Chapter 669
The next morning, the sunshine of Yongcheng poured into the Su family's courtyard, bringing with it the unique humid and hot air of the south.
Cicadas have already begun their day-long singing on the old banyan tree in the yard.
Su Miao stretched, pushed open the carved wooden window, and took a deep breath of the air scented with jasmine.
She was wearing a light green cotton and linen dress today, which was given to her by Asibo last year. He said it was most suitable for the hot and humid weather in the south.
After washing up, Su Miao came to the front yard and saw that his father Su Yuanzheng had already set up a small square table in the yard.
A fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen, and Sister Hui came out with a basket of steaming buns: "Miaomiao, come and try my new barbecued pork filling."
Su Miao took a closer look and saw that steam was still coming out of the plump white bun skin.
She first took a sip of the freshly ground soy milk, which was rich in soy flavor and at just the right temperature. She then bit into the bun, revealing the soft dough wrapped around the perfectly sweet and salty barbecued pork filling, so juicy that she couldn't resist taking another big bite.
"Sister Hui's cooking skills are getting better and better! These buns are delicious." Su Miao gave a thumbs up.
Sister Hui smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescents:
"You're so sweet! Knowing you were coming back, I went to the market and picked out the freshest plums. I also added a little honey to enhance the flavor."
Today's "Su Ji" is particularly lively because of the return of Su Miao and Su Yuanzheng.
When the neighbors heard that they had returned from the capital, they all brought fruits and vegetables grown at home and came to visit before dinner time. Everyone asked about the latest news in the capital.
"Miao Miao, have you been to that new stadium? It's going to be used for the Asian Games."
"Miaomiao must have been there. Didn't you hear Ah Hui say it? Our Miaomiao is a volunteer for the Asian Games and will even be able to attend the opening ceremony!"
"Really? Then will we be able to see you when we watch TV?"
"What do volunteers do? Don't volunteers fight in wars?"
"Oh, you old-fashioned guy, you don't even understand this. Miaomiao, tell him quickly and open his eyes."
While Su Miao was distributing the preserved fruits he brought back from the capital to everyone, he was also patiently answering various questions.
Everyone was chatting animatedly when Aunt Li walked into the store in a hurry, carrying a large bamboo basket on her back.
"Miao Miao, you're finally back. Come and see if you recognize this thing."
Aunt Li put down the backpack and called Su Miao to come and see.
Curious, the crowd gathered around and saw several gray tubers lying in the bamboo basket. Their skins were rough and covered in fresh soil. Each one was about the size of a small watermelon and had an irregular shape.
Before Su Miao could answer, an auntie answered first:
"Oh, Aunt Li, why are your yam so dirty? But it's really big, one is enough to stir-fry two dishes."
Uncle Zhang, who was selling pork nearby, took a closer look and shook his head.
"That's not right. This isn't yam. This is konjac. We grow it in my hometown, but not many people sell it in Yongcheng."
"Konjac? I've never seen that before."
…
Everyone was talking about it, but only a few people knew what konjac was. It is not grown much around Yongcheng, and it is difficult to eat. It can only be seen occasionally in the market.
Su Miao looked at the konjac, each weighing about 4 or 5 kilograms, and asked:
"Aunt Li, did you buy this konjac? Fresh konjac is difficult to handle and can easily lead to poisoning."
"Ah? This is poisonous? Didn't you say it's edible? How can we eat it if it's poisonous?" The aunt who just said that this fruit was yam exclaimed.
Su Miao explained, "Actually, I haven't made it myself. I only read in a book that the whole konjac plant is poisonous, and the tubers are the most poisonous. They can't be eaten raw and must be processed carefully.
Wear gloves when handling it, otherwise your hands will itch if you come into direct contact with the juice. If you don’t handle it properly, your tongue and throat will swell and hurt if you eat it.”
Seeing everyone's frightened expressions, she quickly added:
"But if it's handled properly, konjac is a good thing. When made into konjac tofu, it can lower blood pressure and blood lipids, detoxify, improve skin tone, and moisturize the intestines and promote bowel movements.
In the daily life, it is even considered a high-end health food. In fact, I suspect it was probably passed down from here. We have a history of eating konjac for thousands of years in our country."
When we talk about "small life", everyone nods very confidently, yes! They must have learned it from us.
Aunt Li said cheerfully:
"I knew I'd find you! This konjac was given to me by my niece. She married and moved to a nearby city. Many people in their village grow it.
She came to see me and brought a basket of this, saying that it could be made into tofu. Although she told me how to make it, she had never actually made it.
Miao, you are a top student, please help me research how to make this konjac tofu."
Su Miao leaned in closer to take a closer look at the oval-shaped creature. Its skin was rough, covered with brown spots, and it smelled of fresh soil.
She replied, "Okay, Aunt Li, I'll try to make some first to see if I can do it."
Aunt Li was rambling on about the method her relatives had taught her, gesturing with her hands as she spoke: "They say you have to grind this thing into a paste first, then add some lime water... Oh, my memory is so bad, I can't explain it clearly even after talking for so long."
Su Miao is really interested in researching this new food and is willing to spend time on it.
After lunch time passed and there were fewer customers in the store, she immediately pulled her father into the yard to discuss things.
Su Yuanzheng brought out the small millstone and said, "Miaomiao, Aunt Li said that if we want to grind it into pulp, we need to rub it into a smaller size with a rubber before grinding it."
Su Miao saw the small millstone and felt that it was too tiring and time-consuming, so he suggested:
"Dad, why don't we go to the department store and see if they have any grinders for sale."
"Grinding machine? Is it the big machine used in grain and oil stores outside? Such a big machine will take up too much space at home. We don't have so many things to grind at home, right?" Su Yuanzheng said hesitantly.
Nowadays, most people rarely use this kind of cooking appliances at home. If they need to grind rice or flour, they will go to a specialized store and pay some money to have the store do it for them.
Su Yuanzheng had only seen the big machine in the store, so he thought his daughter wanted to buy that, which he felt was a bit like "killing a chicken with a butcher's knife."
"Dad, I want to see if there is a small household model. It's this big and a little shorter than a thermos. It's small in size and releases less, so it will be very convenient for grinding anything at home in the future." Su Miao gestured.
Su Yuanzheng became interested: "Oh! Is that so? There is such a thing? Dad has never seen it before. It is really convenient. It can be used to grind sesame paste and rice flour in the future."
"I've seen it at Manman's house before, but I don't know where she bought it. How about I call and ask first?"
"Okay, you ask first. If the department store has it, we'll go buy it right away. This thing that uses electricity is much more efficient than manual labor!"
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