Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 107
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure
Chapter 107: Bonus Chapter - New Year's Eve Dinner in the Palace
Not only was the New Year's Eve in the Xie Mansion different from previous years, but so was the New Year's Eve in the palace.
Concubine Lin came back from the palace banquet covered in cold air. As soon as she stepped into the gate of her palace, the uncontrollable fatigue instantly swept her whole body.
She waved weakly to a maid, "Help me untie my hair bun first." The heavy gold and silver jewelry was both an honor and a burden.
The maidservants stepped forward to wait on her, and the nanny next to her asked, "Imperial concubine, the dining room is warming white fungus soup. Would you like to have a bowl?"
Concubine Lin sat in the hall and was blown by cold air the whole night. Her stomach was already tense. When the nanny asked, she also felt a little hungry. She nodded and said, "Bring me anything else that can cushion my stomach."
After the nanny stepped back, Concubine Lin was waited on and changed into regular clothes, and she felt much more comfortable.
She looked at the snowflakes floating outside and shook her head, "It's snowing again. I guess it's now the New Year's dinner, which has also been delivered to the various palaces. On such a cold day, what kind of food could be eaten? It is all cold anyway."
The maids bowed their heads and dared not talk.
Concubine Lin took off her bracelet and sighed, "Forget it. The palace's most deserted time is New Year's Eve." She walked to the door of her palace and looked out. The huge palace was trapped in the white snow, and because it was at night, she couldn't see much. In the end, she said, "When I was at home, I spent New Year's Eve with my little sister. Although there were few people, it was lively. The table was full of hot dishes, we stayed together and prayed together. I wish... that it's like that in this palace, where so many people spend the new year. Instead of being alone and deserted."
Concubine Lin was complaining, and the palace ladies only dared to shut up and listen, but they all had to forget everything they heard once they left the palace.
Concubine Lin turned her head to see their trembling appearance and suddenly asked, "Are you homesick?"
The maids were shocked. They dropped to their knees and people were kneeling all over the hall.
Concubine Lin rubbed her temples and said helplessly, "What are you afraid of? Is there anyone else in this palace? Get up."
Just as the atmosphere in the hall was stagnant, a eunuch suddenly ran from outside and said loudly before he even arrived, "Niang-Niang, Madam Xie asked someone to bring food and pot from outside the palace!"
The eunuch's surprised voice was lifting the atmosphere in the palace, and the unpleasantness in Concubine Lin's heart disappeared instantly. She lifted her skirt and stepped out of the hall, "Is it a gift for me? Is it to eat?" She muttered, "Huh, is there any delicacy that I can't get in this palace? Why would she give me something to eat when we are celebrating the new year?"
Even though she said so, the smile on her face couldn't be suppressed. She lost her steady footwork and hurriedly came over to see.
Compared with the ceremonial New Year gifts, the things Jiang Shuyao gave her were extremely simple: a copper pot, a few bacon sausages, and a jar of pickles.
Concubine Lin smelled the faint pickles smell, "What is this smell?" She frowned and took the letter from Jiang Shuyao from the eunuch's hand.
Once she opened it, the letter was a full page of dog crawling characters.
Concubine Lin muttered to herself, "I know that this girl is ignorant. But how difficult is it to write words that could be seen? Anyhow, she married a great talent, he will have to nurture her properly."
The first line in the letter was, "Aunt, please don't be in a hurry to dislike my writing."
Concubine Lin's complaints immediately got stuck in her throat, and she looked down with a weird expression.
The letter said, "I know there is everything in the palace, and you don't lack anything. But I thought, the food in the palace is all expensive food, which lacks a little peasant flavor, so I sent this to you. After eating some hearty dishes during the New Year, you also have to eat some grounded foods so it would be wholly delicious.
A few recipes followed.
After reading it, Concubine Lin was silent for a while and then passed the recipe on the letter to the eunuch. Her tone was soft and reasonable, "It's fair to say that this stinky girl has a conscience."
The food from Jiang Shuyao was delivered to the kitchen.
Everyone looked at the rough jar, a lot of sausages and bacon in front of them, and dumbfounded. It stands to reason that such ingredients shouldn't appear in the palace, let alone the Concubine Lin's palace.
