Chapter 58 - Two-in-one: Pork Head Meat with Fried Cracklings and Chili Peppers...

Many idle villagers went to join in the fun, and a huge crowd followed the village head and his entourage.

Lin Chunxing and Lin Chunhe also ran out. They hadn't originally intended to join in the fun, but after standing there for a while, they noticed that Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye had suddenly appeared from behind.

As if they had made a connection, Lin Qingqing waved to them from over there, while Lin Chunxing looked at Lin Chuntao and asked, "Sister, can we go?"

Seeing that Lin Changhua and the others were also there, Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Go ahead."

The three sisters ran quickly towards Lin Qingqing and the others. Lin Chuntao yawned, went back to the courtyard, and closed the gate.

She's recently gotten into the habit of taking afternoon naps, and by the time it's time, she starts to feel sleepy and yawns constantly.

"I'm going to sleep for a while. Wake me up in half an hour."

Pei Ying nodded at her sleepy appearance. After Lin Chuntao went to sleep, Pei Ying went to get a clay pot to boil some water, and then got some buckwheat flour and stirred some paste. Taking advantage of the good weather, he used the leftover fabric from making clothes to make shoes.

When he went back to the room to get the cloth, Lin Chuntao was already asleep, her breathing steady, she was sleeping soundly.

Lin Chuntao has been sleeping much better lately, and her appetite has also increased, which must be due to the effects of the medicine prescribed by the doctor.

Pei Ying moved gently and did not disturb her. She fell asleep and showed no signs of waking up even after more than half an hour.

At this time, the villagers were all busy dividing up the land.

This is true on Shuangzizhai side, and it's also true on Yangjiazhuang side.

When villagers are allocating land, they will definitely want to be closer to the village. Lin Miaomiao and her friends will be returning to Shuangzizhai in the future, which is the exact opposite of what the people from Yangjiazhuang want. They hope to be closer to Shuangzizhai.

The old lady had spoken to Old Man Yang early on, and the land was indeed divided closer to Shuangzizhai, but apart from two or three acres by the river, the rest was mountainous land.

The old lady was somewhat dissatisfied, feeling that the land wasn't very good. But when it came time to divide the land, many people were also dividing it. Lin Miaomiao and her group were special, and the villagers were watching. The old lady didn't want to cause any more trouble. She thought that the mountain land mainly needed to be nurtured, but after a few years, the land could be fertilized.

To avoid trouble, he said nothing and let Lin Miaomiao and the others put their fingerprints on the document.

Lin Miaomiao was in a good mood today, but her complexion was not very good. When she arrived, the old lady noticed that she was not feeling well. Looking at Niu Hongxi, she felt a little displeased.

This thing is completely heartless. But all young women have been through this; it's like this at the beginning, and it gets better with time. So she didn't say much and let Lin Miaomiao and the others come back.

When Lin Miaomiao and the others returned, Lin Cunzheng and the others had just finished distributing land to the villagers.

Lin Cunzheng and the others had everything arranged in advance, just like when they were divided up with Lin Chuntao and the others. They were evenly distributed, with some near the river, some in the mountains, and some near their homes.

Lin Jialang and the others didn't really care about the land anymore; they were just happy to have land and be able to live on their own in the future.

After all the land was divided and everyone pressed their handprints, Lam Ka-long was visibly happy.

Aunt Guizhi also went, walking with Fan Liniang and the others. After wandering around for half a day, the group got to know each other quite well, chatting and laughing along the way.

Aunt Guizhi and the others walked at the back and were the first to see Lin Miaomiao and her group.

"Miaomiao, you're back? Has the land been divided?"

Lin Miaomiao glanced at them. It was Aunt Guizhi who asked the question. She replied indifferently, "It's all sorted out."

Seeing that she was not very happy, Aunt Guizhi said that it was fine as long as the money was divided, and did not ask any other questions.

Fan Liniang and Meng Yun were not familiar with Lin Miaomiao, and they didn't exchange any words.

Lin Qingqing and Lin Chunxing followed along, but finding the land allocation boring, they went to find Pao'er.

Sure enough, everyone was getting ready to go back when a few of them grabbed a bag and caught up with the main group.

Seeing the children running on the road, Aunt Guizhi smiled from afar.

"Have you guys picked any berries yet?"

Lin Chunxing replied upon hearing the voice, "Auntie, I've picked them."

As they were talking, the group ran over and offered the food to Aunt Guizhi and the others, but Aunt Guizhi waved her hand and said, "I don't want any, you guys eat."

