Chapter 277 - 274: Honest Men Don’t Like to Smile
Wu Shufen laughed. "Why are you talking about him? A boy his age is supposed to have a big appetite."
"Exactly! You’re always picking on me." Wang Zhilin made a face at Yang Liqun, then grabbed a basket and ran off to the vegetable patch.
Yang Liqun watched his retreating figure and shook her head with a smile. She and Wang Zhixue each picked up a bamboo tube. They took a sausage casing from the basin, threaded one end through the tube, and folded the opening of the casing over the tube’s mouth. The other end was tied into a tight knot with cotton thread.
They grabbed a few slices of well-marinated meat and stuffed them into the casing. Once a section was full, they placed the sausage in the basin and slowly squeezed and kneaded it by hand to make it firm.
They used thread to tie it into sections about a foot long, then took a small needle and pricked several air holes in the sausage to allow the internal moisture to slowly seep out.
After the sausages were filled, they were hung on a bamboo pole under the eaves to dry for over half a month. Then, they would be ready to eat.
Wu Shufen lifted the steamer basket from the pot, scooped out the pork belly, and placed it in a bamboo colander to drain and set aside.
She poured the hot brown sugar sticky rice from the steamer into a large earthenware bowl. Using a rice paddle, she added a few spoonfuls of lard and mixed it in while it was still hot, allowing the melted lard to blend evenly into the rice. The lard-infused brown sugar sticky rice took on a glistening, reddish-brown sheen.
Wu Shufen stoked the fire in the stove, poured a little vegetable oil into the wok, and placed the drained pork belly skin-side down. Over low heat, she fried the skin until small bubbles formed and it turned a glossy caramel color.
Then she flipped it over and lightly fried all sides of the pork belly before scooping it out into the colander to drain the excess oil. Next, she ladled a few spoonfuls of red bean paste into the wok, added the remaining brown sugar, stir-fried it a few times, and then transferred it to a bowl to set aside.
She took a piece of the drained pork belly from the colander. With the first cut, she sliced down to the skin before pulling the knife back. With the second cut, she sliced all the way through, creating rectangular "pocket" slices of pork belly.
She filled each pork pocket with a suitable amount of red bean paste and arranged them in the bottom of a bowl. Then, she spread the brown sugar sticky rice evenly over the filled pork. She prepared four bowls of this sweet steamed pork before placing them in the steamer to cook over high heat.
Next, she started frying crispy pork bites, making pig’s blood soup, braising pork in soy sauce, stir-frying pig’s blood with garlic sprouts, and stewing large bones with daikon radish...
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The sky gradually darkened. Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang closed up their shop and said to Shuiqing’s family and He Li, "Let’s go. Everyone’s coming to my place for the pig-butchering feast."
Shuiqing smiled and shook his head. "Yongmei is at the guesthouse keeping Brother Yong’s fiancée company. I have to go to Brother Yong’s for the ’flower night.’ Little Mei and Little Xue will go with you for the feast."
More people were holding wedding banquets after New Year’s Day. In just over half a month, their family had already attended several wedding feasts.
Lin Lan then remembered that Brother Yong’s family was hosting the "flower night." If business hadn’t been so busy, she would have gone to keep Yuezhen company too. "Okay. Xiangyang and Uncle Li have to go over to Brother Yong’s as well, so you can all go together."
Old Li chuckled merrily. "We’ll go to the ’flower night’ first, then head over to Lin Lan’s for the pig-butchering feast."
The group closed up the shops and called over to Yang Zhigang, who was riding his bike in circles on the side of the road with Little Douzi. They all started walking toward the vehicle factory.
When the group arrived at the vehicle factory guesthouse, Little Douzi curiously asked Lin Lan as they went upstairs, "Auntie, why isn’t Auntie Yuezhen living at our house? Why is she staying here?"
Lin Lan smiled. "Starting today, your Auntie Yuezhen won’t be living with us anymore. From now on, she’ll be living at Uncle Yong’s place."
Lin Lan didn’t mind at all if Yuezhen’s bridal procession started from her house, but the Yang family disagreed. Yuezhen also didn’t want to return to Shilian and leave from Lin Guohui’s home, nor did she want to give the Yang clan any reason to gossip. So, she booked a room at the guesthouse and would depart for her wedding from there.
