Chapter 11 : Delicious Treats Everyone Chases After
Eldest Brother Liang and Second Brother Liang still seemed a bit uneasy when they saw her. They immediately stood up from their seats with a swish. Qi Qingfeng accepted the fruit plate and asked, “Sister-in-law, is there anything you need us to do?”
Xu Shuyue found it odd. She wanted to say no, but seeing how Eldest Brother Liang and Second Brother Liang were nervously rubbing their hands, she changed her mind. Instead, she said, “If you’re free, help me shell these walnuts and peanuts. Once I finish making maltose, I’ll make some snacks for you to eat.”
“You—cough!” Eldest Brother Liang was about to say something when Second Brother Liang gave him a quick nudge, and he immediately corrected himself, “Sister-in-law, you can make maltose candy?”
Maltose candy was a rare delicacy. Eldest Brother Liang had only ever tasted it once when he was a kid, tagging along with his father to the market. It was delicious, sure, but after returning home, his mother scolded both him and his father harshly.
Ever since then, Eldest Brother Liang never dared to ask for candy again. Now, hearing that Xu Shuyue could make it, his eyes widened in astonishment.
Xu Shuyue nodded and smiled. “It’s not that hard. You guys can chat with Qingfeng. Dinner will be ready soon.”
With that, she pushed the door open and stepped out.
The biting cold wind sneaked through the crack of the door. Eldest Brother Liang shivered and wanted to say something, but the words slipped his mind completely.
Qi Qingfeng glanced at him and offered, “Eldest Brother Liang, do you want some dried fruit? My sister-in-law made it. It tastes pretty good.”
The fruit plate was not small. Half of it was filled with honey-colored dried fruit, while the other half was a mix of peanuts and walnuts.
Eldest Brother Liang first handed a piece to his younger brother. Seeing that Second Brother Liang ate it without any reaction, he finally felt at ease and stuffed one into his mouth.
One bite, and he was stunned.
The dried apples had a slightly wrinkled skin and a firm, dense texture. They were soft, sweet, and slightly tangy when eaten. The dried pears didn’t have as rich a flavor as the apples, but the aroma of pears was preserved to its fullest, leaving people wanting more.
Eldest Brother Liang’s face lit up with amazement. Just as he was about to say something, he turned his head and saw Second Brother Liang and Qi Qingfeng popping dried fruit into their mouths one after another. In no time, half of the plate was almost empty.
Shocked, Eldest Brother Liang hurriedly reached out to grab some for himself. As he ate, he couldn’t help but sigh, “Qingfeng, with your sister-in-law’s skills, you’ll never have to worry about selling fruit again.”
Qi Qingfeng didn’t respond.
The two brothers had a hearty meal at the Qi family’s home. Before they left, Xu Shuyue packed a bag of dried fruit for them and said apologetically, “Father and Mother were too tired and went to bed early, so they couldn’t see you off. Thank you for your hard work today. Here’s some dried fruit to take home. You can snack on it or brew it in tea.”
Eldest Brother Liang quickly declined, “Helping with Siming’s situation is something Second Brother Liang and I should do. We don’t need any reward.”
Making dried fruit wasn’t an easy task, and it was something the Qi family relied on to earn money. Eldest Brother Liang figured it was fine for them to try a plate during the meal, but how could they take more to bring home?
Second Brother Liang also shook his head and said quietly, “You should sell it instead.”
The two brothers were genuinely hoping for the Qi family’s well-being. Xu Shuyue felt deeply grateful but insisted, “We still have more at home. Once it’s gone, I’ll just make more.”
Eldest Brother Liang and Second Brother Liang looked troubled, but Qi Qingfeng couldn’t stand it anymore. He grabbed the bag and shoved it into Eldest Brother Liang’s hands, saying in a serious tone, “Just take it. If you feel bad, then when I’m not around, keep an eye on my family for me.”
Eldest Brother Liang thought about it and realized it made sense. He no longer refused, patted Qi Qingfeng on the shoulder, and left with Second Brother Liang before it got completely dark.
Early the next morning, Qi Qingfeng tiptoed out the door, carrying a bundle on his back, ready to return to the county. Xu Shuyue ran out from the kitchen and handed him another bundle.
“I heard from Mother that the academy only provides lunch, so I made you some flatbreads. There’s also a bamboo tube of chili sauce you can use as a dip.”
