Chapter 7 — Unusual Dental Completeness

“I said the Northern barbarians have not yet completely submitted and need someone to guard them.” He shook the jar of wine and tilted his head to look at me. The starlight reflected in his eyes, so bright it was shocking. "Actually... it's a lie." "..." "I just don't want to go back." He leaned back and took another sip. "Because you're here." The night wind suddenly stopped. I hear my heart beating. One beat, another beat. In the distance, the sound of soldiers patrolling could be heard. I bowed my head and continued to mend his cloak. It's just that every stitch is in disarray. "Your Highness has drunk too much, so he should rest soon." He laughed softly, saying nothing more. 16The first Lunar New Year after the great victory on the border. The North poured down a heavy snowfall that was rare in ten years. Thick snow in the yard covered my calves. Early in the morning, Luc Hanh was practicing martial arts and stumbled into the snow, almost burying himself. "Sister Dung!" He stood in the hallway and called out to me, the tip of his nose red from the cold. "We probably won't be able to go anywhere today, or should we wrap our own Nguyen Tieu cakes?" I was hugging the hand warmer, not bothering to raise my head when I heard that. "Your Highness, tell the kitchen to make anything you want to eat." Luc Hanh leaned closer. "I want to eat the kind you like wrapped in muscle... filled with red sugar and peanuts, and rolled in bean paste in addition. That fragrant roasted soy sauce." I glanced at him. "That's the Southern way of eating. Where can we get soybean powder in the North?" He laughed. "Last fall, I secretly hid a small bag of soybeans and buried it under an elm tree behind the kitchen." Me: "..." This spice, it's really something that can be hidden. In the end, I still rolled up my sleeves and went into the kitchen. There's red sugar, there's peanuts, there's also glutinous rice flour. It's just that when the bag of soybeans was dug up, it was frozen as hard as stone. Luc Hanh volunteered to grind beans. As a result, using too much force caused half a block of crushed stone to fly away. Beans splashed everywhere. I grabbed the rolling pin. "Luc! Onion!" He held the pot lid as a shield and ran away. Finally, the old chef of the general's palace couldn't help but sent a bag of pre-ground soybean powder. Banh Nguyen Tieu is finished wrapping, white and round, filled in a bamboo basket. Luc Hanh wanted to cook it himself. The water boiled three times before he put the cake in. The result... everything was crushed. This heavenly name! 17 The next day the snow stopped, Luc Hanh had to patrol the border. While I was arranging his luggage, I conveniently stuffed a small bottle of red sugar into my handbag. "It's very cold in the North. If you're hungry in the middle of the night, make some water to drink." This trip took half a month. When he returned, he brought with him a small furry creature. The whole body is snow white, only the tips of the ears are black. It's a snow ferret. "When I was on patrol, I discovered in the snow that its mother was no longer there." Luc Hanh handed the little animal to me. "Sister Dung, will you raise it?" I took it, and it trembled in my palm. "How can I raise it this small?" "I asked, just let me drink goat's milk." So, there was another member in the palace. Luc Hanh named it Tuyet Doan. People still don't fully understand each other, Another weasel has been sent to me. Alright then. It's like bringing both. Who said I was good-natured? 18Another winter is coming. Luc Hanh returned from the barracks, and the mysterious spirit pulled me into the kitchen. "Sister Dung, I've learned something new." "What?" He seemed to offer a treasure, holding out a plate of... a charred black object with an unclear shape. "What is this?" "It's curd!" I stared at that plate of curd, silent. "The Northern region doesn't have a type of milk that specializes in making curd, I tried using goat's milk." He scratched his head. "It's just... I can't control the fire well. very..." I picked up a spoon and scooped out a little bit. Courageously put it in your mouth. Then… Salty. It also carries a strange fishy smell. Luc Hanh looked at me expectantly. "How's it?" I smiled brightly. "Delicious!" Luc Hanh excitedly ate a big spoonful. His face immediately changed. I burst out laughing. At night, I wake up and go to the kitchen to find water to drink. I saw Luc Hanh also in the kitchen. There is a light on the stove, he is being careful

Stirring a pot of white milk. "What are you doing?" He was startled, turned his head to see it was me, the tips of his ears turned slightly red. "Cough cough... let's try again." I walked over, looked at the milky white liquid in the pot. "What milk to use this time?" "Cow's milk, ask someone to bring it up from the South." He stirred very focused, a little fine sweat beaded on his forehead. I held the sugar jar next to me. "Add a little more." He scooped a large spoon of sugar and added it. The gentle scent of milk began to spread. This time, it was successful. Soft, smooth white curd, sprinkled with dried nut flakes, so fragrant. "Try it?" He said. I took a spoonful. Sweet and not greasy, melts right on the tip of the tongue. "Is it delicious?" "Yes." He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling like a child. "That's it." We sat on a small wooden chair in the kitchen, eating that bowl of curd together. Outside the window, snow began to fall, falling gently on the window frame. "Sister Dung." "Yes?" "From now on, every year from now on, I will make curd milk for you." "Where in the North are there ingredients?" "I will go find them." "If I can't find them?" "Then create ingredients." The snow became thicker and thicker, the world became quiet. There was only the dim, warm light in the kitchen. Later, Luc Hanh actually made curd every year. Although the workmanship is sometimes good, sometimes bad, there has never been a year of absence. Tuyet Doan grew up, then gave birth to Tieu Tuyet Doan. The backyard of the royal palace becomes a paradise for snow foxes. The prince and the prince are in good health, occasionally bickering, like a normal old couple. As for me, I am still Luc Hanh's older sister Dung. It's just that sometimes, he will change the way he calls him. For example, on my birthday, he drank some wine, leaned close to my ear, and softly called: "A Dung." I rolled my eyes at him. "Not big, not small." He smiled to avoid it. "Then we have to change the way we call you." "Change what?" "Guess what."