Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Bacon.
After the rally, teams of young men and strong men patrolled each village, armed with clubs and taking turns guarding the place day and night.
Strong figures can be seen everywhere in Benguli, making people feel at ease. No one has heard of their vegetable garden being robbed, and even children dare to come out and run and play.
The same was true in Shengchangli, but the price of flour remained high, so Ji Xu still stayed at home, making some pickled vegetables and preserved radish to eat when the season was over.
The vegetables behind the house were ready to be eaten one after another, and they grew very fast, so the three sisters couldn't finish them all.
Except for the rapeseed that can be left in the ground to form stems, which can be peeled and fried with the stems and eaten, the rest will become too old if left in the ground.
Ji Xu picked a piece of turnip and radish and cut them into finger-length strands for making pickles; he sliced them for making preserved radish.
Tie three pieces of wood tightly with straw rope, stretch them out to form three supporting claws, and then place a bamboo winnowing basket on top to spread the vegetables on top to dry.
The north wind makes the weather dry, and when there is insufficient sunlight, the food can be dried in the wind without becoming moldy. This is why making pickled vegetables was popular in the Chu and Yue regions in winter.
"Sister Feng, help me move the rack away from the firewood." Ji Xu said, holding a bamboo winnowing basket.
Ji Feng knew that this was to prevent rats from eating the vegetables in the firewood, so he said:
"Yesterday, while I was chopping wood, I heard mice squealing below. I dug out a nest, but there were no mice. It was really annoying."
"Yes, last time a big rat jumped out from under my feet and scared me..."
They like to build their nests in piles of firewood. Sometimes when you pull out the firewood, they will jump out and it is hard to guard against them.
"I'll kill them all someday." Ji Feng was not afraid of insects or rodents.
As the sisters were talking, they dried the vegetables one by one. This was because they had young men patrolling day and night, so their lives were much easier. Two days ago, they would not have dried the vegetables in front of the door like this.
On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhuang Huiniang came to look for Ji Xu, carrying a basket, and Chen Che'er also came with her.
She said, "We're out of ointment at home, and it's already the twelfth lunar month. I'll ask Che'er to go with me to the market to buy some fat and make oil."
No matter how poor a family is, they will try to eat better in the twelfth lunar month, especially the dinner on New Year's Eve, when the family reunites, which is the most sumptuous.
After that, we still have to entertain guests during the first month of the year and the food must be acceptable.
Therefore, people save money all year round, and those who can afford it will buy some lard, bacon, or fry some food that they are reluctant to make on other days, and enjoy it around New Year's Day.
"I came to ask you if there's anything you want to buy? Let's go to the market together."
In fact, Ji Xu wanted to make some bacon. Although the price of meat had increased by half, it would probably become more expensive as the year draws to a close. If she bought it now, her family could still afford it. She saved money desperately just to have a better life, and she would not save on food unless she had to.
Besides, fresh meat cannot be stored and it is always inconvenient to go out to buy it. If it snows heavily in the future, it will be even more difficult to go out. If you have bacon, you can add a meat dish to your home, so you don’t have to rely solely on these vegetarian dishes behind the house.
However, if she used the drying method, it would be too conspicuous under the eaves, and her house didn't have a yard.
Although there are patrols now, most of the neighbors can't afford to eat dry food, so she hangs some meat under the eaves, which only increases the danger;
If it's the meat smoking method, it has to be done in the open space in front of the house. Once the setup is done and white smoke starts to billow, passersby will know about it and everyone in the neighborhood will know about it. It's better to keep a low profile nowadays.
I stopped thinking about the bacon for a moment. Seeing Chen Che'er holding a cloth bag, I asked:
"What does the car carry?"
"They are some rice and beans. Aunt Jun asked me to go to the city market to grind them into crumbs so that I can use them as food for New Year's Eve." said Zhuang Hui Niang.
Ji Xu thought for a moment, then went with a basket on his back, which contained half a bushel of rice for grinding, and some money to buy some thread and fat, as well as a double-necked jar for pickled vegetables.
This kind of pot can be filled with water between the two collars. Once the lid is closed, the air is isolated, making it perfect for making pickled vegetables.
The vegetables at home were wilted by the sun, so I went home, sprinkled some salt on them, soaked them in cold water, and put them in a jar and covered it tightly.
After some time, when it turns yellow, add vinegar, sauce and pepper juice. Let it stand for half a month. When you take it out, it will be golden hairpin, sour, crispy and spicy. The pickled vegetables are then ready.
It can be eaten with porridge or cooked with meat. It is very convenient to eat whenever you want throughout the winter. If you don’t eat enough, you can add some freshly dried vegetables and soak it in a pot.
Thinking this way, I arrived at the city market. There were fewer vendors and it was deserted, but the shops where merchants lived were still open to welcome customers.
