"You say so, when the autumn wind blows, crabs' legs will itch. What a coincidence! I just happened to bring you some crabs! I steamed them tonight for you to try!"
Li Qinru, on the other hand, came completely unprepared. She knew very well that the Bai family in Beijing was different from the Bai family in Huzhou. The Bai family in Beijing was the legitimate heir of the Bai family! If Ruo Bei's gift was too light, she was afraid that Bai Jingxuan and his daughter would not look down upon her. If Ruo Bei's gift was too heavy, it would appear that they were trying to cling to her. Therefore, after much thought, Li Qin prepared some Huzhou local gifts. I picked some specialties that are not common in the capital and brought them here!
Take this crab for example. Although there are crabs in other places, they are not as plump as the crabs in Huzhou! It is said that the water and soil support a person. The crabs raised in the water of Huzhou are all big and fat, with green shells and white bellies, and the meat is fresh and tender! Moreover, among the crabs in Huzhou, the meat of male crabs is richer and creamier, while the meat of female crabs is thicker and yellower, and their nutritional value is even greater! After being cooked, the scent of crab can spread for miles!
"Miss... the doctor said, you can't eat cold things. This crab..."
Cai Xing was a little worried, so she quietly whispered in Bai Yanqing's ear.
Last time, in order to reject the third prince, Bai Yanqing had gluttony and hurt her spleen and stomach. The doctor had repeatedly warned that those with weak spleen and stomach should not eat cold food, but this crab is a food for severe cold!
If Bai Yanqing refuses, it will appear that she is not a master. If she does not refuse, she will be the one to suffer! In comparison, Cai Xing was still more worried about Bai Yanqing's health!
"It's okay! Eat less and you'll be fine!"
Bai Yanqing patted the back of Cai Xing's hand and said indifferently.
All the conversations between Bai Yanqing and Cai Xing fell into the ears of Aunt An behind her. She looked at the two people whispering in front of her, weighed in her mind, and finally spoke.
"Although crabs are good, they are also cold. Women are inherently weak and yin-deficient. Eating too much may not be good for the spleen and stomach. Today, when my young lady sees my little aunt, she will inevitably be greedy. If you don't mind, slave You can go and get some home-brewed rice wine to warm it up. Then, wouldn’t it be nice to have it with Aunt Bai’s crabs?”
Aunt An smiled and spoke to everyone.
Aunt An's own rice wine contains a lot of blood-activating and cold-repelling medicines, and is eaten with crabs. Firstly, it can remove the smell of crabs, and secondly, it can neutralize the smell and prevent injuries from cold things. Spleen and stomach.
When Aunt An first arrived at Bai Mansion, others were naturally not very familiar with her. When she spoke, everyone was stunned. Only Li Qinru was not dumbfounded. After all, she was new to Bai Mansion and was not familiar with anyone else.
"Yes, yes, I didn't think well! This aunt was more thoughtful!"
Li Qinru said a little embarrassed.
"With Auntie's crabs and Aunt An's good wine, we will have a great time tonight!"
After that, Bai Yanqing ordered Cai Xing to send someone to inform Bai Furong and her daughter to come over for dinner together. As for whether Bai Furong is willing to show up, it all depends on whether she is relieved.
When he learned that Li Qinru had arrived, Bai Jingxuan also hurriedly finished the official duties at hand, and then hurried back. As soon as we entered the house, we smelled the mouth-watering scent of crab.
When Bai Jingxuan stepped into the hall, what he saw was a happy and harmonious picture.
"Father is back!"
After all, Bai Yanqing had sharp eyes and saw Bai Jingxuan returning at a glance.
After hearing this, everyone raised their heads and looked towards the door.
"I've met uncle!"
Li Qinru stood up, bent slightly and bowed her knees, and saluted Bai Jingxuan politely. After all, it was their first meeting, so etiquette was inevitable.
"We are all one family, younger siblings don't need to be polite."
Bai Jingxuan stretched out his hand and gave him a weak hand.
"This is the first time for my brothers and sisters to return home. If there is anything you are not used to, feel free to discuss it with Yan Qing. Don't be constrained!"
