Everything sold in this era was still very honest. The steel stove not only came with a pot, but also a small iron pot.
The iron pot cannot be used in the bedroom, but the stove in the living room can be used.
As the steel stove in the west room was lit, the temperature inside gradually rose, and in less than half an hour it was warmer than the living room.
"Sister, sister, look, look, it's red." Who was the happiest person? It was of course Chuchu. Chuchu witnessed with her own eyes the steel furnace from its installation to its full functioning.
Burning coal is indeed different from burning wood.
Coal is more durable and the temperature rises faster. Once the stove belly turns red, the temperature of the whole room will be at least 17 or 18 degrees. Chuchu's thick sweater can no longer be worn, so she plans to take it off and change into a thinner coat.
"Don't take it off. You're just testing the stove's firepower. If there's no problem, you don't need to pull it back to change it. Just press some wet coal powder on it, and the firepower will be much smaller, and you won't feel the heat." Qin Qingman stopped Chuchu with a smile.
In the past, the only place with a stove in our house was the living room, and that was also the place with the highest temperature. When it was cold, we would want to sit around the stove for 24 hours.
Now, there is a stove in the bedroom, which makes it more convenient to take a shower or do anything else.
Chuchu was very well-behaved and was stopped by Qin Qingman.
But he also had a curious question to ask, "Sister, what is wet coal powder?" It was a new word that he had never heard of before.
Because it was the first time their family used coal.
"Wet coal powder is the powder after coal is broken. We pick so many pieces of coal and no matter whether we pile them up or move them, some powder will fall off due to friction. These powders are good things. In the city, coal powder is mixed with loess to make honeycomb coal balls. Here, we can add some water to the coal powder and mix it evenly to seal the fire."
Seeing that Chuchu was very curious about new things, Du Hongyi took the initiative to explain.
"Yes, that's what your brother Du said." Qin Qingman echoed Du Hongyi's words, and at the same time went to pour hot water for the people who had been busy for half a day to wash their hands.
Installing a stove is easy, but installing a chimney is more troublesome.
There was no opening for installing a chimney in the west room of the Qin family. Du Hongyi, Yuan Xiangyang and a few others opened a small opening above the window glass. After a lot of busy work, everyone's hands were dirty. Now that they were done, they had to wash their hands quickly.
"Sister, let me pour some water."
Chuchu was very smart. When he saw Qin Qingman going to pour water, he followed her to help.
Not only did he help pour hot water, he also enthusiastically handed out soap nuts and towels, just like a little master.
Seeing that Chuchu was busy and clear-headed, and that Du Hongyi and his friends had a good relationship with Wei Ling, Qin Qingman let Chuchu entertain the guests. She took Wei Ling with her and started preparing the dishes for today's festival.
The days are short, so lunch is more important than dinner.
She had already started working before Du Hongyi and others arrived.
Two pig trotters were cleaned and stewed in a large iron pot, which was emitting the aroma of meat. Wild boar meat is tougher than domestic pig meat. Generally, domestic pork can be stewed in more than an hour, but wild boar meat cannot. It needs to be stewed for at least three hours.
At this point it had only been stewed for less than two hours.
Two pots were lit in the kitchen. One pot was stewing pig's trotters. The trotters were stewed in a clear sauce, and radishes were added later to make a light flavor. It was very delicious when dipped in chili paste.
The other pot was stewing red-braised lamb with skin.
The mutton was brought by Du Hongyi and his group. They went to the division headquarters cafeteria and exchanged five pounds of mutton with meat coupons. For them, eating beef and mutton is a traditional tonic during the winter solstice.
Two big dishes were more than enough for the festival, and luxurious enough, but Qin Qingman thought about it and still stewed some braised pork in the hall. The fat and lean pork belly with red yeast rice was bright red and shiny, fragrant and delicious.
As the host, Chuchu invited Du Hongyi and others to sit by the fire and poured a bowl of honey water for each of them.
There are few cups in his house, so he just uses bowls when entertaining guests.
Anyway, it’s easy to wash the dishes.
"Chu Chu, your sister's cooking smells so good that my stomach is growling just by smelling the aroma." Du Hongyi took a gulp of the water in the bowl and then spoke to Chu Chu.
Zuo Gaopeng also said, "In order to be able to come to your house for this meal, I didn't eat last night and left my stomach full. I must eat more today!" He was not exaggerating. After seeing the note left by Wei Ling, they realized that the dumplings sent by Qin Qingman had been intercepted.
After discussing it, the three of them immediately went to find Wang Chengping and Political Commissar Zhang.
Originally, Yuan Xiangyang was supposed to be on duty today, but because Wang Chengping and others were caught stealing fried dumplings, the three of them argued with each other, and finally Hong Wei agreed to take over the winter solstice duty in place of Yuan Xiangyang, which led to the four of them all going to the Qin family today.
