Chapter 19 Oil Extraction...
Qian Jinbu subconsciously took a step back, put the prepared manuscript back into his pocket, coughed twice, and cleared his throat.
"Cough cough!"
"This... um... we warmly welcome all family members to participate in our third batch of family member check-in activities."
"Without further ado, let's all wash and cook the vegetables together and have a good time! Anyone with talent is welcome to come up and perform."
After he finished speaking, Qian Jinbu clapped for the first time.
"Clap clap clap!"
Thunderous applause followed, and Miya couldn't help but clap along with everyone else.
When the applause stopped, everyone walked toward the most eye-catching wild boar meat.
Miya was almost swept forward by the crowd, but she noticed that Aunt Liu next to her was not moving, so she tried to control herself and stood still.
"Sister-in-law, what should we do now?"
"The place where they're cooking meat and vegetables is too crowded. Let's go cut potatoes; at least we can sit and not get tired."
Liu Limei quickly assessed the different jobs available and, holding Miya and Dani's hands, moved closer to their target.
As for the eldest child, he's long since gone off to be laughing and joking with someone else.
Erni has an eccentric personality, and Liu Limei doesn't expect her to stay in one place with them for long, so she lets her be.
Because everyone's attention was focused on the wild boar, the three of them actually managed to snag a good spot.
Upon seeing the three approaching, the cafeteria staff immediately explained:
"These potatoes will be stewed with wild boar meat later. Just wash off the mud and sand and cut them into chunks."
"The three of us know."
It's just a bowl of potatoes; it's so much easier than washing other leafy greens.
The three sat around a pot of potatoes by the stream, talking and observing the lively crowd in the square.
Among the crowd, Qian Jinbu felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the people who were unwilling to leave.
He just wanted to show off the biggest takeaway from today's event, how did it turn into him making trouble for himself?
My voice is almost hoarse from shouting, but not a single family member has left. They even started hitting the meat.
"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!"
Seeing that a gentle approach wasn't working, Qian Jinbu didn't want to waste any more time, so he shouted at the crowd.
"Quiet down, everyone! Family members who don't leave won't get any meat."
Upon hearing that they couldn't eat meat, the once bustling crowd scattered, leaving only the fallen leaves kicked up as they hurried away, drifting in front of Qian Jinbu's eyes.
After what just happened, Qian Jinbu is not comfortable with certain people handling pork.
He craned his neck and glanced at the crowd, immediately spotting Liu Limei and the other two who had already started working.
Plus, I was deeply impressed by Miya, so it's clear she's not the kind of person who would dare to have any designs on meat.
He then invited a few more people he felt were equally reliable in the family compound and arranged for them to work together to process the pork.
Liu Limei didn't expect that her deliberate avoidance would instead bring them into the logistics department's sights.
Who doesn't know that the person handling the pork will definitely get a few extra pieces of meat later?
When opportunity knocks on your door, it's impossible to let it slip away.
So, Miya and her two companions changed their mission and began to get up close and personal with pork.
This was the first time Miya had ever seen so much meat. Her eyes were glued to the wild boar, and she couldn't imagine how such a big creature had been caught.
Qian Jinbu said that everyone was responsible for processing pork, which actually meant cleaning and slicing it.
Such a demanding task as butchering pork requires considerable skill and expertise.
Miya and Dani carried a wooden basin containing pig intestines to the back of the stream, while Liu Limei followed behind carrying wood ash specially prepared by the canteen.
Liu Limei felt resentful towards Qian Jinbu because of the pungent smell of pig intestines.
"We were just washing potatoes, but they had to assign us to handle meat. Now we've been assigned to wash pig intestines. We'll smell terrible, and the food will taste bad."
Pig intestines are something you only truly understand once you've washed them. Liu Limei had washed them a few times at home, but she never expected that even after coming to the family compound to enjoy a better life, she would still have to suffer the same torment.
“Sister-in-law, if you can’t stand the smell, I’ll do it.”
Pig intestines are cheap, making them one of the few meat dishes that farmers can afford to eat.
Having done a lot of cooking at home, Mia has accumulated a lot of experience.
“How can I let you do it alone? I’ll do it, you and Dani can just watch from the side.”
Despite her complaints, Liu Limei still got the work done.
As soon as Miya and Dani put down the wooden basin, she immediately carried the wood ash forward, threw the pig intestines into the stream, and rinsed them directly with the running water.
