The people peeling lotus seeds over there laughed as they watched Xu Lai chasing the chicken. Grandpa said, "Come catch it again tonight when the chicken goes into its coop."
Xu Lai was tired from catching chickens, so she washed her hands and went to cook. She blanched the pork ribs, then put them in a clay pot, added mung beans and fresh lotus seeds to stew. Actually, dried lotus seeds would be better, but it's lotus seed season now, so she wanted to eat them fresh.
She cooked the mung bean and lotus seed soup directly in the rice cooker. She put in the soaked mung beans, added the lotus seeds, then the white fungus, added water, and pressed the porridge button.
The lotus seeds outside were almost all peeled, so Xu Lai invited them to stay for dinner. Xia Ning had already gotten on her electric scooter. "Xiao Lai, I'm going back now. I'll come back tomorrow when I make beggar's chicken."
Xu Lai then looked at Zhao Qingyun, who said while washing his hands, "We've cooked dinner at home, let's do it another day."
Xu Lai said directly, "Why wait for another day? Let's eat today. It's fine if we cook, just bring it over so we can all eat together." She had prepared so many dishes, and none of them were coming. How long would it take for her and her grandparents to finish eating?
Zhao Qingyun was amused by her and replied, "I'll listen to you."
He went into the kitchen and asked, "What can I do?"
Xu Lai pointed to the pile of garlic on the ground and said, "Please peel a few cloves for me, I forgot."
Lunch consisted of mung bean and lotus seed soup, mung bean and lotus seed pork rib soup, braised eggplant, stir-fried green beans, and loofah and egg soup.
The vegetables are all homegrown. Summer is a season when we can't finish eating loofah, green beans, and eggplants.
She also cut a plate of cantaloupes, which her grandfather had also grown. He was going to sell them someday because there were just too many to eat.
Xu Lai first served everyone a bowl of soup, then picked up her own bowl and took a sip. She felt that all the busyness and fatigue of the morning were worth it; good food heals all wounds.
Grandma Jiang took a sip and couldn't help but praise, "I'm someone who likes to drink soup and I'm quite picky about taste, but I never get tired of Xiao Lai's soup."
Xu Lai's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Then please drink more."
After the meal, as usual, Zhao Qingyun washed the dishes, while Xu Lai put the peeled lotus seeds into a winnowing basket and placed it on the grape trellis to dry.
She went upstairs for a nap, but woke up because of the heat; it was the hottest time of summer.
The old house didn't have air conditioning, but Xu Lai felt it was necessary to install one. Although it was cooler in the mornings and evenings in the countryside, the midday sun was still too strong.
She looked at several online, but ultimately decided to go to the county to take a look.
Around six o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun wasn't so strong, Xu Lai picked up her basket and went to the vegetable garden with her grandfather. Today they were going to harvest all the corn, dry it, and then peel it for the chickens and ducks.
The corn leaves were very prickly, and Xu Lai got several small cuts on her body and face as she walked through them.
In less than half an hour, the cornfield was empty. After the corn stalks had dried for a few more days, they could be easily cut down.
She carried the corn from the field home twice.
For dinner, we had mung bean and lotus seed porridge. I guess I can't live without mung beans these days. Grandma still hasn't finished eating the ones she planted last year, and this year's beans are ready to be picked.
The next day, Xu Lai took a bus to the county and went straight to the appliance store. After browsing around, she finally bought two air conditioners, filled in the address, and the installer could deliver and install them to her home that afternoon.
Then she went shopping with Xia Ning. It was kind of her to come along when she heard that Xia Ning was going to the county.
Xia Ning bought a few outfits suitable for wearing in the village. Most of her clothes were work attire, which were completely unsuitable for working in the countryside.
The two had hot pot for lunch and then took a car back. This time, they didn't need to call a tricycle to take them home. Xu Lai rode an electric bike and parked it in the parking lot of the vegetable market.
At noon, the sun was scorching. Xu Lai touched the seat of the electric scooter and shuddered from the heat. "My God, it's so hot! It could cook two eggs."
She gritted her teeth, plopped down on the seat, and called to Xia Ning, "Hurry up and get on, I'll drive faster. A short perm is worse than a long one."
Xu Lai rode all the way home, and there wasn't a single car on the road. It seemed that the sun was too strong at this time, and no one wanted to go out, except for the two of them, who were such a scoundrels.
Not long after I got home, the air conditioner installer arrived.
When Grandma saw this, she just said, "We're on the first floor, it's quite cool to sleep on at night. Look, this just adds up to more money, doesn't it?"
Xu Lai gently pushed her shoulder, gesturing for her to sit outside and wait, reassuring her, "It's alright, air conditioning isn't that expensive, the important thing is that you slept well."
She didn't get to eat the beggar's chicken she mentioned yesterday. The rooster seemed to know she was going to catch it, as it didn't go into its coop last night. Xu Lai had no choice but to catch an old hen and make chicken soup for dinner.
Grandpa had already prepared the chicken and put it in the refrigerator early in the morning while she was in the county, just waiting for her to come back and cook it.
Xu Lai tied on an apron, skillfully chopped the chicken into pieces, put it in a casserole, added the soaked dried mushrooms, and stewed it with water. She had seen those mushrooms by chance at the market; the old lady selling vegetables said that she had picked them herself from the mountain, so she bought some and dried them.
They probably have mushrooms here too, but she's never picked any in the mountains. Most of them grow deep in the mountains, and she's too scared to go alone. Plus, it's been sunny all the time lately, so the mushrooms haven't sprouted yet.
The aroma of chicken soup spread, reaching not only Zhao Qingyun's family but also her third uncle's family, who lived not far away. When they met him later, he asked if she was eating delicious food every day.
Xu Lai realized that the aroma of the food she cooked every day could reach the neighbors. Her third uncle even joked, "When can I come over to your house to try your food? I feel like your cooking skills are good enough to open a shop."
She thought her third uncle was exaggerating. She was good at using seasonings and knew which seasonings and spices could bring different flavors to food.
Xu Lai waited for two days before finally catching the rooster. Then he called Xia Ning over and invited her to eat beggar's chicken.
Xia Ning didn't come empty-handed either. She carried a chicken and said, "Here, I was afraid it wouldn't be enough to eat, so my grandma raised it herself and asked me to bring it over."
Xu Lai refused, knowing that Grandma Xia lived alone and raising chickens was not easy for her.
Xia Ning tied the chicken to the tree and said, "I'll leave it here, otherwise Grandma will say I can't even do this little thing right."
Xu Lai said helplessly, "Alright, alright, then you hold the chicken's leg and I'll butcher it."
When she was little, she often helped her grandfather pull off chicken feet. Sometimes, while watching TV, her grandfather would shout, and she would run out to help. When she grew up, she realized that her grandfather could actually handle it by himself.
Xia Ning grabbed it, somewhat flustered, "It won't peck me, will it?"
Xu Lai assured her, "No, it won't. I'll cut it off with one stroke."
During the process of draining the chicken blood, the rooster kept shaking, and then Xia Ning ended up with a puddle of chicken droppings on her hand. She cried out, but didn't let go of the puddle.
Xu Lai laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and she almost laughed until tears streamed down her face.
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