Lin Yan checks the pepper seeds every day. Today, he finds they are almost white, ready to start planting. He can plant them in his own field. He chooses a small plot, spreads the seeds evenly, and covers it with straw.
Lin Yan also spread the seeds from his home. While the seeds were being cultivated, he planned to till the land at the east end of the village.
After Zhao Shiyun finished making tofu, he picked up his hoe and headed towards the east end of the village with Lin Yan. This plot of land was close to Zhao Zhen's home, and surprisingly, the gate was open. Zhao Zhen was sitting in the yard weaving baskets. Lin Yan, feeling a little nervous, tugged at Zhao Shiyun's sleeve. Zhao Shiyun looked over and greeted him directly, "Uncle Zhao, you're busy." Zhao Zhen was the fourth child, and the younger generation in the village all called him Uncle Zhao.
Zhao Zhen looked over and saw that it was the two of them, and nodded.
After they walked away, Lin Yan whispered to Zhao Shiyun, "Isn't it said that Hunter Zhao stays at home all year round? Why is he weaving baskets?"
Zhao Shiyun shook his head. He was also quite curious.
The two of them arrived at the edge of the field and began to plow the soil. Zhao Shiyun was strong, and each hoe went deep, while Lin Yan was more meticulous, breaking up the soil evenly.
While turning the soil, Lin Yan suddenly remembered something, "Brother Shi Yun, if we plant peppers on this land, will wild animals destroy it?"
Zhao Shiyun stopped, scratched his head and said, "It's really possible. Someone's crops have been destroyed by wild boars before." This piece of land is close to the foot of the mountain. If there are wild boars, it is very likely to be destroyed immediately.
Lin Yan was worried. What should he do? At that moment, Zhao Zhen's voice came from a distance: "Don't worry about the wild animals." Zhao Zhen had heard their conversation. Zhao Zhen approached and said, "I'm planning to go hunting again, and this piece of land is a good place to keep. All you need is some vegetables."
Lin Yan and Zhao Shiyun looked at each other, and Lin Yan spoke cautiously: "Uncle Zhao, your legs..."
Zhao Zhen smiled in relief: "Actually, the injury wasn't serious, I just wasn't as agile as before. I couldn't accept my leg injury, so I gave up on myself and even scolded my husband away."
He squatted down at the edge of the field, biting a blade of grass. "Yesterday the village chief came to me and tried to persuade me for a long time. I figured now that I'd rented out the land and had an income, I couldn't continue to be so decadent."
Lin Yan and Zhao Shiyun were happy for him from the bottom of their hearts. It was really great that Hunter Zhao could cheer up.
"I see you are still weaving baskets. Are you planning to sell them?" Lin Yan asked.
Zhao Zhen nodded. "Yes, hunting may not be as good as before. I plan to make some traps. It would be great if there are prey, but if not, I won't force it. Making some baskets to sell can also increase my income."
Lin Yan quickly agreed: "That's great, I'll pick some vegetables and ask Shi Yun to bring them over when I get back."
Zhao Zhen smiled and said, "Don't worry."
With Zhao Zhen's protection, they felt more at ease. They plowed the soil even harder, as if they could already see peppers growing in the fields and their family's life becoming increasingly prosperous. After plowing the soil, the two of them, carrying their hoes, slowly walked home.
*
Back home, Lin Yan told his family about Zhao Zhen, and Li Yuemei was deeply moved. Zhao Zhen was only in her thirties, her parents had died when she was young, and she had to rely on hunting for a living. She was dull and unpleasant, so she didn't marry until she was twenty-seven or twenty-eight. The husband had been in poor health since childhood and had been taking medicine all year round. After several years of marriage, they had no children. Then, Zhao Zhen got into that incident, and her personality became even more erratic. Her husband couldn't stand it anymore and ran away.
It is naturally a good thing to be able to pick yourself up and start a new life now.
*
Yu Ge'er went to play with his friends today. He and He Ge'er from the village got along best with each other and they often invited each other to go to the river to wash clothes, pick grass for pigs and dig earthworms.
