Chapter 56 - Making Chili Sauce with Two Ingredients
Lin Chuntao smiled upon hearing this, "Open a restaurant? My cooking skills aren't good enough."
Lin Chunhe pursed her lips and asked, puzzled, "Isn't this delicious enough?"
"Yes, the chefs in those restaurants cook even better food. I'll take you there to eat when we have money."
Although Lin Chuntao said that, they weren't really looking forward to eating out; they felt that Lin Chuntao's cooking was delicious enough.
After dinner, the sisters worked together to prepare the chili peppers. After removing the stems, Lin Chuntao weighed them. After that, they soaked them in warm water until they softened, then chopped them up for later use.
After finishing their tasks, it was already dark. After taking their medicine, everyone busied themselves with washing up, and then climbed into bed to lie down.
After a busy day, Lin Chuntao was a little tired, but Pei Ying was full of energy after lying down and cuddled with her for a while before falling asleep.
The next day, when Lin Chuntao returned from the county town, the soybeans were almost soaked. After lunch, she scooped all the soybeans into a steamer and put it on the fire to steam.
Lin Chunxing and the others were very curious about what Lin Chuntao was going to do, so the sisters didn't rush to cut pig feed and stayed at home watching.
Lin Chuntao waited for the beans to steam until they were soft and then poured them into a winnowing basket to spread them out. When they cooled down to a temperature that was not too hot, she weighed out some flour and mixed it in. After spreading it out evenly, she covered it with a gauze cloth and carried it into the house.
"Sis, when are we going to add the chili peppers?"
"We need to wait another two or three days. Don't come to remove the gauze during these two days."
Lin Chuntao gave a word of advice, and the younger sisters nodded obediently.
Seeing how attentive they were, Lin Chuntao thought that her sisters might watch her make and pack the sauce. When it came time to seal the jar, she would need vegetable oil, so she would probably have to go to the oil mill to ask about the price of soybean oil.
Lin Chunxing and the others knew about sauce, but that was just chopping up chilies, packing them up, and letting them sit for a few days to make sauce. It was spicy, but not very fragrant, and not as delicious as making it directly with fresh chilies. So people in the village didn't really like making sauce; it was much more convenient to grind some dried chili powder.
Lin Chuntao's sauce was made with dried chili peppers, and she also cooked beans and flour and mixed them in, which made them very curious. They would go to the winnowing basket every day to take a look.
Lin Chuntao instructed them not to uncover it, and they dared not touch it, only watching.
In the past two days, a large number of people have moved to the county town, and the butcher shop's business has been even better. Pei Ying is also busy and often doesn't return until after lunchtime.
Lin Chuntao picked mushrooms in the morning, and since it was still early after she sold them, she didn't wait for Pei Ying. She went to the oil mill to ask about the price of soybean oil, which was sixteen coins per catty. She didn't buy any, but instead used her points to exchange for two buckets, which she put in her backpack. She took out a small jar and carried it back with her.
Back home, the sisters ate lunch and then went about their own business. Lin Chuntao waited for Pei Ying, figuring he would be home soon so she could heat up the food. Once Pei Ying was home for lunch, she would take a nap, and after waking up, she would go dig for wild vegetables to accumulate points.
While she was taking a nap, Pei Ying would either tidy up or go to the river to wash clothes.
After encountering him twice, Lin Qingqing's mother, Wang, returned home and said with a smile, "That man from Chun Tao's family is quite diligent. I just ran into him washing clothes again."
Aunt Lin was a little unhappy to hear this and said, "A grown man carrying a laundry basin isn't ashamed at all. I'd say the same goes for Chun Tao. She used to be such a diligent girl, but after getting married, she's too lazy to wash her clothes."
Wang's expression changed slightly, and Lin Qingqing next to her pouted, "Third Aunt, what are you saying? What's wrong with washing clothes? Sister Chuntao went into the mountains early to pick mushrooms to sell. She does chores, so how is she lazy? Besides, Sister Chuntao's husband washes the dishes and pots at home!"
