Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 48
Tled by Serena Love
Unedited
Chapter 48: Stir-Fried Rice Noodles
Jiang Shuyao looked at the golden hairpin in her hand blankly and then wandered towards the morning sky.
Bai Zhi came from behind her. She immediately regained consciousness, stuffed the golden hairpin into the jewelry box, and closed it.
It's almost time for the morning greeting. Jiang Shuyao gathered her mind, got up, and went to the Shouning Hall.
For some reason, the golden hairpin Xie Xun gave her made her uneasy. Obviously, she knew that it was Concubine Lin's reward. But thinking that Xie Xun gave it to her, Jiang Shuyao's mind was messed up.
Just when she walked to the entrance of the Shouning Hall, there was a sudden noise.
The old madam likes peace and quiet, and so Shouning Hall has always been silent, but it was strangely noisy today.
The maid looked weird when she saw Jiang Shuyao coming and hurriedly held the curtains. Jiang Shuyao was puzzled and saw chaos when she walked in.
The second lady, Zhou-shi, was standing in front of the old madam, howling and crying. A soft and quiet woman was kneeling beside her. Behind them was a row of shivering maids. The old madam was full of anger. Xu-shi, who is usually maintaining a gentle and generous smile, had a stiff expression and stood aside far away.
The scene was too chaotic, and no one cared that Jiang Shuyao came in. The old madam clutched her chest and reprimanded Zhou-shi, "Outrageous! Outrageous!"
Zhou-shi was wiping away her tears and lamenting, "Mother, are you trying to favor an outsider?"
"Outsider?" The old madam pointed to the weak woman. "She has my second son's child in her belly."
Jiang Shuyao became sober all of a sudden. She walked surreptitiously to Xu-shi's side and asked in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, what's the matter?"
During the morning greeting, Zhou-shi suddenly rushed in with a group of people to ask the old madam to give her justice. Xu-shi couldn't leave, nor could she criticize the private affairs of the second branch. She just said, "Didn't you hear any noise outside the hall? Why did you come in??"
"So what? She is no one, no one! This child shouldn't stay! Still want to bribe the maids to hide it from me. Am I a fool?" Zhou-shi put down her handkerchief, Jiang Shuyao realized that she was just howling, but there was no tear in her eyes. She was really angry, and her face was full of rage.
"It's not your turn to decide whether or not the child should be born!" The old lady hasn't spoken in such a loud voice for a long time, and she was panting. "If she has no status, then give her a status! Zhou-shi, my second son treats you very well. I didn't expect you to be so jealous."
Zhou-shi's face was calm, and she was silent. Just when the old madam thought she had nothing else to say, she suddenly spoke. Her tone no longer as weak and sorrowful as she pretended before, but her face was mocking, "I'm jealous? In this Duke Xie's Mansion, except for the second branch, which other branch has concubines?"
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The old madam hadn't seen this Zhou-shi for a long time. She seemed to have returned to the time when she was just married into the Duke Xie's mansion. She was also so brazen, and there was nothing in her body that suits her liking.
"Do you still say that you are not jealous? It is the wife's duty to spread the branches and leaves for her husband. It is a good thing for Yun Niang to be pregnant. You are not too young, and you are still jealous and making trouble."
Zhou-shi's gaze fell on Yun Niang, and her sharp eyes made Yun Niang tremble all over, making her look even more pitiful.
Jiang Shuyao was embarrassed, and she pulled Xu-shi's sleeve, trying to sneak away with her.
It wasn't appropriate to interrupt and excuse themselves at this time. Xu-shi was struggling, and suddenly they heard the maid outside the house salute. Xie Lang has arrived.
Zhou-shi's body stiffened and turned to look at Xie Lang.
Xie Lang was as graceful as ever. Handsome and unrestrained. His expression still gentle and calm, even when facing the chaotic farce in front of him.
He first walked over and helped Yun Niang get up and said softly, "It's cold on the ground. You are pregnant. Get up quickly." Then he said to Zhou-shi, "How could you come to my mother?"
Zhou-shi has never been irritable in front of Xie Lang. Still, today she was uncharacteristically cold. "I have discussed with you countless times, but you insisted on accepting her as a concubine, so I came to mother to seek justice. "
With a helpless look on Xie Lang's face, he sighed, "She is pregnant with my child."
Zhou-shi didn't want to see him the most, as if she was extremely disappointed in him. Usually, if he were anxious, she would immediately calm down. But today's years of backlog of complaints and anger have all exploded, "So, the second branch has not have enough heirs. Who knows where you got this woman from. Playing qin and composing songs with her all day long, chanting poems with her, and having a congenial appearance. If I was the one I used to be, I would definitely make myself a virtuous wife and endure my sorrow for you. I don't like her, but which of the concubines in the backyard that I didn't agree with you? One after another, when will this kind of day end!"
