December 2022, Shuangzhou Country
The Yania Plateau traverses the Shuangzhou Kingdom and the northwest of the Jade Khanate. The northwest of the plateau in the Shuangzhou Kingdom is the Mo Sea, while the northeast of the plateau in the Jade Khanate is the Sea of Haima.
The shape of Haimahai is like a big seahorse, wrapped in the plateau on the side of the Jade Khanate.
There is also a saltwater lake shaped more like a seahorse, called Wumi Lake. Some people nickname this largest saltwater lake in the Jade Khanate "Little Seahorse".
The largest saltwater lake in the Shuangzhou Kingdom is also on the Yania Plateau, called Jian Lake.
The shape of Jian Lake is like a running camel. If a camel bell is hung on the chest of this camel, the city where the bell is located will be Jian City, which has the same name as the lake.
Jiancheng is located in the eastern part of Shuangzhou Kingdom, only 100 kilometers away from the border of Jade Khanate.
Bashir and Camila's (Roxana's pseudonym) farm is located on the northern outskirts of Jian City, on the shores of Jian Lake.
When a nominally married couple buys the right to run a farm, they need a reason to avoid suspicion.
This is not the best reason to grow watermelons in Shuangzhou Country. Shuangzhou Country is the country of apricots, with apricots and almonds accounting for one-seventh of the world's production.
The couple retained a large apricot grove on the farm and announced that they planned to open a water-retaining agent factory.
In addition to making dried apricots, they will also add biological enzymes extracted from Shuangzhouguo's high-quality almonds to oat starch to test whether it can be used as a catalyst for the production of water-retaining agents.
Today is the winter solstice and the traditional Dawn Festival of the Jade Khanate. Bashir and Roxana were ordered to return to Jiancheng Farm to prepare for taking over the space tugboat in January to complete the experiment.
The night of the winter solstice is Roxanne's 23rd birthday.
Rosanna has grown into a standard Coupé beauty, with shiny black hair wrapped in a colorful headscarf, slender and thick eyebrows that are almost connected together, deer-like dark brown eyes that seem to have stars falling into them, and the clear and pure whites of her eyes showing health. And innocence exudes aura.
Like a good and competent husband, Bashir was busy all afternoon, testing and repairing various electrical equipment in the living room and kitchen.
Rosanna was busy preparing a festive dinner for the two of them.
Like the Jade Khanate, the Shuangzhou Kingdom had a high wheat output, and both countries also relied on pasta.
But Shuangzhou people love bread most, and 85% of the country’s flour is made into various delicious breads.
Rosanna is going to bake a big plate of Wacker bread tonight, and do as the Romans do. This kind of bread is the most common in the Canoe Kingdom and is loved by every household.
Roxana's improved Wacker bread is Bashir's favorite. Paired with Ash noodle soup, it is simply delicious!
Rosanna poured high-gluten flour, salt, and the sour yeast produced in Shuangzhou into a shallow plate, added olive oil, and honey and stirred clockwise, then slowly added water while kneading the dough.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, pat it into a large oval dough, put it back into the plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest.
After one hour, the dough has fermented until it has doubled in size. Take out the fermented dough and completely remove the air. Divide the dough into small pieces of about 200 grams each.
Add the dried apricots produced on the farm, and the most important thing is to add the raisins from Bogu City of the Eternal Khanate, put them into the baking pan for the second fermentation, and then start baking.
Lamb stewed with sweet almonds and white radish, thick noodle soup and a large plate of Wacker bread that was crispy on the outside and tough on the inside. Bashir admired Rosanna's cooking skills so much.
As he feasted, he praised:
"Roseanne, you are such a master at cooking! This noodle soup tastes just like Mama Westminster's."
Rosanna smiled proudly, tore off a small loaf of bread, dipped it in the noodle soup, chewed it in small sips, and said:
"Every time Ximin's mother makes soup for us, it's me who helps her. I've secretly learned the craftsmanship a long time ago."
