Chapter 48: Simple Food is Just as Delicious
Shang Ruoting couldn't refuse, so she had to take it.
Old Mrs. Shang didn't want her to help with making breakfast at all. Shang Ruoting had nothing to do at the moment, so after helping Tan Chen fetch water and wash up, she put on a tattered straw hat and walked around the yard.
Old Mrs. Shang lives on the edge of the village. Her yard is surrounded by a fence. The front yard is not large. There is a gravel path between the gate and the main house, with vegetable gardens on both sides.
The backyard is larger, about half an acre in size. There is a crooked chicken coop in the northeast corner, with two skinny chickens in it.
In addition to this, there is a large vegetable garden.
The vegetable garden has been half plowed out by Old Lady Shang, and the ridges are neatly arranged.
During this period, although everyone's labor income belonged to the collective, it was not so strict until 1976, and people were allowed to have their own small vegetable garden.
This also includes poultry and livestock. As long as you have food to feed them yourself, the commune will not interfere.
Old Mrs. Shang lives alone in poverty and doesn't have much to feed the chickens. The two chickens are so skinny that only a pile of bones are left. It would be strange if such chickens could lay eggs.
Without thinking, Shang Ruoting ran to the chicken coop with her hat on and fed the two skinny chickens some spiritual spring water.
If nothing goes wrong, these two chickens will lay eggs tomorrow.
After feeding the chickens, Shang Ruoting continued to look around the yard. Old Mrs. Shang's house was relatively remote, with farmland in front and a mountain behind it. There were not many neighbors.
According to the original owner's memory, back then, no one wanted to be neighbors with capitalists, so they drove her to this place.
Although letting Old Lady Shang live here was to isolate her, Shang Ruoting thought it was a nice place.
Not far from the yard, there is a small ditch. It is now April and the reeds in it have sprouted. In summer, this place will become a reed marsh.
In her previous life, she often went to the countryside to inspect the land and the growth of crops, and many people went to the reed marshes to fish.
She remembered that the most common fish there were crucian carp and carp. If you didn't mind getting dirty, you could also find eels.
At this moment, Shang Ruoting has begun to imagine the fun of paddling a small boat and fishing in the reed marsh.
In addition to this reed marsh, about three hundred meters behind the yard is Dafeng Mountain.
According to the old people, there are many pheasants and rabbits in Dafeng Mountain, but wild boars often appear there. People who go to dig wild vegetables and chop firewood only dare to move around at the foot of the mountain.
Only a dozen or more strong men would dare to go into the mountains unless they were accompanied by sickles, hoes and other items for self-defense.
Shang Ruoting looked at the drizzle in the sky. After the rain stopped, there would be the most wild vegetables and mushrooms in the mountains. She was already getting ready to move.
After a stroll, Mrs. Shang's meal was ready.
Today's breakfast is still cornmeal porridge.
Old Mrs. Shang took into consideration that Shang Ruoting worked hard in the chicken coop during the day, so she made two scallion pancakes, one for her and one for Tan Chen.
Shang Ruoting quickly divided her scallion pancake into two pieces and stuffed half of it into Old Lady Shang's pocket.
Old Mrs. Shang couldn't refuse, so she had to accept it.
The cake didn't look very oily on the outside, but when Shang Ruoting took a bite, she was stunned.
This humble scallion pancake tasted better than anything she had eaten in her previous life, and it didn't taste greasy at all.
The layers inside are distinct, and each layer is evenly sprinkled with chopped green onions, making it more fragrant the more you chew it.
The old lady still didn't cook anything, and there were two plates of pickles in the middle of the table.
In addition to the one we had last night, there was also a crispy radish chopped into small pieces.
It has the flavor of shrimp paste and tastes very delicious.
If Shang Ruoting hadn't tasted these things herself, there would be no way she could tell they were so delicious.
This made Shang Ruoting think about the past of Old Lady Shang.
Logically, she was born into a wealthy family and should have had servants at home. Why was the old lady's cooking skill so amazing?
Thinking about last night when Mrs. Shang was asked about the sauce for making pickles, her reaction was very abnormal. Shang Ruoting didn't intend to frown at the old lady again this time.
However, she became more and more curious about Old Lady Shang.
While eating the meals cooked by Old Lady Shang, Shang Ruoting has realized that simple meals can be delicious, it just depends on the skills of the cook.
After breakfast, Shang Ruoting rushed to clean up the dishes and put on her hat to go to the chicken coop.
Old Mrs. Shang hurried into her room and took out a piece of old plastic sheet.
"Tingting, cover your hair with this. It's easy to get lice if it gets wet in the rain."
"Grandma, why do animals get lice after being rained on?" Shang Ruoting was very curious.
Old Mrs. Shang helped her wrap the plastic sheet around her.
"You can't explain why, but you got lice every time you got caught in the rain as a kid."
Shang Ruoting couldn't help but shudder when she thought of her head full of lice.
He obediently wrapped himself in the plastic sheet and walked towards the chicken coop.
Zou Meihua came especially early today. When Shang Ruoting arrived, she had already cleaned out the manure in chicken coop No. 1 and was preparing to send it to the place where fertilizer was stored.
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