Today, Yu Geer came back from outside and ran to Lin Yan excitedly, asking impatiently, "Brother, can you make stuffed meat?"
"Stuffed meat?" Lin Yan asked curiously.
"It's about putting meat in vegetables, like lotus root, eggplant, green pepper..." Yu Ge'er gestured. "I saw it at He Ge'er's house today. His relatives brought it."
"Oh~" Lin Yan suddenly realized that he actually knew this dish, but he had never made it. However, there was not much meat left at home. Lately, we have been eating meat almost every other day, which is too extravagant. He just needed to cook that small piece tonight.
So Lin Yan said, "Let's make some tofu stuffed with meat. We can do what you said another day." Tofu stuffed with meat uses less meat, which is enough.
As long as Yu Ge'er has something delicious, he nodded and ran to the tofu shop to help Lin Yan get the meat.
This stuffed tofu with meat is similar to stuffed tofu, except that it doesn't need to be crumbled.
Cut the lean pork out and save the fat. Chop the lean meat into small pieces, add some chopped green onions, minced ginger, salt, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and mix well. Lin Yan also added an egg and stirred it in one direction.
Then cut the tofu into small pieces, make a small hole in the middle and fill it with the meat filling.
Prepare the dish, put lard in the pan, put the tofu in when the oil is hot, with the meat filling side facing down, fry on low heat until golden brown, turn it over and fry for a while.
After frying, add appropriate amount of water, soy sauce, and salt, cover the pot and simmer on low heat for five minutes to let the tofu absorb the flavor. Finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve.
Lin Yan also made a dish of cabbage stewed with vermicelli, but he didn't add any more lean meat because he had used up all the lean meat, so there was still some fat with skin.
Before making the stuffed tofu, he'd already softened the vermicelli noodles in warm water. First, cut the fatty meat into small pieces and fry them in a pan to release the oil. Once the oil is hot, sauté the scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Add the cabbage stems and continue sautéing until softened. Add the cabbage leaves and continue sautéing, adding a little soy sauce. When the mixture is almost done, add an appropriate amount of water and the vermicelli noodles. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer until the noodles are cooked through. Season with salt.
Yu Ge'er was helping to light the fire nearby, already overwhelmed by the aroma. Seeing Lin Yan preparing to serve the food, he quickly went to fetch a large bowl. He then helped carry the tofu stuffed with meat out, then returned to take it back and fetch the bowls and chopsticks.
"Brother, father and mother are ready to eat~"
The people who were busy in the yard stopped and washed their hands in the basin in the yard. Zhao Shiyun was afraid that Lin Yan would get burned, so he hurried over to help him bring the vermicelli.
Lin Yan let go and touched his ear. He had forgotten to put a towel under the bowl when he was carrying it, so it was indeed a little hot. He looked at Zhao Shiyun's hand and thought, "Huh? This guy has thick skin and flesh, so he's not afraid of heat."
Everyone sat down and started eating. Stuffed tofu is a common dish, but stuffed tofu with meat is something I've never tried before. Li Yuemei tasted a piece and found it to be different from stuffed tofu. This stuffed tofu with meat blended the tenderness of the tofu with the freshness of the meat filling, creating a rich, layered flavor. Li Yuemei nodded, "It's delicious."
Zhao Qiming had been eating tofu for years and was tired of it. But when he tried this stuffed tofu with meat, he found it tender and smooth, with a rich meaty aroma and a rich sauce. It was indeed delicious. He rarely spoke up and praised, "Brother Yan's cooking is really good. I'm tired of eating tofu, but this dish is surprisingly good and suits my taste."
Yu Ge'er was even more full of praise, saying that as a little foodie, he likes to eat anything that is delicious.
Zhao Shiyun took a bite of the cabbage stewed with vermicelli. The vermicelli was smooth and tender, the lard was crispy and fragrant, and the cabbage was soft and tender, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth.
Lin Yan smiled as he watched everyone eat, and his smile grew even wider.
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