Bashir seemed to have remembered something and suddenly asked:
"Roxanne, have you been dreaming these days? Yesterday, I had a strange dream. I was riding a camel and running in the desert."
"Only camels? You didn't meet a beautiful woman in your dream, did you?" Roxana teased.
"I really met a beautiful woman. Her car was driving on a high river bank in the distance. She was holding a balsam branch and wearing square gold earrings." Bashir continued to describe his dream:
"I thought to myself that this was the legendary goddess Anahita who controlled the rivers. The goddess wore an octagonal golden crown on her head. Her hair was very long, and there were colorful ribbons tied behind it."
Rosanna stopped laughing at Bashir and asked:
"Have you read a poem in Abang Yeshter?" Roxana said, reciting the poem left to her by Bashir's father Susay Muzadi:
“Anahita wore an octagonal golden crown,
The refined buckle protrudes from the top,
Ribbons tied on a huge float as big as a boat,
The light released cuts through the darkness of the moment. "
"Of course I have read the poem, and I think it was the goddess Anahita described in the poem that I dreamed of," Bashir replied, continuing to tell Rosanna about his dream.
Bashir rode a camel to the goddess's chariot. The goddess bent the Balsam branch in her hand into a ring and put it on his head.
The goddess raised her hands high into the sky, raised her head, her long hair fluttered, and the silk ribbons turned into a rainbow.
The goddess's figure merged with the rainbow. As she faded away, Bashir heard the goddess's voice:
"Bashir, let's go, let's go."
The dream ended here. Bashir said to Roxana as if he had just woken up from a dream:
"I was thinking about this dream today when I was assembling the space tug controller, and I suddenly realized that the octagonal gold crown worn by the goddess was the same shape as the space tug."
"Isn't the Thurman space tug an approximate cube? Where does the octagon come from?" Rosanna asked.
"The Thurman is considered a cube, but it is divided into two layers. When it tows a satellite, the upper layer is a winch that can rotate. When it rotates to a 45-degree angle, when viewed from above, the tugboat becomes eight Angular shape.”
After dinner, the two rearranged various dried fruits on the dining table. Bashir, who was deft, hollowed out a watermelon and carved an auspicious pattern. The green and white rind revealed the sun-red flesh.
There was still some time before midnight of the winter solstice. The two of them sat at the table, praying devoutly, and spent the longest night of the year.
The Dawn Festival of the Jade Khanate, also known as the Gubo Winter Solstice, is not only a day to pray for the rebirth of the God of Light, but also a festival to respect the elderly.
The younger members of the family saluted the elderly in turn, offered dried fruits and refreshments, and wished the elderly healthy and safe.
But now there are only two of them in the living room on this winter solstice night!
Bashir asked:
"We have discipline. There are some things I have never dared to ask you. Have you met your biological parents? What do they do?"
Rosanna raised her head in surprise, thought for a moment, and replied:
"Of course I have, but you know, this kind of meeting is strictly confidential. My parents are very ordinary Yuhan people, not as famous as your father." Roxana answered, regretting making this comparison, she The chair moved as close to Bashir as possible.
When Bashir heard about his father, his expression showed sadness again.
He stood up and took a few steps away from the table, turned back to the watermelon sculpture, crossed his hands on his chest, and silently saluted and prayed.
Roseanne stood up and followed suit. The names they silently chanted in their hearts were Susay Muzadi and Burhan.
Bashir prayed softly:
"Father, brother, wake up Mithras, the god of light. The long night is coming to an end. You can lead us to rebirth."
Rosanna took Bashir's hand, led him back to his seat, sat down, stood opposite him, and recited Hafez's poem loudly:
"Whenever I cover my body from the sun,
He shines so brightly.
So, thousands of people,
Witness my heart.
Pointing cheerfully,
The beauty of shadows.
Hafiz
Our destiny is really,
Become one with that original light? "