Aunt Lin was shocked when she heard this, and exclaimed "Oh dear!" as she looked at Wang.
"Second sister-in-law, is your Qingqing also thinking about getting married?"
Wang's expression changed drastically. She looked coldly at Aunt Lin. It was one thing for her to be sarcastic before, but now, during a casual chat, she had to bring up Lin Qingqing? And the words she said were so nasty!
“Sister-in-law, what I said is true, and what Qingqing said is also true. I don’t think Chun Tao and the other sisters have offended you, right? Why do you have to say such unpleasant things and drag Qingqing into it? It’s just that the whole family works and eats together. If the work is separated, with someone as diligent as you, sister-in-law, are you going to have to treat your third brother like a god and do all the work in the fields and at home by yourself?”
Seeing that Wang had taken it seriously, Aunt Lin's arrogance subsided a bit. She blushed and said awkwardly, "I was just joking. Why are you angry, Second Sister-in-law? I won't say anything more."
Wang snorted coldly and carried the wooden basin into the house.
Lin Jiaye was still confused. How did they start arguing so quickly? He glanced at his third aunt, whose face was still red. She was embarrassed in front of the younger generation. She spoke to Lin Jiaye with the air of an elder, saying, "Jiaye, you'd better choose your wife carefully in the future. Don't choose a lazy woman who makes you do the laundry and dishes."
Lin Jiaye's heart skipped a beat, then he shamelessly smiled and said, "Third Aunt, can you promise me something?"
"What?" Aunt Lin asked.
Lin Jiaye said in a cheeky tone, "Third Aunt, could you talk to my eldest uncle and ask him to let his pretty daughter be my wife?"
Aunt Lin's face changed drastically, and she angrily cursed, "You little brat! What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lin Jiaye laughed and said, "Qiao Jie'er is beautiful, gentle, and virtuous. If she marries me, she definitely won't make me do the laundry or dishes."
Hearing this, Aunt Lin's face darkened immediately. Her niece, Lianqiao, had learned excellent embroidery from her grandmother. Her brother and sister-in-law wanted her to marry into a wealthy family in the city and enjoy a life of luxury, which was why she had developed such a good temperament.
That brat Lin Jiaye doesn't even dare to dream of such a thing! He's dreaming. Marry him and not make him do any chores? If he doesn't do it, who's going to do it for Lianqiao? He's dreaming!
Seeing Aunt Lin's appearance, Lin Jiaye sighed, "Alas, they say that an aunt is not as close as a maternal aunt, and it's true. You are both my nephews. Just now, Aunt was feeling sorry for me, but now you can't bear to part with Qiao'er? Never mind, I know I'm not good enough for Qiao'er. I was just joking with you, Aunt."
Aunt Lin wanted to say that you have self-awareness, but she didn't say it out loud. If Lin's wild mother heard it, there would be no shortage of arguments.
In fact, Lin Jiaye's mother was indeed listening inside the house. She knew that the third branch of the family doted on her niece, thinking that a fairy should be matched with that young master. She wouldn't even look at her if she were to be her daughter-in-law. She was pretentious, so thin that she would fall over if the wind blew her away, and she was disgusting to look at.
Fortunately, the brat was just rambling on; if it were true, she would be heartbroken.
When Pei Ying returned from washing clothes, Lin Chuntao had just woken up, yawned, and sat up, feeling somewhat weak.
Seeing her listless appearance, Pei Ying assumed she hadn't woken up yet.
"You're free this afternoon, so if you're sleepy, you can take another nap."
Lin Chuntao shook her head. Sleeping too long during the afternoon nap would only make her feel weaker, so she still needed to get up and move around.
The beans had been sitting for three days. She opened them to take a look and found that yellowish-green mold had grown on the surface of the soybeans. Lin Chuntao brought them close to her nose and smelled them. There was a hint of fermented rice wine in them, so it should be considered a success.
