Zhou Mingli was kneading dough when his two sons burst in. Dazhu pushed past his younger brother and said to Zhou Mingli, "Uncle Zhou, let me help you start the fire! I'm really good at starting fires!"
"Me too! Me too! Uncle Zhou, I'll be your assistant!"
The two boys said they would help him, but their eyes were fixed on one of the pots in the pot. The pot was steaming and exuding a rich aroma of meat. Even if they were just helping out, it would be a bonus to get a few more whiffs of the flavor here!
Zhou Mingli looked at the two boys and said, "If you two are really strong, then go and pull up the weeds in that empty space next to the kitchen. You can eat whatever you want when it's time to eat."
Dazhu and Erzhu's eyes immediately lit up, "Really?!"
Zhou Mingli nodded. "I don't lie to children."
"Let's go now!"
After saying that, the two children ran out one after the other and began to vent their excess energy in the open space next to the kitchen, which was full of weeds.
Jiang Ci took over tending the fire. Outside, several children were chattering away. Jiang Ci watched as Zhou Mingli kneaded the risen dough into a ball, then rolled it back and forth into a long strip, pinched off small pieces, and kneaded each one.
Zhou Mingli really knows how to cook. Jiang Ci stared wide-eyed as she saw that the irregular little dough balls in his hand had somehow turned into the shape of steamed buns, lying smoothly on the cutting board.
The steamed buns made from the three-ingredient flour looked a bit dark at first glance, but this was the best flour they had bought in town.
It should be softer than what I ate before... and easier to eat... right?
Seemingly able to read Jiang Ci's mind, Zhou Mingli looked down at her and said, "The noodles are better than what we've had before. The noodles are finer and there's less unknown gluten, so they don't hurt your throat as much."
"When life gets better, there will be more wheat flour, and we won't have to eat cornbread anymore."
Jiang Ci: "".
Is she such a picky eater?
Jiang Ci said helplessly, "As long as there's food, I'm fine with it. I'm not that picky."
Zhou Mingli, "I want you to have a better life."
Jiang Ci paused slightly, looking at the flames burning the bottom of the pot in the stove, and did not answer for a moment.
It was as if Zhou Mingli had just casually uttered these words, without seeming to have delved into the underlying meaning. Once the water in the other pot had boiled, he put the cornbread in and started steaming it.
Just as I put the cornbread inside, a voice called out from outside, "Zhou Lao Er!"
Zhou Miao and Zhou Yang came running over, shouting in unison, "Dad! Someone's here!"
Zhou Mingli put the pot lid on before leaving the kitchen.
The carpenter brought the door over on a cart.
Zhou Mingli exclaimed in surprise, "So fast!"
“These are things we’re used to making. Your door size hasn’t changed, so we won’t make a mistake.” The carpenter puffed on his pipe. “Come and lend a hand.”
Zhou Mingli then worked with the carpenter to remove the wooden door. Dazhu and Erzhu, being quite perceptive, went over and asked, "Uncle Zhou, is this table also yours?"
"Yes, you and Erzhu can take it down together."
"good!"
The carpenter installed the door on the spot. Just as he said, he was used to doing these kinds of jobs and was very skilled. He got the job done in no time.
Zhou Mingli took another 50 cents and gave it to the carpenter as payment for his long journey.
The carpenter didn't say anything, took the money, and said in a low voice, "Come to me if you need anything in the future."
His "need" refers to chairs and other furniture.
Zhou Mingli understood. "Alright, the house is a mess, so I won't keep you for dinner."
The carpenter waved his hand, "No need, we're having meat today too!"
After saying that, the carpenter pushed the cart away again.
Only after the eldest brother finished work did the Zhou family begin their meal.
Once the braised meat boils, the aroma is irresistible, wafting into your nose.
Sister-in-law Yu and Brother Yu couldn't help but take a few more breaths.
"Jiang Ci, your cooking is so good! The meat you made smells so good!"
Jiang Ci laughed and said, "I can cook a simple home-style dish, but this meat was made by Zhou Mingli. I can't cook it."
Sister-in-law Yu then thought more highly of Zhou Mingli, thinking that once Zhou the Second changed for the better, the good days for Jiang Ci's family would finally begin.
A large bowl of braised pork was served, along with a large plate of stir-fried green beans with pork, which was also a great dish to eat with rice.
Although Sister-in-law Yu said she was just going to stir-fry some vegetables, she actually ruthlessly chopped up the leftover cured meat from the New Year and stir-fried it. Although it couldn't compare to the pot of meat that Zhou Mingli cooked, it was still meat!
The children were already drooling with envy. Jiang Ci scalded all the newly bought chopsticks and distributed them, a smile on her lips, "Don't be shy, everyone, start eating!"
Dazhu and Erzhu immediately set their sights on the big pot of braised meat!
The newly bought table was too high, and Zhou Yang and Zhou Miao couldn't reach the braised meat. Jiang Ci picked up two pieces of meat for each of them with her chopsticks. The two children ate a bite of meat and a bite of steamed bun, their cheeks bulging out, making people laugh.
"Second brother, your cooking skills are really good! It's a pity you're not a chef at a state-run restaurant!" Brother Yu took a bite of the braised meat and couldn't help but give a thumbs up in praise.
Zhou Mingli watched as Jiang Ci also picked up some meat. After eating, her eyebrows relaxed and the corners of her lips turned up slightly. "If you like it, eat more."
"It just feels like something's missing," Brother Yu said while eating, though he himself didn't know what it was.
Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci said almost in unison, "We're short of wine."
After saying that, Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci looked at each other.
Forget about whether they were tempted or not, they had only gone three days without drinking, and now that they thought about it, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Brother Yu was taken aback, then burst into laughter, "You guys have drunk alcohol before? I've never had any, what does alcohol taste like?"
Zhou Mingli: "It doesn't taste good."
Jiang Ci: "I don't drink it often. I tried it once when I was a child, when I went to a banquet with my parents. It tasted terrible."
This wasn't something Jiang Ci made up. Jiang Ci was a sent-down youth from the city, and her family members weren't exactly kind either. When they went to banquets as children, Jiang Ci's parents would bring a whole bunch of their kids along, eating and taking as much as they could.
Jiang Ci had tasted the sorghum liquor her father drank, and in her memory, liquor was not a pleasant thing.
Brother Yu was a simple farmer who had never drunk alcohol. Hearing Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli say that it didn't taste good, he didn't ask any more questions and just kept eating.
After they finished eating, Zhou Mingli saw that Sister-in-law Yu had already started packing up. Thinking about what he would do later, he said to Jiang Ci, "You help pack these up first. Brother Yu and I will go to the river over there and see if we can catch some fish and shrimp."
Jiang Ci's eyes flickered. "Will it work?"
Zhou Mingli looked down at her and smiled, "Would you like some grilled fish?"
Jiang Ci: "..."
That damned Zhou Mingli! How did he learn to tempt her with food?!
"If you can catch me, why don't you eat me?"
"Then I'll try my best to make sure you get to eat fish."
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