Chapter 32: Gu Ruyi is still unaware of the invitation...
Gu Ruyi still didn't know what tricks Qi Lian had come up with to deal with Fu Zhengrong.
After work, she hurried to the meat stall.
As expected, the meat stall had closed down long ago, and not even a piece of pig hair was left.
It doesn’t matter, there is still a system.
Gu Ruyi stood there and started signing in.
"Ding! Sign in at the pork stall once and you will receive five catties of pork belly, five catties of spare ribs, five catties of pig blood, five catties of pig's hoof, and a five-catty meat ticket."
Wow, today is a good start, and all the things I signed in for the first time are good things.
Unfortunately, none of them are what Gu Ruyi wants.
"Ding, spend 1 sign-in point to sign in once, and get three pounds of pork leg meat, three pounds of pork fat, and three pig heads."
Wow!
Gu Ruyi's eyes widened. The system was too powerful today. She only wanted a pig head, but the system gave her three.
Well, that's enough this time.
Gu Ruyi left with satisfaction, and then went to the nearest pharmacy, the Second Pharmacy of Sijiu City.
It is called a pharmacy, but in fact it is comparable to a health center.
Not only can you buy Chinese and Western medicine here, you can also see a doctor. The doctors are experienced and can treat most minor ailments. The prescriptions you bring with you must also be reviewed by the doctor to confirm that there are no problems before the medicine can be dispensed.
Moreover, the prices were very affordable, not at all like pharmacies in later generations. Many ordinary people who did not have employee medical insurance were willing to come to the pharmacy to see a doctor and buy medicine.
But Gu Ruyi didn't come here to buy medicine.
When she arrived, she handed the prescription to the doctor and said, "Doctor, please help me. I want to buy some spices."
Doctor: "Spices?"
The confused doctor took the prescription and looked at it. Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaf and grass fruit...
They are both Chinese medicine and spices.
The doctor couldn't help but laugh, "These things are not easy to buy outside. Comrade, you are really smart to come to our pharmacy to buy them. But these are not cheap. Comrade, are you sure you want to buy so many?"
In fact, the spices that Gu Ruyi bought were all common and not expensive, but she bought too many types, more than twenty kinds in total.
And each type weighs at least half a pound, so the total is naturally not a small number.
Even so far, no one in their pharmacy has ever bought so much at one time.
Gu Ruyi smiled and said, "That's exactly what I need. There's a wedding going on in my hometown recently, so I need to prepare more stewed food. Any less won't be enough."
The doctor couldn't help but click his tongue. With so many spices, they could probably stew several hundred kilograms of meat. What kind of family could be willing to use so much meat for such a wedding?
Too much money and nowhere to spend it!
But this is someone else's business, it's not your turn to intervene.
The doctor readily stamped the prescription.
Gu Ruyi whispered "thank you" and went to get the medicine.
The staff who dispensed the medicine was also shocked. He asked again to make sure it was correct before dispensing the medicine according to Gu Ruyi's prescription.
After more than ten kilograms of medicinal materials were packed, they directly filled up the pharmacy counter.
It cost thirty-two dollars.
It is indeed expensive, but it is just a small amount of money for Gu Ruyi.
However, for fear of attracting attention, Gu Ruyi paid the money and quickly took the medicine and wanted to leave.
Unexpectedly, when she turned around, she saw other patients in the pharmacy looking at her with sympathy.
Gu Ruyi: “???”
Other patients: To buy so many medicines, someone in your family must be seriously ill. How pitiful.
A kind old lady even spoke to comfort her, "Little girl, you must be strong. If someone in your family is sick, it is better to have a cure than not to have one."
Gu Ruyi instantly understood everyone's thoughts and was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
This is a huge misunderstanding.
Since it was difficult to explain, Gu Ruyi could only smile and leave quickly.
Afterwards, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought a large earthenware jar, as well as oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and chili powder.
When they were almost home, Gu Ruyi hid in a deserted corner and took out two pig heads from the space.
The two huge pig heads weighed more than twenty kilograms. Gu Ruyi held one in each hand and walked with them in his hands, looking very imposing.
Aunt Zhang saw it from a distance and was startled. When Gu Ruyi approached, she asked hurriedly: "Ruyi, why did you buy two pig heads? They are fishy and smelly, and they are not tasty. The most important thing is that each one costs two or three yuan, which is not cheap. Wouldn't it be better to buy two kilograms of fat meat with that money?"
