Li Meihua did not answer. She untied a rope that was tied to the wall and the basket fell from the sky.
Qiao Xiaoni watched as she took a small jar from the basket. When the lid was opened, a white expanse came into view. At first glance, she didn't know what it was, but then she realized. The jar likely contained rendered lard.
She had seen other chefs use pork belly to render the flavor of dishes, and that the combination of soybean oil and lard enhanced the taste.
"There's only half a jar of oil left, so you'd better use it sparingly, we still have two more months to go."
"Ah! This is at most two pounds of oil. How much do you usually use when cooking?"
Li Meihua took a small spoon, scooped a spoonful into the vegetable bowl, and said, "That's all we'll use tonight."
Qiao Xiaoni looked at the small spoon, which used so little oil to make a whole bowl of filling: "Mom, will this dish taste good?"
Li Meihua brushed a stray hair behind her ear and said, "Whether it tastes good or not, we eat it this way. Your second brother is about to get married, and all the savings we've accumulated over the years will have to be spent on his wedding."
"We're lucky if our family can get enough to eat right now; there aren't many families like ours in the village."
Qiao Xiaoni considered the geographical environment surrounding Qiaojia Village. The harvests from the fields weren't very good, and families with able-bodied men could live a better life. If there were no able-bodied men in the family, they could only barely make ends meet with the income from the fields.
"Mom, I want to go out and earn money."
Li Meihua was taken aback, then patted her shoulder: "You silly girl, what are you thinking? What kind of work are you going out to do? If you go out like this, you'll get sold out and then have to count the money for the seller."
Qiao Xiaoni: ...
Li Meihua continued her nagging, "What are you going to do at such a young age? You'd better give up that idea as soon as possible. As long as I'm around, don't even think about going out to find a job. Just stay at home and make sure you have enough to eat."
Seeing her determined attitude, Qiao Xiaoni decided to postpone the job offer.
"Mom, don't be angry. I was just saying it casually. Getting angry is bad for your health, so don't make yourself sick."
Li Meihua wiped the sweat from her forehead and fanned herself with a fan: "You can enjoy your day as long as you stay by my side. But once you get married, I won't be able to control you anymore."
"Do whatever you want then!"
Qiao Xiaoni felt a deep sense of maternal love:
"Okay, don't be angry. Let's hurry up and cook. Everyone needs to eat soon."
Li Meihua touched the girl's face: "Alright, I won't say anything more to you. Let's figure out how to make this vegetable pancake."
Qiao Xiaoni organized her thoughts and said, "First, boil a pot of water, then use warm water and cornmeal. That way, it will taste sweet and chewy."
Following her daughter's instructions, Li Meihua boiled a pot of water, scalded the cornmeal in the basin, and then kneaded it into a dough.
Qiao Xiaoni started preparing the filling. She felt that there was a little too little oil, but everything else was fine. She boiled the vermicelli in water to soften it before adding it in.
"Mom, next time you can try adding some shredded potatoes."
Li Meihua watched in stunned silence. Was this really her daughter? Her movements were methodical and flawless; she simply couldn't believe it.
"I didn't even teach you how to do it, and you just learned it on your own."
Qiao Xiaoni washed her hands with the water in the basin: "It's just preparing a filling, it's not that difficult. I learned how to make dumpling filling by watching you guys during the Spring Festival."
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