Blissful Days After Widowhood Chapter 7: Cloud City

The carriage traveled for two days and finally arrived at Yunhai City on the afternoon of the third day, leaving the bumpy dirt road and walking on the clean bluestone avenue.

Cloud Sea City is a very lively city.

Ning Xi curiously put his head out of the carriage and watched carefully. It was the first time in ancient times that he saw so many tall and neat houses. The exterior walls were painted white and the roofs were covered with neat glazed tiles. Different from the low thatched cottages that can be seen in the countryside. The smooth bluestone street was washed clean with water, and there was hardly a single particle of floating dust to be seen.

The shops on both sides of the street are full of colorful goods. The shopkeepers shouted diligently and entertained the customers attentively. There were all kinds of stalls on the streets and alleys. There are all kinds of people who can tell fortunes by touching the bones. They are bright and lively, and Ning Xi can't see them.

After walking for another stick of incense, the carriage turned into a pebble-paved alley and slowed down. At the entrance of the alley, there was an old lady with a vegetable basket in her hand: "Boss Ning is back, yo, whose house is this? Your daughter is so handsome?"

Ning Wen replied with a smile: "This is the daughter of my eldest brother's house in the countryside. This year, the countryside was hit by floods. There was no food and no way to feed a few children. The old man's house is a maid, I think this girl is very pitiful, so I discussed bringing it back, so that I can be a companion for Tongtong."

The aunt nodded: "Looking at how smart this girl looks, it's very heartbreaking. No wonder you're not willing to sell it to the official family as cattle and horses. Can you still survive?"

The two chatted for a while, and then Ning Wenhao drove the carriage into a relatively spacious courtyard at the end of the alley. The door of the courtyard was opened, and the courtyard was cluttered with boxes and cages of goods. Going in and out, Su Yi couldn't help but look at Ning Wenhao curiously, Ning Wenhao also lowered his voice and said, "This is a guest of our inn, it's okay, come down!"

Later Ning Xi found out that Ning Wen was actually in Yunhai City. He was just an ant-like little person. He opened a humble inn in a remote corner and provided a Datong shop for ten cents a night and a ten cents for a night. The hot water used, although the environment is not comparable to those glamorous inns on the street, but it is cheaper and more convenient, and the business is decent.

Ning Wenhao took Ning Xi through a small door to the backyard. As soon as the door was opened, a small figure flew up: "Daddy, Daddy is back!" It turned out to be a four- or five-year-old boy The boy, with red lips and white teeth, looks Zhou Zheng, wearing a blue cloth short shirt, and he is quite cute with fat hands and fat feet.

Ning Wenhao squatted down, lifted the little boy and turned around on the spot, happily saying: "Tongtong, my precious son, Daddy is back! Does Tongtong miss Daddy?"

The little boy Ning Shaotong nodded again and again: "Think, Tongtong misses Daddy. What good things did Daddy bring to Tongtong?"

Ning Wenhao put down Ning Shaotong, took out a small bag from his arms, peeled off the layers of oil paper, revealing a few delicate snacks: "Tongtong, come, take it and eat it with my mother!"

"That's great!" Tongtong held the oil paper bag in both hands and walked happily into the house. Ning Xi watched this scene of a father's kindness and filial piety, and his heart was slightly sour. Xi and her mother are not worth it. They endure hardships in the countryside, but their father already has another home and gives all his love to another child.

A tall and thin woman walked out of the door and greeted Ning Xi lightly when she saw Ning Xi: "Come in? Come in!"

Ning Wenhao introduced awkwardly: "Xueqin, this is Ning Xi. Ning Xi, this is your aunt."

Ning Xi lowered her head and shouted, "Auntie." It was obvious that Tang Xueqin didn't like her. She could understand that. It was a good idea to promise to pick her up. Ning Wenhao told her on the way. Ning Xi, when Ning Wen wanted to marry Tang Xueqin, Tang Xueqin didn't know that he had a wife and daughter in the countryside. If it was Ning Xi, if she encountered this situation, she might not be able to do better than Tang Xueqin. better.

"Well, just come back, let's go into the room to eat!" Tang Xueqin turned around and went in.

Ning Wenhao also took Ning Xi into the room. Ning Shaotong was sitting at the table eating the pastry that Ning Wenhao had just given him. There was a plate of steamed buns, which didn't look too white. I guess it was mixed with a lot of coarse grains. There was also a plate of fried vegetables and a plate of boiled pork. From this point of view, the life of Ning Wenhao's family in the city was not in the village. As good as people imagine.

Ning Wen wanted to serve Ning Xi with vegetables, but the pork was cut into too big pieces, and it was too old to taste, it tasted like old Ken tree bark, Ning Xi finally swallowed a piece, see you Ning Wenhao wanted to clip it to himself, so he hurriedly reached out to stop it: "No, no, I'm full."

Ning Wenhao said: "Flesh nourishes the body, you have to eat more meat to grow well, Tongtong, you should eat more too."

"No, the meat is too unpalatable." Ning Shaotong said unhappily.

Tang Xueqin took a chopstick and put green vegetables in Ning Shaotong's bowl: "Be good, eat the vegetables."

