Chapter 625 Little Greedy Cat
Zhou Yimin suddenly remembered that there were not many ingredients at home, and Zhang Lu and Zhang Yan were there. If he could take something out of thin air, he must not let outsiders know.
Then he said, "You two wait for me at home, don't go anywhere."
As soon as Zhou Yimin finished speaking, the sound of military boots stepping on the concrete floor spread out of the yard.
Zhang Yan was just about to ask him where he was going when the door curtain swung back to its original position with a "rustle". Suddenly, only she and Zhang Lu were left in the room. The air was still filled with dust that had just been cleaned and carried a scent of sunshine.
Zhang Yan subconsciously tugged at the hem of her cotton-padded jacket, her eyes falling on the army green enamelware pot at the corner of the table, on which the red paint of “Serve the People” was a little mottled.
Zhang Lu was like a little bird that had just escaped from a cage. Her eyes darted around the room quickly. Her fingers couldn't help but want to touch the military water bottle hanging on the wall, but she pulled back as if she had been electrocuted, but the corners of her mouth were wide open.
"Sister, this house is so bright." Zhang Lu lowered her voice, but her eyes were glancing at the door with frosted glass.
"Is this the private bathroom you mentioned?" She tiptoed to peek through the crack in the door and vaguely saw the white porcelain washbasin inside. She was suddenly amazed, "It's cleaner than the public bathhouse in our courtyard!"
Zhang Yan smiled and patted the back of her head: "Don't look around, sit down for a while."
But he couldn't help but look at it - the radiator in the corner was covered with a wooden shell and painted with varnish, reflecting the shadows of the two people.
There was an enamel photo frame on the desk by the window, which contained a photo of Zhou Yimin in military uniform with handsome features. What she loved most was the iron thermos with the Tiananmen pattern printed on it, which looked more fashionable than the one at home with the paint peeling off.
Zhang Lu's attention had long been drawn to the silver-gray machine at the kitchen door. It had a smooth outer shell with an instruction manual on it. She tiptoed over to take a look, pointed at the words "air fryer" on it and whispered, "What is this? It looks weirdly Western."
I reached out to touch it, but then I remembered that my sister called me "impulsive" when I was cleaning the windows just now, so I had to withdraw my hand in disappointment.
"Sister, look at this floor. Your feet won't get cold if you step on it barefoot." She stamped on the cement floor, her voice a little faint in the empty room. "It's much better than the blue bricks in our house. We don't need to wear cotton shoes in winter."
Zhang Yan was looking at the "Peony Picture" on the wall. When she heard this, she turned around and glared at her: "That's rude."
Having said that, her eyes fell on the air fryer - the last time I heard Zhou Yimin say that it was a reward from the steel plant, and it can make fried cakes without burning coal. Aunt Zhang also muttered "this thing can save a lot of firewood."
Zhang Lu suddenly leaned close to her sister's ear and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum: "Sister, how come Brother Yimin is so capable? This house is more luxurious than the factory director's."
She thought of the kitchen she had just glimpsed. The gas stove was so clean that you could see your reflection in it, unlike her own home where they still had to burn coal briquettes. "When I find a partner in the future, I want to find someone who can build a house like this. It would be best if he also has a machine that can make fried cakes. In winter, when I want to eat snacks, I don't have to wait in front of the coal stove for a long time."
"Shameless!" Zhang Yan pinched her arm, and her ears turned red.
The sunlight from outside shone in obliquely, casting the shadow of the window pane on the floor. Zhang Lu counted the square grids and suddenly remembered what her sister said, "There is something delicious", and her stomach growled again.
This time she didn't blush, but just stared at the door curtain, hoping that Zhou Yimin would come back soon.
The wall clock was ticking. Zhang Yan picked up the rag on the table and pretended to wipe it. But out of the corner of her eye she saw Zhang Lu staring at Zhou Yimin's military cap. The cap with a red five-star mark was hanging on the hanger. Its brim was straight and as neat as its owner's temperament.
