Chapter 970: Dragon Boat Race
....Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The two maidservants chimed in, making Yu Youyao feel embarra.s.sed. She glared at them. “If you spout nonsense again, I’ll punish each of you with a bowl of Chinese goldthread soup.”
At this moment, someone knocked on the carriage, making a knocking sound.
Yu Youyao hurriedly stepped forward, pulled open the door of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and bent out of the carriage. She saw Yin Huaixi standing beside the carriage.
He had changed into a mountain-colored outfit again, making his figure look even more slender and rugged.
Yin Huaixi was also stunned. He did not expect her to get out of the car.
She was wearing a moon-white dress. It was between light blue and white, and its texture was as light as water, as if it was enveloped by the moonlight. It was neither dull nor bright, but it had a high and clear color, making her face look like water and extremely pure.
Yin Huaixi’s eyes flashed with amazement. When he looked up, he saw an apricot flower blooming in her beautiful hair. Light pearls trembled lightly by her cheek, making her skin look as fair as snow and as bright as jade.
It was the love hairpin he had given her.
Yin Huaixi thought of the ginger soup he had drunk just now and quickly said, “Did you add too much sugar to the ginger soup? It doesn’t taste as spicy as before.’
Thinking of what Xia Tao had said just now, Yu Youyao burst out laughing. The beads on her cheeks couldn’t help but tremble slightly. “I really should make a bowl of Chinese goldthread soup and let you try it. Will it be sweet or bitter?”
Yin Huaixi was a little confused by her smile, so he could only go along with her words. “During this period of time, I’ve eaten a lot of medicine and food to nourish myself. Coincidentally, I’m a little heaty. It’s not impossible to drink Chinese goldthread soup to get rid of internal heat.”
Yu Youyao couldn’t take it anymore. She giggled and laughed until her head was trembling. “You’ll suffer!”
Her voice was clear and melodious, and her cries were intermittent.
Yin Huaixi’s ears were a little numb and soft. He couldn’t help but lower his voice. “As long as it’s something you want me to drink, even if it’s a bowl of Chinese goldthread soup, even if it’s bitter, it’s sweet.”
Yu Youyao’s face turned red. She wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t. She glared at him and spat, “Why— Why are you talking like your mouth has been smeared with honey? You only know how to coax people. I’m not telling you.” After all, they were in a relationship. Even if she was a little girl, she wouldn’t be pretentious. “Hurry up and tell me what it is.”
Her coquettish expression made Yin Huaixi’s heart feel like it was being scratched by a cat. He quickly said, “If you’re ready, we’ll set off for the Crown Prince River now. It’ll take about an hour to travel there.” At this point, he paused for a moment before continuing, “Eat some snacks first in the carriage. When we reach the Crown Prince River, can we have lunch?”
Yu Youyao nodded. “Okay.”
Due to the heavy rain, the road was filled with depressions and mud. The carriage jolted all the way until they finally arrived at the Crown Prince River.
At this moment, there was already a sea of people near the Crown Prince River.
On both sides of the riverbank, streamers were drawn with simple wooden stakes to block the enthusiastic commoners outside. This was to prevent the crowd from overcrowding and causing them to fall into the river. It was safer.
There was a sentry post every five steps. The You soldiers with breastplates stood there, and there were also government officials with knives patrolling non-stop.
The dragon boats of the various families were already in position. Yu Youyao counted and there were a total of nine teams, divided into nine colors, namely red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, black, and silver.
There were many colorful flags hanging on the high platform beside the river. On it, there were phrases like “favorable weather”, “peace and prosperity”, and so on. There was an incense burner and three wine offerings on the altar table. There were Daoists in Daoist robes standing on the altar to preside over the sacrificial ceremony for the Dragon G.o.d.
It was expressed that while the commoners prayed for a good life with favorable weather, they also had a sense of reverence for nature.
However, Yu Youyao arrived a little late. The water G.o.d sacrifice had already ended, and the teams partic.i.p.ating in the dragon boat race were already making final preparations.
Yin Huaixi set up a tent at the bank of the river.
“The dragon boat race is about to start in an hour. I ordered someone to buy lunch from a restaurant in the city. It’s not as exquisite as the one made by the Yu Garden, but it’s novel. It’s not bad to try something fresh and change the taste. ”
As Yin Huaixi spoke, he took the food box from the table and took out the food that had been prepared one by one. There were four dishes and a soup.
There was red mushroom soup with fresh bamboo shoots, vegetarian red braised pork, stir fried corn with pine nuts, jade vegetables, and a large urn. Yin Huaixi opened the lid of the urn. Immediately, a mellow wine fragrance, accompanied by the thick fragrance of food, a.s.sailed Yu Youyao’s nose.
Yu Youyao couldn’t help but ask, “What is this? It smells a little like Buddha Jumps over the Wall.”
“It’s a vegetarian mushroom Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. It rains heavily in the Liaodong area, and it produces more than 30 types of mushrooms.
Someone used the mushrooms to make a vegetarian Buddha Jumps Over the Wall using mushrooms. There are 37 types of mushrooms, plus more than 20 medicinal herbs, and incense materials, including angelica, the twig of the cinnamon tree, Mongolian milkvetch, and so on. There are also more than ten types of dried fruits, such as yams, chestnuts, red dates, hazelnuts, and peanuts. Coupled with yellow wine, they’re simmered for 12 hours. More than
30 types of mushrooms are mixed together, but they all have their own flavors. They taste strange and fresh, but they’re also very nourishing. They’re already comparable to Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”
Yin Huaixi scooped a small bowl and placed it in front of Yu Youyao. Yellow wine was also a type of seasoning that was absolutely necessary. There was the fragrance of wine, but it tasted fresh and mellow without the taste of wine.
The golden soup was bright and refreshing. There were a few wisps of oil floating on it, and it was not greasy at all. The thick mellow fragrance of the wine turned faint after overstepping the main dish. The rich fragrance of the mushrooms rushed out, increasing one’s appet.i.te.
“It smells so good!” Yu Youyao picked up the small bowl and took a sip of the soup. Her eyes couldn’t help but light up. “The soup is fragrant and refreshing. It’s salty and fragrant when it enters your mouth. It’s condensed with the essence of mushrooms. It tastes fresh and refreshing. It’s delicious!”
She couldn’t wait to eat a piece of red mushroom. Even her eyes widened. “It’s soft and moist. It’s rich in meat fragrance, but it’s not greasy. There’s a taste in it. Why do the mushrooms taste like abalone? I almost thought I had just eaten a mouthful of abalone.
Yin Huaixi smiled. “The unique thing about this vegetarian mushroom Buddha Jumps over the Wall is that it’s vegetarian yet meaty. Every mushroom has the texture of a meat dish and full-bodied taste.’
Then, Yu Youyao tasted them one by one. There was matsutake with the taste of sea cuc.u.mbers, honey fungus with the taste of shark fins… The tastes were varied. To summarize the dish in one word, it was “fresh”. To summarize the dish in two words, it was “extremely fresh”.
It had been more than half a year since Yu Youyao had had any meat. She liked seafood to begin with, so after eating three bowls in a row, she still felt a little unsatisfied.
Yu Youyao, who insisted on taking care of her health from a young age and only ate 70% of her food every meal, was accidentally overeating!
She couldn’t help but burp in front of Yin Huaixi.
Yu Youyao’s eyes widened in shock. She quickly reached out to cover her mouth, feeling so awkward that her toes hurt. As a well-mannered young lady, she had been strictly trained. How could she be so rude?!
This time, she had embarra.s.sed herself greatly!