The General's Delicious Wife – chapter 019: Occasional sumptuous meal
"Aiyo, the Cui family are so generous, giving so many white flour steamed buns." Madam Sheng rolls her eyes around, according to her brief knowledge of the rates as a kitchen help in the village, seeing so many white flour jujube steamed buns, she starts brooding in her heart. "They can't possibly have used the food to make up for your salary?"
"We have our wages, we also have the food." As Xia Yue Chu is saying, she picks up the steamed buns and places it into the bamboo tray basket. Planning to put this in the vat outside to freeze it up and avoid spoilage from leaving it in the room.
As soon as Madam Sheng hears this, greed is revealed in her eyes. Directing her words at Xia Yue Chu. "We have not yet split the house now, you have your wages and don't know how to honour your parents, are your wings harden now*!"
"A few days ago, Da Zhuang just gave mother five taels, why are you still asking money from us?" Xia Yue Chu asked Madam Sheng full in her surprise. "Don't tell me that the second and the third can earn up to five taels in a year?"
"Pei!" Madam Sheng hears this and gets frustrated immediately. "That five taels is what Da Zhuang gave to his father, besides, for so many years, you are just eating and living in the house. Didn't we use our money too, now that he is back, you still think you are making a lost to give us five taels?"
"Mother, look at what you are saying, before Da Zhuang came back, which of the chores around the house have I done less? How is it that I didn't earn that few bites of mine?" Xia Yue Chu refuses to give in.
She knows exactly how the original host has passed her days over the years, very truly she eats the worst food and does the most chores, if not for so, she would not have passed on at such a young age after getting sick.
"Are you rebelling today!" Where has Madam Sheng met with such defiance from Xia Yue Chu previously, subconsciously, she begins to look around for a suitable object to hold, ready to give a beating.
Madam Sun jumps in a fright and advises urgently. "Mother, Big brother is still recuperating now. Aren't the few coins in Sister-in-law's hands used to cover for Big brother's supplements. Please calm down. Take some steamed buns with you, there is no need to steam maize cakes tonight."
Since after Xue Zhuang returns, because of the inconvenience of his legs, Xia Yue Chu also has benefited from it. At least they can use the fire and eat at their own house, no need to squeeze over there at Madam Sheng's side and be subjected to their bad mood, and eat better tasting food.
So seeing that Madam Sun has started to soothe out the situation, she does not wish to push this issue too far, after all even if you don't see them with your head up, you will see them with your head down**.
So she splits the jujube steamed buns into two portions, giving the bigger portion to Madam Sheng.
Madam Sheng is not satisfied, taking the tray basket and place it down on the stove counter in passing, pushing Xia Yue Chu aside to pull open the door of the cabinet inspecting around.
The cabinet is totally empty, only a few bowls and plates, a jar of sauce, and a few leftover maize cakes from the morning.
After looking one round, Madam Sheng still cannot trust them. She flips around all the bags and baskets hanging on the wall and from the roof. Seeing that it is either dried vegetable or grains, then she believes that there is nothing else.
She carries the tray basket and snatches three more jujube steam buns from Xia Yue Chu's portion, then as if winning a victorious battle, she walks out gallantly and full of vigour.
After she has left, Madam Sun sighs in relieve. Patting her heart and whispers. "Thank goodness we concealed well."
The chicken eggs are hidden at the corner of the wall right under the dry firewood, the remaining jujube steamed buns, fish and meat are hidden in the chest inside the room.
Considering that Madam Sheng has a few restraining fears towards Xue Zhuang, she probably will not go to the brick bed directly to find the goods.
The two meets with eye contact and laughs bitterly, not knowing if they should be happy or if they should sigh.
Xia Yue Chu pats on Madam Sun's hand, saying softly. "You just take a few bites over at that side tonight, then bring Big Ni Er and Second Ni Er over here to eat."
Because the Cui family has given fish and meat, the meal that Xia Yue Chu has prepared tonight is sumptuous.
Adding a spoon of sugar into a wok with oil, cooking to melt it until a burnt yellow shade and the sugar bubbling, releasing small pockets of air in the oil. Then, toss the blanched pork belly chunks in.
In an instant, a caramelised sweetness mixes with a meat fragrance. Split splattering bursting within the wok.
When the five layered pork belly is stir-fried to a pretty colour, add in the seasonings and spices, and cover the wok lid to braise.