Lin Chuntao washed her hands and then took the soybeans covered with mycelium out to dry.
The sun was shining brightly, and it took two days for the beans to dry completely.
Lin Chuntao borrowed a stone mortar from Aunt Guizhi's house, mixed the beans, fennel seeds, and star anise together and pounded them. Finally, she added the previously prepared chili flakes, fennel powder, and salt, along with an appropriate amount of water, and stirred it evenly before filling a jar. After filling, she pressed the jar down, poured a layer of rapeseed oil on top, covered it with gauze, and sealed the jar with the lid. Now she was just waiting for the sauce to be dried.
This was Lin Chuntao's first time making this sauce. She followed the recipe provided by the system exactly. Whether it would be successful or not was up to fate.
Pei Ying watched Lin Chuntao's actions, which, like the steamed buns from that day, seemed unbelievable yet offered no other explanation.
Lin Chunxing and the others went out and didn't see how it was made before it was put into jars. When they came back and saw that it was finished, they were both happy and sighed. Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "This is also my first time making it. If it's successful, I will definitely continue to make it. I can watch it again in the future."
The sisters then realized what was happening and asked Lin Chuntao how many days it would take before they could eat it.
"About half a month."
"It takes that long?" Lin Duo'er exclaimed. Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Sauce needs to be kept warm, it won't be that quick. Just wait patiently."
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was July. The water spinach in the field had grown very tall, a large, lush green patch. Lin Chuntao took a sickle and cut some, then stir-fried it with minced garlic. It was crisp and delicious, and even her younger sisters, who didn't like vegetables, ate quite a bit.
Lin Chuntao said, "These bamboo leaf vegetables would taste even better if we cooked them in a hot pot. I'll get some ingredients in a few days and we'll cook them in a hot pot."
At this house, they eat whatever Lin Chuntao says they want to eat, always feeling that following Lin Chuntao's lead ensures they get the best food.
On the second day of the seventh lunar month, it rained in the early morning. After the rain stopped, the sun did not come out, and the sky was somewhat gloomy, as if it would rain again soon.
Taking advantage of the rain stopping, Lin Cunzheng and his men were going to follow the village head to the county town to pick up the people.
The people who migrated south were a diverse group. Some were wealthy people who were forced to move south by the imperial court. They brought money and half of their families with them. After they arrived, the government allocated houses and land to them and registered their households. They would then find work or do business on their own.
There were also some people who had no parents, no land, and no house. These people were brought back from various villages, and those who were suitable were married, settled down, and given land.
The most difficult situation is faced by some poor people with families. These people have no spare money or houses to live in. After arriving here, they settle down in the area designated by the government. Those who can build sheds can do so, while those who cannot, or those with few people, will think about finding a local to marry. However, the locals of Yizhou are resistant to outsiders, making it especially difficult for them to find someone on their own.
Before setting off, Lin Cunzheng asked Lin Jialang for his opinion, and if he agreed, he would keep an eye on things when he went to pick up the people.
Lin Jialang naturally had no objection, but his household registration wouldn't be allocated land, so he would have to get it redone.
Lin Miaomiao and the others have already made arrangements, leaving only Lin Jialang. Lin Cunzheng went to find Aunt Guizhi, whose family is small, to discuss the matter of changing Lin Jialang's household registration.
Aunt Guizhi was somewhat unhappy. She and her husband had no son to support them in their old age, and yet Lin Cunzheng came to her and said such things.
Seeing that Aunt Guizhi had misunderstood, Lin Cunzheng explained, "I'm not asking you to adopt Lin Jialang as your son. I'm just letting him be adopted temporarily. Once he's allocated land, you can give him away."
Thinking it would only take ten days or half a month, Aunt Guizhi agreed.
After Lin Cunzheng left, the old lady said from the side, "Actually, you can also talk to Jialang and ask him to be your son. He would definitely be happy to do so."
