Chapter 55 - Building a Two-in-One Stove (Catching Bugs)...

She had barely stepped inside when she heard muffled laughter from outside. She sighed and went to check on the rice soaking in the earthenware pot.

She only took the steamer after the rice had soaked until it turned white, scooped it in, and took it out.

Pei Ying had already started the fire, and apart from the faint smile on her lips, she seemed normal.

He took the steamer from Lin Chuntao's hands and asked, "What are we going to do this afternoon?"

Lin Chuntao said, "I'm going to soak the beans to make sauce."

Pei Ying: "Then when I build the stove this afternoon, should the stove be built inside or outside?"

“The room is too cramped. Let’s build a small pavilion outside with some thatch?” Lin Chuntao said. Pei Ying looked at the corner of the wall and nodded. “That’s fine too.”

Lin Chuntao said, "It's mainly because it's my great-grandfather's house. It doesn't seem appropriate for us to build a stove inside. If we build it outside, they can tear it down if they want." Thinking of what Sun had said, she asked Pei Ying, "Do you want to ask Uncle Lin to help build it?"

"Go ahead, Grandma has said it twice already, go after you finish eating."

Lin Chuntao nodded. With the matter settled and the rice steaming, she went back to her room, took out the two leftover pork kidneys from yesterday, washed them, and brought them back inside to cut and marinate. Marinating them for a while would reduce the fishy smell.

At Lin Qingqing's home, her grandmother was steaming rice, and they had just washed their hands and were waiting to eat.

Her third aunt laughed and said, "Oh, Qingqing, you've helped Chuntao and the others with chores so many times, didn't we invite you to stay for a meal?"

Lin Qingqing clicked her tongue and said, "Help me cut some grass and sprinkle some water, and you, Third Aunt, have the nerve to go eat?"

Aunt Lin smiled and said, "It is indeed embarrassing to go, but whether we go or not is our business, and whether they call out to us is their business. It would be too impolite not to call out at all."

Lin Qingqing didn't want to argue, but seeing that her aunt was a little unhappy, she said indifferently, "Of course we called, we were too embarrassed to go eat."

Aunt Lin tried to provoke them with flowers, saying, "I don't believe it."

Just as Lin Jiaye was about to speak up, he heard someone knocking on the courtyard gate. He rushed over to open it and saw Lin Chunxing and her two sisters standing outside.

Lin Qingqing saw it was them and hurried over, "Chunxing, come in quickly."

Lin Chunxing looked at Lin Qingqing and smiled, "Here's the bucket, I'll take it back and wash it clean."

When Wang came out of the house and heard this, she said, "You don't need to wash the water with wood ash, and this bucket is only for dirty water."

Lin Chuntao smiled and thanked Wang Shi. Wang Shi invited them to sit down, but Lin Chunxing declined and then asked Lin Qingqing, "Where are Dongxue and Jiatie?"

Lin Qingqing pointed to the house behind her.

"They're playing inside."

Lin Chunxing said, "My sister is back and invited you to my house for dinner."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingqing gestured with her chin toward her third aunt. Lin's third aunt, who was still standing in the yard, paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "Qingqing, Chunxing has come to call you. You should go now."

Lin Chunhe chimed in, "I'll go call Dongxue and Jiatie."

Lin Dongxue and Lin Jiatieren were younger, and when they saw Lin Chunhe coming, they rushed out. Lin Chunhe said to them, "My sister is inviting you to her house for dinner."

Lin Dongxue glanced at the adults in the courtyard, wanting to go but also hesitant.

"I'm not going."

Lin Jiatie looked at Lin Dongxue and said she wasn't going, and he shook his head as well. Lin Chunhe said, "Qingqing and Jiaye are going, aren't you going?"

The two looked at Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye, who were standing with Lin Chunxing, and said with a smile, "Then let's go."

Lin Chunhe gestured with her eyes, "Then let's go."

When they arrived, Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye were also tugging at Lin Chunxing. Lin Chunhe raised an eyebrow and looked at the two of them, "Dongxue and Jiatie are going, but Sister Qingqing and Brother Jiaye aren't going?"