Ji Xu and his companions went to the backyard of the grain store and saw a large stone mill on the ground with a big black donkey pulling the stone rollers.
Most people don't have the money to buy such a large stone mill, so they only come to the grain shop to buy grinding chips when they need it around the New Year.
There was also a wet mill with a funnel on the side, which was used to grind rice milk, soy milk, etc. A woman was placing a basin under the funnel to collect the rice milk.
The boy in the market weighed the grains of the two women, collected three coins from each, and let them lead the donkey to pull the mill. They ground out rice crumbs and bean crumbs, which they swept into a bag with a small bamboo broom.
Because Laba Festival was coming soon, Ji Xu and Zhuang Hui Niang also bought some red beans.
Later, after buying the thin thread and the double-collar pot, when he passed by the meat stall, he happened to run into Wang Dianji. He was standing in front of Li the Butcher's meat stall, waving his hands and directing Li the Butcher to cut him a good piece of meat.
"Wang Dianji is here to buy meat too?" Ji Xu greeted him.
Now there are young men patrolling everywhere, and arrangements have also been made for Crouching Snake Valley, but the shacks on both sides are still there, and the refugees have not dispersed. To be safe, he, an old man, also brought a young man from the kiln to accompany him. He and Chen Che'er knew each other, so they put their arms around each other's shoulders and started talking to each other:
Good boy, how are you doing lately? There's still plenty of work at the kiln, so it's pretty relaxing, and so on...
Wang Dianji, seeing an acquaintance, smiled and said, "Are you buying meat too? I'm just drying some bacon to enjoy with the wine."
His bacon is also simple, just spread enough salt on it, expose it to the sun for some time, and the slices are hard enough. He has lost two molars on both sides and doesn't like hard food, but he likes the dry salty taste. It tastes good when eaten with wine, so he has it every year, but he doesn't dry it much.
When Ji Xu heard that he wanted to dry the bacon, he had some ideas in his mind and said with a smile:
"How about I help Wang Dianji make bacon? And let me make some at the kiln while I'm at it. I can take some back home. It'll be better than at home, and it won't look conspicuous at all."
The kiln was surrounded by high walls, and there was a large open space in the back row of houses, which made it convenient for operation. Usually, there were a group of boys there, and strong slaves guarding it. Even if the smoke and smell drifted for miles, no one dared to attack the Gan family.
How could this be bad? Wang Dianji knew Ji Xu's cooking skills, and it would be great if she could make him some bacon. He agreed immediately, fearing that he would miss it.
Ji Xu felt relieved to let Butcher Li cut the meat. She picked out three pieces of pork belly with even fat and lean meat, cut them into one long strip, and also had five ribs and a piece of fat for refining. She spent more than two hundred yuan. Although it seemed like a lot of money at the moment, it could be stored for a long time and eaten slowly. She did not plan to buy meat this time and did not have enough money with her, so she bought on credit. Butcher Li always responded to her requests and Ji Xu became his regular customer.
Wang Dianji was surprised and said, "Can ribs be cured?"
After saying that, he asked Butcher Li to give him two, saying that he would definitely go the right way if he bought the same ones.
Ji Xu asked Zhuang Hui Niang, "Aunt, why don't you buy some today? We can go to the kiln and make some and take them back with us. It will be more convenient."
Zhuang Huiniang was persuaded by her and gritted her teeth and picked up small pieces of meat. The ribs were not as good as the good meat and were still cheaper. She picked two. She came to buy the fat, so the money was not enough. Butcher Li, because she was an acquaintance of Ji Xu, let her buy on credit and promised to pay her the next day.
The three families added the necessary seasonings such as salt, sauce and pepper according to the amount of meat they had. It was no big deal if there was a little too much, they could just take it home. They also bought some cheap lamb intestines, which would be used for the bacon later, and then they arrived at the kiln smoothly.
"We need to chop some pine branches."
After hearing what Ji Xu said, Wang Dianji, who had some free time at the kiln, asked his boys to go to the nearby mountains and cut several large bundles of green pine branches.
Some of them huddled in the warm corners of the kiln walls, watching the older guys playing wrestling, hands on shoulders, heads touching, pushing forward and backward, kicking up dust on the ground. The younger boys watching cheered loudly and were too lazy to move.
"You lazybones, you're used to having so little time, aren't you? Even I can't move you!"
Wang Dianji came to chase them, but Fang Yi dispersed them and went to help cut pine branches.
After carrying it back, everyone in the room asked Ji Xu, "What good things did you make?"
They had bought food from Ji Xu, such as preserved eggs, but now that the economy was in recession, Ji Xu no longer made and sold them. There were still two unopened cans left at home for their own consumption.
