Back home, Lin Yan poured out all the ingredients he had purchased and rinsed them, planning to make more tonight. Since there weren't enough basins at home, he resorted to using buckets.
Luckily, the candied dates at the bakery were pitless, otherwise they would have had to be pitted. Lin Yan quietly ate one. Mmm, so sweet. He gritted his teeth and swallowed it whole. His appetite had changed. Sweet, sticky things always felt like they were too much for his teeth. He quickly grabbed a sour plum to wash it down, to drown out the cloying sweetness of the candied dates.
We had meat at home yesterday, so today we’re going to make a vegetarian dish with tofu. This morning I told Zhao Shiyun to keep a few pieces of tofu and not sell them. I’m also going to soak some vermicelli and make cabbage, vermicelli and tofu casserole.
Oh, right, pork fat, just perfect for making some fried lard with dried radish. Next time I have some free time, I'll make some pork fat buns. I haven't eaten them in a long time, and I miss them so much. Lin Yan excitedly grabbed a handful of dried radish and soaked them.
When Ah-mo came back, she and Ah-die went to the fields. Zhao Shiyun guessed that she had gone to the vegetable patch, as she was nowhere to be seen when she returned. Lin Yan then began to boil lard.
He washed the pork fat and cut it into small pieces, trying to cut them as evenly as possible so that they could be heated evenly during cooking and the oil would be released more fully.
Place the cut pieces of pork fat into a pot and add a small amount of water, just enough to cover the pieces. Then, heat slowly over low heat. As the temperature rises, the water will slowly boil away and the pork fat will begin to release oil.
Then, add scallions, ginger slices, and Sichuan peppercorns to remove the lard's fishy smell and enhance its flavor. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula to ensure even heating and prevent overheating. As the lard continues to cook, it will shrink and produce more fat. When the lard cubes become golden and crispy, and most of the fat has been boiled out, the cooking is complete.
Lin Yan took the jar of lard from home, covered it loosely with gauze, tied the bottom tightly with string, and began to scoop the lard. He slowly ladled the cooked lard into the jar through the gauze, filtering out the fine residue. When it was almost empty, Lin Yan used chopsticks to pick up the lard residue and put it on a plate.
The lard residue is delicious when sprinkled with salt and chili powder. It is delicious when used to stir-fry vegetables, stir-fry dried radish, make pancakes, or make buns. Lin Yan ate two pieces in one gulp. Perhaps his appetite had changed, he found it a little greasy.
I left some oil in the pan to fry the tofu later. I started steaming rice on the other stove.
After the rice was almost cooked, Lin Yan started to cook. By this time, everyone in the family had returned. Yu Ge'er came skipping in and saw Lin Yan busy in the kitchen. "Brother, what are we having for dinner tonight?" He was already at the kitchen door as soon as he finished speaking. "Lard residue!"
He happily scooped up some water to wash his hands, then picked up a piece and started eating. There was quite a lot of lard residue, so Lin Yan used a small amount to stir-fry dried radish, and mixed the larger portion with salt and chili powder and ate it as a snack.
By now the dishes were almost ready. Yu Ge'er helped to serve the rice and dishes, and the family sat down to eat happily.
"Oh, I forgot to go to my mom to get the salted duck eggs." Lin Yan just remembered.
"It's okay, I'll go with you after dinner. Fortunately, it's not dark yet." Zhao Shiyun comforted him.
So the two of them hurried to eat and finished it in no time.
"Brother Shiyun, go get a basket." Lin Yan instructed.
After the two of them left the house, Lin Yan wanted to quicken his pace, but Zhao Shiyun held him back and said, "Did you forget that you're pregnant? Why are you walking so fast?"
Lin Yan chuckled and slowed down his pace. It was about twilight, the sky still bright, the sun about to set, the afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows on the two of them. They met a few acquaintances on the road, and everyone smiled and greeted them. "Where are you going, Yun and Yan?"
"I'm full and want to take a walk to digest the food." Zhao Shiyun responded with a smile. He didn't intend to tell the truth, so as to avoid being criticized for always going back to his parents' home.
When they walked outside Zhou Chunlan's yard, they could smell the faint aroma of food. Ah-mo was having dinner and smiled brightly when she saw them coming. "Here you are. Have you eaten yet? Do you want to have something to eat?"
"No, no, we've already eaten. Let's get the salted duck eggs." Lin Yan said. "Mo, you eat first and we'll get them later."
Lin Yan sat next to Zhou Chunlan and chatted with her about family matters. Zhao Shiyun looked around and didn't see anything he could do, so he sat down with her.
Zhou Chunlan finished her meal in a few bites, put away the bowl, went into the house and brought out a jar of salted duck eggs.
Lin Yan opened it and took a look. The salted duck eggs were covered with yellow mud and crowded together in the jar. They all looked very big.
"Ah, how many jars do you have?"
"About thirty."
Lin Yan picked out a few for Zhou Chunlan and planned to buy all the rest. "I'll take the rest. Use them first, and eat the rest at home."
Zhou Chunlan never really liked salted duck eggs, but Lin Yan loved them, so she made them every year. So now she waved her hand and put the few she had picked back, "You kid, you know I don't like them, why are you keeping them?"
"Hehe." Lin Yan scratched his head, took the basket from Zhao Shiyun, and asked him to carry the jar. "You said you'd bring a basket to put it in, but now you don't need it."
Before leaving, Lin Yan said that he would make rice dumplings at home the next day and send some to Zhou Chunlan when they were done. Zhou Chunlan thought that she didn't have to go to town tomorrow, so she decided to go and help make them.
"That's great. My mom's cooking is much better than mine." Lin Yan said happily.
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