Every year when the lake level drops, many people go to Jiayu in lake B to harvest lotus roots.
Han Chengda, Han Rou, Han Chengshan, and Han Chengsi were forced to change into clothes for picking lotus roots.
"Grandpa, didn't we come here for tourism?" Xiao Si questioned his life choices.
Han Rou frowned: "Why do we have to go down into the muddy ground to pick lotus roots?"
Han Fei smiled and said, "I, as your grandfather, have already gone down into the muddy ground. How can you just stand there and watch? Of course, you have to come down with your grandfather and share the joys and sorrows!"
"Brother, it's all your fault for having such bad luck!" Han Chengshan said irritably, "How could you have shot in such a bad spot!"
Xiao Si agreed, "Big Brother's luck is really bad! Wouldn't it be better to find a place where we can eat, drink, and have fun without having to pick lotus roots in the fields?"
The children complained, but seeing their grandfather filming in the mud, they had no choice but to go down into the mud with him.
Walking forward through the soft, wet mud, Han Chengshan gasped for breath: "This is so tiring, even more tiring than running with a weight on!"
Han Rou nodded: "And my feet felt stuffy and uncomfortable when they were deep in the mud."
"Grandpa, slow down, let me help you!" Han Chengshan was afraid that the old man would fall, so he reached out to help him.
Han Fei waved his hand: "I'm not that old yet, I can walk on my own."
"The lotus root is so dirty!" Han Chengshan grabbed a handful of lotus roots, frowning in disgust as he looked at the mud on them.
Han Rou said gently, "Just wash it clean. Lotus root can be used to make many delicious dishes."
Han Fei asked with a smile, "Xiao Rou, what kind of dish would you like to eat made with lotus root? Grandpa will make it for you."
Before Han Rou could even speak, Han Chengshan shouted, "Grandpa, I want to eat lotus root sandwiches! Fried lotus root sandwiches!"
Han Chengsi smiled and said, "Grandpa, I want to eat lotus root and pork rib stew!"
Han Chengda said nonchalantly, "Anyway, it's Grandpa's cooking, so I love it."
The third and fourth sons looked at the eldest son in shock.
"Boss, you've changed! You weren't like this before!"
Han Chengda touched his nose, his gaze drifting elsewhere, avoiding eye contact with his two younger brothers.
Han Rou thought for a moment and asked, "Grandpa, is it difficult to make lotus root starch?"
"It's not that difficult, just a bit troublesome. Xiaorou, do you want to learn how to make lotus root starch?"
"I want to try making some and bring some to my roommates. When they're in a rush in the morning and don't have time to go to the cafeteria for breakfast, they can make lotus root starch, which is quick and convenient."
"It seems Xiaorou and your roommates get along quite well?"
“They are very interesting, and I think we can get to know each other better.”
"When you have time, bring them home for a visit. Grandpa will cook a meal for them himself."
"Okay, I'll ask them when they're available."
Han Chengshan trembled: "Second sister, even the female dinosaur is here?"
"That's rude. Her name is Jiang Long, not Female Dinosaur."
"What's the difference! Anyway, if she comes, just let me know in advance, and I'll go to Longhu Mountain to take refuge!"
"Is that guy Jiang Long really that scary?" Han Chengsi asked, puzzled.
Han Chengshan lowered his voice and whispered in his ear, "His face is covered in pimples, like a toad's skin. I wonder if it's contagious."
"That terrifying?" Han Chengsi was startled. "Then I'll go with you to Longhu Mountain to see my uncle."
Han Chengda frowned: "Third brother, it's normal to get pimples during puberty."
"Her face isn't exactly normal, is it? It's covered in bumps, like the skin of a toad! Anyone with trypophobia would have a reaction just looking at her face!"
Han Rou's face turned cold: "Third brother, if you keep talking about Jiang Long like that, I'm going to get angry."
"Fine, fine, I won't say! I won't say anything unless Xiao Si asks!"
Han Fei smiled and said, "The eldest brother is right. It's normal to get acne during puberty. Grandpa will give her a bottle of ointment to apply another day. Maybe it will help. Xiao Rou, make some more lotus root powder to give to your friend. Lotus root clears heat and detoxifies, and it's good for the skin."
"Okay!" Han Rou smiled.
Han Fei and his four grandchildren spent an afternoon picking 100 jin of lotus roots.
"Xiaorou, let the boys do the rest of the work. You can rest here."
"good!"
Looking at Xiao Rou's gentle face, Han Fei found it hard to imagine that she was the one who could kill in all directions.
Han Chengda, Han Chengshan, and Han Chengsi began to question their lives. Their task was to peel 100 pounds of lotus roots!
Han Chengshan said with a pained expression, "I'm so tired, my hands are sore!"
Han Chengsi laughed loudly: "Didn't you claim to be number one in physical fitness? You can't even do it now?"
Han Chengda silently peeled the skin, too tired to speak.
Two hours later, they finally peeled the 100 jin of lotus roots.
Han Fei came over to inspect, picked out the substandard products, and cleaned them up again.