Lin Chunxing and Chunhe exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly, "That's right, that's right, let's go, my sister is cooking by herself, we'll go help her."

As she spoke, she pushed the two of them toward the courtyard gate. Once they reached the gate, Lin Chunxing called out, "Auntie, Second Auntie, Brother Jiaye and Sister Qingqing, come to my house for dinner."

Once outside the courtyard, Lin Qingqing and the others stopped being coy. They had been having a good time together, and children don't have as many worries as adults, so they happily went to eat when called.

After everyone left, Wang looked at Aunt Lin and smiled, "Sister-in-law, you're more accurate than a harbinger of spring. Just as I said Chun Tao and the others weren't coming to call for dinner, Chun Xing and the others came."

Aunt Lin was not angry; she looked at Wang with a smile.

"I didn't say anything wrong. I've done things for you several times and you haven't even said a word of politeness."

Wang chuckled upon hearing this, "Qingqing is telling the truth. Chuntao called them several times, but they didn't go. Although they hadn't eaten before, one night when they went out to play, they happened to run into Chuntao making pork cracklings, and she even shared some with them."

Aunt Lin's expression changed slightly. "Oil residue? Lin Chuntao is so generous?"

Wang laughed, "How could the child's excited words be a lie?" After saying that, she ignored Aunt Lin, took the basket and went into the house. Aunt Lin watched Wang's back, her brows furrowed. Was Wang deliberately trying to annoy her? And she was even willing to share the fried pork cracklings with them?

Why doesn't she believe it?

She wasn't really inviting them to eat; she wanted to see what Lin Chuntao would cook for them.

When Lin Qingqing and the others arrived, Lin Chuntao was cutting up a pig's heart.

Seeing them come in, Lin Chuntao stood at the door and greeted them, "Qingqing, Jiaye, bring your own stools and sit down. The food will be ready in a little while."

Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye walked straight in, looked at her and smiled, "Sister Chuntao, what delicious food are you making?"

Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "I'll stir-fry some pig's heart. Do you eat pig's heart?"

The two answered that they would eat, but their expressions betrayed them. Lin Duo'er laughed and said, "My sister's pig heart will definitely be delicious. You'll know once you try it."

To prevent them from disliking the fishy smell, Lin Chunxing added some flour and a few drops of wine to the pig's heart, mixed it well, and set it aside.

She turned to Lin Chunxing and said, "You take Qingqing and the others to sit and play, I'll go check on the food."

As she spoke, she took the cutting board and knife out to wash them. After washing her hands, she looked at the rice in the steamer and saw that it had softened before calling Pei Ying to bring it down. She put the iron pot on the pot, scooped in two ladles of water, and cut a piece of pork belly to put in and cook.

She originally intended to stew pork ribs, but there wasn't enough time now, so she could only wait until evening to stew them slowly. She was worried that the pork heart wouldn't suit their taste, so she decided to make twice-cooked pork instead, which would be faster.

Lin Duo'er looked at the piece of meat in the pot and then looked at Lin Chuntao in shock: "Sister, are you going to cook the meat now?"

Lin Chuntao hissed coldly and gently patted the back of her head.

"Silly boy, when can we eat the meat now that it's cooked?"

Lin Duo'er stuck out her tongue, and Lin Chuntao turned around to prepare garlic, scallions, and ginger. By the time she had chopped and prepared the seasonings, the meat in the pot had changed color. She used chopsticks to check, and once they were easy to pierce, she took it out and rinsed it with cold water before slicing it on the cutting board.

"Chunxing, wash the pot and get ready to cook."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Pei Ying and said, "Peel a few potatoes."

Pei Ying hummed in agreement and went inside to peel potatoes. Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye looked at Pei Ying, then at Lin Chuntao, and then the little ones exchanged glances and smiled.

After dancing together that day, Lin Jiaye felt less afraid of Pei Ying, but Pei Ying didn't say anything, and he didn't know what to say, which made him seem like he was still a little afraid of him.