A eunuch opened the lid of the pickles jar, and the dining room suddenly filled with a sour and salty smell, and he was frightened and replaced the lid immediately.
"And this... is this bacon?" A eunuch lifted the bacon. The bacon was hung outside for a long time to dry, and the surface was dusted with ash. If it is to be served to royalty, it must be washed carefully before it can be used.
A palace lady brought up the sausage and said with a smile, "This looks novel." It just looked not delicious.
She was young and said the sentence as soon as it appeared in her thoughts. It took a while before she realized that no one answered her, and she probably broke the rules. She shut up and lowered her head-waiting tremblingly to listen for any punishment.
But after she waited for a while, there was still silence in the dining room.
The little palace lady secretly raised her head and found that the nanny, who had always been stern, was facing the wall-seeming to be wiping tears.
Wiping tears?
This guess was too surprising. She was not afraid anymore and quietly moved forward with a probing eye, and she saw the nanny's red eyes.
She sneaked and touched the nanny's sleeve, and the other party was taken aback. She turned around and smiled for the first time.
"It's okay. I just thought of my life before entering the palace." The nanny looked at the bacon and said, "My father was a hunter. He used to put salt on the meat when he came back from hunting and air-dried it to make bacon, so it won't be ruined in the cold winter. Cut a slice to make a soup to drink, and you can taste the meat and good food in winter."
After entering the palace, it was considered taboo to speak of matters that occurred before their arrival to the royal palace. So, when this was mentioned, everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. How could the nanny, who had always been so proper and dignified, make such a careless mistake?
Unexpectedly, the eunuch who was sitting next to her suddenly said, "You still have meat in your house. My house could only eat pickles in winter." His gray hair always brought the feeling of the vicissitudes of his life when he spoke.
"I thought that after decades, I would forget the smell, but I still remember it clearly." He blinked, letting the soreness of his eyes fade. "I thought that after entering the palace, I would never see it again in this life."
Once you enter the palace, you would no longer be someone's child, only eunuchs and palace ladies. Across the high palace wall, you couldn’teven see the horizon. Let alone feeling homesick, you almost forgot your name before entering the palace.
Unexpectedly, the years went by, and they forgot the world outside the palace or where was home, but they couldn't forget their childhood.
The snow outside the window settled more densely, and a thin web was woven under the night.
Who knows who sighed first, "It's Chinese New Year." Everyone looked up and looked out the window for a while.
There are no firecrackers, only wind and snow, but everyone really feels the arrival of the New Year.
"Yes, it's the New Year."
"Okay, let's start cooking, don't let Niang-Niang wait for a long time."
"Okay, clean the stove and light the fire. Everyone, cheer up. If the Imperial Concubine eats happily, maybe she can reward us and let us have a taste of some cured meats and pickles."
Gradually, the kitchen returned to its familiar busy yet orderly pace, but there was an unmistakable sense of excitement in the air—a fitting energy for the New Year.
The copper hot pot was soon prepared. As the steaming pot was placed on the table, the coldness in the hall began to dissipate, replaced by a comforting warmth that spread through the room.
The bone broth in the copper pot was very clear, and the heat smoking was also light and warm. It penetrated into the nasal cavity, and the tight stomach suddenly became relieved.
Although it was grounded, there were no fewer ingredients in the pot, such as prawns, pork belly, and frozen tofu. After you picked the top with chopsticks, the bottom was filled with pickles, and the sour smell continued to rise with the boiling soup.
Concubine Lin first served a small bowl of soup and drank it with a small spoon. Her mouth was full of the faintly salty and refreshing taste of pickles. The warm soup lingered in her throat, and the warmth flowed all over her limbs. She couldn't help sighing comfortably.
Among other things, just this bone broth full of pickles and meat scent can make her fill bowl after bowl.
The small bowl bottomed out, and she was preparing to fill the bowl again when suddenly a eunuch came to pass reports, "Niang-Niang, the Queen Niang-Niang has requested you to come for New Year supper."
Concubine Lin surprised, "Supper? What is it?
"It is said that His Royal Highness brought in a copper pot from outside the palace, and they said it was to make a hot pot."
Concubine Lin looked at the copper pot in front of her, hesitated for a few seconds, and asked with uncertainty, "Did His Royal Highness mention how to do it?"
