Lin Dan endured Kang Shaojie's noise all the way and slowed down when he reached the village entrance.
Kang Shaojie also realized that they were almost entering the village. His face turned red and he stammered, looking like he had something to say but was too shy to speak out. He wanted to beg Lin Dan to put down his firewood, so that his two good friends would not see him and laugh at him for being useless, but he also felt that doing so was a bit like killing the donkey after it has done its work. While he was struggling, he saw Lin Dan squatting down, taking off the backpack, and directly cutting the vines with a hatchet, then putting his bundles of firewood on the side of the road and leaving first.
Kang Shaojie looked at her back as she walked away, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.
The two photographers captured this scene, looked at each other and made the next decision - whenever they met this little girl in future photography, they must always pay attention to her every move, so as not to miss such a heartwarming scene. Remember what the two children of the Zhou family said about the little girl? A notoriously wild kid in the village, with no family discipline, who only knows how to play and not how to work? If this is called a wild child and uneducated, then there are really no people with high quality in the world!
Kang Shaojie silently put a few bundles of firewood into his backpack and strode back to Zhou's house. He, who always likes to be lazy and play tricks, didn't complain this time, nor did he make any inappropriate jokes in front of the camera.
Lin Dan was walking along a country path with a pile of firewood on his back. When he passed by his own vegetable garden, he went down to pick a handful of green vegetables and pinched many tender pea seedlings. She looked carefully and found that nothing was missing in the vegetable field. She walked up to the ridge with satisfaction and exchanged glances with Jiao Xiao'e who was standing not far away.
Jiao Xiao'e spat at her from a distance.
Lin Dan waved the hatchet expressionlessly. The other party's face turned pale, but he still gritted his teeth and snorted coldly before walking into the house.
Lin Dan returned home carrying a "small mountain" on his back. Lin Shuanzhu was so surprised that he almost jumped up. "Dan, why did you chop so much wood? Can you carry it?"
“I have to carry it back even if I can’t carry it. I have to go to school tomorrow, and I only have time to chop firewood on Saturdays and Sundays.” Lin Dan piled the firewood neatly under the eaves outside the kitchen, and picked up an axe to split the wood into small pieces to make it easier to ignite.
After a while, Kang Shaojie passed by her house, bowed to her and winked at her, with an expression that was both grateful and funny.
Lin Dan ignored him and continued to chop the wood with the axe, splitting it into two pieces, then into four pieces, with fierce and quick movements.
Two photographers stood at the door and took pictures of her. They then zoomed in to take a close-up of her sweaty little face. Upon closer inspection, they found: Wow, this little girl's facial features are so pretty, with thin, curved eyebrows, big, round eyes, a straight and upturned nose, a bright red mouth, and naturally upturned lips. She is even more delicate and cute than a Barbie doll.
It would be better if the skin could be whiter. The two photographers felt a pity in their hearts. Seeing the little girl chopping wood without even looking at the camera, they couldn't help but be moved by her steady character. The director was right, this little girl was probably the most promising child in Liuxing Village.
When Kang Shaojie returned to Zhou's house, his two childhood friends came up to him and asked jokingly, "Did you get the firewood?"
"Here, is it enough?" Kang Shaojie carried out a few bundles of firewood with a very proud expression.
"Did you really cut it back? Not bad, Jie Zi!" The feminine boy hit his friend's shoulder heavily.
"You cut it neatly, very skillfully! Jie Zi, I am really impressed by you today!" The chubby boy gave a thumbs up without hesitation.
Kang Shaojie touched his nose and his face began to turn red again, but he was too embarrassed to tell his companions that this was the firewood chopped for him by the little girl next door. As for whether the audience would laugh at him after the show was broadcast, that was not something he considered at all.
"Your level is just average. Come on, move the firewood into the kitchen. I'm almost starving to death!" Kang Shaojie tried to divert his friends' attention.
The chubby boy was really led astray by him, and pouted, "I don't want to eat even if I'm hungry. Old Lady Jiao's cooking skills are terrible. She just cuts up all the ingredients and cooks them in the pot. Is that for human consumption or for pigs? I've only been here for half a month and I've already lost several pounds. I feel sorry for myself."