Then Aunt Zhang suddenly realized something and said, "You were cheated by the pig seller. Come on, I'll take you to return the pig."
In the 1970s, ordinary families had very little knowledge of spices. Although they had heard that spices could remove fishy smells and enhance fragrance, most people did not know how to mix them.
Another thing is that I am reluctant to spend money.
So even though pig heads are much cheaper than meat, most people are still unwilling to buy them.
Knowing that Aunt Zhang meant well, Gu Ruyi smiled and said, "Aunt Zhang, I wasn't cheated. I bought this on purpose. The aroma of my family's braised pig head spreads ten miles away. It tastes dozens of times better than fat meat. I will never waste it."
After hearing this, thinking of Gu Ruyi's previous skills, Aunt Zhang silently swallowed her saliva.
Gu Ruyi added, "Oh, Aunt Zhang, please tell the people in the compound to have dinner later today. Thank you all for your help yesterday. I can't afford good meat, so I can only buy some pig heads to thank you. I hope you don't mind."
That’s right, the reason why Gu Ruyi got so many pig heads was mainly to thank the neighbors last night.
She had no relatives or friends among her neighbors, but when she was in danger yesterday, everyone rushed out to help without hesitation.
This really made Gu Ruyi grateful, and she was eager to do something to thank everyone.
After much thought, Gu Ruyi decided to make some braised meat for everyone. It just so happened that she had learned how to make braised meat in the system the day before. The braised meat was so delicious that everyone absolutely loved it.
Moreover, pig heads are very cheap these days and are meat, so they are presentable and affordable.
"Oh, Ruyi, you are too polite. We are all neighbors, and it is only natural for us to help each other. Why are you sending me meat?"
Although she said this, Aunt Zhang's grinning face revealed her mood.
She was not attracted by the pig head, but by the fact that it was made by Gu Ruyi herself.
The food Gu Ruyi had made before was already delicious, and she even described the braised pig head as having a fragrance that spread ten miles away. Aunt Zhang had no idea how delicious it must have been.
But my saliva was almost all over the floor.
Gu Ruyi didn't take Aunt Zhang's polite words to heart and insisted, "Aunt Zhang, the pig's head is not worth much money. It's just a token of my appreciation. Don't be polite. Okay, I'll go braise the pig's head first. See you later."
Aunt Zhang: "Okay!"
After separating from Aunt Zhang, Gu Ruyi just opened the door of her house and Xiao Hei came to meet her.
“Woof woof woof…”
The baby's barking voice was particularly pleasant to the ears, and Xiao Hei's tail left an afterimage, like a small whirlpool.
Surrounded by such a cute little guy, who can resist not hugging it.
Anyway, Gu Ruyi, whose heart was almost melted by cuteness, couldn't do it.
"Hehehe, you brought this upon yourself," Gu Ruyi, smiling like a creepy old man, pounced on Xiao Hei.
"Trojan horse~Trojan horse~"
Xiao Hei: “Woof woof woof woof… Woof woof woof… Woof woof…”
Xiao Hei's cries gradually changed from cheerful to weak. When he finally escaped from Gu Ruyi's clutches, his pair of small eyes became confused.
The fur on its body became disheveled and looked as if it had been ravaged.
Gu Ruyi, who had done such a vicious thing, felt guilty for a second.
But it only lasted for a second.
Who can blame Xiao Hei for being so cute and coming right in front of her?
Who can resist kissing her? Not even Liu Xiahui could.
And she will dare to do it next time.
The unrepentant Gu Ruyi started to braise the meat.
The first step in braising pig's head is to wash it clean.
However, the pig's head that had signed in had not been burned, so Gu Ruyi burned the pig's head with fire first. In order not to burn the inside of the pig's ears, he also burned it with red-hot tongs.
The reason for doing this is mainly to burn the pig hair clean.
What Gu Ruyi hates most is the hair on pork. If it is not cleaned, one bite will result in a mouthful of hair. The feeling is nauseating just thinking about it.
Secondly, it is to remove the fishy smell. The sweat glands and sebum on the pig skin may leave some fishy smell. Burning can remove this fishy smell and make the pork more delicious.
After washing the pig's head, the second step is to put it in a pot with cold water and blanch it with onion, ginger and cooking wine.
