Donkey Grilled Meat

Song Qiusheng sighed: "You have grown up. I can make my parents and elder sister feel at ease when you go home."

Song Shixia urged him: "Brother, eat the noodles first and see how they taste."

Song Qiu Sheng was speechless when he saw the instant noodles. This bowl of noodles was more expensive than the big meal he had at the G City Hotel. It had beef and eggs, and it was instant noodles.

He took a sip first. The noodle soup had the fragrance of green vegetables and the briny aroma of beef. The instant noodles were chewier and more refreshing than the handmade noodles in the restaurants outside. He didn't expect Xia Xia to be such a good cook.

Song Qiu Sheng ate noodles with big mouthfuls, while Song Shixia went upstairs to wake up the child.

Ji Yuan rubbed his eyes and let his mother put clothes on him. His mother smelled so good.

"There's a guest at home, it's my biological brother, I need to go to Aunt Feng to borrow something, can you stay home with the guest for me?"

Ji Yang explained word by word with a stern face: "Your brother is our uncle."

Song Shixia smiled at him: "Yes, that's really smart, you guys call him uncle." She didn't say it because she was worried that the child would reject it. Although Ji Yang didn't change his words to her, this little guy was a proud and arrogant boy, and she didn't mind at all. He accepted uncle very quickly.

Ji Yuan was dazed: "Mom needs to come back soon, so we can help you accompany your brother."

Ji Yang: "Stupid, her brother is our uncle."

"Oh, we help mom take care of uncle."

Song Shixia took the children downstairs. Song Qiu Sheng had just come out of the kitchen. He finished his noodles and washed the dishes.

"Brother, let me introduce you. This is the eldest brother Ji Yang, Yang Yang, and this is the younger brother Ji Yuan. They are twins."

Song Qiu Sheng felt a little overwhelmed when interacting with the city kids.

"Hello."

Ji Yang and Ji Yuan said in unison: "Hello, uncle."

Song Qiusheng looked at his sister.

"The children are very well behaved. Please take good care of them."

"They are very well behaved, so I don't have to worry about them." Her brother had no confidence in her at all. It was all because of the unreliable guy of the original body who had overdrawn the trust of the family members.

Song Qiu Sheng opened the luggage he brought with him.

"This is what Mom asked me to bring you. I brought you the money you sent home. Mom said she didn't buy you a decent dowry. If you were married locally, she would have given you a grand dowry, but it's too far. Use this money as your own pocket money. Having money in hand will give you confidence."

Ji Yang looked at his uncle and then at her. Why did he say that she would be wronged at home?

Ji Yuan didn't understand and kept glancing at the bag.

Song Shixia didn't want it, she felt unworthy of it.

"Brother, I really don't need money. If I were short of money, I would definitely write to you and ask for money. I was ignorant for the first twenty years, and it was hard for you to tolerate me. Now I am sensible and can no longer ask my parents for money."

As for dowry and other things, the family had enough of them. If Ji Weiqing minded that she didn't bring dowry, she would have said so long ago.

Seeing that she was determined not to take it, Song Qiu Sheng had no choice but to keep the money first and wait for a chance to stay when she left.

He took out a red food bag and put it on the table. Inside was a big bag of peanuts.

"Mom personally fried the peanuts for you. They were harvested last year. I ate a few and they were delicious."

Song Shixia peeled a peanut and tasted it. The fried peanuts were fragrant, crispy and delicious. She fed one to each of the little guys.

Ji Yuan was very supportive: "It's delicious!"

Ji Yang didn't seem to object.

Song Qiu Sheng grabbed a handful for each of them.

Song Shixia reminded: "Don't fill them with too much peanuts. Eating too many peanuts will cause internal heat."

The two little guys didn't get angry when they heard this, they just sat side by side and ate peanuts.

Song Qiu Sheng felt that his sister had changed a lot. Could it be that marriage can really make people mature and sensible?

"This is a tiger-head hat that my mother made on the spur of the moment. Her craftsmanship is not very good, so it may not be as pretty as the ones sold outside."

Song Shixia thought this tiger-head hat was very cute, but it was a pity that it was a hat for two little guys.

She put the hat on the boy and said, "Next time, ask mom to make one for me. I want one too."

Song Qiusheng laughed at her: "How old are you? Why are you still wearing this?"

Song Shixia was dissatisfied: "No matter how old I am, I am still the child of the family, your sister, who is not a baby?"

Song Qiu Sheng could conclude that this was undoubtedly his sister.

"Okay, then let mom make you a pair of tiger-head shoes, and see if the kids will laugh at you."

Song's mother made tiger-head shoes for the two kids according to the size of other children of the same age in the village. They fit Ji Yang perfectly, but were a little too big for Ji Yuan.

Ji Yang and Ji Yuan were very happy to own the domineering tiger hats and tiger shoes, and they didn't complain at all.

Ji Yuan clenched his hands into claws and placed them on both sides of his cheeks: "I am a big tiger, owl~"

Ji Yang corrected him: "I am the big tiger, you are the little tiger."