Miya quickly changed the water in the wooden basin and helped clean it.
Liu Limei habitually rinses the pig intestines with running water while tearing off the fat on them with her hands, as this is the biggest source of the pig intestines' odor.
Miya was so anxious when she saw the fat floating on the water that she almost pounced on it to scoop it out.
"Hey? Sister-in-law."
"What's wrong?" Liu Limei stopped what she was doing and looked up at Miya, puzzled.
Miya met his gaze, subconsciously biting her lip, and asked timidly, "Sister-in-law, don't we want that oil anymore?"
"You mean this?" Liu Limei tore off a piece of fat and handed it to Miya.
"Miya, let me tell you, pig intestines have the strongest grease and stench. If you want the pig intestines to taste good, you have to tear off most of them, otherwise you simply can't eat them."
Miya nodded in agreement, but she was puzzled by the other actions.
"It would be such a waste to tear off the fat and throw it away. We can keep it to make oil, so we don't have to spend money to buy fat to make oil."
"Um?"
When Liu Limei first heard this, she thought she had misheard and instinctively moved closer to Miya.
But soon she realized she hadn't misheard; Miya really was saying that the fat from pig intestines could be pressed for oil to eat.
She knew perfectly well that Mia wasn't someone who made empty boasts.
Therefore, pressing pig intestines for oil must be highly feasible.
Liu Limei's nervous eyes were constantly scanning her surroundings as she gripped the piece of pork intestine fat tightly in her hand. "Miya, are you telling the truth?"
"certainly."
In Miya's memory, her "mother-in-law" would go to the butcher's house in town every few months to buy pig intestines.
Pig intestines can be eaten as meat, and the fat removed can be used to extract oil. The extracted oil can feed the family for several months with oily and meaty dishes.
She often stayed in the kitchen working, imprinting the process of rendering oil from pig intestines into her mind.
The moment Liu Limei heard Miya's affirmative answer, she shamefully felt a stirring in her heart.
Although her husband, Lao Zhou, is a regimental commander, he has three children. Da Ni's dowry needs to be prepared, and the two younger ones still need to go to school.
They also have to send a lot of allowances back to their hometown every month, otherwise the mother and her children would never be able to leave the village.
Liu Limei had been saving every penny at home, and now that she had heard about a cheaper way to extract oil, her mind raced as she looked at the smelly grease in her hand.
"Okay! I believe you, sister-in-law."
After saying that, Liu Limei looked around warily a few times, and when she noticed that no one was paying attention to their actions, she immediately poured the ashes from the bag onto the ground.
Then he threw the grease in his hand into the bag and said in a low voice:
"We'll secretly take it back and try it out at home."
Miya nodded emphatically, and Dani nodded suspiciously in return, following her mother's movements as she tore apart the fat.
With the efforts of the three, the fat from the entire pig intestine was completely torn away, leaving no trace of white residue.
Immediately afterwards, Liu Limei used wood ash to clean the pig intestines inside and out three times before returning to the square with her belongings.
Upon seeing the clean pig intestines, the cafeteria staff immediately gave the three men a thumbs up, exclaiming, "This work is truly authentic!"
The three men smiled without saying a word, concealing their excess fat even more thoroughly.
Liu Limei, well aware of the principle of "the darkest place is under the lamp," took the two women with her and stayed there to help process the pork.
As time passed, a rich aroma of meat filled the entire square, making everyone who passed by drool.
The family members of the participants couldn't contain their excitement and would often come over to look around the big iron pot in front of Miya and the others.
That's right, Miya got the job of tending the fire, responsible for adding firewood to the stew of pork bones and potatoes.
The reddish-brown broth was bubbling and bubbling in the iron pot, with large chunks of potatoes almost melting into the pork bones, submerged in it.
With so much meat right in front of her, Miya couldn't help but keep swallowing her saliva as she tended the fire.
It wasn't until close to mealtime that Qian Jinbu's voice, "The logistics and helpers, serve the rice first," finally stopped the drool from flowing from his mouth.
Miya quickly stood up, took out the lunchbox hanging behind her, and joined Aunt Liu and Dani in line.
We've all worked together before, so the portions we scoop out with a spoon are top-notch.
Miya smiled as she looked at the roughly equal ratio of meat to vegetables in the lunchbox.
She took all that meat home and cooked it with the wild vegetables from her family; it should last her two or three days.
Many people shared her idea and unanimously decided to bring meat and vegetables home.
