After the salted fish is married

Baked Buns and Roasted Chestnuts

September is the season when walnuts are ripe, and there are patches of walnut trees growing on the mountainside.Yan Xining had eaten a lot of walnuts in modern times, but this was the first time she saw a walnut tree full of walnuts.

It turns out that the walnut is covered with a layer of green skin, and there is a thin layer of pulp under the skin.The peel has to be removed to reveal the walnut inside.If you touch it with bare hands, the juice will stick to your hands and turn blue-black, and you won't be able to wash it off.However, the walnuts are already old now, and the pulp splits automatically to reveal the walnuts inside.Whole walnuts can be rolled out of the pulp with just a gentle pull.

Some walnuts can't wait to fall off the branches, and more walnuts are hanging on the branches.At this time, as long as a bamboo pole is aimed at the branch and tapped lightly, the walnuts will leave the branch and hit the ground heavily.

Seeing Ji Song standing up, the guards felt extremely happy.They swept away the dullness of the past few days, and when they saw the walnut tree, they jumped up the branches like monkeys.The guards shook the branches, and the walnuts fell to the ground like raindrops, and the guards laughed as the walnuts fell to the ground.

The guards jumped for joy, and Yan Xining, who was picking walnuts, was also very happy.Who can say no to the deliciousness that is just a reach away?While picking up walnuts, Yan Xining has already started to make arrangements: "Walnuts are a good thing. After we go back, we can make walnut date paste cakes, roasted walnut kernels... By the way, did you know that walnuts can be squeezed for oil!"

Ji Song was picking up the walnuts that fell on the ground. He was a little surprised when he heard Yan Xining's words: "I have eaten walnut cakes, but I didn't know that walnuts can also be used to extract oil."

Yan Xining said firmly: "Of course it can extract oil. Think about it, rapeseeds are so small that they can extract oil, let alone walnuts?" Walnut oil is a good thing, and it is very expensive in modern times.

Ji Song said thoughtfully: "It makes sense." The quality of Liangzhou's walnuts has always been good, but they have not been sold at a good price. If the walnuts can be squeezed into oil, not to mention the convenience of transportation, the price will be higher.

The two cooperated tacitly, and picked up most of the walnuts in the basket in a short while.Some walnuts have been on the ground for a long time, and the pulp around the shell has turned black, looking dirty.When Yan Xining picked it up, he didn't pay attention and picked it up. When he saw those walnuts, he was a little unsure: "Are these walnuts still edible?"

Ji Song picked up two ugly walnuts and put them in the palm of his hand. After clenching them tightly with one hand, the two walnuts made a cracking sound in his palm.When he opened his hand, the walnut shell had already cracked, revealing the plump walnut flesh.

The shape of the walnut pulp is somewhat like a brain flower, and they are still wet when they have just fallen from the branches.A layer of light brown film attached to the pulp can be torn off to reveal the white and tender walnut flesh inside.Ji Song handed a few pieces of walnut meat to Yan Xining's lips, and Yan Xining took a step back: "Can you eat raw ones?"

As soon as the words fell, he felt a little ambiguous, so he added: "The walnuts I used to eat were not fresh." The walnuts he bought in modern times were all dried or fried to make various flavors. This is the first time I have encountered fresh walnuts.

Ji Song smiled and said: "It's very sweet and tender, try it." After a pause, he laughed out loud: "So there are things that Ah Ning dare not eat." I just saw that Ah Ning eats chicken heads so vigorously, I didn't expect A young walnut frightened him.

Yan Xining scratched his cheek in embarrassment, mainly because the pulp outside the walnut looked a bit poisonous, which made him a little worried.Some foods are slightly toxic when they are fresh, but they disappear when they are dried. He thought the same is true for walnuts.

Seeing what Ji Song did, he was sure he was thinking too much - how could Ji Song let him eat poisonous things?So he opened his mouth and took the few pieces of young walnuts.The tender walnut meat tastes crisp and sweet, which is completely different from the oily walnut after drying.

Yan Xining chewed it carefully and opened his eyes wide in surprise: "It's delicious." He immediately fell in love with this taste: "It's delicious, I think I can eat a lot." Dried walnuts are a bit greasy , Eat a few more grains and you will be stunned, but fresh walnuts don't have this kind of trouble.

Ji Song laughed and said, "Then take some more home. If you can't finish eating them, just put them in the sun to dry." Dried walnuts can be stored for a long time as long as they are placed in a dry and ventilated place.

