Chapter 214 Caramelized Milk Tofu

When there are many people, the food tastes especially good.

The dumplings were piping hot, and I enjoyed them very much.

After breakfast, Brother Liu was about to drive off. Taozi helped me harvest vegetables from the greenhouse, and I planned to go to the family that raises cattle to buy some dairy products.

I took four packets of salt in total. I kept two packets for Aunt Liu's household expenses and took the remaining two packets to exchange for milk.

I know the way well now, so I walked up to the door and knocked.

The lady of the house opened the door warmly as soon as she saw me.

I took out two bags of salt and held them out in my hands: "I brought two bags of salt, could you please carry them for me?"

What do you want right now? Fresh milk or dairy products?

Fresh milk doesn't keep well, so dairy products are more cost-effective. I thought about it and said, "Let's take two bottles of fresh milk, and the rest will be dairy products."

Without saying a word, the hostess took two mineral water bottles of fresh milk, and then took two pieces of milk curd and two sheets of milk skin directly from the cardboard box frozen in the yard.

There were more than I expected, but that's normal. Things are valued for their scarcity, and salt is in short supply these days, so it's very important to her.

After thanking them, they took the milk and dairy products back to Aunt Liu's house.

Aunt Liu chattered on and on, packing me two pieces of her homemade cured pork, saying that her cured pork tasted different from mine, and that I should take it home to try different flavors.

After loading his things, Brother Liu drove to his doorstep.

"The vegetables have been loaded directly into the car for you. Are you all ready?"

Brother Liu didn't get out of the car; he opened the door and called out to him.

"They're here, they're all ready."

I carried a large bag of dairy products and the cured meat that Aunt Liu had brought, and then led a group of cats, dogs and human cubs onto the car.

He waved goodbye to Aunt Liu and started his journey home.

While going out for a stroll is enjoyable, going home brings even more happiness.

Clearly, Mancang was even happier than I was, happily watching the scenery flash by along the way.

Finally, we arrived home. Taozi and Brother Liu helped us unload the things from the car and carry them into the house. They said goodbye and left.

Even though the kang (heated brick bed) was lit before I left last night, the room was still a bit cold after being empty all night.

Without me even having to tell him, Mancang changed out of the clean cotton clothes he was wearing when he went out and started heating the kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

With Mancang's help, I can free up my hands to sort the vegetables.

To save electricity, refrigerators are not used during extremely cold weather.

I intended to put all the fresh vegetables I brought back into the breeding room, but the temperature there was a bit too low, and I was afraid that my precious fresh vegetables would freeze.

After looking around inside and out, I still think the entryway is the most suitable.

Choose a clean storage shelf from the back room and move it to the entryway between the east room and the kitchen.

The temperature here is similar to that of a refrigerator's crisper compartment in summer, which is perfect for storing vegetables.

The vegetables brought back from the Baizhen base were neatly arranged on the shelves, filling one shelf completely.

I am admiring the abundance of lush green vegetables on the shelf.

Mancang walked over at some point and said blankly, "So many fresh vegetables, enough for us to eat for a long time..."

I nodded: "Yes, we can come up with all sorts of ways to make delicious food, and we won't have to treat vegetables like treasures when we eat hot pot anymore."

The last time I had hot pot with Mancang, the vegetables were picked from a vegetable bowl, and the portion wasn't large. I don't know how Mancang felt, but I certainly didn't get enough.

The little hands in the warehouse got to work quickly, and now the stove and firebox are lit, and the room is warm.

After scooping out the hot water from the iron pot to make pig feed and feeding the livestock, there wasn't much work to do.

After changing back into my everyday loungewear, I nestled on the sofa and lay down, while Mancang lay on his own bed, looking at the children's books I had recently found.

After teaching Mancang to read, he can now not only read picture books, but also some simple children's books.

I lay there all morning, and when I got a little hungry, I couldn't wait to make lunch because I wanted to eat the fresh vegetables I brought back from the cabbage farm.

To savor the deliciousness of fresh vegetables, I didn't cook meat dishes that were heavy on oil and salt.

I cut the cured meat that Aunt Liu brought into small pieces and stir-fried it with celery.

Simply stir-fry the zucchini with lard, and it looks delicious, vibrant green.

Make another tomato and egg soup, then we can eat right away.

This is an extremely healthy meal, with red and green colors intertwined, making it look very nourishing.

The sweetness of celery and the aroma of cured meat blend together to create a unique flavor.

Stir-fried zucchini is crisp and tender, and you can taste a hint of sweetness when you chew it carefully. It's absolutely delicious.

Mancang probably doesn't eat fresh vegetables often, and like me, he had a big appetite. Since we sat down at the table, neither of us stopped eating.

After finishing my meal, I was about to lie down again, but Mancang just couldn't stay still.

He put on his thick clothes and went to the mountain to chop firewood. Thinking that we hadn't stored enough food for the rabbits at home, I overcame my laziness and went with him to the mountain to cut grass.

Mowing the lawn today was just as difficult as last time; it took a lot of effort to turn over the thick layer of snow.

When I got home in the evening, I was exhausted again. I quickly ate dinner and went to bed not long after.

Unsurprisingly, I woke up hungry again early the next morning.

Thinking about the milk tofu I brought back, I opened my eyes and, unlike usual, I wasn't groggy. I quickly changed my clothes and went to the kitchen to cook.

As usual, the stove was already lit in the warehouse, and I could start cooking right away.

First, heat the milk in a small pot. Once the milk boils, add two large spoonfuls of rose petal jam and stir until melted.

Milk is a limited food for the two of us, so naturally we have to treat it well. I'll only be satisfied if it's made into fragrant rose-flavored milk.

Boil a pot of dumplings, and then prepare to make some candied milk tofu.

Cut the milk tofu into thick small pieces, coat them with a layer of starch, and fry them in oil until the surface is crispy.

Mix a handful of white sugar with a little water and a little oil.

Simmer the sugar in a pot until it becomes a thick syrup, then add the milk tofu and stir-fry until it resembles candied sweet potatoes, creating a plate of candied milk tofu.

Afraid that the syrup would cool down and the milk tofu would stick together, I carried the candied milk tofu into the house, calling out to Mancang, "Quick, quick, come and eat, it'll get cold soon."

Seeing that I was in a hurry, Mancang quickly cleaned the stove pit and ran into the east room.

He looked at the plate of golden, crispy, candied milk tofu with curiosity and gently touched it with his chopsticks: "What is this, Aunt Cheng?"

"This is candied milk tofu. If you lift it up, it will have long strands attached."

As I explained, I used chopsticks to pick up a piece of milk tofu to demonstrate. This candied milk tofu was very successful; the milk tofu was lifted quite far, with caramel-colored syrup still attached in strands.

Mancang's eyes widened: "Wow, this is amazing!"

I dipped the milk curd into a bowl of cold water, and the strands immediately broke.

Even after being chilled by cold water, it's not afraid of being burned; you can just pop it into your mouth in one bite.

The outer layer is crispy, and the texture is similar to that of candied hawthorn, but the syrup is thinner.