Chapter 57 Chapter 57 - Two-in-one mushroom and meat wontons
Lin Miaomiao climbed onto the bed, took something out from under the straw mat and opened it. Two entangled little porcelain figurines fell out instantly. She didn't know what they were at first, but after picking them up and looking at them carefully, her face turned red instantly. She hurriedly wanted to put them away, but before she could, she was held down by Niu Hongxi.
"Won't you take a closer look? This is what we're going to do in a moment."
Lin Miaomiao's eyes widened. "Who wants to do this with you?"
Niu Hongxi smiled and said, "All married couples have to do this, otherwise how can they have children? If not, why would your grandmother give you this thing?"
Lin Miaomiao was silent, as if she instantly understood what her grandmother said: if she served people well, they would protect her. Is this how to serve people?
Niu Hongxi blew out the fire stick, put the porcelain figurine and gourd aside, and whispered in her ear, "It's okay. If you don't know how, I can teach you. You'll be able to do it after tonight."
Lin Miaomiao took a deep breath and slowly lay down.
Niu Hongxi lay on top of it, rubbed it randomly, and then couldn't wait to explore below.
The room where Fan Li'niang and Meng Yun slept was right next to where Lin Miaomiao lived. As soon as the two sisters-in-law lay down, they heard Lin Miaomiao in the next room screaming, "It hurts, it hurts!"
The urgent cry of pain had just subsided, followed by a scream of excruciating pain.
After hearing Lin Miaomiao's cry, Lin Jiacai and others shouted from next door to ask what happened?
Lin Miaomiao had no choice but to say that she accidentally hit her head.
After replying to her brothers, she didn't dare to shout anymore and lowered her voice.
But even if he lowered his voice, Fan Li'niang next door could hear it clearly. She was married and knew what was going on just by listening.
Although this marriage was arranged by the government, in fact many ordinary families also have blind marriages, and young couples will cherish each other on their wedding night. How could they do something so brutal?
The next day, Lin Jialang and the others woke up early. Fan Li'niang hadn't slept well the previous night, so she also got up early. She took a clay pot and cooked some corn porridge for them, and the children each drank a bowl.
"Jia Lang, you can lock the door now. Take us to see where the well is and familiarize us with the roads in the village."
Lin Jialang responded happily when he heard that, locked the door, and took them out.
The village was very quiet in the early morning. The surrounding mountains were lush and green. A light mist floated under the rising sun, covering the small village. The air was very good and the weather was warm. Fan Liniang breathed a sigh of relief and felt a little more expectant about the future.
Lin Chunxing and the others steamed buns for breakfast. After eating, they locked the door and carried their backpacks to call Lin Qingqing and the others to collect firewood.
Just after walking a short distance, I met Lin Jialang, Fan Li'niang and others.
Lin Jialang called out to Lin Chunxing with a smile, "Second sister, what are you doing?"
Lin Chunxing paused for a moment. She couldn't walk over as easily as Lin Chuntao. Without even looking, she could only respond muffledly, "Collect firewood."
After saying this, he left with his two sisters.
Fan Li'niang noticed something, and seeing her inquiring look, Lin Jialang took the initiative to introduce: "They are the children of my third uncle, four sisters, and they live there." Lin Jialang pointed to the old house of Muramasa's family.
Fan Li'niang looked at the house that Lin Jialang pointed to. The house looked shorter than other houses in the village, so it must be an old house.
"Are your third uncle and aunt still alive?"
Lin Jialang shook his head slightly. "My third aunt passed away several years ago, and my third uncle had an accident a few days ago."
Meng Yun also took a look, then looked at the backs of Lin Chunxing and the others.
"Four sisters? I saw only three just passed by."
Lin Jialang said, "My eldest sister goes into the mountains to pick mushrooms in the morning and sells them in the county town. She's not home now."
"Mushrooms...what are they?" Meng Yue asked curiously after hearing something she had never heard of before.
Little Cuckoo explained, "Mushrooms are mushrooms that grow in the mountains. You can pick them up and fry or roast them. They're delicious!"
When Meng Yue heard that it was edible, her eyes widened.
"Can we go pick it up?"
Little Dujuan nodded vigorously. Seeing her daughter eager to try, Fan Li Niang thought it was probably some wild vegetable. They were new here and not familiar with the area, so they were afraid they would get lost in the mountains. She said hurriedly, "We'll pick some up later. Don't go into the mountains since you're young."
