"Master."
"Master."
Blind Liu came with a big pot in one hand and a wooden steamer in the other. The four little ones have been particularly attached to him since they started calling him Master. Every time he comes, the four of them will surround him. He also enjoys the happiness of having the four little ones around his knees, and he is always in high spirits.
Dabao took the big iron pot from his hand, Ding Youtian came forward and took the wooden steamer, Jian Ning and Tian and Chang had already prepared the soaked beans and water, and were just waiting for him to set the pot on the fire.
"If you only have one pot, just cook one pot first. Take out the koji first. The koji is in the wooden steamer." Blind Liu asked Ding Youtian to take out the koji. The wooden steamer and iron pot were bought by him when he was making wine. Originally, three stoves could be used to cook at the same time, but without two pots, he could only cook one pot for the time being.
He instructed Jian Ning and the others to put the soaked beans into a wooden barrel, add water to the pot and then put the wooden barrel into the pot, then light a fire to boil the beans, and then asked them to crush the koji and put it in a basin for later use, and boil another pot of water for later use.
When the first pot of beans was almost cooked, the village head came. He drove to the town early in the morning to buy pots for Jane Ning and the others. They bought five pots in total. Each stove needed two pots, for a total of six pots. Jane Ning had bought three pots less.
"Uncle, thank you for your hard work." Jian Ning thanked him sincerely. He had mentioned yesterday that he was going to the town to do some work today and would buy the pot for them.
If he had something to do, he wouldn't have come back so early. He must have made a special trip to help them.
"It's no use running errands. You didn't have to walk, and you did a great thing for the villagers. Thanks to you, many families in our village were able to enjoy wild game yesterday, and now they can eat meat. We won't have to go to town to sell beans anymore, and we can even make more money. It's no big deal for me to run an errand for you. If you need more errands, feel free to ask me, okay?"
The head of the village had something else to do, so he went away to do his work.
All three stoves had bellows. Jian Ning and Tian and Chang were responsible for one stove each. They pulled the bellows and chatted outside. Blind Liu used this time to teach Ding Youtian in the east room. Tian and Chang helped to clean up the east and west rooms.
Tian said as she pumped the bellows, "Oh, my Xiaomai's father loves the wine brewed by Blind Liu. I'm really curious, how did these beans become wine? Do you two know?"
Chang said, "I'm curious too. I didn't add any water, and even if I did, it would still be a mess. I don't understand why. Let's see if the fourth daughter-in-law knows."
Both of them looked at Jane Ning.
Jane Ning wasn't familiar with the winemaking process. She thought for a moment and said, "When we steam rice in a wooden barrel, doesn't there get steam on the lid? It's like water droplets. Maybe those water droplets are the wine, and they should eventually flow out of the bamboo tube on the wooden steamer."
They both uttered "Oh!" and thought about it. Every time they used a wooden barrel to steam rice, there were indeed a lot of water droplets on the lid, but it wasn't that much. Chang said, "Ah, isn't that a waste of beans?"
Jian Ning smiled and said, "Wine lees can be made into medicinal food so it won't be wasted. Just add a few eggs, five grams of Chuanxiong, ten grams of peach kernel, ten grams of Cyperus rotundus, and salt. It can invigorate blood circulation, dispel cold, and eliminate stagnation. It can also treat rheumatism, cold pain, etc."
When they heard that it had so many benefits, they were delighted at first, but then they shook their heads.
Chang said, "It's good, but it wastes eggs and herbs. It's not worth it to use so many good things."
"You can also mix it with warm water and drink it as tea. It's good for your health." Jian Ning told Tian, "When Brother Ma's wound heals, you can let him drink some. It can help to invigorate the blood circulation."
"Brother Ding can't drink." Jian Ning said without waiting for Chang to ask.
Blind Liu estimated that the first pot of beans was almost cooked, so he came out and asked Jian Ning to stop adding firewood. After the other two pots were cooked, he asked them to pour the cooked beans into a winnowing basket and spread them out to cool to room temperature. Then he asked them to sprinkle the crushed koji evenly on the beans, mix the beans sprinkled with koji evenly, put them into the wine jar, pour in a ladle of boiled water, and finally tie the mouth of the wine jar with a piece of cloth and seal it for fermentation for a month.
When they heard that it would take a month to ferment, Tian and Chang were a little disappointed. They thought they could make wine right away, but they didn't expect they would have to wait another month.
Blind Liu said, "Cook all the soaked beans today, and then soak tomorrow's. All orders must be delivered on time in a month. If there are any delays, we will lose money."
The three of them said, "Don't worry, it won't be late."
Blind Liu nodded and went to the east room with his hands behind his back. The three of them continued to cook the beans. The boiled water poured into the beans at the end was all made from spiritual spring water. The taste of the brewed wine would be several times better. Jane Ning imagined how Blind Liu would look after tasting the wine a month later, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Tian said, "You're just laughing to yourself, but if you say it out loud, it'll make us laugh too!"
Jian Ning was stunned for a moment, then pointed at Ma Xiaodou and the four little ones playing in the yard, "I just laughed because I suddenly remembered what happened last night. Yesterday, Xiaodou brought a cricket and gave it to my daughter Yaoyao like a treasure, but the cricket was pecked by a chicken."
"What's so funny about this?" Tian said, raising her eyebrows. She looked at Jian Ning with a smile and said, "How about we arrange a marriage for Sanniu and Xiaodou? I think Xiaodou likes your Sanniu very much. What do you think?"
Well, love matters have to be consensual, right?
Did the ancients like to take care of everything?
Jian Ning hesitated for a moment and said, "How old are they? When they grow up, if both of us are willing, I will prepare a generous dowry and marry my daughter off with great fanfare. But if Yaoyao or Xiaodou don't want to, it's useless for us to be so enthusiastic. Living together is a lifelong commitment, and we have to be attracted to each other."
Chang nodded. The first time she and her man had their face to face, she fell in love at first sight. If she hadn't been young and in love, she would have collapsed long ago after taking care of a sickly man for all these years.
Tian also felt that what Jian Ning said made sense. She liked Ma Fuquan the first time she had her face read, but she felt that Ma Fuquan did not like her. It was just that her family was not well off, so he could not be picky.
She had felt a bit of a flaw in her heart in the early years, but now things were better. Ma Fuquan had come back from the brink of death and seemed to have come to his senses. He knew how to cherish her. Now she felt like she was soaking in honey every day. Doesn't life have to be mutually beneficial to be enjoyable?
After cooking the second pot of beans, it was time to prepare lunch. Jane Ning was thinking about what to make for lunch when Ma Xiaomai and Ding Sheng arrived. Both of them were very excited. Ma Xiaomai was carrying a muntjac and holding a fat wild rabbit in his hand.
"Mom, Master." He came in and put down the deer. "Dad said deer meat is delicious, so he told me to take half to my grandmother and this rabbit to my grandmother as well, and to give the other half to Master to share."
Partner up?
Jian Ning frowned slightly.
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