Yan Xining looked at the walnuts in the basket, and after thinking for a while, he shook his head: "Forget it, as long as there are so many." One should not be greedy. In previous years, he could only eat three to five catties of walnuts for a whole year. The walnuts must weigh fifty or sixty catties, which is enough.

Ji Song smiled: "Okay, if you finish eating, then come and get some." After packing up all the walnuts, he carried the basket on his back: "Let's go, let's go to hunt chestnuts."

The basket was heavy, and Yan Xining was afraid of hurting Ji Song's leg, so he hurriedly said, "Let me carry it."

Ji Song reached out and rubbed Yan Xining's hair: "Good boy." He slowed down his voice: "This weight is nothing to me, don't worry, I know it well. If I can't carry it on my back, just help me gone."

Seeing that Ji Song couldn't be held back, Yan Xining compromised and said, "Okay, remember to call me when you can't carry it anymore."

When Lao Zhang and the others planted fruit trees, they deliberately planted walnuts and chestnuts together. As long as you walk a certain distance, you can see patches of chestnut trees.The chestnut tree is tall, with fist-sized chestnut balls on the dense crown.

The shell of the chestnut ball is covered with green spikes. It looks extremely vigorous, and it will be uncomfortable if you accidentally touch it.Lao Zhang and the others would wear a bamboo cone hat on their heads when they went to the chestnut forest on weekdays, for fear that the chestnut balls falling from the sky would fall on their heads.Inside the chestnut ball is the familiar chestnut. Generally, there are two or three chestnuts in a chestnut ball.

Compared with picking walnuts, picking chestnuts is significantly more risky.Yan Ke and the others held up the long bamboo poles and tapped the branches from a distance. They didn't dare to use too much force, for fear that the chestnut ball would fly out and hit their companions.

Yan Xining and Ji Song stood further away, Ji Song stood with his back basket propped up, and he squinted his eyes to watch Yan Ke and the others beat chestnuts.His face was serious, and those who didn't know thought he was watching the confrontation between the two armies.

And Yan Xining found a chestnut ball with a cracked mouth at his feet, and the brown-red chestnut inside could be seen through the crack.Curiously, he pulled out the chestnuts from their shells, and then exclaimed, "It's so big! Look at Songsong, the chestnuts that Lao Zhang and the others planted are so big!"

He has eaten many chestnuts in modern times, but he has never seen or eaten such a large chestnut.The chestnuts in front of him were as big as the three he ate before, and they were heavy in his palm.

Ji Song was used to eating chestnuts from Liangzhou, but he didn't find it surprising: "Aren't chestnuts just this big?"

Yan Xining explained: "No, the chestnuts I ate before were only this big." He stretched out his thumb and index finger to indicate the size.

In fact, he has also eaten smaller wild chestnuts. Apart from being inconvenient to peel, that kind of chestnut tastes very good.

Ji Song smiled and said, "The chestnuts in Liangzhou are all this big, I don't know how they taste compared to the ones you ate before."

As he spoke, he picked up a chestnut and peeled off the shell, revealing a layer of brown fluff under the shell.This layer of fluff is not easy to remove, but Ji Song is not going to get rid of this layer of hair either.He took a bite of the nut, and then stuffed the other half of the nut into Yan Xining's mouth: "Try it and see which one is tastier?"

Yan Xining was caught off guard and was stuffed with half a chestnut. After chewing, her mouth was full of crispy sweetness.Raw chestnuts are a bit like raw sweet potatoes, and the taste is not bad.It's just that the fluff on the outer layer really affects the taste, so you can eat and spit it out if you need it.Yan Xining really couldn't taste the good or the bad after savoring it carefully: "It feels about the same... right?"

When Lao Zhang was about to greet Ji Song and the others to pick up chestnuts, he saw the two walking and poohing, quite happy.

When picking walnuts earlier, Ji Song and the others could easily peel the walnuts out.It is not enough to pick chestnuts. The chestnuts wrapped in chestnut balls need special tools to be opened.They could only receive the chestnut balls and the spilled chestnuts into the baskets.Chestnut balls are like green hedgehogs, they will stab anyone who touches them, and you have to be careful when carrying baskets.

When Ji Song and the others came down from the mountain, the baskets they brought up the mountain were already full of various fruits.Lao Zhang looked at the sky: "My wife should have baked the buns already. Coach, shall we go back for dinner?"

