Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 32

Chapter 32

When Lin Jiangshan, Ye Shan, and Father Ye returned, pushing a cart, dinner was ready. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they smelled the aroma of stewed pork bones.

Ye Shan’s stomach rumbled, and he took a deep breath. “We’re in for a treat today, thanks to my brother-in-law!”

The three went to the well to wash their hands. In the kitchen, Ye Xi lifted the lid of the pot. The potatoes were stewed until soft and fluffy, the pork ribs tender and falling off the bone, simmering in the red oil broth, bubbling gently. He sprinkled some chopped scallions and cilantro and it was ready to be served.

“Dinner’s ready. Are we eating in the main room?”

Liu Xiufeng came to carry the dishes. “Yes, although the courtyard is cooler, leaves are falling recently, and insects might fall into the dishes. It’s better to eat in the main room.”

“Alright.” Ye Xi finished serving the dishes and went to lift the lid of the steamer. Inside was half a bucket of steamed rice, the aroma filling the air.

“Mother, this rice smells delicious, is it this year’s new rice?”

Liu Xiufeng replied from outside, “Yes, freshly pounded rice, the grains long and plump, the cooked rice glistening and translucent, each grain distinct and beautiful.”

Ye Xi smiled. “Then give me a bag, I’ll take it back to my house and make clay pot rice.”

Liu Xiufeng agreed. She was naturally willing to give Ye Xi whatever they had at home.

Lunch was served on the square table in the main room. In the center was a pot of stewed kidney beans and pig’s trotters soup, white and rich. Next to it was a large bowl of braised potatoes and pork ribs, the potatoes soft and fluffy, the golden-brown ribs coated in a layer of mashed potatoes, with some stewed green beans, also cooked until tender.

There was also a plate of stir-fried amaranth with garlic, a bright red dish. The tomatoes from the garden were juicy and sweet, and stir-frying them in lard produced a rich sauce, mixed with scrambled eggs, a red and yellow dish garnished with scallions, very appetizing.

Finally, there was a plate of cold peanuts, the perfect side dish to go with wine. The peanuts were freshly harvested this year, washed in the river to remove the mud, and dried in the sun at home. The freshly harvested peanuts were still moist and sweet, perfect for making cold peanut salad.

Ye Xi peeled the red skin off the peanuts, chopped some pickled peppers from the pickle jar, added some bird’s eye chili peppers, chopped green peppers, sesame oil, aged vinegar, and soy sauce, then mixed the plump white peanuts in the bowl and let them soak for a while to absorb the flavors. The peanuts became sour, spicy, and delicious, with the natural sweetness of peanuts.

As expected, when Lin Jiangshan, Father Ye, and Ye Shan drank wine, the plate of peanuts quickly disappeared. Ye Xi ate his rice slowly, making a mental note that his husband liked peanuts.

Ye Shan reached for a pig’s trotter with his chopsticks. The pig’s trotter was stewed until tender, and the skin wobbled as he picked it up. He dipped it in the chili sauce, coating it completely.

Ye Shan was too busy eating to speak, devouring half a bowl of rice with the pig’s trotter. “Xi-ge’er’s cooking skills are truly unmatched. Since he got married, I’ve been missing his cooking. I feel like I’ve been eating less these days!”

Liu Xiufeng scolded him jokingly, “Is Mother’s cooking that bad?”

Ye Shan pursed his lips. “Mother’s cooking is delicious, but it’s still not as good as Xi-ge’er’s. Brother-in-law, you’re truly lucky to have married our Xi-ge’er. He’ll definitely make you happy with his cooking, three meals a day. Plus, he’s so skillful and creative, he can always come up with new dishes, you’ll never get tired of eating.”

This was true. Lin Jiangshan felt like he was living a dream after marrying Ye Xi. His husband’s excellent cooking skills had spoiled his taste buds. He felt uneasy if he didn’t have a meal cooked by Ye Xi. Thinking back to the food he used to eat, it was like pig slop! Although most of the dishes were simple farm fare, his husband could always make them delicious. He felt stronger and healthier now!

“Brother is right, my husband’s cooking skills are truly excellent, he could be a chef for wedding feasts!”

Ye Shan laughed heartily. “You’ve found a treasure, don’t bully my Xi-ge’er, or I’ll starve you!”

Ye Xi and Liu Xiufeng laughed, and the family enjoyed a happy and harmonious lunch, filled with laughter and chatter.

The time for their visit passed quickly. Ye Xi felt like he hadn’t stayed long enough, but he was worried about the chicks and ducklings at home and needed to go back and prepare their food, so he had to return to their house halfway up the mountain.

Although Liu Xiufeng was reluctant to let him go, she said, “You’re just living halfway up the mountain, not far from home, only a short walk away, you can come back anytime for a visit, even just for a meal.”

This made Ye Xi feel better.

“I packed a basket of new rice for you, your husband can carry it back later. There’s also a bag of fresh peanuts, and a basket of vegetables from the garden: pumpkin vines, chili peppers, water spinach. If it’s not enough, come back for more.” Liu Xiufeng listed the items in the full basket, wishing she could give everything to Ye Xi.

Ye Xi said, “That’s enough, Mother, more than enough, it’s just the two of us, we can’t eat that much.”

Liu Xiufeng said, “You’ve just started your new life, it’s not easy, and you haven’t established yourselves yet. Mother will help you as much as I can. Once you’re settled and have everything you need, Mother won’t have to worry anymore. Son, life after marriage isn’t easy, and you don’t have parents-in-law to help, you have to manage everything yourself. If Mother doesn’t help you, who will?”