Pei Ying peeled the potatoes and took them out to wash, and Lin Jiaye ran over.

"Brother-in-law, let me help you."

Pei Ying wanted to say no, but since the person was already there, she decided to just go with it.

Lin Jiaye squatted down in front of Pei Ying, chuckled, and started making conversation: "Brother-in-law, can you cook?"

Pei Ying replied, "It can be cooked, but it's not as delicious as your sister's."

"Then we're in for a treat today."

Pei Ying smiled upon hearing this, washed the potatoes, rinsed them again, and then took them inside.

Lin Chuntao has already started cooking.

Lin Chuntao first stir-fried the twice-cooked pork. It lacked a bit of fermented bean paste, so the color wasn't as vibrant, but she added garlic sprouts, and it smelled quite good afterward.

After stir-frying the meat, she immediately stir-fried pork cracklings with bok choy and shredded potatoes. These kinds of dishes don't have a special flavor, so you don't need to rinse the pan after stir-frying them and you can continue stir-frying.

She stir-fried the pig's heart with dried chili peppers. She often cooks and has good knife skills. Each slice of pig's heart was about the same thickness. After being stir-fried, it was coated with oil and looked very appetizing. Lin Jiaye looked at the big bowl full of pig's heart and swallowed his saliva. This seemed to be a little different from what his family made.

Lin Duo'er also stood by the table, staring at the bowl of pig's heart.

Lin Chuntao was already preparing to stir-fry the pork kidneys. The pork kidneys cooked very quickly. She looked at Lin Chunxing and said, "You can get a bowl and serve the rice. Let's start eating."

Lin Chunxing went to get the bowls and chopsticks, Lin Qingqing ran to help, and Lin Chunhe and Lin Jiaye started setting out the stools.

Nine people were eating, and since they were all teenagers, their appetites were not to be underestimated. The steamer was full of rice, and apart from the two pork kidneys which were relatively few, the other dishes were overflowing.

After serving the rice and sitting down, Lin Chuntao wanted to tell them not to be polite and to help themselves to the food, but the children in the village, especially those whose parents were strict, wouldn't eat freely at someone else's house. Inviting someone to eat meant ensuring they were well-fed, and Lin Chuntao wasn't one to feign politeness, so she simply grabbed a pair of chopsticks and first served each of the siblings a piece of meat.

Lin Jiaye was the first to try a piece of pig's heart. It was fragrant with dried chili peppers and he couldn't taste any fishy smell. He felt that it was somewhat like eating lean meat, but the texture was slightly different. It was very delicious.

Lin Chuntao liked the texture of pork heart, and after tasting it, she nodded in satisfaction as it wasn't overcooked.

Smiling, he said to them, "Qingqing, try a piece of pig's heart, I think it's pretty good."

As soon as Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Lin Jiaye chimed in, "Sister Chuntao, the pig heart you stir-fried is the best I've ever eaten."

Lin Chuntao looked at him and asked, "Can you get used to the food?"

Lin Jiaye nodded vigorously, and Lin Qingqing and the others also started to try it. After they finished eating, their eyes lit up with joy.

"Sister Chuntao, how did you cook this? Why doesn't it have any fishy smell?"

Lin Duo'er proudly said from the side, "Everything my sister cooks is delicious. The pork kidneys you're eating are also very delicious!"

At first, they were a little reserved, but after eating for a while, they all relaxed and picked up whatever they liked to eat. Lin Chuntao preferred this kind of atmosphere; she didn't like the back-and-forth of picking up food for each other.

When they put down their bowls and chopsticks, Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye were stunned. They were so full that they couldn't remember whether they had eaten two or three bowls of rice... The vegetable bowls were also empty.

The two, who had just come to their senses, were a little embarrassed, but when they looked up, they saw Lin Chuntao slumped in her chair, rubbing her stomach and saying, "I can't take it anymore, I'm so full, you guys have to take over the dishes."

Pei Ying smiled and stood up: "You rest for a while, I'll take care of the tidying up."