Xie Lang was about to reply, but the old madam was already angry and slammed the table. She sternly reprimanded her, "This is the capital city. This is Duke Xie's mansion, not Mobei. We can't tolerate your presumptuousness!"
Zhou-shi was stunned by her yelling. After a long while, she said, "After so many years, I know better than anyone that this is not Mobei." After she said what was in her heart, she calmed down. She didn't look at Xie Lang again and ignored the old madam's anger. She cut some hair from her bun, turned around, and left.
[T/N: I believe a married woman cutting hair from her "married woman" bun means cutting ties with her husband, even though they might not necessarily divorced.]
The old madam looked at her back in disbelief. She patted her chest and said, "Look at her, look at her. I said at the beginning that you could not marry her. After so many years, her temperament has not changed at all. She is a wild girl from Mobei. So what if her father is a general? A daughter of a martial artist have no manners."
Xie Lang looked down and said nothing.
The woman called Yun Niang looked at Xie Lang pitifully. When he felt her gaze, he turned around and made a soothing smile at her.
This smile was as gentle as usual, but it made Jiang Shuyao feel uncomfortable.
Compared with the serious and old-fashioned elder brother, Jiang Shuyao has always liked the gentle and nice second brother better. When Xie Li admonished her that night and clashed with her, Xie Lang acted like a very gentle big brother. For her, it was the first time she felt the kindness from a stranger in Duke Xie's mansion.
But now, looking at Xie Lang's handsome and charming face, she was disgusted as if she had eaten a fly. Even if she didn't like Zhou-shi, she could feel some sympathy.
Xu-shi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled Jiang Shuyao forward to leave.
Jiang Shuyao followed Xu-shi out of the room. As the maid closed the curtain, she glanced back. Xie Lang's body is tall and straight like bamboo, and his temperament is elegant, vaguely similar to Xie Xun.
She suddenly became sober. She put aside the messy thoughts in her mind and left the hall quickly.
After experiencing such a farce, even a dignified and elegant lady like Xu-shi had to sigh, "Really..."
Jiang Shuyao thought she was sighing about Zhou-shi's accident and said nothing.
Xu-shi stared at Jiang Shuyao's face a few times and then suddenly said, "This matter would be endless. In the next couple of days, you should come to Shouning Hall less. If you anger the old madam, it won't be good."
Jiang Shu looked up, puzzled, and blinked. Her charming face became brighter and more attractive. Xu-shi smiled helplessly, "You have a big heart. If she was like you back then... well nevermind."
After the two were separated, Jiang Shuyao returned to the east wing and took out the box's golden hairpin. She felt disappointed for some reason.
Xie Lang, a gentleman who looked calm like a jade, turned out to be the kind of passionate man she hated the most. Hey, it was really elusive.
She stopped her sadness. If it was at the time of her marriage, let alone seeing Xie Lang, who is somewhat similar to Xie Xun, had an affair. Even if Xie Xun himself opened up a harem, she could still watch the play next to her without any fuss.
This golden hairpin was obviously rewarded to her by Concubine Lin, so why was she so confused?
Jiang Shuyao took out the golden hairpin and thrust it into her hair bun angrily. The gorgeous golden hairpin set up her agile eyebrows, revealing a dazzling beauty.
Right. This is her. What was she thinking about? Is it boring to cook or is the food not delicious?
She took out the letter from Lin-shi and read it. Through this thin letter, she seemed to see Lin-shi's energetic and capable appearance.
Lin-shi devoted himself wholeheartedly to the restaurant and wrote a large article eloquently. When she was excited, her handwriting was scribbled, unlike her boring rules-following-handwriting of the past.
"Mother, you have to be happy all the time." Jiang Shuyao couldn't help but laugh as she saw how Lin-shi complimented her baby girl at the end of the letter.
Women must not be trapped by love.
She regained her vitality. She cleaned up and thought about new recipes for the new day.
＊
Xie Xun took out the unformed wooden hairpin in his hand.
A few days ago, after he had given Jiang Shuyao the golden hairpin, he realized that the gift from Concubine Lin could not count as a gift from him. He went through the romance novels and summed it up. When people are in love, gifted scholars usually give jade pendants, and beautiful women often give handkerchiefs embroidered by themselves.
Jiang Shuyao could buy something like a jade pendant herself.
So Xie Xun planned to carve a wooden hairpin and give it to her.
But for things related to wood, Xie Xun only knows the basic carpentry, but wood carving is really too much for him.