Chuchu was shocked by Zuo Gaopeng's exaggerated statement.
A pair of beautiful big eyes were wide open.
Looking at such a lovely Chuchu, Yuan Xiangyang rubbed the child's head and said with a smile: "It's true, we really didn't eat last night, and we didn't eat this morning either, just to eat the meal your sister made."
Of course, not eating was not a voluntary decision, but a passive punishment.
If they dared to cause trouble for Wang Chengping, this teacher would always make them suffer in unexpected ways.
But fortunately, we can have dinner together at Qin's house today.
The Qin family hadn't started eating yet, but Du Hongyi and the others' stomachs had been rumbling for a long time.
They are hungry. Very hungry.
They had followed Wei Ling to unload so much coal before, which was heavy physical work, and the little energy they had left had been exhausted. At this time, the aroma of meat in the Qin family's kitchen and living room had made their mouths drool like crazy.
I want to eat it. I really want to eat it!
"My sister can cook many dishes, and every dish is delicious."
Seeing that everyone was sincerely praising Qin Qingman's cooking skills, Chuchu immediately sat down with shining eyes, paying attention to the braised pork in the pot while talking to Du Hongyi and others.
Of course, the words still show off my sister.
After hearing what Chu Chu said, Du Hongyi and others became even more jealous of Wei Ling.
Listen, other people’s wives can cook more than just one or two dishes, they can cook a lot.
"The fried dumplings my sister makes are super delicious. There's also fish stewed in a iron pot, salted pork intestines, stir-fried meat with garlic sprouts, and iron pot pancakes..." Chuchu counted the delicacies she had eaten with her fingers to Du Hongyi and the others.
Du Hongyi and his friends were originally looking for a topic to chat with the child, but they didn't expect Chuchu to be so honest. She actually told them what delicious food she had eaten. Suddenly, they couldn't hold back their expressions.
I'm hungry, please eat!
Chuchu was having a great conversation with Du Hongyi and others in the living room, while Qin Qingman was also talking to Wei Ling in the kitchen.
"A Ling, didn't they say that some of Du Hongyi and his men might stay at the division headquarters?" Although Qin Qingman had never been a soldier, she knew the special nature of military work. Many soldiers, let alone going home to reunite with their families, might be on duty during the holidays.
Many military wives in later generations have shared their experiences.
Wei Ling certainly knew what was going on.
Originally, he wanted to cover up for Wang Chengping, but it turned out that the commander was too disappointing. He gave Yuan Xiangyang leave, but also made Du Hongyi and the other two hungry for a day.
Even if he didn't say anything about this, Du Hongyi and others would complain to him later.
In that case, he simply told Qin Qingman what happened when he returned to the camp yesterday.
Qin Qingman almost forgot to cut the sauerkraut when she heard this.
The division commander, the division political commissar, and the director of the logistics department, three old men who are not young at all, can actually do something like snatching fried dumplings. It's really...
It's so cute!
Qin Qingman instantly bent over with laughter.
Wei Ling's mouth curled up as he explained, "Du Hongyi and I have a very good relationship with the teachers and commanders. We often joke around with each other in private. The teachers and commanders treat us as their own juniors."
“I see.”
Qin Qingman smiled and nodded.
When Wei Ling said that he punched three leaders one by one and still came back safe and sound, she knew how those leaders treated their subordinates.
"Wife, actually it's mainly because the food you cooked is so delicious. The teachers couldn't come to our house for the holiday due to work reasons. I was jealous of Du Hongyi and the others, so I deliberately starved them for two meals." Wei Ling leaned close to Qin Qingman's ear and whispered.
The warm breath penetrated into Qin Qingman's ear holes, stimulating her scalp to the point of numbing.
But she also understood one thing, that is, the food in the division cafeteria might not be very delicious.
Wei Ling saw Qin Qingman's expression and nodded helplessly.
"The chef of our cafeteria is not a chef by profession, but he has always followed the division commander. He has been fighting with him since he was a company commander. Later, he was injured in the war and retired from the front line. Originally, this was a retirement due to injury and he could have been arranged a good job, but the chef did not want to leave the army."
"Why?" Qin Qingman asked curiously.
"The master is from Northeast China. His family died in the war a long time ago. He would have no relatives left if he went back. It would be better for him to stay in the army. The army is like his second home." Wei Ling went on to explain.
Qin Qingman understood, "So he was assigned to the logistics department?"
The troop canteen belongs to the logistics department.
Speaking of this, Wei Ling was even more helpless. "Originally, he was assigned an easy job in the logistics department, but the master liked the hustle and bustle and insisted on working in the cafeteria. As a result, he ended up staying in this land."