Lin Jiaye and Lin Qingqing also got up to help, but Pei Ying stopped them and said, "I can handle the bowls, you two sit and play."

As he spoke, he collected all the bowls and chopsticks into the earthenware basin, then scooped up a pot of water and boiled it. He then returned with a rag to wipe the table clean.

After the water boiled, Pei Ying went to wash the bowls.

Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye watched Pei Ying go in and out of work, somewhat surprised. Their own fathers and uncles would work in the fields, but after they finished, no one would go into the kitchen, and they wouldn't clean up after meals, let alone wash the dishes. Actually, it wasn't just their family; all the men in the village were like that.

Including them, she would be ordered to the kitchen to add firewood and steam rice, but the adults would never ask Lin Jiaye and his brothers to do chores in the kitchen.

Moreover, if Lin Jiaye and the others went into the kitchen, their grandmother would chase them out, saying something familiar to her: "What are you doing around the stove, you boy? Get out, get out!"

She had never thought there was anything wrong with this before, but only now did she realize something was amiss. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, though. She simply looked quietly at Lin Chuntao.

Lin Chuntao felt Lin Qingqing's gaze. She looked back and saw that the little girl's eyes were full of suspicion.

"Qingqing, what's wrong?"

Lin Qingqing didn't know how to tell Lin Chuntao, so she smiled and shook her head.

After eating and resting, the group agreed to go cut pig feed, and Lin Qingqing and the others went back to carry baskets.

On the way back, Lin Jiaye laughed and said, "This brother-in-law really listens to Sister Chuntao."

Lin Qingqing frowned slightly and looked at Lin Jiaye, "Is it just about being obedient?"

The Lin family, ambitious as they were, failed to notice Lin Qingqing's emotional fluctuations. He continued to reply with a smile, "Of course! Look, when Sister Chuntao asked him to peel potatoes, he went. When you look for a husband in the future, you should also find one who listens to you."

Lin Qingqing said, "But Chun Tao didn't ask her brother-in-law to do anything while she was washing the dishes."

Lin Jiaye paused for a moment, then laughed heartlessly, "That must be because he's used to being bossed around."

Lin Qingqing nodded thoughtfully. Dongxue and Jiatie next to her were saying that today's meal felt like Chinese New Year, and that every dish Chuntao made was delicious.

Lin Qingqing joined the discussion, and her slight emotional outburst vanished instantly.

When the group returned home happily, their family had just finished eating. Seeing them come back cheerfully, Aunt Lin teased, "Oh my, you've come back from a good meal? Tell us, what delicious food did your sister Chun Tao make for you to share?"

Before Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye could even speak, Lin Dongxue and Lin Jiatie eagerly chimed in, "Pork kidneys, stir-fried pork, and pork cracklings!"

The people in the room frowned as they listened.

"Did you get poisoned by mushrooms? Or maybe from pork kidneys or pork cracklings?"

Upon hearing Aunt Lin's question, Lin Jiatie, who was standing nearby, said, "We haven't finished yet! There's also some incredibly delicious stir-fried pig's heart! It smelled so good! We ate all of it, even though there were several large bowls!"

The adults didn't seem to believe him, but Lin Jiatie simply lifted his shirt, revealing his round belly.

The Lin family members: "..."

Looking at Lin Jiatie's belly, Wang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and the people around her started teasing Lin Jiatie.

"Jiatie, did you eat too many sweet potatoes to get that round belly?"

Lin Jiatie was displeased upon hearing this and said angrily, "Fine, don't believe me then, we're already stuffed!"

Aunt Lin was somewhat skeptical, looking at Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye, "Are they really eating that well?"

The two nodded in unison, "Yes, and Sister Chuntao's cooking skills are really good. She cooked the pig's heart until it had no fishy smell at all, and the pig's kidneys were the same. She even cut them into flower shapes, making them look beautiful and taste delicious."

Lin Jiaye's barrage of compliments made the children present drool.

