Eight-Treasure Steamed Duck

Raindrops slowly dripped down from the newly laid butterfly tiles. Wei Jinyun had just returned to the shop and immediately busied herself inspecting the roof and courtyard walls for any signs of leaks or seepage.

“Big sister, why don’t you ever get tired?” Wei Fuling ran upstairs to grab Wei Jinyun’s hand, pulling her back to the courtyard and bringing a chair for her to sit on. “We just checked with grandmother; there’s no leakage at all. You should sit down and rest.”

It was already dusk. The courtyard, still moist from the rain, carried a faint scent of fresh grass, and the chirping of crickets and mole crickets could be heard in the distance.

A clay stove held a tile pot with boiling water inside, but the steam emanating from it made Wei Fuqiu sit far away.

“Grandmother reminded us, one bowl per person,” Wei Fuling said, wrapping her hands in a damp cloth as she lifted the lid and carefully ladled ginger soup into bowls. She glanced toward Wei Fuqiu and said, “But for Sister Fuqiu, you can use this.”

She somehow produced a small teacup.

Eating ginger in summer helps dispel dampness; after the rain, it could also drive away the chill.

After letting the ginger tea cool slightly, Wei Jinyun and Wei Fuling each took a bowl and drank it down in one gulp. Only Wei Fuqiu frowned, holding a teacup half the size of their bowls, sipping slowly.

“Tomorrow, we’ll make ginger milk pudding,” Wei Jinyun said, and as soon as the words left her mouth, Wei Fuqiu finished her cup in one go.

She had tasted the lotus ginger steamed cake her sister made before—sweet, with barely a hint of spicy ginger. Back then, fresh cow and sheep milk were unavailable on the passenger boat, and her sister had promised to make it for her someday.

What exactly did ginger milk pudding taste like… and why did tomorrow never come?

The three sat chatting at the table as Wang Qiulan brought out dish after dish.

There were savory dishes like shrimp stir-fried in sauce, oil-braised water bamboo shoots, and flower-cut white fish; vegetarian dishes included cold-dressed water shield, steamed snowy lotus root, and tofu soup... but as Wang Qiulan opened the steaming basket, a rich aroma of meat filled the air.

The last dish to arrive was a glutinous rice eight-treasure duck.

“This eight-treasure duck was originally made to celebrate the first day of opening the stall,” Wei Jinyun said as she served rice for Wang Qiulan. “Why did grandmother buy so many dishes?”

That morning, she had seen a vendor delivering ducks to Li’s cooked food shop. The duck was plump and fresh, perfectly cleaned without a single stray feather, so she immediately bought one.

She had gutted the duck, marinated it with yellow wine, scallions, and ginger for an hour, then stuffed it with steamed glutinous rice, lotus seeds, shrimp, diced bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and ginkgo nuts for flavor.

Originally, she wanted to add some dried scallops, ham, and chicken gizzards to make it a full eight treasures, but the ingredients were insufficient, so it became a five-treasure duck instead.

After marinating for that long, it must have absorbed every bit of flavor.

The dishes surrounded the eight-treasure duck, making the table as lively as a banquet.

“Eat more to nourish yourselves,” Wang Qiulan smiled. “Jinyun has been working so hard lately, we all feel sorry for her.”

“The shrimp were bought by me, all lively and fresh,” Wei Fuling said, already peeling several shrimp and tossing them into everyone’s bowls.

“I picked the white fish; they swam so fast,” Wei Fuqiu murmured softly.

“That was your own pocket money, little sister,” Wei Jinyun said as she stuffed a shrimp into her mouth. The stir-fried shrimp had a richer sauce aroma than boiled ones. “Then I won’t be polite.”

The three generations took advantage of Wei Jinyun’s absence while she was out selling at the stall to go grocery shopping together with bamboo baskets in hand.

---

The two sisters, thinking the shop repairs were complete and it was their sister’s first day vending, stuffed a good amount of their saved coins into the small bag their sister had bought for them.

Wei Jinyun picked up a duck leg for Wei Fuling. With just a gentle poke from her chopsticks, the meat separated cleanly from the bone, leaving only the bare bone.

Wei Fuling blew on the piece of meat that fell off, swallowed it, and praised it heartily.

The glutinous rice eight-treasure duck, steamed for an hour, was tender enough to fall off the bone. The duck’s fat had been steamed into the skin, making it glossy and not greasy, and the meat was incredibly soft.

