Jinyi Spring

Chapter 105 Birthday Celebration
Banxia and the others were helping in the kitchen when Mujin went in and told them the joke she had just seen, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Aunt Wu smiled and said, "That Master Guo is really good. He is highly skilled in martial arts and is also Lord Ming's personal guard."

Peony blushed and rolled her eyes, saying, "That big, dark guy? I'd never marry that ugly bastard, not even if I were. He thinks I'm ugly, but he's way uglier than me. Humph, just wait and see how I deal with him later."

Sister-in-law Song laughed and said, "What's ugly about Master Guo? He's tall, mighty, and has a dignified appearance."

Aunt Wu added with a smile, "My peony isn't ugly either; she's tall and has a lucky face."

Everyone was even happier.

Peony was so angry that she threw the scallions she was holding onto the stove and ran away.

The atmosphere at the male host's table was harmonious. Apart from Feng Buji, the other three ate heartily, finishing almost all the dishes. In particular, Ming Shanfeng mixed the oily broth into his rice and ate the braised pork knuckle.

Before leaving, Ming Shanfeng took out two taels of silver and said, "This is for the cook; her skills are just as good as those of the imperial chefs."

Ming Shanfeng couldn't think of much else, but he cared a lot about food. If he was satisfied with the food, he would reward the chef.

Shangguan Ruyu blushed slightly. He had eaten here many times and had praised the cook's skills countless times. But he only thought of Feng Chuchen's feelings and hadn't considered the cook's kindness.

He quickly took two taels of silver as a reward for Aunt Wu.

When Ming Shanyue saw this, he also gave her two taels of silver as a reward.

Having received six taels of silver, Aunt Wu happily came over and kowtowed to express her gratitude.

Seeing that there was also braised pork knuckle with fish-fragrant sauce to offer as a tribute to the elders, Ming Shanfeng's eyes crinkled with laughter, "There will be braised pork knuckle with fish-fragrant sauce to eat tomorrow."

Shangguan Ruyu asked, "Golden shrimp is delicious too, why didn't you send any? My mother likes to eat shrimp."

I was too embarrassed to ask for it before, but today when I saw that they gave me braised pork knuckle with garlic sauce, I finally asked.

Feng Chuchen said, "The dishes in the Gold Series don't taste good when they're cooled down and then reheated. Steaming the pork knuckle doesn't change the flavor much."

Since we didn't have much pork knuckle, we sent a fish-flavored lion's head meatball to Cai Yuxiu's family instead.

Cai Yu especially liked this dish and thanked him.

Peony was too embarrassed to go out and kill the big black guy with her eyes.

After the guests left, Feng Chuchen heard the joke and laughed for a long time.

Those two are truly a pair of sworn enemies.

The next day, the prefectural governor.

Feng Chuchen was administering acupuncture to Madam Ming in the side room when Duke Ming, the Ming brothers, and Kong Xiyan arrived at the main courtyard.

They sat in the hall, speaking to Madam Ming through a soft curtain.

Kong Xiyan's voice stood out the most. She seemed to have a particularly good relationship with Ming Shanfeng, and the two of them were chatting and laughing the whole time.

Ah Xuan arrived too, flying onto Feng Chuchen's shoulder and squawking, "Even the lotus cannot compare to a beauty's makeup..."

Ming Shanfeng's mouth was as sweet as honey as he smiled and said, "Miss Feng is a beauty. Ah Xuan recited poetry as soon as he saw her."

Kong Xiyan snorted coldly and muttered under her breath, "So skinny as a bamboo pole, how is that beautiful?"

Ming Shanyue and the Duke of Ming both frowned, feeling that Kong Xiyan was particularly willful and unlikable at this moment.

Ming Shanfeng disagreed with her, arguing, "Miss Feng is beautiful inside and out, and I want to learn medicine from her so I can become a good doctor like my cousin Shangguan."

Duke Mingguo had already heard that his second son wanted to learn medicine from Feng Chuchen, but he simply did not believe that his son could learn it.

He sneered, "You're good for nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun. Let me tell you, if you get last place again in this year's exam, I won't let you off the hook."

