Chapter 40: Iron Pot Fish Stew with Pancakes
"Take it back for the three children to play with." Xiao Yan said.
Lu Qi Niang: "What's so fun about that big ice block?"
“Make ice sculptures.”
"Who knows that?" Lu Qiniang asked, "In our hands, it's just a big ice cube."
"I can."
Lu Qiniang's eyes lit up, "Can it be sold for money?"
Xiao Yan shook his head. "I can do it, but I'm slow. I'm afraid I can't make money from it."
"Oh, forget it then." Lu Qin's mother said, "It's good to bring it to the three children to play with. It's just that I'll do it for a while... Okay, I'm done."
When Xiao Yan looked at people, his eyes were obviously not fierce, but they still made people scared.
The two went down to look for fish, but found nothing for a long time.
Finally, the man who was chiseling ice nearby got two and gave them to Foreman Liu.
Foreman Liu kept his eyes on the two people. He was worried that he couldn't improve their relationship, so he gave them the fish and sent the two big Buddhas back.
When they returned home, Daya was about to go out to deliver food. Seeing them coming back, she looked surprised and said, "Mom, you're back so soon?"
Then she realized that maybe the ice-cutting wasn't going well, so she forced a smile and said, "Glad you're back. Erya and I have been worried all morning that you haven't recovered enough and won't be able to handle it."
"Of course your mother is fine." Lu Qi's mother laughed and said, "But your father is even more capable. He earned five taels of silver just by talking! You see, he still needs to study! The brains of scholars are different from ours!"
Her mind is full of mush.
Xiao Yan's mind is full of money.
When Lu Qiniang heard that she had received five taels of silver, she stopped working and the whole family was overjoyed.
Daya cleaned the fish and made a fish stew in an iron pot with pancakes. The aroma wafted from the kitchen, making Sanya, who was playing ice sculpture with Xiao Yan in the yard, drool.
"Dad, Dad——" San Ya was the first to change her words.
Because she was young and full of desire for a father, and Xiao Yan was gentle and handsome, he satisfied San Ya's fantasy of having a father.
"Dad, carve Ah Huang up there."
Xiao Yan was outlining the outline of the courtyard. He was clearly using an ordinary kitchen knife, not a carving knife, but in his hands, the clumsy knife was used as smoothly as flowing water.
San Ya felt that the courtyard was missing her yellow dog.
"……good."
Ah Huang is everywhere.
Sharing a bed with him, and now appearing in his ice sculpture.
"Dad, it's so similar, so similar!" San Ya clapped her hands happily.
Erya was asking Lu Qi's mother for money to buy almond oil. Upon hearing this, she curled her lips and said, "You're useless. You're calling me daddy before I even give you any benefits. If you want me to change my words, you'll have to give me a big red envelope."
"You're useless. You call me daddy just because I gave you a red envelope?" Lu Qin's mother glared at her and said, "Go away. I don't have any money!"
"Mom, just give me ten coins and I'll buy a little. Look at my hands, they're about to crack. Mom, just give me ten coins!"
"No. If you really want to buy it, just pay for it yourself. You have money."
Erya was anxious, "Where can I get the money?"
"Only in, never out. Are you a Pixiu?"
As they were talking, Daya called out, "Mom, the fish and cakes are ready. Do you want to eat now or later?"
"Eat, eat, I'm starving."
Lu Qiniang smelled the fragrance and walked into the kitchen.
The iron pot on the stove was bubbling, golden oil stars were swirling in the thick fish soup, and grass carp segments were faintly visible among the ginger slices and red peppers.
Lu Qiniang picked up a wooden spoon and scooped up the soup. The amber sauce could almost be pulled into threads in the air.
The corn tortillas on the edge of the iron pan have been baked to a caramel color, and a sweet fragrance oozes out from the fine pores. The part of the bottom of the tortilla that is dipped in the fish soup has absorbed the soup, which is very appetizing.
"Daya's cooking skills are getting better and better." Lu Qiniang said, "Let's eat! Eat as much as you want today!"