The eunuch sent by the queen bowed and replied, "Responding to Niang-Niang, His Royal Highness is asking the people in the dining room to think about it. His Royal Highness said that you could eat it soon, so please come over."
Between the hot air, Concubine Lin waved away the white mist in front of her and laughed out with a chuckle, "Go and tell His Royal Highness that Bengong has some recipes, and then ask the Queen Niang-Niang if she would condescend to come to me for a meal. "
Although the eunuch had doubts, he still listened to Concubine Lin, went back and spread the word.
After a while, the crown prince and the queen came over under the wind and snow, with a eunuch holding the copper pot following behind them.
As soon as he stepped into the hall, the crown prince was shocked, "You have eaten it all!"
The queen shook her head and gave Concubine Lin a helpless smile.
Concubine Lin took her hand gently. "It's nice that you’re willing to come over. The hall feels too deserted, it doesn't even feel like the Chinese New Year."
The queen, who had never known a lively New Year since her childhood, couldn't quite understand Concubine Lin's sentiment, but she smiled and replied, "So many people are here, how could it be deserted?"
It stood to reason that the crown prince shouldn't stay with Concubine Lin for too long. But apart from the emperor, no one dared to pick his fault. No one would complain to the court without narrow-mindedness. So he stayed cheekily, and the three of them sat around the table. The maids withdrew immediately after serving the sesame sauce.
Anyway, he also brought a copper pot, so Concubine Lin asked someone to make an extra copper hot pot with the flavor of bacon and sausage.
Two pots are placed on the table, full of excitement. This is called the New Year.
At this moment, there was no need for words—only the action of reaching for the chopsticks to eat. The pile of pickles was abundant, so when picking, one would need to take a generous serving of pickled vegetables and pork belly. Stuffing it into your mouth while still hot, the flavors would instantly make you squint your eyes in delight.
The pork belly was thinly sliced and had a lot of fat. It was white and tender when cooked, but after eating with pickles, it was not greasy at all. The fat but not greasy pork belly was very tender and had a dense taste. It can be said to melt in the mouth, with the fresh sour taste of pickles and the original meaty aroma.
The more pickles were boiled, the more delicious it tasted. The sourness was long-lasting. It was sour, but it was more salty and appetizing. With the savory flavor of fish balls and prawns, it was sour and fresh. The pickles full of the stock are tender and crispy, sour and fragrant, with a bite of the soup.
They picked a large chopstick of pickles, covered it with a slice of pork belly, and sent it to the mouth together. It was fresh, dense, and refreshing, and the taste was wonderful.
After the pot was slightly vacant, it was possible to cook the lamb. The sour fragrant and lamb were really suitable together. The lamb was very tender.
The pickles had absorbed the mutton’s lingering odor, leaving only the rich aroma of fat. The thin slices were tender, with a satisfying chew from the lean meat's fibers.
By this time, the sausage and bacon pot was ready. The vegetables inside had shifted from pickles to cabbage and mushrooms. The salty essence of the sausages and bacon infused the soup, and even without the addition of extra salt, the cabbage took on a naturally salty flavor.
The pickles and white meat pot offered a tangy, fresh contrast, while the sausage and bacon pot carried the distinctive, salty depth of cured meats. The bacon was richly fatty, a gleaming chunk of oil that was surprisingly light, never greasy. With each bite, it grew more mellow, deepening in flavor. The sausage, too, was salty, its tender texture absorbing the broth’s essence. It remained neither too fatty nor too lean, but perfectly balanced in its savory fragrance.
Naturally, the three of them couldn't finish such large pots. They focused intently on their meals, savoring each bite slowly, a fine sheen of sweat appearing on their foreheads as they ate.
After eating for a while, there was still a pile in the pot when they looked up.
Concubine Lin simply clapped her hands and said, "Anyway, this New Year's Eve, we all have a lot of fun together. If we divide it up, we will all have a taste." The maids were stunned and did not immediately respond.
Concubine Lin patted the table and laughed, "Don't worry, don't worry, the reward will be a lot!" The maids bowed quickly, causing the queen to cover her mouth and laugh, and said, "You! Don't scare them."
