She's done this a lot over the years. Sometimes, even after the rice is already in the pot, she'll grab another handful of rice from the storeroom and throw it in whenever she goes to the kitchen, making the rice thicker and tastier.
Although Grandma and her sister occasionally had some doubts, they didn't believe that someone would actually feed them out of thin air. In addition, the rice in the rice jar was indeed being eaten very slowly, so they didn't think too much about it.
How about it?
It's so nice to be home alone. If you run out of oil, you can render lard or just pour vegetable oil from the warehouse into the pot.
Not only can she make scallion pancakes, but she can also make chive pancakes, and fry the shrimp and fish she has prepared. However, she has to cook these outside, as it's difficult for the smell to dissipate inside, and it's easy to be discovered. It's not that she's stingy, but if she gets caught, she can't reveal the origin of these ingredients.
Moreover, after finishing, she would thoroughly clean the kitchen and yard before she could go to sleep.
She woke up in the afternoon around three or four o'clock. She had a really good nap. She ate a small plate of sweet and sour strawberries while lying on her grandfather's bench, and then went to the backyard to add water to the poultry. The main gate was still locked, so she couldn't go out. She watered all the plants she could see.
Grandpa locked the well, afraid she would fall in. After the water tank was empty, she picked up her brothers' books and started reading.
Around five or six o'clock, Tao Tao started cooking porridge, and while keeping track of when everyone would be back, she also made soft chive pancakes.
Chive pancakes are made by mixing cornmeal, sweet potato flour, and wheat flour into a batter, then chopping chives and mixing them together. A little oil is added to the pan, and the pancakes are spread out, which also helps to conceal the traces of her morning's work.
However, she made the chive boxes with white flour in the morning, while the chive pancakes now are made with mixed grains, so they are dark and not soft enough.
Inside, a large iron pot was used to cook porridge, while outside, a small griddle was used to make pancakes. It wasn't until after seven o'clock that the family members finally dragged their heavy steps home.
As soon as we entered the gate, we were greeted by the aroma of food filling the courtyard.
"Oh my, my dear Jiu'er, you've cooked for us?"
The family was shocked to learn that their two-year-old toddler could cook for them!
Grandma and her older sister Pandi ran to the kitchen to see her work. Grandpa, seeing her little face blackened from tending the fire, was so moved that he scooped her into his arms.
"Jiu'er, you're only two years old, and you've already learned to cook for us?"
"Old man, come and see! Our family's wine is not bad at all. Quick, check if she is injured."
Grandpa had already checked her body immediately and found that she was perfectly fine, which he found amazing.
"Did you carry the water in the pot over there? The water vat is so tall, how did you manage to scoop it over one ladle at a time?"
"Jiu'er, you've learned how to start a fire?" Pandi was also very impressed with her younger sister and tried hard to recall what she was doing when she was two years old.
“My little Jiu’er is so smart, she’s a lucky star sent to us by God. But Jiu’er, you’re still young, this job isn’t safe, don’t do it anymore, okay? If you’re hungry, just eat something by yourself, Grandma will cook you something delicious when she gets back tonight. Look at how you’ve messed things up, you can’t even hold a knife, how are you going to cut vegetables? Just thinking about it makes me break out in a cold sweat!”
“Your grandma is right. The water vat is so tall. If you stand on a chair to scoop water into it, you might fall in if you’re not careful. A child around here drowned because of that. You can’t be careless, do you hear me?”
After her grandparents and older sister praised her, they began to teach her how to protect herself. Although she felt that she was fine and could handle it, at the age of two, what she said was indeed a bit exaggerated, so she could only obediently nod.
For dinner, Grandma specially stir-fried garlic sprouts and eggs, stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, and also took out the pickled shredded radish and added a few drops of sesame oil.
The older brothers all came home after school.
There weren't enough chive pancakes, especially since they were in a crucial period of growth and development and ate more than anyone else.
Grandma skillfully kneaded the dough and made about ten hot water dough pancakes. She rolled garlic sprouts, eggs, and shredded potatoes inside each pancake. One bite and it was incredibly delicious.
"Hey, you bunch of bastards, stop fighting over this! Look at your lowlifes!"
The young man quickly tore off half of the pancake he had received and stuffed it into her hand.
"Jiu'er, what are you standing there for? Eat up, we're starving, you eat too."
She ate strawberries in the afternoon and roasted some chestnuts while cooking over the fire, so she wasn't hungry at all.
However, her brothers were too enthusiastic and kept urging her to eat. They even gave her the eggs they had snatched. Of course, they also remembered to be filial to their grandparents.
Don't be fooled by their scrambling for food; it's all to make the cook happy. The support is so effective that Grandma can't stop smiling.
"Hey, the eggs were for you guys to fry, why are you giving them all to us? Eat them yourselves, don't give us any more, this is enough, that's enough."
The brothers ate quickly, their pancakes filled with garlic sprouts, shredded potatoes, and pickled vegetables; they ate with great gusto.
After a delicious meal, the older sister washed the dishes and tidied the kitchen, while the second and third older brothers did their homework (the eldest brother was at boarding school and hadn't returned), and the youngest brother played with Xiao Jiu'er, who had been kept indoors all day.
The noodle shop in the storefront doesn't close until around 8 or 9 p.m.
It was completely dark, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the street. With all the shops closed, the whole street was dark.
After boiling water, the third sister pulled her and her brother back home. The hot water was ready, and the two sisters washed up and then quickly went back to their room to sleep.
After a long day of work, Pandi fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the bed.
The older brothers have to get up early for school tomorrow, so they should rest early too.
Grandpa and Grandma lay down after they had both turned off the lights.
Every night, after they fall asleep, their grandparents go to each room to check if they are properly covered with blankets.
With everything settled, the two put on their clothes and went back to their room. This kind of love was something the original owner's grandmother probably could never learn in her entire life.
Xiao Jiu took a long nap in the afternoon and wasn't sleepy at all. Just then, she heard her father knocking on the door.
Coming back so late, he must be going to the fields to pick vegetables tomorrow morning. His grandparents had just gone to sleep. Xiao Jiu quickly grabbed his little stool and ran to the door. He first opened the bolt of the main courtyard door and was about to run over to open the front courtyard door when he saw that his grandfather had already opened the front courtyard door and his father was saying some polite words.
When her father returned, chilled to the bone, he saw Xiao Jiu running to open the door for him wearing only a thermal undershirt and long johns, and his heart ached for her.
"My little Jiu'er can practically see the door already? It's so late, and you're still running over to open the door for your dad. How thoughtful of you!"
"Dad, Jiu'er took a nap this afternoon, so she's not sleepy now. Grandpa, Grandma, brother, and sister are all asleep. Shh... don't make a sound. Dad hasn't eaten yet, has he? I'll go get you some eggs. How about you boil a bowl of poached eggs? They're so sweet!"
One sentence melted the old father's heart!
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