She suddenly felt that everything in this room exuded a sense of security.
Zhou Yimin's motorcycle turned a corner at the alley, and the bamboo basket in the truck bed emitted an enticing aroma.
He had just taken a spin from the convenience market, and the oil-paper packages hanging on the handlebars of his bike were heavy - on the left were pig's trotters that had just come out of the pot at the braised food shop, with the oil seeping through the gaps in the paper.
The net bag on the right is filled with red strawberries, each one as plump as a little girl's face.
The whole plucked chicken in the truck bed was tied tightly with hemp rope. In the plastic bag next to it was half a piece of braised meat, the fat and lean texture of the meat glistening in the sun.
"That's almost enough." Zhou Yimin squeezed the brake on the handlebars, and the motorcycle stopped steadily in front of the courtyard gate.
He glanced down at the bamboo basket, the sweet aroma of strawberries mixed with the taste of star anise from the marinade reaching his nose. He was thinking about stir-frying some more vegetables to make just enough for four dishes and one soup.
When I pushed open the gate, Zhang Yan was standing in the porch watering the cactus on the windowsill, while Zhang Lu was lying on the door frame counting ants.
Hearing the rumble of the motorcycle, the two turned around at the same time, their eyes fixed on the bamboo basket in the bed, their eyes instantly widening.
"Brother Yimin, what are you doing..." The kettle in Zhang Yan's hand hit the windowsill with a "bang", and the water spilled on the blue bricks, leaving dark marks.
She looked at the bag of strawberries, which were as red as New Year's lanterns and felt were even more tempting than the strawberries she had eaten yesterday. She couldn't help swallowing.
Zhang Lu's reaction was more direct. Her Adam's apple rolled and the saliva from the corners of her mouth almost dripped onto her cotton-padded jacket.
She rushed to the truck bed, her fingers hovering above the strawberries, then retracted them as if she had received an electric shock, but her eyes seemed to be glued to the pig's trotters: "This...is this for us to eat?"
Before she finished speaking, she had already put her nose in front of the oil paper bag and took a deep breath. The blush on her face was brighter than that of the strawberry.
When Zhou Yimin untied the bamboo basket from the handlebars and carried it into the house, the aroma of the braised meat spread in the yard, making Zhang Lu drool.
"I just passed by the market and bought some fresh ones." He put the bamboo basket on the table, and the oil paper bag fell on the table with a "pop". "You guys eat some strawberries first, I'll go cook."
As he spoke, he picked up the whole chicken and walked towards the kitchen. Zhang Yan quickly followed him: "Let me help you pick the vegetables."
As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, Zhou Yimin gently pushed me out, and the warmth of his palm came through my cotton jacket.
"You came here to help clean today, so why should I let you cook?" He smiled and half-closed the kitchen door, "Just sit and wait for your meal."
Zhang Yan had no choice but to turn back to the living room. Just as she picked up a strawberry, she saw Zhang Lu holding the strawberry box and stuffing it into her mouth. Her cheeks were bulging like a little squirrel, and there was red juice at the corners of her mouth.
"Eat slowly, no one is trying to snatch it from you." Zhang Yan handed over the handkerchief with a scolding look, but she also picked up a strawberry and put it in her mouth - the sweet juice burst on the tip of her tongue, bringing the warmth of the sun. It was even more delicious and sweeter than what she had eaten yesterday.
"Look, sister! You can even see the seeds of this strawberry!" Zhang Lu came over holding half a strawberry. The red flesh was embedded with sesame-like seeds.
"They are so delicious. I don't know where my brother-in-law got them. They are so fresh." As he spoke, he stuffed two more into the box. The number of strawberries on the table was decreasing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Zhang Yan originally wanted to save a few for after meal, but seeing her sister eating them so happily, she couldn't help but speed up.
The sunlight from outside the window shone in through the clean glass and fell on the two people's fingertips covered with juice. From the kitchen came the "dong dong" sound of Zhou Yimin cutting meat, mixed with the aroma of braised meat and the sweetness of strawberries, creating a strong smell of fireworks in the house.
