Chen Chunhua quickly grabbed Nihou who was about to follow her in and said, "Didn't you see anyone? Call auntie!"
Lin Shuchao grinned in a very formal way, "Hello, Auntie. Have you eaten? Would you like to have a bite with me..."
"Alright, alright, you better go in and have your meal!" Chen Chunhua angrily drove them in, then looked at Zhong Hui apologetically.
"Excuse me, I was just saying that this free-range kid is not very good..."
"He's quite good, lively and cute." Zhong Hui was envious. She wondered if her son would be as hardy in two or three years. If she went back, she could watch him grow up day by day...
Zhong Hui silently clenched her fists, then hurried to say goodbye to Shen Chunhua, "Third sister, I'm really sorry for bothering you today. I made you miss your nap."
Chen Chunhua waved her hand and said, "It's okay. I didn't sleep much anyway. Look, my mother-in-law and the others just came back... Then I won't see you off. Be careful on your way back."
"Well, I'll be leaving first."
…
When Chen Chunhua returned to the house, the old man and the child in the main room had already eaten a sweet potato each, and were now chewing on the white steamed buns that Chen Chunhua had made recently.
"Eat slowly, be careful not to choke!"
Chen Chunhua quickly poured them both some water to drink, and Lin Guoqing opened the door and came out.
"My sister-in-law is gone?"
"Yeah, let's go."
"So your little brother is really going to marry into the family?" Lin Guoqing had just been watching the child sleep and eavesdropping on people talking, enjoying himself. Now he scratched his head and began to analyze the matter.
"Then there will be only two children in your family here. I guess your eldest brother will come to you about your parents' affairs."
Chen Chunhua sneered, "Why are you looking for me? If you have the guts, bring the 175 yuan betrothal gift your family gave you first! If you don't, I'll just go and cry!"
She didn't want to get involved in the Shen family's troubles. She could have ignored Zhong Hui's talk, and even if she didn't, she'd probably still go back eventually. Firstly, she thought it was better to make friends with as many people as possible, and secondly, Zhong Hui was a girl in her early twenties, so she could help her settle down and prepare for the college entrance exams.
As for Chen Laicai and Qian Laier, it’s none of her business.
Lin Guoqing knew that his wife didn't like talking about things over there, so he changed the subject.
"Mom, how many bamboo shoots did you bring back?"
Liang Shengdi bit the bun fiercely, chewing it and feeling the wheat aroma, while saying nonchalantly,
"How would I know how many there are? I let Chaochao take care of the cart, and I scooped a basketful each time. You know what, a tricycle is best! Otherwise, with so many bamboo shoots, I wouldn't be able to carry them back even if I had to make three trips back and forth!"
Then she looked at her daughter-in-law and said, "Chunhua, when are we going to dry the bamboo shoots?"
Last year's pickled mustard greens were all gone by summer, and the dried bamboo shoots were even closer. She'd been craving them for ages: dried bamboo shoot and loofah soup! Dried bamboo shoot and mushroom soup, stir-fried green beans with dried bamboo shoots, stir-fried pork with dried bamboo shoots! Braised pork with dried bamboo shoots! ...
As she thought about it, Liang Shengdi's saliva began to flow again.
Chen Chunhua didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "I guess I don't have that much time recently..."
Making dried bamboo shoots is a strenuous job and is time-consuming. The autumn harvest is coming up in the next two days, and they still have to go out to set up stalls in the evening. Chen Chunhua really doesn't have that much time and energy to do this.
Seeing that Liang Shengdi was about to lose her composure, she quickly suggested, "How about you stay home for a few days and make the dried bamboo shoots yourself?"
There are enough bamboo shoots and fish at home. There are eel cages and long bamboo baskets in the fields. The pile of crabs and shrimps from yesterday are all soaked in a bucket of sauce made from rice wine and soy sauce. The snails are kept in a basin waiting to be cooked in the pot in the evening. We really don’t lack these things.
Liang Shengdi wants to eat dried bamboo shoots, so why not make some herself?
Liang Shengdi held half a steamed bun in her hand and burped involuntarily, "Ah... I don't know how to do it..."
"I'll teach you! It's very simple!" Chen Chunhua pointed at the bamboo shoots on the cart and said, "Take a break for a while. When you're done, peel the bamboo shoots. Then slice them evenly, not too thin or too thick. You'll know how to do it, right?"
This pile of work is actually enough to do for a whole day. If Liang Shengdi is not familiar with it, it will probably take her a whole day. Cutting winter bamboo shoots for a whole day will make her hands blistered.
"After cutting, I'll probably cook them in several pots. Pour some salt and a few drops of oil into them, and they'll be ready in three or four minutes. This is quick, but the trouble is drying them. I need to drain the bamboo shoots first, then arrange them one by one on a winnowing basket.
Remember to spread them out, flatten each piece, don't pile them together. The sun's been good these past two days, so it should be mostly dry in three days. But if you want to keep it longer, you'll need five days. If we don't have enough dustpans, why don't you make two more?"
Liang Shengdi burped again and wanted to refuse. It was not because she was lazy, but because she felt that she could not do this job... Then she heard Chen Chunhua say,
"At the end of the month, how about we get a chicken or a duck and make some bamboo shoot chicken soup? Or maybe bamboo shoots and duck stew?"
"Okay." Liang Shengdi said readily.
"I'll do it after dinner. Are these bamboo shoots enough? I don't think there will be much left after they're dried. How about I dig some more this afternoon and cut them all up tomorrow?"
Chen Chunhua suppressed her laughter and looked at Lin Guoqing.
"It's up to you. Ten pounds of bamboo shoots yield one pound of dried bamboo shoots. If you want to eat more, just dig more!"
If we dry it in the sun for a while, it will last longer. We can eat it during Chinese New Year, right? "
"Okay!" Liang Shengdi nodded. "Then I'll go out in the afternoon."
When she thought of stewed chicken with dried bamboo shoots or stewed duck with dried bamboo shoots, she felt full of energy.
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