“The glutinous rice tastes better than the duck. Sister Ling, try some,” Wei Fuqiu said, scooping a spoonful into Wei Fuling’s bowl.

The glutinous rice inside, mixed with all five treasures’ flavors and soaked in duck broth and fat, was translucent, soft, and dense—undoubtedly the most delicious part of the dish.

“Why are you still eating another bowl? You’ll get indigestion tonight.”

Most of the glutinous rice from the whole duck had ended up in the two sisters’ stomachs.

“That’s okay, we’ll take a stroll with Brother Meng later,” Wei Fuqiu said after finishing, slowly peeling shrimp for Wei Jinyun.

“By the way, we can show him the new pinwheels sister bought us.”

The two pinwheels creaked as the wind blew them on Wei Jinyun’s cart—who wouldn’t notice?

* * *

As Lu Lan stepped into the house, he saw his sister leaning on the official’s chair in the front hall, eyeing him sideways.

“Second brother, you’re so busy,” Lu Lingxiang said, resting her chin on her hand as she sipped her tea. “You always miss mother’s home-cooked dinners. Maybe you should rent a place near Changmen.”

“I’ve been busy with a case about someone impersonating a litigator to swindle money and then going missing. Oh, and I got a good bow,” Lu Lan said, removing his straw hat to reveal his slender waist bound with leather straps. He casually wiped the rain off his face and glanced at his sprawled-out sister. “Well... I’ll take it back with me.”

Lu Lingxiang jumped up from the chair with a creak, enduring the strain.

“Oh my, my wonderful second brother, the best brother in the world!”

She hurried over to Lu Lan, massaging his shoulders and legs. “Second brother, you work so hard for the people of Pingjiang Prefecture. Sister always worries about you.”

“Go away,” Lu Lan said, gulping down a cup of tea.

“Really!” Lu Lingxiang pointed to an oil-paper package beside them. “I bought some good snacks for you, they taste excellent. Try them.”

He picked up the package, untying the thin string without opening it. A faint jasmine fragrance wafted out.

“The bow stays on the horse,” Lu Lan said, somewhat pleased.

“My dear brother,” Lu Lingxiang’s back was massaged more enthusiastically. “Tangtang’s tea party is in a couple of days. Will you go?”

“I won’t,” Lu Lan glanced up at her. “It’s a bit noisy.”

“Understood, Lord Lu!” Lu Lingxiang lifted her skirt and darted off to find her horse.

Lu Lan wasn’t hungry; he often forgot to eat when busy, and if he got too hungry, he felt nothing.

But snacks were different—he loved them.

He untied the string to reveal several pieces of exquisite jasmine flower cake—delicate and refined, rivaling real flowers in beauty. He wondered which teahouse had introduced this new delicacy.

He took a piece and tasted it.

It was soft, smooth, fragrant, and not cloying.

He took another.

The flavor was indeed very good.

One more piece.

Another piece couldn’t hurt...

“Oh my son!” Madam Sun came bustling out of the rear hall. She had long heard her daughter’s chattering and guessed Lu Lan had returned, so she urged the cook to warm the meal.

When she reached the front hall, she saw Lu Lan had eaten seven or eight pieces of cake and exclaimed, “See, mother has already warmed your meal, mother’s own stewed ribs!”

Lu Lan crumpled the oil paper in his palm. “It’s alright, mother. I can still eat.”

After the four generations finished their meal, Wei Jinyun sat at the shop’s entrance watching her two younger sisters play with their little pinwheels.

They ran back and forth on the nearby arched bridge, the pinwheels spinning furiously in their hands, mingling with their laughter.

The rain had brought the fish in the river before the door to the surface, poking their heads out to breathe or leaping to create ripples.

“Miss Wei, have you eaten?” Zhang Renbai had been trying to start a conversation at the shop entrance for a while, finally blurting out this sentence after much thought.

Wei Jinyun softly replied with a “Hmm.”

“Today, the customers who came to my stall bought your jasmine flower cakes,” Zhang Renbai said slowly. “Their reviews were excellent; several even bought them to take away. Um, this, well...”

The customers were happy, and he had bought two extra stacks of rice paper. He really couldn’t take Miss Wei’s snacks for free—that would be freeloading.

“May I order some? I’ll pay—thirty pieces daily.”

Wei Jinyun turned around, a faint smile on her face.

She pinched her thigh hard to stop herself from bursting into laughter.

“Absolutely no problem, Shopkeeper Zhang.”