It's a sin, it's such a cold day, how can I let the elderly and children stand at the door to enjoy the breeze.
too exaggerated.
But the Han family didn't think it was anything. They enthusiastically welcomed Li Qiao and his party to the flower hall where they were waiting for guests, and served tea and snacks, fearing that they would not be well received.
Li Qiao felt deeply stressed.
Fortunately, Han Ning understood Li Qiao's embarrassment and quickly helped his grandmother back to the main courtyard. His parents also left together, leaving only his brother and sister-in-law to entertain Li Qiao and his party.
Soon, Han Ning returned to the flower hall, and then took Li Qiao Taozhu to his study to look for books.
This search ended in the evening. Li Qiao found more than 80 books that he had not read before. He was very happy. If there was anything he could not explain in the future, he could refer to these miscellaneous books.
Before leaving, Han Ning asked people to prepare eighteen baskets of sour pears, ten of which were for Li Qiao, and the remaining eight baskets were for the Zhuang family, Xu Yingchenhua, the Meng family, and the Xu family.
"I think you like the glutinous rice balls and pear soup at lunch. You can take these pears back. If you want to eat them anytime, ask Brother Zhu to make them for you."
"...This is too much, we can't finish it."
Li Qiao shook his head.
"Eat as much as you can, make pear soup every day, and make it in different ways."
"This is fruit and cannot be eaten as food. Brother Han, Brother Zhu and I only need to carry three baskets. If there are more, it will be ruined."
"My family is also in ruins. I have planted a whole mountain of pears. After sending them to relatives and friends, there is still a lot left. My family alone cannot eat them all. You help consume them."
"If you can't finish eating it, you can sell it."
Li Qiao suggested.
"I'm busy selling stews, so I don't have time to sell them." Han Ning sighed as he spoke.
When he mentioned this pear, he really wanted to shed tears.
This pear was bought by his elder brother seven years ago. It is said that it is a new variety from the south. Compared with the local autumn pears, it is not only moist and sweet, but also durable in storage.
Many people here in Beijing, including in Jibei Province, have planted autumn pears. This kind of autumn pears is averagely sweet, a little sour, and has a short storage time, so it cannot be placed in the twelfth lunar month.
But according to the southern businessman, the sour pears currently grown by his family are not only highly sweet, but also durable in storage and can be used during the Chinese New Year.
His eldest brother was moved when he heard it.
There are not many fresh fruits in the winter in the north, especially during the Chinese New Year. This is the time when fresh fruits are most scarce. If these pears can be kept during the Chinese New Year, his family can make a lot of money.
In order to convince his eldest brother, the southern businessman specially brought pears out for his eldest brother to taste. It was the twelfth lunar month, and the pears were yellow and sweeter than the local autumn pears. After the eldest brother tasted it, he immediately took out the pears from the southern businessman. I bought all the pear saplings there.
It cost more than three thousand taels of silver.
It happened that his family contracted a small hilltop outside the capital, which was perfect for planting these pear trees.
After these pear saplings were planted, they did bear fruit in the third year.
But this fruit is more sour than the local autumn pear, has less water content, and is smaller in size. Its only advantage is that it is durable in storage.
But this shelf life is only compared to local autumn pears, and cannot be stored until the Chinese New Year as the southern businessman said.
Therefore, the sour pears grown at his home have no merit.
When they were not in the vermicelli business before, they would sell these sour pears during the time difference. When other autumn pears were out of the market, their sour pears could be sold.
But because these pears can only be stored for about half a month longer than local autumn pears, the time difference is very short.
In addition, these sour pears cannot be eaten raw and can only be used to make pear soup. Therefore, the price of these sour pears cannot rise and there is not much money to be made.
But he finally made some money, and his eldest brother didn't give up. He felt that the sourness of the pears was because the pear trees had not adapted to the soil and water of the capital. If they were allowed to grow for a few more years, they might become sweeter.
So his family kept these pear trees.
Now his family is busy with the stew business in winter and can't spare any manpower to sell these sour pears, so they give them to relatives and friends.
But there are still a lot left after delivery. According to the experience of the past two years, these pears will start to spoil little by little after the Laba Festival. Now that Li Qiao doesn’t eat more, those pears waiting for them will be spoiled and thrown away. .
"This batch of pear trees has caused a lot of losses for my family. Before, the whole family hated them and wanted to cut them down several times. But now that we have vermicelli, my family is too lazy to fight with them."
"It would be nice to drink pear soup in this weather, don't you think?"
By the end of the sentence, Han Ning started laughing, he was really relieved.
Anyway, the family's business is getting better now, and these pears also served Li Qiao this time, so they were not planted in vain.
"That's it..."
Li Qiao understood, and he also laughed: "In this case, I will accept these pears, and I will definitely help Brother Han eat a few more."
"Sure!" Hearing this, Han Ning smiled so much that he showed his big white teeth.
There is indeed no white variety in this sour pear.
The Han family used oxcarts to transport these sour pears to Li Qiao's family. Li Qiao's family had ten baskets, and the remaining families had two baskets.
"Should these pears be kept in the kitchen?" Tao Zhu picked up the basket and prepared to go to the kitchen.
