Chapter 717: Chapter 716: Business Trip (Part 4)
Zhang Chu and Cao Guixiang didn’t stay outside; upon hearing what Accountant Liu’s wife had said, they entered the house. As soon as he was inside, Zhang Chu imdiately closed the door and couldn’t wait to ask, “So, do I still make the woodcarving of the little bird?”
“Of course you have to make it,” Cao Guixiang said, glancing outside the window, “It’s just that Longkou Production Brigade is far from us. If it were a production team we had bartered work with before, there wouldn’t be so many troubles.”
“Yes,” Zhang Chu agreed, “But why did I feel like Miss Liu suddenly beca warm all at once?”
“She wants you to make furniture, of course she’ll beco enthusiastic,” Cao Guixiang said with a laugh, “Have you forgotten when we first arrived? Who paid any attention to you before you fixed a plough? Oh, the girls in the brigade were willing to talk to you, it’s just that their parents guarded against you like you were a thief, afraid you would whisk their daughters away.”
Feeling sowhat embarrassed, Zhang Chu touched his nose, “Wasn’t it because one of the educated youths from before didn’t take responsibility after causing trouble for a good girl, and he was also as handso as , which made everyone biased against .”
Cao Guixiang laughed and didn’t continue the topic, “I guess Miss Liu will co later to ask us to help make chairs. When she does, don’t say anything, just leave it to . Later on, Head Liu will definitely co to us, and whatever he says, you just agree. When Head Liu cos over, I expect others will too. I see there are a few people in this village who like to take advantage, and if they only ntion helping you, then you…”
“I know, if he doesn’t speak up, I won’t budge. It’s not my first ti bartering work,” Zhang Chu interrupted Cao Guixiang’s words.
After about twenty minutes, perhaps because the pork was distributed, the noise outside gradually subsided, and Cao Guixiang started to tidy up. Before long, the door was pushed open, and Accountant Liu’s wife walked in with a smile on her face.
“Sister, you’re busy.”
“Not busy, what’s up?” Cao Guixiang replied.
Accountant Liu’s wife smiled at Zhang Chu again, “You’ve been staying at my house for a few days. Carpenter Zhang, with your superb craftsmanship, you must have noticed our tables and chairs are not very sturdy, all wobbly. Although they aren’t missing arms or legs, they are still old.”
“Don’t worry, Zhang Chu and I have troubled you for so long here, I’ll have him help you check what needs to be fixed in the house tomorrow. It’s just a matter of half a day’s work, nothing troubleso,” Cao Guixiang took over the conversation promptly, “By the way, have you finished your work?”
“It’s done, the pig’s been killed and the pork divided. We give out half the pork and keep the other half. It’s always been this way here,” said Accountant Liu’s wife.
The two chatted about various things: raising pigs is so difficult, even harder than taking care of people. After slaughtering the pig, bleeding it, and deboning it, there wasn’t much at left. They had to render the lard. After a year of work, there wasn’t much profit other than a few pounds of at. If it wasn’t for her son, she wouldn’t bother raising pigs at all.
“I’m free right now, let help you process the pork, Miss Liu. You can’t handle it all by yourself today,” Cao Guixiang offered, standing up.
Zhang Chu didn’t move.
Since the topic had completely shifted from furniture to pork, Accountant Liu’s wife saw nothing wrong with Cao Guixiang’s offer and warmly pulled her toward the kitchen.
The room where Zhang Chu stayed was not far from the kitchen. As long as Zhang Chu stayed put, Jiang Feng could follow Cao Guixiang to the kitchen. Jiang Feng glanced at Zhang Chu, who was studying the bedpost, and followed Cao Guixiang to the kitchen.
Liu Sangen was in the kitchen watching the at to prevent anyone from stealing. When he finally saw his mother co, he couldn’t wait to say, “Mom, I want to eat pork!”
Such a simple and honest wish!