They all recognized her. They saw that Ji Xu had built a triangular shed in the open space with branches, half a person's height. In the shed, pine branches were burning. The branches were still green and not as flammable as dry firewood. They emitted a puff of smoke, and everyone covered their noses and said:
"Ji Jiaozi, you said you wanted to light a fire earlier, so we can just pick up some dry firewood. The pine branches we just cut aren't dry yet, how can we burn them? Look at this smoke."
Ji Xu hung the processed meat in and said:
"That's the smoke I need."
At the same time, she was chopping ribs, the chopping board making clanging sounds. She smeared the sauce she had prepared on them, and stuffed them into the sheep intestines one by one, leaving some space between each section. She tied them with a thin rope, borrowed a needle from Wang Dianji, pierced the holes in the ribs, and hung them in a triangular shed next door. She also lit a weak fire, which emitted a wisp of white smoke.
They were all surprised and asked, "What are you doing? Putting ribs in sheep intestines, how can it taste good?"
Zhuang Hui Niang was filling in branches according to Ji Xu's instructions, and Chen Che'er said:
"Just watch! Nothing she cooks tastes bad!"
Ji Xu asked the boys, "Do you want to smoke some to eat too? I'll tell you what you need. Buy them and I'll help you cook. Occasionally, you can steam some to go with rice. It's also a meat dish and very convenient."
The kiln boys were skeptical and didn't know how to go to the room to get the money they had saved privately.
"Let's go buy some ribs and lamb intestines."
"What if it tastes bad? Let's buy one together."
After asking Wang Dianji for permission, Wang Dianji released them, and they went to the city together to buy meat. They came back in a swarm, some buying meat, some buying ribs, not much, just to satisfy their hunger.
"Don't worry, we kept it quiet. We carried baskets and baskets with us, and no one could see what was in them. We just thought they were things for our family."
The boys said, this is Ji Xu's order, don't say that you are smoking meat here.
Ji Xu helped to process them and hung them in the triangular shed, asking them to remember which one was theirs.
"This outside is mine."
"The fat piece is mine. I love fat. It cost me a month's salary."
"This piece is mine."
Chattering, watching Ji Xu hang up.
"What about this one?" Ji Xu asked.
There is a small piece of meat in my hand, the size of a rib.
"It's Gan Jiantu's." Someone answered.
Gan Jiantu, who was guarding the gate, saw a swarm of people rushing out and heard about it, so he asked someone to help him buy some.
White smoke rose outside, with a scent of pine resin.
Later, after most of the day had passed, the aroma of pine, mixed with a faint aroma of meat, was so fragrant that it attracted every household in Shengchang to take a deep breath.
"Who cooks this meat? The smell is too overbearing."
"It's the Gan family kiln!"
The child pointed at the white smoke in the distance.
"No way, a group of boys can cook something so delicious? It's just the smoke from burning tiles." Some people don't believe it.
"Is it done?"
As the sky gradually darkened, Ji Xu was seen dismantling the triangular shed in the kiln. The bacon revealed a greasy and dry meat color, which was crystal clear and very tempting.
As for the cured ribs, they were tightly wrapped in sausage casings, each section revealing a hint of sauce color.
"Okay." Ji Xu said.
They divided the food among themselves and put their own portion in a basket.
"Can we eat now?" a boy asked.
"Yes, but you have to hang it on the beams and let it dry for three to five days. It will taste better when steamed," Ji Xu explained.
How could the impatient boys keep the meat? While Ji Xu was dismantling the shed to distribute the food and clearing the ashes, those who got the meat first crowded around the low stove and steamed a small bowl of it.
At the time Ji Xu said, I opened the lid and saw that the cured ribs were a little fat, and the oil had been steamed out. The casing was shiny and a salty and fragrant meaty smell came out.
Don't be afraid of the heat, just grab it and take a bite while it's hot. You can even hear the sound of the casing snapping, and the crispy rib meat is wrapped around it. Your mouth is full of the aroma of oil and meat, and there is a hint of pine aroma from the smoke. It's so delicious.
"How's it going?"
"how?"
Seeing him enjoying himself, others couldn't wait to ask him.
The boy was speechless, eating mouthful after mouthful, licking his fingers after finishing, and finally had time to say:
"Excellent! Excellent! I nearly swallowed my tongue."
Ji Xu also laughed with everyone. Wang Dianji, seeing that the sky was getting dark, called the tall boy and asked them to accompany Ji Xu and his party across the Woshe Valley.
Coming out of Woshe Valley from Shengchangli, we saw flickering flames in the distance and the two patrol teams joining forces. Tian Shefu, with a cold face and tall figure, looked majestic, and led his men towards Benguli.
Zhuang Huiniang saw this and said, "It's him who's patrolling our Benguli at night."
This was the first time Ji Xu was outside at this time since he started patrolling. He had just seen him. He thought that he was a man of few words, but when he took a deep breath and shouted, his voice was like thunder, and he said:
"I think we can sleep well now."
