Chapter 55 Chapter 55-Two-in-one stove (catching bugs)...
As she entered the house, she heard the muffled laughter of someone outside. She sighed deeply and looked at the rice soaking in the clay pot.
When the rice had already turned white, she took out the steamer, scooped the rice in, and took it out.
Pei Ying had already lit the fire, and apart from the faint smile on the corner of his lips, he looked normal.
He came over and took the steamer from Lin Chuntao's hand and asked, "What are you going to do this afternoon?"
Lin Chuntao said, "Let's soak the beans and make the sauce."
Pei Ying: "I'm going to build a stove this afternoon. Should I build it inside or outside?"
"The house is too narrow. Let's build a small pavilion outside with some thatched grass." After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Pei Ying looked at the corner and nodded. "That's fine."
Lin Chuntao said, "It's mainly about Great-grandfather's house. It doesn't seem right for us to put a stove inside. If we put it outside, they can tear it down whenever they want." Thinking of what Sun said, she asked Pei Ying, "Do you want to ask Uncle Lin to help build it?"
"Go ahead. Grandma has told us twice to go after dinner."
Lin Chuntao nodded, the matter was settled, and the rice was steamed. She went back to the house to take out the two pig kidneys left over from yesterday, washed them, brought them back to the house, cut them up, and marinated them. The longer they were marinated, the lighter the fishy smell would be.
At Lin Qingqing's home, her grandmother was steaming rice, and they had just washed their hands and were waiting to eat.
Her third aunt laughed and said, "Oh, Qingqing, you have helped Chuntao and the others with their work several times. Didn't they invite you to dinner?"
Lin Qingqing sighed and said, "I'll just help you cut the grass and water it. Aunt San, are you embarrassed to go eat?"
Aunt Lin San smiled and said, "It's true that I feel embarrassed to go. But whether we go or not is our business, and whether we shout or not is their business. It's really rude of them not to shout or not."
Lin Qingqing didn't want to argue, but seeing that Third Aunt was a little unhappy, she said indifferently: "Of course they did. We were embarrassed to go eat."
Aunt Lin San used flowers to provoke them, "I don't believe it."
Lin Jiaye was about to join in when he heard someone knocking on the gate. He hurried over to open it and saw Lin Chunxing and her two sisters outside.
Lin Qingqing saw that it was them and hurried over, "Chun Xing, come in quickly."
Lin Chunxing looked at Lin Qingqing and smiled: "Here's the bucket for you. I'll take it back and clean it."
Wang came out of the house and heard this and said, "There's no need to wash with the ash water. This bucket is only for dirty water."
Lin Chuntao smiled and thanked Wang. Wang asked them to sit down. Lin Chunxing declined and asked Lin Qingqing, "Where are Dongxue and Jiatie?"
Lin Qingqing pointed to the room behind.
"Playing in the house."
Lin Chunxing said, "My sister is back and wants you to go to my house for dinner."
When Lin Qingqing heard this, she raised her chin towards her Third Aunt. Third Aunt Lin, who was still standing in the yard, was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Qingqing, Chunxing has come to call you, just go."
Lin Chunhe also took over the conversation, "I'll go call Dongxue and Jiatie."
Lin Dongxue and the younger Lin family iron man rushed out when they saw Lin Chunhe coming. Lin Chunhe said to them, "My sister wants you to come home for dinner."
Lin Dongxue looked at the adults in the courtyard and wanted to go but was a little afraid.
"I'm not going."
Lin Jiatie looked at Lin Dongxue and said she wasn't going, and he shook his head. Lin Chunhe said, "Sister Qingqing and Brother Jiaye are both going, so why don't you go?"
The two of them looked at Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye who were standing with Lin Chunxing, and said with a smile: "Then let's go."
Lin Chunhe signaled with her eyes, "Let's go."
When they went over, Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye were also arguing with Lin Chunxing. Lin Chunhe raised an eyebrow and looked at them, "Dongxue and Jiatie are going, but Sister Qingqing and Brother Jiaye are not going?"