Lin Qingqing laughed and said, "Have two! We picked a lot, and there are still some at home and in the wild."

Aunt Guizhi smiled and grabbed a few from Chunxing's pocket.

Since they had all been given to Aunt Guizhi, Fan Liniang and the others next to her had to be polite as well. Lin Chunxing and the others were still young and didn't know how to hide their feelings. Fan Liniang smiled and politely declined the bubble tea that was offered to her. However, Meng Yun, who was next to her, looked at Lin Chunxing and Lin Qingqing and said with a smile, "We don't have this where I'm from. I've never had it before. Thank you, little sister."

As she spoke, she grabbed some, and Xiao Mengyue also grabbed her aunt's hand, saying she wanted to eat. Meng Yun was about to share what she had with Mengyue when Lin Chunxing said, "Let's grab some from here, there's still plenty."

Meng Yue watched as Lin Chunxing reached out and grabbed some, then said shyly, "Thank you, Auntie."

Lin Chunxing: "..."

Meng Yun and Fan Liyun were also taken aback. Meng Yun had called Lin Chunxing "sister" earlier, but now Meng Yue was calling Lin Chunxing "aunt," which wasn't wrong. However, since Meng Yue and Lin Jialang were engaged, it seemed like the generations were mixed up.

Aunt Guizhi laughed from the side, "You should call her 'elder sister'."

Meng Yun laughed from the side, "I'll talk to them separately, otherwise I feel like I'm being called old."

As they were talking, Xiao Dujuan, who was following her brother, turned around and saw that they were eating pudding. She stopped and waited for Lin Chunxing and the others to approach. She looked at them timidly.

"Second sister, I want to soak too."

Lin Chunxing paused for a moment, then remained silent, but still lowered her bag to grab something for her.

When Lin Jialang saw Lin Chunxing give it to Xiao Dujuan, he said to her, "Why don't you thank your second sister?"

Xiao Dujuan did as she was told, while Lin Chunxing remained indifferent.

But these things seemed very jarring to Lin Miaomiao. Lin Cunzheng told them to wait. After she went to her grandmother's house to find a solution, Lin Jialang and the others were taken care of. Although Lin Chunxing and the others ignored Lin Jialang, they shared food with the people in Lin Jialang's family. They even gave Xiao Dujuan what she wanted.

She held her head high and secretly vowed in her heart that she would definitely live a better life than them in the future.

Aunt Guizhi remembered the teasing from the women that morning and had even observed Lin Miaomiao closely. Since she couldn't see anything unusual about her anymore, she didn't say anything more.

Lin Chunxing and the others made a commotion when they got home, and Lin Chuntao woke up feeling groggy.

Looking at the sunlight in the yard, she said weakly to Pei Ying, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Pei Ying said, "Look how soundly you're sleeping."

Lin Chuntao slumped in her chair, looking at Lin Chunxing and the others who had brought back the soap, and ordered, "Wash some and share them with me. Soak them in water to cool them down a bit."

Lin Chunxing nodded, quickly went back to the house to get a bowl, poured the foam into the bowl, rinsed it twice with water, added some more foam, and then brought it over to Lin Chuntao.

Lin Chuntao ate some soup and slowly regained some energy. Only then did she notice the cloth drying on the bamboo rack in the yard, which surprised her.

What are you doing drying cloths?

Pei Ying said, "Make shoes."

Lin Chuntao looked down at the straw sandals on her feet. Perhaps because it was summer, they were not much different from wearing sandals. Not only in the village, but many people in the city also wore straw sandals. She had not deliberately thought about making shoes, mainly because she did not know how.

Seeing Lin Chuntao's expression, Pei Ying continued, "We still need to make the soles, which takes a lot of time. It might be autumn by the time we finish."

Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "Then let's rest for now. If we make a lot of money in the fall, we can each buy a pair."

Pei Ying laughed upon hearing this.

"If that's the case, then that would be even better."

After resting for a while, Lin Chuntao washed the half pig's head that Pei Ying had brought back, and had Lin Chunxing and the others start a fire so she could cook the pig's head.

It contained a lot of braising spices, and I planned to cook it and then make a cold dish with the pig's head meat.

The pig's head meat wasn't cooked until evening. Lin Chuntao took the meat out, put it in a bamboo basket, covered it with gauze, and took it inside to cool off.

With the pot idle, Lin Chunxing quickly put the steamer on top to start steaming rice. The pig's head meat smelled so good that she just wanted to eat as soon as possible.

Thinking about it makes me a little too greedy, but after the family split up, almost everything they ate was something they had never eaten before. Even though they had incredibly delicious wontons for lunch, they still couldn't resist the smell of braised pork head meat in the evening.

