Chapter 53: Treating the Political Commissar and His Family to Dinner

Da Mao ran all the way until his head was covered in sweat. He sat down in the stove, skillfully lit a fire with corn husks, and put chopped wood on it.

The flames quickly rose in the stove, licking the thick bottom of the pot.

Shen Lingning gave the young man a thumbs up: "Great, Damao, you light the fire well!"

Da Mao chuckled and said, "Aunt, I'm the best fireman in the staff quarters."

Wang Shufen held Fubao in her arms and rolled her eyes at him. She then took Fubao's hand and said, "Oh, when our Fubao grows up, he won't be able to brag like his brother."

Da Mao stared anxiously and said, "I am the best at making fire!"

Shen Lingning and Wang Shufen smiled at each other and quickly comforted him: “Yes, yes, you are the best.”

Damao then gave up, snorted, and continued to add firewood.

The iron pan was heated, and Shen Lingning poured in a spoonful of clear rapeseed oil. Wang Shufen smacked her lips and almost blurted out: "This spoonful of oil is enough for a whole day."

The words came to my lips but I swallowed them along with my saliva. Forget it.

As the oil temperature rose, Shen Lingning put the rock sugar into the pot and stirred it patiently with a spatula.

The sugar granules melt in the hot oil, and their color changes from white to yellow, and then to translucent amber. Fine bubbles emerge, and a sweet aroma mixed with a burnt aroma spreads.

Pick up the chopped meat and pour it into the sugar color with a "sizzle" sound!

The boiling syrup instantly coated the meat, and Shen Lingning quickly stir-fried it, allowing each piece of meat to be evenly coated with an attractive caramel color.

The meat pieces sizzled in the pan, the edges curled slightly, and the fat parts began to become transparent.

Add scallion and ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant, add a little locally brewed soy sauce, stir-fry evenly, and add warm water to cover the meat.

Shen Lingning thought about it, then grabbed a handful of dried, bright red chili pepper segments and threw them in - people in the northwest love spicy food, and adding a little spiciness makes the meal more appetizing.

Cover the pot with a heavy wooden lid, put durable firewood into the stove, turn down the fire, and keep the soup in the pot bubbling slightly.

As time goes by, the rich meaty aroma mixes with the salty freshness of soy sauce, the sweetness of caramel and the spiciness of chili.

It broke through the lid of the pot with all its might, filled the entire courtyard, and even floated outside the courtyard wall!

While the meat was stewing, Shen Lingning kept working.

Sun Da Niang sent a few cucumbers with tender yellow flowers on top that morning. She washed them and put them on the chopping board, and used the kitchen knife to "crack! crack!"

Crack it a few times, cut it into sections, sprinkle a little precious salt on it, crush and mince a few cloves of garlic and sprinkle it on top, add a few drops of sesame oil (if available), and simply mix it, and the fragrant cold cucumber is ready.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Heat an iron pan and add a little bit of the oil residue from stir-frying the meat. Put the potato slices into the pan and stir-fry patiently until the edges are browned and the shell is peeling, emitting the unique roasted aroma of potatoes.

Finally, sprinkle some green garlic sprouts freshly picked from your yard, stir-fry for a few times, and the garlic aroma will be released. Then, a dry pot potato chip dish that goes well with rice is ready.

The overbearing and fragrant smell of meat attracted Da Mao, who was playing in the mud in the yard, like a possessed puppy. He stretched his neck and walked around the pot.

The little nose kept sniffing: "Mom! Aunt Shen! It smells so good! When can we eat it?"

Even Fubao, who was sitting in a small bamboo cart and playing with a cloth tiger, stopped what he was doing. He turned his little head towards the kitchen, opened his mouth slightly, and his shiny saliva flowed down the corners of his mouth and dripped onto his bib.

Wang Shufen wanted to help, but she couldn't do anything. She could only help pass plates and take bowls.

She watched Shen Lingning's smooth movements, cutting vegetables, cooking, and seasoning without a single mess, and the stove was also cleaned spotlessly.

I couldn't help but sigh in my heart: Comrade Shen is really capable!

The house is tidy inside and out, and the cooking is also so exquisite!

You can tell at first glance that he is someone who is used to living a fine life, unlike these people who are rough and extravagant.

Looking at the wild lilies transplanted in the corner of the wall, which still have a wild smell, I feel that this yard has an indescribable elegance.

When Political Commissar Zhang strode into the yard, the braised pork was just out of the pot.

In a large dark brown coarse porcelain bowl, shiny and rosy chunks of meat are piled high, the trembling fat parts are crystal clear, and the rich sauce wraps around each piece of meat, exuding a fatal temptation.

The dry pot potato chips are crispy and golden, dotted with green garlic sprouts.

The cold cucumber salad is green and refreshing, and with a bowl of fragrant rice, the simple dining table suddenly becomes extremely rich and tempting.

Wang Shufen put Fubao on the cart and went to wash her hands and get chopsticks. She turned around and saw Damao reaching out for the braised pork. She shouted, "Daomao, wash your hands before you eat."

Damao was so scared that he shivered, stuck out his tongue, and quickly went to the basin to wash his hands.

Political Commissar Zhang, who had just arrived, nodded to Shen Lingning, and quickly found small bamboo chairs in the yard and placed them in a circle next to the small dining table. He rolled up his sleeves and wiped all the small chairs with a rag.

It’s time for dinner!

Even the most reserved person would find it difficult to control himself in the face of such a real meat aroma.

Political Commissar Zhang was holding it at first, then picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth.

The meat was stewed to perfection, the fat melted in your mouth without being greasy at all, the lean meat was crispy and tasty, with layers of salty, sweet, fresh and spicy flavors, and the rich gravy exploded on your tongue!

His eyes lit up and his chewing speed increased significantly.

Damao couldn't wait any longer and stuffed piece after piece into his mouth, refusing to stop even when it was so hot that he had to inhale.

Wang Shufen didn't bother to be polite anymore and kept reaching for the meat bowl and potato chips with her chopsticks. Even Fubao got a small piece of soft and tender lean meat, which made his little mouth greasy.

Political Commissar Zhang was eating so hard that sweat broke out on his forehead. He couldn't help but sigh, "Weiguo is such a lucky kid! He married such a capable wife!" As soon as he said that, the warm atmosphere at the dinner table froze for a moment.

Zhou Weiguo, this name is like an invisible stone, pressing on everyone's heart.

The lively chewing sounds just now died down, leaving only the gentle clinking of bowls and chopsticks. Shen Lingning lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes covering the emotions in his eyes.

Wang Shufen quickly interrupted: "Eat your food! These potato chips are so delicious!"

But that short-lived joy was ultimately cast a shadow.

In the end, all four plates and bowls were eaten clean, not even the thick and glossy braised pork broth was left.

Da Mao was still not satisfied, so he picked up the half of the yellow flour bun he had left, carefully wiped off the last bit of oil and meat residue at the bottom of the plate, and then contentedly stuffed the bun covered with the aroma of oil into his mouth, with a look of satisfaction on his little face.

After the meal, the relationship was indeed much closer.

Wang Shufen rushed to clean up the dishes and wash them, while Political Commissar Zhang sat on a small stool, lit a bag of dry tobacco, and watched Shen Lingning holding Fubao and patting him gently.

He took a few puffs of his cigarette in silence, his eyes filled with complexity amidst the smoke.

"Xiao Shen,"

He finally spoke, his voice measured, "You're a capable and thoughtful person. I understand your thoughts on this matter of the back mountain... and that boundary marker."