Meng Yue agreed obediently. Lin Jialang led them for a walk, showing them the location of the well and how to get to the river before returning.
When they entered the yard, Lin Miaomiao and the others had also gotten up.
Niu Hongxi's triumphant look formed a sharp contrast with Lin Miaomiao. Fan Li'niang glanced at her and wanted to say something, but when she thought about how she looked when she just came back last night, she thought she might make herself look awkward, and since she was a stranger, she had to give up for the time being.
Lin Miaomiao met Fan Li'niang's inquiring eyes, thinking that they must have heard it last night, and glared at Fan Li'niang unhappily. Fan Li'niang was stunned for a moment after seeing this, and decisively withdrew her gaze.
Lin Miaomiao and the others are going to Yangjiazhuang today to divide the land this afternoon.
After having breakfast, she locked the door and left with Lin Jiacai, Niu Hongxi and others.
Fan Li Niang and the others were sitting at the door, watching them walk by. Lin Miao Miao met their gazes, turned around and said to Niu Hongxi, "I'm in pain, I can't walk, carry me."
Niu Hongxi looked at her in a daze, but soon realized that Fan Li'niang and the others were watching. Niu Hongxi smiled, squatted down, and carried her out.
He walked around the village with his back to the woman, and the women in the village laughed at him from behind.
Aunt Guizhi also went to sell vegetables today. After selling the mushrooms, Lin Chuntao did not wait for Pei Ying. The sun was good, and she wanted to come back to dry the sauce, so she followed Aunt Guizhi and came back in a mule cart.
Before I even got back to the village, I met a few women from the village who were sitting by the ridge and chatting animatedly.
Seeing Aunt Guizhi coming back, they hurriedly turned around to greet her. Aunt Guizhi also pulled the mule and chatted with them.
"What are you guys talking about? You're laughing so hard that you can hear it from the other side of the mountain."
The women were not at all embarrassed. They just said, "Everyone is talking about Miaomiao. The young couple was so rough last night that she couldn't even walk today. So she asked her husband to carry her to her grandmother's house."
Aunt Guizhi sighed and looked at them with a puzzled expression, "I say, you really don't act like your aunt at all. You have no shame in the broad daylight!"
The woman laughed, her eyes landing on Lin Chuntao. She said jokingly, "It's just a small thing, why are you embarrassed? Look, after getting married, Chuntao isn't like she was when she was a little girl, blushing all the time."
Lin Chuntao: “…”
"If I'm shy, the aunts will laugh at me behind my back. We're a newlywed couple, so if they really like each other, it's okay to hide it behind their backs. So why did something happen last night?"
Lin Chuntao's tone was calm, and the woman thought she had joined their discussion. She smiled and said, "What's the point of liking or not? I just carried her a short distance before she was put down. Miaomiao can't even walk normally."
Hearing this, Lin Chuntao's eyes changed slightly, and Aunt Guizhi also felt a little uncomfortable. She said that something happened at home and drove away in the mule cart.
The two walked forward in silence for a while before Aunt Guizhi said, "Let's go to her grandmother's house today. Her grandmother and aunts will probably tell if they see us."
Lin Chuntao sighed softly, she didn't know what to say.
Aunt Guizhi turned to look at her, her eyes filled with inquiry that was hard to express. Lin Chuntao waved her hand and said, "We didn't have that kind of thing. I sighed because I felt that women could get together and talk freely without any shame, but I didn't explain it to the little girls. They suffered so much in vain."
Aunt Guizhi nodded, and everyone was indeed as Lin Chuntao said.
But she quickly realized that Lin Chuntao and Lin Miaomiao were actually in very similar situations, or perhaps she had a harder time than Lin Miaomiao. Her mother passed away early, and no one told her these things when she got married. Was she lamenting both Lin Miaomiao and herself?
Aunt Guizhi pursed her lips and asked directly, "How are you and Xiao Pei?" After asking, Aunt Guizhi explained, "I also asked your sister Shuilian when she came home. Your mother is gone, so you can treat me as a half mother. Tell me whatever you want."
Lin Chuntao saw the emotion in her eyes and could only tell the truth: "We haven't consummated our marriage yet."
Aunt Guizhi's expression froze. Was the old lady really right?
"Why?"
Lin Chuntao said, "It's nothing. We're just planning to save some money for a wedding at the end of the year. Aunt, don't worry. We agreed on this. I'm not young anymore, I know what to do."
