After getting to know each other, Ren Ping'an's personality was revealed, and he looked lively at first glance.
Although he asked Yin Xiaoman to guess mysteriously what he brought, without waiting for Yin Xiaoman's reply, he could not help but untie the vines tied to the banana leaves, revealing a huge fish inside.
"Grouper?" Yin Xiaoman was very surprised: "Where did you get it from?"
This grouper is a deep-sea fish. It is difficult to catch it, let alone catch it by fishermen fishing in the near sea.
Yin Xiaoman has been here for almost a year. Except for the time when he was exchanged with Xiao Yao at the beginning, I haven't seen him again.
This grouper is really fat, and looks like it weighs at least 1.7 to 1.8 jin. Even though it had been in Xiao Ren's backpack for such a long time, it was still alive and well, and its fins and tail were still moving slightly.
Ren Ping'an was surprised to hear Yin Xiaoman call out the name of the fish right away.
Then he remembered the battalion commander's resume, and thought that his sister-in-law and the others came from the vanguard battalion, and he felt relieved immediately.
"Sister-in-law, this fish is fat, isn't it? I'm not exaggerating, except here, you can hardly find such a big grouper anywhere else!
This was caught by the second row when they were out on patrol at sea today. They had a good harvest today, catching several groupers like this, as well as a bunch of small fish. We also caught a lot of shrimps and crabs.
I don't know what you like to eat, so I brought a fish. ”
Ren Pingan explained with pride.
Hearing him say that, Yin Xiaoman suddenly felt a little uneasy, and she quickly refused: "These are all public property, please don't let us take them home. If we catch too much and can't finish eating them in the camp, I can pay to buy some, but you can't just bring them here like this."
Hearing Yin Xiaoman say this, Ren Pingan immediately laughed.
"Sister-in-law, what are you thinking? This is not military rations, nor is it the supplementary food sent by the supply ship. This is the result of our own labor in the camp!
You may not know much about the food supply situation of our troops on the coastal defense line. Here, in addition to normal dietary supplements, the most important thing is to eat from the sea.
Although you can see supply ships coming to our island again and again, each time they bring a lot of things, it seems very convenient to order something.
But that’s because we are now doing infrastructure construction.
After the project is completed and passed the acceptance, there will be no ship to deliver it to us. How much diesel will be needed and how much will it cost!
Normally, for our troops stationed on the island, supply ships usually come once a month. Every time they come, they just bring some food, seasonings, dried vegetables and some easy-to-store vegetables. For the rest, we have to rely on ourselves.
Fishing, growing vegetables, growing and harvesting by oneself, and being self-sufficient are the rules of daily life for our troops on the island.
So no matter what we collect or catch, we all share it together. There is no such thing as yours or mine, and there is no such thing as paying money to buy it. ”
At this point, Ren Pingan chuckled again: "Sister-in-law, you will be responsible for the experts' meals in the future. Delivering food and vegetables to you every day is one of my daily jobs. Do you have to charge me for every time I come here?"
His words left Yin Xiaoman completely stunned.
This kind of distribution method was something she had never heard of before, let alone imagined.
But why does it sound so good?
Since this was the case, Yin Xiaoman naturally would not be pretentious and happily accepted the fish.
Putting the fish aside, she asked what she was most concerned about right now.
She pointed to the banana leaves thrown aside and asked, "Xiao Ren, can we pick the bananas on this mountain?"
"Sure! Just pick as many as you want, as long as you don't waste them." Ren Ping'an answered simply.
After saying that, he glanced at Yin Xiaoman, and then suddenly realized, "Sister-in-law, did you pick some green bananas and don't know how to eat them?"
Yin Xiaoman smiled a little embarrassedly.
The reason why she asked this was because all the bananas she picked were green.
Whether in his previous life or this life, Yin Xiaoman had never lived in such a tropical environment. Everything around her was new to her, and her previous life experience was of little use here.
Therefore, many things must be clarified.
Just like the banana, although she knew that it had to be wrapped tightly until cooked before eating, how exactly should she wrap it and what should she pay attention to? She doesn't know.
Seeing that Ren Ping'an was actually using banana leaves instead of hemp paper to wrap things, Yin Xiaoman felt that this young man should be very familiar with this place.
Since the teacher is the capable one, she naturally has to ask for advice with an open mind.
Sure enough, Ren Ping'an started sharing his experience with her without even thinking about it.
“You can’t eat the bananas right after you pick them. You have to keep them in a cool place for a few days until they turn yellow.
