"Mom, where's the pickled cabbage?" Ma Hua checked the time; it was just the right time for her to start cooking.
"Here you go." The mother handed Ma Hua the prepared pickled cabbage.
Ma Hua took the pickled cabbage handed to him by his mother and looked at its color. The once bright green cabbage had now turned golden yellow after fermentation.
"Mom, this pickled cabbage tastes authentic, it's sure to be delicious," Ma Hua said, while continuing her work.
Ma Hua first washed the pickled cabbage clean, then cut it into thin strips and set it aside for later use.
Then prepare the side dishes for the stew in the iron pot: dried green beans, potato chunks, cabbage, and frozen tofu.
The ingredients for this stew in an iron pot are usually whatever you have at home; there aren't many rules. Just put in whatever you want to eat.
Chop some scallions and ginger and set aside.
Heat a wok with cold oil. Once the oil is hot, add the goose meat. Stir-fry over high heat. Be sure to stir-fry until the goose skin is golden brown and shrinks.
After stir-frying until golden brown and fragrant, add scallions, ginger, dried chili peppers, star anise, angelica root, and hawthorn. Once all the spices in the pot are fragrant, add the secret sauce.
After stir-frying to release the aroma of the soy sauce, drizzle a ring of white wine around the edge of the pan. This will make the stewed goose meat even more fragrant and delicious.
Then add hot water to the pot.
Goose meat takes a relatively long time to stew. Make sure to add enough hot water at once.
Add five-spice powder, white pepper powder, and a spoonful of salt.
“Alright, let’s wait an hour. This goose meat needs to be stewed slowly,” Ma Hua said to her mother who was watching her cook.
Seeing his mother nod, Ma Hua continued, "Now's a good time for us to prepare the main course we'll be eating later."
As Ma Hua spoke, he mixed some cornmeal, planning to make flatbreads by the iron pot later.
Time quickly passed, and the moment Ma Hua lifted the lid, the aroma of stewed goose instantly filled the entire room.
Even the older brother and sister-in-law in the next room came running over, drawn by the aroma.
"Mom, what is Xiaohua making? It smells so good!" the older brother asked eagerly. It smelled so good, he really wanted to take a bite.
"A famous Northeastern dish, braised goose in an iron pot." My mother took a deep breath. It smelled so good; her stomach was rumbling.
Just then, the father returned with Ziming and Zishan.
"It smells so good! When I first entered the yard, I was wondering whose cooking smelled so good. I never expected it to be my own family." The father swallowed, his mouth watering. It smelled absolutely amazing.
When Ma Hua saw that his family had arrived, he covered his mouth and laughed, "Does it smell good? It's not ready yet, it'll take another twenty minutes."
As Ma Hua spoke, he put all the prepared side dishes, such as pickled cabbage, potatoes, and dried green beans, into the pot until he put the lid on.
Only then did everyone's gaze shift away.
Ten minutes later, Ma Hua lifted the pot lid again, shaped the cornmeal she had just kneaded into a flatbread, and stuck it into the pot. She then covered the pot again, waited ten minutes, and it was ready to eat.
Everyone was incredibly anxious and impatient. It was agonizing to smell such delicious food but not be able to eat it; it was truly unbearable.
If the other families in the courtyard knew about this, they'd definitely yell at you, "You have the nerve to say that? Do you know how overpowering the aroma in your house is?!" Pah!
When Ma Hua scraped off the cornbreads that had been stuck to the side of the pot one by one, the bottoms of the cornbreads were soaked with juice, and when you took a bite, they were incredibly delicious.
Once the goose was served, Ma Hua took out the roast chicken and Wuliangye liquor from the bag.
The family enjoyed a happy lunch together.
The Malaysian Chinese were having a great time eating. But things were quite different back at the courtyard house.
Yan Bugui, the gatekeeper of the courtyard house, felt that he was having a run of bad luck.
I was really annoyed by the MCA at the conference just now. And when I was guarding the main gate, the neighbors coming in and out of the courtyard were looking at me differently.
Before, their eyes were full of awe, but now it feels like they're looking at a big yellow dog.
Before Yan Bugui could get angry, he heard children singing in the alley. Yan Bugui thought he could even hear his own name in the song.
At first, he thought he was confused or had misheard.
Until Banggeng returned with his two younger sisters, humming a song.
“I have a Yan Laoxi, but I never ride it.”
What?! Just one? Yan Laoxi? Not riding. Aaaaaah! That little brat Bang Geng, how dare he insult me like that!
Thinking of this, Yan Bugui kicked Banggeng directly: "Banggeng, you little brat, your mother didn't teach you properly, today I'll teach you some manners."
Bang Geng, who was happily singing, never expected that Yan Bugui would kick him.
Caught off guard, he fell to the ground and immediately cursed, "Pah, you old Yan, how dare you hit me!"
Bang Geng was furious. He had never been hit before in his life, and this damned Yan Laoxi dared to hit him.
"Pah, I deserve to hit you, you really are no good." Yan Bugui said to Banggeng with some disdain.
"You, you just wait!" Banggeng said, then ran home with his two younger sisters.
Soon after, Jia Zhangshi arrived, looking furious: "Old Yan, you dog! What right do you have to hit my Banggeng? Tell me, you old brother, I'll make sure you pay!"
As Jia Zhangshi spoke, she reached out and scratched Yan Bugui's face. Caught off guard, Yan Bugui not only had his glasses knocked off, but also suffered several scratches on his face.
Actually, Yan Bugui realized he'd gone too far with his words after yelling, but who was he? A high-ranking official in a courtyard house, an orphan and widow from the Jia family.
So what if they cursed? Do they dare to cause trouble for me? Besides, it was that brat Banggeng who cursed me first, so I'm in the right no matter where I am.
Thinking of this, Yan Bugui's anxious heart finally relaxed.
But he didn't expect that when Jia Zhangshi heard her grandson say that Yan Bugui had bullied her, she would be so angry.
Not only did they come over to settle scores with me, they also physically assaulted me.
Despite being a man, Yan Bugui was no match for Jia Zhangshi.
Although Jia Zhangshi was short, she was plump. She waved her little arms and scratched Yan Bugui's face again and again.
When everyone arrived at the front yard, they were also taken aback. Good heavens, how could there be so much drama in this courtyard house?
This is Jia Zhangshi's battle against Yan Bugui, so much fun!
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