If she could earn five taels of silver every day, she would wake up laughing in her dreams, and her family would have delicious food for every meal.
While eating, the children ate without even raising their heads.
While picking fish bones from Sanya, Lu Qi's mother kept muttering, "You must study hard with Daddy."
Erya's ears were callused from listening to this. She couldn't help but say, "I see. Such delicious fish, please let us enjoy it in peace."
"I'm talking about you! Your elder sister is serious about everything, but your younger sister is still young. But you, you dream every day of marrying a rich man, but you can't read a single word. Rich people have a lot of money, but they're not stupid. Why would anyone want you? You should study hard! In the future, you can learn to read and write, and you can make a living on your own."
"I know, I know."
Xiao Yan picked out the bones from a piece of fish belly meat and put it into Sanya's bowl. He said to Lu Qiniang, "Eat some. I'll take care of Sanya."
"No, I can do it myself. A fish bone stuck in your throat can be a big deal or a small one."
Xiao Yan was disliked, but he was not angry. Instead, he wanted to put the fish into Lu Qi Niang's bowl and said, "Then you eat it."
"My mother is taking medicine and can't eat fish." Daya said softly.
The piece of fish went around in circles and ended up back in Xiao Yan's bowl.
Perhaps feeling a little embarrassed, Erya snorted, "They're not even my biological children, why are you still favoring one over the other?"
Xiao Yan gave her the fish.
Daya lowered her head and smiled.
"Sister, don't you want to learn ice sculpture? You are very clever," Arya said again, "I can't make those things anyway. I have to protect my hands."
Xiao Yan understood after hearing this, and he realized that Daya must want to learn.
Although Arya looks stubborn and strong-willed, she is also very considerate.
"Come together after dinner. We're just playing. Just make yourself happy." Xiao Yan said.
Daya nodded.
Lu Qiniang was still thinking about making money, "What should I do these days?"
"You can't rest, can you?" Erya said angrily, "Can't you just rest at home and recover from your illness?"
"I just can't sit still." Lu Qiniang said, "How about buying some needles and thread and selling them during the Lantern Festival?"
"Don't bother, that's money for buying piglets. If you go and fall for some other guy, you'll have nothing left to buy pigs."
Lu Qiniang was speechless and feigned anger, saying, "I don't beat children during the New Year, otherwise I would have beaten you a long time ago."
Xiao Yan watched the mother and daughter bickering with a smile.
San Ya suddenly said, "It's great to celebrate the New Year, with meat and fish. It would be great if it were New Year's Day every day."
Everyone laughed.
After dinner, Xiao, the mother of Tiezhu next door, came to deliver a piece of tofu and talked to Lu Qiniang in the yard, "I went back to my parents' home today and brought this back. I'm giving you a piece. I feel really bad for asking you to be busy during the New Year..."
"What about the silver? Didn't you ask your mother to give you some?"
Xiao lowered her head and said nothing.
Lu Qiniang sighed, "You, you, don't be like this again. You have to think about Tiezhu. He's already grown up."
Xiao nodded repeatedly.
"By the way, do you have any breeding eggs at home? I'll buy twenty from you." Lu Qiniang said.
Since you have nothing to do at home, you might as well hatch the chicks yourself. It will be cheaper than buying them directly.
"Yes, I'll pick some good ones and have Tiezhu bring them to you."
"Okay, I'll give you the money first."
The market price was one cent each, and Lu Qiniang didn't try to take advantage of it, so she just gave her twenty cents.
When Tiezhu came back to deliver the eggs, there were twenty-two eggs.
Lu Qiniang grabbed another piece of red bean cake for Tiezhu.
A small plate of red bean cakes, only eight pieces.
After each of the daughters ate a piece, they were sensible enough to stop eating, so there is still some left.
After Tiezhu left, Xiao Yan, who was instructing Daya in carving patterns on ice, suddenly looked up and asked her, "Don't you need to go back to your parents' home?"
If she wanted to go, he could accompany her.
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