After a busy year, everyone was looking forward to a generous reward. But it was only on New Year's Eve when the sky was full of snow. What they wanted most at this moment was a bowl of steaming food full of New Year's taste.
The palace, filled with a tight and rigorous atmosphere, gradually became lively. Everyone was holding a bowl of food with a smile on their faces. Some ate it in one breath, and some sipped it slowly. They couldn't help but have red eyes with tears hidden on their faces...
Anyway, after eating the food rewarded by Concubine Lin, everyone greedily grasped the rare moment of relaxation. They looked at the snowflakes flying in the sky together. With a breath of enthusiasm, they smiled and said, "New Year is really good." Those are words that they haven't said for many years.
*
After New Year’s Eve, the festive excitement lingered, especially when Concubine Lin’s sister, Mrs. Xiangyang, gave birth on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year. Overjoyed, Concubine Lin rewarded everyone generously.
Of course, it was not only the palace of Concubine Lin but also the whole capital.
Lin-shi had a son meant that she had no worries about her future. She used to want to be pregnant because it made her a little more important to Lord Xiangyang, but now it was different. The change in her mood made her look forward to the arrival of this new life.
Even without Zhou-shi's nagging in her ears, she sat on the bed peacefully for a full month for confinement.
Just after her confinement was finished, Zhou-shi finally arrived in the capital in a hurry.
She was a month late, and Lin-shi complained for a while.
Zhou-shi was very helpless, "I tried my best to hurry." She only returned to Mobei for about three months, and her whole spirit changed. No matter who looked at her, they could tell at a glance that she was not from the capital. Apart from other things, she brought the four treasures of the study, a golden lock, jade pendant, etc. But she also brought a sword.
As soon as it came out, everyone was quiet.
She still didn't realize it and touched the scabbard very reluctantly, "This is a good thing. In the future, when the child is a little older, let him touch it. Before the sword, it is good to practice with a wooden sword."
Jiang Shuyao couldn't laugh or cry, "Second sister-in-law, what if my younger brother doesn't like martial arts in the future?"
Zhou-shi grimaced, "Even if he doesn't like it, he has to practice. How can a man not learn martial arts?" She put down the sword and said seriously, "When I'm not here, the burden of protecting his mother fell on his shoulders."
Jiang Shuyao was taken aback, turned to look at Lin-shi, and found that Lin-shi was also looking at Zhou-shi in a daze.
Zhou-shi continued to say, "If someone bullies his mother in the future, do you want me to ride over from Mobei? Hey, why do I get more and more worried as I speak-- " Before the words were finished, Lin-shi had already embraced her. She stayed in her and made her feel at a loss, "What are you doing? You haven't taken care of your body yet. I was so shocked."
Lin-shi said, "Remember to come back to the capital to see us often."
Only then did Zhou-shi feel that she missed her. Her heart softened, but her face was still serious and twisted. She mumbled and complained, "Of course. I am coming. Shuyao will have a baby soon, right? I have to arrive early..."
Before she finished speaking, Lin-shi let her go and stared at her, "When I gave birth, you came a month late. When Yaoyao gives birth, you have to arrive early?"
Zhou-shi scratched her head. "I came here just after New Year's Day. It won't be the New Year when Shuyao is giving birth."
The two people talked and talked, causing Jiang Shuyao to laugh at the side.
Anyway, after a laugh, the baby's name was finally decided. Lin-shi and Lord Xiangyang were already strangers, and now they didn’t want to ask him about the name. They have selected several names and discussed it with everyone.
The word "Zheng" that Zhou-shi picked meaning firm, upright, arrogant, and sharp like a sword.
Lin-shi and Jiang Shuyao liked this name very much, so they decided on it.
After everyone talked for a while, Zhou-shi followed Lin-shi to see the child in the inner room.
The child was nestled in a swaddle, soft and white, exuding an irresistible cuteness. Little dumplings (babies) always had a way of melting hearts, making everything feel warm and tender. Zhou-shi's breath softened as she spoke with a voice laced with complexity, "Ah Zheng, grow up quickly. When you’re older, learn kung fu with me and master it. That way, you'll have the strength to protect your mother and sister."
The child slept soundly in the swaddle and blew out a snot bubble as if he had agreed to the promise.
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