Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Eat a full meal today

"Wang Ermei!"

Liu Chunhua jumped up, rushed over in three or two steps and grabbed the person, covering Wang Nian's mouth with her right hand, and Liu Gensheng also helped to hold the other arm.

The two men carried Wang Nian into the cafeteria.

Wang Nian: “…”

“Here it comes!”

There were not only Liu Gensheng and his sister in the cafeteria. There were many people squatting in front of the stove door, including the production team leader Xiao He.

"Uncle Xiao He, what are you doing?"

As soon as Liu Chunhua loosened her hand, Wang Nian asked curiously.

"Keep your voice down!" Xiao He raised his index finger and put it on his lips: "If anyone hears, no one will be able to have a full meal tonight."

Soon, Wang Nian understood why everyone in the yard looked like thieves.

Next to the dim stove, there was a basket full of mushrooms, and on the right was a wooden basin full of fish, with a few fish jumping out.

"Where did the fish come from?" Wang Nian asked in surprise.

I was just thinking about pickled fish, and within a few minutes the fish jumped in front of me. I could tell from its light yellow tail that the meat was delicious.

Xiao He smiled and said, "Didn't our production team win first place in the commune's production skills competition a few days ago? This is a prize from the brigade. Didn't Master Heping tell you?"

There are awards, but they are nothing like the food.

Wang Nian shook his head, even more puzzled: "Then why are we hiding? The fish was not stolen."

"What should we do if people from other production teams come to ask for it?" Xiao He frowned, and the others quickly nodded.

The second and third production teams are from the same village, and some of them are related. If your second eldest master wants to eat some fish, will you really not give it to him...

But once you give it to us, you won’t be able to eat your fill tonight.

The Sansheng Team Canteen...is famous.

"What are you going to do with the fish?" Liu Chunhua interrupted, licking her lips as she spoke: "With so much fish, our family can at least get a big bowl."

Wang Nian walked to the big basin and squatted down.

Most of them were grass carp and silver carp, with a few crucian carp mixed in, each weighing at least two kilograms.

"Pickled pepper fish, with some pickled ginger and pickled radish."

The people of Wenxi Township love spicy food, so every year they grow several acres of peppers and ginger to pickle peppers for the members. On weekdays in the morning, they take porridge from the canteen and go home to eat it with pickled ginger.

Kimchi is not counted as collective property...

"Okay! Then I'll go door to door to collect pickled ginger." Xiao He immediately responded.

Wang Nian said whatever to cook, and the others had no objection at all and just did what they said.

Xiao He took the initiative to take over the job of talking, while the others continued to wait for instructions. Even the former canteen chef put on his sleeves and took the initiative to kill the fish.

As long as you enter the cafeteria, Wang Nian is the boss.

"Cut the fish in half first, and I'll do the rest. Chunhua, you and Brother Gensheng wash their ears. I'll go to the warehouse at the back to see if there are any vermicelli..."

Seven or eight people quickly started working according to Wang Nian's arrangements, and everyone had a smile on their face.

As the sun sets, the sky gradually becomes dyed with a soft amber color, as if the rice seedlings were dressed in a layer of golden satin.

Smoke rose from both sides of the village.

It was not yet time for meal serving in the third canteen on the east side, but quite a few people were already standing in the courtyard, young and old, and everyone was looking at the few people in the middle who were busy.

"Are we late?"

Wang Yong and his wife Zhang Lan walked into the yard carrying a pot and were immediately frightened by the huge crowd in front of them.

"If I had known I wouldn't have changed my clothes." Zhang Lan regretted it very much.

I finally got to eat some meat, but if I missed it because I changed my clothes, I would regret it in my dreams.

Perhaps Xiao He heard everyone's murmurs, so he quickly turned around and waved.

"There are enough fish tonight. Don't worry. There's enough for everyone."

Someone couldn't help but laugh and shouted back, "If it was like before, it would be fine if we ate one less piece, but today it was my second sister who cooked the fish, and my mother complained about it several times."

Fish is a good thing, and good cooking is the icing on the cake. Everyone is afraid of being late and suffering a loss.

"That's right. We've been drooling over the aroma since just now."

"Who said it wasn't?"

"My kid was already thinking about asking my second sister to stew meat for him during the Chinese New Year yesterday!"

Everybody was talking and laughing at the same time. Wang Yong puffed out his chest proudly, which made Zhang Lan so amused that she couldn't help but punch him secretly.

“Here!”

After handing the pot to Wang Yong, Zhang Lan rolled up her sleeves and squeezed out of the crowd.

"Sister, is there anything I can help you with?"

Wang Nian looked up at Zhang Lan and raised his chin to the side: "Sister-in-law, please cut the mushroom ears."

The Red Flag Brigade is backed by mountains. In spring and summer, there are many wild mushrooms and fruits in the mountains, which are good for everyone to eat when there is no meat to eat.

While cutting vegetables, Zhang Lan looked at Wang Nian who was putting fish into the pot.

Before I got married, I heard that the Wang family had a delicate sister-in-law who was born in the countryside but had never worked in the fields to make a living.

To use the introducer’s words, she has the body of a young lady but the fate of a maid.

At that time, Zhang Lan's family was worried that Wang Nian would drag down Wang Yong's family, and my mother even thought about helping to act as a matchmaker.

Who would have thought that after getting married, I would find out that Wang Nian's ability to be so strong was hers, and she didn't look like a spoiled child at all.

It's true that she cooks delicious food, but the key person also relies on this fact to avoid any gossip in the team.

During the day, she fed the pigs and cooked a big pot of rice, and at night she taught the illiterate adults and children in the village to read.

