Chapter 31: Autumn Harvest, Shen Xiujuan Wants to Marry
After returning to the village, Yang Xiaomi separated from Shen Yunxi and the others. She couldn't wait to go back and tell her family about today's happy event.
Uncle Zhao's donkey cart delivered Shen Yunxi and Mu Chenglin directly to their doorstep, and helped them unload the goods on the cart. Shen Yunxi expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
I bought a lot of things today, among which pig intestines, pig lungs and pork belly were the highlights.
She has been thinking about fat intestine tofu and pork belly and chicken soup for a long time. Every night, Shen Yunxi can only look at the pictures on the "Have you eaten yet" food delivery app and swallow her saliva.
She wanted to place an order secretly, but was afraid that the smell would be too strong and someone would find out. So she planned to make it herself.
First, Mu Chenglin was asked to bring flour to the river to clean the large intestine. Although he was very resistant to this, his mother kept encouraging him, so he had no choice but to accept his fate and clean the large intestine.
Pig lungs needed to be cleaned of blood. Shen Yunxi found a funnel, connected the bottom of the funnel to the mouth of the pig lungs, and then poured water in from the funnel little by little.
This process took a long time, so she remembered that she could use bamboo to make a simple water pipe. One end of the bamboo was connected to the water source, and the other end was connected to the top of the funnel. The bamboo body was slightly tilted.
In this way, she only needs to replenish the water source in time. She does not need to hold the pig's lung mouth with one hand and pour water constantly with the other hand like she does now.
By the time Mu Chenglin came back after cleaning the pig's large intestine, the pig's lungs had gradually turned white.
First blanch the large intestine with onion, ginger and wine, then cut it into rings, put oil in the pot, add onion, ginger, garlic, pepper and pepper and stir-fry until fragrant, add the fat intestine and stir-fry, add an appropriate amount of salt and a small amount of vinegar, add boiling water to simmer, and finally add the chopped intestines. Stew the chunks of tofu together, and sprinkle with chopped green onion and coriander before serving.
Make another stir-fried pork lung.
Shen Yunxi cut half of the pig lungs, boiled them in water, cut them open, and then washed them.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, pepper, and Sichuan peppercorns to hot oil and stir-fry until fragrant. Add cleaned pig lungs and stir-fry. When the color changes, add wine, salt, sugar, and vinegar and continue stir-frying. Sprinkle wild garlic leaves before serving.
Pork belly and chicken soup is quite time-consuming. I didn’t have time to make it at noon, so I planned to save it for the evening.
Mu Chenglin also made cold preserved egg tofu and mushroom vegetable soup.
When eating, Mother Mu Chengjin and Aunt Huang were a little afraid to eat large intestines and pig lungs at first, especially Aunt Huang. She was too poor to eat when she was a child. She had eaten a lot of these smelly things. Now she wants to It makes me feel sick even when I wake up.
Mu Chenglin made it himself. This scene reminded him of the first time Shen Yunxi ate mushrooms. At that time, besides worrying that the mushrooms were poisonous, he was actually still laughing at this village girl who didn't know how high the sky was.
But after getting along with each other during this period, Shen Yunxi came up with one recipe after another that opened his eyes, and he realized how much he once looked at the sky from a well.
He picked up a piece of sausage directly. It was soft, glutinous and chewy. There was still a small amount of fat in the sausage, plus the soup it absorbed, it was full of aroma when biting into it.
The pig lungs were cleaned very cleanly by Shen Yunxi, and the stir-fried pig lungs were very refreshing, especially with rice!
When Mu Chengjin saw that his brother was very satisfied with the meal, he knew that these two dishes were delicious. He also tried it, and the corners of his eyes suddenly lit up. He smiled and nodded to his mother, who also stretched out his chopsticks and started eating.
Seeing this, Aunt Huang was not to be outdone. Only then did she realize that her nightmare had become so delicious under the control of Shen Yunxi and Mu Chenglin.
