Is the beginning of a catastrophe? The little farm cook is raising a family with a full warehouse.

In fact, Cheng Yuntao was not sure whether there would be any hawthorn trees here, but it didn't matter even if there weren't any. Her portable farm had a wide variety of crops, including fruits.

She brought her younger brother and sister to this valley because their daily activity area was limited and she was afraid that they would feel bored and wanted to come out to get some fresh air.

If she couldn't find it, she would still find a way to satisfy their appetites when she returned to the cave.

However, when Cheng Yuntao saw Cheng Yueli's confused little expression, her eyes instantly became extremely soft, filled with endless pampering and love.

The corners of his mouth unconsciously rose slightly, outlining an extremely gentle smile.

My little sister is so cute, I really want to rub her little face.

In fact, she did so. Cheng Yuntao reached out and gently rubbed Cheng Yueli's little face. It was as soft and tender as she imagined, but a little thin. She needed to eat more to replenish her body.

Cheng Yueli was frightened by this sudden action and was stunned for a moment. She instinctively wanted to hide, but she quickly realized that she was no longer in the Xu family and was safe.

She acted coquettishly without hesitation, hugged Cheng Yuntao tightly like a kitten, buried her head in her arms, and enjoyed the warmth and sense of security from her sister.

"Sister, what's in your bamboo basket? Wild vegetables?"

Cheng Yueli curiously leaned behind Cheng Yuntao and pointed at the Centella asiatica in her bamboo basket and asked.

"Oh, this, this is the herb I picked for you. Apply it on the wound when you go back. It can lighten the scar." Cheng Yuntao explained slowly as he held her hand and walked forward.

Cheng Yueli didn't expect that her sister still cared about her healed wound. Knowing that she loved beauty, she specially picked herbs for her. She couldn't help but feel touched.

"Sister, you're so nice..." Before I could finish being moved, I heard Cheng Jingzhu shouting from behind: "Hey! There's me too! Wait for me!"

When Cheng Jingzhu regained his sleepiness and spirit, he found that his sisters had already walked forward hand in hand.

“Hurry up and catch up!

Cheng Yuntao waved back, signaling Cheng Jingzhu to speed up and catch up.

"I'm coming—"

……

The autumn colors in the depths of the valley are more obvious. A stream gurgles through the valley, the water is as clear as a mirror, and a few fallen leaves float on it, drifting with the current.

The wild flowers by the stream are not as lush as the grass just now, but their light colors and subtle fragrance add a touch of simplicity and elegance.

"Sister! Look! There really is a hawthorn tree!" Cheng Jingzhu was extremely excited and shouted while pointing at the hawthorn tree not far away.

Cheng Yuntao looked up and saw a rather large hawthorn tree. Its trunk was strong and vigorous, and the bark was mottled, like dragon scales.

The branches and leaves are lush, with yellow in the green and red in the yellow, just like the autumn described by literati and poets, with appropriate shades and long-lasting charm.

Each hawthorn fruit is round and plump, with a bright red color, just like stars inlaid among the green leaves, or like rouge on the cheeks of a beautiful woman, so beautiful and tempting.

The autumn wind blows gently, the fruit fragrance fills the air, attracting bees and butterflies to fly and dance around the trees, creating a vibrant scene.

Cheng Jingzhu climbed up the tree trunk nimbly like a little monkey, reached out to grab a branch, and pulled it hard. The red hawthorn fruits fell like raindrops.

Cheng Yuntao and Cheng Yueli were picking fruits below. Several people worked together and divided the work in an orderly manner. In a short while, they picked a lot of hawthorn fruits. In addition to candied haws, they could also make other delicious foods.

Hawthorn is also known as mountain red. There is a folk remedy that if you pick a large amount of hawthorn and cannot eat it in a short period of time, you can put the hawthorn and floating charcoal water into a porcelain bottle.

Even after a long time, the color will not change and the flesh will still remain fresh.

The process of making candied haws is very simple. Select fresh and plump hawthorns, clean them to remove dust and impurities on the surface, remove the core inside, and set them aside.

Slowly simmer the syrup over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the syrup from becoming sticky.

As the temperature rises, the syrup gradually becomes viscous and the color changes from light to dark, until it reaches the ideal concentration and color, then you can start wrapping the hawthorns.

String the processed hawthorns into strings, and the number of each string depends on personal preference.

Dip the hawthorn skewers in the warm syrup and rotate them quickly to ensure that each side is evenly coated with a thin layer of sugar coating. Then quickly move the hawthorn skewers coated with syrup to a clean surface and wait for the sugar coating to cool and solidify.

During the cooling process, the syrup will gradually form a layer of crystal clear, crispy and sweet sugar shell, tightly wrapping the hawthorn.

"The candied haws are ready! Come and try some!"

Cheng Yuntao picked up the end of the bamboo skewer and handed the prepared candied haws to Cheng Jingzhu and Cheng Yueli who had been waiting for a long time. The two children had been waiting eagerly for this taste for a long time.

When you take a bite, the first thing you feel is the crispness and sweetness of the outer sugar shell. The sound of the sugar shell breaking is accompanied by a rich sweetness that blooms in your mouth.

Then the sweet and sour taste of hawthorn is released, forming a sharp contrast with the sweetness of the sugar shell, which not only neutralizes the greasiness of the sugar but also adds layers of taste.

It is sweet but not greasy, with a moderate sweetness and sourness, and is worthy of being one of the favorite snacks of many children in their childhood.

Zhou Xiufang is afraid of sour things, but this wild hawthorn is grown particularly well and is not too sour. After coating it with a layer of syrup and eating it slowly, she can tolerate it.

Cheng Yuntao steamed another batch of hawthorns, peeled and cored them, and pounded them until they were very soft. He then mixed them with sugar according to their weight, intending to make hawthorn cakes.

If you feel the color is not red enough, you can also add safflower juice and stir evenly. When the color is as bright as amber, add a penny of sandalwood chips. The aroma will be more fragrant and the taste will last longer.

If the moisture has not completely dried up, you can spread some ash flat, then place the pastry on top of it with paper, cover it with paper for one or two days, and then you can eat it after the moisture has dried up.

Eating too much hawthorn is not good, as it may cause acid reflux and heartburn, so Cheng Yuntao didn’t make many candied haws, just wanting to satisfy their cravings and let them taste it.

As for the hawthorn cake, each person was given a small piece, and the rest was put away to be eaten another day.

Cheng Jingzhu held the small hawthorn cake in his hand, broke off a piece and put it in his mouth, savoring it carefully.

Hawthorn cake is different from overly smooth jelly, nor is it a dry and hard pastry. It is a perfect balance of soft and glutinous with a subtle fibrous texture.

The delicate cake melts in your mouth while revealing its unique sweet and sour flavor.

Sourness is that kind of refreshing and invigorating fruit acid without being overly stimulating, which awakens the taste buds just right; sweetness is a mild and lasting sweetness that blends harmoniously with the sourness, bringing a layered taste enjoyment.

In addition, hawthorn cake retains the original natural aroma of hawthorn, which makes your mouth water and is very appetizing.

After eating a piece of hawthorn cake, Cheng Jingzhu felt that his stomach seemed to become even hungrier.