Zhang Yan bit into a strawberry and suddenly felt that the time spent waiting for dinner was more satisfying than any delicacies.
Zhou Yimin placed the whole chicken on the chopping board and chopped the chicken bones with a clang of the kitchen knife, splashing tiny drops of oil.
He held down the chicken body with his left hand and pressed down with the back of the knife with his right hand. With a "click", he chopped off the chicken head and threw it into the enamel basin next to him - those were the leftovers for making soup.
The blade moved across the chicken, quickly breaking the whole chicken into evenly sized pieces. The chicken breast was cut slightly thinner, and the chicken legs were chopped in half with the bones. Even the chicken offal was cleaned up neatly and arranged on the plate in different categories.
"Shiitake mushrooms will only smell good if they are soaked until they are soft." He took out a glass jar from the cupboard, poured out a dozen dried shiitake mushrooms, and poured hot water into the enamel bowl.
The mushrooms slowly stretched out in the water, and the fine sand in the folds settled to the bottom of the bowl. He took the opportunity to pour some peanut oil into the wok. The flames jumped up, licking the bottom of the wok and making a sizzling sound.
When the oil was hot enough to smoke, Zhou Yimin grabbed a handful of chicken pieces and threw them into the pot. With a "splash", golden oil splashed out.
He held the spatula and stir-fried quickly. The color of the chicken gradually changed from pink to light yellow. When the edges were slightly burnt, he sprinkled a handful of chopped green onions and minced ginger into the pot. The choking aroma "puffed" out and floated into the living room through the kitchen window.
"It's time to add the mushrooms." He scooped up the soaked mushrooms, squeezed out the water, cut them into thick slices, and poured them all into the pot.
The brown mushrooms and the yellow chicken rolled in the hot oil. He poured a spoonful of light soy sauce on it. The sauce-colored soup wrapped around every piece of meat, and even the air was filled with the fresh aroma of the sauce.
When the soup was almost reduced, he added half a bowl of water into the pot, covered the pot and simmered it. The steam came out through the gaps in the lid and condensed into fine water droplets on the glass.
While the chicken was simmering, Zhou Yimin picked and washed the vegetables. There were still water droplets on the tender green leaves, so he shook them off, put them on the chopping board, cut them into sections, and arranged the stems and leaves separately.
At this time, Zhang Lu's voice came from the living room: "Brother Yimin, what smells so good?"
He smiled and replied, "Almost there, wait another ten minutes."
When the lid of the pot was opened, the aroma of chicken stewed with mushrooms exploded, and the oiliness of the chicken mixed with the mellowness of the mushrooms spread around the kitchen.
Zhou Yimin poked the chicken leg with chopsticks and turned off the heat when he could easily penetrate it. He put the chicken in a large blue-rimmed bowl and sprinkled some chopped green onions on it. The sight of it made the chicken appetite whet.
Stir-frying vegetables was much easier. He heated up the remaining oil in the pan, threw in the vegetable stems and stir-fried them for a few times, then poured in the leaves, with the spatula making a clanging sound.
The leaves soon softened. He sprinkled some salt into the pot, added two drops of sesame oil, stirred them quickly a few times and served them out of the pot. The crispy vegetables looked particularly refreshing.
Finally, he took the braised pork and braised pig's trotters out of the oil paper packages and placed them on a white porcelain plate.
The braised meat is fat and lean, and is shivering with oil; the skin of the pig's trotter is stewed until it is translucent, and it trembles at the slightest touch, and even the gaps between the bones are soaked with the aroma of the marinade.
Four dishes were placed on the table, with a perfect combination of meat and vegetables. Steam wrapped in various aromas drifted out the door, prompting Zhang Lu in the living room to shout again: "Brother Yimin, can we eat? My stomach is growling again!"
Zhou Yimin wiped his hands, looked at the dishes on the table and smiled - this meal was enough to warm the hearts and stomachs of the two sisters.
He took off his apron and put it on the back of a chair, then opened the kitchen door and shouted, "Dinner is ready!"
