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Qi Shuliang left Qi Zhenghan to read in the study before going downstairs.
Seeing the clean shepherd's purse on the cutting board, she beamed and said, "Mom, how did you know I wanted to eat shepherd's purse dumplings?"
"Hehe, of course I know. I make it every spring. Sometimes I forget, and you even dig up shepherd's purse yourself so I can wrap it for you." Grandma Qi smiled broadly. "You don't have anything to eat here, do you?"
"Sometimes we go to Chinatown to eat, but none of it tastes as good as what you make, Mother," Qi Shuliang praised. He wasn't just saying this to please his grandmother; it was also the truth—the food was indeed not authentic.
Seeing her husband talking so enthusiastically, Anna knew he really liked her mother-in-law's cooking, so she washed her hands and came over to help.
The maid, following He Tiantian's instructions, broke the meat into smaller pieces.
He Tiantian picked up a cleaver and chopped the meat on the cutting board with a "bang bang bang" sound, which would make the minced meat more chewy.
Grandma Qi chopped the vegetables very finely, then chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic, put them in a clean bowl, and then started kneading the dough.
A dough ball, enough for seven or eight people, was placed in a bowl, covered, and left to rest.
He Tiantian had already chopped the meat and put it together with the shepherd's purse.
Grandma Qi added oil, salt, and some seasonings, and began to season the meat filling while constantly stirring it. To ensure the flavor, Grandma Qi scooped out a little with a spoon and tasted it; the flavor was just right.
When the dough had risen and it was time to roll out the wrappers, He Tiantian discovered that the only thing she had at home was a thick rolling pin, which was used for making bread and was not suitable for rolling out dumpling wrappers.
"Sweetie, what should we do if we don't have a thin rolling pin?" Grandma Qi was troubled. It was too late to go to Chinatown to buy a rolling pin now.
He Tiantian is in a difficult position too!
What should we do?
The filling is ready, we can't just not wrap it!
Just then, Qi Shuliang's eyes lit up. His gaze fell on a slender glass beverage bottle that was two fingers wide and thirty centimeters long. He then picked it up and removed the wrapping paper.
"Is this okay?" Qi Shuliang asked, eagerly anticipating eating dumplings.
He Tiantian nodded and said, "Yes, yes!"
After cleaning, He Tiantian began rolling out the dough, turning a small dough ball into a round sheet with thin edges and a slightly thicker center.
"We can make dumplings now." He Tiantian rolled out several dumpling wrappers in a row, and the makeshift glass rolling pin in her hand was quite handy.
Qi Shuliang washed his hands and made dumplings with Grandma Qi.
"Dad, I want to learn too." Qi Zhengmin thought it was fun and went to wash his hands.
"Alright, come on, Dad will teach you," Qi Shuliang said with a smile, guiding his daughter step by step in making dumplings.
When Anna saw that Qi Shuliang could also make dumplings, she asked her husband to teach her as well.
From the kitchen, hearty laughter from the family could be heard from time to time.
Qi Zhenghan, who lived upstairs, finished the homework his father had left him and went downstairs, where he saw his younger sister whose face had been covered in graffiti.
Everyone gathered around, and Qi Zhenghan felt embarrassed.
Seeing that the dumplings were almost wrapped, He Tiantian said to Qi Zhenghan, "Zhenghan, don't stand there anymore. Fill that big pot with water, and once it boils, we can cook the dumplings."
"Okay." Qi Zhenghan was happy to have the opportunity to participate.
Once the water boiled, He Tiantian started cooking dumplings.
"Zhengmin, the dumplings you made are all weirdly shaped. You can eat them yourself when they're cooked," He Tiantian joked, judging from the appearance of the dumplings Qi Zhengmin had made earlier, most likely just pieces of dough remained.
"Sister Tiantian, no! Grandma said the dumplings I make will break, and the vegetables will end up in the soup. I'll only be able to get the dumpling wrappers out." Qi Zhengmin said with a bitter face, knowing that dumpling wrappers wouldn't taste as good as the filling.
Three times the heat of summer, the plump, white dumplings all floated on top.
Qi Zhenghan brought over a plate, and He Tiantian put the dumplings on the plate.
Grandma Qi asked what kind of dipping sauce he liked and prepared several different ones.
Anna actually wanted ketchup.
Qi Shuliang has a strong palate; he prefers vinegar and minced garlic.
Qi Zhengmin, Qi Zhenghan, and Qi San's grandmother all wanted the vinegar from the Dream of the Red Chamber system, specifically the story of "The Return of the Rose Lord".
He Tiantian likes spicy food, so she added chili sauce to the vinegar.
Once the pot was cooked, He Tiantian asked Grandma Qi to take Qi Shuliang and Qi Zhengmin to eat, while she ate the whole pot herself.
Once the other pot was cooked, Qi Zhenghan and Qi Shuliang brought over a plate, so they could have another plate to eat.
Anna, Grandma Qi, and Qi Zhengmin also ate very well, but their appetites were limited and they couldn't finish.
When He Tiantian was eating, Qi Zhengmin looked over with his big eyes, swallowing hard.
"Jungmin, you've eaten enough, you can't eat anymore." Anna patted her daughter's head and comforted her, "Grandma is so amazing, she'll make even more delicious food in the future."
Upon hearing this, Qi Zhengmin looked at his grandmother and asked, "Grandmother, will you still make such delicious food for us in the future?"
Grandma Qi had been bored lately, and now that her granddaughter liked what she made, it was as if she had found a new goal. She nodded and said, "Yes, yes, I'll fry spring rolls for you tonight."
"That's delicious." He Tiantian gave a thumbs up. "You won't forget it once you've tasted it."
"Great!" Qi Zhengmin beamed with joy.
Qi Shuliang and Qi Zhenghan ate two large plates of dumplings, completely satisfied.
Seeing how much her husband enjoyed the food, Anna had already memorized the steps and planned to make it for him often in the future.
He Tiantian left some dumplings for the maid so that she could also taste them.
After eating it, she kept asking how it was made, saying she liked the taste.
From now on, when Grandma Qi and He Tiantian use the kitchen to cook, the maid will no longer hide. Instead, she will watch from the side, take notes in her notebook, and learn the recipes, which will then become her own.
However, this was of course done with the consent of He Tiantian and Grandma Qi.
This is just everyday food, He Tiantian and Grandma Qi don't care at all, remember it however you want!
Sunday was another day for listening to traditional opera at Jixianglou Restaurant.
Today's song is *The West Chamber*, which is also familiar to Grandma Qi. I listened with great enjoyment, and the lingering sound is still lingering in my ears!
In the blink of an eye, He Tiantian and Grandma Qi have been in the United States for almost a month.
He Tiantian's days are very fulfilling, but she only thinks of her parents and Huo Yingjie when the night is deep and quiet.
After washing up, He Tiantian stretched out her left ankle and said, "Gurgle gurgle mi..."
The Snake King emerged from inside in response!
Originally, the Snake King wanted to put on a majestic and imposing appearance, but when he came out, he turned into a chubby baby and fell onto He Tiantian's big bed.
Suddenly, all its imposing presence vanished, leaving only a delicate and adorable pink appearance, like a large glutinous rice ball.
Even in this state, the Snake King, with a bitter face, remained silent, gazing wistfully out the window. (To be continued.)
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