Han Fei handed three kitchen knives to his three grandsons and assigned them a new task: to slice the peeled lotus root.
"Grandpa, I want to cry!" Han Chengshan wanted to cry but had no tears.
Han Fei smiled and said, "A real man sheds blood, not tears."
Han Chengshan looked down at the kitchen knife in his hand, wondering if he needed to "accidentally" cut his hand and bleed a little.
Han Fei saw through his little scheme and smiled, "If you cut your hand, I have waterproof bandages. You can put one on and continue working."
Han Chengshan silently dismissed the idea of "accidentally" cutting his hand. After all, he still had to work even if he cut his hand, and working with an injury would definitely be excruciatingly painful!
Han Chengda silently sliced lotus root, then turned to his two dawdling brothers and yelled, "Hurry up!"
Han Chengshan sped up a little.
Han Chengsi sighed and obediently sped up a bit.
But after only three minutes, the two slowed down again and began to stroll leisurely.
Han Chengda roared again, "Hurry up!"
The two of them sped up a little more to save face, but in less than three minutes they slowed down again.
Han Chengda continued shouting.
This continued, and whenever they slowed down, the hot-tempered Han Chengda would start yelling, leaving his two younger brothers with no time to rest.
An hour later, the three of them finally sliced 100 pounds of peeled lotus root.
"Alright, you guys take a break." Han Fei handed the three of them three glasses of soda water with lemon.
The three of them felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and slumped into their chairs, becoming three lazy bums.
"Xiaorou, the work from now on is yours."
"Okay!" Han Rou had wanted to help for a long time, but Han Fei stopped her every time, telling her to let the rough work be done by the tough men, and that she, as a girl, should do the delicate work.
"Put these lotus root slices into a blender with water in batches, blend until smooth, and then filter with a mesh screen."
"Okay!" Han Rou replied obediently.
"Hey, you three, have you rested enough? Time to get back to work." Han Fei, like a ruthless foreman, confiscated the half-finished soda water from the three of them: "Get up and get to work!"
"Is there something else for us?" Han Chengshan asked with a bitter face. "Why is making lotus root starch so troublesome? Wouldn't it be better to just buy some and soak it?"
"One bottle will last a long time, it's too much trouble to make!" Han Chengsi was also frustrated.
Han Chengda, however, had a different opinion: "The ones you buy aren't pure; maybe they have flour or something added on them. It's safer to make them yourself."
"It's okay to eat something impure occasionally!"
Han Chengsi nodded in agreement: "Third Brother is right, it won't kill us anyway!"
Han Chengda glared: "You'll regret it when you get sick from eating it!"
"Grandpa, if they won't do it, I will! What do you need me to do?"
"Little boss, squeeze these filter cloths dry and squeeze out all the water."
"no problem."
Seeing their eldest brother busy all by himself, the two younger brothers felt bad and, who had been slacking off, took the initiative to go and help.
After all the filtering was completed, it gradually got dark. Han Fei called the staff to go eat, as the local specialty dishes all included lotus root.
Having eaten a bellyful of lotus root, Han Chengshan walked with his buttocks tucked in, looking quite comical.
"Third Brother, are you holding back a fart?" Han Chengsi asked with a mischievous grin.
Han Chengshan was frustrated. His stomach was rumbling, and he was indeed full of gas, but he really couldn't let it out in front of so many staff members. He was afraid that if a string of firecrackers went off, he would lose face in the future.
"Hahaha, you must be full of farts right now!"
"Fourth brother, don't go too far, or I'll fart in your bed tonight!"
"No! Please don't! Your farts stink more than a weasel's!"
"Fourth brother, you've offended me. You're finished. You better not sleep tonight, or you'll be eating farts!"
The crew members were trying so hard not to laugh that they almost got internal injuries. The boss's two grandsons were just too funny!
After the lotus root was blended in a high-speed blender, the water and starch were completely separated after settling overnight.
Han Fei personally poured out the liquid, scraped off the solid at the bottom, put it into gauze, tied it tightly with cotton rope, and hung it up to dry for an hour.
Open the gauze, cut the firm solid into thin slices, spread them evenly on a baking tray, and bake in the oven on the drying function for 1 hour.
"Ding!" The lotus root is now full of its essence after baking.
Han Fei then handed the next task to Han Rou: "Xiao Rou, put them in bottles and you can give them to your roommates."
After Han Rou finished packing, she discovered that 100 jin of lotus root could only produce enough lotus root powder to fill 7 bottles, with each bottle containing about 1 jin.
She took out three to give to her roommates and gave the other four to Han Fei: "Grandpa, these are the extras."
"Soak some, and give each staff member a bowl."
"good!"
Han Chengshan looked incredulous: "Only seven pounds of lotus root starch out of a hundred pounds of lotus root?"
Han Chengsi looked at her calloused hands: "After all this hard work, this is all you get?"
Han Chengda patted his two younger brothers: "Good things come in small packages. Eating one bowl is like eating a pound of lotus root!"
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