Qin Qingman listened thoughtfully and asked, "Where is the injury, Master?"
If your hands or feet are injured, you will definitely not be able to do kitchen work, but it will definitely not affect your movements.
"Taste." Wei Ling looked at Qin Qingman woodenly.
Qin Qingman blinked and understood why Wei Ling had that expression.
Letting a person who has lost his sense of taste be the chef in the division cafeteria is not a life-threatening thing, but it will definitely drive people crazy.
For people who have lost their sense of taste, everything they eat tastes the same. Not only can they not taste saltiness, they can't tell whether it's delicious or not. No wonder Du Hongyi and his friends looked a little strange every time they talked about the food in the division headquarters cafeteria.
"Has no one made any noise?" Qin Qingman was surprised.
The cafeteria of the division headquarters does not only serve a few hundred people, but tens of thousands of people. It is impossible for so many people to take into account the contribution of the master chef.
"How could no one cause trouble? Of course there were people who caused trouble, but we had Division Commander Wang and Political Commissar Zhang. Even though they seemed approachable in front of us, they were well-known figures in the divisions, military sub-districts, and even military regions. Wherever they were, no one dared to question the orders of the division headquarters."
"Both the division commander and the political commissar are good leaders."
After listening to Wei Ling's words, Qin Qingman gained a new understanding of Wang Chengping and Political Commissar Zhang.
"Wife, please save some dumplings and vegetables for Du Hongyi and his friends to take back to the master and his team at night. It's not easy for them. Everyone can complain about the dishes made by the master chef, but they never complain. They have been eating the same dishes for many years. In addition, their family is not around, so they don't even have a way to improve their diet."
Wei Ling still has deep feelings for Wang Chengping and others.
Both the original Wei Ling and the current him have benefited greatly from the help of several people.
"Okay, you chop more meat fillings later. Let's buy more dumplings with different fillings today, freeze them and let Du Hongyi and the others take them back. They can cook them whenever they want to eat them." Qin Qingman knew that there was a stove in the office of Wang Chengping and the others.
"Well, I'll go cut the meat."
Wei Ling went out neatly to cut the meat in the snow.
Qin Qingman looked at the sauerkraut in her hand, and then went to soak some mushrooms. She took more than one kind of mushrooms, including some hazel mushrooms and some black fungus.
Hazel mushrooms, black fungus and sauerkraut can be used to make dumplings in three different flavors.
In order to take some more dumplings for Wang Chengping and others, Qin Qingman looked at the dough and it seemed that she could add some more flour.
If there is not much white flour at home, you can add some corn flour and sweet potato flour.
The color of the dumplings may not be that good-looking, but she can guarantee that they will be delicious.
When Wei Ling came back from cutting the meat, he saw the enlarged dough. It was impossible for flour of several colors to be white when mixed together, but everyone had eaten all kinds of grains, so they would not care about the ugly color of the dough.
In those days when supplies were scarce, it was good to be able to fill your stomach.
After the dumpling filling is prepared, it is time to make the dumplings. There is no way Qin Qingman and Wei Ling can finish making three large pots of dumpling filling in just half an hour. This is when Du Hongyi and others contribute their efforts.
At a greeting, everyone carried large chopping boards into the hall.
The dumpling fillings were also brought over.
After putting a few pieces of firewood in the kitchen stove to ensure that the pot was bubbling, Wei Ling returned to the living room.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw a bustling scene.
Du Hongyi and his companions consciously washed their hands, rolled out dough, and made dumplings. The four grown men pushed Qin Qingman and Chuchu aside.
Even though Du Hongyi and his companions were all single men, they often led the soldiers to make steamed buns and dumplings during festivals. Therefore, they were very fast in rolling out the dough and making dumplings, and big, round "ingots" were squeezed into the big winnowing basket.
After filling up a winnowing basket, Wei Ling asked Qin Qingman to have a rest while he carried the winnowing basket to the yard.
Dumplings sprinkled on the snow will freeze hard in no time.
After repeating this process several times, the Qin family's yard was filled with many popular dumplings.
After wrapping the dumplings, Du Hongyi and the others did not let Qin Qingman do anything. Instead, they cleaned the chopping board and wash basin, and finally carried the chopping board back to the kitchen.
At this time, the pig's trotters and braised lamb in the pot are almost cooked.
Qin Qingman put the juicy radishes into the pot and stewed them together with the pig's trotters. She scooped the braised lamb from the other pot into a basin and brought it to the living room. The hall was warm and they would have their meal there.
"Would you like to drink?" Qin Qingman asked Wei Ling in a low voice.
