Chapter 264: A bit sloppy
"That's right." Shi Rushuang took a piece of softened sweet potato from the charcoal stove, brushed off the ashes on it, and gave it to her eldest grandson in her arms.
Tuantuan said in a baby voice: "Thank you, grandma~"
Shi Rushuang smiled and rubbed his hair.
She chatted with Qian Guihua about their children, Gu Qingqing interjected from time to time, and Zhang Yuqing also pulled a stool and sat beside them to warm herself by the fire.
Chu Dai let Gou Sheng hold his little son and went to help in the kitchen.
When you open the kitchen door, you’ll be greeted by warm air and a variety of aromas.
Gu Cai cooks very quickly. He uses three large pots at the same time, one is stewing soup, one is steaming vegetables, and another is stir-frying meat.
"Uncle San, what's steaming in the pot? It smells so good." The man sniffed.
"It's pork with preserved vegetables. Steam it until it's a little soft and there's not much chili in it. I think you two in-laws will like it." Gu Cai smiled and lifted the lid of the pot to let him take a look.
Chu Dai actually stood in front of the stove and bent over to take a look. "I'm sorry to bother you."
"Hey, we're all family, why worry about it?" Gu Cai put the lid on the pot again and scooped out the cooked meat: "How long can you stay at home this time?"
"I'll go back after the Lantern Festival. I didn't come back during the Chinese New Year last year, so I took a long vacation and stayed a little longer." Chu Dai looked around. There was almost no place to sit in front of the stove. Most of the old men in the Gu family went to the mountain to dig bamboo shoots and had not returned until dark. The rest of them were either chatting in the main room or sitting in front of the stove and warming themselves by the fire.
"Can stay for half a month? That's a good relationship." Gu Cai was a little surprised.
"Yes, I can eat a few more meals cooked by you." The man said with a smile.
Every Chinese New Year, making fire is a popular job. Before, because Chu Dai was a new aunt, the Gu family let him do it. But now, when he looked into the pile of firewood, he saw a row of big white teeth grinning.
He was not shy and casually grabbed a bench from the side. He said calmly, "Brothers, move in."
Gu Yuanchao sat inside for a while, and the rest of the people squeezed in automatically. Chu Dai stretched out his hand and finally reached the stove. After warming his hand, he asked, "What are we going to do tomorrow?"
Gu Cai started to cook the fish slices: "Grind beans, fry tofu, fry fish, fry meat, fry meatballs. How do you usually eat salted fish? You brought back so much. I'll see how to cook it and try the Nanyang method."
"In Nanyang, people add some soy sauce and steam it. You can cook it however you want. After all, you are a state-owned chef and it will taste good no matter how you cook it." Chu Dai flattered Gu Cai and made him very happy. However, he did not lie, his cooking was indeed delicious.
Tuantuan always ate the bowl of meat and egg custard cleanly every afternoon, and even told his third grandfather that he wanted to eat it again in the evening.
Look, when Gu Cai was steaming the braised pork with brown sauce, he also steamed six small bowls of egg custard. There are many children in the family, so it was very lively.
Gu Xiong and his companions returned from the educated youth center at the end of the village at 7:30, carrying a bamboo basket of bamboo shoots, which they dropped heavily on the ground with a clang.
"Wow, so many?" Gu Cai stretched his neck to take a look: "Peel two quickly, I'm waiting for your bamboo shoots and fried pork."
"Okay." Gu Xiong picked two and took them out, but then he felt that they were too small and not enough to eat, so he touched two more.
The rest was put into the utility room by Gu Heping.
It is said that Gu Ping and Gu Heping from the Gu Bao family have the same name. These cousins look somewhat similar, both taking after Gu Tiezhu.
Chu Dai also helped to peel the bamboo shoots. When he finished peeling, he was a little speechless: "It looks quite big, but it's almost gone after I finish peeling it."
"Winter bamboo shoots are like this, with more shells, but they taste better than spring bamboo shoots." Gu Xiong called out, "Heping, bring me some more bamboo shoots."
"How many, brother?"
"Just take a few." Gu Xiong said casually.
Zhang Cuifen saw that there had been no movement in the kitchen for a long time, so she pushed the door open and walked in: "Old Third, you've been cooking for half a year, why haven't you finished the meal yet? The children are crying out for hunger."
