northernbook Chapter 6 Candied Hawthorn Berries~~
Chapter 6 Candied Hawthorn Berries~~
The bowls and chopsticks made a crisp sound as they collided inside the wooden bucket.
Chen Feng rolled up his sleeves, squatted by the well in the backyard, and lathered the dish soap into a thick foam.
He brushed very slowly and carefully, which was very important to him.
He would rinse each large bowl three times in the water until they gleamed in the sunlight.
"Fengzi, don't worry about this."
Zhang Qiang strolled out of the house, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, looking quite content.
"Old Zhou and the others are taking measurements right now; you can't get involved in this kind of masonry work."
Let's take Mengmeng to rest for a while. She's been busy all morning; she deserves a break.
Chen Feng stacked the last bowl, shook the water droplets off his hands, and stood up:
"I just checked, and Dazhuang and the others are indeed reliable workers."
Since there's nothing for me to do here, I'd like to take Mengmeng out for a walk and buy some things while I'm at it.
"What do you want to buy? Just tell me what you need, and I'll take care of it in no time."
"Let's go see your uncle and aunt."
Chen Feng pointed in the direction of the old street entrance.
"I've been back for two days, so I should go to my parents' house for a visit."
It wouldn't be right to go empty-handed. I want to take Mengmeng to the market to find some fresh ingredients and make some souvenirs by hand.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiang immediately dropped his carefree attitude.
He patted Chen Feng on the shoulder, his eyes filled with warmth:
"Okay, my parents were talking about you yesterday, saying that it's a big deal for the Chen family boy to come back to his hometown."
"Go ahead, Mengmeng will definitely crave the trinkets on that street too."
Chen Feng went back inside to change into a clean white T-shirt and called out to the balcony, "Mengmeng, change your shoes, Daddy will take you to the market."
Less than a minute later, the sound of footsteps came from the second floor.
With her pink bunny backpack on her back, Mengmeng's eyes sparkled: "Daddy, can we go see the big yellow cow?"
"We won't go to the fields today. Daddy will take Mengmeng out for something delicious."
Chen Feng took his daughter's soft little hand and walked out of the heavy wooden door of the old house.
The afternoons in the old street always have a lazy feel to them.
Most of the shops along the bluestone-paved road were half-open, and a few elderly people were fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans under the shade of the trees.
Chen Feng walked slowly, savoring this long-lost, languid atmosphere.
Just as I reached the corner of the old street, a clear, crisp cry of a vendor came from afar.
"Selling candied hawthorn skewers! Authentic candied hawthorn skewers!"
An old man carrying a straw target covered with red berries walked over unsteadily.
The bright red hawthorns, coated with a layer of translucent sugar shell under the sunlight, looked like strings of burning little lanterns.
Mengmeng's feet suddenly stopped moving.
She tilted her head back, took a deep breath through her small nose to inhale the sweet scent in the air, and stared intently at the red berries with her bright black eyes.
"Dad... what's that red thing?"
"That's candied hawthorn, it's sweet and sour."
Chen Feng squatted down, looking at his daughter's longing little face.
"Does Mengmeng want some?"
Mengmeng pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head.
"Why don't you want to eat?" Chen Feng asked, somewhat surprised.
Mengmeng turned to Chen Feng with pleading eyes: "Daddy's cooking is the best. Daddy, Mengmeng wants to eat your candied hawthorns."
Chen Feng felt as if something had struck the softest spot in his heart.
He reached out and gently pinched the tip of his daughter's nose, then stood up with a smile:
"Okay, Daddy will buy it for Mengmeng, and Daddy will make even better things for Mengmeng. Come on, let's go buy the reddest hawthorns."
He led Mengmeng straight to the fruit stalls deep inside the market.
The stalls here are diverse, and most of them sell vegetables grown by local farmers.
Chen Feng stopped in front of a stall selling dried goods and fresh fruits, glancing at the baskets of red berries.
"Boss, where are these hawthorns from?"
"I picked them from the hill behind my house, without any pesticides." The old man chuckled, grabbing a handful and handing them over.
"Here, have one. It's sweet with a hint of sourness, and the meat is very thick."
Chen Feng picked up a piece, pinched it between his fingertips, wiped it, and put it in his mouth to taste it.
Thin-skinned, firm fruit with no black spots on the stem, these are the best wild hawthorns.
"Give me five jin (2.5 kg)." Chen Feng then pointed to the yellow rock sugar next to him, "and three jin (1.5 kg) of this large chunk of old rock sugar."
"Okay!"
Watching Chen Feng pick and choose, Mengmeng whispered, "Daddy, why are you buying so much? Mengmeng can't finish it all."
"We don't just make candied hawthorns," Chen Feng explained as he paid.
"We want to go to Qiangzi's godfather's house to visit his grandparents."
"My grandparents are old and have bad teeth, so they can't eat these hard candy shells."
"Dad will boil these hawthorns into a soft and sticky jam, add a little osmanthus, and let them make a drink or spread it on steamed buns."
