This jar of lard was made from the two pounds of lard that Tian Lijuan brought back three months ago. It became a little rancid once, so Old Mrs. Tian poured the lard back into the pot and boiled it again. It still had a little rancid smell, but it was barely edible.

I've been eating this for three months and I'm finally finishing it.

Now there is only a little oil left in the oil tank. It is only September now. We have to wait until the soybeans are harvested in October before we can use them to press oil. Otherwise, if we save some oil, how can we live without oil for the rest of the days? Then the food we cook will not be delicious at all.

We can't always rely on Tian Lijuan to bring things home. In their county town, soybean oil and lard are rationed and not easy to buy.

After picking the green onions, Tian Tian went to the well and pressed some water to wash the onions.

Today's wells are not the kind that require water to be drawn with buckets. Instead, they are the kind that extend directly into the ground and use pressure to press up groundwater. Every time water is pressed up, some water has to be poured into it and then pressed out manually.

There is a bucket at the water outlet to collect water, and the water that is squeezed out is cool and sweet every time.

Tian Tian felt that this kind of well was much more convenient as she could get water without leaving home.

Basically every household has one. Some families even dig a well directly in the outer ground, making it convenient to get water.

But Old Mrs. Tian felt that it was a bit of a hindrance to put the well in the field outside the house. She had to be careful of the well whenever she did anything. Since she was digging her own well anyway, it didn't matter if she walked a few steps further, so she just dug one in the yard.

This well is a bit troublesome in winter. The winter in Northeast China is already cold, and the water remaining in the wellhead can easily freeze. You have to boil a pot of water and pour it down the well to melt the ice at the wellhead before you can pump up water. Fortunately, groundwater will not freeze.

The cornmeal cakes and pickled eggplants in the pot were already cooked, but Grandma Tian didn't take them out, but just left them in the pot to keep them warm.

The fire in the stove was already lit, and there was still some charcoal left. Old Mrs. Tian took some chestnuts and threw them into the ashes and buried them, waiting to give them to Tian Tian later.

By noon, people from the fields came back one after another to eat.

"Dad, Mom, Uncle and Aunt! You're back!" Tian Tian watched her parents and Uncle and Aunt come in with sickles and hoes, followed by Tian Baobao and Tian Zhuo.

When Tian Baobao saw Tian Tian looking at him, he made a face at Tian Tian.

Tian Tian raised her eyebrows and glared at him. Seeing this, Tian Baobao shrank his neck and ran into the house.

"I have prepared the food. You can wash your face and cool it down before eating." Tian Tian ignored Tian Baobao and reached out to take the clay pot from her mother's hand.

The earthenware jar was filled with drinking water, and all the water was drunk after this morning.

"What delicious food has Tiantian made again?" Tian Lisong asked as he stood in the yard, wiping his face with a wet towel.

"I boiled cornmeal cakes and eggplant in sauce."

After hearing this, Tian Lisong's eyes showed some anticipation, and he washed the towel faster.

In the past half month, they have discovered that Tian Tian's cooking is really delicious. The dishes she cooks are even more fragrant than those cooked by Old Lady Tian.

After Lin Meiyu and Chen Guihua came back, they didn't even bother to wash their faces. They went into the house to help Old Lady Tian with the work, setting the table, shoveling pancakes, and serving dishes without even touching the stool.

"Mom, Second Aunt! You two go wash your faces and cool down. I'll serve the food." Tian Tian snatched the spatula from Lin Meiyu and scooped all the marinated eggplants in the pot into the basin.

It was September now, and the temperature dropped in the morning and evening, but the sun was very hot at noon. Chen Guihua and Lin Meiyu had been working in the fields for the whole morning, and they were already sweating and sticky.

They were not like Tian Lisong and Tian Lilin, who could wipe their bodies with bare chests in the yard, so they could only fetch basins of water and go into the house.

After they came back this time, they couldn't rest and had to help Old Mrs. Tian. They endured the discomfort and went back to the house to wipe their bodies after dinner.

Seeing that Tian Tian was there to help, the two of them did not refuse and fetched a basin of water and went back into the house to wipe their sweat.

"It's better to have a daughter. Look how considerate Tian Tian is to you!" After wiping their bodies, they both came out refreshed. Chen Guihua said to Lin Meiyu enviously.

Especially when Chen Guihua turned around and looked at Tian Baobao chasing the chicken in the yard, she was even more disappointed and shouted angrily, "Tian Baobao!"

Chen Guihua's sudden shout startled Lin Meiyu.

"What are you doing here? It's almost time to eat, and you're still chasing the chicken. How can it still lay eggs? Go and help serve the meal!" If you don't eat more actively, others will eat it all and you will only have the leftovers.

Tian Baobao had long been accustomed to his mother's sudden surprise. He dusted himself off as usual, ran past Chen Guihua and Lin Meiyu, and went back to the house to eat.

Lin Meiyu also knew Chen Guihua's personality. Even though she was yelling at Tian Baobao now, she was the one who spoiled Tian Baobao the most.

"Well, it's normal for boys to be lively. I think he's just fine the way he is now." Lin Meiyu symbolically comforted Chen Guihua with a few words.

The two of them were waiting at the dining table inside the house, and even Tian Baobao was sitting obediently on the chair.

Everyone started eating only after the two of them were seated.

On the table there was a bowl of pancakes, a bowl of eggplant sauce, and a plate of green onions and cucumbers dipped in soybean paste.

Tian Tian first took out the three smaller pancakes from the bowl. She had used the remaining dough to make these three smaller pancakes for her, Tian Baobao, and Tian Zhuo. The three of them had small appetites and didn't have to do much work, so these pancakes were enough for them.

Tian Tian added some white flour into it, and the steamed pancakes were soft, sweet and crispy on the bottom. The pancakes at the bottom were soaked in the soup of stewed eggplant, full of the aroma of sauce.

Tian Tian’s dishes are rich in oil, but she is also willing to add seasonings, making them delicious and appetizing.

The eggplant had been stewed until it was mushy, so Tian Lisong simply took a spoon and spread the eggplant on the pancake and ate it.

Compared with pickled eggplant, Tian Tian prefers to eat green onions and cucumbers from the vegetable garden. They are light and refreshing, and still retain their original flavor. The green onions are not spicy and have a light sweetness.

The only drawback is that scallions have a strong smell and can easily stink others.

The rush to harvest has been ongoing, and they are already very tired after a day's work, so they have to eat more.

They ate all the dishes and pancakes made by Tian Tian.

After they finished their meal, Tian Baobao took the half-eaten pancake and wiped the bottom of the bowl with the food.

Chen Guihua couldn't bear to look at Tian Baobao's eating manners, so she said, "Tian Baobao, can you please be more polite when eating? This is only for home. If you eat like this outside, others will despise you to death."