The other family members in the square watched as Miya and the others began distributing the food, their eyes reddening with envy. They jogged towards the iron pot, just to be at the front of the line.
In an instant, the entire square began to move, and Miya even felt the ground beneath her feet shaking.
Qian Jinbu frantically tried to stop the crowd, but before he could speak, the crowd had already lined up neatly in three rows following the iron pot.
He didn't speak, but those eager to eat the meat couldn't wait.
"Quartermaster! Let's get started!"
"Everyone has been busy all morning, and they're all starving."
"Quick! Give me more meat, and don't let your hands shake."
As Liu Limei listened to what the person in front of her was saying, she lost her balance and almost poured all the good stuff in the pork offal back into the pot.
Seeing the predatory look in his eyes, Qian Jinbu awkwardly wiped the sweat from his forehead and responded with an embarrassed laugh.
"Alright, alright! Everyone, start getting your food and eating. One serving per person, and no duplicate queues allowed."
There were three teams in the square, and each team had a different dish in their pot: pork bone stew with potatoes, pork stew with cabbage, and pork offal soup.
If each family wants to eat different dishes, then someone from the family needs to take turns queuing up.
Besides products like Mia.com that offer assistance, you can choose to order a little of all three in advance.
Liu Limei was in charge of making the pork offal soup, while Miya and Dani stood to the side carrying today's harvest.
A moment later, a familiar figure appeared before them, whose picky look was enough to make one's stomach rumble.
Da Ni recalled the fierce scene when the other party fought with her sister last time, and was so frightened that she took a big step back.
Liu Limei recognized the person in front of her, and the spoon in her hand trembled subconsciously, causing the already meager amount of pork offal to dwindle even further.
When Grandma Zhang saw this, she couldn't bear it any longer. She put one hand on her hip and shook the large bowl up and down with the other.
"Don't think I have bad eyesight just because I'm an old lady. Give me three full spoonfuls of meat! Fill the bowl to the brim. Today's meat was caught by my son's team."
The tone of the last sentence was deliberately raised, and there was a blatant smugness in his eyes.
Liu Limei had originally intended to get a new spoonful, but she hadn't even held a grudge against the other party for hitting her daughter last time, and now she dared to shamelessly ask for more food than her allotted.
In front of Grandma Zhang, she sank the spoon, which was almost touching the rim of the bowl, into the bottom of the pot.
Grandma Zhang stared at the spoon that had suddenly left, and in a fit of anger, she tried to use a bowl to serve herself as much food as she wanted.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"What are you doing? What are you doing?"
Liu Limei slammed the spoon in her hand hard against the pot, making a loud noise that attracted the attention of the people queuing around her.
"You actually want to do it yourself! The management stipulates that each person gets one spoonful. If you scoop too much, what about the people behind you?!"
Upon hearing this, everyone who was craving meat and vegetables stared at Old Lady Zhang.
Noticing the intense gazes around her, Old Lady Zhang felt no shame, but rather pride.
She raised her chin high, and the loose, overlapping skin trembled, as if something was falling from it.
“My son prepared all this meat, so what’s wrong with me eating more? You should be happy to share some with me.”
"Pooh!"
Grandma Zhang spat on the ground and shoved the bowl she was holding directly into the pot.
Just as the rim of the bowl and the fingers pressing against it were about to touch the pork offal soup, a familiar spoon pressed against the rim of the bowl.
Liu Limei's familiar voice rang in my ears once again.
“Who said it was your son who hit him? My husband was there too, and all the men in the compound were involved. It should be distributed fairly.”
Upon hearing this, excited echoes immediately came from the group behind him.
"Yes, yes, my husband went too."
"This was clearly a hunting trip organized by the military, so why are some people getting more kills!"
"Because of her age, because of her shamelessness! I don't know how Commander Zhang educated his family members. They think they're right to take more than their share."
Ever since Old Lady Zhang moved into the family compound, the families living around her house have suffered greatly.
Every day, all I hear is Zhang's grandson yelling and throwing tantrums, or shamelessly coming to my door begging for food and drink.
Some families wouldn't dare touch a single piece of meat, for fear that the other party would come knocking on their door.
Now that Liu Limei has taken the lead in firing a shot, those who are dissatisfied with the Zhang family are following suit and venting their grievances.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing everyone's words, Old Lady Zhang not only failed to reflect on her actions but became even more arrogant.