Aunt Guizhi glanced at the old lady and said unhappily, "So you also look down on me for not having a son?"
The old lady hissed coldly and said helplessly, "That's not what I meant at all. Don't wrong me."
Aunt Guizhi knew, of course, that was not what the old lady meant; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to coexist peacefully for so many years. She was just a little unhappy.
“If his parents were dead, it would be fine for me to adopt him as my son. But his parents were only demoted to slaves, not dead. When he grows up, he will miss his real parents and leave me and Dashan behind. Why should we bother?”
The old lady sighed, "You two should make your own decisions. I'll tell you later. Didn't you wash and dry the clothes you made for Shui Lian? When are you going to see her? I'll go with you."
When her daughter was mentioned, Aunt Guizhi's mood improved instantly.
"We'll go after these few days; we can sell the vegetables from that field a few more times."
After speaking, Aunt Guizhi went back to her room to change her clothes, picked up her household registration certificate, and prepared to go to the county town with everyone.
She had just stepped out when Lin Jialang arrived with his younger brother and sister.
Thinking of Miao Feng, Aunt Guizhi also disliked Miao Feng, but in her opinion, the child was pitiful, and since the village chief had spoken up, it was just a small favor for her.
"Auntie, my great-grandfather just told me that I brought my younger siblings to thank you."
Aunt Guizhi said calmly, "No need for your thanks, it's a small matter. Once you've settled in, we'll transfer your household registration out."
Lin Jialang nodded. He could tell that Aunt Guizhi didn't like their tone, but she still agreed to help them. That showed how kind Aunt Guizhi was. He would remember this kindness.
Aunt Guizhi didn't care about that.
"Is your household registration document posted at home? Go get it and come with me to the county town."
Lin Jialang nodded and took his younger siblings home to get their household registration certificates.
Aunt Guizhi drove the mule cart and waited for them by the roadside. Lin Jialang took his younger brother and sister back to the courtyard.
After entering the courtyard, Xiao Dujuan asked Lin Jialang with some confusion, "Brother, does Auntie not like us?"
Lin Jialang patted her head and smiled.
"No, Auntie doesn't dislike us." What she dislikes are their parents.
Little Cuckoo: "Then why does she seem unhappy?"
Lin Jiarong replied, "I'm in a bad mood when it rains."
Little Dujuan was confused, but remembering Aunt Guizhi's smiling face earlier, she believed her two older brothers' words.
They set off late, but Aunt Guizhi drove the mule cart. Just as Lin Cunzheng and the others arrived in the county town, Aunt Guizhi and the others followed closely behind.
Today was busy, and the officials didn't ask much about why they wanted to adopt. Aunt Guizhi only said that Lin Jialang's parents had passed away, and she had no son. Both sides were interested, so the other party helped them with the adoption.
After finishing her business, Aunt Guizhi didn't wait for the village head and the others; she took her three children and drove back in a mule cart.
On the way back, Lin Jialang hesitated for a long time before asking Aunt Guizhi, "Auntie, should we call you 'Mom' from now on?"
Aunt Guizhi, driving the mule cart, chuckled at his words, "Can you even shout it out?"
Lin Jialang was naturally not used to it, but now that she was on the household registration, she was their mother. Since Aunt Guizhi agreed to help them, it was like having a second parent, and he could call her that.
Looking at his expression, Aunt Guizhi said calmly, "Auntie, auntie, don't you also have the word 'mother' in your name? Your mother is still alive, and you only have one mother."
Lin Jialang grinned and replied affectionately, "Thank you, Auntie."
The village head and his entourage, who had gone to the county town to pick up the people, didn't return until the afternoon.
Lin Miaomiao and the others went to her grandmother's house early to wait. As soon as they brought her back, the old lady took her to choose a partner.
The old lady originally wanted to choose someone who looked honest, so that she wouldn't be able to control Lin Miaomiao and the others, and life would be easier.