She remembered that every household seemed to drink a little alcohol during festivals, but she was not sure whether soldiers like Wei Ling could drink.
"Yuan Xiangyang is Uncle Hong's substitute. He has to take over when he returns, so he can't drink. Xiao Shi is driving, so he can't drink either. As for Du Hongyi and Zuo Gaopeng, I'll ask them if they want to have a drink." Wei Ling thought for a moment and answered.
The weather in the Northeast is extremely cold. Even soldiers like them can drink a little during their breaks in such extreme cold weather.
"Okay, go ask, I'll go see if there's any wine at home."
Qin Qingman and Chuchu were the only ones at home, so she wasn't sure if there was any wine at home. She had to ask Chuchu.
When the original owner was studying in town, Chuchu lived with her parents, and children know the things at home best.
After discussing it, the couple went their separate ways.
Chuchu was "accompanying guests" and heard Qin Qingman's question. After thinking for a while, she went to the cellar and dug out a large earthenware jar from a corner of the cellar. It was more than half a person tall and the seal and the jar were covered with dust. "Sister, this is the wine our father used to make. It is said that ginseng was added."
When Qin Qingman heard that ginseng was added to the wine, she immediately became interested.
The ginseng of this year is definitely wild and aged, not the ginseng that has been cultivated under the forest for only a few years in later generations.
"Dad seemed to have added ginseng, deer antlers and wolfberries." Chuchu has a good memory.
"Go ask your brother-in-law to carry it." Qin Qingman looked at the wine jar and instructed Chu Chu. She couldn't carry the wine jar that was half a person's height.
"Sister, this wine jar can't be taken out." Chu Chu shook her head to stop her.
"Why?" Qin Qingman really didn't know the reason.
"Dad said that if it's to be soaked in wine, it needs to be stored in the cellar for ten years. If you want to drink it, you can open the bottle and scoop a bottle to taste it." Chuchu has a really good memory. He remembers everything his parents said to him clearly.
At this time, he could also repeat it to Qin Qingman.
"Then I'll go get something to hold the wine." When Qin Qingman heard that the wine pot could not be moved, she didn't plan to call Wei Ling anymore.
Instead, he and Chuchu brought a rag and a wine jug.
The mud on the wine jar was first swept clean with a small brush, and then wiped with a rag. After all the dust was cleaned up, Qin Qingman carefully untied the oil paper and mud that sealed the jar.
As the seal was removed, the fragrant aroma of wine instantly filled the entire cellar.
Not strong, but it strongly shows its presence.
Qin Qingman turned on the flashlight and shone it into the wine jar. Ginseng, deer antlers and wolfberries were clearly visible. The wine, which had been soaked for seven or eight years, had already turned into a light yellow, a very soft color.
Qin Qingman didn't taste it, but directly filled a pot with it, and then sealed it again. She planned to mix the broken yellow mud with some water and apply it to the seal of the wine jar.
There was snow all around at this time of year, and she couldn't really find any yellow mud.
Even if we could find her, we wouldn't be able to dig her out.
"Sister, let me seal it. I know how to do it." Chu Chu had followed her father to do it before, so she knew how to do it.
"Okay." Qin Qingman saw that Chuchu could do it and was willing to help.
The brother and sister worked together and sealed the wine altar again in a short while, then returned to the living room.
At this time, Wei Ling had already cleaned the pot used to stew mutton in the kitchen and added half a pot of water. After the water boiled, he could cook the dumplings.
There were so many people, so we had to cook a big pot of dumplings to feed them all.
The sumptuous festive dinner lasted until nightfall.
We could have finished the meal earlier, but because we had the wine, dumplings went well with the wine, and we started talking freely. We ate and drank, and the meal lasted from noon until dark in the afternoon.
Even though they had been eating and drinking for so long, no one was drunk.
Firstly, Qin Qingman did not allow anyone to get drunk, and secondly, Wei Ling and the others were all soldiers, they had responsibilities in mind and had to keep their heads clear at all times.
Before Du Hongyi and his companions left, Qin Qingman not only filled a willow basket with frozen dumplings, but also put a few dishes that she had specially reserved for the meal in lunch boxes and asked them to take them to Wang Chengping.
Wang Chengping accepted it, which meant that Political Commissar Zhang and Hong Wei could also enjoy the delicacy.
Before parting, Du Hongyi and his companions patted Wei Ling's shoulders enviously before getting in the car, and then Xiao Shi drove back to the division headquarters.
After sending the person off, Wei Ling, who was standing straight, relaxed and leaned his head against Qin Qingman's neck. "Wife."
The warm breath and the hoarse voice made Qin Qingman feel numb all over and her legs went weak.
The author has something to say:
I wish you all a happy winter solstice, be happy and have a good mood
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