Chapter 31 Braised Pork with Reed Leaves
They rode their bikes into the village and casually entered a house on the edge of the village to take shelter from the rain. As soon as they entered the hall, the rain poured down with a roar, splashing a cloud of gray dust into the long-abandoned hall.
The house was an old building; the backyard had collapsed, and half of the large wooden gate to the front yard was missing, making it look like a toothless old woman. The house had clearly been vacant before the serious illness; most of the items inside had been moved out, leaving only a few pieces of wooden furniture riddled with insect damage. The large red lantern hanging by the door had faded, its cloth torn, revealing the iron frame inside. The frame was lined with straw, and the lantern had clearly become a bird's nest, though the birds were long gone.
The sudden downpour was terrifyingly heavy; in the blink of an eye, the scenery outside was completely obscured. Zhao Xuan wasn't too worried, though. This kind of rain happened almost every afternoon in the summer, coming and going quickly, but it became less frequent after autumn. Despite the heavy rain, it would stop after half an hour, and once the sun came out, the moisture would evaporate, making it almost as if it hadn't rained at all.
Lu An chopped up some furniture and started a small campfire inside the house. The Yao family had brought flatbread for lunch, along with some cooked taro. These things could be slowly roasted by the fire, and they would taste better when heated. Zhao Xuan wrapped the rice balls he had made in the morning in lotus leaves and also placed them by the campfire to heat them up.
The weather was still very hot. After they put down the food, they sat down in a place away from the campfire to cool off. The heavy rain brought a draft, which initially carried the smell of dust. After the rain moistened the land, the wind became cool and humid, not very strong, and felt particularly comfortable on their skin.
Zhang Xiaohe poured everyone a glass of chilled rice porridge; if there weren't enough glasses, she used lotus leaves. 460, meanwhile, sat curled up by the doorway, raindrops splashing in and wetting its nose. It licked its nose with its tongue and closed its eyes slightly. Dogs dislike heat, so 460 really enjoyed the cool, rainy days.
Everyone drank their rice porridge, gazing silently at the rain outside the hall. For a moment, apart from the torrential rain, the world was unusually quiet.
This was a rare moment of relaxation for Lu An and Zhao Xuan.
The rice cooked quickly by the fire. Zhao Xuan made thick rice balls with lots of filling. She noticed the dog secretly glancing at the rice ball in her hand several times, so she took one and stuffed it into the child's hand.
To make them easier to hold, each rice ball was wrapped in a reed leaf. Zhao Xuan had picked these leaves when he first arrived. This plant resembles clumps of small bamboo shoots, but its leaves are larger and longer. They are typically harvested for use as wrappers for zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and can also be used medicinally. After being picked, washed, and dried, the reed leaves can be stored for a long time. When wrapping the rice balls, Zhao Xuan cut the reed leaves into rectangles and placed them at the bottom of the rice balls to keep his hands clean.
Because Zhao Xuan had specially stuffed a lot of vegetables into the rice ball, the chili sauce inside seeped into the white rice and then dripped onto the bamboo leaves, making the bamboo leaves glossy and green, which looked very appetizing.
The dog has always been interested in the food Zhao Xuan makes, including popsicles, various drinks, and snacks. Whenever Zhao Xuan sees the dog, he invites him to try some, and this time the rice balls were no exception.
Actually, the rice balls are filled with ordinary food, such as chopped chili peppers, dried radish, and eggs, but they are very much to the dog's liking. Children always like to eat things with strange and unusual shapes.
Looking at the glistening bamboo leaves, Zhao Xuan suddenly remembered that he and Lu An had also planted some glutinous rice. Glutinous rice is more delicate than rice and is planted later than rice seedlings. It will be harvested at the same time as crops such as potatoes and corn. However, seeing that the glutinous rice grains are not as plump as the rice grains this time, he guessed that the harvest would not be much. He wondered if they could make enough zongzi for them.
Thinking that there was still a large bunch of bamboo leaves at home, and adhering to the principle of not wasting them, Zhao Xuan felt that he should make some other food.
Zhang Xiaohe's pancakes were as delicious as ever, and Yao Yuan said her noodles and steamed buns were also exceptionally good. However, wheat isn't suitable for growing in the south. Both families planted some wheat this year, but like glutinous rice, it wasn't growing well, definitely not enough to make a staple food.
Zhao Xuan traded a lunchbox of rice balls with the Yao couple for a few pancakes. She and Lu An were like two big kids, not interested in their own food, but finding other people's food especially delicious.