The group arrived at Room 202 on the second floor. Lin Yuezhen and Yongmei were sitting on wooden chairs, knitting sweaters. When they saw the others come up, they quickly stood up.
Little Douzi went forward and took Lin Yuezhen’s hand. "Auntie, my mom said you’re not going to live at our house anymore, and you’re going to live at Uncle Yong’s. Is that right?"
Lin Yuezhen smiled, nodded, and ruffled his hair, gesturing, "From now on, you can come play at your auntie’s new home."
Little Douzi nodded, not quite understanding why his auntie getting married meant she couldn’t live at his house anymore.
Lin Lan smiled at Lin Yuezhen and said, "Sister, Sister-in-law Yongmei is going to the ’flower night.’ Why don’t you come back with us for the pig-butchering feast? We’ll bring you back afterward."
Zhou Yongmei nodded as well, saying in her gentle, refined voice, "That’s right, Yuezhen. You must be so bored here all by yourself! Go back to Lexing with Little Lin for the feast first, then come back."
Lin Yuezhen smiled and gestured, "No, it’s okay. I’ve already eaten at the guesthouse." ’She was worried all her things would get stolen. Who would she cry to then?’
Lin Lan glanced at her watch. It was almost seven. The family at home was probably getting anxious. She nodded and said, "Alright then, we’ll go back and eat first, then come back to keep you company."
Lin Yuezhen nodded and gently pushed Lin Lan toward the door.
Lin Lan’s group went downstairs. Seeing that it was completely dark, Li Xiangyang said to Old Li and Shuiqing, "Dad, please let Brother Yong know that I’m taking Little Douzi and the others back to Lexing first. I’ll head to his place right after."
Old Li smiled and waved. "Go on!" ’It was dark, and he wasn’t at ease with several women and a child having to pass through the woods.’
The group split in two, each heading toward their respective destinations.
He Li glanced at Li Xiangyang, who was lifting Little Douzi onto the back seat of the bicycle. She whispered to Little Xue, "Brother Xiangyang used to be so fierce. All the girls in our alley were afraid of him. They said his face was as cold as frostbitten greens. I never expected him to be so good to Sister Lin and Little Douzi."
Little Xue laughed after hearing this. "Uncle Xiangyang is a good person. He just doesn’t smile much, like my dad. My mom says honest men don’t smile a lot."
He Li shook her head, watching Li Xiangyang push his bike ahead of them. "Do honest men really not smile much? I haven’t noticed. And Brother Xiangyang isn’t simple at all! How could a simple, honest person think of opening a pig farm?"
"That’s true!" Little Mei turned and linked arms with Little Xue. "Sis, I heard Dad say last time that Uncle Xiangyang isn’t simple at all—he’s sharper than a monkey."
Lin Lan listened to the young girls chattering away, debating whether Li Xiangyang was a simple man. When she heard Little Mei’s comment, she almost burst out laughing.
’If that guy was considered simple, then where would truly simple people go to plead their case?’
Li Xiangyang escorted Lin Lan and the others to Lexing, then rode off on his bike.
Lin Lan led Little Xue and the others into the courtyard. The main hall doors were wide open, and Zhao Dehai and his two daughters, Yang Meihua’s family, and the couple Li Guizhi and her husband had already arrived.
Wang Zhixue and Zhao Dehai were sitting with them at the eight immortals table, chatting.
The moment Yang Meihua saw Lin Lan, she said, "Lin Lan, that’s not very friendly of you! You had your grand opening and didn’t even tell us."
They had only just heard today that Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang had opened a clothing store and a general store, which had just opened the day before.
Li Guizhi nodded from the side. "Exactly. We didn’t hear a peep about it."
Lin Lan smiled apologetically. "My dear sisters, it’s my fault. I’ll make it up to you tonight."
Yang Meihua laughed. "Alright. As punishment, you’ll have to drink three cups later."
Wu Shufen and Yang Liqun arrived in the main hall carrying dishes. "You’ve been waiting a while. You must all be hungry, right?"
He Xianghua smiled and shook his head. "Not at all, Auntie. During the busy farming season, we wouldn’t even be done with work by this time!"
"Exactly," Zhang Rongqing said, looking at him. "Captain He, starting next year, we’ll all be working for ourselves!"