Bai Jingxuan waved his hand and motioned for everyone to take their seats, and then spoke politely to Li Qinru.
"Yes, thank you uncle. Everything is fine in the house. Yan Qing is thoughtful, but my aunt is not as thoughtful as her."
Li Qinru
She smiled very gently, and looked at Bai Yanqing with eyes full of admiration.
Bai Jingxuan was naturally very happy when others praised his daughter, and his pride overflowed on his face.
While several people were talking, a servant came to report that Bai Furong and her daughter were here. Father and daughter Bai Jingxuan and Bai Yanqing were both stunned. They thought that Bai Furong had not yet resolved her knot and refused to come! Now it seems that she has figured it out, right?
When Bai Furong and Lai Bizhi entered the house, everyone inevitably exchanged pleasantries again. Because Li Qin had just arrived, it was also the first time he met Bai Jingxuan and Bai Furong, so the etiquette must be thorough, and a few words of greeting must be exchanged.
When Bai Yanqing saw Bai Furong, who still looked a little gloomy, she quietly pulled Lai Bizhi aside to ask. She was relieved to learn that Bai Furong was in a much better mood today.
"My sister still feels sorry for her mother!"
Lai Bizhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was also worried that Bai Yanqing would hold a grudge and refuse to forgive her mother. But now, seeing Bai Yanqing take the initiative to ask about her mother's condition, Lai Bizhi was convinced that Bai Yanqing still cared about her aunt in her heart. .
"When my aunt is confused, it's really chilling, but what crime does she have? I feel sorry for my mother, so why doesn't she?"
Bai Yanqing reached out to take the handkerchief handed over by Aunt An while talking to Lai Bizhi. These words were not meant to be betrayed, so Bai Yanqing did not shy away from Cai Xing and Aunt An.
"Aunt An, why are you so shocked?"
Cai Xing saw that Aunt An was stunned and did not pass the handkerchief to Bai Yanqing's hand. He couldn't help but pushed Aunt An gently.
With this push, the handkerchief that was about to be handed over fell to the ground. Seeing the handkerchief slipping from her fingertips, Bai Yanqing felt that something was wrong with Aunt An.
"I...I will...get a new veil for the lady!"
Aunt An lowered her head as she spoke, turned around and raised her feet to run out. Unexpectedly, the moment he turned around, he lowered his head and bumped into Bai Jingxuan who was getting up.
"How unbecoming it is to act recklessly!"
Bai Jingxuan looked down at the woman who had crashed into his arms. He felt extremely unhappy at the moment and couldn't help but scold her in a low voice.
"Father, don't be upset. Aunt An just entered the house yesterday and is still a little unaccustomed to it. I hope father won't argue with her. My daughter will take her down to rest for a while!"
Bai Yanqing winked at Cai Xing, who quickly stepped forward and pulled Aunt An away! Bai Yanqing immediately raised her feet and followed!
"Aunt An, what's going on? If you feel unwell today, you can tell me!"
Bai Yanqing also looked a little unhappy. She thought Aunt An was a reliable person, but she didn't expect that even a handkerchief could reveal something!
"It's my slave's fault!"
Aunt An did not quibble, she just lowered her head and admitted her mistake with such a sincere attitude that Bai Yanqing was embarrassed to embarrass her again.
"That's all, go back and get some handkerchiefs for me. I'll have to wipe my hands later!"
Bai Yanqing sighed and stopped blaming her. She waved her hand and asked Aunt An to go back and get the handkerchief.
When Aunt An was far away, Bai Yanqing turned sideways and told Cai Xing to help Aunt An and take care of her more when having dinner later so that she would make as few mistakes as possible. After saying that, he turned around and re-entered the hall.
However, no one noticed that Aunt An, who had walked away, stood in the dark, turned around and looked at the brightly lit hall, with tears already filling her eyes.
"Here comes the crab!"
Bai Yanqing and Cai Xing had just returned to the hall when they saw servants pouring into the hall carrying drawers of steamed crabs. The overflowing scent of crab aroused the appetite of everyone present.