The group finished their meal at a leisurely pace. By then, the rain had stopped, and they extinguished the campfire before preparing to go home.
On the way back, they still stopped and started again. Sometimes the dog and 460 would jump off the tricycle, the dog would pick up a stick, and the two of them would play by the roadside for a while before running to catch up with their tricycle.
Zhao Xuan also likes to pick up a stick on the road and play with it, poking the ground and grass with the stick as he walks, which makes him feel particularly safe.
It was nearly evening when I got home, which is the time of day when the temperature begins to drop. The west was still bathed in a warm orange glow, and a light breeze had already begun to blow.
After parting ways with the Yao family on the main road, Lu An and Zhao Xuan turned onto a small road in their own village and leisurely drove home.
A few steps from home, 460 leaped off the bike with a push of its hind legs, sped over, and stopped in front of the locked iron gate, panting as it waited for its owner to slowly approach.
After unlocking the door, Lu An parked his tricycle in the yard and reached out to pick up a few watermelons.
Zhao Xuan fished a net bag out of the kitchen, picked out a watermelon and put it in, saying to Lu An, "Later, you move the watermelon to a room away from the sun, and then put this—" She lifted the heavy net bag, "into the well water down in the village to soak it."
"Don't you need to refrigerate it?"
"Trust me, watermelons soaked in well water taste the best!"
Lu An went to move the watermelon as instructed. Zhao Xuan took the lotus flower that had been wrapped in large lotus leaves in the back of the room; after half a day of high temperatures, the lotus flower was a little wilted. She found a large, open white porcelain basin in the second-floor room, scooped half a basin of water into it, and placed the basin on the square table on the first floor.
A large porcelain basin occupied the prime central position on the small square table. Zhao Xuan took the lotus flower, trimmed the overly long stem, and then gently placed the flower into the basin.
She placed three flowers in total, two fully open and one half-open. The flowers floated to the surface as soon as they entered the water, swaying slightly and creating ripples.
So beautiful—Huanbi's taste is indeed excellent.
Zhao Xuan stared at the translucent, jade-like lotus flowers, lost in thought for a long time.
Just then, sunlight slanted in, making the lotus petals appear translucent and also illuminating Zhao Xuan's delicate profile.
Lu An happened to see this scene when he returned, and he was stunned.
460 nudged him with his nose from behind, his beady black eyes full of confusion, as if to say: What are you doing? Blocking the road?
Hearing the voice, Zhao Xuan turned around and grinned at Lu An: "You're back? I'll go cook!"
It wasn't too late, so Zhao Xuan took out the reed leaves he had collected before the New Year and boiled them in hot water for a while. The pork belly he had taken out of the freezer as soon as he got back had thawed, so he cut it into pretty little cubes, wrapped the meat in reed leaves like wrapping rice dumplings, and tied it with cotton thread.
She lit a fire on the stove, then took a large earthenware pot and tossed in the meat wrapped in bamboo leaves, along with soy sauce, rock sugar, cinnamon, star anise, ginger slices, and two dried chilies. She filled it with water, then added wine and a knot of scallions.
Put the lid on, and then just wait.
The version of braised pork wrapped in bamboo leaves that she made was extremely simple. If it were more elaborate, the pork belly would need to be marinated first, and there would be rules about what spices to add and in what order. But now, neither she nor Lu An cared about any of that.
Zhao Xuan just suddenly wanted to eat meat, so he took advantage of the early hour to make this time-consuming dish.
After the start of autumn, although it is still hot during the day, the temperature will gradually drop as the sun sets, becoming much cooler than summer nights. Sometimes you will need to wear a light long-sleeved shirt – this is the slight difference between autumn and summer in this southern mountain region.
During the wait, Zhao Xuan and Lu An sat side by side by the stove, chatting idly.
Lu An asked, "Are we still going to play by that big stream over by the railway?"
Zhao Xuan shook his head: "Let's talk about it later. Let's rest for two more days. The grain on the dry land should be harvested soon, as well as that small patch of glutinous rice and wheat. I see that there has been a lot of rain these past few days, so let's hurry up and harvest it first." The planting area for glutinous rice and wheat is very small because they have a limited supply of seeds and lack planting experience, so the yield is not high. At their speed, they can finish harvesting it in a day.
She said to Lu An, "Shall we make some rice noodles this year?" Although they didn't have enough glutinous rice and wheat, they had rice, which could be used to make rice cakes, and rice noodles, which could be stored for several years if dried.
