Chapter 98 A Little Secret About Mushroom and Cured Meat Fried Rice
Life in the valley was as peaceful and monotonous as expected.
Fortunately, Lin Yao had planned ahead and collected many primers from the town's bookstores, which she now used to pass the time.
Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), Lin Yao would lead a group of men to learn to read.
Of the dozen or so people they bought, Wang Chunlai and Wan Chunsheng could barely recognize a few characters, while the rest were illiterate and couldn't even write their own names.
These guys have very different personalities, and they learn to write at different paces and with vastly different learning abilities. Lin Yao found it interesting just to watch their different reactions when they practiced writing.
For example, right now, Ah Zhu is scratching his head in frustration. He is a lively person and can never calm down to practice calligraphy. His characters are crooked and messy, like earthworms crawling on the ground.
Su Niang and Zhao Niangzi studied diligently, and their characters were written stroke by stroke, looking neat and tidy.
Wang Xiaoyu was as clever as ever, able to remember the words she had been taught, and could even help Lin Yao tutor others.
Lin Demao watched from afar and couldn't help but sneer, "Oh, they're really bored. What's the use of teaching these lowly people to read? Do they think they can make a living off these words?"
Lin Dong chimed in, "That's right, we'd be better off gathering more firewood."
This happens almost every day, but Lin Yao pretends not to hear it and continues to start her classes on time every day.
A few days later, women from the village brought their children over.
First, Grandpa Zhang brought his two grandsons, and then more and more villagers brought their children to attend the class.
After all, private schools outside charge tuition fees, but this is free, and no one would miss such a good opportunity.
More and more people gathered in the open space, and Lin Yao was surrounded by heads of all sizes.
When Lin Demao caused trouble again, some villagers were unhappy: "Uncle Lin, if it weren't for A Yao, our children wouldn't have had the chance to learn to read. Please stop making sarcastic remarks."
Lin Demao, feeling snubbed, left dejectedly. Although he still harbored resentment, he dared not make a scene in public again. He was like an annoying fly, occasionally buzzing a few words behind her back, which Lin Yao pretended not to hear.
This peaceful period lasted for about a month.
Lin Yao was planning to teach everyone arithmetic when a sudden change shattered the tranquility of the valley.
That afternoon, the able-bodied men on patrol returned, their faces no longer relaxed as usual, but instead solemn.
Leading the group was Liu Dazhuang, who said in a heavy tone, "We thought we'd go back to our village today to check. The bandits must have been here. We saw from afar that many houses had been ransacked and the doors were wide open. We also went to the neighboring village, and found that many people had died."
Recalling the horrific scene he had just witnessed, Liu Dazhuang couldn't help but slam his fist against a nearby tree. "Those beasts! They didn't even spare the children!"
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with lingering fear.
"Luckily we escaped to this valley early on, otherwise we would have been in trouble." Someone said this, which immediately drew a chorus of agreement.
Although they were thankful for their good fortune in escaping this disaster for the time being, everyone's heart couldn't help but feel heavy upon hearing such news.
Those who died or suffered were ordinary villagers like them, and no one knew if such misfortune would befall them one day.
Seeing everyone's dejected expressions, the village head cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "You've all heard it. They're even targeting our remote little village, which means things are completely chaotic outside. We don't know how much longer we'll have to hide in these mountains. From now on, everyone should conserve their food. If you can find some wild vegetables to fill your stomach, do so. Don't waste any. Only by being frugal can we hold out in this valley for longer."
Everyone nodded silently after hearing what the village head said.
The originally relaxed atmosphere turned oppressive, and everyone felt a heavy weight on their hearts.
Lin Cheng took in the serious look on Lin Yao's face.
He stepped forward, patted Lin Yao on the shoulder, and said with a forced smile, "Don't look so gloomy. Although there are more than twenty people in our family, we will never go hungry."
Lin Yao looked up at him, her eyes still showing some lingering worry.
Lin Cheng continued, "If we really run out of food, I'll take Ah Zhu and the others into the mountains to hunt, dig for wild vegetables and pick wild fruits. We'll make sure everyone has enough to eat, and I'll never let you go hungry."
He said this in a light tone, as if he were talking about something trivial.
Little did Lin Yao know that Lin Cheng was deliberately speaking so lightly so as not to upset her.
She suppressed her heavy thoughts and gave Lin Cheng a faint smile: "Alright, then I'll have to rely on you from now on, brother."
"Me too! Me too!" Hearing their conversation, Lin Song immediately jumped over, his little face full of seriousness. "Big sister, I can take care of you too! When I grow up a little more, I'll catch rabbits for you to eat, and I'll pick lots and lots of wild fruits!"
Lin Yao was amused by his mature demeanor and reached out to pinch his cheek. After moving to the mountains, the food had become much less plentiful, and Lin Song had lost weight, his chin had become more pointed, and his skin no longer felt as supple as before.
Recalling the first time she met Lin Song, how thin and small he looked, Lin Yao felt a slight pang of sadness. She patted Lin Song's head and softly replied, "Okay, then I'll wait for Song'er to catch rabbits and pick fruit for me."
Lin Song was so pleased with the affirmation that his eyes narrowed into slits with a smile, and he skipped off to play with the other children.