Lin Chunxing and Chunhe exchanged glances and smiled in tacit understanding, "That's right, let's go. My sister is cooking alone, so we can go help her."
As he spoke, he pushed the two of them towards the courtyard gate. When they reached the gate, Lin Chunxing shouted, "Auntie, Second Auntie, Brother Jiaye and Sister Qingqing, come to my house for dinner."
After leaving the yard, Lin Qingqing and the others were no longer shy. They were having a great time, and children didn't have as many worries as adults, so they happily went to eat when they were called.
After they left, Wang looked at Aunt Lin and smiled, "Sister-in-law, you're more accurate than the spring bird. Just when I said Chuntao and the others wouldn't come to call for dinner, Chunxing and the others are here already."
Aunt Lin was not angry either. She looked at Wang with a smile.
"I'm not wrong. I've done this to you several times without even saying a word of politeness."
Wang chuckled when she heard this, "Qingqing is telling the truth. Chuntao called them several times, but they didn't go. Although they didn't have a meal before, they happened to see Chuntao making oil residue when they went out to play one night, and she even shared some with them."
Aunt Lin's expression changed slightly. "Youzha, Lin Chuntao is so generous?"
Wang laughed and said, "How could the child's words, which were so cheerful and cheerful, be false?" She ignored Aunt Lin and went back into the house with the colander. Aunt Lin looked at Wang's back, her brows furrowed. Was Wang deliberately trying to annoy her? And she was willing to share her oily scraps with them?
Why doesn't she believe it?
This wasn't really about calling them to eat. She wanted to see what Lin Chuntao would make for them.
When Lin Qingqing and the others arrived, Lin Chuntao was cutting a pig heart.
Seeing someone coming in, Lin Chuntao stood at the door and called out, "Qingqing, Jiaye, take a stool and sit down. The meal will be ready soon."
Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye walked in directly, looked at her and smiled, "What delicious food did Sister Chuntao make?"
Lin Chuntao said with a smile: "Stir-fried pig heart. Do you eat pig heart?"
The two answered yes, but their expressions betrayed them. Lin Duoer smiled and said, "The pig heart made by my sister must be delicious. You will know after you eat it."
In order to prevent them from being afraid of the fishy smell, Lin Chunxing added some flour to the pig's heart, dripped a little wine into it, mixed it well and set it aside.
She turned around and said to Lin Chunxing, "Take Qingqing and the others to sit and play. I'll go over to see about the meal."
As she said this, she took the chopping board and knife out to wash them. After washing her hands, she looked at the rice in the steamer. After it was soft, she called Pei Ying to bring it down, put the iron pot on the stove and scooped two ladles of water into it. She cut a piece of pork belly and put it in to cook.
Originally she wanted to stew the pork ribs, but it was too late to do so now, so she could only wait until the evening to stew them slowly. She was afraid that the pig heart would not suit their taste, so she had to make twice-cooked pork, which would be faster.
Lin Duoer looked at the piece of meat in the pot and looked at Lin Chuntao in shock: "Sister, do you want to cook the meat now?"
Lin Chuntao hissed coldly and patted the back of her head lightly.
"Little fool, when can we eat the meat now?"
Lin Duoer stuck out her tongue, and Lin Chuntao turned around to prepare the garlic, onion, and ginger. By the time she had chopped and prepared the seasonings, the meat in the pot had changed color. She poked it in with chopsticks to see if it could be inserted. If it could be inserted, she took it out and rinsed it with cold water, then took it to the chopping board and cut it into slices.
"Chun Xing, wash the pot and get ready to cook."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Pei Ying and said, "Peel some potatoes."
Pei Ying nodded and went into the house to peel potatoes. Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye looked at Pei Ying, then at Lin Chuntao, and then the kids looked at each other and smiled.
