Chapter 005: Farmhouse Cuisine

After boiling the dried bayberries for about twenty minutes, Jiang Zhi noticed that the color had turned a deep yellow. She poured in half a bag of rock sugar, tasted it, and found it a bit sour. She then added a little more rock sugar, and this time the balance of sour and sweet was just right. It was ready to be served. Jiang Zhi poured the sour plum soup into a large tea jar and placed the jar into a big plastic basin filled with tap water to cool it down. This way, when everyone returned to drink it, it would not be too hot.

A large portion of the dishes on the table has been consumed, and Chang Jiejun looks at the empty bowls with a beaming smile. There is no greater satisfaction for a cook than seeing empty bowls and plates.

Chang Jiejun observed Jiang Zhi's skilled movements and felt reassured to let her get busy. There were many dishes prepared for lunch, and there wasn't much time to waste. The cured meat had already been soaked in hot water, rinsed, and was ready to be sliced. Chang Jiejun sliced the meat particularly quickly, producing thin, evenly cut pieces. Jiang Zhi, engrossed in plucking feathers while watching, recalled her own practice of "knife skills" from her time working outside. Initially, she would often cut her fingers while adding meat to dishes, but gradually, her slicing improved to the point where she no longer cut herself. The items she cut were barely presentable, but they were still far inferior to those of Chang Jiejun. The cured meat was thinly sliced, with each piece having a uniform thickness, and Jiang Zhi became increasingly captivated as she watched.

Ah, Grandma, it's just that the feathers on this wing are not fully removed; I will finish plucking them right away. Jiang Zhi quickened her pace and continued plucking. After removing the last section of feathers, she briefly checked again and found that only some fine down remained. The down does not need to be plucked; it will be sufficient to turn it over a fire a few times to burn off the down.

The dishes were abundant, including stir-fried beef with celery, stir-fried smoked bamboo shoots with cured meat, spicy fish, and stir-fried free-range chicken with pickled peppers, all laid out on a full table. Despite their age, Jiang Zhe and Chang Jiejun still had a strong preference for spicy food. Everyone advised them to eat lighter, but they were unwilling to comply, stating that bland food was unappetizing. After a few meals of light dishes, the two elders lost their appetite, eating only a little at each meal, and everyone had to give up. It is understandable; although the two elders preferred strong flavors, their health had always been good, and they were quite healthy, rarely experiencing any heat-related issues. One should not force them to change their decades-long taste just because of some health programs; otherwise, they might end up inviting illness even when they are healthy.

Jiang Zhi saw that her grandmother was not allowing this and not allowing that. After rolling her eyes, she noticed that the celery and crown daisy had not yet been washed. She picked up the celery and crown daisy and took a basin to the front yard by the grape trellis to wash the vegetables. There was a faucet there, and the water from washing the vegetables flowed directly into the drain, which was more convenient than washing in the kitchen. This tap water was installed earlier this year. Initially, Li Meihua was reluctant to install it, saying that it was very convenient to get water from the river or lake. However, Chang Jiejun insisted that having tap water would make it easier to use the washing machine for laundry, which led to the installation.

Jiang Zhi placed the washed vegetables back in the kitchen, where Chang Jiejun had already begun to stir-fry. The kitchen was filled with the pungent smell of cooking oil. Jiang Zhi pinched her nose and turned on the range hood, saying, "Grandma, if you turn on the range hood while cooking, there won't be so much smoke." Before Chang Jiejun could respond, Jiang Zhi continued, "Grandma, I know you want to save on the electricity bill. Not turning it on does save electricity, but if the kitchen is exposed to smoke for too long, it will turn black and yellow. When that happens, it will need to be repainted, which will cost even more."

Although everyone was wearing straw hats, their faces were still sunburned and red. One by one, they fanned themselves with the hats, sweat glistening on their faces. Jiang Zhi quickly called everyone to wash their hands and eat. She slipped over to fetch some sour plum soup and poured a cup for each person. Liu Xiu dried her hands and picked up her cup, taking a sip. "Hmm, delicious. What made Mom think of making sour plum soup today?"

"Xiao Zhi, step back a bit. Standing so close, the chicken blood has splattered onto your clothes." Chang Jie Jun said while chopping the chicken, keeping an eye on Jiang Zhi, who just loved to hang around in the kitchen.

Aren't you the one who doesn't like stewed chicken? I saw that you barely touched your bowl of chicken last night. Today, let's kill another chicken and stir-fry it with pickled peppers and ginger; the salty and spicy flavor is sure to be to your liking. " Chang Jiejun added a pinch of salt to a small bowl of clear water: " Come, help your grandmother collect the chicken blood.

Jiang Zhi held a freshly killed chicken in one hand and a small bowl in the other, following her grandmother into the kitchen with a lively step. After the chicken was scalded with hot water, the feathers came off easily. Chang Jiejun was also preparing to squat down to pluck the feathers, but Jiang Zhi stopped her: "Grandma, you can go prepare other things. I'll handle the feathers; otherwise, if you squat for too long, you'll feel dizzy and your back will ache."

"Aunt, is this how you compliment someone? Clearly, it's sour plum soup." Jiang Zhi pouted.

Jiang Zhi said, "Grandma, I understand now, so I will go wash the chicken intestines"

Jiang Zhi fished out the bamboo shoots that had been soaked overnight from the basin, washed them several times, drained the water, and placed them in the vegetable basket. Chang Jiejun was boiling water to cook chicken. Jiang Zhi noticed that the stove was filled to the brim with various ingredients: cured meat, beef, fish, and a pig's trotter and kelp soup simmering in the pressure cooker. There were also quite a few leftovers from last night, nearly filling the stove. "Grandma, there seems to be plenty of food; we won't be able to finish it all. Why are we still killing the chicken? There’s still more than half a bowl of stewed chicken left from last night!"

