“When putting it into the big vat, remember to sprinkle a layer of salt on the bottom of the vat, then add a layer of pickles and sprinkle a layer of salt.
Finally, compact it, pour in boiled water, and sprinkle some salt on top. Press it with stones, and it will be ready to eat in a month or so.
Listening to Aunt Jinhua’s story, I really feel it is very simple.
However, many people come to learn from her every year. Even though they use the same steps, the food they cook is not as delicious as that made by Aunt Jinhua.
Another time, an aunt took Aunt Jinhua to her house and asked Aunt Jinhua to watch her make it step by step, but the result was still unsatisfactory.
No one can explain why, maybe this is the craft.
Song Jinxiu took Liu Ankang for another walk, which lasted about three hours, and then they went to Aunt Jinhua's house to watch them fill the jars.
As the Chinese New Year approaches, everyone is getting busier and busier. The children's performance is also scheduled in three days. After the performance, it will be a holiday!
There are more than 30 people in the class this time, including quite a few older children.
After some free time in the fields, Song Jinxiu discovered someone hiding outside the window and peeping at her.
At first I thought they were just curious kids and ignored them until I saw them for several days in a row.
Song Jinxiu asked them to go to the classroom directly. It didn't make any difference whether there was one more or one less.
In this way, the number of people gradually increased, and many of the new members were boys aged fourteen or fifteen.
Before, when Song Jinxiu started teaching, they were dragged to work in the fields.
Now that I have nothing to do in the fields, I secretly come to attend classes.
Song Jinxiu didn't introduce them to other students. They were all from the same village, so they were more familiar with their classmates.
Also, if we let them in, we will only let them audit the class comfortably, and we will not change the course for them.
When they learned that there was going to be a performance, several older students volunteered to build a simple backstage for them.
This year's performance does not require us to squeeze into a single room. The only disadvantage is that it is outdoors, but the advantage is that there is more light.
Because the skits took up the time, apart from the group singing, the number of solo songs was reduced a lot. Only a few people who sang better performed, and the others prepared for the skits.
Those non-staff members did not expect that they would be able to perform on stage, and they all performed very actively.
Last time they watched a children’s concert, they sang really well!
The next day, when Song Jinxiu was pickling pickles, Aunt Jinhua came to watch.
Seeing that Song Jinxiu was proceeding in an orderly manner, Aunt Jinhua nodded. Although she was slow, she was still quite organized!
After the New Year, Song Jinxiu was seventeen years old, and there were still many people asking about her situation.
Although I don't have my mother's family to help me, I'm not a burden either. As for Liu Ankang, I've seen him grow up, so it's nothing!
There are also those with small gourds. There are many people and little land in small gourds, and it is common to have three generations living under the same roof.
I found one that had a house, land, and a big gourd that could accommodate me.
It's a good deal no matter how you look at it.
"The official performance will be tomorrow. Has everyone practiced the program well?" Song Jinxiu asked on the stage.
"We've mastered it!" the audience answered loudly in unison.
Everyone's face was flushed. This time there was not only singing and dancing, but also a performance that they choreographed themselves.
It’s exciting just thinking about it.
“As the saying goes, one minute on stage is sixty seconds off stage.
This is the second performance of our children's art troupe and also the year-end gala of Dahulu Village.
Everyone must perform well and act as themselves, okay?" Song Jinxiu said.
"Teacher Song, isn't it true that one minute on stage requires ten years of hard work off stage?" a child asked weakly.
"How old are you?" Song Jinxiu asked.
"Eight years old." the man replied.
"Then where did you get the ten years of hard work?" Song Jinxiu said. "It's okay, these are not important.
After you’ve practiced for ten years, you’ll be able to show off your skills on stage for an hour or so!”
So everyone rehearsed for another afternoon.
Time passed quickly and soon the day of the performance arrived.
When the music started, the first to appear was the senior group. Yes, since it was a grand performance, it certainly couldn't be just a children's group.
The senior group is organized by Aunt Cuihua, and all middle-aged and elderly women in each household who can sing and dance can sign up.
The senior group first sang a folk song duet to liven up the atmosphere, and the people in the audience cheered.
The children's group went out to fight. A group of people wearing bright red scarves walked out in neat steps.
They received even more enthusiastic applause with the song "China's Children's Team Song".
The elderly group refused to give up and performed another Hakka folk opera.
Everyone had no costumes or props, just simple music and their own accents, singing to their heart's content on the stage.
Song Jinxiu had reason to suspect that the people behind her couldn't hear clearly at all.
From Song Jinxiu's perspective, the threshing ground seemed to stretch to the horizon. Crowds of people were thronging the ground, many of them from other villages.
Those in the front were sitting, those in the middle were standing, those in the back were standing on stools, and even the trees were full of people hanging on them.
Regardless of whether they could hear or not, everyone was still very enthusiastic and showed great support.
Applause, screams and shouts continued.
The skits created by the children were performed at the end as the finale.
The idle children were ready to wait excitedly by the side, as it was about to be their turn to perform.
"The next performance is "A Beautiful Life," which was independently developed and created by our children's art troupe.
Every detail of this performance was created by our children's group through their own imagination!
I just provided a little extra help. Please give our performers a warm round of applause to encourage them."
As the music started, a row of straw umbrellas came out from backstage, spinning in circles.
This is Song Jinxiu's imitation of the rotating umbrella of later generations. Unfortunately, there were no umbrellas, so she had to make some herself.
There are some colorful strips of cloth tied on the umbrella, which looks quite special.
The people in the audience looked on curiously because they couldn't see what was happening behind the umbrella.
They walked straight from one rest platform to another, and then only a few little kids were left playing on the stage.
Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire (firecrackers in the background) and the children immediately lay down, still holding the roasted sweet potatoes tightly in their arms.
After the gunfire died down, they happily played games and ate again.
The noise from the audience gradually died down, and everyone watched the performance on stage quietly.
"Is your father back?" one of them asked.
"Not yet. He just left this time and it might take ten days or half a month for him to come back." Another person answered.
"My dad is at home, but his hand is injured and he needs to rest at home for a while."
"Dudu's dad won't come back!"
"It's okay, Dudu. From now on, my dad is your dad. If my mom makes new clothes for me, I'll give them to you."
"Yes, yes, yes, you can wear my new clothes too."
"I'll invite you to our house when we eat meat from now on."
Yes, yes! My sweet potato is bigger, I want to trade with you."
Everyone was chattering around Dudu, and a few little kids were eating roasted sweet potatoes and jumping around.
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