Chapter 6.2 - Guilinggao/ Tortoise jelly 龟苓膏 (2)
No one knows that she had a crush on He Suye four years ago. At that time, she was a high school classmate with Li Jie, and happened to be admitted to the same university again, and they naturally became good friends. She always heard from Li Jie that this big senior brother was a top-notch academic, and his character was also very good. He was the object of his admiration since he was a child, and he was always his scapegoat.
When she went to dinner with Li Jie for the first time, she saw He Suye smiling and holding dumplings to feed Zhang Yiling. She herself didn’t move her chopsticks, and looked at Zhang Yiling intently, gazing gently and softly, she liked He Suye almost at first sight, such a handsome and tender man, for an instant, she believed in love at first sight.
But what qualifications does she have to bother him? He Suye and Zhang Yiling are a well-known model couple. People who know them will sigh that they are just a match made in heaven. They can only obediently be a younger junior sister in front of him, paying attention to him silently. His every move, intentionally or unintentionally, imitated Zhang Yiling's appearance, and she always asked him random questions, even though he was not a photography student, her purpose was just to stay by his side for a while.
She thought that they would get married, and then they would have lovely children, who would accompany them to their old age, but everything came to an end when Zhang Yiling went abroad.
She really doesn't understand, how can two people who love each other break up just like that, separated worlds apart, with no more association with each other.
She still remembers what He Suye said to Zhang Yiling, on that rainy night, in front of her and Li Jie, "Go if you want to go, please don't regret your choice, I’ll respect your decision, I ask of you to respect my feelings too.”
That night, He Suye was drunk for the first time. Zhang Yiling was only silently sat at the side, she felt vaguely that Zhang Yiling going abroad must not be that simple, but she will forever never know what exactly happened.
After Zhang Yiling left, He Suye went missing for a long time, and even Li Jie couldn’t find him. Suddenly one day, she saw He Suye get off the bus with a mountain bag on his back. He was thin and pallid. When she asked him, he only said he went to the mountainous area’s free clinic for three months. His smile was a bit implausible. He was uncomfortable and her heart ached.
So she decided to treat He Suye even better but she didn't dare to replace Zhang Yiling's position. She just wanted him to be better. That was enough for her.
Until one day, He Suye said to her, Little Junior Sister, find someone who can treat you well, I am not worth it.
She then understood, she thought that her thoughts were very well hidden, but He Suye knew everything. He had always refused her in the most euphemistic way, had to work overtime, write a thesis, had an appointment and she really thought that he was really so busy.
She finally figured out that He Suye is the most principled person. Love is love. As long as that person’s love is enough, if you don’t love, you don’t love, and you won’t be greedy for temporary warmth, it is just that, she can never be that person.
There are many medicinal materials in He Suye’s house, all specimens made in the school. Zhang Yiling only loves medicinal materials ending with the word "fragrant", clove, ageratum, wood incense, Huaixiang, agarwood, green wood incense, benzoin, musk, and Lulu Fragrant, and what she studied was photography, and she could not even pronounce many medicinal ingredient, just these few medicine, she carefully went to research on them.
She was greedy, so she liked Huaixiang, also called fennel. Anise is aniseed, it is indispensable in boiled fish and meat. Cumin can be eaten fried, in salad with dressing, used in dumplings, and can also be used with cloves and cardamom to make beef stew.
People with yin deficiency and fire should not eat often.
She was holding a pack of fennel, and He Suye walked over and explained to her, “The fennel has a pungent and sweet smell, it can boost a healthy stomach, and it has the effect of dispelling cold and relieving pain. The most important thing is that it can also be eaten as a salad dressing and wrapped in dumplings."
Fang Kexin nodded, "I like this the most, the fennel is also very fragrant, and the beef stew made by my senior is excellent."
He Suye was a little embarrassed, "My cooking is just average, but this Chinese anise is very harmful, easily causing people to suffer from excessive internal heat. It’s better to eat less."
She laughed, a little sly, "It seems that today’s spicy lamb is very heaty!"
He Suye pointed to the living room, "I made some tortoise jelly with mung bean paste, go quickly, don't let it get robbed by Li Jie the greedy ghost!"
Although it is just ordinary mung bean paste and tortoise jelly, it tastes delicious and refreshing, and it is suitable for consumption after eating greasy food.
Li Jie, who only cares about eating, also went to ask, "Senior Brother, how do you make this tortoise jelly? Can you make it at home?"
"It's a little complicated, you can buy tortoise jelly powder at home to make it, but the real tortoise jelly is tortoise shell, It is made of more than 20 kinds of Chinese medicinal materials such as Smilax glabra, Cangshu, bitter ginseng, Ligustrum lucidum, Nepeta ear, Habitat, Chicken bone grass, etc. It nourishes yin and invigorates the kidney, moisturizes dryness and improves skin, eliminates acne, regulates internal organs, clears heat and detoxifies.
Li Jie interrupted, "Senior Brother, I haven’t seen you make this since Senior Sister Zhang Yiling left."