He washed a large aluminum kettle with Jiang Zhi, filled it with half a kettle of water, and after the water boiled, he threw in the washed dried bayberries. Although the rural stove looks rustic, it is quite convenient. The stove top has several burners, all connected by channels below. When lighting a fire, just push the firewood a little inside, and all the burners will have flames, allowing for cooking and boiling water simultaneously. Opposite the firewood stove, there is a brick stove that burns coal balls. Surrounding the burner is a water tank connected by pipes to the bathing area. In winter, when burning coal balls, one can take a hot shower without needing to boil water separately. Do not underestimate the current rural areas; they are full of talented individuals. Although there are no water heaters, one can still enjoy a shower.

Hmm. Jiang Zhi picked up a small bowl and followed Chang Jiejun, who placed the kitchen knife on the steps and went to the backyard to catch a chicken. Jiang Zhi set the small bowl on the stone slab, preparing to collect the chicken's blood later. Before long, Chang Jiejun returned with a half-grown rooster, skillfully killed it. Despite being over seventy years old, Chang Jiejun's aim was precise; not a drop of blood spilled outside the bowl. Chicken blood is also a delicacy, suitable for steaming, stir-frying, or hot pot.

"Hehe, this is the sour plum soup I prepared with love. It's delicious, isn't it, Auntie?" Jiang Zhilian quickly sought praise, almost wagging her tail in excitement

Liu Xiulan finished her drink in one go, put down the cup, wiped her mouth, and said, "Our little Zhi is truly considerate; her drink has sweetened my heart."

"Good, good, good. Next time I will definitely turn it on before I start cooking. Didn't I forget this time? Fortunately, you reminded me." Chang Jiejun had already finished cooking a dish, plated it, washed the pan, and was preparing to cook the next dish when she saw Jiang Zhi rummaging through the cabinet: "Zhi, what are you looking for?"

Jiang Zhi placed the tea canister properly and returned to the kitchen, where most of the dishes were already cooked. With nothing else to assist with, Jiang Zhi began to prepare the tables and chairs, setting out the bowls and chopsticks. As the dishes were nearly ready, everyone returned, and the timing was just right

After finishing drying the long green beans, Li Meihua hurriedly changed into her water shoes and rushed to the fields. Jiang Zhi accompanied Chang Jiejun for a while, and shortly after 10 o'clock, she helped Chang Jiejun prepare lunch. Since Uncle and Aunt would also come over for lunch, they needed to cook several more dishes. Chang Jiejun not only excels at making various pickled vegetables but also cooks delicious stir-fried dishes. She can prepare many different styles of eggs, so when there are many people, it is usually Chang Jiejun who takes charge of the kitchen while Li Meihua assists her. Relatives and friends all give a thumbs up when mentioning the dishes cooked by Chang Jiejun. According to Jiang Zhe, "Your grandmother is truly skilled and resourceful. As for me, your grandfather, I must have accumulated eight lifetimes of good fortune to have married her."

"Xiao Zhi, I have finished cutting the other dishes, it's time to chop the chicken, so hurry up." Chang Jiejun caught a glimpse of Jiang Zhi peeking at her and deliberately urged her on.

"The sun is really strong, and they are all in the fields. I wonder if they will get sunburned," Jiang Zhi murmured to herself, quickening her pace in washing the vegetables. She planned to make some sour plum soup for them to drink when they returned, to help cool off, even though it was already autumn

Jiang Zhi's favorite dish is the stir-fried chicken giblets with pickled radish. The chicken intestines are particularly chewy, and the pickled radish is crunchy. Paired with rice, the flavor is simply delightful. The rooster meat is also delicious, as it comes from a young rooster with relatively soft bones. Stir-fried with pickled chili, it is easy to chew, and the meat is tender, blending the sour and spicy flavors of the pickled chili, making the chicken taste even more aromatic and spicy.

Chang Jiejun said: "Do not turn over on this level, you won't be able to reach it even if you dive in. It's on the topmost shelf of the cabinet, placed in a tin can, and you can easily grab it with your hand."

Alright, alright, all the dishes are ready, everyone take a seat, let's start eating. Jiang Zhe is organizing everyone for the meal

The water still retained a bit of warmth, likely due to the exposed pipes being heated by the sun. Jiang Zhi looked up and noticed that there was not a single cloud in the sky; the sunlight was unabashedly shining down. After staring for a moment, when she lowered her head, her vision went dark, and she could hardly see anything. It took a while for her vision to return to normal.

Grandma, I am looking for dried bayberries; I am preparing to make some sour plum soup for everyone to drink. Jiang Zhi's head was almost buried in the cabinet, and her words came out muffled.

Chang Jiejun served the final dish, "Sour Radish Stir-fried Chicken Offal," and remarked, "This is not something I came up with; this was cooked by your precious niece."

"Grandma, I am done." After Jiang Zhi cleaned the feathers, she handed the chicken to Chang Jiejun. The chicken still needed to be eviscerated; the heart, gizzard, intestines, and liver had to be removed before she could begin chopping the chicken into pieces

After listening to Chang Jiejun's words, Jiang Zhi quickly found it. She only took about twenty dried bayberries and placed them in a bowl, sealing the lid tightly and returning the jar to its original position. These dried bayberries are wild and have a sour taste, so they cannot be added in excess. One time, Auntie put in too many, and even after adding an entire bag of rock sugar, it was still too sour to eat, and she had to throw it away.

"No, these are dirty and hard to wash. Just leave them to me," Chang Jiejun interjected. The contents in the belly can be stir-fried with pickled radish, making it a delightful dish to accompany drinks and meals. However, it is laborious to clean, and I am also concerned that Jiang Zhi might not wash them properly. It would be better if I do it myself later.