Delivered at midnight!
Zhang Hongmei was ultimately allowed to stay for dinner.
“Hongmei, come on, I’ll take you to see my collection.” The old principal was very excited.
"I'll go later; I'll help Grandma make dumplings."
"Go ahead, you don't need to do this. I'll make dumplings for the three of us in no time. Go take a look, maybe only you can appreciate his collection."
Zhang Hongmei was stunned when she entered the study. It was decorated in a particularly elegant style, with red pine wood tables and chairs.
There are paintings of the Four Gentlemen and several large characters hanging on the wall.
On top is a potted green plant, a pen holder, a pen rack, and a paperweight with rough paper underneath.
Behind the round-backed chair is a wall-to-wall display shelf filled with bottles and jars.
On the left is a large bookshelf, which, although not completely full, still has quite a few books.
On the right are two round-backed chairs and a coffee table for receiving guests.
"That's wonderful! I want to decorate my study like that too. It's so tasteful."
"I knew you'd like it. See if there are any books you need?"
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Zhang Hongmei glanced at the books on the shelf; there were mostly ancient books, but also some modern texts.
"I'd better not lend it. It's been kept so carefully that I don't have the heart to look through it. I'd better focus on preparing for my university entrance exams next year."
"Okay, then come and get it whenever you want. How about taking a look at my display shelf?"
"Hehe, I don't understand these things. Even if it's the best, it's not mine. What's there for me to envy?"
"Whichever one you like, I'll give it to you." It was funny to see the old man looking so reluctant but still trying to act generous.
"I don't want to take what others like; you should enjoy it yourself."
After a while, they were called to eat.
The dumplings were made with the best ingredients they had in their house, and Zhang Hongmei ate them with great satisfaction.
He went straight to Dashan after returning to the village and told him what he needed.
"Sure. I can't do it myself this year, but I'll ask around for you. I guess it won't be as much as last year."
"I'm not afraid of having too much. This year, Zhang Xingguo and the others are coming back for the Spring Festival, so I need to prepare more."
"Don't worry, leave it to me. Do you want to go fishing tomorrow?"
"Let's see. If nothing's wrong, I'll go. It would be great if I could get some fish."
"It's okay, we'll go after the main force finishes fighting."
"Alright, let's go a few of us then. Is it easy to learn how to slaughter a pig, Brother Dashan?"
"Actually, I know how to do it. I don't even need to skin domestic pigs. It's just that sometimes I don't get it right when dividing the meat."
Zhang Hongmei had initially planned to butcher the wild boar herself, but then she thought about the pig's blood and gave up. She figured she just wasn't cut out for it.
The next day, Wang Hongxi organized twenty strong laborers to go fishing on the mountain, each carrying a basket and a snakeskin bag.
There were more than ten people digging the ice hole, and Da Shan's father was in charge of setting the net.
Three hours later, everyone was disappointed; there were some nets, but far fewer than last year.
The group tried to reassure themselves, saying they had caught all the fish last year.
The fish weighed only a little over 100 pounds, and the twenty-odd people slunk off the mountain.
That night, Dashan asked his dad for a fishing net, planning that the next day they would go and at least make digging ice holes easier.
"We haven't caught any fish. You think you'll have any when you go?"
"You never know. I think I'll definitely beat more than you guys."
The next morning, Zhang Hongmei steamed twenty large cornbread buns and brought some pickled vegetables, but nothing else. Then the seven of them went up the mountain together.
The ice hole we chiseled yesterday has frozen over today, but it's not thick, so it was much easier than yesterday. Zhang Hongmei even managed to dig one.
This time, setting the net was even simpler than the last; they only cast one section. Zhang Hongmei didn't dare use the spiritual spring water, but she was incredibly lucky; when she pulled up the net, she had caught a full thirty large fish.
The group was overjoyed, and Da Shan was especially smug, saying, "I told my dad we'd catch more fish than them today. See? We're the ones who know how to fish."
The others didn't have time to pay him any attention; they were all squatting on the ground cleaning the fish, otherwise they would freeze in no time.
When dividing the fish, each person received four. The two extra fish were given to Zhang Hongmei, since she had already eaten at their place, and besides, her own cooking was never as good as what they made at home.
The group chatted and laughed as they descended the mountain, agreeing to have dinner at Zhang Hongmei's house the next day. They planned to have stewed fish and steamed cornbread.
Zhang Hongmei went home and brought a carp to the old lady. "Grandma, look, we caught some fish today too. We're bringing you one so my aunt can stew it for you for the New Year."
"That's great! I was just thinking there wouldn't be any fish on the dinner table this year. We're really lucky to have this opportunity."
The next day, Er Ya came over early and asked Zhang Hongmei to call her home to get some pickled cabbage. Today she was going to make a mixed dish of pickled cabbage fish and boiled fish, and also braise a big silver carp.
The large grass carp, weighing six or seven pounds, was cut into a whole basin, along with five heads of pickled cabbage.
Two bowls of sauerkraut fish, one bowl of braised fish, and a large bowl of cornbread on the table were all eaten clean by the seven people, who even drank the soup.
"Hongmei's cooking is still the best. Even if I told my mom how to make it, she probably couldn't replicate the taste."
"If Shuangcun gave my aunt this much oil, she could make it too."
After everyone finished eating, they went home. Tomorrow, Dashan would start slaughtering pigs with the old butcher. Zhang Hongmei decided to go directly to the butcher and ask, hoping to buy more meat. Zhang Xingguo was a meat lover, and if there wasn't enough meat, it probably wouldn't be enough for him to eat alone.
The next day, he went to Xiao Suo's house to slaughter a pig and eventually sold 20 jin of pork ribs to Zhang Hongmei. Now the whole village knows that Zhang Hongmei likes pork ribs, so he just gave her pork ribs.
After that, they bought another 100 jin of meat. Zhang Hongmei paid them one yuan per jin, which was the price for meat in the village.
Two old hens were killed, and the remaining three were given to Li Cuihua.
They also exchanged half a board of tofu in the village, and made it into frozen tofu.
The rest of the time was spent organizing things at home. Everything that could be put away was put away, and all the food, pickled vegetables, and dried vegetables that were supposed to be taken were gathered together. Even after simplifying for a long time, there was still a lot of stuff. I decided to take it in several trips.
I steamed several more pots of sweet potatoes, then froze them outside. They tasted especially sweet when eaten with ice crystals still on them.
The Little New Year is almost here, and we'll still have a meal of dumplings together. The brigade will pay for 20 jin of pork from individuals to make filling for dumplings.
Zhang Xingguo and his group had not arrived by the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, but the telegram said they would definitely arrive by the 30th at the latest.
In truth, Zhang Hongmei was indifferent to their presence.
On the 29th, they stewed meat and fish. The house smelled delicious all day. The children were sensible enough not to come over. It was Zhang Hongmei who stopped them and gave each of them two pieces of braised pork, not too much, not too little, they had to taste the meat, right?
After taking the meat out, I added some water, rolled up the bean curd sheets, and put them in the meat pot to keep warm. The bottom fire in the stove was enough. It was a cold dish, and it tasted good mixed with the cabbage hearts!
I stewed one carp, and left the other two untouched. I'll make sauerkraut fish with them in a few days.
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