But Lin Miaomiao didn't like him and chose someone else herself. The old lady intuitively didn't like this person. He was tall, but he was so thin that he looked like a monkey. But according to Lin Miaomiao, he would look better if he gained some weight. Once he was fat, he would stand in the yard and Lin Jialang and the others wouldn't dare to move.
After bringing the man back after he gave his fingerprints, the old lady and the others inquired about his family situation. The man's name was Niu Hongxi, and he was nineteen years old, five years older than Lin Miaomiao. His parents had died early, and he had lived with his uncle and aunt. After his uncle and aunt also passed away, he came to Yizhou alone with the main force.
The old lady told Niu Hongxi about Lin Miaomiao and the others' situation. Niu Hongxi had no objections and even told the old lady that she would treat Lin Miaomiao well.
The old lady nodded slightly, which pleased Lin Miaomiao.
After all, they were married, and their parents weren't around. The old lady killed a chicken and invited Lin Miaomiao and the others to have a meal together. Uncle Yang also gave Niu Hongxi a few words of advice, and everyone listened attentively.
Dinner was eaten early. After dinner, the old lady called Lin Miaomiao into the house and stuffed a gourd into her hand. Lin Miaomiao immediately wanted to open it and look at it, but the old lady quickly pressed her hand down, saying, "You can look at it when we get home."
Lin Miaomiao smiled and nodded. The old lady instructed, "Miaomiao, you are getting married from tonight. The person outside will be your husband from now on. Discuss all matters, big and small, at home."
Seeing that Lin Miaomiao was listening attentively, the old lady sighed, knowing that her mother was strong-willed and she wasn't very worldly-wise, but still managed to say with a straight face, "Men are all the same. If you take good care of him at home, he will naturally protect you."
Lin Miaomiao replied, "I will treat him as well as my mother treated my father."
The old lady frowned. Lin Miaomiao clearly didn't understand, but it didn't matter. Unmarried girls were all like that. She would understand everything once she got home and opened the gourd.
She said, "Alright, take the people back. We'll come back tomorrow to divide the land."
Lin Miaomiao responded and led the people home.
At this time, everyone in the village had pressed their handprints and taken them home. Lin Jialang and his group were in a special situation, so the village chief personally escorted them back.
When he went to pick someone up today, he encountered a woman and a young woman with a little girl. There were no men with them. He asked and learned that the woman's husband had died in an accident on the road, the young woman was her sister-in-law, and the little girl was her daughter, who was exactly ten years old this year.
For the sake of the land, they also signed marriage certificates for the two children.
After returning them to the courtyard, Lin Cunzheng introduced the three Lin siblings and the other three to each other.
The woman was named Fan Liniang, the young girl was named Meng Yun, and the little girl was named Meng Yue. After introducing these three, Lin Cunzheng then introduced Lin Jialang and his two siblings.
Aunt Guizhi was standing nearby. She greeted Fan Liniang and said, "I am the child's aunt. Since their parents have passed away, the child has been adopted by me. My name is Xu Guizhi. From now on, we are family. The child will live with you here. If you need any help, please come to my house. After everything is settled in a few days, I will transfer the child's household registration to be with you."
Aunt Guizhi spoke frankly, and Fan Liniang nodded slightly as she looked at her, saying softly, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Xu."
Aunt Guizhi smiled as she listened to the other person's soft voice: "I'll be troubling you with the three children from now on."
Fan Liniang replied, "Of course, we should help each other out."
With that settled, Lin Jialang finally breathed a long sigh of relief after Lin Cunzheng and Aunt Guizhi left. He looked at Fan Liniang and the others and said, "Well, let me show you what belongs to us in this house. Besides the three of us siblings, there's also a cousin and a younger cousin. We each have three rooms, but we share the kitchen, pots, and steamers. The bowls and chopsticks are separate, and the pigsty in the back is also divided."
He then led them around the yard and pointed out the location of the outhouse.
Fan Liniang looked around and found it to be much better than she had imagined.
After looking around, Lin Jialang led them into the house to see how they would stay.