Aunt Guizhi finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. She whispered, "Many men only care about their own pleasure. We can't let them do whatever they want. They always say who serves whom, but in this case, it's not certain who serves whom. Do you understand what Auntie means?"
"Yeah, I understand."
After Lin Chuntao agreed, she looked at Aunt Guizhi and they smiled at each other.
When she was going back, she passed by the old Lin family house and saw Lin Jialang and others at the door.
"Sister Chuntao, my second sister and the others are out collecting firewood and aren't home."
Lin Chuntao frowned and glanced at him indifferently. Fan Liniang and the others were also sitting facing the courtyard gate and looked at her. Meeting their eyes, Lin Chuntao nodded slightly and turned to leave.
After Lin Chuntao left, Lin Jialang pursed his lips and lowered his eyes, a trace of loss flashed across his face.
Meng Yun asked casually, "Jia Lang, is this your eldest cousin from your third uncle's family?"
Lin Jialang hummed, and Meng Yun asked him, "Why are you being ignored?"
Looking at Meng Yun and Fan Li Niang, Lin Jialang knew that sooner or later they would know about this little thing about their family, so he could only say, "My third uncle got married recently, and they found a match for Sister Chun Tao, but she wasn't happy with it, so she picked someone else and signed the marriage certificate. She was kicked out, and since then, things haven't been good between them and us."
Meng Yun and Fan Li'niang frowned slightly when they heard this. They roughly understood something and didn't ask for details.
When Lin Chuntao returned home, the door was locked. Lin Chunxing and the others were indeed not at home. She opened the door, took out the backpack, let all the chicks and old hens out of the yard, cleaned the yard, and then took out the jars of sauce to continue drying.
She looked at the quality of the sauce and estimated that it would be ready in five or six days.
After the sauce was dried, Lin Chuntao went to check on the piglet. A lot of pig grass was cut every day, but it ate half and wasted the other half. The remaining pig grass was pressed under its body as a blanket, and its body was covered with green juice.
The villagers who raise pigs and chickens will get some dead leaves from the mountains for them to sleep on. Firstly, it makes the livestock more comfortable, and secondly, it can slowly produce manure, which can be dug out before spring planting and put into the fields, so that the crops for the year are provided.
Lin Chuntao had seen it before, but she was a little afraid of it and would rather dig a hole to hide the manure.
She wanted to fatten up the pig so she could get more meat for the New Year. If it grew quickly, it would either have to eat feed or grain, but that wasn't realistic at the moment. She watched the piglet slowly get up and walk towards her. She smiled and threw a bundle of pig grass to it, saying, "Little piglet, eat more grass. I believe you can grow fat eating grass."
The piglet seemed not to hear her words and buried its head in eating pig grass.
Lin Chuntao was a little bored, so she went back to the house to soak some rice, then took a small bamboo basket to the fields to look at the corn in each plot, and went to the vegetable garden to cut some water spinach. The red cabbage and Chinese cabbage were also growing well. After waiting for more than twenty days, they would be ready to eat.
Looking at the green leaves swaying in the breeze, Lin Chuntao's mood also improved.
Just as I was about to come back, I met Aunt Guizhi who was picking broad beans. Aunt Guizhi pulled me along and we picked some broad beans and green beans.
Aunt Guizhi smiled and said, "You can peel these broad beans and stir-fry them, or boil them directly and have them as a snack. You can pick them yourself after you finish eating them."
Lin Chuntao picked some tomatoes, cut some leeks, picked some peppers, and pinched some green onions. She filled a bamboo basket with them and gave the money directly to Aunt Guizhi.
She refused, and Lin Chuntao laughed, "How can I have the nerve to pick so much if you don't accept it? Keep picking it up. Auntie, you've been taking good care of us. How can we take it for free?"
Aunt Guizhi thought that since everyone knew each other so well and got along well, it would be inappropriate to charge any more money. However, Lin Chuntao felt that no matter how good the relationship was, everyone should just treat each other as one and not harbor any grudges.
Carrying the vegetable basket home, Lin Chuntao arranged the various vegetables separately and washed some. Most of the vegetables she picked just now were still tender in the shell. She picked the stems, washed them and put them in the pot to cook. Since she had nothing to do, she also picked some beans and put them next to her.
As soon as they finished, Lin Chunxing and the others came back carrying firewood.
Seeing something cooking on the stove, he asked with joy in his eyes, "Sister, what are you cooking?"
