Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Yutao and Yucheng were still young, so naturally they had no objections. They just followed whatever their mother and sister said.

Seeing that Li started to look around the room again, trying to find a place to hide the money, they also offered suggestions.

"Mom, put the money in a clay jar and hide it under the bed." Yu Cheng's eyes turned and he went to the kitchen and brought in a clay jar.

Li took the clay jar and thought it was a good idea, so she asked Yutao to find some old clothes. She could put all the silver and money in the house into the clay jar, wrap it with clothes, and push it under the bed. From the outside, it looked like a pile of tattered clothes and was not conspicuous at all.

Shen Yu watched from the side without objecting. She saw that the earthenware jar that Yu Cheng brought had a small mouth and a big belly, and estimated that it could hold dozens of strings of money.

We have just started the stall, so the important thing is to sell more and better buns. Let Li keep this little money for now. If you need money, just tell Li. It will be convenient to keep the money at home.

Li got up and took out all the silver and money that she had hidden in her clothes and bag and put them together with the silver and money she earned today. She kept a few strings of money for buying vegetables every day and put them in a purse, which she put back into the clothes and bag as usual. She put the rest into a clay jar, wrapped it in clothes, and pushed it under the bed.

After that, Li still squatted on the ground with a worried look on her face. She supported herself with one hand and pushed the clay jar inward with the other hand. Then she straightened up with satisfaction and patted the dirt off her hands.

Shen Yu watched Li and Yu Cheng hiding the money in a collaborative way, then he got up and went to the kitchen to prepare some food.

I've been busy since I got up in the middle of the night, and I've only had a bowl of herbal tea. My stomach is already rumbling with hunger.

Yu Tao saw her sister getting up and going to the kitchen, so she hurriedly followed and asked, "Sister, what are you going to do? I'll help you."

Shen Yu looked at the existing vegetables, including cabbage, fried gluten, fried tofu, vermicelli, and a ready-made piece of pork belly. There was a large piece of leavened dough in the basin for making old dough, so he thought of making a quick dish, pork stewed with vermicelli, with some pancakes, which would be quick and delicious.

She asked Yutao to help wash and cut the vegetables, while she grabbed a handful of vermicelli and soaked it, and then started to knead the dough. Since there were four people in the family, they didn't need to knead much, and soon a piece of hard dough was ready.

Cut a ball of dough from the fermenting old dough and knead it with the freshly kneaded dough. Knead it until smooth and set it aside, cover it with a cloth and let it rest.

Cut the pork belly into large chunks, and also cut a few slices of fat pork.

Let Yutao light the fire, and when the pot is hot, put the few pieces of fatty pork that were cut earlier into the pot and slowly stir-fry over low heat to release the oil.

Add large chunks of pork belly and stir-fry until slightly yellow. A pool of shiny lard will slowly appear at the bottom of the pot. Add some onions, ginger and peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant. Add a spoonful of soybean paste and stir-fry again, then add water and stew.

After adding water, Shen Yu divided the dough into small pieces, flattened them slightly with his hands, placed a circle around the edge of the pot, and covered the pot with a lid.

Li hid the silver and money, and seeing Shen Yu preparing to eat, she and Yucheng went to Mrs. Liu's house next door to fetch water.

Seeing that the pot was boiling, Shen Yu put the cabbage stalks in first. After stewing for a while, the room was filled with the aroma of meat and cabbage.

There was still some water in the water tank at home, and Li and Yucheng carried three buckets and it was almost full.

Shen Yu saw that the pancakes on the edge of the pot had swelled up, and the pork belly in the pot had become soft when pressed with a spoon, so he put in vermicelli and a dozen slices of fried tofu, added some salt, and finally the young cabbage leaves. After the soup boiled slightly, Shen Yu asked Yutao to turn off the fire under the stove and told everyone to prepare for dinner.

I took the largest soup bowl in the house and carefully brought it into the house. I used a spatula to scrape the pancake on the edge of the pot. The heat was just right. The pancake was soft on top but a little browned on the bottom, giving off the unique burnt aroma of pasta.

