After Yuan Huiniang mixed the pork cracklings with salt, the group gathered around and ate, their mouths greasy with oil.
It's fragrant but not greasy, and it's really delicious, plus it has a chewy texture.
However, Yan Qingqing didn't dare to eat too much, nor did she dare to let the children eat too much. This family was already lucky to have enough to eat before, and they had never seen such a lot of oily food before, so their stomachs would definitely not be able to handle eating too much pork lard.
So after eating a few pieces, Yan Qingqing said, "I can't eat too much today, otherwise I won't be able to digest it and my stomach won't be able to handle it, and I'll feel uncomfortable."
The children ate a few pieces and satisfied their cravings. Hearing Yan Qingqing say that although they hadn't had enough, they washed their hands and continued with their work.
Yan Qingqing was very satisfied, feeling that these children were all sensible, and that her efforts had not been in vain.
Yan Qingqing watched the busy children, took the milk that was soaking in the water out and fed it to them for a while, then put it back into the cold water.
Yuan Huiniang started preparing to make steamed buns. Last time, Yan Qingqing and the others went into the mountains and picked a lot of mushrooms. They ate some of them, and Yuan Huiniang dried the rest. They would come in handy today when making steamed buns.
The dumpling dough was made with a mixture of dark and white flour. Yan Qingqing preferred dumplings made with pure white flour, but the family had only bought five jin of flour, and half of it was used to make cakes and dumplings. Yuan Huiniang's reluctance was understandable.
Besides, given our family's situation, being able to eat steamed buns made with black and white flour is already a luxury.
Yuan Huiniang's method of making steamed buns is very traditional. She simply puts some filling into a dough sheet, then closes the sheet and pinches it closed.
Yan Qingqing glanced at it and frowned slightly, saying, "Hui Niang, cooking is not just about taste, but about color, aroma, and flavor."
After saying that, she picked up a dumpling wrapper and made one. The round dumplings had lace trim, and each one was plump and pleasing to the eye.
Yuan Huiniang looked at the buns Yan Qingqing had made, then at the buns she had made herself, and instantly felt that her own buns had lost their appeal.
Li Xinniang and Li Yueniang, who were standing nearby, both begged to learn how to make the buns that Yan Qingqing was making, even though Yan Qingqing only knew a few simple ones.
However, this did not hinder her teaching. The students learned diligently, and after wrapping two, they began to get started.
With more people working together, the work gets done faster, and in no time, the group had finished making the steamed buns.
After the steaming hot buns came out of the pot, the children waited eagerly.
Yan Qingqing took a bun out of the pot, put it in a bowl, and said to Li Xiangkang, "Silang, go and take this to your grandfather. Tell him that the family is improving their meals and this is a special gift for him."
Regardless of what Old Master Li was like before, he has become reasonable since Yan Qingqing came here.
Whether it was the division of the family or the last time she came back late, she never mistreated them. Moreover, as a widow, she needed a powerful backer to establish herself in Canghe Village.
At present, Grandpa Li is the best choice. However, Yan Qingqing does not want the other members of the Li family to benefit, so she only asked Li Xiangkang to deliver one steamed bun.
Although the two houses had built a wall between them, they were still very close to each other, and the aroma of Yan Qingqing and her friends refining oil and making steamed buns had long since reached Old Li's house.
Grandma Li sniffed hard, then scolded Yan Qingqing from head to toe, thinking that Yan Qingqing was greedy and wasteful, and wondered what delicious food she had made this time.
The grandchildren and great-grandchildren were also very envious, constantly asking what delicious food their great-grandmother was making and why it smelled so good.
Zhao Yumei, who had been washing clothes all morning, finally couldn't take it anymore. She put down what she was doing and was about to stir up trouble when she saw Li Xiangkang run in with a bowl in his hand.
Zhao's eyes lit up immediately, and she quickly wiped her hands on her clothes and said, "Oh, Fourth Brother has brought food. Come on, let your aunt take it."
