Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 521 Miscalculation

When Yunqing spoke, her back was turned to Zhan Yu. Her words were cold, but her eyes signaled Zhan Yingying to hurry up.

"Okay, okay, Dad, one can of white sugar can make a lot of candied haws. We don't have enough hawthorns. Why don't you buy some black candied dates? Making some candied haws will give it a unique flavor!"

When Zhan Yingying spoke, Xiang Yunqing winked at her, understanding what she meant.

"Zhan Yingying, don't push your luck! I don't have the money to buy black candied dates! It seems like one can of white sugar is too much for you. Then I'll give you half a can of white sugar. You have to at least make me twenty strings of candied haws to send to your grandmother Liu."

As Zhan Yu spoke, he took out half a can of white sugar from the cabinet, put it on the table, and left angrily.

"Sister Yingying, how can you be so greedy? You're never satisfied. Daddy promised to give you a can of white sugar, but you insisted on having black candied dates? Now, a can of white sugar is only half a can. You're really good at talking—you said half a can of white sugar was gone. I don't think those hawthorns can make twenty strings of candied haws!"

While Zhan Mengyan was speaking, she was still lamenting the half can of white sugar.

"Zhan Mengyan, you little heartless girl, didn't I want to make more candied haws for you to eat? Just now, when you were washing the hawthorns, you said: Candied haws made with black candied dates must be especially delicious. I thought we didn't have many hawthorns, and Dad said that as a gift to Grandma Liu, it would be very respectable if we gave her two kinds of candied haws. So I took the opportunity to order more black candied haws. If we gave less, our family would lose face too. Who knew Dad didn't care about face? I didn't want to backfire, and instead of stealing the opportunity, I lost a handful of rice. I miscalculated, miscalculated..."

Zhan Yingying showed an expression of regret when she spoke.

"Stop regretting and complaining, both of you. Let's see how many strings of candied haws you can make."

As Yunqing spoke, she placed some bamboo and wooden sticks on the kang table.

"Mom, isn't this the material you use for handicrafts? Wouldn't it be a waste to use it to thread hawthorns?"

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she picked up a handful of bamboo and wooden sticks of uniform thickness.

"We asked Grandma Liu's family to keep the bamboo and wooden skewers for us after they finished eating the candied haws. After washing them, Mom can use them for handicrafts. If we make wooden skewers now, it will take a lot of time. I'll go wash the bamboo and wooden skewers, and you hurry up and take care of the hawthorns that haven't been fully pitted so we can start stringing them together."

While Zhan Yingying was talking, she took the bamboo and wooden skewers to the kitchen and started washing them.

When the two people carefully strung the washed, stemmed and cored hawthorns on bamboo or wooden sticks, the hawthorns looked like strings of fiery red lanterns, flashing attractive light in the winter sun.

Zhan Mengyan started to make a fire, and Zhan Yingying began to boil the sugar syrup.

Zhan Yingying poured an appropriate amount of white sugar and water into the pot and simmered it over low heat. The white sugar slowly melted in the water, gradually becoming viscous and emitting an attractive sweet aroma. Zhan Yingying continued to stir constantly.

When the syrup turns golden and transparent, Zhan Yingying dips chopsticks in the syrup and puts them in cold water. The syrup solidifies into crispy candy pieces.

Zhan Yingying quickly dipped the bunches of hawthorns into the syrup, gently rotating them so that each one was evenly coated with a thin layer of syrup. She then quickly removed the candied haws and placed them on a clean, pre-prepared chopping board, waiting for the syrup to cool and solidify.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still, and the air in the kitchen was filled with a faint sweet fragrance. The syrup gradually became transparent, wrapping the hawthorn like amber, crystal clear and beautiful.

After the syrup had completely solidified, Zhan Yingying picked up a string and handed it to Zhan Mengyan.