After dancing together that day, Lin Jiaye felt that he was not so afraid of Pei Ying anymore. However, Pei Ying didn't say anything, and he didn't know what to say. It seemed that he was still a little afraid of him.
Pei Ying peeled the potatoes and took them out to wash, and Lin Jiaye ran over.
"Brother-in-law, let me help you."
Pei Ying wanted to say no, but since the person was already there, he just went along with it.
Lin Jiaye squatted in front of Pei Ying. He chuckled and started to talk: "Brother-in-law, can you cook?"
Pei Ying replied, "It can be cooked, but it's not as delicious as your sister's."
"Then we will have a treat today."
Pei Ying smiled when he heard this, washed the potatoes, rinsed them again, and then brought them into the house.
Lin Chuntao has already started cooking.
Lin Chuntao fried the twice-cooked pork first, but it lacked a little bean paste, so the color was not that rich, but she added garlic sprouts, and the smell was also very good after the stir-fry.
After frying the meat, she immediately fried the Chinese cabbage and shredded potatoes. These dishes have no special taste, so she can continue frying without washing the pot.
She stir-fried the pig heart with dried chilies. She often cooked and had good knife skills. Each piece of the pig heart was about the same thickness. After frying, it was covered with oil stains, which looked very appetizing. Lin Jiaye looked at the full bowl of pig heart and swallowed his saliva. It seemed a little different from the ones made by his family.
Lin Duoer also stood by the table and stared at the bowl of pig hearts.
Lin Chuntao was already preparing to stir-fry the pork kidneys, which cooked quickly. She looked at Lin Chunxing and said, "You can get some rice in your bowls and start eating."
Lin Chunxing went to get the dishes and chopsticks, Lin Qingqing ran to help, and Lin Chunhe and Lin Jiaye started to put the stools in place.
There were nine people eating together, and they were all teenagers whose appetites were not to be underestimated. The steamer was full of rice, and except for the two pork kidneys which were relatively small, all other dishes were outstanding.
After filling her plate and sitting down, Lin Chuntao wanted to tell them to help themselves, but the children in the village whose parents were strict wouldn't eat freely at someone else's house. When you invite someone to dinner, you want them to eat well. Lin Chuntao wasn't one for false politeness, so she simply went to get a pair of chopsticks and helped each of the siblings pick up a piece of meat.
Lin Jiaye was the first to taste a piece of pig heart. It had the aroma of dried chili peppers and no fishy smell. He felt a bit like eating lean meat, but the taste was slightly different. It was very delicious.
Lin Chuntao liked the texture of pig heart. She tasted it and found it was not overcooked, so she nodded in satisfaction.
I smiled and said to them, "Qingqing, try a piece of pig's heart. I feel good about it."
As soon as Lin Chuntao finished speaking, Lin Jiaye echoed: "Sister Chuntao, the pig heart you fried is the most delicious I have ever eaten."
Lin Chuntao looked at him and asked, "Can you get used to it?"
Lin Jiaye nodded vigorously, and Lin Qingqing and the others followed suit to taste it. After they finished eating, their eyes lit up and were filled with joy.
"Sister Chuntao, how did you fry this? Why doesn't it have any fishy smell?"
Lin Duoer proudly said, "Everything my sister cooks is delicious. You guys eat pig kidneys, they're delicious too!"
Everyone was a little reserved at first, but relaxed after eating for a while. They just picked up whatever they liked. Lin Chuntao preferred this kind of atmosphere; she didn't like people passing food around.
When they put down their bowls and chopsticks, Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye were stunned. They were so full that they couldn't remember whether they had eaten two or three bowls of rice... and their bowls of vegetables were empty too.
The two of them came to their senses and felt a little embarrassed, but when they looked up, they saw Lin Chuntao slumped on the chair, touching her stomach and shouting, "I can't take it anymore. I'm so full too. I have to leave the dishes to you."
Pei Ying smiled and stood up: "You take a break, I'll clean up."