Gu Ruyi also threw two bones in as a reward for Xiao Hei.
After all, it had just worked hard.
Xiao Hei: It’s tied up…
The coal balls in the stove turned from black to red, and about half an hour later, the water boiled. There was also a layer of gray foam on the surface of the earthen jar.
These are the impurities in the pig's head. If it is not blanched, even if you use more spices, the braised pig's head will still have a fishy smell.
Gu Ruyi scooped off all the foam on the surface of the water, waited for a few minutes, and found no new impurities, then took out the pig's head and washed it.
Then Gu Ruyi changed to a large iron pot, added a little water, sprinkled some rock sugar in and started to boil the sugar color.
This step is to make the braised meat look good in color, but sugar color is not easy to boil. If it is not boiled enough, it will become sweet, and if it is boiled too much, it will become bitter.
In her previous life, she couldn’t do it even if she beat Gu Ruyi to death.
This life is different. With the inheritance of the imperial chef, making a little sugar color is easy for me.
After about five or six minutes, the rock sugar in the iron pot had melted into liquid, and large brown bubbles slowly emerged as the spatula stirred.
After the big bubbles turned into small bubbles, Gu Ruyi was quick to pour a bowl of boiling water into the iron pot.
With a "sizzling" sound, a large cloud of mist came out of the iron pot, and the sugar color was ready.
The color of the boiled sugar water is a bit similar to that of brown sugar water, but it is not as sweet as brown sugar water. It is perfect.
Finally, only the braised meat is left.
Gu Ruyi changed the coal balls, put the clay pot on the stove again, poured in 20 kilograms of water, and began to prepare the marinade packets.
Twenty kilograms of water, about 20 grams of star anise, 20 grams of fennel, 15 grams of cinnamon, 10 grams of bay leaves, 10 grams of galangal...
There were twenty-six kinds of spices in total. After they were all prepared, Gu Ruyi put the spices in gauze, washed off the dust and threw them into the boiling water.
Then she put in green onions, ginger, chili peppers, peppercorns, soy sauce, sugar color, etc. and cooked them for fifteen minutes. Only after the aroma of the spices was fully stimulated did she put in the pig's head.
The next step is to wait patiently. It only takes about forty minutes and the braised pig head is basically done.
However, pig's head alone is not enough, it is best paired with fragrant chili oil to make it more flavorful. So while the pig's head was being braised, Gu Ruyi went to borrow a stove to boil chili oil.
Time passes slowly...
In just ten minutes, the aroma of the braised pig's head began to emanate.
Twenty minutes later, the air within a one-kilometer radius was filled with the aroma of braised meat.
People living nearby were in great pain when they smelled the odor. They could smell it but couldn't eat it, and they almost died of greed.
Only the people in the West Courtyard were very happy.
Aunt Zhou didn't even have the heart to cook. She stood at the door and said to Aunt Zhang, "Wow, this is the braised pork that Xiao Gu mentioned. It's so delicious. I feel like I can live ten years longer if I eat one bite."
Aunt Zhang took a breath, nodded and said, "That's right. Xiao Gu's cooking skills are dozens of times better than those of the chefs in state-owned restaurants."
Aunt Zhou's son continued, "Indeed, I have eaten braised pork in state-owned restaurants, and it was not as delicious as this. I don't know how Comrade Gu made it."
Uncle Zhang stroked his stubble and said shamelessly, "Luckily Xiao Gu is willing to send us, otherwise I would definitely lose my dignity and go to his house to beg for it."
"Hahaha, we're almost the same."
Because they would be able to eat sooner or later, everyone in the West Courtyard was in a good mood.
The mood in the East Courtyard next door was extremely bad.
Especially Bangzi, who was so greedy that he cried out and pulled Jia Chenshi to ask for meat.
If it were someone else, Jia Chen would definitely come to the door with a stick to ask for it without saying a word.
But Gu Ruyi was the one who sent her to the police station, how could she dare to do that!
Being annoyed to no end, Jia Chenshi could only angrily say: "I, your grandmother, don't have the ability to do that. If you want to eat, you can find a way yourself."
These words fell on Bangzi's heart. Bangzi's eyes rolled and he planned to go to Gu Ruyi's house in the evening.
This is actually what Jia Chen thought.
Little did he know that retribution would soon come to his family.
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