Zheng Changhe had finished cleaning the soft-shelled turtles. Juhua only kept one soft-shelled turtle and one regular turtle to raise, instructing Liu Xiaomei to cook the other two. Once cooked, she didn't keep them, having Liu Xiaomei and the others take them away directly.
Juhua spent the entire day holed up with her foot warmer, not even stepping out the main gate. Yang Shi brought her meals out to the main hall for her.
But by evening, although her cold hadn't worsened, it also showed no signs of improving. In her anxiety, she threw vanity to the wind and decided to try a folk remedy.
So she had Zheng Changhe prepare over a catty of loaches, killing and cleaning them. She started by frying some ginger slices and garlic cloves in a wok, then stir-fried them with a splash of soy sauce and a little vinegar. After that, she added water, salt, a heaping spoonful of chili paste, several stalks of green garlic, and a large scoop of rendered pork lard to create the soup base.