Lin Jiaye and Lin Qingqing also stood up to help, but Pei Ying stopped them and said, "I'll handle a few bowls, you guys sit back and play."
As he spoke, he put all the dishes and chopsticks into a clay basin, then went to scoop a pot of water and boil it, then took a rag and wiped the table clean.
After waiting for the water to heat up, Pei Ying went to wash the dishes.
Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye watched Pei Ying go in and out to work, somewhat surprised. Their father and uncles would work in the fields, but when they came back from work, no one would go into the kitchen. They didn't clean up after dinner, let alone wash the dishes. In fact, it wasn't just their family; all the men in the village were like this.
Including them, she would be asked to add firewood to the kitchen and steam rice, but the adults would never call Lin Jiaye and his brothers to work in the kitchen.
Moreover, if Lin Jiaye and the others went to the kitchen, they would be driven out by grandma, and she would say a familiar phrase to her: "What are you, a boy, doing around the stove? Get out!"
She had never thought there was anything wrong with this before, but only now did she realize something was amiss. But she couldn't put her finger on it. She just stared at Lin Chuntao quietly.
Lin Chuntao felt Lin Qingqing's gaze. She looked back and saw that the little girl was looking at her with eyes full of suspicion.
"Qingqing, what's wrong?"
Lin Qingqing didn't know how to tell Lin Chuntao, so she smiled and shook her head.
After eating and resting, a few people agreed to go cut grass for pigs, and Lin Qingqing and the others went back to carry the backpacks.
On the way back, Lin Jiaye laughed and said, "This brother-in-law really listens to Sister Chuntao."
Lin Qingqing frowned slightly and looked at Lin Jiaye, "Just being obedient?"
The Lin family was ambitious and didn't notice Lin Qingqing's emotional fluctuations. He still smiled and replied, "Of course, you see, Sister Chuntao asked him to peel potatoes and he went. When you look for a husband in the future, you must find one who listens to you."
Lin Qingqing said, "But Sister Chuntao didn't ask her brother-in-law to do anything when she was washing the dishes just now."
Lin Jiaye was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartlessly and said, "He must be used to being ordered around."
Lin Qingqing nodded thoughtfully. Dongxue and Jiatie beside them were saying that today's meal felt like Chinese New Year, and every dish Sister Chuntao made was delicious.
Lin Qingqing joined the discussion, and the little emotion she had just felt instantly disappeared.
When they happily returned home, their family had just finished their meal. Seeing them happily return, Aunt Lin San jokingly said, "Hey, you guys are back from eating delicious food? Tell us quickly, what delicious food did your sister Chuntao make for you to share?"
Before Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye could open their mouths, Lin Dongxue and Lin Jiatie rushed to say, "Pork kidneys, fried pork, and lard!"
Everyone in the room frowned when they heard this.
"Did you get poisoned by eating mushrooms? Or maybe pork kidneys or lard?"
When Aunt Lin San asked this, Lin Jiatie next to her said, "We haven't finished yet. We also have some delicious fried pig hearts! They smell so good! We ate several big bowls full of them!"
The adults looked unconvinced, but Lin Jiatie simply lifted up his clothes, revealing his round belly.
Everyone in the Lin family: "..."
Wang looked at Lin Jiatie's belly, feeling both amused and helpless, and the people around him started teasing Lin Jiatie.
"Jia Tie, is your chubby belly from eating sweet potatoes?"
Lin Jiatie was displeased when he heard this and said angrily, "If you don't believe me, forget it. We're so full anyway!"
Aunt Lin San was a little skeptical and looked at Lin Qingqing and Lin Jiaye, "Is it really that delicious?"
The two nodded in unison. "Yeah, and Sister Chuntao's cooking skills are really good. She fried the pig heart without any fishy smell. The same goes for the pig kidneys. She even cut them into beautiful flowers. They are both beautiful and delicious."
Lin Jiaye's flattery made the children present drool.
