Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 58

Chapter 58

Ye Xi helped his sister-in-law and mother string the spiced, cured meat with straw ropes and hang them under the eaves to dry. Once the flavors had melded, they could be taken down.

After working for half a day, it was time to prepare dinner. Liu Xiufeng called out, “Time to start the fire, the men will be back soon. We’re having pao tang today. Freshly slaughtered pig, we’ll clean the offal and make a hot pot, a delicious and warming meal.”

Ye Xi washed his hands and went to help prepare the offal, a whole basin full. They couldn’t finish it all today, so they took out some pig intestines, half of the heart and lungs, and a basin of congealed pig’s blood, as smooth and tender as tofu.

Li Ran scooped a spoonful of flour from the kitchen. “Use flour and oil to wash them, it’s faster.”

“Let’s stir-fry the pig liver today too. It looks fresh and tender, good as a side dish for the men’s wine. We just slaughtered a pig, so we don’t have to worry about meat,” Liu Xiufeng said, taking out the pig liver.

They used to be frugal with meat, but in winter, with the cold weather, they needed more oily and meaty food to stay warm, so families were more generous with food during winter.

After washing the offal, they blanched it in boiling water to remove the gamey smell. Ye Xi stirred the pot gently, letting the scallions, ginger, and garlic boil with the offal, while chatting with his sister-in-law, who was tending the fire.

After a while, the offal was blanched. They skimmed off the foam, rinsed the offal again, and sliced the intestines, heart, lungs, and a piece of pork belly.

They simmered two pig bones in a pot to make a rich broth until it turned milky white, then added the sliced meat and offal.

Liu Xiufeng returned from the vegetable garden with a handful of tender greens, still wet with water. “The tender greens are growing well this year, perfect for soup, so delicious. We should eat them a few more times before Winter Solstice, or they’ll freeze.”

Ye Xi took a piece of pig’s blood, sliced it thickly, and added it to the pot, the broth simmering and releasing a rich meaty aroma.

Finally, he washed the tender greens and added them to the soup, the bright green leaves swirling in the milky white broth, then garnished with chopped scallions.

A pot full of steaming hot pao tang, a comforting sight.

Li Ran found a charcoal brazier, placed the pot of pao tang on it, and kept it warm with the charcoal. The steam from the soup and the heat from the stove filled the room, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. At some point, it started raining outside again, a cold winter rain, with mist, cold wind, and the calls of birds echoing in the fields.

Ye Xi stir-fried the cornstarch-marinated pig liver in hot oil, the sizzling sound mixing with the spicy aroma of pickled peppers. He added a basket of wood ear mushrooms and leafy greens, stir-frying them together, the fragrance filling the air.

Father Ye and the others returned, each carrying a load of firewood on their shoulder poles.

“It’s raining outside, my hands are freezing,” Ye Shan said, putting down the firewood under the eaves, his shoulders wet.

Li Ran quickly brought a cloth for them to dry themselves, and Ye Xi brought a basin of hot water from the kitchen for them to warm their hands.

After cleaning up, the men sat down for dinner. The pao tang simmered on the charcoal brazier, the meat and broth comforting to their stomachs.

Ye Xi knew that Lin Jiangshan liked spicy food, so he made a chili dipping sauce, mixing ground Sichuan peppercorns and chili powder with hot oil, garnished with chopped scallions and garlic, very fragrant.

The family enjoyed a warm and harmonious dinner.

Father Ye casually asked, “Son-in-law, how did you know it would be a harsh winter with heavy snow this year?”

Lin Jiangshan smiled. “There’s no snow on Major Snow, it must be accumulating in the clouds. After these few cold rains, it will probably snow heavily. The weather has been strange this year, summer ended late, making people think it would be a cold winter, but then there was sunshine after Start of Winter, making people think it would be a warm winter. Looking at the weather during Major Snow, I’m afraid it will be unpredictable, probably a harsh winter in the end.”

His reasoning made sense, even more perceptive than the elderly in the village. Father Ye nodded, trusting his son-in-law. “It’s good that we stocked up on firewood. If we don’t use it all in winter, we can sell it in spring, just a bit more work.”

Liu Xiufeng, always biased towards her son-in-law, smiled. “Our son-in-law is always reliable, we should listen to him, it won’t hurt. Our family is harmonious and supportive, life is good. Now, we’re just missing a grandchild. Which of you two will make me a grandmother or a great-grandmother first?”

Ye Xi and Li Ran exchanged glances and smiled, focusing on their food without answering.

Liu Xiufeng playfully scolded them. “Fine, it’s no use rushing you two. A good field needs a good ox to plow. I might as well urge your husbands. Eat more pao tang tonight, so you’ll have the energy to make me a grandchild!”

