“Uncle Zhang, I don’t think you’re dishonest at all. I’ll say it again: if you want something, there are many ways to get it. You didn’t try to take it for yourself, nor did you think about sharing it with me. Instead, you talked to me openly and honestly. I admire that.”
"Thank you, girl. Don't worry, we will never do anything to betray you," Zhang Xingguo assured him again.
Today's lunch consists of pancakes, scallions, and cucumber.
After finishing her meal, Zhang Hongmei decided to put the baskets and bags into the cave, as there were too many holes.
"Uncle Zhang, I'm going inside to check. I'll be back in two and a half hours, so don't worry."
"Take the knife with you."
"No need, I have a dagger. Besides, I'm going to pick mushrooms, so you don't need to worry."
Zhang Hongmei ran all the way, feeling that time was too tight. When she reached the top of the cave, she tied a rope down, put down the basket and the bag, and then hurriedly came back up.
Once they reached the forest where mushrooms grew, they took out a cloth bag and began picking them.
What a wonderful place! The bag was full in no time. I even found some newly sprouted wood ear mushrooms. Grow up obediently, and wait for me to come and harvest them.
Zhang Xingguo returned to the sweet potato field feeling quite pleased with himself. He paced back and forth anxiously, wondering how long it had been since he'd come back.
Only when Zhang Hongmei ran over with a bag on her back did she feel relieved.
"Uncle Zhang, look, so many mushrooms. I'll come back to pick more tomorrow. Tonight we'll have pheasant stew with mushrooms. We still have a dried pheasant at home, so we'll eat that too."
"Okay, let's see if we can find any fresh pheasants later, that would be just right."
"I also like to eat fresh food, but it's hard to find it."
"You wait here, I'll go take a look." Zhang Xingguo picked up his machete and left.
Zhang Hongmei spread the grass that Zhang Xingguo had cut on the ground, lay down on it, and crossed her legs, feeling very comfortable.
I felt sleepy without realizing it, but I didn't dare to sleep outdoors, so I got up and simply picked some fresh sweet potato leaves to eat with tonight.
They picked enough mushrooms for dinner and then stopped. They poured out the mushrooms, pinched off the roots, and cleaned them all up. Zhang Xingguo still hadn't returned, so they couldn't help but worry. Only then did they realize the concern Zhang Xingguo had shown them the day before.
Looking at the time, it was almost time to go home. Just then, Zhang Xingguo returned, carrying three pheasants, including a rooster with particularly beautiful feathers.
"Come on, let's go home. Your brother Zhang is in for a treat today."
"We'll steam rice for dinner tonight; that's true happiness."
"That's easy. We still have plenty of rice at home. I reckon your brother Zhang will bring some food over, so we can eat without worry."
Zhang Hongmei: I have plenty of rice, but I can't eat it all the time because of you. I'm full of resentment.
After herding the sheep back to the sheepfold, Zhang Xingguo took a shovel and cleaned the sheepfold. He was quite capable of working with only one arm.
After feeding the chickens, Zhang Hongmei picked a basket of green beans, two eggplants, two cucumbers, and two tomatoes before going into the kitchen to cook.
Zhang Shouyi is coming today, so the food definitely can't be too bad. Pheasant stew with mushrooms, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, cucumber salad with minced garlic, stir-fried green beans with cured meat, and sweet potato leaves mixed in. This table of dishes is impeccable.
Hurry up and go out to kill the chicken, remove the feathers, chop it into small pieces, blanch it, drain the water, brush the pot with oil, add Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves and dried chili peppers and fry until fragrant. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry, add light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, stir-fry a few more times, and the aroma will immediately waft out. Add water, cover the pot and simmer.
Wash the mushrooms and set them aside. In another pot, boil water and cook the rice.
It was hot, and the kitchen, which wasn't big and had two pots burning at the same time, was practically a sauna. Zhang Hongmei was covered in sweat and her clothes were soaked through.
This is too much suffering! It would be better not to eat in the summer. It's so much better to live alone! While sighing, he kept busy with his hands.
While Zhang Hongmei was busy running around, Zhang Xingguo finished cleaning the sheepfold and added grass to the sheep. Then he said goodbye to Zhang Hongmei and went home.
I took a shower as soon as I got home, changed my clothes, and came over to help.
Entering the kitchen, all that bathing was for nothing.
"Uncle Zhang, you can go outside and put the table down. We don't need you here."
“Okay, I can barely breathe in there. I’ll find someone to build a makeshift stove for you in the yard tomorrow. Cooking here is such a pain.”
"Okay, there are still several pots at home. I also feel really uncomfortable."
The rice is now cooked and steamed in a large pot. Slice the eggplant and place it on the steamer rack. The chicken is almost tender, so quickly add the mushrooms, salt, and continue steaming with the pot covered.
Zhang Hongmei quickly left the kitchen and sat in the yard to prepare other vegetables. The temperature outside was particularly high, but Zhang Hongmei felt a refreshing coolness as soon as she stepped outside, with a gentle breeze blowing.
“Hongmei, let’s eat easy meals from now on. Cooking is such a pain.”
"You'll get used to it. You have to cook even simple meals. When I find a man in the future, he'll definitely be the one who cooks for me."
"Yes, that's it." But in her heart, she thought that Shouyi's cooking skills were really poor. No, she had to make him learn quickly. Hongmei cooks so well, wouldn't she abandon Shouyi in the future because he can't cook? The thought terrified her. No, he absolutely had to learn.
Zhang Hongmei went into the kitchen to add more fuel to the fire. She tasted the chicken and found it was tender and flavorful. One fire was enough, and the rice was ready too.
I brought out the cutting board, knife, and plates and started chopping vegetables in the yard; I really didn't want to stay in the kitchen anymore.
Remove the chicken from the pan, then clean the pan and start cooking the vegetables. First, stir-fry the eggs and tomatoes, then make green beans and stir-fry the meat.
Remove the rice from the pot, put the overcooked eggplant into a bowl, and set it aside to cool. Blanch the sweet potato leaves in the water at the bottom of the pot and remove them; this way, there's no need to use the fire.
When all the dishes were served, Zhang Shouyi arrived. Zhang Hongmei thought angrily, "He's lucky to have this meal. I just did a good deed and he came. Even if he had to wait ten minutes, I would feel better."
"Uncle, please stay for dinner. I've prepared your meal."
"No, I've been out all day. Your third aunt must be worried."
"You all eat, I'll go tell my third aunt."
Liu Maocai had no choice but to be dragged into the courtyard by Zhang Xingguo.
Wang Xiaoshun was particularly perceptive. "Hongmei, I'll go tell her you can rest. You must be exhausted after making so much delicious food."
Zhang Shouyi, who disliked his obsequious manner, glared at him.
The table was already set out, and Zhang Hongmei fetched water for them to wash up. Liu Maocai had been sweltering all day, and only felt comfortable when he got home.
After the two finished washing up, Wang Xiaoshun returned, and the group sat down to eat. Zhang Hongmei only took out a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor), poured a glass for each of them, and then picked up her bowl and ate.
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