Ji Song sat firmly on the wheelchair, and he nodded slightly: "Okay." After walking on the mountain for so long, his legs were slightly sore, but the problem was not serious.

The carriage moved slowly towards Lao Zhang's house, baskets filled with fruits were placed in the empty spaces in the carriage, and the bursts of fruit fragrance were refreshing, making the carriage fragrant.

Ji Song was like a human-shaped nutcracker, pinching walnuts for Ah Ning along the way.His arm strength is amazing, and the walnuts he squeezed out are complete.Yan Xining patted his belly while eating the walnuts that Ji Song pinched for him: "I've eaten a lot of walnuts, if I continue to eat, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat the baked buns for a while."

Looking at Yan Xining's applauding cheeks, Ji Song couldn't help laughing: "It's okay, you can take away what you can't finish."

Yan Xining was amused: "Be careful that Lao Zhang and Aunt Zhang have opinions." She didn't worry about being embarrassed when she said it, she allowed Mrs. Wang to come to the subordinate's house for dinner, and walked around if she couldn't finish eating.

However, Ji Song was very calm: "Lao Zhang and Aunt Zhang have no children, and they like young people to come to their house. In previous years, if we didn't finish the large plate of chicken and baked buns made by Aunt Zhang when we visited, Aunt Zhang would secretly Weep."

Ji Song and the others were very polite at first, but when they saw Aunt Zhang was crying, they could only shake their cheeks and eat desperately.Later, they couldn't eat anymore, and Aunt Zhang still felt uncomfortable. After thinking about it for a while, they learned to pack.

Lao Zhang and Aunt Zhang liked to watch the children of the Chiling Army even eat and pack. Every time someone from the army came, Aunt Zhang would like to make cakes from the food stored at home for them to take away.Of course, the generals of Chiling Army never treat Lao Zhang and his wife badly.

Yan Xining understood: "So that's it! I won't be polite at that time." It happened that he still had a chicken head, and he would pack it up and take it away later.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Yan Xining smelled a seductive fragrance.It tasted like kebabs, and it tasted like toast.Needless to say, this must be the smell of baked buns.

When the two came to the courtyard, they saw that there were already two large plates of golden baked buns on the stone table in the courtyard.The baked buns made by Aunt Zhang are exactly the same shape as modern baked buns. The square baked buns are oily and golden on the outside, and the white sesame seeds sprinkled on the top are roasted to a light golden yellow.The smell of meat mixed with the smell of noodles came to the nose, and this smell made Yan Xining, who was not very hungry, even aroused his appetite.

Aunt Zhang smiled and said a few words to them, and Lao Zhang greeted them: "Don't be too busy, go eat baked buns."

Yan Ke and the others put down the things in their hands, and they couldn't wait to run to the table, each of them took a baked bun and gnawed on it.Yan Xining was no exception, the baked bun he got was still a little hot to the touch, after taking a bite, the thin skin of the bun was so crisp that it almost fell apart.The strong mutton and onion flavor rushes out from the mouth of the baked buns and hits people's hearts.

Yan Xining chewed the bun skin carefully while carefully looking at the bun in his hand.The upper layer of the steamed stuffed bun is oily, but the lower layer should be close to the wall of the pit, so the color is slightly dull.However, this does not affect the taste of the buns. The soup filled with meat soaks the bun skins, making the buns taste salty, fragrant and rich in taste.

This taste is much more fragrant than the baked buns that Yan Xining used to eat. Sure enough, the baked buns placed in the restaurant window can't be compared with the buns just taken out of the naan pit.

The bun filling is made from chunks of mutton and onions, with some shredded carrots added.The mutton is tender, the onions and carrots are slightly sweet, and the stuffing with cumin and pepper is tender, juicy and delicious.No wonder Yan Ke and the others are thinking about baking buns. Who doesn't like such delicious and plentiful baked buns?

The gravy in the baked bun was full, the more you ate it, the more the gravy oozes out, and at the end of the meal Yan Xining had to stop and drink the soup inside.

After eating a baked bun, Yan Xining burped comfortably, and he praised sincerely: "It's delicious. Aunt Zhang is really good at cooking!"

In addition to the baked buns, Aunt Zhang also prepared naan bread.When Yan Xining and the others were eating baked buns, she brought out a shaukei full of naan cakes from the naan pit in the yard.