Ming Shanfeng retorted stubbornly, "Father, my mother will be heartbroken if she hears you threatening her most precious son."

After finishing her treatment around noon, Feng Chuchen was invited to a side room for lunch.

Only then did the Duke of Ming and his companions get up and go to the side room.

Madam Ming smiled gently as she spoke to her two sons and Kong Xiyan, seemingly oblivious to her husband...

After exchanging a few words with Madam Ming, the Duke of Ming said to the other three, "I will stay here to have dinner with Madam Ming. You may go and keep Grandfather and Grandmother company."

Ming Shanfeng said, "Today, Miss Feng gave us some braised pork knuckle with fish-fragrant sauce, which was especially delicious. Mother is feeling better, so let's all go to Rongfutang."

Ming Shanyue noticed that her father wanted to spend time alone with her mother, so she said, "Mother doesn't like greasy food, let's go."

Madam Ming said, "Your Excellency should go and keep your father-in-law and mother-in-law company."

The Duke of Ming did not move, and smiled, "It's enough for Father and Mother to have them by their side."

Inside Fu Rong Tang, the old man took a couple of bites of braised pork knuckle with garlic sauce and said to the old lady, "Rong'er, we ate this flavor years ago, but I've forgotten where."

The old lady took a bite, tasted it, and smiled, "It tastes like the Sichuan flavor, but not exactly the same. This one is much tastier."

The old man suddenly realized, "That's right, I remember now. Once was when we were young, fighting in Sichuan with Emperor Taizu, and another time was when we were going to fight in the south and had to pass through Sichuan."

He picked up a sliver of ginger and said, "Oh, this is pickled vegetable from Sichuan. They call it 'pickled vegetable.' I remember once eating a bowl of pickled vegetable stir-fried with pork liver at a farmhouse. It was so delicious that I almost swallowed my tongue."

The old lady also thought of those glorious years, "Yes, decades have passed in the blink of an eye..."

This is not only delicious, but also a memory.

These past few days, the old lady had been unhappy because her second son couldn't come home in person to celebrate her birthday. This braised pork knuckle with fish-fragrant sauce finally cheered her up.

Seeing this, the others rarely touched the braised pork knuckle with fish-fragrant sauce, leaving the elderly couple to satisfy their cravings.

Ming Shanfeng was greedy and would get glared at by Ming Shanyue if he took too much food.

Ming Shanfeng said in a low voice, "It's not good for the elderly to eat too much fatty meat, so I only eat fatty meat."

Finally, the old man scooped all the oily soup into his own bowl and mixed it with his rice.

The old lady laughed and said, "Is Miss Feng still with her eldest daughter-in-law? Go tell her that the master was pleased with the meal and rewarded his cook with five taels of silver."

The old man said, "We should also reward Feng Xiaoya. She's a good girl; she remembers us even after she has something delicious to eat."

The old lady chuckled and said, "She'll get her share." Then she said to the servants, "Go to my private treasury and find a brighter piece of fabric to reward Feng Xiaoya. That child is good in every way, but she's too plain for her age."

Madam Xia also joined in the fun, rewarding Feng Chuchen with six newly produced palace flowers from the Imperial Household Department and one tael of silver from the Feng family's cook.

After finishing her meal, Feng Chuchen was invited by two servants to the back room to examine their illnesses.

She and Banxia had just stepped out of the main courtyard when they ran into Pearl from Furongtang.

Pearl smiled and said, "It's a good thing you're here, otherwise we would have to wait until tomorrow."

Feng Chuchen hadn't expected to receive so much reward for just one pork knuckle, and smiled as he curtsied in the direction of Furong Hall.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, madam. Thank you, aunt."

Upon returning home, the string of agate beads and five taels of silver bestowed upon them by Princess Yanghe's residence also arrived.

The old woman chuckled, "The Prince Consort likes it very much, saying it's even better than what chefs from the South and Sichuan cooks make..."

Feng Chuchen had previously sent the Hu family braised pork knuckle with fish-fragrant sauce, which the Hu family liked, but it wasn't as amazing as this.

Perhaps it was because the old Duke and his wife, along with Prince Consort Shangguan, had once lived in the south. What they were eating was not just delicious food, but also memories.

