Chapter 50 I Just Take a Small Sip

Sang Zhixia put away the complicated look in his eyes and lowered his head to work. After a while, he had divided the remaining cabbage into two small piles.

Wash the whole cabbage and put it into a specially made large wooden barrel. Pour the boiling water in the pot directly into it, and pour it back and forth several times until the boiling water completely submerges the cabbage on top. Press the large stone that has been washed clean of mud on the cabbage, and seal the barrel with a lid.

She used a kitchen knife to cut the smaller ones into long strips along the roots, and then put them in a large wooden basin with salt to pickle them.

Sprinkle a layer of chili powder on the chopped onion, ginger and garlic. Use boiling hot oil to bring out the aroma of the chili powder. Add soy sauce, vinegar and syrup to season and mix well. Mix with the salted cabbage and press neatly into the jar.

The aroma of hot oil boiling over the chili peppers was so rich that Aunt Xu, who was carrying firewood back, couldn't help but ask, "Xia Xia, what delicious food are you making?"

The smell is sour, spicy and tempting, and it makes people salivate at the mere smell of it.

Sang Zhixia reached out to help her take the firewood off her back and put it away. She also poured her a bowl of water and said, "Make some pickles to go with rice. You can't eat them today, but I'll ask Second Aunt to help me taste them in a few days."

Second Aunt Xu was irritable and fussy, but she was happy to listen to Shunmao. She drank her water and said happily, "That's great! I'm just waiting to open my mouth."

After drinking the water, she picked up the wooden rack and went out again. Sang Zhixia opened the wine jar that had been sealed for several days.

Sorghum liquor needs a longer fermentation time, so it is not time to open the jar yet.

But it’s almost time for the osmanthus rice wine.

Before sealing it, she used the mouth of a bowl to press a round hole in the glutinous rice mixed with osmanthus. After opening the jar, she could see a light golden liquid from the hole.

She tried to press down with a spoon, and the glutinous rice lifted up by the wine slowly sank. As she moved, a faint aroma of rice wine emanated from the air.

The timing is perfect.

In order not to affect the smoothness of the entrance, Sang Zhixia found some clean gauze and started filtering.

The glutinous rice and osmanthus flowers are trapped in the gauze, and what filters into the bottom of the jar is the clear wine with a mellow aroma.

The old man leaned forward to smell the aroma of wine, and Xu Yu, who walked to the door, was also slightly attracted by the unique smell in the air.

Did you really do it?

He carried the things he bought into the yard, and just as he put them down, he heard the old man's hearty laughter: "Not bad, not bad, it tastes good!"

Although it’s not as delicious as the fine wine I drank before, it’s rice wine brewed at home!

This is different from what I bought!

It was rare for Sang Zhixia to see the old man so cheerful, so she said with a smile, "To be praised by my grandfather, it shows that all these days of waiting were not in vain."

"It's just that drinking on an empty stomach is harmful to your health. Please try it first. I'll make two side dishes later and fill your glass when you eat."

The old man was very talkative when he was happy. He nodded cheerfully while holding the rice wine that was still at the bottom of the bowl: "Okay, okay, I'll go out and wait."

When he saw Xu Yu while holding the bowl, he said jokingly, "Yu'er, you've married a good wife. Her cooking skills are really good!"

If Sang Zhixia didn't have this skill, how could he be willing to spend money to satisfy such a craving?

He said he was happy and wanted Xu Yu to try it too: "Although this rice wine is a little less strong, it tastes great. You should try it too!"

Xu Yu's face froze slightly. Noticing the expectation from someone not far away, he said calmly, "Grandfather, I'm not good at drinking."

The old man was so happy that he forgot about it and said regretfully, "What a pity."

"If you weren't such an annoying drunk, we could sit down and have a couple of drinks."

Xu Yu got drunk after one or two cups, so it’s better to forget about this kind of drinking partner.

The old man left with a sigh. Sang Zhixia, who was guarding the wine jar, couldn't help but wave at Xu Yu.

"Come here."

The closer you get, the stronger the lingering aroma of rice wine becomes.

Xu Yu could see that Sang Zhixia had nothing to hold back and didn't want to move, but he walked over against his will.

He bit the soft flesh on the side of his jaw and lowered his head, looking at Sang Zhixia's evil eyes with a smile: "Why, you want to laugh at me before it gets dark?"

Sang Zhixia coughed a few times, trying to hide her guilt. She said with amusement, "Why do you think people are so evil? Am I the kind of person who just wants to watch the fun?"

Xu Yu raised his thin lips and snorted, clearly showing that he didn't believe it.

As expected, Sang Zhixia raised the spoon in her hand and said, "I just tasted it. Although it tastes like rice wine, it's very light and I can't taste any alcohol. You've waited so long, don't you really want to try it?"

Xu Yu didn't want to taste it.

But when he met Sang Zhixia's dimly shining eyes, the words on his lips became insincere: "Zhizhi, I can't drink."

Sang Zhixia guessed that this would happen, and tried to suppress the corners of her mouth and said, "That's fine, it won't be difficult for you, you..."

"Just this little spoonful?"

Xu Yu suddenly grabbed her wrist, which was holding the spoon, and confirmed, "We agreed on just one sip. I'll only drink this one."

Absolutely not more.

There is only a tiny amount in the small spoon, not even as big as a glutinous rice ball, and the rice wine scooped out is just a small sip.

Sang Zhixia drank a small half bowl herself to make sure it wasn't too strong, then smiled and held out her hand: "Just this one sip, I won't give you more if you want it."