Ning Shaotong ate happily, Ning Xi was speechless, the meat was so unpalatable, it was strange that some people liked it.

After dinner, Ning Wen wanted to take Ning Xi to her room. It was an idle hut next to the kitchen. As soon as the door was opened, the smell of old dust that had accumulated for a long time came out. The firewood, on the other side, was littered with broken tables, stools, baskets, plaques and other objects. It was originally used as a firewood house, but now only one corner has been tidied up randomly, and a small bed has been spread out.

Ning Wenhao apologized slightly: "The place is small, you can live there first, and then think of ways to make room for you later."

Ning Xi had already made up her mind to establish her own business as soon as possible, so she didn't take it too seriously: "No need, it's fine here." , I went to fetch water again, and wiped all the visible places again, so I felt much refreshed.

Ning Wenhao bought two sets of clothes for Ningxi on the way. Ningxi went to the kitchen to boil water, carried it into the room with a wooden bucket and scrubbed it hastily, then washed the clothes and hung them to dry. It was already completely dark, and she was very tired after rushing the road for two days. As soon as she lay down, she fell asleep, and the night was dark and sweet without dreams.

It wasn't until I went to the kitchen for breakfast the next morning that I found out that the Ning family also had a maid, called Aunt Zhao, who helped to do some cleaning work in the inn, and the meals at home and inn were also It's up to her to do it. Yesterday's unpalatable piece of meat came from Aunt Zhao, and she has been doing this all the time. The three members of the Ning family and the guests of the inn have always eaten this way, and no one has ever made any comments. .

Aunt Zhao is a person who can't hide her words. The two quickly became acquainted with each other. In just half a day, Ning Xi understood a lot of things that she had always been confused about.

Ningxi is now in the 25th year of the Great Zhou Dynasty Hongxian. Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the emperors of all dynasties have advocated Buddhism, strictly prohibited killing, and advocated vegetarianism for the whole people. Vegetarianism, and even using their power to hunt down cooks who can cook meat dishes, and burn meat recipes that are circulating in the world, causing people to panic. After more than a hundred years, the entire Great Zhou Kingdom has developed the habit of vegetarianism. Local young people don't even know that meat is edible. In some remote villages, there are legends that some meat is poisonous, or that eating meat will be condemned by God.

Until recent years, the country's strength has weakened, and the border has been constantly harassed by foreigners. The current state lord is driving the expedition and driving away foreign enemies. At the same time, he has indeed found that his own people are not as strong as foreigners. The reason is that Because the people of Dazhou never eat meat.

Then Emperor Hongxian carried out reforms, first of all, he abolished the prohibition on killing and eating meat, which was handed down from generation to generation. He not only encouraged hunting, but also encouraged the development of animal husbandry and aquaculture. Anyone who raised livestock or poultry could receive subsidies from the state. All in all, today's Dazhou country is carrying out a vigorous "national meat-eating movement".

Unfortunately, the effect of the implementation is not very good. People have not eaten meat for a long time, and they are not able to adapt to meat in terms of taste and stomach. Moreover, no one knows how to cook them, and the meat dishes they make are unpalatable. Very, further hinder people's goodwill towards eating meat.

Hearing this, Ning Xi felt a faint excitement in her heart. Could it be that this is her golden finger, a god-sent opportunity for her?

"Aunt Zhao, what are we having for lunch today?"

Aunt Zhao pointed to the pile of vegetables and pork on the stove: "Just eat this."

"Auntie, you've been busy all morning and you're tired. Since I live here, I can't do any work? Or leave the cooking work to me in the future!" Ning Xi didn't want to. His stomach was tortured again.

"Can you do it?" Aunt Zhao looked at Ning Xi in disbelief.

"The poor's children are in charge of the house early. I'm not yet high on the stove. I already cook every day in the countryside. Well, let me try it first. If it really doesn't work, you will come again?"

Aunt Zhao is happy and leisurely: "That's fine, I'll let you try it."

In the beginning, Ningxi didn't dare to be too bold, so he could only cook some home-cooked dishes. He looked at the ingredients on the stove, small cabbage, white radish, a large piece of half-fat pork, and a pork bone. , Seeing that she picked up the bone and looked around, Aunt Zhao was probably afraid that she would dislike it, and explained: "This bone doesn't need money, and it's free when you buy meat."

Ning Xi said: "This bone is the best for soup. Children can grow taller by drinking more bone soup." After speaking, he began to move his hands abruptly.

Clean the bones, sprinkle with a thin layer of salt and marinate inside and out, then boil a pot of water in a large pot, add the bones and **** slices, boil over high heat, and turn to medium heat until When the soup turns white, add the white radishes cut into small cubes, boil again and then change to a simmer, simmer for half an hour, and then sprinkle a little pepper powder when the pot is boiling.

While the soup is simmering, separate the fat and lean meat, cut into thin slices, fry the fat with lard, stir-fry the pak choi and the marinated lean meat slices quickly, turn off the heat immediately when the meat slices change color.

The dishes here have just been cooked, and Ning Shaotong in the main room over there is already sniffing his nose: "Mother, what's so fragrant?"

Tang Xueqin also felt strange and led Ning Shaotong to the kitchen: "Let's go and have a look."