Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 29
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure
Chapter 29: Pickled fish
There was only a small piece of beef left in the ice cellar, but Lin-shi still insisted on asking Jiang Shuyao to continue making beef with sour soup.
Jiang Shuyao couldn't laugh or cry, so she tried to persuade Lin-shi against it.
Yesterday, she ordered her servants to go out and buy pickles. They searched outside the capital and finally bought a jar at a farmhouse.
The ancients would pickle cabbages and seal them in jars to extend their shelf life. Pickles had already appeared at this time.
This food was not for the rich and noble, so people were very surprised when Jiang Shuyao said she wanted to buy pickles.
The pickles had a strong taste, and the kitchen smelled salty and sour when the lid was opened.
The pickling method at this time was slightly different from that of later generations, and the taste was also somewhat different, but not too much.
Jiang Shuyao sliced the pickles and wondered if the image would be too shocking if she told her maids to make pickles.
Even people who did not like sour food would eat some dishes with pickles as a seasoning. For example, minced pork vermicelli buns with pickles, pickles with beef, pickles with white meat, etc., or when making rice noodles, putting some pickles in the soup would also be delicious.
The acidity of pickles was milder than that of vinegar. It was appetizing and refreshing. It has a sobering effect and removes greasiness—its appeal was no less than that of fresh vegetables.
It tasted crisp and salty, fresh and sour, and had a tangy fragrance.
What Jiang Shuyao was going to make today was pickled fish.
Pickled fish is a home-cooked dish. It was not difficult to prepare. Not as difficult as fillet fish. The cook wanted to come forward to help but was rejected with her gentle words. She cut the fish into slices herself. The process of processing the ingredients was calming and relieving.
Compared with spicy boiled fish, pickled fish was more suitable for people who were not able to eat spicy food. It was refreshing and appetizing, and it tasted fresh and salty but not too irritating.
She was cooking under the kitchen, and Lin-shi obediently sat at the table, waiting for dinner. After being taken care of by Jiang Shuyao for these two days, she finally recovered some strength.
The nanny was very pleased when she saw this. She praised Jiang Shuyao for her filial piety, and she sighed that she was so skilled in cooking in just a short time after she got married.
The original owner used to run outside all night and caused trouble, and was not involved in business. When she returned home, she always quarreled with Lin-shi, so Lin-shi didn't know her daughter well.
When she heard the words, her shoulders collapsed, and she sighed, "I used to blame her for being unsatisfactory, and left her alone. Now I see that she is also talented, not worthless like in the eyes of others." As she spoke of this, a proud smile appeared on her face, "My Lin family's daughters are very good. I am proficient in business and had plans to sell things at the age of three. My daughter is also quite clever and very good at cooking."
When she thought about this, it was both joyful and sad. As a mother, she wanted to encourage her daughter but didn't know where to start.
Fortunately, Jiang Shuyao appeared in time to relieve the tension. As soon as Lin-shi saw her, the melancholy on her face disappeared.
Jiang Shuyao always had a bright and cheerful smile on her face, "Mother! Are you hungry?"
Even if she was not hungry, looking at her smile, Lin-shi would follow her and answer, "I'm hungry."
"I made pickled fish today." She sat down next to Lin-shi, "See if it suits your appetite."
Lin-shi picked up the spoon and took a sip on the soup. The pickled fish soup had a smooth base with a thin layer of grease floating on the surface, which was also greasy due to pickles. So the soup base with slick oil tastes sour and refreshing.
She nodded, "Hey, of course, it suits my appetite."
Jiang Shuyao received her praise and smiled more brilliantly, "Don't just drink the soup, taste the fish fillets."
Lin-shi picked up a piece of fish fillet, which was unspeakably delicious.
The thickness of the fish slices was appropriate. Each slice was of equal size, and it was fresh and delicious, smooth and elastic. The savory taste of the fish was fully stimulated by the slightly sour soup base, without a trace of fishy smell, only delicious and sour fragrance.
"It's rare for this fish fillet to be made so fresh." The fish that Lin-shi had eaten in the past were more or less uninteresting. The ingredients were light, but tasted a little bland. In comparison, heavier ingredients will cover the fish's flavor.