These younger sisters are usually very hardworking and observant. As for their cravings, Lin Chuntao never criticizes them. When they are bullied, they always watch others eat. Even if the food may not be that delicious, if others can eat it but they can't, then it must be very, very delicious.

If they can't afford it, fine. They'll just buy it and eat it all at home. Let them be greedy, it's their own home anyway. They'll get used to it eventually.

She went back inside and chopped some dried chili peppers, cilantro, and scallions for later use.

The sisters gathered around her, watching.

The small jar of chili oil that Pei Ying bought last time was almost finished. Holding the jar, she asked Pei Ying, "Can you still buy this chili oil?"

Pei Ying nodded slightly. "Okay."

"Then let's buy another jar, we're almost out."

After Pei Ying agreed, Lin Chuntao lowered her eyes and focused on mixing the ingredients.

For dinner, Lin Chuntao stir-fried the broad beans she had cooked at noon and cut two bowls of pork head meat. She made a cold salad with coriander, scallions, chili, and garlic in one bowl, and put coriander and garlic in the other bowl. She fried the chopped chili pieces until golden brown and poured the oil and chili directly into the bowl. With a sizzling sound, a rich aroma wafted out.

The sisters took a deep breath and then gasped.

"It smells so good!"

Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Get a bowl and serve the rice, we can start eating now."

One pig's head meat, two different flavors, both very delicious, leaving them conflicted about what to eat.

Pei Ying didn't know what kind of meat to use, and since her family had never cooked pig's head before, she brought one back. She never expected it to taste so good.

He even had the idea of ​​bringing one back tomorrow to braise and eat again.

But since half of the braised food was still left, enough to eat the next day, Pei Ying had no choice but to give up.

For the next few days, Lin Chuntao eagerly awaited her sauce, bringing it out and taking it in every day.

Life was fairly leisurely.

In the Lin family's courtyard, for several days in a row, some sounds were coming from Lin Miaomiao's room. If they were just happy cries, that would be fine, but Fan Liniang felt that Lin Miaomiao was being tormented and couldn't bear it anymore. However, she couldn't say anything because of her status. So when she met Aunt Guizhi while fetching water, she asked Aunt Guizhi for help.

Aunt Guizhi thought that Lin Miaomiao was a young girl and was afraid that she would be mistreated. She didn't dare to say that no one would stand up for her, so she took the initiative to talk to her. However, she misunderstood that Fan Liniang was gossiping behind her back and thought she was noisy.

The day after he got back, he started indirectly cursing Fan Liniang, calling her a widow who lacked a man and was always squatting by the wall.

Fan Liniang was furious, but she was an adult and too lazy to argue with Lin Miaomiao, so she ignored it.

Lin Miaomiao cursed for several days in a row, and Meng Yun could no longer bear it and got into a fight with Lin Miaomiao.

The fight wasn't serious, and Niu Hongxi and Fan Liniang quickly pulled them apart.

News of the fight spread quickly, and Aunt Guizhi and Madam Sun rushed over, while Lin Jialang and Lin Miaomiao each stayed on one side.

When Aunt Guizhi learned that the argument was caused by something she said to Lin Miaomiao, she quickly apologized to Fan Liniang. Fan Liniang waved her hand, saying that it was not Aunt Guizhi's fault.

Niu Hongxi was also in the courtyard. Aunt Guizhi and Madam Sun called Lin Miaomiao aside and said, "Miaomiao, what I'm saying is for your own good. How can you misinterpret it like that? Madam Fan is also doing it for your own good!"

Lin Miaomiao glanced at Aunt Guizhi and sneered, "For my own good? That widow must be in heat! Not only did she eavesdrop, but she also went around gossiping!"

Sun and Aunt Guizhi were speechless for a moment.

Seeing Lin Miaomiao like this, she said helplessly, "Fine, this is my fault. I apologize to you. I was meddling in other people's business. But I still need to make things clear. Madam Fan just asked me to take care of you. She absolutely did not mean to gossip about you or listen to your gossip. If you are angry, you can scold me. I will scold you as much as you want."

Seeing the cold look in Aunt Guizhi's eyes, Lin Miaomiao realized that she had offended Aunt Guizhi.

*

Lin Chuntao had been drying the sauce in the sun for sixteen days. She felt it was almost ready, so she scooped out a little to taste. It was exactly the flavor she wanted. Just as she was about to summon the system, she heard the system's announcement.