Aunt Lin San felt a little jealous. Seeing her son swallowing and licking his lips, she deliberately said, "The pig heart smells so strong. You didn't eat it when we made it at home before. So you're just bragging about it."
Lin Qingqing wanted to argue a little, but when she looked up and saw her mother Wang's eyes signaling her, she smiled and closed her mouth, then said, "We made an appointment with Chunxing and the others to go cut grass for the pigs."
Wang said, "Then go quickly."
After hearing what was said, several people put on their backpacks and picked up their sickles and ran away.
The younger children in the family began to ask the adults if it was true, so the adults had no choice but to lie to them. After the children had dispersed, the eldest aunt of the Lin family smiled and said, "It seems that Chuntao and the others' lives are gradually getting better."
Before Wang could say anything, Aunt Lin took over the conversation.
"How long can this kind of construction last? This young girl doesn't know how to live."
It was just a mumble, and no one responded. Everyone went back to their own work.
Pei Ying wanted to build a stove in the afternoon. It was originally a simple task, but Sun had mentioned several times that he should call Lin Changzong when building the stove, and since he lived in his house, he decided to go there.
Everyone in Muramasa's family was sitting inside the house to cool off. When they saw Pei Ying and Lin Chuntao coming, they hurriedly invited them in.
Lin Chuntao explained her purpose, and Lin Changzong smiled and said, "Building a stove is easy. I'll go with you guys and it will be ready in a moment."
It was afternoon and everyone was resting at home. Since they had nothing to do anyway, except Lin Changzong, the old couple, Chen Dongniang, and Lin Jiahui all came to the old house together.
The mud bricks were already made, and it was quick to build the stove. It didn't take long before the stove and chimney were both built. An oval-shaped mud brick was also made inside the stove.
Lin Changzong said, "We can use it once it's dry inside. Now let's go cut some bamboo to build the pavilion?"
Pei Ying agreed and went back to the house to get the sickle. Lin Chuntao was about to follow him, but Sun smiled and said, "Let your great-grandfather and your uncle carry it. We won't go." Lin Chuntao felt a little embarrassed, but Lin Cunzheng and Lin Changzong had already left with Pei Ying, so Lin Chuntao had to stay and chat with Sun and Chen Dongniang in the yard.
Sun looked at the yard from time to time. She had seen with her own eyes how Lin Chuntao and the others slowly started to live their lives.
"Chun Tao, it seems like a lot of outsiders have moved here in the past few days. Do you want to find someone for Chun Xing?"
Lin Chuntao shook her head when she heard this. Lin Chunxing was only fourteen years old. She had no choice before, and now Chunxing and the others had no reason to get married.
"Grandma, Chun Xing is still young and doesn't understand anything. I want to wait a few more years."
Speaking of not understanding anything, Sun and Chen Dongniang, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, looked at each other, and then looked at her at the same time. They thought that Xu Xiu had passed away long ago, and Lin Chuntao was still very young at that time, so they didn't know if she understood.
Lin Chuntao looked at their eyes and guessed what they were thinking. She quickly said, "Grandma and Auntie, don't worry. I understand."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both laughed when they heard this, "And they said if you don't understand, we'll get you something."
Lin Chuntao quickly waved her hand to refuse, and Sun said, "When you recover, have a child soon. Many of those who got married with you are pregnant."
"Yeah, I know."
After they sat and chatted for a while, Pei Ying and his friends came back carrying bamboo. Lin Changzong and Muramasa helped to cut the bamboo and made two bamboo rafts. They dug two holes around the stove, planted the bamboo rafts in them, poured in clay and compacted it, and then placed bamboo on top. A simple pavilion was built.
Lin Changzong said, "While the weather is good, go to the back of the mountain and cut some straw to spread on top. It will stop leaking when it rains."
Just as the hottest hour had passed, Sun and the others also wanted to go to the fields. Lin Chuntao and Pei Ying locked the door and followed them to the back mountain to cut thatch.