She originally wanted to hand the spoon to Xu Yu, but Xu Yu grabbed her hand and put it to his mouth.

For a moment, their arms were crossed, their bodies intertwined, and for no reason, a lingering attachment was created in the air that made it impossible to tell who was who.

But Xu Yu's attention was all on the rice wine in his mouth.

Sang Zhixia didn't lie to him, the taste of the wine was indeed light.

It is not as cold as Bamboo Leaf Green, nor as spicy as Shaodaozi, but it has a lingering sweet aftertaste. Under the sour and sweet taste, there is also a hint of the elegance of osmanthus. The light sweetness lingers and the aftertaste is long.

Xu Yu let go of his hand with a normal expression, stood up straight and said, "It's delicious."

But he didn't drink anymore.

Sang Zhixia was so amused by his constant vigilance that she couldn't help laughing and said, "See, I told you it was okay, right?"

"I'm not going to tease you anymore. Help me move this over while I clean up and cook."

Xu Yu silently moved the wine jar, while Sang Zhixia took some of the rice wine that had been drained and placed it on the stove.

Xu Yu still had some glutinous rice flour that he had ground last time. He mixed it with the fermented glutinous rice that had little alcohol flavor and cooked it into osmanthus fermented glutinous rice balls, which would be the best dessert after dinner.

Sweet potato diced rice, spicy stir-fried pork, stir-fried hot and sour cabbage and cabbage and autumn melon soup.

Everyone was full, and the fermented rice balls that were finally put into the pot were ready.

Aunt Xu tasted it herself first, then scooped a small bowl for the eager Xu Yanran.

Xu Wenxiu was a little worried: "Third sister-in-law, this is made from fermented rice wine, will Yanran be okay after eating it?"

"It's nothing serious."

Aunt Xu laughed and said, "Xia Xia already drained it, and then added water and boiled it, so it's just sweet. How can there be any taste of alcohol?"

Xu Wenxiu made sure it was okay and gave a small bowl to the envious Xu Mingxu. Everyone in the yard, young and old, was eating the sour and sweet wine-fermented dumplings contentedly. Sang Zhixia thought about it and kept a small bowl for Xu Yu.

Xu Mingyang drank two bowls in a blink of an eye. It shouldn't be a problem for him to eat a little, right?

She put down the bowl and went back to the west shed. When Xu Yu came back from outside, only a few children were playing in the yard.

Xu Yanran was a delicate person. She remembered that there was something left for her eldest brother on the stove, so she eagerly took it and ran over and said, "Brother, this is what my sister-in-law left for you."

Xu Yu paused in silence, then took the bowl from her hand hesitantly: "Is this made of rice wine?"

You can see the slightly darker glutinous rice, but you can't smell any alcohol.

Is there wine or not?

Before Xu Yanran could say anything, Xu Mingyang said quickly, "No."

"Mom said this was sweet soup, and we drank a lot of it!"

Three-year-old Xu Mingxu nodded vigorously and seriously, tugging at Xu Yu's clothes and urging him, "Brother, drink it quickly! It's so delicious!"

Four pairs of eyes, including Xu Jinxi's, fell on Xu Yu at the same time. Xu Yu's doubts gradually disappeared and he thought: It couldn't be made of rice wine.

Zhizhi knew that he couldn't drink alcohol, and they had agreed to only drink a small sip, so she shouldn't have left him a bowl.

He drank the entire bowl without a second thought, and the sweetness that lingered on his tongue made his throat feel greasy.

It’s still too sweet.

He washed the bowl and put it away, then sat in front of the stove and started his daily routine: boiling medicine for Sang Zhixia.

The flames started to burn, and white mist gradually rose from the medicine pot.

As Xu Yu smelled the medicinal scent lingering around his nose, his head inexplicably began to feel dizzy.

The little ones were most afraid of the smell of medicine. As soon as he started to boil it, the smell of the little ones ran away.

He was clearly the only one in the yard, but Xu Yu felt as if he could hear the voices of many people talking.

He frowned and shook his head vigorously, then stood up and poured a bowl of water from the kettle into his mouth, but the water from the kettle was still too sweet.

“How is this…”

"Hey, Yu'er, why did you drink that?!"

Xu Wenxiu came out and pulled Xu Mingxu and Xu Jinxi into the house. Seeing the kettle in his hand, they screamed in surprise and hurried over to grab the kettle.

"Xia Xia didn't finish the fermented rice wine she cooked. I told her to put some in the kettle for tomorrow, but you didn't even ask and just poured it into your mouth?"

What's worse is that she thought the wine would taste better with a richer flavor, so she added some extra rice wine when pouring it into the kettle.

It’s okay if others drink it, but what if Xu Yu drinks it?

Xu Yu didn't look well at all.

He supported the corner of the stove with one hand, blinked rapidly and looked at Xu Wenxiu, his voice inexplicably becoming hoarse: "Mom, is this wine?"

Xu Wenxiu cried and said, "What can I say? It was mixed with half rice wine."

She mixed it herself, there's no doubt about it!

Xu Wenxiu said worriedly, waving her hand in front of Xu Yu and asking tentatively: "Yu'er, are you okay? What's wrong with you..."

"Ouch! This kid is probably going to be drunk!"

Xu Wenxiu quickly supported him and turned around and shouted, "Xia Xia!"

"Xia Xia and Xu Yu are drunk!"

Sang Zhixia, who was drying her hair, stopped abruptly when she heard the shout: What the hell?

Just that small bowl of boiled and evaporated fermented rice wine can really make you drunk???