"I didn't expect that this pig could eat like this!" Aunt Huang touched her belly with unfulfilled interest!
Several people had finished the food on the table, and Aunt Huang was so full!
"There is also pork belly and chicken soup in the evening. I guarantee you will never forget it after drinking it!" Shen Yunxi joked.
Aunt Huang laughed and helped them clear the table.
In the afternoon, Aunt Huang and Mu Chenglin made preserved eggs and osmanthus rice wine together. There were not many wild duck eggs delivered these days, so there was no need for everyone to join in.
The sweet-scented osmanthus trees that could be found on the mountain were also burned. Shen Yunxi collected a lot of sweet-scented osmanthus and dried them all over the yard. The scent of sweet-scented osmanthus filled her nose.
Shen Yunxi was doing the accounting. In addition to the sweet-scented osmanthus brew, the family's daily income was about 4,000 Wen. Excluding the cost of soybeans, vegetables and other raw materials, the loss of jars and Aunt Huang's salary, etc., the daily profit was at least 3,000 Wen, that is Three taels of silver.
A jar of sweet-scented osmanthus wine can earn at least nineteen taels. This jar of wine can be worth many days of hard work.
But you can't make too much sweet-scented osmanthus stuffing, because too much will reduce the portion. Xia Yifan won't put too much out, otherwise the price won't go up.
Shen Yunxi could only make 200 jars of sweet wine koji before, so she and Mu Chenglin decided to stop making sweet-scented osmanthus wine when it reached 100 jars. She would keep the remaining liqueur koji until spring. When brewing peach blossom rice stuffing.
The first batch of soy sauce is not ready yet, so the soy sauce is not available for the time being, and Shen Yunxi is not in a hurry.
She had taken out a lot of things recently. She didn't notice the way Xia Yifan looked at her, but pretended not to care.
Mu Chenglin was not that stupid. He probably pretended not to doubt himself because all the recipes he came up with were particularly beneficial to the Mu family.
So Shen Yunxi planned that from now until the Chinese New Year, she would not come up with any new recipes except pickling cured fish and bacon and studying the oven.
After planning these things, Shen Yunxi planned to make pork belly and chicken soup.
Wash the pork belly repeatedly with salt, vinegar and flour, cook it in a pot for a few minutes, take it out and cut it into strips.
Mu Chenglin had killed and chopped the chicken in advance, and just blanched it.
Add water to the pot, add pork belly, ginger slices, and Sichuan peppercorns, simmer for more than half an hour, then add chicken pieces, salt, and simmer over low heat.
While waiting, Mu Chenglin made sweet and sour fish, soy bones, and stewed meat.
Aunt Huang will take a month's leave starting tomorrow, as the autumn harvest is about to begin.
People in this era did not have harvesters, so they relied on a little wisdom and their own strength to harvest food.
After the autumn harvest, winter wheat is planted, and Aunt Huang wants to go back to help.
Aunt Huang drank the hot and nutritious pork belly and chicken soup with tears in her eyes. It wasn't like she wasn't coming, she was just asking for a few days off. The family was so polite and prepared so many dishes.
After Aunt Huang left, Shen Yunxi helped Mu Chenglin clear the dishes and said, "How about we buy a donkey!"
Tofu and bean curd cannot travel long distances, so Qingfenglou does not require much. But when her soy sauce is ready, she can make dried tofu, as well as molded tofu, louvers, etc. that she will take out later. Without donkeys, this It’s too tedious!
Unexpectedly, Mu Chenglin agreed repeatedly, and even looked relieved. Shen Yunxi wondered, "This person won't be waiting for her to speak, right? The person who pulls the strings every day is himself, and the money is all with him." Bian, you don’t know how to buy it yourself?”
Ignoring Mu Chenglin, Shen Yunxi lay on the bed, thinking about Mu's mother's proposal today to send Mu Chengjin to the town to study in the spring.