"Congratulations, host! The soy sauce has been successfully developed. You have received 888 points and three chances to draw a prize!"

Lin Chuntao hissed coldly and muttered, "I've been working on this for over ten days, and I only got 888 points? That hasn't even deducted the 200 I spent on exchanging the recipe. That's too little."

"There are still three more draws left, host, do you want to draw now?"

Thinking back to the last time she drew vegetable seeds and a kitchen knife, she wanted those two items then, but now she doesn't want anything else.

"I won't smoke. I'll wait until I feel like it someday."

Now that the sauce is ready, we definitely need to make something to eat. Potatoes are the most convenient thing at home, and potatoes with sauce are the most delicious. Lin Chuntao quickly called Lin Chunxing and the others over, peeled a dozen or twenty potatoes, cut them into irregular chunks, and fried them in a pot.

Add cilantro and chopped green onions, sprinkle with salt, scoop in two spoonfuls of sauce, and quickly stir well. The bright red half-pot of potatoes is ready. Each of us ladled out a bowl and carried it around. The sisters ate it and praised it highly.

Pei Ying also liked the flavor; it wasn't particularly spicy, but it was very fragrant. He thought that this sauce would be delicious if mixed with steamed buns.

Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Buy some rice noodles and meat tomorrow, and I'll cook the rice noodles and share them with you."

Lin Chunxing looked on with anticipation. Lin Chuntao always said that doing business requires a unique flavor. This sauce is delicious, but she couldn't imagine what it would taste like if this sauce was put into the powder. It just didn't seem like a good match.

But Lin Chuntao has her own reasons for using the right ingredients and side dishes.

The sauce was ready, and Lin Chuntao took two bowls to dry, preparing to send one bowl each to Sun Shi and Aunt Guizhi.

Lin Chuntao went to the village head's house first, but Sun was not there, so Chen Dongniang accepted the gifts.

The bright red sauce emitted a fragrant and spicy aroma, making Chen Dongniang swallow hard. She looked at Lin Chuntao in surprise and said, "This sauce isn't all chopped chili peppers, what else did you put in it?"

Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I added soybeans."

"You came to buy beans that day to make sauce?"

Lin Chuntao nodded. "This is my first time making it. I think it tastes alright. I don't know if everyone will like it. Auntie, you can try it."

Chen Dongniang said, "Oh my, it smells so good."

She poured the sauce into a jar and put it away, rinsed the bowl and returned it to Lin Chuntao, then invited Lin Chuntao to come inside and sit down.

Lin Chuntao didn't sit down, saying she had other things to do, and left.

When she returned home, picked up her things, and went to Aunt Guizhi's house, Sun was also there. They had just returned from Lin Miaomiao's house. Aunt Guizhi was furious, and Sun was comforting her.

They didn't notice Lin Chuntao entering the courtyard. Aunt Guizhi's mother-in-law came out of the house and happened to see Lin Chuntao, so she greeted her with a smile, "Chuntao is here."

Aunt Guizhi and Madam Sun turned around together, and Lin Chuntao called out with a smile, "Grandma, Auntie."

The two responded, and the old lady went to get stools for them to sit on. Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Grandma, where are you going? When I went home just now, my aunt said you went to the fields."

Sun replied, "They were originally in the vegetable garden over there. We heard that Lin Miaomiao and Fan Niangzi's sister-in-law had a fight, so we went to take a look and just came back."

Hearing Lin Chuntao's words, Madam Sun assumed that Lin Chuntao had come to her house to see her about something, so she asked her.

Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "It's nothing. I made some sauce a few days ago, and it's ready to eat now. I was thinking of taking some over so everyone can try it."

When Mrs. Sun heard that she was delivering something, her tone softened considerably: "You silly child, if you make it, keep it for yourself. We also chop some up every year when the chilies turn red."

"The one I made tastes different from the chopped chili one. You'll know once you try it. I think it's delicious. I don't know if you'll like it. It's my first time making it, so I only made a small amount, just one bowl. Please don't think I'm stingy, Grandma."

She spoke with a grin, and the old lady pretended to be annoyed and lightly patted her.

"You silly girl, when did I ever say you were stingy?"

As she spoke, she noticed the bamboo basket in Guizhi's hand, so Lin Chuntao opened the lid, took out the bowl of sauce from the basket, and handed it to Aunt Guizhi.

"Auntie, this bowl is for you."

Aunt Guizhi smiled and said, "I have one too?"

Hearing this, Madam Sun laughed heartily, and Lin Chuntao clicked her tongue, "Auntie, you're just teasing me because the eldest mistress is here."

