dtnovels Chapter 378 - 375: Gathering
Chapter 378 - 375: Gathering
Lin Lan checked her watch. It was already 5:30. She headed to the vegetable patch in the backyard, where she pulled up two ruby-red radishes, a few sprigs of cilantro, and some scallions, then carried them back to the kitchen.
She washed the cilantro, scallions, and radishes and set them aside. She shredded the radishes, added salt, and massaged the mixture with her hands until the shreds softened. Then, she rinsed them under tap water, squeezed out the excess moisture, and placed them in a small porcelain bowl to be dressed later.
She took out the termite mushrooms that Wu Shufen had put in her bag, then sliced some ham and soaked it in water. ’Food always tastes better cooked on the earthen stove,’ she thought. So, she put the young duck and konjac in a basin and carried them to the backyard stove house.
She cut the konjac into strips, blanched them, rinsed them with cold water, and then blanched them a second time. After another rinse with cold water, she poured them into a bamboo strainer to drain.
She chopped the young duck into small pieces, blanched them, and rinsed them clean before putting them in the strainer to drain as well.
From the pickle jar, she took out a few pickled chili peppers and minced them. She also sliced two pieces of pickled ginger, a small piece of mature ginger, and a few cloves of red-skinned garlic, and measured out a spoonful of broad bean paste with chili oil.
Once the seasonings were ready, she heated some oil in the wok and pan-fried the mature ginger slices until fragrant. She then added the duck pieces and stir-fried them until the moisture cooked off and the skin turned a crisp, golden brown. Finally, she removed the duck from the wok and set it aside.
She left a little oil in the wok and added star anise, cumin, and Sichuan peppercorns. Next, she threw in the pickled chilies, pickled ginger, and garlic cloves, stir-frying them until fragrant before adding the broad bean paste. After stir-frying until the oil reddened, she returned the duck pieces to the wok and tossed them to coat. On second thought, she added a few slices of ham, stir-fried them briefly, and then poured in soy sauce and cooking wine, tossing everything to combine. Finally, she added the drained konjac from the strainer and mixed it all together.
She added hot water to cover the duck, brought it to a boil, and skimmed off the foam from the surface. Then, she covered the wok and let it simmer on low heat until the duck was tender. To finish, she seasoned it with a bit of sugar and salt, turned the heat to high, and brought it to a rolling boil. She tossed in a handful of cilantro, gave it a few quick stirs, and then transferred the dish to a serving bowl.
"That smells amazing!" Li Xiangyang had entered the stove house at some point without her noticing.
Lin Lan turned her head and smiled. "You’re up. I made konjac-braised duck. Is Dad back yet?"
Li Xiangyang nodded. "He just got home."
"Take this over, then go invite our grand-aunt to come eat."
"You got it!" Li Xiangyang picked up the white porcelain tureen and headed for the front courtyard.
Lin Lan placed the small porcelain mixing bowl on the countertop. She added two spoonfuls of chili oil, some Sichuan peppercorn oil, sesame oil, minced garlic, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and a pinch of sugar to the radish shreds. After mixing well, she added a sprinkle of chopped scallion whites, gave it one last toss, and arranged it on a plate.
She washed the wok, then thinly sliced the soaked ham. The termite mushrooms were torn into small strips and divided into two portions. She also sliced two cloves of solo garlic and broke a few dried chilies into pieces, setting them aside.
She heated rapeseed oil in the wok and added the fatty ham slices first, stir-frying until the fat rendered. Then she added the lean slices, the garlic, and the dried chilies, stir-frying for a few moments before adding one portion of the termite mushrooms. She continued to stir-fry until the moisture had cooked out, then removed everything from the wok.
Next, she rendered some oil from a small piece of pork fat. She poured in some bone broth, added shredded ginger, and brought it to a boil. Then she added the remaining strips of termite mushrooms and brought it to a boil again. Just before serving, she sprinkled in some chopped scallions, and the savory termite mushroom soup was ready.
Little Douzi and Dandan ran inside. "Mom! We’re back!" Little Douzi yelled. "Auntie, we’re back!" Dandan echoed.
Lin Lan smiled warmly at them. "Has Great-Grandma arrived?"
"She has," the old lady said, walking over with a cheerful chuckle. "What delicious food did you make that you’re inviting an old woman like me to eat?"
Lin Lan laughed. "Konjac-braised young duck, ham stir-fried with termite mushrooms, and the soup is made with termite mushrooms too."
"All wonderful dishes," the old lady said, helping to carry the soup tureen. She sighed. "Before Little Man left, she made an old duck soup for Dandan and me. But with just the two of us eating, it wasn’t lively at all."
