Elementary school only tests math and Chinese, and the papers are easy to grade. Math is in the morning and Chinese is in the afternoon, so it's all done in one day.
The next day, we'll rank the class by the end of the semester.
On December 28th, the children returned to school to hear their grades and were given holiday homework. After that, the enjoyable winter vacation began.
Zhou Qinglan also asked for leave from school and went home to prepare for childbirth.
On the 30th, Zhang Shuzhen asked Sheng Xikang to take her two younger sisters to the mill and push out the soaked rice.
Put the prepared dough into a flour sack, place the washboard horizontally on a large basin with the textured side facing up, then place the flour sack on top of the washboard and let it drain overnight.
That evening, soak the selected red beans again, and the next morning, start a fire to cook the beans.
Just before the beans are almost cooked and ready to be served, stir in some saccharin.
There's no way around it; white sugar is a rare commodity these days. So much bean paste would require several pounds of white sugar, so who would be willing to use it?
Saccharin only costs a few cents a packet, and pouring it in is enough.
Mash the cooked red beans into a paste with a spoon, then put them in a bowl and let them cool.
After eating, take the dough out of the bag, add a little water as needed depending on its dryness, and knead it thoroughly again.
Once the dough and bean paste are prepared, you can start wrapping the sticky rice cakes.
Take a piece of sticky dough about the size of an egg, roll it into a ball and flatten it, or shape it into a small bowl, put in the bean paste filling, wrap it up, flatten it again, and place it on a bamboo mat.
This job isn't something just anyone can do; you have to be quick and your hands can't get too hot.
If your hands are too hot, the sticky dough will become runny and drip down, losing its shape.
If you're too slow, the sticky dough will get on your hands and cause them to chafe.
The children in the family were all on holiday. Sheng Xikang was tending the fire in the outer room, while Sheng Yunfang, Sheng Yunfei, and Zhou Qinglan were making dumplings inside.
Zhou Qinglan's belly made sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) really uncomfortable, so she took a stool and sat down next to the edge of the kang, quickly wrapping the sticky fire bread.
Cover the pot with several lids, and the griddle in the outer room will be heated up.
So Zhang Shuzhen went to the outer room, wiped the griddle with an oil bag, and then placed the wrapped sticky fire spoons one by one on the griddle.
Fill a pot, cover it with the lid, wait a while, then open the pot and use a spatula to flip the sticky spoon over.
When both sides of the sticky rice cake are golden brown and there are no white edges, and it smells sweet when you open the pan, it's considered cooked.
"Mom, Mom, let us have a taste! It smells so good, it's making my mouth water."
Sheng Xitai and Chen Feng had been waiting for a long time. When the first batch of sticky sesame cakes came out of the pot, they hurriedly asked.
"I didn't control the heat of this batch very well. I'll cook it for a little longer in the next batch, and then I'll add some oil and fry it a bit more. That will make it taste better."
The Sheng family relies on supplies for food; they don't grow their own land. So how could they possibly have sticky corn or sticky sorghum to make sticky rice cakes?
In previous years, the Liu family would pack them up and send them over. Zhang Shuzhen was also craving these freshly made sticky rice cakes, so how could she blame the child?
So, when the second batch was almost cooked, Zhang Shuzhen scooped out half of it and moved the other half to the side.
Then I poured some oil onto the griddle, dipped the remaining sticky sesame balls in oil, and fried them again.
The sticky rice cakes were already very fragrant, but when they were fried in oil, the aroma filled the air, and even the people making the sticky rice cakes couldn't help but sniff the air.
"It smells so good, Mom! Are the sticky rice cakes ready yet? I want one too!" Sheng Yunfei and Sheng Yunfang called out to the outer room.
"What's the rush? I have to serve it, don't I? Just wait."
Zhang Shuzhen responded from the outer room, and then quickly scooped the sticky fire spoon off the griddle and put it on a plate.
"Sixth Brother, quickly bring the plate inside so your sister-in-law can try it. This freshly made sticky rice cake is so fragrant."
Zhang Shuzhen served out two plates of sticky rice cakes and instructed Sheng Xitai to take them inside so that everyone could have a taste.
The sticky rice cakes, fried until golden brown on both sides and glistening with oil, were brought into the house while still steaming.
The children didn't care whether it was hot or not; they grabbed one and bit it.
The freshly baked sticky rice cakes have a crispy outer layer and a soft, chewy inside. Paired with a smooth and sweet bean paste filling, the texture is simply divine.
"Delicious, so delicious!"
In the past, the sticky rice cakes we ate were frozen and then thawed before being heated on a plate. They had long lost their caramelized aroma and were just soft, sticky, and sweet.
This freshly cooked food, with its crispy exterior and soft interior, and its fragrant and sweet taste, is absolutely delicious.
"Mom, stop what you're doing and come in for a couple of bites. Mmm, this way of eating sticky rice cakes is so delicious."
Zhou Qinglan couldn't resist taking a still-hot sticky fire spoon, taking a big bite, and chewing it with satisfaction while calling out to Zhang Shuzhen.
"Seriously, it's so delicious. I've never eaten anything like this before."
The Zhou family used to live in Tonghua, but they moved to Songjianghe only a few years ago and don't know many people there.
Besides, the bureau's employees don't farm, and the grain rations don't include sticky corn or millet. Who would buy rice and beans specifically to make sticky rice cakes?
That is, Wang Chunxiu, who was in the hospital. Occasionally, someone would send her a few kilograms of it, which was always frozen. Zhou Qinglan had never eaten this before, but she thought it was especially delicious.
"Yes, yes, it's coming, it's coming."
Zhang Shuzhen placed all the sticky fire spoons on the griddle, covered the pot with the lid, and came into the room. She picked up a sticky fire spoon that was oily and golden brown, and took a bite.
"Mmm, this is the taste, it smells so good."
A few years ago, before your Uncle Liu's two daughters-in-law were married into the family, they were making sticky rice cakes in the winter. I happened to have nothing to do, so I went over to help.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