Ye Shan and Lin Jiangshan’s expressions didn’t change, but Ye Xi and Li Ran blushed even more, almost choking on their rice.

“Mother…” Ye Xi pleaded.

Li Ran was too embarrassed to look up and secretly pinched Ye Shan’s thigh, making him wince and look at her foolishly.

Since she married him, this man had been tireless, not willing to let her rest.

Liu Xiufeng smiled. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore, so you won’t be embarrassed.”

After the pao tang, Liu Xiufeng gave Ye Xi some spare ribs to take home for stew. Ye Xi tried to refuse, as it wasn’t right to always take things from his parents’ home, but Li Ran said sternly, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid that I, as your sister-in-law, am stingy and would even begrudge you this? We’re like siblings, remember to bring me some of your cooking next time.”

Ye Xi then accepted the ribs, and he and Lin Jiangshan left the Ye family’s house and returned to their small courtyard under the cover of night.

At bedtime, Ye Xi snuggled warmly in his husband’s embrace, his feet pressed against his legs, as comfortable as lying on a heated kang.

“Why are you still so sensitive to cold after drinking goat milk for a while?” Lin Jiangshan asked, pulling his husband closer and tucking the quilt around him.

Ye Xi yawned, his eyes slightly red. “It takes time to nourish the body. The goat has been eating well these days, I’ve been feeding it fresh leaves, and it’s producing more milk than I can drink. I should find a bucket to store it tomorrow and make some goat cheese for winter.”

Lin Jiangshan’s chin rested on Ye Xi’s forehead, and he hummed in agreement.

Ye Xi, feeling drowsy, listened to the sound of winter rain hitting the bamboo grove outside, his mind drifting, muttering, “The radishes and cabbages in the garden are ready to be harvested and sold in town, pickled vegetables are in demand these days, they’ll sell well.”

“We should air out the dried shepherd’s purse and vegetables we saved in autumn, in case they get damp, we can roast them over the fire and use them for dumplings and steamed buns in winter.”

At some point, the rain outside turned to snow, the snowflakes falling and gradually covering everything in white.

Ye Xi murmured his plans drowsily, and Lin Jiangshan, unable to resist, lowered his head, kissed his husband, his tongue slipping into his mouth.

Ye Xi’s sleepiness vanished instantly, and he lightly punched Lin Jiangshan.

But Lin Jiangshan didn’t care, warm in bed with his soft and delicate husband, such a cold winter night was perfect for making a baby. He eagerly and irresistibly pulled open his husband’s clothes and pressed against him.

“Mother told me today to work hard at ‘plowing the fields,’ I must obey my mother-in-law!”

When they woke up the next morning, they realized it had started snowing last night. The wind blew, and the snowflakes danced, stinging their faces.

Ye Xi shivered as he stood under the eaves, the wind biting at his skin, and quickly went back inside to add another layer of clothing.

Lin Jiangshan, after getting up, found some chopped firewood in the courtyard and sat under the eaves, measuring it. Ye Xi came out, wearing another layer of clothing, and asked, “What are you doing, husband?”

Lin Jiangshan measured the wood with his axe. “It’s so cold today, it will only get worse. I’m building a small shed for them, so they can huddle together and stay warm in winter.”

The goat had become familiar with the fawn these past few days, always together, licking each other or playfully butting heads. Now, they were both curled up at Lin Jiangshan’s feet, watching him build their shed.

Ye Xi, knowing his husband’s kindness, even thinking of the livestock, smiled. “After you finish the shed, husband, I’ll weave a straw mat for them, with reeds and old clothes as padding, so they’ll be warm this winter.”

After saying that, Ye Xi went back to the kitchen to cook, and Lin Jiangshan went down the mountain to the Ye family’s house and brought back two loads of straw, using wooden strips to nail the straw to the walls of the chicken coop for insulation, and also scattered some straw on the floor as bedding. This way, the chickens and ducks could survive the winter.

He lit some mugwort to smoke out any insects, cleaned the coop, and then went to clean the pigsty. Pigs had a thick layer of fat to keep them warm, and since they would be selling or slaughtering one before the New Year, there was no need for insulation in the pigsty.

After cleaning the pigsty, Lin Jiangshan helped Ye Xi cook pig feed, poured it into the trough, and then returned to the kitchen, taking out a basket of ashes from the stove and mixing it with the pig manure.

“I’ll scatter this in the vegetable garden, not just as fertilizer, but also for insulation, so the vegetables won’t freeze. If it gets colder tomorrow, I’ll cover the garden with the straw mat.”

Ye Xi nodded and started washing rice and chopping vegetables, while Lin Jiangshan went out to fertilize the garden.

Smoke curled from the chimney, the warmth of their home drifting into the snowy sky, the rooster crowed, and Shanxiu Village officially entered the cold winter.