The sunlight shines through the window onto the dishes, each dish glows with an enticing light, and even the air is filled with the down-to-earth scent of life.
When Zhang Lu heard that it was time to start eating, she jumped up from her chair as if she was equipped with a spring. Before she spit out all the strawberry seeds in her mouth, she rushed into the kitchen like a gust of wind. The end of her braid brushed against the New Year pictures on the door frame, making a slight sound.
"I'll do it, I'll do it!" She reached out for the large blue-rimmed bowl beside the stove. The hot steam from the chicken stewed with mushrooms hit her face, burning her so much that she shrank her neck, but she refused to let go.
"I'll hold this bowl, be gentle!" The chubby little hands gripped the edge of the bowl tightly, with white marks left on the knuckles from the force.
When Zhang Yan followed in, she saw Zhang Lu tiptoeing to carry the braised meat to the living room. Oil splashed on the cuffs of her cotton-padded jacket, but she was completely unaware.
"Slow down, be careful of the burns!" Zhang Yan shook her head helplessly. This girl was usually very slow when asked to sweep the floor, but she would get very excited once she got food involved.
She picked up the plate of braised pig's trotters, her fingertips touched the temperature of the porcelain plate, and just as she was about to walk out, she was stopped by Zhou Yimin who handed her a plate of green vegetables: "This is light, you take this."
The kitchen suddenly became lively. Zhang Lu ran back and forth, not caring that the back of her cotton jacket was rubbed with stove dust, and she was humming a tuneless little song.
Zhang Yan walked steadily with the dishes, reminding her sister from time to time "not to bump into the corner of the table", while Zhou Yimin followed behind with chopsticks and placed the last bowl of rice on the table.
In just a few moments, the four dishes were neatly placed on the eight-immortals table, steaming hot and emitting a hazy glow in the cold air.
As soon as Zhou Yimin sat down, he saw Zhang Lu's eyes staring at the braised meat, with a gleam in the corners of her mouth, as if saliva was about to drip.
He couldn't help laughing: "Let's eat!"
“Okay!” Zhang Lu’s chopsticks seemed to have eyes, and she picked up the largest piece of braised meat with a “snap”. The fat and lean meat trembled on the chopsticks.
She couldn't wait to put it in her mouth. As soon as her teeth touched the skin, she let out a satisfied "hmm" sound. Oil flowed down the corners of her mouth. She raised her hand and wiped it with her sleeve, then stretched out her chopsticks to pick up the chicken stewed with mushrooms. She swallowed the chicken leg without chewing it for a few times, and her cheeks bulged like a little hamster stealing food.
"Eat slowly, no one is going to snatch it from you." Zhou Yimin put a piece of pig's trotter into her bowl, "Be careful not to choke, drink some water."
Zhang Lu nodded while holding the meat in her mouth, and said incoherently, "It's delicious...it's even better than the stewed meat from the supply and marketing cooperative!"
He couldn't stop using his chopsticks. He poked the vegetables and picked up the chicken. The rice in the bowl was piled up like a small mountain, but he had no time to eat it.
Zhang Yan looked at her sister and scooped a spoonful of chicken soup and placed it next to her: "Eat some vegetables first, don't just eat meat."
She picked up a piece of vegetable with chopsticks and chewed slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhou Yimin putting a chicken leg into her bowl. Her cheeks felt slightly hot and she quickly lowered her head to eat some rice.
Zhou Yimin couldn't help laughing as he watched Zhang Lu wolfing down the food.
He added another piece of mushroom to Zhang Yan's bowl: "This mushroom is good stuff, it tastes best when stewed with meat, you should eat more."
Zhang Yan raised her head and met his gaze. They were both stunned for a moment, then lowered their heads at the same time, with the corners of their mouths slightly curved upwards.
At the dinner table, Zhang Lu's chopsticks were still dancing quickly. The aroma of braised meat, the freshness of chicken, and the freshness of vegetables were intertwined in the air.
(End of this chapter)
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