Ji Yang didn't care about his brother. He ran around the living room wearing a tiger-head hat and tiger-head shoes.

Song Shixia's heart was melted by cuteness: "Aren't they so cute!"

Song Qiusheng smiled and said, "Before I came here, I was worried that the city kids would be spoiled and that you and the kids wouldn't get along. I didn't expect that you get along well with them."

Song Shixia snorted: "You look down on me, don't you? I only bully you guys. As an adult, don't I have any dignity to quarrel with children?"

Song Qiusheng couldn't argue with her, so he took out a heavy cloth bag.

"The donkey we fed in the village died, so my mother asked me to buy you five pounds of donkey meat."

!!!

Song Shixia stood up quickly: "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I have to put it in the refrigerator before it gets spoiled."

"It won't go bad. I've been hanging it in the well since I bought it. I took a ride into the city last night. It must have gone bad overnight."

Song Shixia didn't care. She put the meat in the refrigerator. Just as the beef was finished, it was taken out of the refrigerator.

She lifted the weight of the meat, took out a larger piece and took it to the kitchen to soak.

"Let's have donkey BBQ tonight. We can't let such fresh meat go bad. I'd be heartbroken. Brother, don't bring fresh meat next time. It's almost summer and it's easy for it to go bad on the road."

Song Qiusheng was speechless: "Do you think you'll be lucky enough to run into a pig butcher every time? Next time, just wait until the Chinese New Year."

Song Shixia came out of the kitchen, "It's just right during the Chinese New Year, when the temperature is low and the taste is not easy to go bad."

Well, it was all in vain, she was only thinking about meat.

Song Shixia thought that everything had been taken out, but she was startled to hear the sack at her feet moving.

"What is that?"

"Oh, I caught you a laying hen. Mom said eggs are expensive in the city."

Song Shixia looked out the window toward the yard.

"Where should I raise it?"

"That's not easy. I'll make you a chicken ring."

Song Shixia went to the cafeteria to find Aunt Feng and met Chen Jiao on the way.

She looked very haggard, and was holding a girl who looked impatient.

"I want to eat sweet and sour pork tenderloin. You promised daddy that you would take good care of us, but you didn't even give us rice to eat!"

Chen Jiao hurriedly explained: "The cafeteria doesn't have it today, I will definitely buy it for you next time if it's available."

"I don't care. I want to eat it. If my mom were still alive, she would definitely buy it for me."

The little girl shook off Chen Jiao's hand and ran away, leaving Chen Jiao and the slightly embarrassed Song Shixia alone.

She didn't mean to embarrass Chen Jiao, but the road was so narrow.

She pointed to where the little girl ran away and said, "Aren't you going to chase her?"

Chen Jiao looked at her and said, "She's back home. What do you think we are trying to achieve as stepmothers? It's fine if the child doesn't want to be close to her, but if she doesn't do something right, she'll compare you to her biological mother. You're asking for trouble."

Song Shixia: ...

She decided not to say anything and just listen to Chen Jiao complain.

"Telling the children strictly that you are a stepmother and being permissive towards them is actually harming them." She spoiled her son too much in her previous life and turned him into an ungrateful person. She is not as devoted to her husband's children from his previous marriage as the woman who abandoned her husband and children.

"It will be fine when they grow up. This is how children are when they are young. They don't understand anything."

Chen Jiao shook her head and smiled bitterly: "I really envy you. I heard that your children are just in kindergarten, so they must be easy to discipline. You should brainwash them that only you are good to them. Don't learn from me and become a nobody."

Song Shixia smiled, not ready to accept her suggestion. Children are not objects, and controlling their minds is too extreme. Besides, their biological father is not dead, he just faked his death for the mission. After returning, the two kids will be in high school, wouldn't it be good for them to have more family members to love them?

After separating from Chen Jiao, Song Shixia sighed.

The so-called control group is based on perspective. She doesn't think Chen Jiao's days as the protagonist are so enviable. Isn't this a mess?

Maybe in the future her stepdaughter and stepson will accept her, and the family will be together making dumplings, but now these bad things have really happened.

When Aunt Feng saw Song Shixia, her eyes narrowed into slits with joy.

"What a rare guest! Why did you think of coming to see me?"

"My brother from my mother's family is here. Someone has just built the pavilion and bakery in the yard. Can you borrow a tricycle? I can pay for the rental."

"Let me think about it. Is there any teacher in our school whose relative seems to be the master of tricycles?"

"By the way, why did your brother come to see you?"

"I sent a letter home a while ago. My mother was worried about me, so she asked my brother to come and check on me."

Aunt Feng was full of envy: "Your mother really loves you. It's rare to find parents in the countryside who value their daughters."

Song Shixia explained: "Everyone in my family loves me. I was too willful before. It was only after I got married that I realized how difficult it is to be a parent."