The backpack that Lin Chuntao usually used was small, and the thatch was too deep to be easy to carry, so she simply used a wooden stick to carry two bundles back.
After returning from harvesting, she turned around and said to Pei Ying, "Take a break and wait for me. I'll soak the beans and we'll go together."
"You stay home and pick the beans. I'll go harvest another basket and bring it back."
"That's okay too."
After Pei Ying left, Lin Chuntao took out the beans and picked them again, weighed out ten pounds, washed them and soaked them.
Ten pounds of beans need to be paired with about four pounds of chili peppers, and the peppers need to have the knots on the heads removed. Lin Chuntao poured the peppers into a winnowing basket and sat in the yard to start cooking. The peppers she bought seemed to be a bit spicy, and she could smell the pungent smell even when picking the knots.
When Pei Ying returned with the straw, she hadn't finished making the chili peppers yet. She had gone to cut some bamboo strips to weave the straw, but she didn't know how to do it, so she decided to just sit there and continue making the chili peppers.
Watching the sun slowly setting, Lin Chuntao went to light a fire, washed the braised pork ribs and put them into a clay pot to stew.
This clay pot is very slow for cooking, but she quite likes it for stewing soup.
Near dusk, Pei Ying finally finished tying up the thatch. He ran to Muramasa's house to borrow a ladder, and then the two of them carried the thatch up and laid it out.
When Lin Chunxing and the others came back carrying pig feed, they were stunned when they saw the bamboo pavilion and stove at the door.
"Sister! The stove was built so quickly? And the pavilion too!"
Lin Chuntao smiled and replied, "My uncle and great grandfather helped me with it."
"How could it be so fast if it was just me and your brother-in-law?"
Lin Chunxing smiled and said, "This will make it easier for us to cook in the future."
The sisters walked back and forth around the pavilion and the stove, exclaiming in amazement.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "The clay inside the stove hasn't dried yet. I guess it won't be usable until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
They seemed not to hear it. Lin Chuntao smiled and ignored them.
Lin Chunxing looked at the stove. The stove was made of mud bricks and was square. The stove top was also very flat. In the future, the steamer and bowls could be placed next to it. Then she thought about it. When winter came, the fried dishes could be placed next to it and would not get cold. It was a good idea to think about it.
After looking around, she went to wash her hands and cook, only to find that there were pork ribs cooking in the clay pot.
"Sister, have you cooked the ribs?"
Lin Chuntao responded and said, "It should be almost done. Go peel two radishes and cut them into cubes."
"Cut it up and cook it inside the ribs?"
Lin Chuntao nodded and said, "Tell me when you're done cutting it, and I'll do it."
Lin Chunxing went to peel radishes, Lin Duoer and Lin Chunhe came to help her pick peppers, Pei Ying tidied up the yard and went to fetch water with a bucket.
The steamed rice from this morning is still there, so you just need to heat it up in the evening.
While waiting for the spareribs to stew, Lin Chuntao fried some eggplant and some cucumber and eggs.
Lin Chunxing and the others were busy serving rice, and Lin Chuntao hurriedly said, "Don't serve mine yet, I want to drink some soup first."
Lin Chuntao likes the pork rib soup with a slightly sweet taste very much.
Lin Duoer and the others prefer to eat meat and are not interested in soup.
At the dinner table, Lin Chunxing and her friends first tasted the braised pork ribs. They had been stewed on low heat for a long time and were already very soft. The taste was just like the meat they stewed last time. It was spicy and delicious when dipped in water, and it was full of flavor even without dipping in water.
Lin Chunhe ate a piece of radish and felt that it was delicious. She tilted her head and looked at Lin Chuntao. Radish has a raw smell and is not very tasty when cooked, but it becomes different in Lin Chuntao's hands. It reminds her of the fried eggplant with tomatoes which is very delicious with rice.
She looked at Lin Chuntao with a smile and said, "Sister, your cooking is so delicious, why don't you open a small restaurant in the future?"
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