Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xing Ruyi wanted to comfort A-Ling but was worried that her attempt at consolation might interrupt A-Ling's memories. After struggling with her thoughts for a while, she ultimately did nothing.
A-Ling felt sad for a while before she managed to calm down and continued speaking.
"That day, my father left early to see patients, but he didn't return until dark. When he came in, he said nothing and just looked at me as I cried. I was anxious inside, wanting to ask him something but too afraid to do so. I could only sit with him until late at night, and it was only after my mother urged me that I went back to my room to rest. The next morning, my father brought me this red wedding dress. He had arranged a marriage for me when I was young, intending to wait until I turned eighteen to marry me off. However, the young man I was betrothed to was in poor health, and his family hurriedly insisted on marrying me as soon as possible. This was partly to bring him good fortune and partly in case of any unforeseen circumstances, so that he would have an heir. My parents were reluctant but had no choice but to honor the original agreement."
"So you got married?" Xing Ruyi looked at A-Ling, finding it hard to imagine her state of mind on that day.
"I didn't want to in my heart, but how could I go against the matchmaker's words and the childhood promise?" A-Ling lowered her head. "Besides, there wasn't much time for me to think; the moment my father brought out the red wedding dress was the day of my marriage. After that, I remember being helped into the bridal sedan chair and then being carried out of the city amidst the sounds of drums and gongs. As we passed through the city gate, I heard my mother crying, but as we moved further away, I could no longer hear her. After a while, I felt so nauseous from the swaying of the sedan chair that I fell asleep in a daze. When I woke up, everything had changed; the sedan chair was gone, and so were those who accompanied me. I had no idea what had happened. Later on, I wandered around that forest all day long but could never find my way out. Oh, and if I got tired or scared while wandering, I'd return to my body. At first, I could see myself clearly, but later on, all I could see were a pile of white bones."
Xing Ruyi felt a chill run down her spine; she couldn't bear to imagine that scene—a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl helplessly watching her own body decay until it turned into a pile of bones.
Her chest felt tight with discomfort, and it felt like there was a thorn stuck in her throat. Xing Ruyi opened her mouth but didn't know what to say next. Meanwhile, A-Ling calmly changed the subject. With her beautiful almond-shaped eyes looking expectantly at Xing Ruyi, she softly asked, "Ruyi, if possible, could you take me home? I miss my mother and father."
Xing Ruyi nodded.
"Do you still remember where your home is?"
A-Ling smiled brightly. "I remember! My family has an herbal medicine shop in Chang'an City. Usually, my father sees patients in front while my mother and I work on needlework in the back courtyard."
"Alright, once Shengzi feels better, I'll take you back to Chang'an to find your parents." Xing Ruyi was not a hard-hearted person; after hearing A-Ling's story, it became even harder for her to refuse A-Ling's request.
"Ruyi, is Brother Sheng really okay?" A-Ling asked anxiously while glancing toward Shengzi's room from time to time. Although she still worried about Shengzi's condition, she hesitated to approach him again after what Xing Ruyi had said earlier.
"It should be fine, but it will take some time for a full recovery." Xing Ruyi stepped forward and held A-Ling's hand.
A-Ling's hand was soft, yet cold to the bone.
"Don't worry, just give it half a year, and I guarantee your Brother Sheng will be as lively and strong as ever."
"That's good, but unfortunately, I won't be able to see it." A-Ling smiled, though her smile was bitter. "Ruyi, is there a way for you to make Brother Sheng forget me? He originally helped me find a resting place; I should be grateful to him, but I never expected it would almost harm him. I don't want him to remember me, and I certainly don't want him to resent me for it. Ruyi, I'm begging you."
"Silly girl, you're not worried that Shengzi will resent you; you're worried that he won't be able to forget you, right?" Xing Ruyi sighed softly, both for A-Ling's pure heart and for the bond that shouldn't have existed between her and Shengzi.
"Humans and ghosts are on different paths. Brother Sheng shouldn't have known me in the first place, let alone remember me." A-Ling sniffed, her eyes reddening. "He deserves a better girl. As for A-Ling, I can only hope for the next life. A-Ling hopes to meet Brother Sheng again in the next life, even if it's just to be by his side. It doesn't matter if I'm not a ghost or a demon; as long as I'm human or an animal, I don't care."
"Seeing you so pitiful makes even someone as hard-hearted as me want to cry." Xing Ruyi released A-Ling's hand and turned away to secretly wipe the moisture from her eyes. "A-Ling, come with me to make some pastries."
In the Sheng Family Kitchen, smoke swirled as A-Ling and Xing Ruyi busied themselves at the stove.
"What I'm making is Taihe Cake, symbolizing peace and happiness for the Sheng Family from now on. Four ounces of Yam, Lotus Seeds, Atractylodes, Fox Nut, Poria, Shenqu, Schisandra Berry, and Nux Vomica; all four ounces each, with one ounce of roasted licorice ground into a fine powder. Mix with one hundred ounces of old rice and honey to form cakes. Eating one piece daily can strengthen the spleen and stomach; it's suitable for both men and women as well as children with weak spleens and stomachs. Since Shengzi has been ill for a long time, his spleen and stomach must be damaged; this is perfect for him."
A-Ling nodded with a smile and reached for the Poria. "So this is what it's called—Poria."
"Yes, it sounds just like your name." Xing Ruyi noticed a red light flowing from A-Ling's chest into her palm and finally into the Poria through her fingertips. She smiled and split the piece of Poria that A-Ling had taken into two parts, placing them into two piles of herbs.
"I've never mentioned my surname is Fu; how did Ruyi know that my father named me Fu Ling because of this?"
"If you want to know something in this world, you will know it; the key lies in whether you put your heart into it," Xing Ruyi said, pointing to A-Ling's heart. "Next, you need to personally make this Poria Cake. Remember, put your heart into it, with the love you have for Shengzi. Only then will the pastries turn out exceptionally delicious, and Shengzi will recover his health sooner."
A-Ling was slightly taken aback but nodded in agreement.
The method for making Poria Cake is nearly identical to that of Taihe Cake. Poria Cake uses ingredients such as Poria, Lotus Seeds, Fox Nut, Yam, Japonica Rice, and Glutinous Rice. First, grind the Poria, Lotus Seeds, Fox Nut, and Yam into a fine powder. Then separately grind the Japonica Rice and Glutinous Rice into rice flour. Take three parts of the medicinal powder, five parts of Japonica Rice flour, and one part of Glutinous Rice flour, mix them with water to form a batter, and steam it in a basket until cooked to make cakes. It is recommended to consume one piece each morning and evening, as it has benefits for strengthening the spleen and stomach, calming the mind and spirit, and promoting longevity.
Comment 0 Comment Count