“I packed some dried fruit for you too. If you’re tired of eating it plain, you can brew it in water to drink…”
Xu Shuyue rambled on like a true elder sister-in-law, chattering endlessly. Qi Qingfeng listened silently until she finished, clutching the bundle tightly and softly thanking her.
Watching his figure disappear into the distance, Xu Shuyue blew warm air into her hands and went back to prepare breakfast for her parents-in-law.
Madam Wei, who had rested for an entire day, couldn’t sit still any longer. She called Qi Ansheng and Xu Shuyue to help her process the remaining fruits into dried snacks in batches.
At the same time, the wheat sprouts had started to grow.
Following Xu Shuyue’s instructions, Madam Wei pulled the sprouts off the bamboo mat in one go, chopped them into small pieces with a knife, and watched the vibrant green juice trickle into the pot through the bamboo sieve. The juice was then mixed with the steamed glutinous rice, dyeing the grains a faint green color.
Xu Shuyue added firewood into the stove, intensifying the flames, while Madam Wei stirred the mixture with great effort to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
Before long, the pot began to bubble, and the gurgling sound filled the kitchen. Madam Wei, unsure if she was doing it right, turned to Xu Shuyue and asked, “Shuyue, do you think I’m doing this correctly?”
Glancing at the pot, Xu Shuyue noticed a layer of white foam floating on the surface of the juice. It looked just like what she remembered from when her grandfather used to make sugar when she was a child. The scene was etched in her memory—she knew they were halfway there.
Xu Shuyue nodded and said, “Mother, we’re on the right track. In a while, we’ll add water, scoop out the sugar pulp, strain it through a fine cloth to get the liquid, and then pour it back into the pot. We’ll simmer it for another hour or two until the liquid thickens and turns a yellow-brown color. That’s when the maltose will be ready.”
Madam Wei breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, that’s a relief.”
Using several pounds of wheat and glutinous rice was no small feat. Over the past few days, Madam Wei had watched the wheat slowly sprout, feeling anxious the entire time, worried she might ruin it all.
Making sugar required patience. Xu Shuyue sat for a while, then got up to fetch peanuts and walnuts.
Eldest Brother Liang, Second Brother Liang, and Qi Qingfeng had helped her shell a large basin of nuts, so all that was left now was to crush them.
Curious, Madam Wei asked, “What are you doing with those?”
Picking out the nut shells, Xu Shuyue replied, “I promised Eldest Brother Liang, Second Brother Liang, and Qingfeng that once the maltose is ready, I’d make them some snacks.”
Madam Wei smiled and said, “With sugar, walnuts, and peanuts, it’s bound to taste amazing.”
Xu Shuyue’s eyes curved with a soft smile as she said sweetly, “When it’s done, Mother, you’ll be the first to try it!”
Madam Wei laughed, her wrinkles deepening around her eyes, making her look even more kind and warm.
At this moment, Qi Ansheng poked his head into the kitchen, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Madam Wei. He called out in a cheerful tone, “Old lady, we’re running low on firewood. Now that the snow is starting to melt, I’ll head up the mountain to gather some.”
These past few days, with all the cooking, drying fruit, and now making sugar, they had burned through bundles of firewood. What once filled the entire room now barely occupied a corner. With half the winter still to go, Qi Ansheng, always cautious, decided to take advantage of the clear weather to gather more firewood and dry it in time for use.
Madam Wei frowned and voiced her disapproval. “The weather’s clear, yes, but the snow hasn’t fully melted yet. The paths in the mountains are slippery. What if you fall…”
She trailed off, realizing her words sounded unlucky, and quickly stopped talking.
But her concerns weren’t unfounded. Xu Shuyue also chimed in, “Father, if it’s really necessary, we could ask Eldest Brother Liang and Second Brother Liang to share some firewood with us.”
In her previous life, growing up in a cold and detached environment, Xu Shuyue had avoided owing anyone favors. But this life was different. With the lack of modern medical technology, if Qi Ansheng were to have an accident, Madam Wei would be devastated by another loss in the family.
It was better to owe someone a favor than to risk Qi Ansheng, a man in his fifties, going up the mountain to gather firewood alone.
With both of them urging him not to go, Qi Ansheng had no choice but to give in. Fearing he might slip out without a word, Madam Wei called him into the kitchen to take over her task.
