The prefect went to the capital and presented the high - yielding potatoes. He also reported to the emperor the prosperity of the night market in the fishing village.
The emperor was overjoyed. He highly praised the small fishing village for not only saving itself but also having the mind to share the country's burden. Immediately, he ordered that an imperial envoy be sent to visit and investigate. If it was really as the prefect had said, there would not only be generous rewards but also a national effort to vigorously develop the "night - market economy".
When this news spread, the whole fishing village was in an uproar.
Heavens, did they hear it right?
This remote small town had always been extremely poor over the years.
But now, they had really made a big impression in front of the emperor?
All the villagers were beaming with joy. Only Li Ying couldn't afford to celebrate. She began to calculate in her mind.
The fishing village was near the sea. The sandy beach was seriously salinized, which was not suitable for intensive farming.
If she wanted to lead the whole village to a better life, the only way left was to develop tourism.
Now, the fishing - village night market had finally managed to catch the attention of the current emperor. If they wanted to continue to shine and amaze this imperial envoy who came from afar, it was imperative.
Li Ying frowned and thought hard. Granny Sun felt so distressed seeing her like this, neglecting food and drink. She simply called out, "A Ying, the Qixi Festival is coming soon. There will be a Qiqiao fair in the town these days. Am I right that A Man has never been there? Why don't you take her there and have a look?"
There was no Qiqiao custom in the Hu region. Moreover, A Man was always full of curiosity. Knowing that Granny Sun was worried that Li Ying would get depressed, her almond eyes immediately lit up.
"Sister, take me! Take me!"
Even Mianmian was waving her little arms and legs chirpily, as if echoing.
Looking at the innocent and carefree looks of the big and the small, a sudden thought flashed through Li Ying's mind.
She was really so busy that she had even forgotten such an important day as Qixi!
In the folk, there was a Qiqiao custom. People would wash their hair with morning dew, bake Qiaoguo (festive pastries), and thread needles by the moonlight. Girls would put on beautiful new clothes and pray for a blessed marriage. It was so lively.
Taking this opportunity to hold a "Qixi - exclusive" event at the fair to welcome the inspection of the imperial envoy would be just perfect!
Li Ying made up her mind and gave A Man a gentle smile.
"Okay, I'll get ready and go with you."
The saying that Qixi was the "Chinese Valentine's Day" didn't come until later. At present, the Qiqiao Festival was more like a "Girls' Day" for unmarried young girls.
Li Ying had to market the concept of "Valentine's Day" to boost consumption. Naturally, she also had to conduct a good market survey.
A Man excitedly dragged her out of the door. Li Ying was in a hurry and only caught a fleeting, almost imperceptible subtle emotion on Lu Xunguang's face.
Before she could figure it out, the man had composed himself and put on his usual impassive mask.
At the fair, the seven - hole and nine - hole needles and the multicolored threads used for threading needles by the moonlight were all available.
Craftsman Li had also specially made delicate bamboo dressing cases to be used as boxes for the "spider - omen" custom.
The villagers were enthusiastic. Rarely seeing Li Ying and her sister in such high spirits, they stuffed them with Qiaoguo and lucky cakes without hesitation.
These Qiaoguo were made by mixing sugar and oil into the dough, then using carved molds to print auspicious patterns like carp and floral clusters, and finally baking them.
A Man had never eaten Qiaoguo before. Seeing the golden - brown pastries and smelling the unique burnt aroma of the baked dough, she didn't hesitate to take a big bite.
"How's the taste?"
Hearing Li Ying's gentle question, A Man's face looked a bit strange. After hesitating for a while, she whispered, "Well... it can't be said to be unpalatable..."
It was just that she was used to the delicate pastries made by Li Ying. These Qiaoguo were a bit too simple and rustic in both taste and appearance.
Seeing her hesitant look, Li Ying couldn't help laughing.
A Man was really like a child.
"Let's go home. Sister will make peach - blossom pastries for you!"
A Man's eyes immediately brightened. She picked up the newly - bought lard and red beans and rushed back home in a hurry.
Li Ying washed her hands, took a few spoons of pure white lard and kneaded it into the dough until a thin, white film as thin as a cicada's wing could be easily pulled out. Then she put it aside to let it rise slightly.
Such water - oil dough would have better elasticity. When making the crispy layers, it wouldn't break or leak the filling, and the layers would be distinct.
For the oil - pastry, she added a little crushed red yeast rice to dye it a beautiful peach - blossom color.
She divided both the water - oil dough and the oil - pastry into even small portions, wrapped them, gently rolled them into a tongue shape, rolled them up and then rolled them out again. Repeating this process twice, the crispy pastry was finally ready.
Granny Sun had already cooked the red - bean paste. It was stir - fried until it was smooth and oily. She wrapped it in the crispy pastry, then used a sharp knife to cut out the petals and veins of a peach blossom on the dough.
Finally, she pinched out the shape of the petals and dotted a pinch of stir - fried white sesame seeds in the center.
The baked peach - blossom pastries were pink and cute in color. The crispy layers were as thin as cicada's wings. Taking a bite, the fragrance filled the mouth.
The red - bean paste was sweet but not cloying. You could even taste some unground red beans. Every bite was like a treasure hunt, full of unexpected surprises.
Sure enough, these peach - blossom pastries easily won the hearts of the villagers, young and old.
"A Ying, in the past, we only thought that being able to eat some sugar - oil Qiaoguo was already a great thing. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have known that there were such delicious pastries in the world!"
The villagers praised her highly, but Li Ying just smiled faintly.
Besides the peach - blossom pastries, she also made elegant lotus pastries. The filling was changed to custard with coconut. It tasted lighter.
Imagine spending time with your beloved, releasing lotus lanterns by the sea to make a wish, and enjoying the lotus pastries under the gentle breeze and bright moon. This scene was so poetic.
Li Ying was making intensive arrangements for her pastry shop to prepare the pastries needed for Qixi. She then went to find Su Buchi and asked him to write some poems about lovers' affection for publicity. Then she went to find Craftsman Li.
The work of making lotus lanterns naturally fell on him. In addition, Li Ying paid a deposit and asked him to prepare a batch of lanterns for the riddle - guessing activity.
All the customers who bought goods at the Qixi fair could participate in the Qixi riddle - guessing activity. Although the prizes were not expensive, they were always a good omen.
Craftsman Li readily agreed. Li Ying finally got everything arranged. She felt as if she had been talking non - stop and was so thirsty.
Lu Xunguang handed her a cup of sweet tea. Without thinking, Li Ying drank it all in one gulp. After quenching her thirst, she finally looked up and gave him a charming smile.
"Bamboo - sugarcane and cogongrass - rhizome tea? It can clear away heat and fire. Did you get the recipe for the herbal tea from Deji Hall? You're so thoughtful."
Lu Xunguang stared at her. After a long while, he suddenly said out of the blue, "A Ying, as long as you don't get annoyed, I can be more considerate."
Li Ying was slightly taken aback. Before she could react, he said softly again, "A Ying, I said something wrong just now. You don't have to take it to heart."
He turned around and left. His back actually carried a kind of inexplicable loneliness.
Li Ying was stunned. She really couldn't understand - what was wrong with this man? What had gotten into him?