Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 292: Order for 4 Strings of Fancy Candied Haws

Shen Yu hurriedly stopped and turned back to the square table.

Song Yurong thought for a moment and said, "I heard from Mother Feng the other day that you can make candied haws made of various fruits, which are colorful and very beautiful."

"I've only eaten candied haws with hawthorn berries, and I've never seen anything colorful like this."

"Ever since I heard what Mother Feng said that day, I've been wondering if you can make ten, no, twenty candied haws."

Shen Yu said with some embarrassment: "It's not difficult to make candied haws, but our shop doesn't have so many kinds of fruits right now. We have to buy them. They are not available immediately."

Song Yurong smiled and said, "I wonder if Miss Shen can finish it before we finish our meal. I want to bring it back and let my grandmother and mother have a taste."

Song Yuzhi clapped her hands and agreed, "Third sister, this is a good idea. I also heard about the candied haws that day."

"I also heard my grandmother say that oranges can be made into candied haws, but I wonder what they taste like."

"If I bring it back, she will definitely be happy."

"I also ordered two boxes of snacks to give to my grandmother when I get home."

After hearing this, my second cousin Gao Qingyu also said, "Aunt, can you ask Miss Shen to make more? I want to take some back too."

The Second Madam thought of her mother who also loved these sweet and sour snacks, so she simply said, "Miss Shen, how about this? You don't have to rush to prepare it before we leave."

"Let's order forty candied haws with various fruits, divided into two portions. I'll send someone to pick them up in the evening. How about that?"

Shen Yu felt that this was completely in time, so he smiled and said, "I'll ask someone to buy some fruit now, and it will be ready before the evening."

Seeing that there were no further instructions, Shen Yu bowed, turned around and left.

Song Yuzhi's impatient voice came from behind: "Cui'er, hurry up and help mother serve some fish. It should not be too hot to eat now."

"Mother, try it. It tastes much better than what I brought back that day."

Since the Second Madam had Cui'er to serve her and Nanny Qiu was guarding the door, no guests would come in, so there was no need for Li and the others.

Li simply sat on a stool in the corner of the restaurant, ready to take orders at any time, and asked Jiang and the others to go back to the backyard to work.

Golden Ingot Egg Dumplings is a dish commonly made in restaurants, and Jiang and her family all know how to make it.

Shen Yu returned to the backyard and told Jiang that the egg dumplings should be steamed after they were made.

Jiang agreed and took some eggs to the stove in the next kitchen to cook.

Shen Yu called Zhou Dalang over and asked him to buy some different kinds of fruits.

Last time, Li asked Yutao to buy half a basket of hawthorn fruits. Shen Yu felt that it was too much and difficult to preserve.

I simply bought some rice wine, soaked two cans of hawthorn wine with hawthorn berries, and pickled a can of sugared hawthorns. I used up most of the hawthorns. I didn't expect that I would need it again today.

There is only a small basket of newly bought tangerines at home, and we need to buy hawthorn berries, autumn pears, and apple berries. Yams and walnuts are already available.

Zhou Dalang took the purse handed over by Shen Yu, picked up a large bamboo basket and walked quickly out of the small door in the backyard.

Shen Yuze, Yutao and Zheng Sanniang started to peel oranges, remove the orange peels, peel walnuts, peel and cook the yams.

Zhou Dalang knew that the candied haws were ordered by a customer and he was waiting for them. Plus, he was afraid that if he went too late, the fruit shop would be closed, so he jogged all the way back and forth.

Before Shen Yu had finished processing the fruits on hand, Zhou Dalang had already run back, sweating profusely, carrying a basket full of various fruits.

Shen Yu hurriedly took it and asked Yutao to pour a glass of water for Zhou Dalang and told him to go and rest aside.

Several people started washing the fruits, cutting them into pieces, and then began to string together various kinds of candied haws.

The Jiang family also acted quickly.

Making egg dumplings doesn’t require any skills, all you need is a suitable large spoon and patience to make the egg dumpling wrappers.

The pork belly filling is ready-made, and in order to make it taste better, some fresh chopped green onions are added to it. The egg dumplings made in this way have a strong onion aroma and taste even better.

In just a cup of tea, a plate of egg dumplings was ready, and I started to steam them in a small steamer placed in the soup pot.

Several people on Shen Yu's side worked together and the work was not slow.

After cutting the various fruits, Shen Yu asked Zheng Sanniang and Yutao to string them together while he started to make the syrup.

After making all forty strings of fancy candied haws in one go and inserting them into the bamboo basket, Shen Yu discovered that Li and the others had already started preparing ingredients for tomorrow's meal.

Because the syrup couldn't wait any longer, Shen Yu had been sitting motionless by the stove for more than half an hour.

I was so focused on making the candied haws that when I stopped, I realized my legs were numb from sitting.

Li saw that Shen Yu did not stand up after he finished, but just stood there with a frown on his face and pounding his legs.

He came over to help her up with a distressed look on his face, and supported Shen Yu as she walked slowly in the yard, stretching her arms and legs.

She walked and muttered, "Don't do this next time. If we couldn't make the syrup, we would have helped you make it. How do you feel about your legs? Are you feeling better?"

Shen Yu just sat in one position for too long. He stood up and walked around. He felt much better. He smiled and said, "It's okay. You'll feel much better after walking around."

"I thought it wasn't much, but I didn't expect it to take so long. When did the Second Madam and the others leave? They must have been very satisfied with the meal."

Li saw that Shen Yu was walking more normally and knew that her legs were fine, so she felt relieved: "They just left not long ago."

"The ladies all enjoyed their meal very much, saying it was more comfortable and interesting than eating in a big restaurant. They praised the food in our restaurant and said they would come back to eat again if they had the chance."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and took out two small silver ingots weighing one tael from his bosom. They were in the shape of two little goldfish shaking their heads and tails.

Li put it in her hand and showed it to Shen Yu: "This is a gift from the two cousins. They said it was specially given to you, so you can keep it and play with it."

"Look, there are holes here. I think you can make a string and hang it on a fan or a purse, to represent a house full of gold and jade."

Shen Yu took it and looked at it, then put it back in Li's hand and said with a smile, "It's quite cute. Mom, keep it for me. I'm working in the kitchen, so I don't need it."

Li thought for a while and said, "It's okay if you don't want to wear it. I'll keep it for you as a dowry." Then she stuffed it back into her arms.

Shen Yu pretended not to hear. Li continued to walk with her and began to mutter: "Didn't you see the look on Aunt Qiu's face? She almost fainted when she heard that the fourth young lady said she wanted to come over to eat."

"Alas, it is difficult to work in other people's homes. It would be fine if a nanny like Aunt Qiu met a young lady who was gentle and obedient."

"If they are all lively like this fourth young lady, and she can't beat or scold them, it will be really tiring to teach them."