"It's almost done. All that's left is winter bamboo shoots with pork." Gu Cai quickly threw the pot away: "It's your eldest grandson who is so procrastinating that he only came back now after digging bamboo shoots."
Gu Xiong was a straightforward person. When he heard what his uncle said, he just smiled foolishly and didn't think much about it.
Zhang Cuifen didn't buy his rhetoric: "Don't you have any other dishes at home? Do you have to wait for this winter bamboo shoots fried with bacon today? You can just make two pieces of bacon at home, and don't even think about saving them for the New Year. You really can't bear to leave overnight food."
Gu Cai took the scolding obediently. When the old lady calmed down, he spoke again: "Don't worry, there are still several strips of bacon. There will definitely be enough for the next few days."
Zhang Cuifen snorted and turned to the storage room again: "Hurry up and prepare the dishes. Adults can be patient but children get hungry easily. I'll soak some beans. Xiongwa, you brothers should grind the beans tomorrow morning. We're going to make tofu at home."
She untied the strips of cloth wrapped around the burlap bag and scooped the soybeans into the bucket with a notched bowl. She had to soak the beans tonight.
"Okay, grandma." Gu Xiong responded.
The beans this year are good, there are no bad ones, so there is no need to pick them.
With the presence of educated youth like Meng Nan, the Invincible Production Team's crop yields increased significantly and there were no insect pests.
"Okay, get it out of the pot right away." Although he said this, Gu Cai was still cutting bamboo shoots.
There is a piece of black bacon being blanched in the pot.
Seeing his unhurried manner, Chu Dai turned to Gu Xiong and said, "Uncle San is a great chef. He is so calm and composed. He is amazing."
Gu Xiong chuckled and did not hesitate to expose his uncle's shortcomings: "He has gotten used to being scolded by grandma at home these days and doesn't care anymore."
Chu Dai shook his head and laughed.
"Adai, I have some sweet potatoes stewed in the stove. They're right on the edge. You can pick them up to see if they're burnt." Gu Cai took the time to talk to him.
"Okay." The man took the black iron clamp with his slender fingers and made a half circle along the edge of the stove. When he encountered resistance, he pushed away the ashes, and sure enough, there was a round sweet potato.
"Give it to me, give it to me." Gu Yuanchao, who was curled up in the innermost part, said impatiently, "I'm almost starving."
Chu Dai picked up the sweet potato and placed it under his feet without raising his head: "Uncle San, how many did you stew?"
"Four or five, five or six or six or seven?" Gu Cai cut some dried chilies and smashed some garlic, then said embarrassedly, "I forgot."
"Okay, I'll look for it again." Chu Dai searched for a long time but couldn't find the second one. Gu Yuanchao broke off half of the sweet potato and gave it to him: "Don't dig it up. It must have been turned over by someone."
Chu Dai put down the pliers and took the sweet potato. It was slightly burnt yellow and smelled particularly fragrant. He took a bite and asked, "Brother, you were sitting here for so long and didn't you notice that someone had taken it away?"
Gu Yuanchao was vague: "I just came a little earlier than you."
After Zhang Cuifen finished soaking the beans, she covered the bucket with a bamboo cover. Seeing Chu Dai eating sweet potatoes, she said to her son in dissatisfaction, "Look how hungry our aunt is. You've been out of the pot for another half a year?"
Gu Cai didn't dare to argue with her. His father Gu Tiezhu had to cower in front of his mother, so it wouldn't be shameful for him to follow in his father's footsteps.
It was already past eight o'clock when the dishes were served. Qian Guihua came over after dinner. Seeing that they had not eaten yet, she grumbled a few words about why it was so late, and did not want to disturb the whole family anymore. She just said hello and went back.
The door to the main room was closed, blocking out the sound of wind.
The TV was humming, and the whole family was sitting around an enlarged wooden table. The dishes were placed on a wooden turntable. It was good to have a carpenter at home.
Tuantuan and Niannian don't need to be taken care of. They sit on a small stool and eat egg custard by themselves. Xiao Xingxing and Jiaojiao are held by Shi Rushuang and Han Lianxin and fed with egg custard. Xiao Xingxing is very quiet. He will eat if you feed him, and will not make a fuss if you don't feed him.