As they were talking, Aunt Guizhi took the bowl and took a closer look. She noticed that the sauce was very smooth and tasted quite different from the chopped chili sauce, with an indescribable aroma.

Mrs. Sun really liked sauce. Seeing the smooth texture and deep red color of the sauce, she looked at Lin Chuntao with surprise and said, "When did you become so skillful? This sauce looks delicious."

As soon as Mrs. Sun finished speaking, Aunt Guizhi laughed and said, "Did you take the stone mortar and pestle to make sauce last time?"

Lin Chuntao nodded: "That's right, it's pounding beans."

Aunt Guizhi, carrying a bowl, prepared to go inside. "I'll have lunch at your house later. I'll boil potatoes and dip them in sauce."

Sun waved her hand: "We just finished lunch a little while ago, why would we eat lunch? No, no, I don't want to eat."

Lin Chuntao also said, "Auntie, I'm not hungry either. I just finished eating a little while ago."

Although they said they wouldn't eat it, Aunt Guizhi still washed some potatoes and cooked them, wanting to try the sauce that Lin Chuntao had brought.

After the potatoes were cooked, Aunt Guizhi brought over some melon seeds. Sun said, "I won't sit down. You two can eat them. I still have my hoe in the field. I'll go pull some weeds in my vegetable garden first."

As she spoke, she patted Aunt Guizhi and said, "Don't be angry, this child can't tell right from wrong."

Aunt Guizhi smiled upon hearing this and said to Madam Sun, "I'm definitely not angry anymore. It was my overconfidence that caused this trouble. I'm so sorry to have troubled you to make this trip, Auntie."

Mrs. Sun waved her hand, "Don't mention it. We're all family. Since the child doesn't need our care, we won't take care of him."

After Mrs. Sun left, Lin Chuntao asked softly, "Are they alright after their fight?"

Aunt Guizhi shook her head. "It's nothing. They had already pulled us apart when we got there. They only pulled a little hair."

"That's alright."

Aunt Guizhi sighed deeply and said to Lin Chuntao, "That Madam Fan is a kind-hearted person. She only came to me because she couldn't bear it anymore. She was worried that the man was several years older than Miaomiao and didn't know what to do if Miaomiao was bullied. I talked to her about it, and she was fine at the time and didn't say anything. I didn't expect that this brat would scold Madam Fan the day after she went back."

Lin Chuntao frowned slightly upon hearing this, and asked Aunt Guizhi, "What was her husband doing when you went there?"

Aunt Guizhi recalled for a moment, "When we arrived, the man was coaxing her."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Chuntao twitched the corner of her mouth. Aunt Guizhi frowned slightly and asked Lin Chuntao in a low voice, "You mean to say that she was instigated by that man?"

"We can't guess what's going on in their room, but it's not impossible, after all, she's young."

Aunt Guizhi sighed deeply, seemingly also somewhat annoyed with Lin Miaomiao.

"I don't care anymore, I won't care anymore, it's not my place to care anyway."

Lin Chuntao smiled and comforted them, "Everyone has their own destiny. Even their own parents are too busy to worry about everything, let alone us. Let them do as they please."

Because of this argument, Lin Jialang and Lin Miaomiao could no longer peacefully share the pots, pans, and stove. In the end, they decided to sell the iron pot and steamer, split the money between the two families, demolish the stove, and build a wall in the middle, completely separating into two households.

Life in the village was mostly peaceful; people ate, worked, slept, chased chickens and walked dogs, and the day passed by noisily.

The next day, after selling the mushrooms, Lin Chuntao went to the butcher shop to buy some meat. Just as she gave the money to Helan, the system's voice sounded in her mind.

"Ding-dong, successful check-in at the butcher shop, 76 points credited, congratulations host!"

Lin Chuntao's heart skipped a beat. The butcher shop allowed check-ins? Was it because she had opened the recipe section? Confused, she told Pei Ying that she was going to buy some powder first.

Lin Chunxing wanted to learn how to make it, so she bought more. Since rice noodles could be used for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, she bought ten jin (5 kg) directly.

Just as the payment was made, the system announced: "Ding dong, successful check-in at Suofen Shop, 80 points credited, congratulations host!"

The points are awarded based on location 10 plus the amount of money she spends.

Feeling puzzled, Lin Chuntao asked directly, and the system replied cheekily, "No, host, the shop sign-in is random, and the points are also random."

Lin Chuntao snorted. She didn't like randomness; she preferred a clear system where every effort would be rewarded.

But looking at it from another angle, having something is better than not having anything, so let it go.