The feminine boy pinched his chin and nodded, "You know what, you've lost a lot of weight."
"Really? My grandparents will cry their hearts out if they see this. When will this program be broadcast? I want to let my grandparents see what kind of life I'm living soon, so that they can teach my parents a lesson. Is it really possible to abuse your own child like this?" Talking about the food, the chubby boy was filled with resentment.
Before he finished speaking, Zhou Cuicui walked into the house carrying a brand new schoolbag, her cheeks flushed. Obviously, she had just heard the conversation between the teenagers outside the door.
"I'll tell my grandma and ask her to steam some bacon for us to eat in the evening." She ran away with her head lowered, as if she was very ashamed.
The three young men looked at each other and finally showed a little happiness on their faces. This was the second time they had eaten meat after being here for more than half a month.
…………
After Lin Dan finished chopping wood, he cooked the rice, then took down a piece of bacon hanging on the eaves and asked, "Master, shall we cook bacon hot pot tonight?"
"Okay." Lin Shuanzhui didn't have any big requirements for food.
Lin Dan blanched the bacon in boiling water, scraped off the fat skin, cut it into thin slices and set aside, and scooped a bowl of bright red pressed chili peppers and corn starch from the jar to make the hot pot base. Most people in the southwestern mountainous areas have strong tastes, but the people of Liuxing Village prefer sour and spicy food and have their own way of cooking hot pot.
Lin Dan cleaned the pot, dried the water, poured in rapeseed oil, and boiled it until it was 70% hot. Then he poured in the corn starch and stir-fried it until it became brown, crispy and fragrant grains. Then he poured in the pressed chili peppers and continued to stir-fry. The sour smell of corn acid and squeezed chili peppers mixed together and instantly broke through the roof and spread all around.
Lin Dan continued to stir-fry the two ingredients, and only added appropriate amount of hot water to boil them into a thick and bright red soup after their flavors were thoroughly blended. When he was done, he took them out and set them aside. He then added the bacon into the pot and stir-fried it to squeeze out the excess fat, then added it into the previous thick soup and continued to stew it.
The sour and spicy aroma of the squeezed chili peppers, the burnt and crispy aroma of corn acid, and the sauce and smoked aroma of bacon are mixed together to form a unique fragrance. Lin Dan then poured in the washed fir mushrooms, adding the scent of pine resin and fragrance. Finally, he rinsed the green vegetable leaves and pea seedlings to add a fresh fragrance, and the dish was ready.
The soup in the pot hasn't even started to boil yet, but the overbearing aroma has already risen to the sky. Even Lin Shuanzhu, who doesn't care much about food, has started to ask frequently: "Dan, when can we eat?"
"Master, wait a moment. I'll cut two more onions for seasoning." Lin Dan said loudly.
Lin Shuanzhu held his belly, feeling a little uneasy. Villagers passing by his house would always stand at the door for a while, sniffing and asking, "Lao Lin, what are you having for dinner tonight? Why does it smell so good?"
"There's nothing good, just cook some bacon." Lin Shuanzhu smiled and waved his hand.
The villagers stood in front of his house for a long time before leaving, but many children were pulling at the big iron gate and were reluctant to leave, drooling. The fragrance was still lingering, and the neighbors began to get restless, calling their children to come home for dinner, and repeatedly emphasizing that they had cooked bacon at home.
The children then started running away one after another, their steps very anxiously. Even adults can't stand the smell, let alone children who have no self-control.
Lin Dan placed a small hollow round table in the yard, put the stove in the middle of the table, put a pot on it, put two bowls of rice and a basket of vegetables on it, and pushed Lin Shuanzhu out to have dinner. Lin Shuanzhu scooped up a spoonful of the bright red and thick sour soup, mixed it with rice and quickly took two mouthfuls. He couldn't help but sigh, "Homemade food is still delicious!"
"Grandpa, please eat more." Lin Dan put a few pieces of bacon into his bowl.
The grandparents and grandchildren were used to cooking in the yard, with the pot open in the air, constantly emitting a wonderful aroma. This was a tough time for the three city teenagers living next door and the film crew.