The Li family members had been hungry for a long time. They had been busy selling things in the morning, and when they came back they were excited about the money and worked hard again. When the aroma of pork stewed with vermicelli wafted out, their stomachs began to growl involuntarily.

Each person had a big bowl. Shen Yu used a big spoon to divide the dishes into each person's bowl. The oily food exuded an enticing aroma.

Yu Cheng took the bowl and picked up a piece of the trembling and greasy pork belly that he had been eyeing for a long time and stuffed it into his mouth.

He had a happy expression on his face, chewing the meat vigorously. Perhaps because he was afraid of the burn from eating the buns last time, he was more careful this time. When he picked up the buns, he blew on them to warm them before putting them in his mouth. But from his squinting eyes and intoxicated look, you could tell how satisfied he was with the meat in his mouth.

The pork belly is fat but not greasy because it is first stir-fried to release the oil and then stewed.

The fat melts in your mouth without much chewing, while the lean meat is still chewy and absorbs the aroma of the sauce and soup. There is no fishy smell, only a fresh and juicy taste.

The cabbage stalks have been stewed until soft, the vermicelli is smooth, and the fried tofu has absorbed enough soup. The tender cabbage leaves are added last, so they still retain the crispness and sweetness of the vegetables, adding a touch of lightness and freshness to the pot of rich vegetables. It is very delicious.

The pancake looks ordinary in shape, but it is made very well.

When the pancake is cooked, the dough is slightly soft and chewy, not as soft as the dough made entirely of leavened dough. The bottom of the pancake is slightly browned, hard, and a little crispy, and it tastes like the unique aroma of wheat flour.

Shen Yu also ate with great relish and was very satisfied.

When she was watching TV dramas in modern times, she would drool secretly whenever she saw the big stove powered by wood fire, cooking big pot dishes like stewed fish in an iron pot, pork stewed with cabbage, and the crispy and soft pancakes when they were served.

I have also specifically ordered big pot dishes in restaurants specializing in Northeastern cuisine, but the restaurants do not use wood stoves, so the dishes always lack a hint of wood flavor.

She always regretted the meal, but she didn't expect that after coming here, she would eat authentic big pot dishes and pancakes.

As she ate, she thought that this was much more delicious than the stew she had in the restaurant, and that homemade food was still the best.

After I finished eating the pancake and most of the bowl of food in my hand, I put down my chopsticks and found that only half of the full soup bowl of food was left, and there were only two pancakes left in the small bamboo basket.

Everybody was full and not in a hurry to wash the dishes. With full stomachs and plenty of oil and water, I felt that I was no longer sore and nervous as when I first got home.

Yu Cheng was a little embarrassed and spoke first: "Big sister, how come everything you cook tastes good? I am full again."

This sentence made everyone laugh. Li pushed Yucheng, who was sitting so hard that he was holding his stomach, and urged him to get up and walk around to digest the food so that he would not get too full.

Yucheng was very diligent this time. He stood up, put away the dishes, and rushed to wash the dishes. He said seriously, "Mom and my elder and second sisters have been busy all morning, but I didn't do much. From now on, I will wash all the dishes in the house."

Mrs. Li was not the kind of mother who would spoil her little son. She nodded, but worriedly reminded him, "Be careful when washing. Don't drop the bowl or cut your hands."

After that, he urged Shen Jue and Yu Tao to get some sleep, muttering, "No wonder people say that running a food stall business is hard. You two are still at the age of flower buds, and you have to get up early every day. How can you not catch up on some sleep when you get home? If you become ugly and can't find a husband, how can I explain to your father?"

Yu Tao blushed when she heard this, and she pulled Li's clothes unwillingly: "Mother, look at what you are talking about. It's you who should take a rest too. I've been sitting by the stove burning firewood, but I'm not tired at all. You and sister are the ones who are really tired from shouting and packing for the guests."

Li said disapprovingly: "Why should I be tired? This is much easier than carrying water to the fields. I am not sleepy. You go and take a nap."