"Broad beans. I just ran into Aunt Guizhi when I went to get some vegetables. She asked me to pick some broad beans and string beans. I cooked some and started cooking. Wait a little longer, it should be ready soon."
The sisters put the firewood in place and brought the backpack over.
"Sister, we picked up some mushrooms. Let's fry them and eat them later."
Lin Chuntao looked at the basket and estimated that there were about two or three pounds of them. Almost all of them were blue-headed mushrooms and pine-hair mushrooms, with a few chanterelles, but some of the caps were broken.
She originally wanted to make chive boxes after she brought back some leeks, but now she had broad beans and mushrooms.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "How about I make some mushroom and meat wontons for you guys to share at noon?"
What are wontons? The sisters had never heard of them, but they were sure it was something new to them. Without a second thought, they agreed and happily took a basin to scoop water to wash their hands.
Lin Chuntao also went into the house and took out a clean clay basin. She picked up the mushrooms from the basket and took them under the bamboo fence to wash them.
"Sister, let's take a shower."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Well, you guys wash it, and I'll go chop the meat."
As she spoke, she walked into the house, took out a piece of meat from the clay basin and cut off. There was almost always meat in the house these days, and Pei Ying would bring some back every day, including pork liver, pork heart, pork belly, leg meat, and other kinds of meat.
There was a piece of front leg meat left in the clay pot, enough to stir-fry for two meals. There was a little too much stuffing, so she cut it in half.
She took them outside to scoop water and wash them. When she returned to the house, she smelled the fragrance of broad beans in the pot. She turned around and called Lin Chunhe: "Lao San, check if the broad beans are cooked. If they are, pick them up and remove the firewood."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chunhe stood up and hurried over to work.
When Pei Ying came back, Lin Chuntao was still chopping meat, and her sisters were squatting under the bamboo fence washing mushrooms. The broad beans were still steaming in the colander on the bamboo rack.
"What delicious food are you making?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Chun Xing and the others picked some mushrooms, so I thought of chopping some meat and making something to eat."
Pei Ying was holding half a pig's head in his hand. Lin Chuntao asked in surprise, "You want to eat pig's head meat?"
Pei Ying smiled. He just didn't know what kind of meat to buy, so he just brought back half a pig's head. When he heard Lin Chuntao's words, he smiled and said, "It's okay. See how you eat it."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "There are many ways to eat pig's head. You can braise it, or boil it and make a cold dish with stir-fried meat. Both are fine."
As she spoke, Pei Ying carried the meat back into the house.
He washed his hands, changed his clothes, and then came to Lin Chuntao.
"Is it almost done?"
Lin Chuntao nodded and said, "It's ready. I haven't kneaded the dough yet. Go get a clay pot and help me scoop two bowls of noodles over."
Pei Ying did as she was told. Lin Chuntao put the meat filling on the chopping board into a bowl and asked loudly whether they had washed the mushrooms.
Lin Chunxing smiled and said, "It will be ready soon."
Lin Chuntao went over to take a look, took the clean mushrooms and chopped them up to make the stuffing. The mushrooms chopped up very quickly. Lin Chuntao also asked Lin Chunxing and the others to wash some green onions and cut some into pieces for later use.
Pei Ying kneaded the dough and stood by, kneading it. He asked, "Do you need a rolling pin?"
"Well, bamboo will do."
After kneading the dough, Pei Ying went to get a piece of bamboo and cleaned it. Lin Chuntao mixed the meat filling and mushrooms together, added salt and chopped green onions.
Lin Chuntao rolled out a piece as a sample and gave the rest to Pei Ying.
She doesn't know how to make dumplings, but making wontons is relatively simple. She used to make some and put them in the refrigerator, and then cook them when she was too lazy to cook.
Pei Ying rolled out the dough very quickly, and Lin Chuntao also wrapped it very quickly. Lin Chunxing and the others watched from the side and were eager to try.
Lin Chuntao taught them step by step twice and then let them figure it out on their own while she quickly wrapped the dumplings beside them.
After making a few more, the sisters all started to make them quite well.
Seeing that the dumplings were almost finished, Lin Chuntao asked Lin Chunxing to wash the pot and boil water. Once the water boiled, they could put the dumplings in the pot to cook.
"Sister, do you want to add oil and cook?" Lin Chunxing asked while washing the pot.
"No, just scoop water in."
Soon they were all wrapped and neatly arranged in half a winnowing basket. Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "That should be enough to eat, right?"
