After Lin Qing and his family returned home, Lin Qing took some corn to the carpenter's house and traded it for an old hen. Since every household was short of food, Lin Qing's delivery of coarse grains meant they could exchange for more.
"Qingqing, if you ever need anything, just come to my house!"
The carpenter's wife saw Lin Qing out with a big smile. She knew that Lin Qing was taking care of her. Usually, Lin Qing would use money to exchange things, but today she brought grain directly. She must know that the village was short of food. In times of disaster, money is nothing. The key is that sometimes money can't even buy grain. The carpenter's wife looked at Lin Qing gratefully and thought to herself that if Lin Qing needed help in the future, her family would definitely do their best to help.
After exchanging the chicken, Lin Qing returned home and decided to use this rare ingredient to make a stew of chicken with matsutake mushrooms. Lin Qing rolled up her sleeves and began to skillfully prepare the ingredients. She first rinsed the matsutake mushrooms clean and then set them aside for later use.
Then, she skillfully killed the chicken, bled it, boiled water, plucked its feathers, and cleaned its internal organs. Under her hands, the hen was cleaned thoroughly and cut into even pieces. Each piece of chicken had clear texture and firm meat.
Then Lin Qing lit a fire in the stove, put a pot of water in it, and the flames danced merrily, reflecting off Lin Qing's face. The water in the pot gradually boiled, and Lin Qing first put the chicken into the pot to blanch it. The boiling water took away the blood and impurities from the chicken, and the wisps of steam that rose up carried a faint fishy smell.
Then, Lin Qing added scallions, ginger, and garlic to the hot oil and sautéed them until fragrant. Golden oil splattered everywhere. The chicken was then added to the pan and stir-fried until the surface was slightly golden, emitting an enticing aroma. The sizzling sound was like the prelude to a delicious meal.
At this moment, Lin Qing also put the termite mushrooms into the pot, where they danced happily with the chicken. Their aromas intertwined, filling the entire kitchen with fragrance.
Then, an appropriate amount of water was added, and it began to simmer slowly. As time passed, the aroma grew stronger and stronger, wafting from the kitchen into the yard, causing the neighbors to stop and take a deep breath. The fragrance seemed to have a magical power, tantalizing people's taste buds.
"It smells so good! What are Fourth Sister-in-law and the others making? It smells so good!"
Wang Haoran sniffed and looked longingly at the next room while talking to Chen Bin.
Chen Bin turned his head and glanced in the direction of Lin Qing's house: "Stewed chicken!"
"How do you know? Even stewed chicken doesn't smell this good!"
Wang Haoran asked in confusion, "This smells so good!"
“I just saw it. Fourth Sister-in-law went to the carpenter’s house and exchanged a hen for one.”
"How about we go and get a new one?"
Upon hearing that Lin Qing was stewing chicken at home, Wang Haoran eagerly offered his suggestion.
"Can you do it?"
"No, Auntie knows how to make it!"
Wang Haoran looked at Hu Ying expectantly, but Hu Ying smiled and shook her head. Actually, Hu Ying could make it, but she couldn't make it taste this good. It's not shameful, is it?
Wang Haoran dejectedly stopped thinking about it. He had eaten stewed chicken before, but none of them smelled this good! They didn't know how to cook it, and even if they used a different chicken, they couldn't make it smell this good!
Chen Jianjun was also a little tempted, but when he thought about how it was a rare occasion for his elder brother's family of four to eat together, he suppressed his craving.
The reason Lin Qing's chicken is so fragrant is partly because he added matsutake mushrooms, but more importantly, he used spiritual spring water and added ginseng, making it a very nourishing chicken dish.
When Zhao Xuan arrived, Lin Qing wanted to nourish her body, but Zhao Xuan's body was too weak to tolerate strong tonics, so Lin Qing didn't dare to give her too much. However, after being nourished by the Heavenly Spirit Spring Water, Zhao Xuan's body has improved a lot. Therefore, Lin Qing took the opportunity of finding chicken mushrooms today to nourish Zhao Xuan's body properly. Moreover, she herself is pregnant and also needs to nourish herself.
In fact, Lin Qing was grateful to Zhao Xuan. Zhao Xuan was a good mother-in-law. After she came, she treated Lin Qing very well. She knew that Lin Qing couldn't sew, so when she made clothes for Gu Nanxun, she would always make clothes for Lin Qing as well. When Lin Qing went to the commune, she would give her money and coupons. Moreover, she never complained about Lin Qing sleeping in late. When Gu Nanxun helped Lin Qing with chores, she would always watch with a smile. Such a mother-in-law was not only rare in this era, but also in later generations. To meet such a mother-in-law was a stroke of good luck. Whether now or in the future, no matter when, mothers-in-law always hoped that their daughters-in-law would do all the housework. They would feel sorry for their sons if they helped their wives with even a little work. Let alone if their daughters-in-law slept in late, or even if they did less work, mothers-in-law would not tolerate it. Moreover, Zhao Xuan not only didn't care about Lin Qing, but she would also help Lin Qing with chores. Lin Qing saw all of this, so she wanted to be nicer to Zhao Xuan. Zhao Xuan's health was not good, and she also wanted to help her improve her health.
Finally, the chicken stew with termite mushrooms was ready. Everyone sat around the table, their eyes filled with anticipation.
"Mom, I put ginseng and some other medicinal herbs in this chicken. It's very nourishing and good for your health. Drink a couple more bowls."
Lin Qing personally ladled out a bowl, placed it in front of Zhao Xuan, and said with a smile.
"Okay, thank you, Qingqing. You should drink more too!"
Zhao Xuan smiled and accepted the chicken soup that Lin Qing served her. She drank it with satisfaction. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she thought the chicken soup was especially delicious and felt warm all over after drinking it.
Lin Qing also picked up her bowl and took a sip of chicken soup. When the first sip entered her mouth, Lin Qing felt the richness of the soup, the tenderness of the chicken, and the smoothness of the chicken mushroom intertwined and blended on her tongue. At this moment, she felt that the chicken soup she had drunk before was simply garbage. She drank two bowls in a row before she was satisfied.
Lin Qing stewed a pot of chicken soup with a hen, and the family of four finished it all, including the chicken meat.
Over the next few days, Gu Nanxun and Lin Qing spent their time collecting mountain produce in the deep mountains. They first collected mushrooms, then wood ear fungus, and also chestnuts, persimmons, hazelnuts, walnuts, hawthorns, and other wild fruits.
After they were able to project their spirit outwards, collecting mountain goods became incredibly easy for them. Lin Qing only needed to project his spirit outwards, cover the things he wanted to collect, and then, with the help of the space, he could directly collect them into the space.
These past few days, the mountain produce in Lin Qing's space has piled up like a small mountain overnight. Lin Qing and Gu Nanxun carry bamboo baskets into the mountains every day and return fully loaded every night. Not counting the produce in the space, there are also a lot of mountain produce in the yard. These days, their parents and second uncle and aunt have also been busy, running into the mountains every day. Everyone is like a happy little squirrel, happily picking things up for the house.
These past few days, the villagers have been going out early and returning late. Whether it's adults or children, including the elderly and educated youth, they've all been out collecting things from dawn till dusk. They have no hope now; whether they can have enough to eat in winter depends on this moment. They wish they could live in the mountains.
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