Aunt Lin was a little jealous. Seeing her son swallowing and licking his lips, she deliberately said, "That pig's heart has such a strong fishy smell. You never ate it when we made it at home before. You're just bragging."

Lin Qingqing wanted to argue a bit more, but when she looked up and saw her mother, Wang Shi, giving her a meaningful look, she smiled and shut her mouth, then said, "We made an appointment with Chunxing and the others to cut pig feed."

Wang said, "Then let's go quickly."

Having received the message, the men shouldered their baskets, grabbed their sickles, and ran off in a flash.

The younger children in the family started asking the adults if it was true, and the adults had no choice but to lie to them. After the children had all left, Aunt Lin smiled and said, "It seems that Chun Tao and the others' lives are slowly getting better."

Before Wang could speak, Aunt Lin took over the conversation.

"How long can this kind of construction last? This young girl doesn't know how to manage a household."

It was just a muttered remark, and no one responded; everyone went back to what they were doing.

Pei Ying was going to build a stove in the afternoon. It was a simple task, but Sun Shi had mentioned several times that she should call Lin Changzong to help build the stove, since he was staying in Lin's house. So she decided to make the trip.

The villagers were all sitting inside resting when they saw Pei Ying and Lin Chuntao arrive, and hurriedly invited them inside.

Lin Chuntao explained her purpose, and Lin Changzong laughed and said, "Building a stove is simple. I'll go with you and we'll get it done in a little while."

It was afternoon, and everyone was resting at home. Since they had nothing else to do, the old couple, Chen Dongniang, and Lin Jiahui all came to the old house together, except for Lin Changzong.

The mud bricks were already made, so building the stove was quick. In no time, the stove and chimney were finished, and an oval-shaped mud brick was made inside the stove.

Lin Chang-tsung said, "We can use it once it's dried inside. Shall we go cut bamboo now to build the pavilion?"

Pei Ying agreed and went back into the house to get the sickle. Lin Chuntao was also about to go with her when Sun Shi laughed and said, "Let your great-grandfather and your uncle carry it. We won't go." Lin Chuntao was a little embarrassed, but since Lin Cunzheng and Lin Changzong had already left with Pei Ying, Lin Chuntao had no choice but to stay and chat with Sun Shi and Chen Dongniang in the courtyard.

Madam Sun would occasionally glance around the courtyard; she had personally witnessed Lin Chuntao and the others gradually settling into a better life.

"Chuntao, it seems that quite a few people from other places have moved here in a few days. Do you want to find someone for Chunxing?"

Lin Chuntao shook her head upon hearing this. Lin Chunxing was only fourteen years old. She had no choice before, but now Chunxing and the others don't have any reason to get married.

“Grandma, Chunxing is still young and doesn’t understand anything. I want to wait a few more years.”

When asked if she understood anything, Sun and Chen Dongniang exchanged a glance, then both looked at her simultaneously. They thought that Xu Xiu had long since passed away, and Lin Chuntao was still very young at that time, so they wondered if she understood anything.

Looking into their eyes, Lin Chuntao immediately guessed what they were thinking. She quickly said, "Grandma and Aunt, don't worry, I understand."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both laughed when they heard this. "We were saying that if you don't understand, we'll get you something."

Lin Chuntao hurriedly waved her hand to refuse, but Madam Sun said, "Once you've recovered, you should have a child soon. Several of the women who got married around the same time as you are pregnant."

"Yes, I know."

The group sat and chatted for a short while before Pei Ying and the others returned carrying bamboo. Lin Changzong and the village head helped them cut and make two bamboo rafts. They dug two pits around the stove, planted the bamboo rafts in them, filled them with clay and compacted it, and then placed bamboo on top of them. A simple little pavilion was thus built.

Lin Changzong said, "Take advantage of the good weather and go to the back of the mountain to cut some thatch. Lay it on top, and it won't leak when it rains."

Just as the hottest time of day had passed, Sun and the others were about to go to the fields. Lin Chuntao and Pei Ying locked the door and followed them to the back mountain to cut thatch.