Pei Ying looked at the amount. It was quite a lot. He curled his lips and said, "That depends on how everyone likes it."
Lin Chuntao couldn't help herself, "Then no matter how much you like it, you can only eat this much."
There was still a little noodles left in the bowl, so Lin Chuntao asked Pei Ying to roll it into long strips and throw it in to cook together as noodles.
After waiting for the water in the pot to boil, Lin Chuntao put half of it in, and in an instant it was half full.
Before the food boiled, Pei Ying cleaned the basin and ran to wash the onions and garlic, chopped them into small pieces and set them aside. She scooped some salt, added some chicken mushroom oil from the last fry, and also scooped a piece of lard into it.
After a while, the pot was full of wontons floating in the air.
The ones made by Lin Chuntao were still intact, but the ones made by Lin Chunxing and the others had already fallen apart, with the dough staying together and the filling scattered in the soup.
The three sisters suddenly began to make excuses, saying that the other party had paid for it. The whole courtyard was filled with the sound of them talking to each other.
Normally, the wontons would be cooked in a short time, but there were mushrooms inside, so Lin Chuntao cooked them for a while longer. Before serving, she took one out to taste.
Only after she was sure it was cooked did she start to scoop out the soup, onion and garlic sauce.
After the dipping sauce was prepared, Lin Chuntao said, "Pour as much as you want to eat, and then come over here to get the dipping sauce."
The sisters responded, quickly served it, and asked Lin Chuntao to add sauce for them.
"If you want spicy food, add some chili oil yourself."
Although she said so, none of her sisters added any flavor, as they always felt that the flavor prepared by their elder sister was the best.
Lin Chuntao prepared it for them, and Pei Ying also came over with two bowls and ladled the sauce in. Lin Chuntao still thought it was too hot, so she sat at the table waiting for it to cool down.
Lin Chunhe and the others couldn't wait any longer, so they tried one without caring whether it was hot or not.
It's obviously just ordinary chopped mushrooms mixed with meat, but the taste of this package is completely different, so delicious that it makes you want to swallow your tongue.
Lin Chunhe exhaled and said, "Sister! It's... delicious!"
Pei Ying was also looking forward to what it tasted like. He picked one up, blew on it, and put it directly into his mouth.
The dough has a light wheat aroma, the crispy mushrooms and the meat paste are very fresh, and there is a hint of green onion to neutralize it. It’s simply amazing!
Pei Ying looked up at Lin Chuntao while eating, and was also surprised. Scallions could be used as dipping sauce or for stir-frying, but he had never seen them wrapped in dough and eaten.
Lin Chuntao always says that she makes it casually, but she has never seen anyone else make such a taste casually.
The morning sun was not too hot, and there was a cool breeze blowing.
Soon everyone finished one bowl and went to get a second bowl. After two rounds of scooping, the pot was empty. Lin Chuntao asked, "Is this bowl enough to fill you up? If it's not enough, keep cooking."
"Let's cook them all."
The person who spoke was not Lin Chunhe and the others, but Pei Ying.
Lin Chuntao smiled, stuffed some firewood into the stove, added some water into the pot, and cooked the rest when the water boiled.
Lin Chuntao ate three bowls, two of which were clear soup, and the last was a bowl of spicy dry food. Her three younger sisters looked at her red bowl and all took their bowls to ask for more.
Lin Chuntao was helpless, but still gave them some.
Lin Duoer tasted one and shouted beside her, "The spicy one is delicious too, sis, when can we make more?"
Lin Chuntao looked at her and smiled, "You'll get tired of eating it every day. Make it every few days."
The noodles I cooked last time were amazing, and the wontons this time were also delicious.
Pei Ying said, "Last time you said you were going to cook noodles and sell them. I think a lot of people would like your wontons."
When Lin Chuntao heard Pei Ying say this, she laughed.
"I've been listening to you all praising it all day. It tastes good, but it's definitely not a good sell. The meat is expensive. Not only did I put lard in the soup I just made for you, I also put chicken mushroom oil in it! If I really wanted to sell it for a few cents, I wouldn't make any money. I'd rather sell it as noodles."
A few of them chatted and laughed, and after eating their fill, they all collapsed on their chairs to rest.
Lin Chuntao had just called on them to clean up the dishes when she heard noisy voices coming from not far away. Lin Chuntao went out of the yard and saw that it was Lin Cunzheng and others who were taking people to divide the land.
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