
Her daughter A Jin was not only filial but also very careful. She picked dishes for the elders, all of which were their favorites.
Tang Guiniang was happy and said "good" several times. Looking at Pei Jin, who was now generous and had a scholarly air, she felt both proud and reluctant.
Her well - raised daughter had grown up so quickly. She was as beautiful as a flower. She wondered which silly boy would be lucky enough to marry her in the future.