A stack of naan bread is two feet high, and each naan bread has a diameter of one foot. They exude a strong aroma of wheat.The naan bread is thick on all sides and thin in the middle, and the edges are baked with golden crusts, and the thinnest part in the middle seems to be transparent.

Yan Xining only took one look and concluded that the naan bread must be delicious, but unfortunately... He rubbed his stomach in trouble, he couldn't eat it anymore.Ever since I came to Lao Zhang's house, there are big plate chicken and grapes, and I have never stopped eating all kinds of fruits after going up the mountain.With a generous baked bun, he couldn't eat the whole naan.

Just when he felt a little regretful, Ji Song took a naan bread.He gently folded the naan in half, and the naan broke with a sound, and the thin and crispy part in the middle was so crispy that it fell off.He handed half of the naan to Yan Xining: "The naan made by Aunt Zhang tastes best when it's hot."

As he spoke, he held the naan in one hand and stretched out the other under his chin. After he lowered his head and took a bite of the naan, the sesame seeds and crumbs on the naan fell finely into his palm.Yan Xining gave a thumbs up, he followed Ji Song's example and took a bite of the naan.

The naan is crunchy at the entrance, and the salty taste is very similar to the crackers that I ate in my previous life.However, the warm naan is not comparable to crackers. The aroma of wheat fills the whole mouth, and the hard but soft naan makes him unable to stop taking one bite after another.

Eat a few mouthfuls of naan bread, and then drink a mouthful of sweet honey water.Yan Xining sighed comfortably: "It's a fairy day~"

In fact, Lao Zhang and Aunt Zhang lived a real fairy life. They lived in a pleasant mountain valley, with houses and yards, several acres of Susukida and hills.It's a wonderful life to stay with the one you like and live a quiet life.

Just when Yan Xining was feeling emotional, Ji Song said slowly, "We will do the same in the future."

He used to have a strong obsession with the throne, and he felt that only by standing in the highest position can he do what he wants to do.However, after so many things, he found that his desire for the throne was not so strong.Ji Song felt cold when he thought of those people who couldn't help themselves in the palace wall.

Yan Xining understood Ji Song's meaning, he smiled and nodded: "Okay."

Aunt Zhang was a restless person, and while everyone was eating delicious snacks, she turned her attention to the chestnuts she had picked.I saw that she tied two wooden boards on the soles so that the soles could step on the chestnut balls.

Although the chestnut balls that are about to mature are green in color, as long as you step on them with two feet, they will burst open to reveal the smooth chestnuts inside.Aunt Zhang used tongs to pinch the chestnuts out of their shells, and within a short while she pinched most of Shau Kei's chestnuts.

She picked out the chestnuts with slightly whitish shells and put them aside, then cut the brown-red chestnuts in the Shau Kei one by one with a knife to make a cross pattern.After cleaning the chestnuts, she dumped them on a wire mesh and hung them in a pan.

Yan Xining has a habit, he likes to watch people do things.I especially like to see neat people doing things, it is a pleasure to watch.When Aunt Zhang started shelling the chestnuts, he squatted beside her holding a piece of naan bread while eating and watching.He didn't speak the whole time, and when Aunt Zhang turned her head from time to time, she could see his crooked eyebrows and the light in his eyes.

After Aunt Zhang hung up the barbed wire fence, she said something to Lao Zhang. The smile on Lao Zhang's face froze, and then he glanced at Yan Xining complicatedly.When Yan Xining looked up suspiciously, Lao Zhang nodded to him with a smile, but there was something extra in his eyes.

Even though everyone ate with their stomachs open, they couldn't finish the baked buns and naan cakes made by Aunt Zhang.Everyone sat paralyzed by the stone table, and when they saw Aunt Zhang bringing out the fruit plate again, they could only beg for mercy.

After lunch, Ji Song still had business to do. He had to take a detour to see how the ducks were killing the locusts.Lao Zhang didn't dare to keep him, so he had to send them away.

The veterans were very reluctant, they put down their things and walked slowly behind the carriage.Ji Song had no choice but to lift the curtain and wave to everyone: "Everyone go back first, I'm in Liangzhou now, I can come anytime."

The red eyes of the veterans slowly disappeared. Looking at their stumbling backs, Yan Xining felt heavy in his heart.Parting is always sad, but it is a good thing that veterans can live together and be taken care of.