Feng Chuchen had Aunt Wu grab two large bowls of pickled chili peppers and pickled ginger, and also wrote down the recipes for braised pork knuckle with fish-fragrant sauce, shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce, and pickled pepper fish, and had them delivered to Princess Yanghe's residence and the Duke of Dingguo's residence respectively.

Aunt Wu's face was sore from smiling, not only because she received so many rewards, but also because she was praised for her skills, which were just like those of the imperial chef.

She laughed and said, "These techniques were all taught to me by the girl."

From then on, she became even more dedicated to perfecting her culinary skills.

On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, the sixth course of treatment ended.

With the old lady's birthday approaching, Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wu were at home trying to make longevity peaches as a gift for her.

Feng Chuchen knows how to make cream cakes, but doesn't want to; it's too conspicuous.

For an ordinary family like ours, a little surprise is enough.

Although she rarely cooked for herself in her previous life, she often watched how her nanny, Aunt Zhao, cooked.

My grandfather loved noodles but didn't like buying them from outside, so Aunt Zhao often made pastries, steamed buns, and flower rolls at home.

Feng Chuchen designed a longevity peach plate, with a large longevity peach on top and a ring of small lucky bags supporting the bottom.

Ancient pastries often used rouge for coloring. This rouge was derived from natural plants, was edible, and didn't easily change color. Two small pink peach blossoms were added to the longevity peach, along with a red "寿" (longevity) character, and two green leaves were placed below.

The longevity peach filling includes red bean paste and salted egg yolk, a departure from the single sweet or savory fillings of this era.

The little lucky bags are green and red, and they look very pretty when they're made.

In winter, when green vegetables are unavailable, aloe vera juice is used for dyeing. To preserve the green color as much as possible, a few points should be noted.

First, add aloe vera juice after kneading the dough. Second, do not knead the dough immediately after adding the juice; let it rest for 15 minutes. Third, add a little rice vinegar. Fourth, do not use too high a heat when steaming.

Milk and eggs were added to the noodles, making them taste much better than regular longevity peach noodles.

Aunt Wu, making these little lucky bags for the first time, laughed and said, "You can make steamed buns like this!"

Feng Chuchen corrected, "These aren't steamed buns, they're lucky bags."

Aunt Wu smiled but didn't say anything. A dumpling or bun is simply a different name for a steamed bun or dumpling.

But when it comes to the birthday celebration of an elderly person, calling it a "lucky bag" is indeed auspicious and sounds nice.

On the day of delivery, a gold ingot will be placed in one of the lucky bags, and someone will give the old lady a hint to eat that one.

When giving birthday gifts to the birthday person, the longevity peach must be presented to the birthday person directly, while the other gifts should be accepted by the recipient, who should also keep a record of the gifts.

Feng Chuchen believed that his grandmother, the matriarch, would definitely eat the longevity peach.

The other gift was a forehead band.

Because Princess Yanghe's residence and the elders of the Ming family had bestowed many fine gifts upon Feng Chuchen, and because she also had a good relationship with the Hu family, she had been preparing New Year's gifts for these three families.

Since we don't have much money and can't afford expensive gifts, we'll do something different.

She prepared a forehead band for each of the female elders in these families, and gave them out first this time.

In his previous life, the aloof and unassuming Dr. Feng would have disdained doing such things, and would not have deliberately tried to please his superiors.

But now she has to do it. She is not only a doctor, but also the chairperson of the maternal and child health clinic and the head of the Feng family. She needs to manage her interpersonal relationships well.

Last night I made several red bean paste-filled lucky bags, and everyone said they were both pretty and delicious.

Feng Chuchen said, "It's not quite perfect yet. Aunt Wu, make it a few more times these next few days and don't be stingy with the ingredients."

Before we knew it, it was the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.

After three days of heavy snow, the weather has finally cleared up today.

Before dawn, Feng Chuchen and her brother, dressed in festive spirits, took Banxia, ​​Mujin, Shaoyao, and Shouli to the Ming Mansion by mule cart.

