Making Sour Plum Drink the Old Way

Because she had never thought of selling it to the public and only made it for herself to drink, Bai Yinuo did not make a large quantity.

When she finished brewing the sour plum drink, she set aside a portion to give to Aunt Lin next door. Coincidentally, Uncle Lin and Lin Yu were not at home.

Haishi was currently in the midst of days as hot as a furnace. Drinking the sour plum soup with ice cubes in it—perfectly sweet and sour, fragrant and rich—made one want to keep it in their mouth, reluctant to swallow.

Aunt Lin drank it and praised it endlessly, downing several bowls before she finally stopped.

Seeing that her own portion of sour plum drink was almost gone, she put Lin Yu's portion into the refrigerator, then poured Uncle Lin's portion into a disposable paper cup and brought it to the mahjong parlor.

"Sister Lin, why are you so late?"

After sitting down, Aunt Lin pretended to sigh. "Isn't it because Yinuo is so filial? The weather is so hot, so she specially made and shared some sour plum drink with me. I drank several bowls in a row before coming here."

What a performance.

"Yinuo treats you so well." The sisters who usually played mahjong with her played along, showing expressions full of admiration. "That mischievous kid of mine has never even stepped into the kitchen. I probably won't get to eat a meal they cook in this lifetime."

Normally, Aunt Zhang liked to bicker with Aunt Lin, so she had no intention of flattering her. "Oh, that sour plum drink must be very delicious then. By the way, I heard Yinuo quit her job and ran off to open a diner!"

Those who didn't know about this yet were astonished and asked, "Is that true or false? How come I've never heard anyone say Yinuo is good at cooking until now? This doesn't sound believable at all!"

"Why doesn't this child do some proper work? What future is there in being a chef? Plenty of people go to culinary school right after finishing middle school. A college graduate becoming a chef—what a waste of a university education. Sister Zhang's son is currently working at a company in the city, and his annual salary is around 500,000 yuan now."

"That girl Yinuo looked so smart when she was little. Why is she doing something so foolish now?"

Aunt Lin snorted, then handed the disposable paper cup to a friend she was quite close with, without defending Bai Yinuo. "You guys have a taste."

Aunt Zhang glanced at it and said, "Is this that sour plum drink? Good grief, I've had that canned sour plum drink before. The taste was terrible and incredibly sour, to the point that I almost threw up."

Aunt Wang took the paper cup. Although she felt a bit apprehensive because of what Aunt Zhang had said, she couldn't bear to refuse, so she had no choice but to lift it and take a sip.

Who would have thought that this single sip would make her unable to stop drinking.

Aunt Zhang continued, "I heard that canned sour plum drink brand has hundreds of years of history. If even such an established brand is so hard to drink, let alone what Yinuo made. Right, Xiao Wang, how does it taste? If it doesn't taste good, don't force yourself."

Aunt Wang still didn't answer her.

Aunt Zhang turned her head to look at Xiao Wang and the others, only to find that Aunt Wang and several others were holding the paper cup, drinking gulp after gulp as if they were afraid someone would snatch it away, gulping it down continuously.

After Aunt Wang took the last sip, she licked her lips in satisfaction, then couldn't help but exclaim, "This is really delicious!"

With a few cool ice cubes added to the sour plum drink, taking a sip made the restlessness of the hot day vanish almost instantly. Their entire bodies felt comforted, and their hearts became peaceful and satisfied.

Sour plum drink could increase stomach acid, stimulate the appetite, and relieve summer heat. Aunt Wang felt that her appetite, which had been lost due to the hot weather, was now reawakened. She swallowed her saliva and couldn't help but ask, "Sister Lin, is there any more? Can you give me another cup?"

Aunt Lin waved her hand. "These cups were meant for my husband, but I've shared them all with you."

Aunt Zhang was slightly stunned and asked, "Is it really that delicious?"

Aunt Wang nodded vigorously. "Yes, Sister Zhang. This sour plum drink is very thick, sweet and sour, and incredibly delicious. Lately, I've had a poor appetite. I couldn't eat anything all day today, but after drinking this cup of sour plum drink, I feel hungry now."

Aunt Wang wasn't the only one suffering from a loss of appetite due to summer. Quite a few elderly aunts, combined with the unbearable high temperatures, had developed stomach acidity that made it hard to swallow food.

Seeing Aunt Wang say this, their hearts began to stir, and they couldn't help but ask, "Is it true? Does this really stimulate the appetite?"

Aunt Wang said, "It's true. Would I lie to you?"

Aunt Wang had always been an extremely honest person, so even Aunt Zhang, who was always at odds with Aunt Lin, did not doubt Aunt Wang's words.