Soldiers have strong palates, so Song Liyun first cooked acorn tofu with chili sauce, a dish that has become a must-have on her family's dining table recently.
First, fry the spicy sauce in lard until it turns a glossy color, then add ginger and garlic to bring out the aroma, and finally add chicken bone broth to bring it to a boil.
Cut the acorn tofu into cubes and simmer it in the broth for a few minutes. Then add salt and vinegar to taste, thicken with cornstarch, reduce the sauce over high heat, and finally garnish with chopped green onions.
Having eaten acorns for so long, Song Liyun has become quite adept at it.
Every day, as soon as braised acorn tofu is served, it's always the first dish to be eaten.
The cuisine of the Wu Dynasty mainly consisted of stewing and braising. Another dish that Song Liyun prepared was acorn noodles with a large plate of chicken, which saved them from having to eat any staple food.
This chicken was specially bought by Song Zhenping in town to bid farewell to Song Dekui.
A two-pound chicken is chopped into small pieces, blanched with ginger slices to remove any fishy smell, then seasoned with spices to make broth, which is then added to the meat and potatoes and simmered.
When the meat is tender and the soup is thick, the potatoes inside have also absorbed the savory flavor of the chicken.
Finally, place the cooked acorn noodles at the bottom of a large plate, and then cover the noodles with the chicken and broth.
When you finally eat it, the chicken is flavorful, the potatoes are soft and tender, the noodles are chewy, and all the savory aromas are mixed together, making for a wonderfully diverse and delicious taste.
Equally fascinating were the two distinguished guests who came to visit.
Song Liyun discovered that both Zhou Xiaoqi and Lin Xiaoqi were taciturn people.
I don't know how I ended up becoming sworn brothers with Song Dekui, who was familiar with everyone.
When the two arrived at Baolin Residence, they didn't wander around. They just looked at the front yard and sat down properly, chatting casually with Song Dekui and being exceptionally polite to Song Zhenping.
There was no fire inside, and both of them were sweating profusely.
In Song Liyun's eyes, the scene looked strange no matter how she looked at it, and she didn't know what she was afraid of.
It wasn't until they were eating that Song Liyun noticed the two people, who had been so reserved, straighten their backs instantly when they took a bite of acorn tofu.
After trying the braised chicken again, I devoured it with gusto, no longer hesitant or timid as before.
While scrambling for food, Song Dekui complained, "Xiaoyun, I've been here for several days, why haven't you made this dish? If I had known it was this delicious, I would have bought two for you to cook."
A few days ago, Song Dekui stayed at Baolinju. In order to save money for Song Liyun, he forbade her to buy chickens and ducks and only let her eat roasted acorn tofu.
But I never expected to miss out on such a delicious treat.
After dinner, Zhou Xiaoqi finally told Lin Xiaoqi the truth.
They were actually quite afraid of Lai Po Lin Residence, after all, it was a notorious haunted house.
However, Song Dekui kept coming into the camp these past two days, praising Song Liyun's acorn tofu and urging them to try it.
They had heard that Xue Zhuang's acorn tofu at his wedding banquet was quite good, and they were tired of the coarse grain cakes and millet porridge in the camp, so they took the risk of coming over.
I never expected to eat such delicious roast chicken noodles.
Naturally, he readily agreed to take good care of the Song family in the future.
The night the laborers received their wages, the garrison transported them out of Suijin Town in large carts.
Song Dekui sat at the front of the carriage carrying a large package, repeatedly assuring Song Liyun that he would not reveal the whereabouts of the three siblings when they returned.
If Song Liyun had such concerns a day ago, she is now free of worries.
Now he is both a creditor and a military household member of the Suijin Garrison.
With Luo Baihu's promise and the right to protection bought with silver, she was no longer afraid of anything.
In Song Liyun's opinion, it would be even more perfect if the positions were reversed.
He took 1,800 taels of silver from Luo Baihu's pocket. For the sake of the silver, the garrison might have to arrange a few guards for Baolinju.
Song Liyun sincerely invited Song Dekui to visit Suijin Town again if he had the chance, so that she could entertain him.
Song Dekui readily agreed; that plate of chicken had already made him crave it so much that he would probably never forget it for the rest of his life.
Although Song Liyun had already told him how to make it, he still felt a pang of regret that he couldn't eat the most authentic version.
It won't be easy for him to come to Broken Gold Town in the future. According to the law, if he travels more than fifty miles from his home, he will need a travel permit.
It's more than 200 li from Xiaoshi Village to here.
Once the migrant workers left, Suijin Town suddenly fell silent.
During the day, you can occasionally see and hear roosters crowing and dogs barking, and people coming and going in a hurry.
At night, all the courtyard gates are tightly closed, and no one can be seen. Even the curfew is waived.
All that could be heard was the eerie howl of the night wind whistling through the broken walls and ruins.
Perhaps this is the true face of this small village.
Fortunately, there is a garrison here.
The bugle calls during morning and evening drills would drift from afar, adding a touch of life to Broken Gold Town.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Night enveloped Broken Gold Town, and the surroundings were deathly still. There was no moonlight, and not a single light could be seen.
Inside Baolinju, the kang (a heated brick bed) was already heated, making it warm and cozy. Xiao An, wearing only a light jacket, sat on the kang peeling acorns.
Song Zhenping entered the room covered in soot, wiped himself clean with a cloth, and then went to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
He said to Song Liyun, who was looking through a pile of clothes, "The fire in the stove over at the vegetable shed has been extinguished. The wind is howling now, and it's probably going to snow tomorrow!"
It is now the winter month, and after several days of strong winds and a drop in temperature, the temperature has plummeted to zero degrees Celsius.
Song Liyun smiled broadly and said, "I'm not afraid of the snow, look, I have a new coat to wear."
Today she asked the town's seamstress to alter three sets of clothes, so that all three siblings would have two sets of coats. With firewood and grain, they wouldn't have to worry about anything all winter.
Upon hearing that it was going to snow, Xiao An looked up at her sister with pleading eyes.
Song Liyun patted his head: "Don't worry, I know, I'll tell you in a bit."
"What did you say?" Song Zhenping brushed the mud off his body and sat down next to Xiao An to start peeling acorns.
Now, no one in the family is ever idle; whenever they have free hands, they're always peeling acorns.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
