They rushed back to the kitchen, one hand lifting the pot lid, the other forcefully swatting away the escaping steam, straining their eyes to barely make out the grapes in the center of the large pot.
Normally, ten minutes of steaming is just enough to separate the grape skins, pulp, and seeds without losing their original shape. But this half-hour steaming turned the grapes from individual bunches into clumps. Apart from the seeds, the skins and pulp became mushy and turned to water at the slightest touch of chopsticks.
Why----
After letting out a long sigh, Helan carried the full bamboo tray of grapes back into the main room and placed it there. Then, she picked up a new bamboo tray and went back to the kitchen.
Luckily, there are plenty of grapes in this vineyard. If it were some other precious thing that got ruined by steaming, I would have had to give it another beating to vent my anger.
This time, the steaming process went smoothly without any mishaps. The translucent grapes successfully transformed into a glistening, purplish-red jam, filling the kitchen with their fragrant aroma.
White sugar, rock sugar, and brown sugar may look slightly different, but they all come from the same source. The three jams taste almost exactly the same.
Jam with added honey has a distinctly different flavor, with a fruity aroma accompanied by a noticeable floral note. The jam is smoother and has a richer flavor.
"But honey is much more expensive than white sugar."
While muttering to herself, Helan took out the glass jar given to her by the village chief, put all four portions of jam into it and sealed it. As for the remaining jam, she did not waste it. She carefully scraped it into a large plastic bottle to keep for the children to make into water later.
Carrying the finished product, Helan walked towards the main room. Standing at the door and looking into the room, she felt a sudden urge to suffocate.
The four mud monkeys that were just washed clean have now turned into four purple monkeys!
The grapes that had been discarded because they had been steamed for too long and were placed in the main room have turned into a mess of dregs on the floor and purple marks scattered all over the children's bodies!
"What are you doing? What are you doing? Huh! What are you doing!"
The four shouts in a row sent shivers down the spines of the four children, who slowly turned their heads toward the doorway and were shocked to see Helan standing there against the light!
Seeing that things were not going well, one of the children jumped up from the ground, ran to Helan's side, held up the dirty, juice-covered cup in his hand, and said in a childish voice, "Grandma, drink some juice!"
"Grandma, drink mine, mine tastes better!"
"Grandma, it's me!"
“.”
Four different cups contained the same purple liquid. As the group jostled each other, the liquid swayed gently, releasing the delicate aroma of grapes that lingered around Helan's nose.
Looking at the four glasses of juice, Helan's mood calmed down slightly. She wasn't being mischievous or naughty; she just wanted some juice.
While comforting myself, I reached for a glass of grape juice and took a sip. The silky liquid flowed smoothly into my mouth as the glass tilted. The moment it touched my tongue, I discovered the soft, warm pulp hidden within. With a slight push, the tender pulp melted completely, flowing down my throat and into my stomach.
Smack—smack—
The taste seems pretty good, but it's a bit too strong. Adding some water and sugar might make it taste even better.
After taking another bite, Helan smacked her lips and handed the cup back to the children. After instructing them not to go out, she took the four bottles of jam she had just made and headed to the village chief's house.
More than three hours had passed since Helan received the mission that morning. When she arrived at the village chief's house, she found several people already sitting inside.
After sitting down for a short while, other people gradually came over, and slowly, the table was filled with all kinds of food made from grapes.
Looking at these exquisite pastries, Helan couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement: "City people really know how to eat; they can make so many different kinds from such a small amount of grapes."
"Yes, I never imagined that those doughy lumps could be made into a dish with grapes. It looks good and tastes pretty good too."
"She looks really good."
“.”
The group discussed the food on the table for a while, but when the last person arrived at the village chief's house with the freshly cooked food, everyone was puzzled.
Where is the village chief?
Didn't you say you'd bring it over once it was ready?
Everyone's here now, so why isn't the village chief here yet? Is he busy with something?
Just as everyone was debating whether to wait a little longer or go back to make lunch and come back later, two figures slowly strolled over from the village entrance, one after the other. The one in front was the village chief of Hua'an Village, and the one behind was none other than Secretary Li of Hezibao!
"Secretary Li, we've never really eaten anything good. Even boiled potatoes in plain water taste pretty good. We can't really tell the difference between good and bad, so we'd really appreciate it if you could help us decide whether these dishes are up to standard. If they're not, we won't embarrass ourselves by taking them to Boss Xu."
"Hey, Village Chief He, you're being too modest. If it's delicious, it's delicious; if it's not delicious, it's not delicious. How can you not tell the difference?"
As they spoke, the two walked into the main room. Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Li Sixin picked up a mochi with his chopsticks, first bringing it to his nose to sniff it gently, and then putting it in his mouth, breaking it in two with his teeth.
I thought I had bitten it off, but when the chopsticks left my lips and teeth with the remaining half of the mochi, I was surprised to find that the mochi, which should have been cut into two pieces, had stretched into long, thin strands, like a lotus root still attached to its roots.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com