He reached out to take it after saying that, but Li Xiangkang was quick-witted.
She deftly dodged Zhao Yumei's hand and said, "Auntie, these are steamed buns with pork crackling filling, they're really delicious. My mother told me to give them to my grandfather, so I can't give them to you."
Upon hearing Li Xiangkang's words, Zhao Yumei became somewhat embarrassed and angry, and said: "You little bastard, how can you talk like that? Do you think everyone is like your widowed mother who has never seen anything good in her life and treats a steamed bun like a treasure?"
Let me tell you, even a dog wouldn't eat this bun.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangkang's eyes darted around, and then he burst into tears.
It was probably because Li Xiangkang's crying was so loud that it attracted the attention of the Li family.
Seeing Li Xiangkang crying uncontrollably while clutching a chipped bowl, Li Sanniu's wife, Xu, comforted him, "What's wrong, Silang? Have you been bullied?"
Originally, Xu only wanted to coax Li Xiangkang, but she did not expect to anger Zhao Yumei.
Zhao Yumei's face darkened as she scolded, "Third sister-in-law, there's a hidden meaning in your words. This little bastard speaks so rudely, what's wrong with me, as his aunt, teaching him a lesson?"
If you feel sorry for him, you can move out and live with that widow.
Xu was so frightened that she dared not speak. Zhao Yumei was a virgin and also the niece of Old Madam Li, so her status in the family was much higher than hers.
At this moment, Yan Qingqing's icy voice came: "Zhao Yumei, who are you calling a little bastard?"
Silang is a son of the Li family. Are you calling Erniu a bastard or calling your father a bastard? If that's the case, I wonder what kind of children my sister-in-law has given birth to.
Furthermore, I've never seen a young woman who spews filth from her mouth before!
Upon hearing Yan Qingqing's curses, Zhao Yumei's face turned pale and then red with anger, and she immediately tried to scratch Yan Qingqing.
Yan Qingqing knows kung fu; although her physique isn't great, she's quite agile.
He easily dodged it and even slapped Zhao Yumei across the face.
The slap completely stunned Zhao Yumei. She had never been treated like this at Old Li's house before, so she started crying and making a scene, lying on the ground and throwing a tantrum.
As more and more people gathered around, Yan Qingqing gave Li Xiangkang a wink, and Li Xiangkang, who had forgotten to cry, suddenly burst into tears again, startling Zhao Yumei, who was throwing a tantrum on the ground.
Yan Qingqing was sobbing and wiping away tears. Anyone who saw her would think that this orphan and widow had been bullied.
Just as everyone was discussing this, village chief Li Kaishan and old man Li came over.
Seeing that his family was in turmoil again, Old Master Li's face immediately fell. His family had been getting into so many embarrassing situations lately that he could hardly leave the village anymore.
In particular, Zhao Yumei actually lay on the ground and threw a tantrum, which completely disgraced his eldest son.
Old Master Li scolded Zhao Yumei, "Little Zhao, what kind of behavior is this, throwing a tantrum like this? Don't embarrass yourself here. If you think our Li family can't tolerate you, then go back to your parents' home!"
Old Master Li's words were quite serious. In these days, if a woman is sent back to her parents' home by her husband's family, she's not far from being divorced.
Zhao Yumei quickly got up from the ground and stood aside meekly, not daring to breathe.
Li Xiangkang cleverly walked up to Grandpa Li and said, "Grandpa, Mom said you are the most sensible person in the family and always protect us, so she asked me to bring you steamed buns. But my aunt called me a bastard and said even a dog wouldn't eat these buns."
Old Master Li became even angrier upon hearing this, and said fiercely to Zhao Yumei, "If this happens again, just go back to your parents' home."
Standing to the side, Old Mrs. Li opened her mouth but didn't say anything. In her heart, she was glad that she hadn't gotten involved in the matter, otherwise she would have been sent back to her parents' home as well.
She's too old to afford to lose face like that.
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