Lin Lan picked up two plates. "I’ll pour some sweet wine in a bit. We can have a couple of glasses and liven things up."
The old lady smiled and nodded. "Alright. I can get tipsy and go home for a good sleep."
They all went into the dining room. Old Li smiled at the old lady. "Why didn’t you go for a stroll? The crowd at the East Market for the Dragon Boat Festival this year is more than double what it was last year."
The old lady smiled and shook her head. "You’re the one who’s still hale and hearty. My legs aren’t what they used to be; I can’t walk very far. It’s the festival today, and Little Man wanted to take Dandan to her family’s home to deliver gifts, but this child stubbornly refused. She stayed home all day just to keep an old woman like me company!"
Old Li nodded in gratification. "All the children are very filial."
Li Xiangyang opened a bottle of liquor and poured a glass for Old Li. Lin Lan poured sweet wine for herself and the old lady. Once Lin Lan had poured soy milk for the two children, she and Li Xiangyang stood up and said, "Little Douzi, Dandan, come on. Let’s wish Great-Grandma and Grandpa a happy and healthy Dragon Boat Festival."
The two children raised their glasses of soy milk. "Great-Grandma, Grandpa, happy and healthy Dragon Boat Festival."
"Yes, yes, a happy and healthy Dragon Boat Festival to you too!" Old Li and the old lady chuckled, each taking a sip of their drinks. "Everyone, sit down and eat."
Old Li picked up a piece of konjac, then a piece of duck. The konjac was tender and delicate, the duck rich and succulent. With the addition of the ham, the dish was savory with a deep umami flavor, perfectly numbing and spicy. "Konjac is perfect for braising with duck," he praised. "And the way Lin Lan makes it is fantastic."
The old lady added, "This stir-fried ham and termite mushroom is fantastic too. So savory and fresh!"
"This is the perfect time of year for mushrooms," Old Li said. "Our in-laws know a lot about different kinds, so they’ve already sent some over a few times."
Lin Lan smiled. "My mom also bought some to dry. When Cousin Shi Tou brings down the mushrooms he’s gathered, we’ll pick out the best ones to preserve. We couldn’t possibly eat them all otherwise."
The old lady sighed. "Our lives have gotten so much better, but life for the people in the mountains is as hard as it ever was."
Li Xiangyang nodded. "That’s right. The mountains are full of good things, but without any roads, it takes two days just to walk out from Shishanling. A lot of produce can’t be brought out to sell."
"Building a road to Shishanling would be very difficult," Old Li mused. "But for a place like Jinjiapingzi, if they could just build a tractor path, it would only take two or three hours to get to the East Market by tractor."
The old lady shook her head. "Building a tractor path isn’t so easy. The one in Lexing took a thousand able-bodied laborers from several production brigades two whole years to finish."
Old Li said, "Exactly. Jinjiapingzi has so few people. For them to build a road all the way out, it would take at least a decade."
Lin Lan suddenly thought of the excavators from her past life. ’If only they could be built now,’ she mused.
After finishing their meal, the two children went upstairs to play.
The adults continued to eat slowly. Suddenly, Yang Dingbang’s voice called from outside, "Dandan! Grandma!"
Li Xiangyang put down his chopsticks and went out. "Over here! They’re all here!"
"We’re up here!" Dandan and Little Douzi called back from upstairs.
"Xiangyang, when did you get back?" Yang Dingbang asked with a smile as he walked over.
"Last night," Li Xiangyang replied with a laugh. "Grandma and Dandan are both at my place. Go get Little Man and come in for a couple of drinks."
"Little Man, come on over! We’re going to Xiangyang’s for a bit!" Yang Dingbang shouted over his shoulder to Yang Xiaoman before walking into the courtyard with Li Xiangyang.
Lin Lan brought out bowls and chopsticks, inviting the two to sit down and have a bite to eat. They both shook their heads repeatedly, saying they had just eaten and were just stopping by to chat for a while.
The old lady beamed at her grandson and granddaughter-in-law. "I thought you two were going to spend the night at your in-laws’!"
Yang Xiaoman chuckled. "As soon as we finished eating, my mom shooed us back."
"Same with us," Yang Dingbang added. "My mom saw me dozing off and told us to head home."
Yang Xiaoman glanced at the dishes on the table. "Looks like most people today are having either old duck soup or braised duck."
Lin Lan smiled. "And amaranth. They’re all essential dishes for the Dragon Boat Festival."
"Right, right. My mom was saying the price of amaranth has shot up. She’s so envious that you have your own land to grow vegetables."