Lu An asked, "Can you?"
"Sister Xiaohe has made it before. She told me how to make it, and she can also make dried noodles. I told her we'd exchange some of our things for some of their dried noodles."
“Then we’ll try making it during the off-season,” Lu An added, “I’m talking about rice noodles.”
At this point, Zhao Xuan's eyes lit up: "Actually, potatoes and sweet potatoes can both be made into flour. I wonder how the harvest is this season. If we need a lot, we can give it a try."
Last winter, the two of them basically survived on potatoes and sweet potatoes. At that time, they didn't care much about the taste of the food, as long as it was cooked and they were full. These chunks of grain were either buried in charcoal and roasted or thrown into water and boiled in their original state. They took them out in the same way they went in, dipped them in salt, and if they were particular, they would dip them in chili powder and swallow them whole.
Zhao Xuan ate beans for a long time in the camp, and then coarse grains for a long time. Her stomach was already overburdened. Many times, as soon as she ate these foods, her stomach would immediately churn with acid. In severe cases, the burning sensation in her stomach could keep her awake all night.
The two chatted casually, while an enticing aroma of meat wafted from the earthenware pot beside them. Zhao Xuan lifted the lid, poked the meat with her chopsticks, and said, "It needs to stew a little longer." With that, she patted her bottom, stood up, and prepared to go to the well to fetch the watermelon.
At this time, the sky was still faintly bright, the sun had already set behind the mountains, leaving only a faint red glow in the west, and the sounds of insects had faded, making the village even quieter.
Zhao Xuan put her hands in her pockets and slowly walked down to the bottom of the village. She liked this leisurely and quiet moment.
The watermelon had been chilled by the well water. It was soaking in the water in a green woven net. One end of the net was tied to a protruding rock outside the well by Lu An. Zhao Xuan untied the net and pulled it up, scooping out the watermelon covered with glistening water droplets.
The chilled watermelon seemed even greener than when it was freshly picked.
Holding the watermelon, she walked slowly towards home.
Zhao Xuan deliberately chose a small watermelon so that the well water would cool it down faster. She cleaved the small watermelon in two equal halves with a cleaver, took a spoon, and she and Lu An each held one half of the watermelon, scooping out pieces to eat while waiting for the flesh to cook.
Lu An took a bite of the pale pink flesh, chewed a few times, and frowned: "Why does this watermelon taste like onions?"
Zhao Xuan then came to his senses: "Oh, sorry, I used that kitchen knife to chop scallions and forgot to wash it."
Do you use the same knife to cut vegetables and melons?
"yes."
"You once said that the knives for cutting vegetables and the knives for cutting fruit should be separate." Lu An spoke obediently, not blaming her, but stating a past fact.
Zhao Xuan answered frankly, "Never mind, I'm not that particular anymore."
After it got completely dark, they lit lamps in the hall. By then, the meat was cooked, and the lid of the small stove was gently sizzling, releasing a rich aroma with a faint scent of bamboo leaves.
Zhao Xuan picked up a large porcelain bowl and carefully searched the pot for the pieces of meat near the bottom with chopsticks. The meat at the bottom had absorbed the broth and tasted even better than the meat on top. She didn't turn off the fire, letting the remaining charcoal continue to heat the stove. She removed the meat from the bottom, letting the pieces on top fall into the broth and continue simmering.
She cut the meat into very large pieces, about half the size of a palm, so that several pieces piled up in the large porcelain bowl, forming a pointed shape. 460 had never seen anything like this before. Watching Zhao Xuan pick out pieces of brownish-red meat, its eyelids drooled, and it followed her around like a lost soul. When Zhao Xuan raised the bowl, its head rose; when she lowered the bowl, its head slumped down.
Zhao Xuan found it funny. She drew a circle with the bowl, and the 460 dog's head spun around as well.
Zhao Xuan said to Lu An, "Lu An, look! It's a tracking camera!"
Eating pork wrapped in reed leaves is a ritualistic affair. You hold the cotton thread and place the pork pieces into your bowl of rice. Untie the knot, peel back the browned reed leaves, and the fragrant, tender pork is revealed, its fat and lean meat clearly defined, the fat glistening and the lean meat distinct. Compared to pork cooked directly in a pot, the reed leaves infuse the meat with their own aroma, masking any greasiness.