These pears are useless except for making pear soup.
"Okay." Li Qiao also picked up a basket of sour pears and walked towards the kitchen.
Put these sour pears in the kitchen. It's already dark. It's dark late in winter. It's time to make dinner.
We had lunch at Han's house, which was extremely rich, and we didn't do much work today, so the four of them, Li Qiao, weren't very hungry.
So dinner became simple, with red dates and rice porridge, scallion pancakes, and pork and fried radish, and it was a complete meal.
After dinner, Li Qiao went back to the study to study.
Tao Zhu started washing and scrubbing.
The bedding used along the way needs to be taken apart and washed, and the large cloak also needs to be washed.
The husband and wife worked separately until late at night, and then went back to the room to sleep.
The next day, at the breakfast table, Li Qiao said to Tao Zhu while chewing freshly steamed buns: "Brother Zhu, when I was reading a medical book before, I saw a prescription called Qiuli ointment, which was said to be able to produce fluid and quench thirst. It moistens the lungs and resolves phlegm, and is most suitable for drinking in autumn and winter.”
"Since we have so many pears, let's try making autumn pear paste later, right?"
"Huh?" Tao Zhu opened his eyes wide when he heard this: "Qiuli ointment?"
"Yes, but I can't remember exactly which book I read it in. I searched for it in the study last night, but I couldn't find it."
"But that's not important. What's important is that I've written down the recipe and we'll try it later."
He did look for Qiuli ointment in medical books.
But none was found.
Since I haven't found it, maybe there is no Qiuli paste in this world.
But regardless of whether they are there or not, let’s make them first. Although the Han family’s pears are sour, they have enough moisture and can be used to make autumn pear paste.
"Okay." Tao Zhu had no objection. It was a trivial matter and he would listen to whatever Li Qiao said.
However, this is not a trivial matter... If the autumn pear paste is really made, then the sour pears of the Han family will be useful.
After breakfast, Li Qiao Tao Zhu asked Li Ershan and Li Xia to wash the pears and cut them into shreds, while the couple went out to find a drug store to buy Luo Han Guo and Sichuan clams needed for Qiuli ointment.
After returning from the medicine shop, the pears had been cut into shreds. Li Qiao found a clay pot and put the shredded pears, Luo Han Guo, Sichuan clams, rock sugar, red dates, etc. into the casserole to cook.
Pears themselves have a lot of water, so there is no need to add water and can be boiled directly.
The next step is to filter and collect the juice.
The steps are not complicated, very simple. Before noon, a small bowl of Qiuli paste is ready.
"Is this Qiuli paste?" Tao Zhu, Li Ershan, and Li Xia were all surprised when they looked at the dark brown paste liquid in the bowl.
A clay pot full of pears, and this is the result?
"This should be Qiuli ointment. It's my first time to make it. I don't know if it's right. The medical book says to drink it with warm water. Let's boil some hot water and give it a try." Li Qiao said.
There was nothing wrong with the Qiuli ointment. Although it was the first time I made it, it was very successful. Tao Zhuli, Ershan and Li Xia all praised it after eating it.
"This is delicious and convenient. Every morning when I wake up from the kang, my throat is a little dry. Can I make a bowl of this before eating?"
Tao Zhu asked Li Qiao, pointing to the Qiuli paste in the small bowl.
Li Qiao nodded with a smile: "Of course. The formula here can be modified. I will change it to make it more suitable for your situation."
"Okay." Tao Zhu's eyes were sparkling. He was such a powerful man. He actually knew so many recipes!
"Let's make some more autumn pear paste and send it to the Han family, so that the sour pears of the Han family don't have to go bad this year." Li Qiao said again.
The Han family treated him well and helped him casually, which was a sign of gratitude for taking care of him along the way.
"Okay!" Tao Zhu nodded.
So I didn't do anything else today, I just made Qiuli paste. The four of us worked together. By evening, we made three more small bowls of Qiuli paste.
Put the Qiuli paste into an exquisite little clay pot. The next day, Li Qiao Tao Zhu went to the Han family with the Qiuli paste.
*
The author has something to say:
Legend has it that Qiuli paste appeared during the Tang Dynasty, but this article is fictional, so there was no Qiuli paste before~
Hey guys, don’t be too serious, okay?
Chapter 102 The Chinese New Year is coming again. Selling Qiuli Paste and Tao Zhu’s Opportunity
The Han family delivered fifty carts of vermicelli this time, which made the business of the Han family braised restaurant boom.
The vermicelli bought by the Han family last year were gone by the end of summer. However, because the Han family's braised restaurant has already gained a reputation, it retained many diners even when the vermicelli was out, and the business was good.
Now that the vermicelli is back, the business of Han's braised restaurant has gone from good to full, but Han Ning has stayed at home and has not gone to the braised restaurant to help, in case Li Qiao needs to find him for anything.
Although Li Qiao should have been involved in intense and arduous reading at this time, what if something really happened.
He stayed at home just in case.
Who knew Li Qiao would actually come.
However, Li Qiao didn't ask him for help. Li Qiao came to deliver Qiuli paste.
