Upon arriving at the market, it was bustling with activity and filled with lively chatter.
Qin Hongmei led Gu Mingyue through the bustling crowd to the stall where Gu Mingyue usually bought her food.
The stall owners were a middle-aged couple, and their stall was packed full of goods.
Not only are there goose eggs, but also chicken eggs of various sizes, and there are also various poultry such as chickens, ducks, and geese in the bamboo cages next to them.
“These are my regular customers,” Qin Hongmei said with a smile. “Their eggs are all laid by their own chickens, so they’re very fresh, and you can even pick and choose.”
Gu Mingyue squatted down to examine it closely. The eggshell had a faint luster, and it felt quite heavy when she picked it up.
She also noticed several very small eggs in the corner, about the size of quail eggs, and couldn't help but ask, "What kind of eggs are these?"
The stall owner explained with a smile, "These are eggs laid by a newly hatched hen. They're small, but the yolks are big and they smell especially good."
Gu Mingyue's eyes lit up, and she immediately picked out a few small eggs and some regular eggs.
Qin Hongmei helped her bargain and even bought two lively chicks to take home and raise for eggs.
Gu Mingyue noticed several fluffy goslings stretching their necks and quacking in a bamboo cage in the corner of the stall, so she asked the stall owner, "Boss, are these geese? I'd like to keep a few to guard the house."
The stall owner smiled and nodded: "Yes, this is a genuine Four Seasons Goose. It's very alert and will bark incessantly if a stranger approaches. It's even more effective than a dog. Moreover, Four Seasons Goose grows quickly and has excellent meat quality."
Gu Mingyue squatted down to observe carefully. These goslings had white feathers, bright eyes, and strong calls, and looked very healthy.
She remembered that the vegetables and poultry in the yard needed to be taken care of, so she decided to buy a few.
"Would you like to take a few goose eggs?" the stall owner asked, pointing to a basket of grayish-white eggs next to him.
"Goose eggs are highly nutritious and taste much better than chicken eggs."
Gu Mingyue readily agreed and picked out several goose eggs with thick shells and smooth surfaces.
Qin Hongmei joked from the side, "Are you planning to move the entire poultry yard home?"
Gu Mingyue replied with a smile: "It's good to raise more. It'll be lively, they can guard the house, and we'll have fresh eggs to eat. It's a win-win situation."
Seeing that they had nothing to take, the stall owner gave them the bamboo cage containing the chickens and geese to carry back.
After buying the chicks and goslings, Gu Mingyue went to a nearby pork stall.
When I arrived at the meat stall, they had just received some fresh bones.
Back home, Gu Mingyue first poured the oysters into a large basin, added some salt and water, and let them expel the sand.
As she prepared the ingredients, she mentally planned how to cook them: sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed oysters with garlic, stir-fried greens, and a soup made with the fresh meat she had just cut.
First, blanch the ribs to remove the blood and foam. Then, put a little oil in the pot and slowly melt the rock sugar into an amber color. She then poured the ribs in and stir-fried them.
Once each piece is coated with caramelized sugar, pour in the prepared sweet and sour sauce and simmer over low heat. The sweet and sour aroma will soon fill the air.
After cleaning the oysters of sand, she used a knife to pry open the shells, removed half of the empty shells, added minced garlic, chopped green onions and a little chili, then drizzled on light soy sauce and sesame oil, and neatly arranged them in a steamer.
On the other side, wash and cut the greens into sections, then stir-fry them quickly in a hot pan to keep them crisp and tender.
Cut fresh meat into slices and put it in a pot with ginger slices. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the soup gradually turns white and becomes fragrant.
When Lu Lin entered the kitchen, he saw this busy yet heartwarming scene.
Wearing an apron, Gu Mingyue skillfully stir-fried and seasoned the food at the stove, the pot bubbling and the yard filled with various aromas.
"What a wonderful day it is today, with such a lavish feast?" Lu Lin smiled and hugged her from behind.
Gu Mingyue turned around and kissed him on the cheek: "Celebrating the arrival of a new member to our family!"
"A new member?" Lu Lin was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up as he looked at Gu Mingyue's stomach in disbelief. "You...you mean..."
Gu Mingyue was a little confused by his gaze, but then she realized what he meant and burst out laughing: "What are you thinking? I was talking about goslings and chicks."
Lu Lin then noticed the bamboo cage in the corner of the yard, where two goslings were stretching their necks and quacking.
He rubbed his forehead, a little embarrassed: "I thought..."
"You thought I was pregnant?" Gu Mingyue raised an eyebrow, smiling like a child who had stolen candy.
"We'll have to wait until we've raised these two little ones to adulthood."
Lu Lin walked over and gently took her hand: "Whether it's a little goose or something else, I'm happy."
"Alright, stop getting excited. They don't even have a place to stay yet."
"Okay, I'll make a nest for them after I finish eating."
So, after finishing his meal, Lu Lin started working on making nests for the chicks and goslings.
He first cleared a dry spot in the corner of the yard, then built a rectangular frame with several planks and nailed thin wooden strips around it to make a fence, which would both allow for ventilation and prevent the animals from running away.
Next, he found some sturdy bamboo strips, bent them into an arch shape, fixed them to the frame, and then covered them with a layer of oil paper and straw to make a canopy that could shelter from the wind and rain.
To make the little ones sleep comfortably, Lu Lin brought some dry grass from the house and spread it thickly at the bottom of their nest.
He also left a small door on one side so that the chicks and goslings could easily come and go.
Gu Mingyue stood to the side, holding a bowl of water, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your cooking skills are quite good!"
Lu Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "These are the newest members of our family, so we have to give them a decent home."
This skill was honed during field training.
After the nest was built, the chicks and goslings seemed quite satisfied. As soon as they were released from the bamboo cage, they rushed inside, scratching around in the haystack and making cheerful noises.
Seeing how happy they were, Gu Mingyue was also deeply moved and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Gu Mingyue suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, Sister-in-law Qin told me that newly arrived military dependents usually host a party to celebrate. Shouldn't we invite some people over to our house too?"
Sister-in-law Qin said this is an old custom, firstly to introduce herself to everyone, and secondly to make it more lively.
Lu Lin nodded and said, "We just moved here and haven't officially met our neighbors yet, but if we're hosting guests, we'll have to cook. Let's find some time when we're free, and I'll come back and help you with the cooking."
"good."
Gu Mingyue smiled, her eyes crinkling.
Having decided to host a dinner party, the two began busily preparing.
The first thing to do is to make a menu.
Gu Mingyue took out paper and pen and carefully wrote down several dishes: steamed oysters with garlic, stir-fried greens, braised pork, and fish soup...
Every time she thought of a dish, she would look up and ask Lu Lin for his opinion.
"You're in charge of asking the people you're inviting if they have any dietary restrictions," Gu Mingyue instructed. "For example, if they don't eat spicy food or seafood, it's good to know in advance so we can prepare accordingly."
Lu Lin nodded, planning to ask a few of his good buddies about it when he went to work in the afternoon.
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