After Bai Yanqing sat down, she was amazed by the bright yellow crabs in front of her. Just when she rolled up her sleeves and prepared to eat, Aunt An arrived at the right time.
"Miss, please don't get your hands dirty, please come as a slave!"
Aunt An lowered her head and carefully straightened Bai Yanqing's sleeves, then stood beside Bai Yanqing and carefully peeled the crab shell for her.
"The crab shell is sharp, don't prick the lady."
Aunt An was peeling the crabs while whispering to Bai Yanqing. The rest of the people were all focused on the crabs on the round table, and who had the time to care about others.
"Caixing, bring the rice wine to everyone!"
Bai Yanqing turned around and gave instructions to Cai Xing. Cai Xing stepped back and soon brought two jars of rice wine.
Uncork the bottle and the aroma of wine overflows. The clear and rich aroma of wine made everyone present couldn't help but secretly swallow their saliva.
At Bai Yanqing's signal, Cai Xing poured the wine for everyone. For a moment, the aroma of wine and crab mixed together in the entire hall, making everyone move their index fingers.
"Young lady has a cold spleen and stomach. This ginger vinegar was prepared by my servant for you. You can eat it with confidence, young lady."
Aunt An peeled off a whole crab, then dipped the crab meat in some ginger vinegar and handed it to Bai Yanqing.
Ginger juice has the effect of dispelling cold and relieving pain, and its spiciness perfectly neutralizes the sourness of vinegar. The crab meat is dipped in a little ginger juice and vinegar, and there is no crab smell at all, and it is very sweet in the mouth. Pour a little ginger vinegar onto the crab roe, scoop it up with a long-handled spoon, and put it into your mouth with a spoonful. The delicious crab roe will melt in your mouth, leaving a fragrant aroma on your lips and teeth.
Even Cai Xing on the side couldn't help but swallow his saliva. This crab looked so tempting!
"The crabs we have in Huzhou are naturally different from those in other places. The crabs raised in the water of Huzhou have thick meat, and the crab belly is full of crab roe and crab paste!"
Li Qinru was greeting people to serve crabs and talking to everyone with a smile.
"It's really good. It's really different from what I've eaten before!"
Bai Yanqing was also very happy eating, and saw Cai Xing's greedy look on the side.
"Such delicious crabs, Yan Qing is so shameless, why don't you ask Auntie for a few more?"
Bai Yanqing glanced at Cai Xing and laughed secretly in her heart. This little girl couldn't hide her greedy look!
"Yes, yes! There are so many! If Yan Qing likes it, I will have someone send a few more boxes to the capital! It will be the Mid-Autumn Festival in a few days, and everyone will gather together and have a good time!"
Li Qinru is indeed very generous. Such crabs are common in Huzhou, but in the capital, they are rare!
After eating a whole crab, Bai Yanqing never got her hands dirty. It must be said that Aunt An was really considerate and considerate. Bai Yanqing never got her hands on such a small thing.
"This rice wine is sweet and mellow in the mouth, not even spicy at all, and has a faint medicinal aroma. Paired with this mouthful of crab roe, it is truly the best in the world!"
Bai Yanqing couldn't help but take a few more sips of the rice wine Cai Xing brought over. This rice wine was indeed different from those sold outside!
Bai Yanqing's words aroused the curiosity of others. Everyone put down the crabs in their hands, picked up the newly filled wine glasses, and each took a sip.
"This wine..."
Just as Bai Jingxuan took a sip of the wine in his glass, he suddenly raised his head and stared at Bai Yanqing's face, as if he wanted to see a hole in her face!
"Father...what's wrong?"
Seeing Bai Jingxuan's sharp eyes, Bai Yanqing was stunned. This wine is not poisonous! She had just tasted it and it tasted great! But her father's eyes seemed to swallow her up! Bai Yanqing was staring at him in a panic!
"Where did this wine come from?"
Bai Jingxuan stared at Bai Yanqing, his eyes gradually becoming bloodshot.
Seeing that her father was very excited at this moment, Bai Yanqing was a little scared. For a moment, she didn't know whether she should tell Bai Jingxuan that Aunt An made the wine herself.
