Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Yan has been pregnant for more than four months. The annual Qiqiao Festival is also approaching. Lin Yan is actually looking forward to this festival very much. In previous years, when he was not married, he was embarrassed to go to the town for a stroll on the Qiqiao Festival, otherwise he would be alone and be laughed at by others.
Every year during the Qiqiao Festival, the town is very lively with various activities, such as threading a needle to pray for skill, spiders praying for skill, worshipping the Weaver Girl, eating clever fruits, etc. This year, Lin Yan plans to go to the town with Zhao Shiyun to take a look, and take Yu Ge'er with him to let him participate in the threading of a needle to pray for skill.
"Don't worry, brother, I will win a big prize for you." Yu Ge'er is very confident in his skills.
Lin Yan patted his shoulder: "Then it depends on you."
On the day of Qiqiao Festival, Lin Yan specially reduced the ingredients, so the ingredients were sold out at 3:00 p.m. Lin Yan asked Widow Liu and Brother Yue to go back early, and if they had time tonight, they could also come to join in the fun of Qiqiao Festival.
"Aunt, we will eat early today, leave early, and wait for you to join us."
Widow Liu waved her hand and said, "We won't go. You young people should have fun."
"Then let Brother Yue go. Brother Yu is here too."
Widow Liu glanced at Yue Ge'er and saw the desire in his eyes. She hesitated for a moment and said, "No, it's too much trouble for you."
Lin Yan was helpless, but did not try to persuade him any further.
Back home, Lin Yan started steaming rice early. He bought a roast chicken in town today and would have it for dinner tonight, along with some soup.
When Zhou Wanan delivered the chicken offal today, he also gave Lin Yan a bowl of duck blood to try. Lin Yan planned to use the duck blood and tofu to make duck blood and tofu soup.
The duck blood has already solidified. Cut the duck blood and tofu into small pieces and put them in a large bowl.
Boil water in a pot and add a spoonful of salt. Once the water boils, scoop the water into the bowl containing the duck blood and tofu. Blanch them for a while, then drain them in a basket. Chop the green onion, ginger, and garlic into small pieces and set aside.
Pour an appropriate amount of water into the pot, add chopped green onion, ginger and garlic, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the blanched duck blood and tofu, and stir gently to prevent sticking.
Add a suitable amount of salt and soy sauce for flavor, a dash of vinegar for added flavor, and a sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorns to remove the fishy smell and enhance the aroma. This peppercorn powder was obtained from a few peppercorns Lin Yan had just pounded. Simmer over low heat for half a quarter of an hour to allow the tofu and duck blood to fully absorb the flavors of the broth. Finally, add a spoonful of lard to dissolve and serve.
The rice was ready here. Lin Yan took out the rice first, and then put the chopped roast chicken in to heat it for a while.
The soup was a little hot, so Lin Yan carefully put a cloth under it and brought it to the yard.
Li Yuemei knew they were going to town to celebrate the Qiqiao Festival tonight, so she and Zhao Qiming returned from the fields early. As soon as they entered the house, they saw Lin Yan had already cooked the soup. They washed their hands and faces in the yard and put away their tools.
"It's time to eat~" Yu Ge'er took the bowls and chopsticks and served rice to everyone. Lin Yan picked up a chicken leg and put it in his bowl. Yu Ge'er immediately smiled and said, "Thank you, brother-in-law."
Zhao Shiyun was a step slower and also picked up a chicken drumstick for Lin Yan, and also picked up a small chicken drumstick for his father and mother. Lin Yan picked up a chicken wing for Zhao Shiyun, then took a bite of the chicken drumstick, "Delicious, the meat is tender."
The family rarely ate cooked food in town, so this one tasted fresh and delicious. The chicken skin was crispy and fragrant, and the chicken meat was tender and smooth. Zhao Qiming also tasted a bite of the roast chicken and praised it, "This chicken tastes really good. I don't know how they made it, it's so delicious."
Yu Ge'er ate without even raising his head. Soon only bones of the chicken leg were left. He blew on the soup in the small bowl, took a sip, and gasped because of the burn.
After dinner, Lin Yan and Zhao Shiyun began packing their things to leave. They changed into clean clothes, and Lin Yan even donned the hairpin and bracelet Zhao Shiyun had given her. Yu Ge'er slung his saddlebag, donned a pink headband, and donned a new pale yellow outfit, looking lively and energetic.
Li Yuemei and Zhao Qiming said they were too old to join in the fun. Lin Yan and the others tried to persuade them for a long time but they still refused, so they had to give up. After they packed up and opened the door, they saw Yue Ge'er walking towards them. Yu Ge'er waved his hand in surprise: "Yue Ge'er~"
Yue Ge'er took a few quick steps and panted as he said, "My mom agreed to let me go. Sorry to bother you guys."
"It's no trouble, no trouble, get on the cart quickly." Yu Ge'er took Yue Ge'er's hand and got on the donkey cart together.
Zhao Shiyun drove the donkey cart, Lin Yan sat beside him, and Yu Ge'er and Yue Ge'er played and laughed in the back. Everyone was excited along the way, eager to get to the town and experience the excitement of the Qiqiao Festival.
Arriving in town, the streets were festooned with lights and bustling with people. Stalls teemed with stalls selling glutinous rice cakes, handicrafts, and even flowers. Yu'er and Yue'er raced toward the needle-threading festival, "Let's go! I'm sure we'll win."
Lin Yan and Zhao Shiyun, hand in hand, followed behind them. "You two, slow down." Yu Ge'er slowed down his pace upon hearing this. They arrived at the venue. The needlework competition was about to begin in half a quarter of an hour. Yu Ge'er squeezed in to sign up, while Lin Yan and the others stood in the inner circle, waiting for the event to begin. It wouldn't be long, so they just had to wait.
Half a quarter of an hour passed quickly, and the needle-threading activity officially began. Today's needle was a seven-hole needle. At the sound of "start," Yu Ge'er focused intently, swiftly threading the thread with expert skill. Yue Ge'er watched nervously from the side, offering frequent cheers and encouragement.
Lin Yan and Zhao Shiyun also stared intently at Yu Ge'er, their eyes filled with nervousness. Time ticked by, and participants gradually completed their needle threading. The judges began checking, and soon the results came out.
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