"Of course it's delicious. This is a specialty of Ning County in our Jiang Province. You'll know after you try it. You'll definitely like it." Zeng Yike said with a smile.
When Chen Yitang came back from buying vegetables, he was holding a large wooden basin in his hand. He smiled and said, "On my way back, I happened to see someone making meatballs, so I asked them to help make them, and bought a basin by the way."
"And these bowls can be considered as gifts for your moving. They are all made of ceramics from Jingcheng. This bowl is great!" Chen Yintang raised the ten bowls in his right hand.
"Put your things down! Go grab some meatballs and eat them. My daughter loved eating them when she was little. She would run around the yard with chopsticks to get a bunch of them." Zeng Yike said happily as she recalled the past.
Chen Yitang put down the bowl and chopsticks, and said to Zeng Yike: "Wait a minute and wash the bowl and chopsticks. Light two pieces of firewood and the meatballs will be ready soon."
"I'll help with the fire." Zeng Wenjuan and Goudan volunteered, each sitting on a small stool at the big stove to light the fire.
The flame shot up high, and love also rose at the moment the fire shot up, and the water in the pot changed from cold to warm.
Chen Yitang took a clay spoon and mixed the pork and sweet potato flour into a paste, then began to put meatballs into the water one at a time, repeating this process over and over again until the whole pot of mixed paste was put into the pot.
As the water temperature gradually rose, the meatballs were cooked one by one, and as they grew bigger they floated up, and the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of meat.
"It smells so good! I really want to taste what it tastes like." Goudan leaned on the long table next to the stove and tiptoed into the pot.
"You can eat it soon. Grandpa will make you a sauce. It will be delicious when you dip it in it. It's the most authentic way to eat it here." Chen Yintang pulled Goudan away, fearing that he would get burned.
Goudan then nodded obediently: "Okay then!"
When all the meatballs floated up, Chen Yitang scooped them out with a spoon, put them into the prepared sauce bowl, added sesame oil and chopped green onions, and stirred the meatballs. The aroma of the meat mixed with the aroma of the seasoning made people drool.
Chen Yitang used two chopsticks to string two meatballs together, and gave one to Zeng Wenjuan: "Here, have a taste. There's also a spicy dipping sauce here, if you want to eat spicy food you can also dip it in there."
"Thank you, Dad. I'm not a child anymore. You don't have to take care of me like this." Zeng Wenjuan said a little embarrassedly after receiving such special care.
"What's the big deal? As long as your parents are around, you will always be their child. Come and try it to see if you still remember it." Chen Yintang said happily while looking at Zeng Wenjuan.
Zeng Wenjuan dipped the meatballs in chili sauce and used a clean bowl to collect the sauce. She took a firm bite and then smiled: "Delicious, this is the best meatball I have ever eaten."
"Right! This meatball is only delicious when it is made at home. It has something to do with the water quality. Whenever you want to eat it, just tell dad. Don't make it yourself. It's tiring." Chen Yintang was happy too when he saw Zeng Wenjuan and Goudan eating happily.
Afterwards, Chen Yitang brought the meatballs out of the kitchen. Zeng Yike stood in the hall, wandering around, not knowing what she was looking at.
"Come and eat! I'll cook two dishes later and we'll have vermicelli for lunch." After putting the meatballs down, Chen Yitang said to Zeng Yike.
"Okay." Zeng Yike nodded. She wasn't picky about food. Then she said, "One of you can serve a bowl to Xiao Zhao! He's still recovering from his injuries and it's not convenient for him to come out to eat."
"You guys eat, let me do it!" Chen Yintang glanced at the three people who were eating happily. They were all his treasures, so he had to do it himself.
She entered the bedroom carrying a bowl of scallion-flavored meatballs and pulled over a bedside table, which was specially made.
"Eat! Take a rest after you finish eating. I will give you acupuncture in the afternoon. Eat enough so that you don't lose strength by then. The first acupuncture will be very painful."
"Thank you, Dad. I'm really sorry to bother you. Originally, as the son-in-law, I should have done all this, but his..." His leg was injured.
"Okay, I know how filial you are. Hurry up and eat! If there's nothing left, call Nannan and ask her to help you serve. I'm going to cook." Chen Yintang sighed. These are all debts!
…
…
After lunch, the autumn wind was bleak.
Zeng Yike took Goudan to play in the hall, while Chen Yitang and Zeng Wenjuan were in the bedroom, about to give Zhao Jianguo acupuncture.
"Dad, Brother Jianguo's leg hasn't fully recovered yet! Will there be any problem if we remove the gauze now?" Zeng Wenjuan said, looking at Zhao Jianguo's thigh.
"No need to remove it. Let's pierce the upper part first to avoid blood blockage and the nerves from melting while lying there." Chen Yintang said, taking out his family's heirloom silver needle.
Zeng Wenjuan was observing from the side. After watching a surgery performed by a master, even a novice could learn something.
I saw Chen Yitang skillfully inserting silver needles into the specific acupuncture points on Zhao Jianguo's thigh one by one. Each insertion seemed so steady and powerful.
Zeng Wenjuan watched intently, occasionally taking notes of the key points of Chen Yitang's explanation. Goudan ran around in the hall, occasionally making a few cheerful noises, but he did not disturb the tense and orderly atmosphere in the bedroom at all.
"Remember, acupuncture requires precision and patience," Chen Yitang said to Zeng Wenjuan while inserting the needles. "Each acupuncture point is related to the circulation of qi and blood in the human body. The slightest mistake may backfire."
Zeng Wenjuan nodded repeatedly, and she felt a strong admiration for Chen Yitang. She knew very well that this was not just a simple treatment, but also a rare learning opportunity.
As time went by, Zhao Jianguo's tense face gradually relaxed, and he seemed to feel a warm current flowing through his legs. He opened his eyes slightly and looked at Chen Yitang with gratitude in his eyes.
"Dad, thank you so much." Zhao Jianguo said weakly.
"We are family, so we should keep our differences. But you are a very patient boy. You were able to suppress it even when veins were bulging on your head. Next time, just scream out loud. This is also part of the treatment process." Chen Yintang waved his hands and said to Zhao Jianguo, who was sweating profusely.
"Okay, I understand. Why do I feel my legs are so hot after acupuncture?" Zhao Jianguo also gradually relaxed.
"I gave you two injections. The blood circulation that was originally blocked will now feel the heat energy. You have been lying in bed all this time and the blood in your body is not circulating," Chen Yintang explained.
Zeng Wenjuan wrote these words down in her notebook. At her age, if she wants to make some progress in traditional Chinese medicine, she still needs to study harder.
Goudan heard voices in the room, so he opened the door and walked in, ran to the bed and asked: "Dad, does your leg hurt? Goudan will help you to breathe, and it will stop hurting."
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