Originally, slaughtering the pig was for Liu Sangen to eat, and his sincere desire didn’t provoke any scolding from Accountant Liu’s wife. She patted her son’s head, smiling, “I’ll cook you pork tonight.”
The pork was all mixed together in a large basin, without the pig’s head and only one trotter remaining. The pungent and stinky offal was kept separately in a smaller basin. Jiang Feng was familiar with this scene. The kitchen at Sir’s house during the New Year’s pig slaughter always looked like this.
“Sangen is going to be ten the day after tomorrow. We’re having a dinner for the elders in the family; that’s why we kept more. Soone had reserved the at beforehand. They’ll probably co to pick it up tonight, and by the day after tomorrow, there won’t be much left in this basin,” Accountant Liu’s wife explained.
Cao Guixiang nodded in understanding and eyed a piece of Wuhua pork in the basin, “Miss Liu, let handle the offal,” she suggested.
“Oh no, how can I let you deal with such stinky offal? It’s enough if you just help cut and divide the at. I’ll take care of the offal later,” Accountant Liu’s wife quickly intervened.
The pig killer was only responsible for cutting the pork into large pieces. When Accountant Liu’s wife talked about dividing the at, she truly ant only that – simply cutting the at into smaller pieces, without any regard to specific parts. Perhaps she didn’t understand these details; after all, one has to have enough exposure to pork to know, and she never had that opportunity before.
Accountant Liu’s wife hadn’t chopped at much; having strength alone without the skill, she was not only slow but also clumsy. Cao Guixiang, on the other hand, was completely different. Her knife work was fast, with deft movents, and even soone completely ignorant could tell from the side that Cao Guixiang’s at chopping skills were far superior to Accountant Liu’s wife.
Gradually, Accountant Liu’s wife stopped chopping at and stared blankly at Cao Guixiang.
“Sister, you’re really good at this,” Accountant Liu’s wife was astounded.
Cao Guixiang finished chopping the last piece of ribs, “Used to do a lot of it before.”
“This piece is pork neck, poor quality but tough, good for mincing and making dumpling fillings.”
“This is from the front leg; I’ve trimd it for you. It’s good for braising, stewing, red-cooking, and can also be made into atballs.”
“This is tenderloin, the tenderest part of the lean at. You can just stir-fry it.”
“This is ‘san cha’ at, also for stir-frying. Best to cut it into slices or shreds, you can stir-fry it with so fernted black beans and cabbage.”
“This piece…”
Cao Guixiang began to introduce Accountant Liu’s wife to the different pork cuts and the best way to cook them, leaving her confused and amazed while Liu Sangen’s mouth watered, eagerly expressing his desire for atballs.
He had never eaten atballs before. When his family ate at for a bit of luxury, they only had a plate to share, and with just two pieces each, the taste of at was barely savored. Usually, they minced the at for dumplings, and when craving at, they’d simply cut a couple slices of cured at to boil with vegetables, and that was considered eating at.
“Eat atballs? How would I know how to do that!” Accountant Liu’s wife scolded, then turned her head toward Cao Guixiang with an instantly changed expression, “Sister, how do you make atballs?”
“I can’t just tell you, you won’t learn that way. I have to make it for you once for you to understand,” Cao Guixiang said.
“Exactly, exactly, just telling won’t help learn,” Accountant Liu’s wife agreed, nodding repeatedly and hesitating.
Entrusting the at to soone else—even if Cao Guixiang wouldn’t sneak bites—she didn’t feel assured.
They’d worked hard all year just for a bit of at. What if it got ruined?
“Mom, I want to eat atballs,” Liu Sangen pleaded. “Let Mrs. Cao make them!”
Accountant Liu’s wife: …
I want to eat atballs too, okay!
Cao Guixiang saw the hesitation in Accountant Liu’s wife and said with a smile, “Well, there isn’t enough ti today and probably can’t make atballs. There is so minced at left here, what if I take it and use an egg to make a minced at and egg drop soup for Sangen to satisfy his craving?”