Before the apocalypse, the picky Zhao Xuan didn't eat much meat like this. She didn't like meat that was cut into large chunks and stewed. She thought it was too greasy and too strong in flavor. After the apocalypse, she reflected on it and realized that it wasn't that she didn't like it, but that she ate too much back then. People are always not appreciating what they have when they have too much.
At that time, she not only disliked eating meat, but also didn't particularly like zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
She's so insensible.
After removing the bamboo leaves, Zhao Xuan scooped a spoonful of thick broth onto the rice. She then picked up a piece of meat that was now completely tender with her chopsticks and ate it along with the rice that had absorbed the broth. The meat was salty, sweet, delicate, and fragrant. She swallowed it after only a few bites and then hurriedly shoveled in a second mouthful of rice.
It smells so good... Indeed, rice's best friend is big chunks of meat. She looked up and saw Lu An across from her also engrossed in eating. He seemed to know that Zhao Xuan liked leaner meat with some tendons, and even though he had already put the meat in his own bowl, he would use his chopsticks to pick off the part that Zhao Xuan liked and put it in her bowl.
Zhao Xuan didn't refuse, and after taking the meat, he gave him a chuckle.
This pot of braised pork wrapped in reed leaves was quite large. The two of them ate a lot in one meal, and even shared a few pieces with 460 small customers. There was still half a jar left.
Meat won't spoil quickly, so Zhao Xuan put the lid on the jar, cooled it down, and put it in the refrigerator, planning to make lunch for tomorrow.
This was their first unrestrained feast since settling in the deserted village. Even when they ate their fill normally, they never consumed this much oil, and with the added benefit of eating watermelon to cool it down, unsurprisingly, Zhao Xuan had diarrhea that night.
Going to the toilet has become a very troublesome thing for them nowadays. In order to avoid the spread of germs and bad smells, the toilet in their own house has been banned. They have to go to the backyard of the pig farm next door, where there is a dry toilet.
Usually, before locking the gate at night, Zhao Xuan and Lu An would go to the neighbor's toilet together. There was a chamber pot at home, so they could relieve themselves if they needed to in the middle of the night, but they didn't use it often. After all, emptying the chamber pot wasn't a pleasant chore.
Zhao Xuan's stomach rumbled for half the night, and finally she couldn't resist getting out of bed. As she was putting on her slippers, she saw that Lu An was about to get up as well, so she stopped him: "You go to sleep, I'll go to the toilet by myself."
With a piece of toilet paper, a stick of moxa, and a flashlight, I came downstairs and saw 460 opening its eyes warily. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, and then 460 followed its owner out the door.
Having been in this deserted village for almost a year, Zhao Xuan had not seen any other strangers besides the Yao family. She had truly let down her guard. Before, if she needed to get up at night, Lu An would accompany her, but in recent months she had been going by herself. If 460 was home, 460 would accompany her.
The latrine smelled awful, so she lit a stick of moxa and stuck it in the door knocker. She didn't lock the door because she didn't need to.
The pigs and chickens in the yard stirred for a moment after hearing the footsteps, but quickly quieted down. The chirping of insects had subsided considerably in autumn; it seemed the insects had used up all their energy in the summer, chirping for a while and then stopping for a long time. During this period, the whole world was quiet.
460 lay in the yard, and Zhao Xuan could even hear its breathing with its tongue sticking out.
“460!” she tried calling out.
460 responded with a loud "woof," and the flock of chickens stirred again.
Zhao Xuan would call 460 every now and then to make sure it was still active.
The mosquitoes were quite vicious in the middle of the night. She tried to shoo them away by waving her arms around her buttocks from time to time, but it didn't seem to work. Soon, several large welts appeared on her buttocks.
Squatting in a dry toilet is far less comfortable than squatting on a toilet in a clean and bright bathroom. Her legs quickly become numb. Zhao Xuan finished quickly, keeping her mouth tightly closed, partly because she didn't want to inhale the stench, and partly because she was afraid of ingesting a few mosquitoes.
It would be great if we could build a septic tank; it would be much cleaner and more hygienic than the current dry toilets. I just don't know if Lu An is familiar with the structure of a septic tank. But if he isn't, that's alright; the Taiping Town library should have many books about it. After all, it's a town library serving the rural area.
The problem is that cement is hard to find, and after the apocalypse, it usually gets damp and can no longer be used.
However, the matter of building a septic tank is something I can discuss with Lu An. Zhao Xuan thought to himself as he washed his hands.
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