When the carriage passed the gate of the stockade, Yan Xining heard a woman calling from behind, "Ning Ning—Ning Ning—" It may be because of the word "Ning" in her name, Yan Xining is very sensitive to the word "Ning", he He pricked up his ears and asked Ji Song, "Did you hear someone calling Ning Ning?"

Ji Song pricked up his ears to distinguish for a moment, then nodded, "It seems to be Aunt Zhang's voice."

Yan Xining opened the curtain and looked back, only to see Aunt Zhang running towards them with something in her arms.Ji Song quickly stopped the carriage: "Yan Ke, stop!"

The carriage came to a sudden stop, and Old Zhang reined in his horse with a look of surprise on his face: "My wife?"

Aunt Zhang quickly ran to the carriage, only then did Yan Xining see a cloth bag in her arms.Aunt Zhang handed the cloth bag to Yan Xining: "Ning Ning." Aunt Zhang didn't speak Chu Liao dialect very well, she expressed her thoughts intermittently: "Chestnuts, eat, eat chestnuts."

She persistently stretched out the cloth bag towards Yan Xining, her eyes full of anticipation.It seemed that if Yan Xining refused, she would cry the next moment.Yan Xining was very embarrassed, he must have squatted next to Aunt Zhang to watch her work, which gave her the illusion that she liked to eat chestnuts.

Ashamed, he stretched out his hand and took the cloth bag. The chestnuts in the cloth bag were boiling hot, and a strong smell of roasted chestnuts hit his face.Yan Xining looked seriously into Aunt Zhang's eyes: "Thank you, Aunt Zhang."

Aunt Zhang showed a gratified smile, her tone became much lighter, and a series of Qiang words came out of her mouth.Lao Zhang's face was a little distorted, and he simply translated: "My wife said, let you take it with you to eat."

Yan Xining thanked again: "Thank you."

The carriage moved again, and when the car was about to turn the curve, Yan Xining lifted the curtain again and looked behind.Aunt Zhang was still standing there, and after such a distance, he could feel Aunt Zhang's reluctance in her eyes.

Yan Xining leaned half of his body out of the carriage, and waved vigorously in Aunt Zhang's direction.When he sat back in the car again, he was moved and sighed: "Aunt Zhang is so kind to me."

At this time, Lao Zhang suddenly apologized to Yan Xining: "Princess, I'm sorry, my wife offended you just now."

Yan Xining was untying the knot on the cloth bag, when he heard this, he was at a loss: "No, what's the offense?"

Lao Zhang turned his back to the carriage, and his back looked inexplicably sad: "My wife and I...used to live in the Qiang nationality. Later, the Liao Xia cavalry entered the village and robbed us of our money and food, burned our home, killed Our clansmen and friends. Our whole family was lucky enough to escape the catastrophe. After much deliberation, we could no longer stay in the Qiang tribe, so we came to Chuliao to escape."

"The life of fleeing is not easy. We have no money or food, so we rely on our two legs to beg all the way to the east. My wife and I have a son. If he is still alive, he will be forty this year. On the way to escape, my lord He could carry it, but the child couldn’t carry it. Our child starved to death on the road like this, and he was only three years old when he died.”

"When the child is alive, he likes squatting next to his wife the most. He is very obedient and does not make noise. My wife gives him a piece of naan bread when he is working, and he gnaws on the bread and follows his wife like a puppy... The father who used it, couldn’t even ask for a bite of food for the child.”

Speaking of sad things, Lao Zhang burst into tears, and his shoulders shrugged: "Our child is called Zhang Weining. If he is still alive, he must be a lovable and good boy."

Yan Xining finally understood why Aunt Zhang looked at her with surprise, joy and anticipation. She was calling not only herself, but also her child.

He didn't know that his unconscious actions made Lao Zhang and Aunt Zhang sad, Yan Xining said in a low voice with red eyes, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

Lao Zhang lifted the hem of his clothes and wiped his tears: "No, no, we are the ones who should say sorry. Please forgive me for offending the princess."

Touching the hot roasted chestnuts in the cloth bag, Yan Xining felt sad.Lao Zhang and his wife were right. What was wrong was that the war was famine.

No wonder Aunt Zhang worked so hard to cook food for everyone. She was afraid that these people would starve like her own children.She couldn't feed the delicious food to her children back then, so she wanted to feed it to other people's children.