Over here, the potato cube goes down the wok, and is shallow fried until golden and taken out. Two tails of prepared and cleaned carp goes down the wok, and fried until both sides are firmed up. Add in stock and the potato to stew them together.
Qin Zheng is already unable to sit still after smelling all this, coming out to help Xia Yue Chu with the fire.
Which is good for Xia Yue Chu to free up her hands. Just cooking more two simple vegetable stir-fry and putting the jujube steamed buns onto the streamer. A dinner, ample as fuel, is served.
Qin Zheng sees the meat that just come out from the wok and he keeps swallowing his saliva. Even though after coming to the Xue family, there is no problems with eating to his full, nevertheless, no matter how Xia Yue Chu changes the way she cooks these dishes, they are all eventually vegetables.
It has been many days since the Xia family has come to visit and had a feast together. Qin Zheng is a young man who is still growing after all. He will feel the lack of energy in his stomach from missing meat in a meal. Right now, looking at the big chucks of meat and fish, he is unable to move his sight elsewhere.
Not long later, Madam Sun brings Big Ni Er and Second Ni Er over.
Qin Zheng sticks the door bolt in place. Then one in each arm, lifts the two little girls up onto the brick bed.
The two girls, even more so, does not know when is the last time they have eaten meat. Even if Madam Sheng occasionally buys some meat back to feast on, it is not possible that they will get a share in their bowls. Right now, looking at the fish and meat on the table, they are stunned silly.
Big Ni Er licks her lips with her tongue and swallows hard, but does not dare to stretch out her hands to take from the dishes.
Xia Yue Chu cannot bear to see her reservation, so she serves them each a chopstick full of meat and splits a steamed bun in half, putting the half each into the two children's hands.
"Eat quickly, it won't be good if it turns cold."
Second Ni Er eats a mouthful of the braised pork belly and her eyes brightens up. She seems to have something to say, but seeing that there are so many people present she becomes shy, so she draws close to Madam Sun and asks in her ear. "Mother, what is this, it tastes so good!"
She thinks she has spoken in a whisper, in actual fact her volume is not low, everyone in the room hears it clearly.
Madam Sun feeling sad in her heart, helps her daughter to wipe her oily mouth, forcing a smile. "This is the braised pork belly that Big Madam has cooked, eating two pieces is enough, if you eat more you might get a tummy ache."
The few of them in the room become silent, seeing how thin and weak the children are makes them feel sad and helpless.
Xia Yue Chu has her own experience of diarrhoea the previous time and she also dares not let the children overeat the greasy food, afraid that their stomachs cannot take it, so she serves them a few chopsticks full of vegetables.
Madam Sun has had eaten something over there in the main room and currently she is not too hungry. Noticing how the two children are wolving their food down, she feels embarrassed to move her chopstick. So she takes a few pieces of fish into the bowl and slowly picks out the bones for the children.
Qin Zheng normally buries his head down and eats furiously, but today, as if he is loaded with worries. After finishing a steamed bun, he does not reach for the second one, instead, turning his head thoughtfully to ask. "Sister-in-law, is there any jobs that I can do in the village?"
How would Xia Yue Chu know these things, so she directs a questioning look towards Madam Sun.
"That is not easy to find." Madam Sun portions the fish into her two daughter's bowls. Frowning in reply. "Other than the Cui family in the village, normal families cannot afford to hire help. Unless it is to build houses or when rushing for the autumn harvest. Right now, the snow outside is not fully melted, their own labour is idle too, where will they need to hire helpers."
Upon hearing this Qin Zheng becomes so dejected as if he is wilting. He eats his second steamed bun absentmindedly.
Madam Sun consoles him. "You don't need to rush, these few days when the snow is melted the farming work will start immediately. By that time, you still worry that there will nothing to do?"
However, Xia Yue Chu has come up with a rough plan in her heart. It is not convenient for her to go into the city everyday, but Qin Zheng does not have that difficulty.
If both of them can collaborate, possibly, they can start to do a small business.
But what business exactly, Xia Yue Chu has no lead at the moment.
She has no knowledge of the outside world, regardless how, she has to go to the city and sees it for herself.
.
Translator Notes:
*Hard wings meaning independence, the youngling can fly on its own. Usually used in the context of someone who weaker and they fight back.
**Even if you don't see them with your head up, you will see them with your head down, meaning the place is small and there is no way to avoid meeting and interacting.
Translated by Yellow. Aug 2022.