Chapter 73: Not a Good Drinking Partner
The old lady looked a little ignorant for a moment, then tried to redeem herself: "But we can't just eat cabbage and radishes, right? Should we add some other vegetables?"
Gu Yuexuan responded obediently, "I've already asked Tu Subo to buy some sweet potatoes and potatoes. These ingredients can be stored in the cellar for a long time. Even if the roads are blocked by heavy snow, our family will not be short of food."
The old lady was speechless after hearing this.
Seeing Gu Yuexuan piling up the cabbages that had been stripped of their dead leaves, Tu Suminfei walked over and asked, "Sister-in-law, do you want me to move these to the cellar first?"
"I'm not going to use this pile. I'm going to use it to make sauerkraut."
Although the options are limited, even ordinary Chinese cabbage can be transformed into a variety of flavors.
Gu Yuexuan carefully gathered the peeled leaves to feed the chickens. Seeing Tu Suminfei already loading the cabbage into his backpack, she smiled and said, "Vegetables should be stored upright in the cellar. Don't remove the outer, older leaves; they serve as a protective layer. You don't have to go there yourself."
Tu Su Minfei nodded in agreement, picked up the basket full of cabbages, and walked steadily towards the backyard.
His steps were firm and steady. After these days of hard work, he was no longer the "empty young man" who couldn't even carry a brick.
Different from Tu Suye who always goes against his family, Tu Suminfei knows how to judge the situation and is smart and sensible.
After noticing that his grandfather's mind was gradually leaning towards the eldest house, Tu Su Minfei quietly stood on the same side with the people of the eldest house. He worked hard and had no complaints, as if he enjoyed it.
Now, no matter what the family talked about, Tu Suye seemed to have become a firecracker that no one cared about. He quietly replaced his father's position in the grandfather's heart and silently represented the position of the second house.
Such a young hero is worthy of his great reputation in Kyoto.
However, Gu Yuexuan always felt that he was a little weird.
Especially when he met Tu Subo, this young man seemed particularly abnormal.
Gu Yuexuan concealed the complicated emotions in her eyes, lowered her head and concentrated on her work. Soon, she had skillfully divided the reserved cabbage into two small piles.
She carefully placed the cleaned cabbage into a large wooden barrel and poured boiling water into it, repeating this process several times until the water completely covered the top layer of cabbage. Then, she placed a large stone, cleaned of dirt, on top of the cabbage and sealed it tightly with the lid.
She took the kitchen knife and cut the smaller cabbages into long strips along the roots, put them in a large wooden basin, sprinkled salt on them, and slowly marinated them to force out the moisture.
She sprinkled chili powder evenly over the chopped onions, ginger, and garlic, then poured hot oil over them, instantly bringing out the aroma of the chili. She then added soy sauce, vinegar, and syrup, mixing well to taste, then thoroughly blended it with the pickled cabbage and neatly arranged it in a jar.
The aroma of hot oil and chili peppers was so rich that Yu, who was returning with firewood on her back, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Xuanxuan, what delicious dish are you making?"
The sour and spicy taste makes people salivate just by smelling it.
Gu Yuexuan reached out and took the firewood from Yu's back, gently placed it aside, and poured her a bowl of water. "I'm making some pickled vegetables to go with rice. You can't eat them today. Second Aunt can help you taste them in a few days."
Although Yu had a hot temper and liked to quibble, she was happy to accept her submissive words. She said happily while drinking water, "That's great! I'm looking forward to trying it."
After drinking the water, she picked up the wooden rack and went out again, while Gu Yuexuan opened the wine jar that had been sealed for many days.
Sorghum liquor requires a longer fermentation time, so it is not yet time to open the jar.
However, the timing of the osmanthus rice wine was just right.
Before sealing it, she pressed a perfect round hole in the glutinous rice mixed with osmanthus. After opening the jar, through the hole, she could see the liquid with a faint golden luster.
She pressed down gently with the spoon, and the glutinous rice floating in the wine slowly sank. As she moved, a fresh aroma of rice wine filled the air.
Everything is just right.
In order to ensure that the wine flows smoothly and mellowly, Gu Yuexuan carefully took out the clean gauze and began filtering.
Wrapped in that layer of gauze, the glutinous rice and osmanthus flowers were tightly trapped, while the clear jade-like wine slowly dripped into the bottom of the jar through the gaps in the gauze, emitting bursts of intoxicating fragrance.
Over there, the old grandfather smelled the aroma of wine in the air and curiously stuck his head out. Tu Subo, who was standing at the door, couldn't help but frowned. The unique aroma of wine in the air made his heart move.
Did it really succeed?
He carried the purchased items into the yard and just put them down when he heard his grandfather's cheerful laughter: "Well, yes, this fragrance is indeed extraordinary!"
Although the taste of this wine cannot be compared with the fine wines I tasted in the past, it is rice wine brewed by myself, and it has a completely different meaning compared to the wine bought on the market!
Gu Yuexuan rarely saw her grandfather so happy. She smiled and said, "Being able to receive my grandfather's praise shows that all my hard work and waiting these days were not in vain."
"It's just that drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your health. Please taste it first. I'll prepare some side dishes later and fill your plate with them when we're done."
The old grandfather was in a good mood and naturally easy to talk to. He happily held the wine bowl and replied softly, "Okay, okay, I'll go and wait."
He was holding a wine bowl, and when he saw Tu Subo, he couldn't help but joked: "Bo'er, you really married the right wife. Her cooking skills are really impeccable!"
If Gu Yuexuan didn't have this skill, how could he be willing to spend money to satisfy such a craving?
The old grandfather was so excited that he wanted Tu Subo to have a taste as well: "Although this rice wine is a little weaker in strength, it tastes superb. You should try it too!"
Tu Subo's expression froze slightly. Noticing the expectant gaze from a distance, he said calmly, "Grandfather, I'm not good at drinking."
The old grandfather forgot this because of his joy and said regretfully, "What a pity."
"If you weren't bothering people with your drunkenness, we could sit down and enjoy a few drinks."
Tu Subo gets drunk after one glass and passes out after two. Such a drinking partner is definitely not qualified.
The old grandfather sighed, turned and left, while Gu Yuexuan, who was guarding the wine jar, couldn't help but waved to Tu Subo.
"Come here."
As he got closer, the charming aroma of rice wine became stronger.
Tu Subo didn't want to go over, thinking that Gu Yuexuan must have no good intentions, but his feet involuntarily walked towards him.
He frowned slightly, looked down at Gu Yuexuan's cunning eyes, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth: "Why, do you want to laugh at me before it gets dark?"
Gu Yuexuan coughed lightly a few times, trying to conceal her intentions, and said with a smile: "How can you think so badly of people? Am I just someone who likes to watch the show?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