The mountain people here usually put it in a bucket, then put a piece of cloth dipped in white wine, or put a stick of incense in it, then cover the bucket tightly and put it in a warm place to cover it, and it will be healed in about two or three days.
We don't have any wine here, and there's nothing else to incense except mosquito coils. But sister-in-law, please find a cardboard box, seal them inside, and place it on the windowsill outside the kitchen. Leave it there for four or five days, and they will all turn yellow.
We have a box in the kitchen. Let Dabao go with me to get it later. We have some cooked food there, so let him bring it back and eat it with Xiaoniuniu. ”
If he hadn't mentioned Erniu, Yin Xiaoman would have forgotten about her.
Now hearing him mention his daughter, she remembered how she had taught the two children a lesson before.
He quickly took out the yellow fruit he had picked and asked him, "Xiao Ren, do you know what this fruit is? How do you eat it?"
Ren Pingan took a look and exclaimed in surprise: "Hey, sister-in-law, you picked lemons? You can't eat them alone, they are too sour. We usually cut them in half and soak them in water to drink."
"Drinking water?"
Yin Xiaoman thought about it and felt that he could accept it. After all, this fruit smells really good.
"How do you make it?" she continued to ask modestly.
"Just cut it into slices, soak it in water and drink it. Sometimes I also put some other herbal herbs in it."
Ren Pingan continued to explain science to Yin Xiaoman.
“We cooks have to go to the regiment for training before taking up our posts.
During the training, the doctor from the health center came to tell us that this fruit is extremely high in certain vitamins.
And it also has a bactericidal effect.
When vegetables and fruits are in short supply, let us soak them in water and give them to the soldiers to drink frequently, so that they will not get mouth sores or ulcers easily.
In addition, the doctor also said that if there are minor cuts or scratches and there are no suitable disinfectant materials, you can squeeze its juice onto the wound, which has a sterilizing and disinfecting effect. ”
At this point, Ren Ping'an shuddered, as if he recalled something unacceptable.
Seeing that Yin Xiaoman was listening attentively, he added: "In addition, many locals use it to cook."
When Yin Xiaoman heard that he could cook, he immediately became excited.
"How to do it, do you know?"
Ren Ping'an scratched his head a little embarrassedly.
"Sister-in-law, we usually spend more time in the army and have less contact with local people. I have never seen how they use it. But I heard that they use it as vinegar."
After saying this, he frowned and said, "This thing is very sour, so it can only be used as vinegar."
After seeing Ren Ping'an off, Yin Xiaoman began to study lemons.
As a cook, it is not her style to discover a new food without researching it thoroughly.
Because she just arrived last night and had just learned how to light a fire, Ren Ping'an had not yet moved over the food belonging to her and Shen Qingyun's household.
Just now he specifically asked Dabao to go over and bring lunch over, but Yin Xiaoman refused.
But when his son and daughter were excitedly following Ren Ping'an, saying they were working but actually looking for an excuse to play, he just told them to bring back a few steamed buns.
When she went out before, she had seen a vegetable field on the back mountain with some newly grown vegetables in it. You don't need to ask to know that it must have been planted by the soldiers who stayed behind.
Since the resources on the island can be shared, she plans to pick some vegetables to use later.
Yin Xiaoman first cut the lemon into slices according to the method Ren Ping'an told her, then picked up a slice and tasted it, and it was indeed very sour.
But this acid was different from acetic acid. The fruity aftertaste was something she had never tasted before and she liked it very much.
But just because you like it doesn’t mean your kids will like it too. After all, water that has no taste other than sour would not be attractive to them.
Yin Xiaoman thought about it, took out a small bottle of honey from the space and poured some into the enamel jar, then put the lemon slices in and poured in warm water.
Then, I don't know why, the words Ren Ping'an just said flashed through my mind: "You can also put some cool grass in it."
Yin Xiaoman didn’t know what he called the cool grass? But I think this sentence is so true!
In weather like this, don’t we have to eat something to clear away heat and relieve summer heat?
She really couldn't go to Ren Ping'an at this time and ask him to point out which ones were the herbal herbs. After thinking for a long time, I finally remembered the mint that I saw on the roadside at the door before, growing wildly like weeds.
This mint was introduced to her by Cui Yan before. She said that drinking it soaked in water in the summer would have a cool effect and could help relieve the heat.
Or maybe mint can also be considered a cooling herb?
