Madam Shen was an expert at peeling oranges. Every year at this time, she would work in the small processing workshops as a peeler.
Their peeling wages weren't low; they were paid by weight. If your hands were fast enough, you could earn quite a bit in a day.
Actually, peeling oranges required skill. It wasn't about making cuts at the stem and bottom, but rather making cuts in the middle of the orange, like petals. Then, using a spoon along the edges of the peel, you'd scoop it out towards the stem and bottom. This way, the entire orange could be removed whole.
The small, pointed knife used for scoring the oranges was specially made, with a length of only two millimeters. It was just enough to cut through the peel without digging too deep into the flesh.
After watching Madam Shen's technique, everyone slowly started to follow her method. The first few attempts were somewhat unsatisfactory, but they gradually got the hang of it.
Seeing that everyone had grasped the technique, Madam Shen immediately started peeling on her own, her speed so fast it was almost a blur.
It took three days to process all the small oranges in the half-filled courtyard.
On the evening the orange flesh was prepared, Brother Shen set up several large pots and made fruit preserves directly in the courtyard.
The fruit preserves turned out to be clear, sweet, and delicious, with a slight tartness that made them incredibly tasty.
Combined with the spiritual spring water, the fruit preserves were instantly sought after by everyone.
Even Father Shen, who had initially decided to serve them as a dessert at the farm stay, regretted his decision after tasting them. He only put them out for the first few days, and then they were no longer available at the farm stay.
Although their homemade fruit preserves didn't have any quality certifications, with the spiritual spring water, there was no fear of spoilage.
Shen Yao then directly ordered a batch of glass jars, packed them in batches, and sent them to Mo Xuan and Xia Chao.
If it weren't for the slow courier service in Hong Kong City, Shen Yao would have also sent some there.
"Sigh, your elder brother and sister-in-law have been in Hong Kong City for so long. I wonder how they're doing," Madam Shen said, looking at the packed fruit preserves, her thoughts drifting to her eldest son and daughter-in-law.
Now that the entire family was gathered here, they were just missing the two of them.
Perhaps it was because the New Year was approaching, Madam Shen missed her eldest son and daughter-in-law particularly.
"Mom, don't worry. Big brother and the others are doing fine. Didn't they report their safety to you a couple of days ago? After the New Year, if they still don't return, I'll go over there," Shen Yao replied.
"That's true. If they don't return after the New Year, it won't do. Your second brother is getting married after the New Year. How can the elder brother and sister-in-law not be present?" Madam Shen said.
Madam Shen only mentioned it a few times and then didn't dwell on it, turning to attend to her tasks.
After sun-drying for several days, the orange peels had lost most of their moisture and were ready for processing.
The large pots that had been set up were not removed, as they would still be used for steaming the orange peels, so they remained in the small courtyard.
The semi-dried orange peels were placed in a steamer basket and steamed over the large pots until thoroughly cooked.
Then, the steamed orange peels were taken out to dry, and this process of steaming and drying was repeated three times to finally produce aged tangerine peel.
With three steams and three sun-drys, the resulting aged tangerine peel was fragrant, golden in color, and could be stored for a long time if preserved properly.
During the time the aged tangerine peel was being made, the entire Shen family courtyard was filled with a rich, refreshing orange aroma that was invigorating.
Many people who learned that the Shen family was making aged tangerine peel came to express their interest in purchasing it, not just the guests at the farm stay but also people from the same village.
It was impossible for their family to agree to sell it. They had worked hard to produce two to three thousand catties of oranges, and the resulting aged tangerine peel was only about a hundred catties.
Although aged tangerine peel was light, a hundred catties didn't seem like a lot, but after distributing some to each family and giving some away, there wasn't much left for themselves.
Furthermore, aged tangerine peel could be stored for a long time and had wide-ranging uses, so it was indeed not much for the Shen family.
The biggest reason they were unwilling to sell was that, in the entire production process, any water used was infused with spiritual spring water.
Even the water used for steaming the orange peels was spiritual spring water.
...
In Hong Kong City's largest hospital.
An elderly person lying on a hospital bed, on the verge of death, and a middle-aged woman lying on the adjacent bed.
These two were Ning Min's biological parents, Ning Zhi Yong and Mei Shu Lan.
Ning Zhi Yong's physical condition was very poor. Perhaps due to his age, he not only had heart problems but also signs of organ failure.
Coupled with excessive worry, his health deteriorated further, and he could only maintain his life with the help of a ventilator.
However, even in this state, he had not given up on finding his daughter.
Mei Shu Lan had been diligently caring for her husband in the hospital. After their daughter went missing, her husband became her entire world.
Following their daughter's disappearance, her sanity had become somewhat unstable. It was her husband who had been taking care of her; otherwise, she might have passed away long ago.
Mei Shu Lan thought that she and her husband would never find their daughter in this lifetime and would leave the world with regrets.
She never expected that their daughter would be found at the brink of her husband's passing.
"Click."
A soft sound of a door closing was heard. Mei Shu Lan immediately opened her eyes and saw her daughter and son-in-law entering with two meal boxes.
"Min Min," Mei Shu Lan quickly got up and walked over to take the meal boxes from Ning Min's hands.
"Mom, hurry and sit down to rest," Ning Min quickly supported her and had her sit properly.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Why are you here so early today? Shouldn't you get more sleep?" Mei Shu Lan said, holding Ning Min's hand.
It was already nine in the morning, and many people had already eaten breakfast by this time.
"I'm here to bring you food and to take your shift. Mom, after you eat, go back and rest. I'll be fine here," Ning Min said, immediately opening the meal boxes she had brought.
Inside the meal boxes were a small dish of steamed dumplings, siu mai, and a sweet soup.
This was the most common breakfast in the area, and Ning Min's favorite when she was little.
"How can that be? Mom won't leave. I still need to watch over your dad," Mei Shu Lan said.
Hearing her reply, Ning Min was not surprised, as she had said the same thing the previous few times.
"Mom, you need to rest properly. Otherwise, when Dad wakes up and sees you like this, he'll be distressed," Ning Min said.
Upon seeing Mei Shu Lan, Ning Min had already understood the depth of the couple's affection for each other.