Ye Xi’s eyes welled up, and he sniffed. “I know, Mother.”

As the sun began to set behind the mountains, painting the sky in orange and red hues, Ye Xi and Lin Jiangshan prepared to go home, afraid that it would be difficult to walk on the mountain path when it got dark.

Lin Jiangshan carried the heavy basket on his back and walked with Ye Xi.

Ye Xi was in a good mood after visiting his parents and even hummed a tune for Lin Jiangshan on the way, a folk tune from Nanchuan Prefecture, about missing one’s husband and longing for the arrival of spring.

Ye Xi’s voice was sweet and clear, carrying the unique southern charm of Nanchuan Prefecture, very pleasant to listen to.

He hummed the tune in front, and Lin Jiangshan listened attentively behind him. When the tune ended, they also reached their courtyard halfway up the mountain.

It was just getting dark.

They didn’t have dinner at the Ye family’s house, as the homecoming meal was always lunch, and they couldn’t stay for dinner. Ye Xi went to the kitchen first and mixed two bowls of wheat bran with wild vegetables in the feeding trough, then went to the backyard to feed the chickens and ducks before returning to the courtyard to prepare dinner.

They had a hearty lunch with meat at the Ye family’s house, so they would just have a simple dinner.

Lin Jiangshan measured the courtyard and the walls, thinking about how to divert the spring water. Ye Xi steamed white flour steamed buns on the stove, then came out and stood under the eaves. “I asked my mother about piglets today, and she found some. Old Li the butcher from Xiushui Village has a new litter. I heard that Mrs. Li Zhuang is good at raising pigs, and the piglets are healthy. Let’s go and choose two tomorrow!”

Lin Jiangshan agreed. “That’s good. Li Zhuang’s husband’s cousin is Carpenter Lu. I asked Carpenter Lu about the price of a bathtub, he said two qian of silver. He’s skilled, famous around Jixiang Town, and the price is reasonable. When he was younger, he was often hired to build houses and pagodas. Now that he’s older, he’s willing to do these smaller jobs.”

The cornbread steamed buns on the stove were ready. Ye Xi went to lift the lid, sprinkled some water inside, and came back out. “So, the Li family and the Lu family will be related to us in the future.”

Lin Jiangshan looked up at him and asked, “Why?”

Ye Xi happily told Lin Jiangshan about the marriage proposal his mother mentioned. “The Li family’s daughter is called Li Ran, and she’s even one of a pair of twins! I’ve never seen such a blessed birth. Mother said she’s straightforward and even knows how to butcher pigs. Some people say she’s not ladylike enough, but I think her personality is good, she doesn’t keep things bottled up, easy to get along with.”

Lin Jiangshan smiled. “Then if the marriage proposal is successful, you can go with us to meet your future sister-in-law when we deliver the betrothal gifts.”

Ye Xi nodded. “Definitely. I hope she marries into our family soon, so I can chat with her.”

They chatted in the courtyard for a while, and the steamed buns were ready. Ye Xi went back to the kitchen, sorted the vegetables he brought back, took a handful of chili peppers, two juicy tomatoes, and a long eggplant, and roasted them slightly over the charcoal fire in the stove, using tongs.

The chili peppers blistered, the tomato skins peeled off easily, the flesh inside half-cooked, and the eggplant roasted until the skin was charred and the flesh soft.

He blew off the ashes from the three ingredients, tore them into strips, put them in a mortar, added some dried chili flakes, chopped scallions and cilantro, soy sauce, and sesame oil, mixed them well, and created a delicious side dish.

This dish was simple and quick to make. They set up a small table in the courtyard, lit an oil lamp, and had dinner.

It was almost Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moon in the sky was rounder and brighter. The bright moonlight shone on the mountains, the night wind rustling the fallen leaves.

Ye Xi broke the steamed bun in half, added a chopstickful of the roasted vegetables with chili, the sesame oil and chili staining the white bun, making it even more appetizing.

Lin Jiangshan ate a quarter of the steamed bun in one bite, washing it down with sweet spring water. “The weather is clear tomorrow, I’ll finish digging the ditches in the courtyard and divert the spring water, so we can use the warm spring water before winter. This way, you won’t have to freeze your hands when washing clothes and cooking in winter. After that, I can focus on sowing the winter wheat in the fields.”

Ye Xi looked at his husband, his heart warmed. “That will make our small courtyard so much more convenient.”

After dinner, they blew out the lamp and went to bed. Ye Xi, half asleep, felt like there was a furnace beside him, burning hot. He moved towards the edge of the bed, but the hot furnace followed him.

He reached out to push it away, but his wrist was grabbed and pulled downwards, the hard and hot touch making him open his eyes suddenly.

He met Lin Jiangshan’s dark, gleaming eyes in the darkness.

He swallowed slightly and whispered, “Husband?”

Lin Jiangshan’s voice was extremely low, his nose nuzzling against Ye Xi’s neck. “That nourishing pig’s trotter soup at noon was truly potent. Did you make it, husband?”

Ye Xi’s heart raced, feeling his hot breath on his collarbone and neck. “Yes, Mother said the medicinal herbs at home had been stored for too long, it was better to use them in the stew for everyone’s health. She said autumn nourishment is for winter health.”

Lin Jiangshan gently nibbled on Ye Xi’s earlobe. “A bit too nourishing, I feel like I’m on fire.”

Ye Xi’s earlobe tingled from his gentle bite, and the next second, Lin Jiangshan pulled the quilt over their heads, pulling Ye Xi into a sea of passion.