Although he knew it, Yin Xiaoman had never tasted it. The mint that Cui Yan pointed out to her was a few small plants that her sister-in-law got from somewhere and planted in a flowerpot like treasures.
Although she was interested, until the end, she didn't have the courage to actually pick the limited few leaves in the flowerpot.
What she didn't expect was that this thing that Cui Yan raised like a flower actually grew in large patches like weeds on Zhongshan Island.
Yin Xiaoman went out and walked to the intersection, picked up a few of the tenderest and thickest mint leaves, first put them to his nose and smelled them, then tasted a little to savor the aroma. After confirming that this was the sweet fragrance she had smelled before, she picked a handful, washed it with water and put it directly into the warm water soaked in lemon.
Because there were so many, she generously put in several slices.
After putting the lemonade in cold water to cool it down and waiting for the three people to come back, Yin Xiaoman ran to the vegetable garden in the back mountain and picked two cucumbers, two tomatoes, a handful of green onions, and a handful of long beans.
The weather here is so hot that you will sweat if you don't move. After just a few steps, the clothes on the back were soaked with sweat. Yin Xiaoman really didn't have the urge to heat up the pan and cook.
She first rubbed fine salt on the grouper, and because there was no ginger, she had to use some rice wine to marinate it.
Then boil hot water, blanch the long beans, cut them, and soak them in cold water for later use. Then I mashed the garlic and cut the cucumbers and tomatoes.
When it was almost time for the canteen to open for dinner, Yin Xiaoman steamed the fish and made the simplest vinaigrette using lemon juice instead of vinegar.
This vinaigrette is as simple as it gets.
It's just lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, and a little bit of honey that I haven't had time to collect yet, and stir it vigorously until they are completely blended and emulsified into one.
But such a simple thing, because of the scent of lemon, makes it fresh and appetizing.
Although he hadn't eaten it yet, just by smelling it, Yin Xiaoman knew that the three people who hadn't returned yet would definitely like it.
Pour the vinaigrette into the chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, mix well, and a large plate of mixed vegetables is ready.
Yin Xiaoman took the steamed fish out of the pot, added chopped green onions and minced garlic, then took out the green beans, drained the water, added the mashed garlic and placed it on another plate.
Then she took out a soup spoon, poured some oil into it, heated it on the stove, and threw a few peppercorns in.
When the oil is heated, pour it on the steamed fish and garlic-mashed green beans respectively.
With a "hissing" sound, a smell of oil smoke filled with the unique aroma of pepper oil filled the entire kitchen and floated out through the window.
Shen Qingyun had been busy for the whole morning and was tired. Even when he saw the millet buns in his son and daughter's hands, he didn't have the slightest appetite.
He grew up in the North, and the Pioneer Camp was the southernmost location he had ever been to.
So when he came to Zhongshan Island, although he didn't tell anyone, he was actually a little uncomfortable.
This damp and stuffy environment always made him feel like he had trouble breathing.
He had been running around for several days without a chance to rest, and under such circumstances, he had to do physical work for a whole morning. Even if he was as strong as an ox, it was a bit exhausting for him.
Fortunately, he returned home at this time. Before I even entered the door, I could smell the familiar smell coming from the kitchen, the smell that only my wife cooks.
He subconsciously took a deep breath, and the nausea that had been stuck in his throat seemed to disappear suddenly.
Then he found that he was actually hungry!
Yin Xiaoman didn't expect that the most popular dish for lunch today was not grouper, but mixed vegetables and lemonade!
It must be because of the weather.
As we first arrived, the whole family was a little uncomfortable with the local food. Only the fresh, crisp, sour and sweet cold dishes could whet everyone’s appetite.
After the meal, Yin Xiaoman silently wrote down the recipe, planning to try a few new variations based on it in the future.
She felt that when the experts arrived, they might encounter the same problems as them.
During the adaptation period, cold dishes should be more to everyone's liking.
The weather was so hot that after lunch, the two children became listless on their own without Yin Xiaoman urging them, and went back to their room to sleep obediently.
Even Shen Qingyun, who never took a nap before, suggested taking a nap.
Only then did Yin Xiaoman realize that the soldiers here also had the habit of taking a lunch break.
After all, the temperature at noon is too high, and there is a risk of heatstroke if you are not careful.
After entering the bedroom and seeing the two beds put together, Shen Qingyun was obviously stunned for a moment, and then his mouth couldn't help but grin almost to his ears.
He turned around and grabbed Yin Xiaoman who was following behind him.
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