Chen Feng, carrying a heavy bag, took Mengmeng back to the old house.
When they returned to the old house, the renovation work was still going on in the main room, but Chen Feng did not disturb them.
Arriving at the makeshift stove made of blue bricks in the courtyard, they first drew a large bucket of cold water from the well.
"Mengmeng, come here, help Daddy give the hawthorn a 'bath'."
Chen Feng brought Mengmeng a small stool and gave her a clean plastic basin.
The father and daughter sat side by side.
Chen Feng picked up a hawthorn, and with a gentle pinch of his long fingernail, the stem at the top broke off.
Then he used a long, thin pick to cut around the flesh of the fruit, and a whole pit was removed.
The movements were extremely fast.
"Wow... Daddy, are your hands magic hands?"
Mengmeng was stunned. She clumsily rubbed the hawthorns in the basin, washing them until they were bright red and shiny.
"This isn't magic; this is 'slow living'."
As Chen Feng removed the pits, he gently instructed the students.
"To make jam, you have to remove the pits first, otherwise if you bite into crumbs when you eat it, the texture will be completely ruined."
Mengmeng listened attentively. Although she couldn't remove the pits yet, she arranged the washed hawthorns into a neat square, like soldiers in formation.
The fire was started.
Chen Feng put the washed and pitted hawthorns into the Yukihira pot, added a small amount of mineral water, and then spread the crushed rock sugar on top.
As the firewood crackled in the stove, white steam began to rise from the pot.
"Mengmeng, watch closely, it's time for 'transformation'."
Chen Feng held a wooden spoon and stirred slowly and evenly along the bottom of the pot.
As the temperature rises, the rock sugar gradually melts and mixes with the juice that seeps out from the hawthorn.
The originally clear water gradually turned into a rich ruby red, and the hawthorns rolled and softened in the syrup.
"It smells so good... It's sour and sweet at the same time." Mengmeng lay by the stove, her little face flushed red in the firelight, her nostrils twitching.
Chen Feng seized the opportunity and used a wooden spoon to crush the softened hawthorns little by little.
The fruit pieces melt into a smooth puree under high temperature, and the syrup becomes viscous, creating a silky texture with every stir.
When the jam was bubbling vigorously in the pot and turned a deep color, Chen Feng turned off the heat and poured the jam into sterilized glass jars while it was still hot.
"This jar is for Grandpa Zhang Qiang, and this jar is for Grandma."
Hawthorn aids digestion; it's perfect for older people to eat a spoonful after meals.
As Chen Feng spoke, he tightened the bottle cap and turned it upside down on the cutting board.
"Daddy, what about mine?" Mengmeng raised her head, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"Don't rush, the grand finale is coming."
Chen Feng cleaned the pot again and poured in the remaining rock sugar and a little water.
This time, he didn't stir it, but patiently watched the movements in the pot.
As the water vapor evaporates, dense, transparent bubbles begin to rise from the bottom of the pot.
Zhang Qiang happened to come out of the house at that moment, and ran over after smelling the aroma:
"Wow! I knew it smelled so good. Fengzi, you're amazing. You even make such a little thing look so fancy."
"It's not done yet. I call this 'cooking sugar.' If it's too early, it'll stick to your teeth; if it's too late, it'll taste bitter."
Chen Feng stared intently at the syrup.
As the bubbles shrank and the syrup changed from transparent to light amber, releasing a sweet caramel aroma, Chen Feng quickly picked up several skewers of hawthorns that had already been skewered.
With a flick of his wrist, the long string of hawthorns rolled lightly in the sugar pot.
"Out of the pot!"
Chen Feng placed the candied hawthorns on a stone slab that had been lightly greased.
With a crisp "crack," the scalding hot syrup solidified instantly upon contact with the cool stone slab.
A thin, transparent sugar coating, as clear as crystal, completely envelops the hawthorn.
"Godfather, look! The candied hawthorns Dad made are glowing!" Mengmeng jumped up excitedly.
Chen Feng picked up the prettiest string of pearls, blew on it gently, and handed it to Mengmeng.
"Here, Mengmeng, would you like to try some?"
Mengmeng carefully opened her mouth and, with a "crunch," bit through the thin layer of sugar coating.
First comes the extreme crispness and sweetness, followed by the slightly sour and soft texture that seeps out from the heated hawthorn pulp.
Cold and hot, sour and sweet explode on the tip of your tongue.
The little girl's eyes widened suddenly, and she shouted indistinctly:
"So crisp! So sweet! Daddy, this is the most delicious star in the whole world!"
Zhang Qiang, watching from the side with envy, reached out to grab a string of skewers, but Chen Feng slapped his hand away.
"Go wash your hands, and come back after you've washed them. Also, take some with you to Dazhuang and the others."
Zhang Qiang chuckled, not annoyed at all, and went to wash his hands with a smile.
Chen Feng watched Mengmeng happily munching on a candied hawthorn, rubbed his sore wrist, and felt a sense of peace he had never felt before.