Cheng Ruyi suddenly remembered her best friend from her previous life complaining to her after giving birth to a son, saying that boys need more attention and energy to grow up than girls, and their emotional needs are very strong, while girls are much more independent and worry-free.
She was surprised at the time, but now, looking at her son and two daughters, she wholeheartedly agrees!
The eldest daughter is exceptionally mature and sensible from a young age. In addition to taking good care of herself, she can also take the initiative to take care of others. The younger daughter is an optimistic social butterfly who is naturally outgoing and loved by everyone.
To be honest, both of my daughters are the type who can live well on their own without needing special care. They are self-reliant and independent. I don't know if they are born this way or if they have gradually learned the survival skills of women in this world as they grow up.
Whether in ancient or modern times, social rules have always been particularly harsh on women.
Cheng Ruyi suddenly felt sorry for them, especially when she thought about the issue of marriage that women inevitably had to face under the feudal system.
She reminded herself again that although her daughters were well-behaved and sensible, it did not mean they did not need care. She had been busy with Cheng Yunping's military service and marriage, and had neglected her daughters for a while. She should remember to pay more attention to them and care for them in the future, and treat them equally!
After the family meeting, everyone went to rest, while she and Xu Cui went to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients.
Xu Cui had already cleaned all the fish. Cheng Ruyi picked out the smallest crucian carp, which looked only a little bigger than her palm. Although it didn't have much meat, it was perfect for making soup. Drinking a sip of hot fish soup on such a cold day would be incredibly comforting. It was just a pity that she hadn't bought any tofu.
The remaining five fish were given to Aunt Cui to make into preserved fish. Luckily, I had just bought a lot of salt at the grocery store, otherwise, relying solely on smoking would have greatly reduced the flavor. It really is necessary to stock up on more supplies!
After cleaning the fish, Cheng Ruyi began preparing for sprouting the bean sprouts.
First, find a wooden basin, put in about one pound of soybeans and wash them clean. Pick out any bad or rotten ones, then add water to cover the soybeans and soak them in a dark place overnight. The next day, pour out the water, wrap the soybeans in a breathable cloth, sprinkle water evenly on them, and cover them with a lid.
If all goes well, you can harvest about ten pounds of bean sprouts in five days. This way, you can sprout bean sprouts about every three days, and your family will always have bean sprouts to eat.
Seeing Xu Cui peeking at the fish while making preserved fish, Ruyi smiled and said, "Aunt Cui, come and see how I sprout bean sprouts. From now on, this job will be your responsibility."
Xu Cui looked surprised and delighted: "Oh? Really? Will it be difficult? What if I mess it up and waste food?" Although she said that, her body betrayed her and she quickly walked over.
The principle of sprouting beans is very simple, and almost everyone in modern society knows it. The most important thing is to water them twice a day, and then pay attention to ventilation, moisture retention, and protection from light. If you want the bean sprouts to be thicker, you can also weigh them down with a heavy object.
Xu Cui listened and also felt that it was not difficult. So the two of them had an in-depth discussion on details such as what kind of container to use to put the soybeans, how much water to pour each time, and how to keep them away from light. For a time, the kitchen was filled with an academic atmosphere.
After preparing all the ingredients, it was already long past noon. In ancient times, there were no cell phones or watches, so Ruyi had no way of knowing the exact time and could only guess from the sky that it was around 3 p.m.
After working for so long without realizing it, I'm finally getting a little hungry.
"Aunt Cui, are you hungry? If so, why don't we start making dinner now?"
"Oh, I didn't realize it until you mentioned it, but now I'm actually a little hungry!" Xu Cui said, rubbing her stomach. "Let's cook, let's cook. We're not hungry now, but we definitely will be after we finish cooking!"
After she finished speaking, she immediately took out charcoal from the corner of the kitchen to start a fire.
As Ruyi watched Xu Cui starting a fire, a question suddenly occurred to her: Did the family have enough firewood and charcoal?
There are quite a few firewood and charcoal shops in the city. Ordinary families usually order from the nearby firewood and charcoal shops and have them delivered to their homes on time every month.
But the Cheng family is different. It seems that every now and then, a family surnamed Guan living outside the city would send timber and firewood to Cheng Yan. But now that the city is under lockdown, they can no longer send them.
There seemed to be quite a bit of firewood and charcoal left in the kitchen. Winters here are quite cold, so burning kang (heated brick beds) isn't common; people just put a charcoal brazier in their rooms for warmth.
After a while, when spring arrives and the weather warms up, even less charcoal will be needed. However, Ruyi wasn't sure how long the charcoal would last, so she thought she would go to Cheng Yan to confirm.
Unexpectedly, after listening, Cheng Yan took Ruyi to the timber warehouse and said mysteriously, "Ruyi, come and help me move this wooden box."
Ruyi was completely bewildered when she heard this. "I asked you about the firewood and charcoal, why did you ask me to move the boxes?"
However, when Ruyi moved the box and saw the hidden door on the ground, she instantly realized: Our house actually has a cellar!
"This cellar was originally part of the house, and it was later renovated and expanded. It doesn't contain anything important. You came here once when you were very young, but you've probably forgotten about it now, haven't you?"
Cheng Ruyi nodded. The original owner probably really forgot; in any case, she had no memory of it at all.
"The wooden ladder is difficult to climb, so be careful when you come down!" Cheng Yan reminded him as he descended into the cellar.
