Chapter 24 Can you bring me something?

Chapter 24 Can you bring me something?

Little Tiantian was so happy to learn that he could stay at Yao Shula's house that he jumped for joy.

He specifically told Lei Jingwu to bring over two sets of his clothes and shoes, as well as his usual toys.

"Stay here and don't wander off."

I've spoken to your dad, and he agrees.

Also, the day before the 30th, have Zhou Ping'an from next door take you home.

"Behave yourself here, okay? Don't make anyone angry." Lei Jingwu repeated the instructions over and over again.

"I understand! I've stayed at my eldest sister's house and eaten there; it was a very comfortable stay."

"Big brother, when are you coming back?" Little Tian asked curiously.

"This is how they come back from the second and third years of junior high!"

"When are the second and third years of junior high?" Xiao Tiantian continued to ask.

"It's... about fifteen days!" Lei Jingwu used the simplest way of putting it.

Xiao Tiantian said "oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

And so, Xiao Tiantian settled down at the Yao family's house.

It wasn't until evening that Zhou Ping'an returned with Yao Shuxin after buying some things.

Half of the tricycle was filled with coal briquettes, and the other half was filled with other things I had bought.

A large ribbonfish weighing three pounds and three fingers wide, two silver carp with their mouths tied with straw rope, and a small basket of scallions, ginger, garlic, and red chili peppers.

Four pieces of Funing rice cake, and twenty eggs.

There was also a cardboard box containing eight apples.

Yao Shula quickly led her siblings to move all the coal briquettes into the kitchen and put away the other things.

"Sis, the fish will be gutted and then salted in a bit. Aren't we going to fry meat chunks tomorrow?"

After frying the meat chunks, I fried the fish too.

"Things that have been fried in oil will keep longer," Yao Shuxin advised Yao Shula.

Yao Shula thought it made sense.

The weather is so cold now, all the puddles outside have frozen over.

Isn't this a giant natural refrigerator?

"Okay, let's marinate it tonight and fry it all together tomorrow!"

...

Lei Jingwu ate at Yao Shula's house that evening.

Yao Shuxin and Yao Shuli also knew that Xiaotian would be staying at their house for a while.

At first, the siblings were somewhat resistant.

Xiao Tiantian is clearly the child of a cadre; she can't be bumped or hurt. If she accidentally falls or gets hurt, wouldn't that cause trouble for her older sister?

But when Yao Shula pointed to the cardboard box that had been moved to the kitchen and said that it was Xiao Tiantian's food rations.

He also told the siblings that Lei Jingwu had given them fifty yuan for living expenses.

The siblings immediately welcomed Xiaotian to stay at their home.

And he promised that he would definitely treat Xiao Tiantian like his own younger brother.

It was also because Xiaotian and Lei Jingwu were eating at their house that night that dinner, which was originally planned to be just some porridge, some dried radish and steamed buns, was suddenly changed to something different.

Yao Shula looked at the things piled up in the kitchen and felt very confident.

"In the evening, instead of steamed buns, we'll have scallion pancakes with two eggs in them."

Cut some dried radish, add some vinegar and sesame oil, and mix it all together.

Fry some more peanuts; we have guests over today.

Yao Shuxin rolled up her sleeves as she nodded.

"Sis, I'll do it! Let's skip the rice porridge tonight and make plain rice porridge instead!"

Yao Shula immediately offered to make the porridge herself, a kind of porridge that Yao Shuxin had never eaten before.

...

Yao Shula washed the rice and then took out four preserved eggs from the box that Lei Jingwu had brought.

Then I cut some lean meat.

Since we have plenty of meat at home today, we can be generous and eat as much as we want.

Yao Shula plans to make a congee with preserved egg and lean pork.

No bok choy? No problem, we have plenty of Chinese cabbage at home, just tear off a few leaves and chop them up.

This was the first time Yao Shula had cooked a proper meal since arriving here.

Yao Shuxin had done it all before.

Yao Shuxin was also kneading dough while watching Yao Shula cook porridge she had never seen before...

Cut the preserved eggs into small pieces, and shred the lean meat, then add some shredded ginger and chopped green onions and arrange them on top...

The cabbage leaves were also cut into finger-width pieces.

Then it was time to cook the porridge. Once the rice grains had bloomed, I added the preserved egg...

When it was almost cooked, I added the shredded meat, then the cabbage, and finally seasoned it with salt and pepper...

"You must add pepper, otherwise it will have a fishy smell!" Yao Shula said while cooking, not forgetting to instruct Yao Shuxin, who was watching closely beside her.

Yao Shuxin nodded vigorously.

This porridge looks... like something I've never seen before!

...

Soon, the congee with preserved egg and lean pork was served, along with scallion and egg pancakes.

The dried radish was mixed, and the freshly fried peanuts were sprinkled with fine salt and served.

The table in the kitchen had been set up, and Lei Jingwu, along with Xiao Tiantian and Yao Shuli, had also set out the bowls and chopsticks.

"Big sister, what kind of porridge is this? I've never seen it before!" Little Tiantian immediately pointed to the preserved egg and lean pork porridge and asked.

Before Yao Shula could speak, Lei Jingwu leaned over to take a look.

"This is preserved egg congee! What looks a little black in it is preserved egg." Lei Jingwu often travels to Guangzhou and has actually eaten it once or twice.

And Xiaotian...

When we were in Shanghai, I always stayed with my grandfather. My grandfather didn't like to eat preserved eggs, so I rarely got to eat them.

Little Tiantian immediately responded with an "oh".

Yao Shula served everyone the porridge, and then everyone started eating.

Little Tian carefully blew on it, then scooped up a spoonful of porridge and put it in her mouth.

"If you don't like preserved eggs, give them to your older brother, and he'll give you the lean meat from the porridge," Lei Jingwu said with a smile.

Xiao Tian shook her head.

"It's delicious! The shredded pork is delicious too!"

"Big sister, I used to think that preserved eggs could only be used in cold dishes and had a weird taste, but I didn't expect them to be so delicious in porridge." Little Tiantian shoveled mouthful after mouthful of preserved egg porridge.

Yao Shula smiled and gestured to Xiao Tiantian not to just drink the porridge, but to eat something dry too.

"Century eggs are delicious no matter how you eat them, not just in cold dishes or porridge."

You can also make preserved egg wontons and other soup-based dishes.

"You can also stir-fry it!" Yao Shula told Lei Jingwu not to be shy.

Little Tian's eyes widened in surprise.

Are there really so many ways to eat preserved eggs?

"Big sister, can you also make wontons?"

“Yes, preserved egg wontons, they taste really good. Don’t we still have four preserved eggs left? I’ll make them for you guys for the next couple of days,” Yao Shula said immediately.

Xiao Tiantian hurriedly looked at Lei Jingwu.

"Brother, where are the preserved egg wontons?"

"Okay, I know! I'll have Zhou Ping'an send over two more boxes before I leave tomorrow. You can eat slowly. Just tell Zhou Ping'an if you finish anything." Lei Jingwu also ate his egg pancake heartily.

Little Tiantian immediately chuckled.

He can finally eat preserved egg wontons...

Yao Shula's eyes darted around.

"thunder……"

"Call me Lei Jingwu!"

"Oh, Lei Jingwu, when you come back from Shanghai, could you bring me something?" Yao Shula asked Lei Jingwu cautiously.

“Of course, go ahead!” Lei Jingwu immediately put down his rice bowl.

"Let me show you..." Yao Shula also put down her rice bowl.