Originally, Mu Chengjin could take the exam last year, but his health never recovered. In addition, the Mu family had just arrived in Qingmu Village at that time. According to the time they moved in according to the household registration information, they wanted to take the exam locally. It does not comply with the regulations of Xia Kingdom.
But next year, Mu Chengjin will meet the requirements. This year, he is in good health, except for the occasional minor ailment. In addition, they have lived in Qingmu Village for a full year.
In February next year, Mu Chengjin will be able to take the county examination!
Shen Yunxi turned over. Although she and Mu Chenglin were in a relationship of mutual use and support, she still liked Mu Chengjin's child.
She was a little worried about letting him go to the town to study alone!
It seemed that spring was coming, so she had to open the store in the town quickly.
Qingmu Village has entered the autumn harvest, every household is busy, and the air is filled with the fragrance of rice.
Except for the Mu family and the Shen family.
The Mu family has no land, and the Shen family has all their land rented out to tenant farmers.
But in a few days, it will be Shen Xiujuan’s wedding day!
Shen Xiujuan is the treasure of Old Mrs. Shen. She has always hoped that her baby can marry in glory!
Some time ago, the Mu family's wedding banquet meal had amazed the entire Qingmu Village. Mrs. Shen hoped that Shen Xiujuan's wedding banquet could surpass the Mu family's wedding banquet meal.
Shen Wenjun shook his head, "Unless we invite the chef from Qingfeng Building to help, it's impossible!"
During this period, he often ate at Qingfenglou, especially the sweet and sour fish dish, which cost one or two cents a portion. He had gone there several times and could never forget the taste!
There was also a small pot of osmanthus wine. He bought a pot for twenty taels of silver and hid it for many days. Now the pot is still filled with the fragrance of osmanthus!
How can Mrs. Shen afford a chef now? "No, the budget is not enough!"
"We can ask Mu Chenglin to help! Maybe the cooks in Qingfeng Building were all taught by Mu Chenglin!" Shen Pingping said angrily.
Old Mrs. Shen glanced at Old Man Shen. This idea had long been in their minds, but as for the relationship between the Mu family and the Shen family, it would be fine if Mu Chenglin didn't agree. If he agreed, he would do it again at Shen Xiujuan's wedding banquet. What a moth, doesn't it make Shen Xiujuan look ugly!
So the old couple has never been able to make up their mind!
Shen Erfu slapped the table, "I don't agree to give them money, I don't agree to give them prescriptions, why don't I agree to help them cook a dish?"
"Okay! How about letting the second brother do the talking!" Old Shen simply followed Shen Erfu's words.
Shen Erfu looked unhappy, and Shen Wenjun was full of expectations. If Mu Chenglin agreed, then he would ask the Shen family to secretly write down the recipes of these dishes when he was cooking, and these recipes would be available to them. In hand.
Mu Chenglin and Mu Chengjin walked on the field ridge. This was the first time for the brothers to observe such a labor scene at close range. Mu Chenglin said something to Mu Chengjin, and Mu Chengjin nodded repeatedly.
A reluctant Shen Erfu suddenly barged in, "Mu Chenglin, my girl is getting married in five days, you will be in charge!"
Shen Erfu’s attitude is very bad!
"No!" Mu Chenglin directly rejected Shen Erfu's proposal.
"Don't you dare to go?" Shen Erfu originally wanted to use his status as an elder to suppress Mu Chenglin, but who knew he would ignore him so much!
In the nearest field, a villager who was working in the field interjected, "Shen Laoer, if you ask someone to cook a spoon, how much will it cost? What is the recipe? Have you prepared everything that needs to be prepared?"
"That's right!" Another villager next to him said, "Xiao Mu's family's business is so busy, why should he take on this kind of business? It's thankless!"
Shen Erfu quits!
"I am his father-in-law, and the person getting married is Chen Yunxi's aunt. How dare he not help?"