Feng Chuchen wore a peach-red brocade jacket with floral patterns and a lotus-colored horse-face skirt. Her hair was styled in a parted bun, and she wore a red gold hairpin with three lotus bases and inlaid with jewels (one long and two short), adorned with several palace flowers.

She also put on some light makeup.

This was the most brightly colored outfit she had ever worn in both her past and present lives, and she was still a little unaccustomed to it.

Feng Buji couldn't take his eyes off it, and kept praising it.

"My sister is beautiful to begin with, but she looks even more beautiful when she dresses up. Oh my, I can't get enough of looking at her."

"Your eyes are beautiful."

"Your lips are beautiful."

"Sister, you're so fair-skinned."

"My sister has a beautiful figure, slender and graceful, like a willow swaying in the breeze; that's what I'm referring to."

……

Banxia and Mujin covered their mouths and laughed, while Shaoyao laughed heartily.

Thick-skinned Feng Chuchen waited for him to praise her, occasionally correcting him.

"Where are you saying I'm frail and delicate? I'm not that frail."

"Oh, I misspoke. Sister is like the swaying shadows of bamboo."

"That's pretty much it."

……

They arrived at the Ming Mansion just past Chenshi (7-9 AM), before the birthday guests had even arrived.

The siblings went directly to Fu Rong Tang.

The old lady and the old Duke sat in the seats of honor, looking very happy.

The old lady was dressed in a bright red jacket covered in gold, her head adorned with pearls and jade, and wearing a red satin headband inlaid with gemstones. All the younger members of the Ming family had just finished kowtowing to her and wishing her a happy birthday.

The Ming family has no relatives; all the younger generations are Duke Ming, Madam Ming, Third Master Ming, Ming Shanyue, Ming Shanfeng, and the Xia family mother and daughter.

There was only one more person, Shangguan Ruyu.

They were all dressed festively, their faces beaming with joy.

Even Ming Shanyue had a rare smile on her face, which softened her usually stern expression.

Only one person was at peace with this atmosphere: Master Mingsan.

He sat in a wooden wheelchair, possessing the good genes of the Ming family, with handsome features, but a gloomy expression.

His gloom was completely different from that of Ming Shanyue.

Ming Shanyue is cold and gloomy, like a frost-covered blade that sends chills down your spine.

Master Ming San, on the other hand, was down on his luck, dejected, listless, and gloomy, with a look of utter frustration and defeat between his brows, clearly someone who had suffered a major setback.

Peony and hibiscus presented the longevity peaches, and everyone was amazed.

Ming Shanfeng laughed, "These longevity peaches are so beautiful, they look delicious."

Feng Chuchen and her siblings knelt in front, while several maids knelt behind, kowtowing to the old lady to wish her a happy birthday.

"May the old lady enjoy boundless happiness and longevity."

This birthday greeting is applicable to all eras.

The old lady smiled and said, "Good child, get up."

After a few words of laughter and conversation, the men went to the front yard to greet the guests, Master Ming returned to his own courtyard, and Feng Chuchen and her siblings went to the main courtyard with Madam Ming.

Madam Ming had only been there for a little over half an hour when she felt unwell again, her back aching badly, so she took a sedan chair back.

Seeing her daughter-in-law's pale face, the old lady said, "Don't come over for the birthday banquet at noon. Have someone send a table of food over."

Madam Ming apologized.

The old lady still wanted to keep Feng Buji.

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Children from humble families are afraid of offending important people."

The old lady then let go of her hand.

Today, not only wealthy and powerful families will be coming, but also princes, princesses, and members of the royal family.

Upon arriving at the main courtyard, Feng Buji was invited by a maid to a side room to read, while Madam Ming and Feng Chuchen went to the side room of the main house.

Before long, Ah Xuan flew over and went to the east wing to play with Feng Buji.

The messenger maidservant would come to inform Madam Ming from time to time which distinguished guest had arrived.

"Princess Yanghe and Prince Consort Shangguan have arrived."

"The First Prince, the Second Prince, the First Princess, and the Second Princess have arrived."

Madam Ming smiled and said, "Only these four princes and princesses have come of age."

This means that if other princes and princesses come of age, they will also come.

In this era, adulthood refers to being fifteen years old.

Everyone fawned over him.