Chapter 193 Xia Fangfang was fired
Despite Xia Juanjuan's counsel, Lin Yuru still couldn't get rid of the thorn in her heart. No matter how spacious the houses in the countryside were, the farmers who faced the loess and had their backs to the sky were no match for the workers in the factory who could neither bask in the sun nor get wet in the rain!
She still secretly swore in her heart that she would take good care of her grandchildren and make up for her daughter-in-law in the future.
Putting this matter aside for the moment, Xia Juanjuan dug up some shepherd's purse, took out a piece of pork from the space, chopped it into meat stuffing, and made big shepherd's purse and meat dumplings.
She called Xia Shuangshan over, and in the evening, she asked Shen Wanxue and Yang Qiushi to come over as well, and everyone sat around the table eating dumplings.
In addition to dumplings, a large pot of steamed vegetables was also made.
In April of the solar calendar, elm trees are out of season, but it is the season of locust flowers. The milky white flowers, like strings of silver tassels, hang on the branches, emitting fragrance from time to time, and are indescribably bright and clean.
Acacia flowers are hooked from the tree. A sickle is tied to the top of a long bamboo pole with a rope, which is then stretched among the tall branches and leaves and hooked down together with the branches.
Xiaowen, Xiaowu and Beibei were waiting under the tree with a winnowing basket. After Xia Juanjuan hooked the branches down, the three of them quickly plucked down the elm seeds or locust flowers. In a short while, they had collected a large winnowing basket.
The leaves are not wasted, three are grouped together and braided into long braids. Sometimes some wild flowers are picked to decorate the braids. This is the favorite outfit of the girls in the village!
Beibei and Huanhuan and Yingying looked at the leaves eagerly, and then gathered some to braid for fun.
Xia Juanjuan and Lin Yuru were busy preparing the steamed dishes.
Wash the acacia flowers with water, then take them out and drain them slightly, but the surface still needs to be wet so that it can absorb flour.
The next step is to sprinkle flour evenly on the acacia flowers. No water is needed. Keep the flour dry, but make sure the flowers are covered with as much flour as possible. Then place them on the grate and steam them directly in the pot.
During the steaming process, prepare garlic sauce - the soul of steamed dishes lies in the garlic sauce for dipping. It is also simple. Peel both heads of garlic, crush the garlic with a garlic mortar, add an appropriate amount of salt and continue to mash, then scoop out and put it in a bowl, add water and stir, and finally drop sesame oil on it, and the garlic sauce is ready.
Mashed garlic has a stronger flavor than minced garlic.
While the steamed dish is still hot, pick up a piece of noodles and dip it in the garlic juice before eating. The steamed noodles are mixed with the sweet fragrance of elm money and acacia flowers, and paired with the spicy and salty garlic sauce. It can be said to be a unique delicacy of spring.
In addition to elm money and acacia flowers, young sweet potato leaves are also a good ingredient for steaming dishes. They can also be fried directly, but I didn’t do that this time.
Shen Wanxue and Yang Qiushi both grew up in the city, and this was their first time eating steamed dishes, which was very novel to them.
"Delicious! I didn't expect that the flowers on the locust tree can be so delicious when made into food!" Shen Wanxue exclaimed with a smile.
She grew up in a wealthy family, and the acacia trees along the road in spring were for viewing.
Although I have seen villagers picking and eating them in the countryside in recent years, I still think it is wrong and I dare not follow the villagers and use a sickle to pick them and eat them.
Yang Qiushi also laughed and said, "I have read in medical books before that acacia flowers have the effects of cooling blood and stopping bleeding, clearing the liver and purging fire, and anti-inflammatory. Moreover, they are both medicine and food, and can be mixed with flour and steamed. Today I really ate it. It tastes good."
Xia Juanjuan said with a smile: "Steamed vegetables are only good for their freshness and season, how can they be as delicious as dumplings? Auntie, chef, don't just focus on the steamed vegetables, there are still a lot of shepherd's purse and meat dumplings left!"
After dinner, Shen Wanxue walked to the crib, picked up the youngest Yaoyao and started playing with him.
The little boy was not shy and opened his little arms to let Shen Wanxue pick him up.
Yaoyao was relatively quiet. He made no noise after being picked up. He put his chubby face on Shen Wanxue's shoulder like a warm and caring little cotton-padded jacket and yawned.
Shen Wanxue looked at the delicate and beautiful doll in her arms and couldn't help but tears up in her eyes.
For more than 20 years, she dreamed of holding her child like this almost every night. She smiled happily in her dreams and felt sad when she woke up.
How much better it would have been if she hadn't placed her child in the care of that farmer...
Yang Qiushi also picked up Yanyan, lifted her up high and made a noise, which made Yanyan giggle.
Xia Juanjuan went over, picked up Yeye, and teased him with a rattle.
Shen Wanxue suddenly asked: "Juanjuan, do you know someone named Liang Yunxia?"
Xia Juanjuan was stunned for a moment, then raised her head and replied, "I haven't heard of it. What's the matter?"
Shen Wanxue smiled nervously and said, "Nothing... it's just... I knew her more than 20 years ago, and I heard that she later moved to a village nearby. I just wanted to ask, but if you haven't heard of her, forget it..."
Xia Juanjuan found it strange, but she didn't want to ask more questions.
A few days later, Secretary Zhao asked someone to call Xia Juanjuan to the commune and held up the telegram in his hand and said:
"The matter of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University has come to an end. Xia Fangfang was expelled, but the school is still willing to give the remaining year to our commune. They said that if the new students are diligent and have excellent grades, they can be arranged to work and change their household registration to commercial grain! Lizhan's wife, this quota was originally yours. Although Li Cuihua and Xia Dazhuang are also your grandmother and uncle, you and your brother were originally victims, so you have no problem with the political review. And after you got married, you hunted wild boars and distributed them to the village, and you also built a lotus pond to raise fish. Everyone agrees that the opportunity to go to school for this year should still be given to you."
After hearing this, Xia Juanjuan was silent for a moment before she said sincerely, "Secretary Zhao, this is a good thing! Thank you for the commune's consideration of me. However, I am already married and have children. Now my three little ones are only four months old. I have to go to Beijing to go to school and have to leave them at home. I am worried. So, I decided to give up this place."
Secretary Zhao was stunned for a moment and asked, "Daughter-in-law Lizhan, the school has said that if your grades are good, you can transfer to a city hukou even if you only study for one year. Although you have given birth to a baby, it will only be a hard year. In the future, the children will be able to live a good life with you and Lizhan, right? Are you... sure you want to give up?"
In this day and age, who in the countryside doesn’t envy those who have city hukou and can eat commercial food?
Xia Juanjuan nodded firmly and said, "Secretary Zhao, I know this opportunity is rare. If I miss it, I probably won't have it again in my lifetime. But... I still can't bear to leave the kids for a year. However, if possible, I would like to recommend someone and get a place..."
Secretary Zhao saw that Xia Juanjuan didn't seem to be lying and was being polite, so he sighed and asked, "Tell me, who do you recommend?"
Xia Juanjuan smiled and said, "He is the son of Aunt Zhu from Xia Village, Brother Xiaopeng, Zhu Xiaopeng."