Since everyone was still unfamiliar with her, he couldn't bring himself to call her "Mother," but it wouldn't be right not to call her that either. So he asked Fan Liniang, "Can I call you Auntie now, and then when we grow up and have our wedding banquet, I can change my address to Mother?"
Fan Liniang nodded upon hearing this, "Okay."
Meng Yun, who was standing next to her, said, "Just call me aunt."
The three siblings smiled and nodded. Meng Yun smiled too. Although they were poor, it was alright. At least they didn't have to continue to live a life of hardship.
There were three rooms. Downstairs were three bedrooms, and upstairs, people could just make do with sleeping on the floor. Lin Jialang and Lin Jiarong slept together, while Xiao Dujuan slept in the next room. They discussed it and wanted Xiao Dujuan to sleep with Meng Yue, but after asking both children and getting their consent, they arranged for them to sleep together, as girls of similar age would get to know each other quickly. Fan Liniang slept with her sister-in-law, Meng Yun.
After arranging the beds, Fan Liniang and the others put their things away. They had brought some food with them, but not much. Lin Jialang also took them to see the food, but there wasn't much left either.
Meng Yun said, "Let's cook first, then we can rest and think of something tomorrow."
As Lin Jialang listened to their conversation, he went to get an earthenware pot to scoop out the flour. Fan Liniang asked him how to make it, as they had never eaten buckwheat before.
Lin Jialang said, "Just like wheat flour, you can spread it into a pancake."
Meng Yun took the earthenware pot and smiled, "Then I know how, let me do it."
Meng Yun made buckwheat pancakes for dinner. After they were baked, she put them in a bamboo basket and brought them back to the house to sit and eat.
They hadn't finished eating when Lin Miaomiao and the others returned.
She walked in with her head held high today, intending to show Lin Jialang and the others that she would have land in the future. However, Lin Jialang and the others did not yet have land. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Fan Liniang and the others, and her expression immediately changed.
"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"
Meng Yun's expression changed, and she was about to rush out to speak when Fan Liniang pulled her back. Lin Jialang put down the pancake in his hand and walked out, asking with a smile, "Sister Miaomiao is back. This must be your brother-in-law, right?"
Niu Hongxi had been listening to Lin Miaomiao's rant the whole way. Looking at the little boy in front of him, he didn't seem quite like what Lin Miaomiao had described. But he didn't know the whole story, so he could only smile and say, "My name is Niu Hongxi. You must be Jialang, right? I've been listening to your sister talk about you the whole way."
Lin Jialang nodded with a smile, "That's me."
After saying that, he looked at Lin Miaomiao and pointed to Meng Yun and the others: "I also signed the marriage certificate today, and I will live with them from now on."
Lin Miaomiao's eyes widened. "You... how could you?"
Lin Jialang understood what she meant and said with a smile, "My sister and I are the same. Have you eaten yet?"
Lin Miaomiao hesitated, as if she was holding her breath. She chuckled and said smugly, "Grandma's family killed a chicken to congratulate me on my marriage, and we've already eaten."
Lin Jialang nodded at Niu Hongxi, "Then I'll go back to my room first."
Lin Miaomiao led the people back to the house. They didn't need to separate beds. Niu Hongxi slept with Lin Miaomiao, while Lin Jiacai and his brother each slept in a separate room.
They also took Niu Hongxi for a walk around the front and back yards, and while they were fetching water, they showed him the location of the well.
When they returned after finishing their work, it was already dark. People on both sides started boiling water to wash up and prepare to go to sleep.
Lin Miaomiao was a little nervous about the thought of a man sleeping with her tonight, but Niu Hongxi seemed to be used to it. He even lit a tinderbox when he came into the room, which made their faces slightly red.
Niu Hongxi had already seen Lin Miaomiao return with a gourd from over there. After bolting the door, he walked to the bedside and casually asked, "Aren't you going to take a look at what your grandmother gave you?"
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