Cao Guixiang pointed to the minced at on the cutting board, poorly chopped by Accountant Liu’s wife because of her lack of skill, which wasn’t much—Jiang Feng felt it wasn’t even half a liang.
“Great, great,” Accountant Liu’s wife imdiately agreed.
Cao Guixiang collected the minced at into a small bowl, scooped a ladle of clean water to carefully rinse it, then diced the lean at into mince and wiped a circle of oil in the pot with an oil cloth before dumping the at mince in to fry. While frying, Cao Guixiang didn’t use a spatula but stirred directly with chopsticks. When the at changed color slightly, she added two more ladles of water into the pot, covered it, and waited for the water to boil. Midway, she lifted the lid to skim off the foam. After the water boiled and skimming the foam again, she finally sprinkled so salt.
After sprinkling the salt, Cao Guixiang poured the stirred egg liquid along the pot’s edge, then quickly stirred the boiling water with chopsticks so the settled minced at all turned up. Quickly covering the pot with a lid, she waited two minutes before serving the soup in bowls.
One bowl wasn’t enough to hold it all, so she filled two large bowls.
Accountant Liu’s wife and Liu Sangen stared at the egg flower soup with minced at in their bowls, their eyes full of bewildernt.
“How… how is there so much…” Accountant Liu’s wife exclaid in surprise, unable to comprehend how a single egg and a little at turned into so much soup.
“Try it,” Cao Guixiang smiled.
The aroma of the freshly cooked minced at and egg drop soup was enticing, with the sll of chicken and at tempting the grease-deprived stomachs of Accountant Liu’s wife and Liu Sangen.
Liu Sangen impatiently picked up one of the bowls of egg drop soup and took two big gulps.
“Mom, it’s so delicious, you have to try it!” Liu Sangen shouted.
Accountant Liu’s wife took the bowl from Liu Sangen’s hand, had a small sip, couldn’t resist taking a big gulp, and was unable to speak because she didn’t want to swallow imdiately; she passed the bowl back to her son and kept nodding in agreent.
“Sister, take this bowl inside to share with Zhang the carpenter. You’ve been busy for such a long ti, and you deserve it. Just wait for dinner,” Accountant Liu’s wife hurriedly said. “I’ll need your help with sothing tomorrow…”
“It’s just a small favor,” Cao Guixiang said with a smile, taking the soup with her. Jiang Feng didn’t leave; he wanted to see Accountant Liu’s wife’s reaction next.
Liu Sangen and Accountant Liu’s wife alternated between big and small sips, and before long, the bowl was empty.
Returning from work and slling the aroma, Accountant Liu thought his wife had cooked sothing delicious. Walking into the kitchen, he only saw an empty bowl and an empty pot: ?
Did my wife and son enjoy a treat without ?!
And it slls particularly delicious!
Accountant Liu’s wife: …
“Dad, the minced at and egg drop soup that Mrs. Cao made is so delicious, even better than the braised pork and dumplings we had during New Year, and better than the stewed chicken we had at Grandma’s house last year!” Liu Sangen eagerly shared the joy of tasting the delicious food with his dad.
Accountant Liu: ?
Accountant Liu’s wife felt a bit embarrassed—the egg drop soup with minced at was so tasty that she had forgotten to save so for her husband. She said, “Liu, there’s sothing I want to discuss with you.”
You said earlier that for Sangen’s birthday dinner, we’d only have family over and it’s a waste to specifically invite a chef from the neighboring production brigade. You suggested using more seasonings and cooking ourselves, claiming our skills wouldn’t be much worse. But now I feel there’s a difference in skills, and maybe we should invite Cao Zhiqing over from next door. We could just pitch in an extra couple pounds of at.”
“Her cooking is just too delicious.”
Liu Sangen nodded frantically in support.
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