Chapter 112 (Fried Meatballs)

Next day

Zhou Zejing and Yan Qiuyuan left after breakfast.

When the news came, Yan Qiushu, Xiao Huaiya and Zhao Shuhong were having breakfast.

Under her leadership, Hsiao Wai-ya and Zhao Shu-hong would always get up a little later, just in time to match hers.

Today's breakfast is tea leaf eggs and crystal shrimp dumplings.

The good thing about having a neighbor who devotes his energy to raising shrimps is that he is afraid that they will not have shrimps to eat, so he sends them to them every now and then. If there are too many shrimps, they are made into shrimp dumplings and stored in the ice cellar, which can be stored for one or two days. The small shrimps can be made into shrimp cakes, which are also a food. Then they are dried in the sun, ground into powder and cooked into porridge, which is very good for children's health.

However, they don’t have any children, and this kind of porridge would taste a bit fishy, ​​so it is not in their recipes for the time being.

The tea leaf egg that has been soaked overnight is opened, and the plump body is revealed on the tender egg white as if with natural patterns, and it tastes even more salty and delicious.

Yan Qiushu took a bite and reached the part with egg yolk, eating very seriously.

When Manager Gu came over to talk, she didn't even bother to look up. After soaking for a whole night, it was really thoroughly flavored and not dry at all.

Xiao Huaiya was quite puzzled. After Gu, the butler, left and there were only three of them in the restaurant, she said, "You said they came here just to let Han Ronglun seduce me?"

Zhao Shuhong was quite drunk last night and didn't know what happened. When she heard the words, the sleepiness she felt when she just woke up disappeared in an instant. She looked at Xiao Huaiya eagerly, wanting to hear the person involved recount his story.

After listening to it, she said angrily: "You are unworthy of being a scholar!"

Yan Qiushu said silently: "I thought you already knew his character."

Zhao Shuhong gritted her teeth and said, "I didn't expect him to be so bad! He is indeed from the same family as his brother!"

Why did he seduce the girl? Wasn't it for the Xiao family behind her? Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths after just meeting her once? As a man, he has already taken advantage of her, but he is still not satisfied. It is the most hateful thing to take advantage of a woman.

As someone who had been used, Zhao Shuhong could relate to this, fortunately Xiao Huaiya was smart enough to see through it.

Yan Qiushu picked up a shrimp dumpling for her and said with a smile, "Okay, it's all resolved. She also beat Zhou Lanyi with a whip yesterday. It was really powerful."

Zhao Shuhong's anger subsided a little after hearing this.

Xiao Huaiya smiled complacently.

Yan Qiushu said, "Zhou Zejing came to see me late last night."

"Hiss!" Zhao Shuhong took a deep breath, then her face changed slightly, and she blinked desperately at Yan Qiushu.

You careless girl, the person sitting next to you is your sister-in-law!

Xiao Huaiya's face darkened: "What does he mean? Does he still have any regard for my Xiao family? How could he do such a thing!"

Yan Qiushu finished the tea leaf eggs and ate the shrimp dumplings. The shrimp dumplings were light in taste, with a whole shrimp ball inside. They were slightly salty and lightly salty, and the overall taste was a bit bland. She dipped them in soy sauce before putting them in her mouth. The salty and fresh taste immediately filled her mouth. She said calmly, "He was testing me. He wanted to figure out a better way to deal with the Xiao family. He was afraid that I would leak the secret."

Xiao Huaiya was excited: "What method? Do you know?"

"He has arranged people in the Ministry of Revenue and also in the department that specifically manages military pay. The most likely possibility is that he is tampering with the military pay. He is probably afraid that I know these things and is coming to test me. Remember to remind your family members that no matter whether he will do this or not, they must check carefully and be prepared to be on the safe side!" Yan Qiushu said with a smile.

Originally, she was still struggling with how to reveal this news. She came here a year ago, and Xiao Waiting had been on the expedition during that time. It was impossible for her to know about this conspiracy.

But now that Zhou Zejing had brought the excuse to her doorstep, there was no way she would not use it.

In this situation, the Xiao family is absolutely very cautious in this regard. Regardless of whether it will happen or not, military pay will definitely be the top priority. Even if the military pay cannot be completely protected, they will prepare it themselves. The Xiao family now has the capital to make special preparations.

Xiao Huaiya nodded seriously. Marching and fighting were important matters that could not be taken lightly. "I'll go back in two days and tell my mother and eldest brother."

Now that she brought this news, she shouldn't be kept under house arrest by her mother, right?

Xiao Huaiya's eyes flickered for a moment.

Yan Qiushu felt relieved and picked up another shrimp dumpling and put it into her mouth, filling her little mouth.

Hmm, I forgot to dip it in soy sauce, so the taste is a bit bland.

After hesitating for two seconds, she picked up her saucer and poured a few drops directly into her mouth.

Perfect!

Xiao Huaiya & Zhao Shuhong: "...Ah Shu, remember, you are a girl after all!"

Xiao Huaiya had good intentions, but unfortunately, when she returned to the Xiao family, she was kept by Mrs. Xiao again.

Since she is willing to go out and play, then naturally she has let go of her dislike and discomfort about the scars on her face. You can try to meet someone, and if you like him, you can start a family.

Mrs. Xiao also wanted her daughter to get married before, but she got angry because the matchmakers she found were not good enough.

No matter how much she dotes on her daughter, she is a woman who grew up in this feudal society. No matter what, she still hopes that her daughter can get married, start a family, and have children. Even if the man is gone, she will not be alone in the future.

No matter how good your sister's children are, they are not your own children, and it is difficult for them to be like your biological children.

There was no suitable candidate before, but this time there might be one, and she was kept.

