Chapter 27 A Busy Day

Making fried meat chunks is tiring; first, you have to chop the meat into minced meat.

Yao Shula brought out all the meat she was going to chop and boiled water, preparing to wash it clean with warm water.

It's so cold that washing with cold water is unbearable. Just look at the chilblains on Yao Shuxin's hands to see how bad the cold is.

Anyway, ever since the start of the New Year preparations, Yao Shula has always kept the kettle on the coal stove filled with water, so she can pour it out whenever she needs it.

Yao Shuxin felt a little sorry for her. At this rate, her sister would have to burn at least one more coal briquette a day!

Grandma Zhou from next door also came over to watch the two sisters make meat dumplings.

"Chop the scallions together with the meat, yes, chop them like that. It's just for home cooking, no need for so many fancy rules!"

"Aren't you going to make cabbage and pork buns again tomorrow?!"

While you're at it, chop out the minced meat, but don't add scallions to the minced meat for the buns yet.

If we put scallions in the filling today, it will smell musty and musty by tomorrow, since we're making it tomorrow.

Don't chop the filling for the steamed buns as finely as you would for fried meat chunks; I'll need to chop it a few more times tomorrow!

"Flip it over, yes, don't chop it too finely, otherwise it will easily turn into shreds when stewing..."

Grandma Zhou directed the two sisters to chop and season the filling.

Soon, a bowl of minced meat was ready.

Yao Shula quickly brought the minced meat to Grandma Zhou and let her smell it.

Grandma Zhou nodded after just one sniff.

She watched her add the seasonings, so there shouldn't be any problem, it's just...

"Shura, watch this, slam the minced meat like this." Grandma Zhou washed her hands, grabbed a lump of minced meat from the bowl, and then forcefully slammed it back into the bowl.

"What...what is this for?" Yao Shula and Yao Shuxin both looked at Grandma Zhou.

"This way the meat filling will become firm and taste better."

"You two give it a try!" Grandma Zhou gestured for the two sisters to give it a go.

The Yao sisters were busy again.

After the minced meat was kneaded until it became firm, the two sisters quickly heated the oil in a wok and prepared to fry it.

The oil temperature for frying meat chunks cannot be too high, and now that they are cooking in a grass pot, Yao Shuxin is squatting next to it to tend the fire.

Under Grandma Zhou's guidance, Yao Shula shaped the meat filling into balls, coated them with egg wash, and carefully placed them into the oil along the edge of the pan...

Yao Shuli and Xiao Tiantian also wanted to come and help.

But these days it's not easy to get meat, and Yao Shula didn't want these two boys to ruin the pot of minced meat she had worked so hard to prepare if something unexpected happened...

"You two..." For a moment, Yao Shula couldn't think of anything she could get these two boys to do.

"Go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy two cents worth of soy sauce." Yao Shula immediately realized what she wanted to tell them to do.

Yao Shuli happily took the three cents given to him by Yao Shula and went to buy soy sauce with Xiao Tiantian.

My sister said they could use the remaining penny to buy candy...

...

Yao Shula quickly got the hang of it. Actually, the original owner already knew how to do it, and after a little recollection, Yao Shula quickly mastered it.

Seeing that Yao Shula was becoming more and more skilled, Grandma Zhou also stepped back.

Looking at the bowl of tofu on the table behind her, Grandma Zhou helped make the filling for the tofu balls...

...

Soon, Yao Shuli and Xiao Tiantian returned after buying soy sauce.

Yao Shuli unwrapped the candy and stuffed a fruit candy into Grandma Zhou's mouth.

Xiao Tiantian squeezed to the stove and stuffed a piece of candy into the mouths of Yao Shula and Yao Shuxin.

"Go help Grandma Zhou peel some scallions!" Yao Shula continued to direct.

The two children immediately took a bunch of scallions and went to the kitchen door to peel them.

Inside the house, meatballs were bubbling in a large pot. The two sisters were working hard, one tending the fire and the other watching the meatballs in the pot.

Grandma Zhou was picking out tofu filling in the back, while the two little ones sat by the door peeling scallions...

...

By evening, a bowl of meat chunks, a bowl of tofu balls, and the two fish that Yao Shuxin had bought earlier were all fried.

Looking at the three pots on the table, Yao Shula felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Look, I can actually make something this delicious!

Grandma Zhou has already gone back. Before leaving, she gave me some special instructions.

"Tofu balls don't need to be stewed. Just throw a few into a pot and cook them whenever you want to eat them."

The meat chunks must be stewed. When frying, only the outer layer of meat is cooked, but the inside is not yet cooked. Put the meat chunks in a large pot, add water, and simmer over low heat for an hour.

That's when it's ready to eat. We'll put it in the kitchen. Your kitchen is a bit drafty, so it'll be perfect for storing it.

When you want to eat it later, just take a few out and put them in a pot to stew. You can add cabbage or glass noodles, whatever you like, it will taste good in the soup with the meat chunks.

And those tofu balls, they only taste good when stewed in a meat broth!

Yao Shula thanked her while writing everything down.

After she took Grandma Zhou home and then turned back to go home, she saw the three little ones sitting in the kitchen, looking at the three basins on the table.

"This is enough to eat for many days!" Yao Shuli said.

"My eldest sister, second sister, and Grandma Zhou made these. It took them a whole day!" Little Tiantian stared intently at the three basins.

“So what?” Yao Shuli looked at Xiao Tiantian.

"We must eat a lot, we can't waste any, we have to finish them all!" Xiao Tiantian said immediately.

Yao Shula...

"I chopped the meat and tended the fire all day!" Yao Shuxin said, resting her chin on her hand.

"I bought soy sauce and even helped move firewood," Yao Shuli said with a chuckle.

Little Tian thought for a moment and then said, "I peeled the scallions!"

“Yes, you are all good children. I will reward you with more food later!” Yao Shula said immediately.

The three children immediately surrounded them.

"The eldest sister smelled like a lump of meat."

"My second sister has it too!"

"Hehe, everyone smells like meat chunks."

"It's okay, I'll take a shower tomorrow!"

...

"Big sister, are you going to start preparing the dough tonight? I'll soak the old dough at home in a bit."

"Besides cabbage buns, what other kinds of buns will you be making tomorrow?" Yao Shuxin asked with a smile.

"Soak the dried green beans that my uncle brought too! Make a dish of cabbage and pork, or dried green beans and pork."

"Also, steam some more steamed buns. It's Chinese New Year, we can't just eat steamed buns!" Yao Shula said immediately.

Yao Shuxin immediately agreed.

"Then let's start making steamed buns in the morning tomorrow, then take a shower in the afternoon, and have dinner at Grandma's house in the evening?" Yao Shuxin looked at Yao Shula.

"Yes! That's the arrangement! Brother Ping An will take these two boys to take a bath tomorrow morning."

We knead dough and steam buns and mantou at home.

I estimate I'll be done by the afternoon, and then I'll go to my grandma's house for steamed buns in the evening.

Let's see what Grandma and Auntie want with us.

As soon as Yao Shula finished speaking, Yao Shuxin tugged at her sleeve.

"Big sister, what do you think... Grandma and Auntie want to see us about?"

"Are you trying to take advantage of our family again?" Yao Shuxin asked in a low voice.

Yao Shuli and Xiao Tiantian immediately looked at Yao Shula.