Qi Ansheng hesitated, moving awkwardly, and protested, “Old lady, don’t leave just yet. Show me how to stir this first!”
Madam Wei rolled her eyes.
Meanwhile, Xu Shuyue stood at the side, covering her mouth to suppress her laughter.
After straining the sugar pulp to remove the liquid, Qi Ansheng took the leftover pulp to the backyard to feed the chickens. Madam Wei stayed behind to stir the sugar water. Under the intense heat, the liquid thickened within half an hour.
Madam Wei’s arms ached from stirring, but she didn’t dare stop for fear of the sugar burning. Xu Shuyue took a bit of the mixture with chopsticks and tasted it on the tip of her tongue. A burst of sweetness filled her mouth, spreading warmth all the way to her heart.
Excitedly, she exclaimed, “It’s done!”
Watching the expression on her face, Madam Wei felt a weight lift from her heart. “It’s good it’s done, good it’s done!”
Xu Shuyue seized the moment while the syrup hadn’t yet solidified to make candied fruit. Qi Ansheng stepped in to help maintain the right heat.
Without oil paper, Xu Shuyue found a smaller bamboo tray. She used chopsticks to dip chunks of fresh and dried fruits into the syrup, coating them evenly. Once coated, she quickly dipped them into ice water to cool the sugar shell, then placed them on the bamboo tray.
Madam Wei had never seen such a way of eating fruits before and was curious about where Xu Shuyue had learned this. As she was lost in thought, a piece of candied apple suddenly appeared in her mouth.
Madam Wei was amazed.
What kind of treat was this? So sweet and crunchy!
Covering her mouth to keep from dropping it, she stared at Xu Shuyue, who smiled and said, “Mother, I promised you’d be the first to try it.”
Qi Ansheng coughed lightly, hinting that there was still someone else waiting. Xu Shuyue wasn’t unfair, so she handed him a piece as well.
The two of them had lived more than half their lives but had never eaten anything like this. They immediately fell in love with the unique texture and taste.
They ended up eating several pieces in a row. Seeing how much they liked it, Xu Shuyue quickly sliced up two more apples and pears. Before the maltose was even finished, they had already used up quite a bit.
After thoroughly enjoying herself, Madam Wei stopped eating and commented meaningfully, “Old man, Shuyue, what do you think—could we sell this? Just like the candied hawthorn skewers the street vendors sell, we could string these candied apples and pears onto sticks and sell them for five or eight wen a skewer. What do you think?”
Qi Ansheng thought it over. A single pear sold for three wen. If each pear could make three skewers, selling at five wen per skewer, they’d earn fifteen wen. After deducting costs, they’d still make at least eight wen.
Apples would be even more profitable.
His eyebrows shot up in excitement. “It’s doable!”
Besides, this way, they wouldn’t have to worry about the fruit in their cellar rotting before it could be sold.
Xu Shuyue had been making so many treats precisely to help use up the fruit, so she nodded in agreement. “Father, Mother, whether this idea works or not, we’ll know once we try selling them at the next big market.”
Madam Wei slapped her thigh. “Exactly!”
Once the maltose was done, Xu Shuyue poured it onto a flour-dusted cutting board. Some of it was left to cool and harden into sugar blocks, while the rest was mixed with walnuts, peanuts, and sesame seeds to make “matang” (nut brittle).
The remaining sugar residue in the pot was diluted with water and rice to make a sweet porridge. Paired with a few small pickles, it became another satisfying meal.
After the meal, Qi Ansheng took some nut brittle to visit Eldest Brother Liang and Second Brother Liang. When they heard his request, the two brothers immediately pulled two bundles of firewood from their storage. Without letting Qi Ansheng lift a finger, they carried the bundles directly to the Qi family’s house.
Not wanting them to leave empty-handed, Xu Shuyue packed a bowl of candied fruits for them. Eldest Brother Liang and Second Brother Liang hesitated, feeling too embarrassed to accept it, so Xu Shuyue quickly added, “Actually, here’s the thing…”
Note:
- “Candied Fruit”: A traditional Chinese snack of fruit skewers coated in hardened sugar syrup, often made with hawthorn berries but easily adaptable to other fruits.
- “Matang”: A type of nut brittle commonly made in Chinese households, especially around winter or festive occasions.
Maltose:-
Candied Fruit :-
Dried/Candied Fruit :-
Matang :-