The young man's troubled appearance made Lin Cheng look very uncomfortable, and he muttered, "Don't touch it. It looks okay, don't touch it anymore. I think it's better to buy one."
"Heh." Xie Xun took the wooden hairpin back and glanced at Lin Cheng. "You don't understand."
After "reconciling" with Jiang Shuyao last time, Xie Xun regained his usual habit and hurried back home to catch up with mealtime every day.
When he returned to the courtyard today, he saw that dinner hadn't started, so he went to the small kitchen enthusiastically.
Seeing him come in, Jiang Shuyao cut fried eggs quietly without saying a word.
Xie Xun didn't notice her abnormality and was about to ask, "What are we eating today" just like every day. But he saw the golden hairpin on her hair bun, and suddenly his words got stuck in his throat.
His heart beats like a drum, his mind is in a mess, and he doesn't even realize how tense he is.
With a "huh," Jiang Shuyao threw ginger and garlic into the pan, and the fragrance made Xie Xun regain his senses.
She added choy sum and stir-fried it until the color changed, then she added mung bean sprouts and rice noodles and tossed them.
Stir-fried rice noodles are very suitable to eat when you are in a bad mood. It is best to sit in front of a food stall on a summer night with a serving with a cool drink. Any worries will disappear in the smooth and fragrant stir-fried rice noodles at night.
Rice noodles are made of rice. Ground rice is mixed with water to make a paste, steamed in a basket, and cut into strips after it cooled.
After stirring for a while, she added shredded fried eggs, salt, soy sauce to taste, and finally, she added chopped green onion. The simple but flavorful stir-fried rice noodles are finished.
The rice noodles are white and transparent. After being fried, they are dyed with a light brown sauce. White bean sprouts, green scallion, cauliflower, and yellow fried eggs are decorating it. It makes one's index finger move when you look at it.
Xie Xun followed Jiang Shuyao and walked out. He looked at the big bowl of stir-fried rice noodles while salivating.
When he walked to the dining table, he noticed something wrong. Why didn't he saw his bowl and chopsticks?
Jiang Shuyao looked at Xie Xun, who sat opposite her by habit and waiting for the meal. Without saying a word, she picked up her chopsticks and started to eat.
The rice noodles were just out of the pot and still steaming. The taste is tough but smooth, less chewy, and more tender than normal noodles. She picked up a large chopsticks of noodles and chewed slowly. It is soft and smooth, with a light rice fragrance.
The bean sprouts are crisp and refreshing, the fried egg is fresh and salty and fragrant, the cauliflower is slightly bitter, the sauce is fresh and mixed well with the rice noodles.
She put a big bite in her mouth. It was a bit hard to chew, but she could feel the smoothness of rice noodles and bean sprouts' crispness.
Xie Xun watched eagerly, looking at the golden hairpin on Jiang Shuyao's bun for a while and then at the bowl of fragrant rice noodles. He couldn't figure out what Jiang Shuyao meant.
Is she angry?
Xie Xun carefully observed her expression, and it seemed to be true.
He instantly recalled dozens of things he had done wrong: When she was treated coldly when she first married him. When she just went into the kitchen, and he didn't take the initiative to greet her. There was no room for sophistry.
He quickly thought about where he should start apologizing.
Jiang Shuyao felt much better after taking a few bites. Once she was in a good mood, she felt uncomfortable when facing Xie Xun.
What are you doing, breathless for no reason...
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People said that acting unreasonable is the beginning of feelings. Jiang Shuyao became stiff and slapped down her chopsticks.
Xie Xun was taken aback. He was about to apologize about the moment he held the window to prevent her from opening it when he gave the golden hairpin. Jiang Shuyao suddenly said, "Someone come and add a pair of chopsticks."
Xie Xun suddenly felt relieved. She just forgot his bowls and chopsticks. He thought Jiang-shi was unhappy.
Jiang Shuyao looked at the large bowl of fried rice noodles that she had eaten in front of him and thought that someone as smart as Xie Xun would definitely be able to guess that she was making trouble just now.
She said weakly, "Sorry, I have eaten several chopsticks..."
Xie Xun didn't care and pushed his bowl in front of her, "It's okay, it's okay." Eating some food is fine. Besides, he is used to cleaning leftovers.
If someone looked at him, they would definitely feel that Xie Xun was cold and angry, but Jiang Shuyao could see a bit of joy from his facial paralysis face.
She immediately lost her anger and raised her hand to give Xie Xun a half bowl of stir-fried rice noodles.
At this moment, she suddenly felt that instead of worrying about Xie Xun taking his second brother's old path, she might as well worry that he would suddenly gain weight after passing his teenage years.
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