However, this bowl of pickled fish was just right, very suitable for her taste.
She didn't want to eat fish fillets with white rice, but only scooped the soup.
Then she used chopsticks to pick up the tender white fish fillets and stuffed them one by one into her mouth. She was hoping that the tip of her tongue would retain the delicate and delicious taste.
After the fish fillets were swallowed, she couldn't wait to drink a spoonful of soup.
The soup base was sour and slightly spicy. From the tip of the tongue to the root were full of sour and enjoyable taste. After the sourness is over, the savory flavor becomes stronger.
After drinking it, her mouth was drooling, and her whole body was warm.
Jiang Shuyao looked worried, and asked, "Mother doesn't want rice, why don't I cook noodles for you tonight?"
Lin-shi was amused, "You are married and have changed a lot. How can your mother be so delicate? Don't worry about it so much."
Jiang Shuyao sighed in her heart. How would she not be worried? Lin-shi had a bad appetite before, but she was still living well, but now she was pregnant but depressed and unwilling to fight, making Jiang Shuyao feel stuck.
When she returned to her family's home, Lin-shi's appetite improved, but her own appetite became worse.
This evening would be the time for her to go back to Duke Xie's mansion, Jiang Shuyao was reluctant to leave, but Lin-shi thought it was a joke.
"How old are you, and you can't leave your mother?" She poked Jiang Shuyao's head. Mother and daughter had never been this close for many years.
Jiang Shuyao was not acting like a baby. She was really worried about her mother, and blurted out, "Why don't I leave my husband, and I'll come back to accompany you."
Lin-shi's complexion suddenly changed from a gentle smile, she frowned and scolded her with a serious tone "Nonsense! Since you are married, you should stay at your husband's house. How can you find another husband like Xie Xun in this capital?"
"But I don't need a husband. I was happy just living by myself." Jiang Shuyao was taken aback by Lin-shi's attitude and argued strongly for what was right.
"I thought you were sensible and had grown up, but you’re still as mischievous as you were before." Lin Shi pushed her away, and the scene resembled those times when the two of them would argue.
Jiang Shuyao was puzzled. Lin-shi adored her so much, so why was she so adamant about having her marry? Before, when the original owner misbehaved, she never interfered, instead indulging her. Why, now that she was married, were the rules suddenly different?
Seeing Jiang Shuyao frowning and looking at herself, Lin-shi looked stubborn and aggrieved, but still softened her voice, "Didn't you tell your mother that you were happy and liked Xie Xun? Why would you change in the blink of an eye?"
Jiang Shuyao came up with an excuse. "I only thought he was handsome." She shifted back to the original topic. "Mother, I don’t understand. Why can’t I leave the Xie Duke’s mansion? You already know my reputation precedes me, do you think I still care about such a little stain on my name?"
Lin-shi fell silent for a moment, her gaze towards Jiang Shuyao tinged with a trace of guilt. She sighed softly. "No matter how wealthy the Lin family is, we can’t protect you. Only Duke Xie's family can do it."
Jiang Shuyao stood there in a daze.
Lin-shi hesitated for a moment, thinking how Jiang Shuyao no longer seemed as foolish and reckless as before. With a sigh, she spoke plainly. "The Lin family has no sons. Our daughters are treasures, like jewels and gold. And you, you’re beautiful—" She paused, reluctant to say more, some things still unsaid. "If it weren’t for the fact that I married your father so early, I would have gone to the palace with your aunt."
These words were beyond Jiang Shuyao's imagination, and she thought about it for a while and looked at Lin-shi in astonishment.
As the head of one of the most wealthy merchant families, Lin-shi had to fight the concubines in the backyard of the Xiangyang mansion. Jiang Shuyao only felt that it was worthless. Shewais so rich, shouldn't she live happily?
Now it was only after Lin-shi's explanation that she understood her stupidity. After all, her thinking remained in modern times.
Thinking of the grievances and sufferings Lin-shi had suffered over the years, she still couldn't help but ask, "Did mother love my father?"
Lin-shi thought she still wanted to argue that she had no feelings for Xie Xun, and still wanted to separate, so she said, "Stupid child. Who wants to get shelter from a noble family and also wants to be happy with each other? How can it be so easy?"