“You men can’t compare to my son! He’s the reincarnation of the Martial Star from heaven. You should be grateful that he’s willing to eat some of your food.”
Grandma Zhang seems to have forgotten the joke she made last time, and has started spreading feudal superstitious ideas again.
Immediately, someone seized on this topic and said, "I think Commander Zhang's mother needs to be properly educated. I thought it was a coincidence that she spread feudal superstition last time, but now it seems that she has been deeply poisoned."
"Quartermaster, come and arrest them immediately! There are people spreading feudal superstitions here."
"Arrest them and give them a good education."
...
Ma Dahua was surprised that her mother-in-law had suddenly lost. Her recent successes had left her somewhat bewildered by the defeat she was facing.
She quickly took the prepared pork bone and potato stew and hurriedly ran towards Old Lady Zhang.
While running, I noticed that the family confronting my mother-in-law was the same one from last time.
Could it be that their family and Commander Zhou's family are incompatible? They never seem to gain any advantage.
"I'm so sorry, my mother-in-law is just a straightforward person, she didn't mean it."
Regardless of whether everyone forgave her, Ma Dahua swiftly snatched the bowl from her mother-in-law's hand, scooped a small amount into the pot, and quickly left with her entourage.
When everyone saw the amount of food in her bowl when she left, they felt too embarrassed to say anything more.
However, some people noticed something was off, feeling that the timing of Commander Zhang's wife's appearances was always somewhat ingenious.
Soon, the joy brought by the pork outweighed the dissatisfaction with Old Lady Zhang, and everyone was immersed in the happiness of eating meat.
When the queue in the square disappears, the crowd also disappears.
Miya took a full load of vegetables home for lunch first, then went back to Sister Liu's house to start rendering the fat she had torn from the pig's large intestine that morning.
After Liu Limei brought it home, she followed Miya's instructions and soaked it in salt and vinegar, waiting for people to arrive.
"Miya, what should we do next?"
While asking her questions, she rinsed the grease in her hand with water again, but still smelled an unpleasant odor that she couldn't get rid of.
Miya noticed her sister-in-law frowning and said with a relaxed expression:
"Sister-in-law, we can start pressing the oil now, otherwise it won't have much flavor if we fry it too much later."
"Okay, whatever you say."
Now that we've come this far, further delays are pointless.
Following Miya's instructions, Liu Limei put the cleaned lard into the iron pot.
As the temperature in the pot continued to rise, the moisture on the surface of the fat quickly evaporated, and the odor rose with the steam, spreading freely in the air.
At the same time, a unique aroma of oil pressing also began to fill the space.
Liu Limei and Da Ni slowly relaxed their slightly furrowed brows, their eyes fixed on the shrinking fat in the pot.
Just then, Miya spoke up.
"Sister-in-law, now you can put Sichuan peppercorns and ginger into the pot. If you have other spices at home, you can add them too. Most importantly, you must pour in some wine to enhance the aroma."
In Miya's opinion, the most important thing is to add wine. Even her mother-in-law, who is reluctant to drink wine, is willing to add some. The wine must be very important.
Upon hearing this, Erni turned and ran towards the direction where the wine was hidden in the house.
"I'll go get the wine."
Da Ni walked to the cabinet next to her and took out the few peppercorns and ginger she had at home, as well as various spices that she usually couldn't bear to put in.
Rinse it briefly with water, then add it to the oil pan under Miya's watchful eye.
Erni also returned with a wine bottle, and generously added two bottle caps to the pot.
Liu Limei felt sorry for him, but she had to admit that the alcohol was exceptionally effective.
The moment it was poured in, a pleasant sizzling sound rang out.
At the same time, a rich aroma of wine mixed with the tempting smell of lard filled the air, and there was not a trace of any other odor.
Liu Limei's eyes immediately changed from heartache to surprise, because the oil being pressed from the fat in the fryer in front of her was increasing, probably about the same as the oil extracted from a pound and a half of lard.
A feeling of joy filled my heart, and the atmosphere inside the room was relaxed and pleasant.
Soon, all the fat in the pot floated to the surface and began to turn yellow; it was time to take it out.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
"It smells so good!"
The eldest child squinted, stretched his head forward, and twitched his nose, like a puppy that had smelled food, and ran towards the oil pan.
He ran up to the group, opened his eyes wide, and stared intently at the golden fried pork cracklings in his mother's hand.
"Wow! Pork cracklings, Mom, when did you buy these?"