Lin Yao watched his retreating figure, then turned to Wang Xiaoyu beside her and said, "Xiaoyu, tonight, let's cook a good meal so everyone can have a good meal."
Wang Xiaoyu asked in confusion, "Master, but the village head just said we should eat sparingly."
“After we finish this meal, we’ll start saving money again.” Lin Yao said firmly, “Everyone has been holding back these past few days, we need to give everyone a chance to catch their breath.”
Wang Xiaoyu nodded: "Master is right."
What Lin Yao meant by having a good meal wasn't actually that extravagant.
She knew in her heart that food had to be used sparingly, but she just wanted everyone to have some meat during these tight times to boost their spirits.
Because she had made preparations in advance, Lin Yao's food reserves were extremely abundant. Looking at the large basket of cured meat in front of her, she had an idea: to make mushroom and cured meat fried rice with beans!
This dish looks ordinary, but it blends the aroma of meat, mushrooms and rice together. It has meat, vegetables and staple food. A big pot of it can be cooked and shared among twenty or so people. It is both convenient and filling.
She first had Ah Zhu soak the soybeans in advance, and then had Su Niang wash the brown rice clean. Once the soybeans had absorbed enough water, they were mixed together with the brown rice, and then poured into a large earthenware pot with enough water and placed over a fire to simmer.
The charcoal fire at the bottom of the earthenware pot needs to burn evenly so that the beans and rice are cooked through. You also need to lift the lid and stir it from time to time to prevent the bottom from burning.
While the rice was cooking, Lin Yao started preparing the ingredients. She soaked the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until they were soft, then took them out, squeezed out the excess water, and chopped them into small cubes. She didn't want to throw away the water used to soak the mushrooms, so she filtered out the sediment and kept it for later use in the stir-fry.
These shiitake mushrooms were leftovers from making mushroom sauce. She had asked the village head to remind the villagers that dried shiitake mushrooms could be stored for a long time, just in case. Whether or not someone listened was beyond her control.
The cured pork was specially marinated in advance for future use; it was glistening with fat. Lin Yao sliced it into thin slices, separating the lean and fatty parts.
Everything was ready. The large iron pot was burning hot over the fire, and the fatty part of the cured pork was put in first.
As the cured pork was put into the pot, the golden fat slowly seeped out, and an enticing aroma of meat immediately filled the air. Especially since everyone had been tightening their belts for a long time, the meat smelled even better.
Several helpers around couldn't help but swallow hard, and even Lin Song, who was playing nearby, came over and stared at the pot with his round eyes.
"Sister, it smells so good!" Lin Song sniffed.
Lin Yao chuckled and patted his head: "I'll let you eat a couple more spoonfuls later." As she spoke, she poured the diced shiitake mushrooms into the pan and quickly stir-fried them.
The diced shiitake mushrooms have absorbed the oil and released a rich mushroom aroma. Then pour in the reserved shiitake mushroom water, cover the pot and simmer for a while to allow the aroma to fully infuse the meat.
At this time, the rice and beans in the earthenware pot were also cooked.
Lifting the lid, a waft of steam, a blend of the aromas of soybeans and rice, wafted out. Stirring it with chopsticks, the grains were distinct; the soybeans were cooked until soft and sticky, and the brown rice had absorbed plenty of water, glistening with a faint sheen. Lin Yao poured the bean rice into the iron wok where she was stir-frying cured meat and mushrooms, and vigorously tossed it with a large spatula.
Finally, Lin Yao added salt and pepper to the pot to enhance the flavor, and stirred it a few times to ensure the flavor was even.
In no time, a large pot of stir-fried rice with mushrooms and cured pork was ready. Served in a rough porcelain bowl, the glistening rice grains were garnished with reddish-brown cured pork and dark brown mushrooms, making it look incredibly appetizing.
Although it uses a mixture of soybeans and brown rice, which is not as delicate as pure rice, it has the soft and glutinous texture of soybeans, the chewy texture of rice grains, and the salty aroma of cured meat and the freshness of shiitake mushrooms, making it exceptionally satisfying to eat.
Lin Song held his small bowl and wolfed down his food, not even bothering to wipe the rice grains off his face.
Lin Cheng and his men ate with great relish.
Seeing everyone enjoying their meal, Lin Yao felt much less heavy-hearted.
The other villagers remembered the village head's instructions, and their meals that night were very simple. Many families ate thin porridge with pickled vegetables, or boiled a pot of wild vegetable soup and ate hard cornbread to make do.
As a result, the aroma of meat wafting from Lin Yao's side became particularly prominent. The fragrance seemed to have grown legs, spreading everywhere.
Ye Dong was gnawing on a dry, hard cornbread in the house when a fragrant aroma suddenly wafted into his nose. He sniffed hard, then swallowed hard, making the cornbread in his hand suddenly hard to swallow.
The aroma is so enticing, especially when your stomach is growling with hunger; it's like a little hand scratching at your heart.
He could no longer sit still, so he followed the scent step by step and finally stopped not far from the three rooms of the Lin family's house, where the scent was coming from.
Ye Dong stared wide-eyed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down a few times.
Just then, he caught a glimpse of another figure beside him out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw that it was Lin Demao, who had come here with the same taste as him.
The two exchanged a glance, the meaning of which was self-evident.
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