Lin Chuntao's usual carrying basket was small and the thatch was quite tall, so it wasn't easy to carry. Instead, she used a wooden stick to carry two bundles back.

After returning from her trip, she turned to Pei Ying and said, "You rest for a while and wait for me. I'll soak the beans and we'll go together."

"You stay home and work on the beans, I'll go and cut another basketful, that'll be enough."

"That's okay too."

After Pei Ying left, Lin Chuntao took out the beans and picked them over again, weighed out ten jin, washed and soaked them.

Ten pounds of beans need to be paired with about four pounds of chili peppers. The chili peppers need to have their tops removed. Lin Chuntao poured the chili peppers into a winnowing basket and sat in the yard to start processing them. The chili peppers she bought seemed to be quite spicy; she could smell the pungent odor even while picking off the tops.

When Pei Ying returned carrying thatch, she hadn't finished processing her chili peppers. Pei Ying went to cut bamboo strips to weave the thatch, but she didn't know how, and trying to do it for a while was less effective than not doing it at all, so she continued to sit aside and process the chili peppers.

As the sun slowly began to set, Lin Chuntao lit a fire, washed the braised pork ribs, and put them into an earthenware pot to stew.

Stir-frying in this earthenware pot is slow, but she quite likes making soup.

As evening approached, Pei Ying finally finished tying up the thatch, ran to the village head's house to borrow a ladder, and the two of them carried the thatch up and laid it out.

When Lin Chunxing and the others returned carrying pig feed, they were stunned to see the bamboo pavilion and stove at the entrance.

"Sis! The stove is finished so quickly? And the gazebo too!"

Lin Chuntao replied with a smile, "My uncle and great-grandfather helped with it."

"If it were just me and your brother-in-law, how could it have been so fast?"

Lin Chunxing smiled and said, "This will make it easier for us to cook from now on."

The sisters marveled as they circled the pavilion and stove repeatedly.

Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "The mud bricks in the stove haven't dried yet; it'll probably be ready to use in the next day or two."

They seemed not to hear her. Lin Chuntao smiled and ignored them.

Lin Chunxing looked at the stove. The stove, made of mud bricks, was square and the top of the stove was also very flat. In the future, the steamer and bowls could be placed next to it. Thinking about it, in winter, the stir-fried dishes could be placed next to it and wouldn't get cold. It sounded pretty good.

After looking around, she went to wash her hands and cook, only to find that there were pork ribs cooking in the earthenware pot.

"Sis, did you cook pork ribs?"

Lin Chuntao responded, "It should be ready soon. Go peel two radishes and cut them into chunks."

"Should I cut it up and cook it with the ribs?"

Lin Chuntao nodded. "Tell me when you're done cutting it, and I'll do it."

Lin Chunxing went to peel radishes, and Lin Duo'er and Lin Chunhe ran over to pick chili peppers with her. Pei Ying tidied up the yard and then went to fetch water with buckets.

The rice I steamed this morning is still left; I just need to reheat it in the evening.

While waiting for the ribs to stew, Lin Chuntao stir-fried an eggplant and then a cucumber and egg dish.

Lin Chunxing and the others were busy serving rice when Lin Chuntao said, "Don't serve mine yet, I want to have some soup first."

Lin Chuntao really liked the pork rib soup with its slightly sweet flavor.

Lin Duo'er and the others preferred meat and had no interest in soup.

At the dinner table, Lin Chunxing and the others first tried the stewed pork ribs. They had been simmering over low heat for half a day and were already very tender. The taste was just like the stewed meat from last time. It was delicious with the dipping sauce, which was spicy and numbing, but it was also very flavorful without the dipping sauce.

Lin Chunhe ate a piece of radish and found it delicious. She tilted her head and looked at Lin Chuntao. Radishes have a raw taste and are not very tasty when cooked, but they become different in Lin Chuntao's hands. This reminded her of the very appetizing tomato and eggplant stir-fry, which was just as good.

She looked at Lin Chuntao with a smile and said, "Sister, you cook so well, why don't you open a small restaurant in the future?"