"Cao Muchen, why do I feel like we're eating fake bacon?" The little fat man gently touched the feminine boy's arm.
The feminine boy who had been eating with great relish could no longer swallow. He didn't know whether to eat or not eat a piece of fatty bacon. Jiao Xiao'e's cooking skills are so crude. She just throws the bacon into water, washes it, cuts it into pieces, puts it in a steamer for fifteen minutes and that's it. There is not even any seasoning process.
Bacon itself is a food with a very strong flavor, so there was nothing wrong with processing it in this way. But as luck would have it, there was a seasoning expert living next door who made a bacon hotpot with all kinds of flavors. How could the three teenagers with such picky tastes tolerate it?
Kang Shaojie put the bacon in the bowl back onto the plate, took the rice and walked out of the Zhou family's gate, squatted at the door of the Lin family and watched eagerly. He had met Lin Dan before and was good at observing people's words and expressions. How could he not see that this was a girl who appeared cold on the outside but was actually very kind-hearted? If he made things a little embarrassing, she would definitely lend a helping hand.
Thinking of this, Kang Shaojie knocked on the bowl, trying to attract Lin Dan's attention. Then he picked up the white rice grains with chopsticks and put them into his mouth one by one, his face full of sorrow. The feminine boy and the little fat boy were hiding and watching nearby. When they realized what he wanted to do, their eyes suddenly lit up. They put the bacon back on the plate and squatted at the door of Lin's house with white rice in their hands.
The three young men squatted in a row, looking at Lin Dan every time they took a bite of white rice, their faces full of hunger, helplessness and pity.
Lin Shuanzhu had already noticed them and asked in confusion, "Dan, who are they?"
"They are just city people who are filming a TV show at Jiao Xiao'e's house. Just eat and don't worry about them." Lin Dan said calmly.
"Oh, it's a city person." Lin Shuanzhu immediately withdrew his gaze. People in the city live a good life, there is no need for him to feel pity.
Lin Dan ate his dinner leisurely without even glancing at the door. She knew that these three people were pretending, but she also believed that their hunger was somewhat real. Jiao Xiao'e took so much money from Lin Shuanzhu and watched the original owner starve to death. How could she be willing to give the good things in her home to the three young men? Her pockets were always filled with money but no money left, and living in the Zhou family, these people were bound to suffer.
The grandparents ate for more than half an hour, and Kang Shaojie and his two friends squatted at the door for half an hour. Jiao Xiao'e kept calling them to come back for dinner, but they didn't listen. Zhou Cuicui hid aside and watched, with a look of humiliation and dissatisfaction in her eyes.
Seeing that Lin Dan had already cleared away the dishes, Kang Shaojie stood up disheartened and muttered, "What a cruel little girl! She refused to give her brother a bite of meat."
However, just as he finished speaking, Lin Dan came out with a ceramic basin and said calmly, "Take it and eat it. It's the extra left over from cooking. It's been kept warm on the stove. My grandfather and I haven't touched it."
Kang Shaojie was immediately overjoyed. He took the pottery basin with both hands and kept bending down to express his gratitude.
Lin Dan reminded: "Return the bowl after eating."
"Okay, I got it!" Kang Shaojie ran away happily and put the pottery basin directly on the stone table in the Zhou family's yard. He and his two friends gathered around it and ate it up in big mouthfuls. By the time the director held up the inscription board and asked them to keep a sip, Kang Shaojie had already rinsed the empty basin. The young master really changed his personality today. Not only did he take the initiative to chop wood, he also learned to wash dishes. This is truly the first major breakthrough achieved by the program team.
Jiao Xiao'e rolled her eyes, and her disdainful expression was recorded verbatim by the photographer. Zhou Cuicui buried her head in eating her own bacon, her eyes were wet and she looked a little aggrieved. When Zhou Fang left, he told her not to initiate a conflict with Lin Dan and just cry.
But this trick didn't work on the three teenagers. After eating and drinking, they went back to the house to play cards, not wanting to care about Zhou Cuicui's little emotions at all.
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