She is proud of the fact that if you feed her, she will smile from ear to ear, but if you don't, she will pout and look like she is about to cry.
Han Lianxin found it interesting: "We are so proud and coquettish."
Gu Qingqing glanced at it and ate her meal in peace.
She picked up a piece of braised pork, subconsciously poked the fat apart with chopsticks, and put it into the man's bowl.
Chu Dai naturally took the bowl and turned his head to talk to Gu Qinglie at the same time.
There weren't many dishes in the evening, but they were all staple foods, and there was also a stewed cuttlefish and pork ribs soup.
Gu Qingqing drank two bowls. Tuantuan and Niannian loved to eat dried cuttlefish, so Chu Dai picked out all the cuttlefish shreds in the bowl and gave them to them.
After finishing the meal, the man put down his bowl, put his arm on the back of the chair behind the woman, and answered the elders' questions with a smile.
Chu Yuan was already very familiar with the Gu family, and he could call them in-laws very easily without feeling uncomfortable at all.
Qin Zhou was very adaptable, and the Gu family liked this elegant relative very much. In the end, he gave them some advice: "Studying is a good thing. If conditions permit, you can continue studying."
The rumors are not as tense now, and the treatment of intellectuals is not as harsh as before. Smart people have already guessed that something big might happen.
Some brave ones are thinking about making preparations early.
The Gu family was stunned for a moment. All their children had graduated from high school. The Gu family had no shortage of labor at the time, and they didn't want their children to be as uneducated as their grandparents, so they let all their children finish high school.
If you continue reading...
Gu Bao had an active mind, and he thought: "My dear relative, who do you mean?" He probably had guessed something, but still wanted to hear confirmation.
Old Qin smiled and nodded, "It's about right."
The Gu family members were silent for a long time, and Gu Tiezhu was the first to speak: "Until this matter is clarified, let it rot in my stomach."
Their aunt and four boys are all in the military area, and Gu Jin is the captain of the production team, not to mention their in-laws. If the news leaks out, it will definitely bring a lot of trouble.
"I understand, Dad." The four brothers said in unison, and the younger generations also nodded.
This time Qin Zhou finally understood why Chu Yuan said that the Gu family was honest and not stupid.
They are kind and thoughtful.
It is no coincidence that children like Gu Canyang and Gu Qinglie were raised.
This meal allowed Qin Zhou to get to know the Gu family better. He even felt that he and the Gu family were standing in the same direction without realizing it.
He was somewhat surprised at the integration of Gu's family.
Chu Yuan drank one glass of wine after another, with a sly look in his eyes, and asked his old brother: "Don't you want to drink anymore?"
"Drink," Qin Lao came back to his senses and poured himself a glass of wine with a smile: "I will drink with you tonight."
They had Gu Tiezhu to accompany them when drinking, so there was no need to worry about Gu Jin and the others. The four brothers just did what they were supposed to do. Gu Yin went to the tool room to fiddle with his file.
Want to carve some small toys for my nephews and grandnieces.
Gu Cai sat in front of the stove with a pen and paper in his hand, writing tomorrow's menu.
Gu Qingqing leaned over to take a look and read out: "Braised eggplant, crispy fish fillet, steamed pork with pork belly, meatball soup..."
She smiled and said, "Uncle San, your handwriting is a bit sloppy."
Gu Cai scratched his head in embarrassment: "You haven't read much, but I think your handwriting is better than yours when you were a kid."
Gu Qingqing immediately ignored him, while Gu Bao was laughing so hard that he was bent over.
Da Mi has grown up. It wags its tail and crawls around under the table looking for bones to eat. Tuan Tuan and Niannian squat beside the table, looking at it curiously and tentatively reaching out to touch its soft fur.
Seeing that Da Mi did not resist and even rubbed his big hairy head against their legs, the two little guys laughed even more happily.
Chu Dai pulled a chair and sat down next to his father-in-law, and asked with a smile: "Dad, didn't we hear that you were going to be transferred to the commune? Why haven't you been transferred in the past two years?"
Logically speaking, this matter should have been decided long ago, and Secretary Zhou must have made arrangements before going to the central government.
"Son," Gu Jin said with a smile, "Dad doesn't have any great ambitions in this life. It's good enough for me to stay in Datunzi Village and take care of the family."
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