According to Zhang Lan, her sister-in-law is better than all the intellectuals in the city.

I didn’t see the educated youth in the village going back to the educated youth center after having their meals, but no one thought of using their free time to educate the children.

The fish bones and potatoes in the pot filled up a whole basin, and another basin was used exclusively for fish fillets.

Finally, sprinkle some chili and peppercorns on it, and pour a ladle of hot oil on it as everyone swallowed their saliva.

Sizzle——

If this spoonful of oil had been put in before, most people would probably have thought it was a sin.

But now... no one is thinking too much, their minds are filled with the thought that not a single drop of soup can be wasted.

I took the fish out of the pot and put it aside. I cleaned the pot again and this time I only dared to scoop a small amount of lard into the pot.

The aroma continued to waft around, and witnessing Wang Nian cooking was undoubtedly very torturous.

Her slender arms held the large spatula more skillfully than the old men. She finally threw a handful of garlic sprouts into the pot, stir-fried them for a few times, sprinkled a little salt and served.

With a thought, the snow-white salt on the porcelain spoon instantly became covered with a layer of gray-brown pepper.

Haijhar pepper is a great way to enhance flavor and remove fishy smell.

When Wang Nian was marinating the fish just now, he discovered that this unique pepper aroma could instantly clear one’s mind.

Could it be that the seasonings in the space are not only used for cooking, but also have other functions?

As I pondered, the aroma rose.

Xiao He became a little anxious, fearing that the aroma would spread out and be smelled by other people. He hurriedly asked everyone to get their food before the pot was even opened.

We can only feel at ease when it reaches everyone’s bowl.

Everyone lined up happily to get their meals, and seeing the two large basins of fish, they felt more or less at ease.

"My mother is still waiting at home, so I'll go back first!" The old man who finished serving the food first smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits. Today's food has to be carried home on a shoulder pole.

"Don't forget to ask Taohua to come home to learn to read in the evening." Wang Nian reminded with a smile.

"I didn't forget! Today is my family's turn to make candles. I'll let Taohua and her brother take them with them tonight."

Twice a week, Wang Nian teaches the children in the village to read, especially the young girls, so that all the women in the Red Flag Brigade can escape from illiteracy.

The five masters left in a hurry.

Soon... most of the people in the yard had left.

There was only a thin layer of food left in the basin, which was the dinner that the kitchen had prepared for a few people. Liu Gensheng had been drooling with anticipation for a long time, and when he saw that it was finally their turn, he quickly scooped a bowl full of rice mixed with cornmeal from the pot.

The food is delicious today, so Xiao He asked Liu Chunhua to cook more rice. Even if it is not pure white rice, it will be enough to fill her up.

"Everyone is eating their fill. In a few days the team will have to dig a fish pond, and it will take several days of hard work!" Xiao He followed.

Wang Nian also stayed here to eat in the evening, saving every meal he could.

“…”

"This fish tastes better than the one cooked by the chef at the county's state-owned hotel."

The fish meat melts easily with the tongue, and if it weren't for the small bones, you could swallow it immediately.

Two years ago, Liu Chunhua went to the county town with her parents to buy a radio. She had braised fish there once, and it was treated by her cousin who worked in the city. She has remembered the taste of that fish for several years.

It’s just… compared to the fish I caught today, it’s not good enough at all.

"Next time the team hosts a banquet, please don't agree to it, or our team three won't be able to eat such delicious meals in the future."

If the team leader Hu Chunsheng knew that there was such a capable person hidden in the third team, they would not even have a chance to work there. They would have to be arranged to work in the commune canteen with just one word.

After taking a few bites of food, Wang Nian suddenly remembered that he didn't seem to see Xie Hua in the queue for food today.

Xie Hua was an educated youth assigned to Team 3 by the brigade. We were specifically told to take good care of him. If anything happened to him, everyone would be punished.

After Wang Nian said this, Xiao He suddenly remembered.

"He must still be asleep." Liu Chunhua really disliked Xie Hua and curled her lips when she heard this: "Or maybe he's in the back of the mountain looking for someone."

The original body had never shown her love for Xie Hua in front of other people, except herself, and Xie Hua himself should have some feeling about it.

"I'd better go and check it out to make sure it's safer." Xiao He stood up in a hurry, holding the bowl and going to the educated youth point to check on the people, but then he remembered, "No, I have to take food to Liu Wazi first."

Liu Wazi was only six years old when his parents died one after another, leaving him to live with a blind grandmother.

Team Three took the initiative to take care of these two grandparents who were unable to work. Xiao He usually delivered three meals a day. The meals just delivered to the Liu family had actually been prepared and were being heated in the steamer.

Xie Zhiqing is important, but not as important as my own children.

"Chunhua, go and see the educated youth Xie."

"I'm not going!"

"Chunhua and I will go together." Wang Nian interrupted and winked at Liu Chunhua in the middle: "If you don't want to go, stay and wash the dishes."

"We'll go after we finish our meal."

It would take a long time to wash all the pots, pans, and bowls on the floor. It's not as easy as just walking a few steps.

After they had finished their meal, they picked up their lunch boxes and went out through the dog hole at the back door of the ancestral hall.

The educated youth site was near the brigade office, more than 20 minutes' walk from the main gate. Usually, Xie Hua rode his bike to the cafeteria to eat.

However, Wang Nian and Liu Chunhua, who grew up in the village, knew a small path that could save them most of the journey by going around the cornfield at the foot of the mountain.

It's just that this place is desolate and sometimes you'll run into some shameful things.

And today, Wang Nian happened to run into him.