"Just eat, why ask so many questions!"
Sensing something was wrong with his mother's tone, the eldest child shrank back in fear, but reached his hand towards the other side.
Liu Limei glared at her son with displeasure, then casually handed each of them a piece of fried pork crackling, saying, "Try it and see if it's any different from before."
Erni took the pork cracklings, carefully took a small bite, and savored the taste.
The older child swallowed it whole, chewing quickly with his teeth, savoring the taste of the oil bursting in his mouth before swallowing it swiftly.
Some even licked their palms, still wanting more, and exclaimed sincerely, "So delicious!"
Liu Limei observed that none of the children noticed any unusual smell, and she could finally relax.
He then cut all the oil residue in two, saying, "Honey, these are yours. Take them home and eat them."
"As for the lard, let it cool down a bit before I pack it for you."
"Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law."
Since lard is such a good thing, Miya didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it directly.
Liu Limei waved her hand dismissively, "What's the trouble? If it weren't for your teaching, we wouldn't have known that the lard there could be used. Next time the supply and marketing cooperative sells meat, I'll have someone keep some for the two families to share; it's cheap and practical."
*
That evening, looking at the house full of meat, vegetables, and lard, Miya couldn't hide the smile on her face.
As for Ren Qingsong, who had been troubling her a few days ago, she had long since forgotten about him.
For three days in a row, Miya ate meat at every meal, and her heart was filled with happiness. She was smiling every day and didn't feel tired at all.
In the early morning, she cut the potatoes she had bought from the quartermaster along the sprouts and coated each cut surface with wood ash.
Then, carrying potato seeds and a hoe, he walked to the vegetable garden next door.
After these days of tending to them, the cabbages and radishes in the garden have grown quite a bit. We can pick some leaves to eat and change things up.
Currently, only Miya is farming on the entire mountain. After Sister Liu told the quartermaster about her idea of clearing land to grow vegetables, Qian Jinbu did not agree immediately.
The other party said that a collective vote by the leaders was needed, and if Sister Liu wanted to farm, it would probably have to wait a while.
Miya dug small holes in the prepared ground, dug a row, and planted a row of potatoes.
Repeating this process over and over, a morning passed and the entire vegetable garden, apart from a few scattered cabbages and potatoes, consisted entirely of planted potatoes.
From a distance, it looks like a newly dug vegetable garden.
Standing beside the vegetable garden, Miya rested her hands on the hoe handles, her head on the back of her folded hands, smiling as she looked at the harvest of her morning's work.
The thought of reaping the rewards in just over two months fills me with excitement.
With a cheerful stride, Miya walked home, thinking that she could just add some lard and cabbage leaves to water, then pour in some cornmeal, and have another delicious lunch.
Just as she finished eating and was washing the dishes, Da Ni suddenly showed up at the door.
"Miya, why are you only finishing your meal now?"
Miya turned to look at the person who came in, casually washed the bowl and chopsticks, and smiled brightly at Da Ni.
"This morning I went to plant the potatoes I bought. After I finished the work, it was time to eat."
"I see," Da Ni nodded in understanding, her heart leaping with joy at the thought that her family might soon have their own land.
But remembering the purpose of her visit, she had to suppress her excitement for the time being.
"Miya, didn't you say last time that if the families from the residential compound went to the market in town together, were you going too?"
"That's right! There's news?"
Miya's tone was involuntarily excited; the house was really lacking too many necessities.
For example, the bamboo basket. Which household doesn't have a bamboo basket that farmers use when going up the mountain or to the fields?
Upon hearing that she could go to the market, Miya's eyes lit up, and she began to think about how to get all the things that were missing from her home.
Da Ni nodded. "I heard from the locals in the family compound that there's a market in the nearby town tomorrow, the 15th. The market is about ten miles away from our unit, and we'll meet at the square at five in the morning."
"No problem! I'll be there on time."
"By the way, Miya. My mother said she probably won't be back until the afternoon, so remember to bring some dry food."
Miya nodded emphatically, deciding to bring some vegetable dumplings to make do with the same thing as last time.
In the early hours of the following day, on the dark hillside of the family compound, many homes had flickering candlelight.
There was nothing at home to tell time, and Miya didn't know how to tell time either. She and Dani got up early, ate breakfast, and headed down the mountain with all their money.
On the way down the mountain, Miya's eyes were still a little drowsy, and she almost slipped and tumbled down.
"careful!"
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