"It's not too late for you to figure it out. Now I remember it was Mr. Zhao from the Academic Affairs Office. I'll go ask for you after get off work. You probably can't even find the door to the Academic Affairs Office."

Song Shixia was very grateful: "Then please trouble Auntie, bring the children to my house for dinner in the evening. I will make donkey BBQ tonight."

"Donkey BBQ? Sure, you can even make that!"

Song Shixia's little pear blossomed: "I can't, but it should be similar to meat bun."

"I guess so. I've never eaten donkey meat before. I'll have to go to your house tonight to try it."

Song Shixia left with great satisfaction. It was really comfortable to communicate with someone as straightforward as Aunt Feng.

Song Qiu Sheng was not idle and helped her pull out the weeds in the yard.

"You're back so soon?"

"Ask the aunt next door for me. She's a very nice person."

Song Qiu Sheng began to chant the spell again: "Even if you are a good person, you can't always bother others to know about it, right? People should give and take."

"I know, so I invited my aunt and her family to come to our house to eat donkey barbecue tonight."

Song Qiu Sheng looked at his sister and then at himself.

Song Shixia understood what her brother meant: "How could I let you cook? Don't waste my donkey meat."

The aroma of donkey meat comes from its blood. If you blanch it directly in water, the aroma of the meat will also be removed. Therefore, you have to soak it in water first and then blanch it in water to remove the blood.

The next step is to blanch the donkey meat. Song Shixia had already prepared brine before. When blanch the donkey meat, add hawthorn to brighten it, and add cardamom to give the meat a flavor.

The dough for Roujiamo is steamed bun, and the dough for donkey huoshao is huoshao. Huoshao is thinner than steamed bun, and is crispy on the outside and crispy on the inside when just baked.

Chop the brine into small pieces, cut the kabobs in half with the tip of a knife and fill them with the donkey meat. The kabobs are now ready.

Song Shixia made six roasts at a time.

Two hungry kids gathered at the kitchen door.

Song Shixia gave one to each of the little guys, one for herself, and the remaining three were for Song Qiu Sheng's appetite.

Song Qiu Sheng felt dirty, so he sat directly on the steps at the door of the living room.

Song Shixia brought a small stool and sat next to him: "Brother, can we put the chicken coop next to the yard? Don't destroy my vegetable garden."

Song Qiusheng finished the huoshao in one breath and said, "You can put it anywhere you want."

He then ate the second one: "Why are you so foolish as to build a pavilion in the yard to cool off? Don't you mind the mosquitoes in the summer?"

"It's beautiful. I'm going to plant some flowers there. It would be nice to wake up to the fragrance of flowers every day."

Song Qiu Sheng shook his head. It would be great to use such a big yard to grow vegetables.

In the evening, Aunt Feng came over with her three children, and the Ji family was very lively.

Aunt Feng’s eldest daughter is Xie Jing, who is in the third grade this year. Her second oldest is Xie Kang, who is in the first grade. Her youngest sons Xie Yu and Ji Yang are both in kindergarten.

Xie Huan is tall and thin, with dark and bright eyes. When she saw Song Shixia, she called her "Sister Xiaosong" in a clear voice.

Song Shixia put her arm around her shoulders and said, "If you call me sister, you will become aunt in front of my children."

Xie Huan couldn't help but breathe in. Sister Xiao Song smelled so good.

"Auntie is auntie. It means I have grown up and become sensible."

Aunt Feng suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started to make trouble: "You are sensible but you still fight with Ping An all day long." Xie Kang's nickname is Ping An.

Xie was unhappy: "Mom, why do you always blame me? It was obviously my brother who took my eraser, and you asked me to be more lenient with him, but he went too far!"

Aunt Feng said earnestly: "Your brother almost died when he was born. He suffered so much. As his elder sister, can't you be more humble and give in to him?"

Song Shixia couldn't stand it: "Auntie, let the kids solve their own problems. There's no need for the two siblings to hold grudges. If you don't get in the fire, you'll probably get burned to a crisp."

As expected, Aunt Feng stopped talking about it after being interrupted.

Song Shixia walked behind and touched Xie Yan's head: "Do you have a nickname?"

Xie Yan forced a smile and said, "My nickname is Nini."

"Nini, if you don't want to laugh, don't laugh."

Xie Huan threw herself into Song Shixia's arms and sobbed aggrievedly: "I always let Ping An give in. It wasn't me who caused Ping An's difficult birth. Ping An was very well behaved when he was little, and he was the first to learn to call me sister. He became like this because mom got used to him."

Song Shixia listened to her quietly.

"Your parents may not have time to take care of you because they have to go to work. As the oldest child in the family, you are a little adult when your parents are not at home. Since Ping An is not a bad person by nature, can you correct all his bad habits?"

Xie Huan hesitated and said, "Mom will definitely not agree."

Song Shixia comforted her softly, "I'll talk to your mother about this. Do you have the confidence to turn Ping An into a sensible and obedient brother again?"

"I can! Ping An is so annoying now. Xiao Yu and I don't like him."