Jiang Shuyao's modern thinking still made these things a little difficult to digest. She stared at the corners of her clothes dumbfoundedly until her servant came to tell her that Xie Xun had reached the mansion's gate. Then, she slowly walked out of the mansion.
Xie Xun rode in the carriage today, not a horse.
He got off the carriage at the entrance and waited for Jiang Shuyao. He saw her stepping out of the mansion's gate unwillingly, and his throat felt choked from all the thoughts from his mind.
Jiang Shuyao did not say hello to him and got into the carriage on her own, which made Xie Xun feel uneasy. He thought about it and then got into the carriage.
She put down the low table in the carriage and lay down her head, not sure what she was thinking.
Since the two got married, Xie Xun has never seen her linger like this.
He sat down next to her, not knowing how to place his hands and feet. Seeing Jiang Shuyao's gloomy look, he felt panicked.
He took a teapot and asked, "Do you want tea?"
Jiang Shuyao shook her head slowly.
"Then, some cakes?"
Jiang Shuyao shook her head again.
Xie Xun shut up, a little bit stumped by his failures.
Jiang Shuyao suddenly raised her head and frightened Xie Xun, who was thinking hard.
She looked at Xie Xun dazedly, making him dodge back subconsciously, clinging to the cold wooden board behind him.
She was lying on the low table, rubbing her hair, when she shook her head. She was half-paralyzed and boneless on the soft chair, which matched Xie Xun's "unruly" perception of her.
Seeing this scene, he completely forgot the so-called rules and etiquette, his heart became even more congested, and he just wanted to touch her head.
"Xie Boyuan." Jiang Shuyao said.
This was the first time she had called him today. When she opened her mouth in the narrow carriage, it was as if she was talking in his ear.
She was sad, sounding wronged and acting like a baby.
Xie Xun's heart trembled, and he asked anxiously, "What's the matter?" Even his upper body couldn't help but lean towards her.
Jiang Shuyao looked at Xie Xun and asked distressedly, "Are you very smart?" After all, he is a famous scholar.
If an ordinary person asked this, the other person would feel that she was extremely rude and thought it was provocative and insulting, but Xie Xun didn't think about it at all and said worriedly, "Huh?" He feared that she felt that she was not smart enough.
His voice became softer, as if he was coaxing a child, and even his tone of voice became soft, "What's the matter?"
"I don't understand something." Jiang Shuyao sighed, extremely depressed.
As he saw her like this, Xie Xun's heart was soft and sour, and he answered very patiently, hoping that she would tell him about her troubles.
"What don't you understand?" The always cold voice also became gentle.
"A lot of things." Jiang Shuyao said, "For example, what is marriage?" Lin-shi had a fierce temperament, but in the yard, which had been her home for more than ten years, she lost her spirit. Even though the Lin family was extremely wealthy, she left the status as the second miss of the Lin family to be with a husband, Lord Xiangyang, who had a lot of concubines who didn't like her.
Thinking of Lin-shi's figure that she saw when she left the house, so thin and lonely, as if she would disappear with the dimming sun.
She felt even more uncomfortable, as if she was punched hard.
Although Xie Xun had read all sorts of books, he couldn't answer her question, and he was slightly taken aback.
As he was thinking about the relationship between the two, his tone was both confused and uneasy, "I...I don't quite understand. The combination of the two surnames was good. First was for the ancestors, and then there would also be the next generations?"
Jiang Shuyao looked away, staring at the carriage wall blankly, "It's really difficult. My mother said that a woman needs to be sheltered by her husband's family when she gets married."
Not sure why, Xie Xun's heart melted for no reason.
For an instant, countless images of Jiang Shuyao after entering his house flashed in his mind. He regretted and condemned himself. He was restless and worried.
He frowned, and suddenly spoke solemnly to Jiang Shuyao, "I will take care of you."
"Huh?" Jiang Shuyao was still thinking back at Lin-shi's words and didn't hear what he said.
Xie Xun met her eyes, looked down at her eyes. His expression was unexpectedly gentle, and he repeated softly, "I will take care of you."
After speaking, he finally did what he wanted to do since they got in the carriage—raising his arm, gently rubbing the top of Jiang Shuyao's head.
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