I turned my head to look.
Lu Ze, dressed in a crisp military uniform, walked toward the kitchen carrying a white flower garland made of bamboo strips.
Yu Yao jogged over, picked up the flower bunch, and looked at Lu Ze with surprise: "Lu Ze, where did you pick these fresh locust flowers?"
Locust trees mostly grow in the north, and are rarely planted in the south.
The locust flowers bloom from April to May each year, but their flowering period is short, usually only ten to fifteen days.
When Yu Yao was drying kapok flowers last time, she mentioned locust flowers to Lu Ze and lamented that she probably wouldn't be able to eat locust flowers this year. She never expected Lu Ze to give her such a big surprise.
Lu Ze said, "On the way back from the mission, I passed by a villager's house and saw that the locust flowers in the yard were in full bloom. Remembering that you said last time that locust flowers are delicious, I traded some with the villager."
He spoke of it casually, making no mention of the hardships involved in picking the flowers.
Song Yiming came over wanting to go to the restroom, but his eyes lit up when he heard his team leader's words.
It was his turn to provide the assist.
"Sister-in-law, don't be fooled by how easy the commander makes it sound. We were actually kicked out as soon as we arrived."
Yu Yao was surprised, "What's going on?"
Song Yiming said, "The villager's wife was an educated youth from the north. She brought this locust tree back from one of her visits home. Later, the villager's wife passed away unexpectedly, and this locust tree became the last thing she left him. The villager treasured it very much and never allowed anyone else to pick it."
“Every year when the locust flowers bloom, people often come to steal them. When the group leader and I arrived, the villagers thought we were also there to steal locust flowers, and they chased us out with brooms. The group leader even got a cut on his left hand.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Yao placed the locust flowers on a nearby cabinet and took a look at his left hand.
Sure enough, a scar was found where the household registration was located.
Yu Yao felt a pang of sympathy. "Then how did you manage to pick the locust flowers later?"
At this point, Song Yiming couldn't help but clear his throat: "In the end, we were able to pick the locust flowers because of the regimental commander's feelings for his wife."
"After we were kicked out, the regimental commander went to beg the villagers, saying, 'Sister-in-law, you said this is the season for eating locust flowers,' and he wanted to exchange some for something to cook for you. When the villagers heard that the regimental commander was asking for his wife, they finally agreed to give him some."
Yu Yao didn't expect that Lu Ze would remember her casual remark about wanting to eat locust flowers.
She had always heard people say that men are generous before marriage, wanting to give you their whole heart, but once they get married and know you can't run away, they change completely, becoming not only uncaring but also complaining about you. And after having children, it gets even worse.
But even after being married to Lu Ze for so long, Lu Ze has not only not treated her worse, but has even been more considerate than before their marriage.
She had excellent judgment; the arranged marriage was the wisest decision she ever made.
She was so lucky to meet someone like Lu Ze, and Lu Ze was just as lucky to meet someone as wonderful as herself.
“Sister-in-law, my commander only has eyes for you. I’ve known him for so long and I’ve never seen him treat any other female comrade so well. Before he met you, he would stay as far away from any female comrade as possible. If any female comrade tried to get close, his face would be so cold that the temperature of the surrounding air would drop several degrees.”
Song Yiming's words were exaggerated, and Yu Yao couldn't help but smile, looking at Lu Ze with tender and sweet eyes.
Thank you, Lu Ze, for doing so much for me.
Lu Ze also looked at her and said, "I am your husband. There is no need for thanks between husband and wife."
The two looked into each other's eyes, their gazes filled with nothing but each other, and even the air was filled with a sweet fragrance.
Zhu Xinmin, who was waiting for his grandfather to play chess in the living room, looked up unintentionally and saw this scene. He felt disappointed but also happy for Yu Yao.
Sister Yu looks very happy.
Duo Hong had mentioned before that Yu Yao and Commander Lu's marriage was a feudal arranged marriage, and he was worried that the two had no feelings for each other. But now he realized that he had worried for nothing.
This huge bamboo strip of locust flowers is all buds. Not only are they beautiful in appearance and have a pleasant fragrance, but they are also sweet and delicious, making them perfect for cooking.
Lu Ze also took this into consideration, and chose only the flower buds that were about to bloom.
Yu Yao carried the locust flowers into the kitchen.
Xiao Hong curiously picked up the locust flower and looked at it. "So this is the locust flower mentioned in the book. It smells so good. I like this scent."
Hu Lingyu was also delighted, "It's been so long since I've seen such fresh locust blossoms since I left the North. Zhizhi, what are you planning to do with these locust blossoms?"
Yu Yao thought for a moment and said, "I plan to make locust flower and wheat rice."
Hu Lingyu nodded, "The wheat rice is good."
Yu Yao felt the same way.
There are actually many ways to cook locust flowers; Yu Yao knows at least nine.
Besides common dishes like locust flower dumplings, scrambled eggs with locust flowers, locust flower cakes, and locust flower tea, locust flowers can also be stir-fried with sugar to make sugar-fried locust flowers.
Stew it with pork ribs to make locust flower stewed pork ribs.
Of course, among all the ways to prepare locust flowers, the most classic and unmissable method is locust flower wheat rice.
The key to enjoying locust flowers is freshness. If there's a way to best preserve their elegant appearance while also maintaining their delicious flavor, it has to be locust flower wheat rice.
These bamboo strips of locust blossoms, when made into locust blossom wheat porridge, allow everyone to taste the fresh flavor of locust blossoms.
To make delicious locust flower wheat rice, the selection of ingredients is quite particular. The locust flowers must be those that are still in bud, about to bloom. These locust flowers have a rich aroma, bright color, and tender texture, making them the best ingredient for locust flower wheat rice.
Yu Yao picked out the branches and leaves from the locust tree and threw them away. She then plucked off the remaining flowers and had Lu Ze wash and dry them in front of the hand pump well.
While the locust flowers were drying, Yu Yao asked Lu Ze to bring the smokeless stove that Zhu Xinmin had made to the kitchen, light it, put an iron pot on it, and steam the remaining green rice dumplings.
As time passed, the fragrance of cudweed and mugwort filled the entire kitchen, then spread from the kitchen to the living room, and drifted far away along the balcony.
At this moment, Yu Yao began to make wheat rice.
Xiao Hong walked over and said, "Sister-in-law, Yunhao's girlfriend is an educated youth from Shaanxi Province. I heard that they like to eat locust flowers there. Could you teach me how to make locust flower wheat porridge?"
Yu Yao nodded, "Sister-in-law, of course you can. Making locust flower and wheat porridge isn't difficult; you'll definitely learn it in no time."
There are three key points to making delicious locust flower wheat rice.
The first point is the selection of ingredients, which I've already mentioned. The second point is coating with flour. The key to coating with flour is just the right amount; too much flour and the locust flowers will be cooked through while the inside remains uncooked. Too little flour, and it will affect the texture.
As Yu Yao taught Xiao Hong, she demonstrated: "The locust flowers must be dried until they are no longer sticky. Mix in one-third the amount of flour. If you're unsure, you can add it in small amounts several times."
"After pouring in the flour, spread your palms out slightly and shake them up and down like this, turning and kneading to ensure that each locust flower is evenly coated with flour. After doing this step, don't forget to add a small amount of rapeseed oil. Many people find that wheat rice sticks together easily because they miss this step."
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