After climbing down the somewhat steep wooden stairs, Ruyi began to look around the cellar. It was more spacious than she had imagined, about forty square meters, and the ceiling was quite high; at least Cheng Yan and she could stand upright without any problem.
The cellar was very well organized, and the walls looked like they had been coated with some special paint, probably for insect and water protection. A large part of the area was filled with various kinds of wood, some of which were treated planks, but most of them were logs.
Cheng Yan continued to explain the valuable pieces of wood he had collected over the years, but Cheng Ruyi didn't understand them, and at that moment she didn't care whether the wood was valuable or not. Her gaze was drawn to several large boxes placed on the other side.
"Dad, what's in these boxes?"
The Cheng family wasn't particularly wealthy, so Ruyi naturally wouldn't be delusional about having gold or silver treasures in the chest. But who knows, maybe the Cheng family might have one or two family heirlooms? You can never have too many cheat codes! Or, filling it with grain would be great too; isn't that what cellars are for storing grain? It makes perfect sense!
"It's charcoal!" Cheng Yan opened the wooden box, which was full of charcoal. "This charcoal was originally intended to be sold to a firewood and charcoal shop by the Guan family, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, it's been stored here with me. Take it if you need it, no need to worry!"
Cheng Ruyi: ...I have a complex feeling of disappointment, but it is also reasonable.
"Thank you... Dad."
Okay, to be optimistic, it actually solves a problem. From now on, we can use charcoal more freely, and we also know that we have a cellar at home, which we can make good use of in the future.
After solving the charcoal problem, she returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner: crucian carp soup and scallion oil noodles!
This was the dinner Cheng Ruyi decided on immediately after seeing the fish. The fish soup was fresh, delicious, and nutritious, suitable for the whole family, and the scallion oil noodles were simple and tasty, making it an excellent choice when ingredients were limited.
First, marinate the fish with wine to remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma. Heat oil in a pan, add scallions and ginger, and sauté until slightly browned. Remove the fish from the pan. Then, rub the marinated fish with salt, add it to the scallion oil, and fry until both sides are golden brown. Next, add boiling water and simmer for two or three minutes. The clear water will turn into a milky white soup that is fragrant, rich, and refreshing without being greasy. Finally, add the finishing touch of crushed fasting pills. You're all done!
Making scallion oil noodles is also very simple. In my past life, there were countless tutorials online, all inspired by Teacher Huang's recipes. As a surfing enthusiast, I naturally know it very well. Simply fry scallions to make scallion oil, add lard, soy sauce, and sugar to make the noodle sauce, then mix it evenly with the noodles.
Limited resources and materials were available, but fortunately the ingredients were all fresh. With the help of experience from two lifetimes, even ordinary home-cooked dishes became fresh, fragrant and delicious.
We specially cooked a big pot of fish soup, intending to save it for anyone who might get hungry in the evening. Everyone drank a full bowl of it at dinner, almost finishing the whole pot. The scallion oil noodles were also eaten clean, with everyone practically licking their bowls clean. Luckily, we had already taken Xiaoman's portion to her room, otherwise we were really afraid that everyone would have lost control and ate it all!
"Oh my, I'm so full! Ruyi, your cooking skills are on par with the chefs at Baizhenlou! I'm really in for a treat today, hahaha~~" Xu Cui exclaimed while patting her stomach.
Cheng Yan chimed in, "Speaking of which, the fish soup today seems to taste better than usual. It must be because Ruyi's cooking skills have improved again. Not bad, not bad!"
Of course! With the original owner's culinary skills combined with modern techniques and a secret ingredient, how could she not improve? Cheng Ruyi secretly rejoiced, but outwardly remained modest, saying, "I just threw something together...hehe..."
The children said they liked the mixed noodles the most, since no child can resist a sweet taste.
Especially Yun An, whose usually mature face showed a rare look of surprise, said in a light tone: "The sauce for this noodle dish is savory and delicious, and it even seems to have a hint of sweetness. It's the best noodles I've ever eaten!"
Then she turned to look at Ruyi with bright, sparkling eyes and asked, "Mother, what kind of noodles are these?"
Haha, turns out she's a little foodie! That's quite a contrast!
Cheng Ruyi secretly remembered her eldest daughter's preferences and would definitely make more sweets when she had the chance!
"Scallion oil noodles are just a simple home-style dish. I'm glad you like it." Seeing everyone enjoying the meal so much, she felt a great sense of accomplishment. "There's still some fish soup left in the pot in the kitchen. You can have some to satisfy your cravings if you get hungry tonight."
After hearing this, little Cheng Yunle touched his bulging little belly, sighed, and said with a worried look, "If only I had another belly..."
Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this. A delicious dinner swept away the gloomy atmosphere. Food really can heal the soul.
After the meal, when no one was looking, Cheng Ruyi threw a few crumbs of fasting pills into the water bowl in the chicken coop, and the two chickens immediately came over and rushed to drink the water.
"My little darlings, drink up! Tomorrow's eggs depend on you guys! I'm rooting for you!"
After feeding the chickens, she went to check on her daughter-in-law and played with her grandson before going back to her room to rest. She had only intended to lie down for a bit, but she unknowingly drifted off to sleep. After all, she had been busy since early morning and was quite tired.
After an unknown amount of time, a strong, pungent stench suddenly wafted over.
"Holy crap! What stinks like that? A biological weapon???"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com