The lights of the two groups of people were neither far nor near, and they entered Benguli one after another.
"Is this bacon?"
In the west room, Ji Feng saw Ji Xu hanging the meat on the beam and asked with joy.
"Bacon and bacon ribs." Ji Xu clapped his hands, looked up at the meat, and responded.
When the two sisters heard this, they both cried out in surprise. Now they knew they couldn't say anything, so they covered their mouths, but they couldn't hide the joy in their eyes caused by the flesh.
It was the first year that we made bacon at home during the twelfth lunar month.
In the past, before the family split up, grandparents would cut a piece of meat at the end of the year to dry, and steam it for New Year's Eve dinner. It was crystal clear, but there were many people in the family, and they were not favored. The only small piece they could get was from their mother, who gave it to them despite their grandparents' disdain.
"After drying for a while, you can eat it."
After hearing what their elder sister said, Feng and Zhu were already craving for the taste. It was greasy, salty and delicious. They thought it would be so delicious if they took a bite. They swallowed half of their saliva just thinking about it.
Cui family,
Liao was in the kitchen making dinner when her son, Cui Guangyao, came running in from outside after poking an ant nest. Seeing the watery stewed radish soup, he asked:
"Mother, why don't you make meat soup?"
Liao said, "Let your grandfather take that piece of dead flesh from his heel."
He ran to ask for it, but was chased out by Cui Dan with the sole of his shoe.
At this moment, in the main room, the stove was heating up oil, and inside it was frying a kind of food called canguo, which was fried with rice crumbs mixed with water.
There was already a plate of fried food, golden in color. Ji Huhai's hand was slapped away as he tried to eat it. Jin said:
"If you don't see it, chop it up and save it for New Year's Eve."
Ji Yuan said, "Mother, why don't you fry some stuffed meatballs like in previous years? What's there to eat with just candy?"
Jin said, "Meat is so expensive now. Only your mother would grit her teeth and spend her fat to fry the candy."
In previous years, I had to add some honey to the dough, but I can't afford that this year, so it's just like this. However, it tastes crispy and has a fragrant aroma, which is great. I looked at the second room coldly and just dried some vegetables these days.
Yin said, "Look at the people next door. How can they afford to eat all this? The price of food has risen so much that they don't even have an acre and three mu of land. They have to buy every grain of rice from outside."
I'm afraid the second wife will be unable to sleep after smelling the delicious smell of meat from them.
The next day, snowflakes fell from the sky.
"Is it snowing?"
Ji Zhu felt cold and pulled her clothes tightly together. She stood on tiptoe, picked up the firewood, and walked towards the kitchen.
"Look! What do I have?"
Ji Huhai's nose was snotty from the cold, and he stepped on the chicken coop. He lay on the wall of the yard and raised his hand towards her, holding a handful of golden fruits.
After saying that, he stuffed his mouth with crispness and ate deliciously, "It's delicious, do you have any at home?"
Ji Feng heard vaguely and opened the stove door. Ji Hu was afraid of her and shrank his neck. Then Jin grabbed his ear and
"So you raised a rat in your own home! Who told you to steal it and eat it?"
Ji Huhai was sobbing that he noticed the two sisters opposite him looking at him, so he changed the subject and said:
"It's snowing and you don't hide. You're freezing to death. Why don't you come in?"
After dragging him into the house, he beat and scolded him a few times, and put the box of fruits on the cabinet where he could not reach.
"Hmph, that's all." Ji Feng said upon seeing this and called Ji Zhu to come in quickly.
In the kitchen, Ji Xu rolled up his sleeves, revealing his slender arms. He shook the bamboo ladle in his hand and poured the thick rice paste into the oil pot. The golden layer floating on the surface was none other than the Can Guo.
This is made with the rice crumbs ground in the grain shop yesterday, which are sifted through a bamboo sieve.
Feng and Zhu looked at them eagerly. Ji Xu smiled and said, "Are you greedy? That dish was fried first. You can eat it after it cools down."
They were so happy that they picked up some and ate them. The rice was crispy and slightly sweet. After eating a piece, they still felt greedy, but they wanted to save it for New Year's Day, so they couldn't help but lick their fingers.
Seeing this, Ji Xu said, "Eat the plate, there's still some left for New Year's Eve."
"Can they all be eaten?" Ji Feng asked in surprise.
In fact, she didn't pick up much from the plate because she was afraid that they would eat too much and get upset. But for the two sisters who had never eaten good food, it was more than enough.
How could he not love such a snack? He ate it slowly, slurping it up in his mouth, and did not forget to feed it to Ji Xu.
"Sister, why are these wrapped in bamboo leaves?"
The fried ones were put into the empty pottery jar. Ji Feng saw that there was an extra bag and asked about it.
Ji Xu said, "It was given to Mr. Tian at night."
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