"Besides, shouldn't he decide the recipe and buy the ingredients to be prepared?"
Shen Erfu just felt that Mu Chenglin was in control of the recipe, and it was impossible for him to tell others what ingredients to prepare, so he would definitely buy them himself.
But it's a different story to others, "Shen Xiujuan robbed Shen Yunxi of her marriage, and now she wants Shen Yunxi's husband to serve as the host of her wedding banquet for free?"
"The recipe and ingredients for this wedding banquet are actually bought by the chef himself, and neither the food nor wages are paid? Does the Shen family plan every wedding like this?"
Everyone was talking while working. Shen Erfu was so stupid that he didn't know how to explain it for a while.
After Mu Chenglin rejected Shen Erfu, he took his brother away.
In the blink of an eye, Shen Xiujuan’s wedding day arrived.
The Shen family was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and bright red happy words were plastered all over the yard.
Mrs. Shen was smiling from ear to ear early in the morning. Shen Xiujuan's marriage has been her main concern in the past few years, and now she has finally agreed!
It's a pity that Shen Yunxi sold it too cheaply, otherwise she could have given Shen Xiujuan more.
For example, the wedding dress she wore was not sewn by herself, but bought in the county town!
At that time, Shen Xiujuan had her eye on a wedding dress that cost twenty taels of silver. However, Mrs. Shen had a limited budget, so she could only coax and deceive her into buying this wedding dress that cost ten taels of silver.
There is another reason why Mrs. Shen likes this wedding dress, that is, the three brothers of the Shen family do not agree with Shen Xiujuan taking away so much dowry, so the dowry list does not include two hundred taels of silver notes and thirty acres of land.
But this wedding dress had a hidden button. Mrs. Shen hid the banknote and land deed in the hidden button of the wedding dress and asked Shen Xiujuan to keep it by herself.
Since every household was harvesting in the autumn, and the Shen family had behaved badly over the years, no one came to help. Even Shen Xiujuan didn't have a sister to send her off for her wedding.
However, the Shen family had many daughters-in-law. They got up early in the morning to prepare a banquet, and they did not forget to scold Mu Chenglin.
When it was almost time to eat, the people who worked in the fields went home and changed their clothes, and came to the Shen family courtyard one after another. Shen Yunxi and Mu Chenglin also followed the crowd.
When they entered, they handed over the favor money. The favors of other villagers in the village were probably between 20 and 50 cash, and Shen Yunxi directly gave them two qian.
Yang Xiaomi and Yang Xiaozhou came from the Yang family, and they found a place to sit down with Shen Yunxi.
It was the first time that Shen Yunxi saw people getting married in ancient times. She couldn't help but be curious and looked around.
After the guests were almost done cooking, the Shen family's daughters-in-law began to serve the dishes.
Shen Yunxi almost laughed out loud when she looked at this meal!
The whole chicken is missing a chicken leg; the pig rind is missing more than half of the trotter; the stewed meat is turned into a mess...
You must know that Mrs. Shen spent a lot of effort to make this wedding banquet larger than the Mu family's. She killed several pigs and lost more than half of the chickens.
Looking back at the children of the Shen family, one of them had chicken drumsticks in both hands, and Shen Erfu and Shen Sanfu, their mouths were dripping with oil.
The three daughters-in-law of the Shen family often feed their children Xiaozao when cooking, so they have developed a habit!
But today is a wedding banquet!
Everyone looked at the food. Even though they had been busy all morning, they were already hungry and had lost a bit of appetite.
Old Mrs. Shen lowered her voice and scolded several of her daughters-in-law. If Shen Xiujuan hadn't gotten married today, she would probably take action!
Shen Yunxi was not in a hurry. She took out the rice cakes she had made in the past few days from her arms and gave them to Yang Xiaomi and Yang Xiaozhou, letting them eat some to fill their stomachs first.
But the rice cakes are all finished, and the groom hasn’t come yet! This chapter has been completed!