Chapter 170: Re-planning the Bamboo Courtyard
While the meat was stewing, Liang Jingyao came back from the valley, "Yue'er, what are you doing? I can smell the fragrance from far away!"
Lin Xiaoyue heard the familiar voice, ran out to take a look, and said happily: "Brother Liang, you came quite early, I haven't finished yet!"
Liang Jingyao waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, I just missed you, so I came here early to talk to you."
Lin Xiaoyue's face flushed all the way to her neck. She took the wooden barrel from Liang Jingyao and said, "I'll go wash the barrel."
Liang Jingyao looked like a child who had succeeded in doing something bad, and he was laughing so happily!
He took Lin Xiaoyue's wrist and said with a smile, "No need to wash it, I washed it before I came! By the way, the bamboo courtyard will be completed tomorrow night. Do you want to build a similar courtyard next to it?"
Lin Xiaoyue thought that she liked this kind of pastoral life, where she felt a peace and happiness she had never felt before!
But now she has to run the teahouse, open the restaurant soon, and publish Journey to the West. She wishes she could split herself into ten people!
"Let's talk about it later. I don't have time to live there right now! But we can make use of the open space next to it. We can buy some laying chickens and ducks, as well as pigs, cattle and sheep, and raise them there. It would be best if we had both male and female pigs, cattle and sheep, so they can give birth and produce milk in the future. It's really killing two birds with one stone! We plan to take in refugees in the future, so we have to have food available at all times!"
Liang Jingyao nodded and said, "That's fine. I'll ask them to do it! Is there anything else you need?"
Lin Xiaoyue leaned her head to think for a moment, then said, "Also, we need to prepare a granary. It doesn't have to be very big, because we'll also need to dig a cellar to store the grain. This way, we can be on guard against any problems!"
Liang Jingyao nodded and said, "It's better to separate them. Putting so much food together would be too conspicuous! The food I ordered from the south will be delivered here soon. Plus, the cavalry didn't take their food with them when they fled, so I plan to move it all to the valley. It seems the granary and cellar need to be prepared soon!"
As they were talking, the stew in the kitchen made a gurgling sound. Lin Xiaoyue heard the sound and felt that it was cooked. She immediately returned to the earthen stove, opened the lid of the pot, sprinkled some salt, stirred it with an iron spoon, scooped up a radish, and took a bite. "Hmm, the radish is already cooked!"
As she spoke, Lin Xiaoyue poured the stewed radish and meat in the pot into the wooden barrel, leaving a large bowl for eating in the teahouse.
Liang Jingyao wrapped himself in a torn cotton coat, then picked up another wooden bucket to prepare the rice.
Lin Xiaoyue stopped him and said, "Wait a minute, I need to stir-fry some cabbage and bacon."
Liang Jingyao was worried that Lin Xiaoyue would be tired, so he waved his hand and said, "No, one dish is enough. You can keep the cabbage and bacon for yourselves!"
Lin Xiaoyue held down Liang Jingyao, who was about to lift the lid, and said, "This will be ready in no time if you stir-fry it. I've cooked a lot of rice today, so I'll have a long evening. If you don't let me make this dish, I'll make some snacks and have Zhan Ying bring it over! It's your choice!"
Liang Jingyao was both helpless and moved. He felt that Lin Xiaoyue was capable, kind, and not afraid of hardship! He was really lucky to meet such a good girl!
He had no choice but to withdraw his hand and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for you!"
Lin Xiaoyue moved quickly. She cut the cabbage and bacon. After rinsing the pot clean, she waited for it to heat up, scooped out some pork to melt it, then threw the cabbage and bacon in and stir-fried them. After they were cooked, she sprinkled salt on them to season.
"Look, isn't it fast?" Lin Xiaoyue smiled proudly.
Liang Jingyao gave a thumbs-up and praised, "It was quick! It smells delicious! It's really great!"
Lin Xiaoyue was very happy. She left a large bowl, then took a clean wooden barrel, poured the fried cabbage and bacon into it, and then wrapped it with a torn cotton coat to keep it warm.
At this time, Liang Jingyao also packed a bucket of rice. He picked up the wooden bucket and said, "Yue'er, don't bother, I'll take it!"
Lin Xiaoyue was afraid that Liang Jingyao would miss a bucket, so she poured the radish strips mixed by Chen Yunyun into the wooden barrel and placed it together with several other wooden barrels.
"Brother Liang, there are four wooden barrels in total, don't leave any behind!" Lin Xiaoyue reminded him while standing at the kitchen door.
Liang Jingyao nodded and replied, "I know. Come and eat! It's all ready. It's going to be cold soon in such a cold day."
"Okay, Brother Liang, be careful on the road! I'll go take food to Dad first!" Lin Xiaoyue said as she returned to the kitchen. This time, she directly served two bowls of rice, and brought out a plate of steamed eggs with bacon from the steamer and placed it on the wooden tray. She also served a bowl of bacon stew and a bowl of cabbage fried with bacon.
"Yunyun, quickly call Zhan Ying and the others to eat. Dad and I will eat together, so you don't have to bring me food. There are a lot of dishes cooked in the evening, so you should eat more!" Lin Xiaoyue said, holding up the heavy tray.
"Wait a minute!" Chen Yunyun picked up a plate of salted radish strips and placed it on the tray. "Uncle specifically requested this dish for lunch. If you forget, he'll definitely ask you to come back for it!"
Lin Xiaoyue looked down and said with a smile, "Look at my memory! I was worried that Brother Liang might forget to take it, but it turns out I forgot too! Okay, go call them to eat, it won't taste good if it gets cold!"
Chen Yunyun nodded and said, "Okay!"
In the west wing, as soon as Lin Xiaoyue entered the room, the drunkard stared at the tray in her hand.
"Girl, the dinner is quite rich! Please get me some good wine. I haven't drunk for a long time!" The drunkard said eagerly.
Lin Xiaoyue put down a large tray of food and refused with a smile: "Dad, your injury hasn't healed yet! Forget about the wine, you can eat a few more bowls of rice!"
The old drunkard's face was filled with disappointment. He smacked his lips and said, "Good food without good wine is half as good! How can I have the appetite to eat more than a few bowls? How about you give me a cup? Half a cup is fine too?"
Lin Xiaoyue covered her mouth and giggled, "Not even half a cup! Dad, you're a doctor, and if you don't follow certain dietary restrictions yourself, how are you going to persuade your patients to do the same in the future?"
The drunkard sighed, nodded helplessly, and said, "Alas! I never thought that there would be a day when an old man like me would be forbidden to drink! Let's eat! If you keep talking, my alcohol bug will come out again!"
Lin Xiaoyue stuck out her tongue and scooped a spoonful of soup to the old drunkard's mouth. "Dad, this is the bacon and radish soup I made. How does it taste?"
The old wine freak took a bite and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Fresh but not greasy, salty and delicious, not bad!"
Lin Xiaoyue smiled happily, gave a mouthful of rice to the drunkard, and then took a piece of steamed egg with bacon and handed it to him. "Dad, this is steamed egg with bacon, would you like to try it?"
The drunkard took a bite and exclaimed in surprise, "What surprised me most about this dish is how tender the bacon is. Give me another piece! Oh, is it a bacon feast today? I guess the dishes on that tray are also related to bacon?"
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