Dong Dong, who sent the message, described to Yan Qiu Shu: "My little aunt is so pitiful. She is forced by grandma to dress her up. If she doesn't obey, she will be beaten!"

Yan Qiushu hung the washed intestines and nodded with lingering fear. Fortunately, Mrs. Xiao was always gentle to her, otherwise she would not dare to come to her house.

After Dongdong finished talking about the Xiao Mansion, his attention shifted to her hands, and he asked curiously, "What are you doing? Is this delicious again?"

"Yes!" Yan Qiushu nodded decisively.

Generally, salami is prepared from November to January of the solar calendar. During these two or three months, the temperature will be around ten degrees Celsius. However, the lunar calendar was used in this era, and the temperature in ancient times was much lower than in the future. Now it is September, and salami can be prepared.

Otherwise she was afraid that the army would set out before the intestines were ready.

Dong Dong asked coquettishly: "What is that? Can I eat it now?"

"No, you have to wait for several days." Yan Qiushu told him regretfully, her hands busy as she hung up the washed intestine casings one by one under the scorching sun. The first batch had already dried a lot.

Not only her, but also Zhao Shuhong, Shui Yu and other maids and old women in the manor were helping. During this period of time, they collected countless intestines, both large and small. The grease and other things inside had to be scraped off, leaving only a thin and transparent piece before it could be used.

At this stage, they are sent to the farm, where Yan Qiushu and her colleagues carry out the final cleaning and disinfection. At this time, the white casings are hung on poles, and as the breeze blows gently, there is a faint fishy smell in the air.

Dong Dong sighed in frustration: "Well, I can't eat it for the time being!"

Wan'er ate the Sanzi in small bites and was amused by Dongdong: "It's only two days, you can't wait?"

Dong Dong wrinkled his nose and said seriously: "When you come across something delicious, of course you want to eat it right away. It's so uncomfortable if you can't eat it and have to endure it!"

Yan Qiushu nodded in agreement: "Yes! But there is nothing we can do, we have to wait for this." As soon as she finished speaking, she slapped her head and said with a smile: "But there are other delicious foods that we don't have to wait for!"

"What?!" Dongdong asked with his eyes lighting up.

Yan Qiushu said: "Fried meatball spring rolls!"

Wan'er stopped eating her Sanzi and came over to ask curiously, "What are spring rolls?"

Yan Qiushu smiled and said, "It's a kind of food that is rolled up with dough and fried. It's delicious."

She said it was delicious, so it was certainly the most delicious. The two children's eyes sparkled, and at her instruction, they called back Xiao Pingsong, who was enthusiastically milking the cow, to help.

Among them, Xiao Pingsong is the strongest.

Yan Qiushu said she wanted to make fried meatballs and fried spring rolls, but these were actually New Year's goods that she could only eat during the Chinese New Year when she was a child. But later, when her life got better, these delicious things that she could only eat once a year now appear frequently on the table. As a result, she got tired of them and couldn't think of them for a long time.

For example, she had been in this world for a year, but she didn't even think about fried meatballs, fried spring rolls, and lotus root dumplings during last year's Chinese New Year. Of course, that was mainly because all the New Year's goods were arranged by the Xiao family, and the food was also local specialties.

Things are different now. She is in her own home, and as the mistress of the house, she has to worry about everything. She just happened to remember it while chatting with Dongdong.

The Chinese New Year is coming soon. In order to let Xiao Waiting have a good year, New Year's goods can be prepared in advance, and she can also have a good meal.

Yan Qiushu had limited energy, so she only planned to make fried meatballs and spring rolls.

Meatballs are the simplest of the bunch. The meat filling is a mixture of fat and lean meat. It is chopped into small pieces and seasoned with scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, starch, pepper, salt and other condiments. It is ready when the tender meat filling turns light brown.

Xiao Pingsong skillfully lit the fire, ignited the stove, and put half a pot of oil in the pot. When the oil temperature was about right, he could squeeze the meatballs.

This requires a bit of skill. Grab a piece of meat with your clean hands, make a circle with your thumb and index finger, and tighten the other fingers. The meat will automatically emerge from the circle. Then use a porcelain spoon to scoop it, and a round meatball will appear on the spoon.

The porcelain spoon must be rinsed with water first so that the meatballs will not stick to the spoon. With a slight movement, the meatball will fall into the oil. With a sizzling sound, the meatball will be directly wrapped by a bunch of small bubbles. Put the spoon back into the water and dip it, then squeeze the second meatball.

Meatballs were squeezed out from Yan Qiushu's slender fingertips one after another. This operation seemed inexplicably magical.

Xiao Pingsong was bored with making fire, so he stretched his neck to look: "Aunt Yan, how did you do this?!"

Dongdong was still trying to pad his feet, and he became even more anxious after hearing this. Unfortunately, Wan'er was blocking him from the front, so he couldn't see anything for a moment: "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Wan'er had grown taller after a year, and she could be seen without using footrests. She watched her smooth movements, and the meatballs were scooped away by the spoon and fell into the oil pan in the blink of an eye. She was so used to being helped by Yan Qiushu that she was eager to try: "Huh? So amazing! Sister Shu, can I do it?"

Yan Qiushu smiled and nodded: "Of course, go wash your hands."

Wan'er ran away quickly, and when she did, she made way for Dongdong to see. He immediately opened his mouth in surprise: "Wow!"

Seeing this, Yan Qiushu asked, "Do you want to try it? I'll put a bench for you."

Dong Dong looked at her slender and flexible fingers, then looked at his own short, fat and thick hands, and shook his head decisively: "No, I'd better wait to eat it. I see that the first few meatballs I put in have changed color. Can they be eaten now?"

Yan Qiushu: "...soon."

Is this kid really too clear-headed?