Guan Rong wore an old lotus-root-pink cotton-padded jacket today, the collar and cuffs adorned with small flower patterns. The color was a bit faded, as if it has been washed many times, yet there wasn't a single patch on it, a clear sign of her care. However, the color made her complexion look even worse, giving her a somewhat sickly appearance.
She was still carrying a bamboo basket, standing awkwardly at the entrance to the Jing Family's small courtyard. When she saw Hua Xiaomai coming out from next door, she smiled and approached her, extending the basket a bit, "Little sister Xiaomai, look, I need to trouble you today!"
Hua Xiaomai glanced into the bamboo basket and saw it was mostly filled with bamboo shoots that had their shells peeled, steamed, semi-dried, and she knew what this was about. She also smiled, "Is it about the bamboo shoot oil and dried bamboo shoot strips?"
Guan Rong looked a bit embarrassed as she lowered her eyes and stepped closer, gently pulling her hand, "Exactly. Those winter bamboo shoots I bought the other day, my father and mother praised them when they saw them, and we even had them stir-fried in meat fat for two meals. It just so happened that my mother knows how to make bamboo shoot oil and she steamed the remaining ones with their shells on, dried and squeezed out the oil. But it seems such a pity to just throw away the dried bamboo shoots after extracting the oil, so I suddenly remembered the dried bamboo shoot strips you mentioned. After I talked to my mother about it, she asked me to come over and inquire how it's done."
Hua Xiaomai reached out and picked up a bamboo shoot from the basket to examine it.
These shoots, having been steamed and dried, were not as brightly white and glossy as fresh ones—they had turned slightly gray, but their nodes were tightly spaced and they were still tender to the touch, which made them perfect for making dried bamboo shoot strips.
"The weather hasn't been good lately. Only today has the sun come out a bit. My parents are worried. If we keep putting off dealing with these bamboo shoots, they might get moldy and go to waste," said Guan Rong softly.
"Making dried bamboo shoot strips is not difficult, although it does take some time," Hua Xiaomai thought for a moment and then smiled at her, "Additionally, it's best to find an open area to build a stove with bricks and stones, and gather some thoroughly dried pine and cypress branches..."
"We have all of that at home already!" Guan Rong's eyes lit up, "Last month, when we were making sausages, we built a stove in the backyard that hasn't been taken down yet, and we have plenty of pine and cypress branches. Sister Xiaomai, if you're not busy, could you come back with me and make the dried bamboo shoot strips? My father and mother are getting anxious."
Hua Xiaomai didn't answer immediately, instead turning to glance at Hua's second aunt leaning against the doorway.
"If little sister from the Guan Family needs your help, go with her. Just make sure to come back soon," Hua's second aunt said, slightly lifting her chin.
Since arriving in Fire Knife Village over a month ago, aside from preparing a New Year's Eve dinner for Qiao's Paper Shop, the girl had been busy at home every day. A fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl can't be without friends, can she? Guan Rong's parents were both honest folk and well-liked in the village. Hua Xiaomai could perhaps build a good relationship with the villagers by spending more time with her, and avoid the idle chatter of those nosy aunties who loved to gossip about her family.
Hua Xiaomai hadn't planned to go out today, but seeing Hua's second aunt in what seemed like a good mood, she thought about indirectly asking about the issue of "not being able to conceive." However, on second thought, she decided it wasn't appropriate.
She was an unmarried girl—it wasn't her place to ask such questions, and it wouldn't be helpful anyway. Instead of worrying, it would be better to find a way to earn more money quickly and find a reliable doctor to take a good look at Hua's second aunt. Maybe the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed.
"Okay," she nodded to Hua's second aunt and turned to follow Guan Rong to the Guan Family's home located at the south of the village.
The process of making dried bamboo shoot strips wasn't complicated, but it required constant attention from beginning to end. Since the Guan Family's bamboo shoots were already dried and had their oil squeezed out, it saved quite a bit of effort. Hua Xiaomai only needed to control the heat, bake the shoots until just right, and then she would be done.
The winter bamboo shoots, once their shells were removed and halved, would be skewered on bamboo sticks and roasted over an open flame for an entire day and night. Adding some pine and cypress branches to the firewood could make the roasted bamboo shoot strips even more fragrant. For those who preferred stronger flavors, a layer of light soy sauce could be brushed on the surface of the bamboo shoots, rendering the finished strips slightly blackened but more flavorful upon tasting. It wasn't until the thicker end of the bamboo shoot became hard as iron that the strips could be considered ready. They could then be used to cook meat or make soup, both of which were excellent choices.
"Right, that's how it's done."
Hua Xiaomai, half-squatting by the earthen stove in the Guan Family's backyard, carefully kept turning the skewered bamboo shoots over the fire, while explaining to Guan Rong, "You have to keep rotating them like this, otherwise, if the fire's too fierce, it will char the shoots; but you also have to make sure the fire stays strong, because if it isn't, the shoots will turn yellow and won't taste good. I've already brushed on a layer of light soy sauce, so you don't need to add anything else; just roast them well, and they'll be done."
"You mean we have to keep watch here for a whole day and night?" Guan Rong moved a small stool beneath Hua Xiaomai as she knelt and frowned.
Hua Xiaomai squinted her eyes and smiled, "Yes, a bit of extra time for delicious food is actually quite worth it, right? Don't worry, I know your dad and mom are busy during the day. I can keep watch here, and in the evening, you all can take over for a night. By tomorrow afternoon, the bamboo shoot strips should be ready."
Guan Rong tucked away a stray lock of hair beside her ear, "I'm just causing you trouble..."
"Guan Family sister, please don't say that," Hua Xiaomai waved her hand, "I'm really interested in making food myself. I'm just happy you'd ask me to help! Besides, my second sister always says I'm up to no good loafing around at home, so helping you out also saves her from worrying about me all the time."
"Then don't be so formal. I'm only two years older than you. You can just call me Rong Sister," Guan Rong said, going inside to pour a cup of tea, which she placed beside Hua Xiaomai's hand.
That day, Hua Xiaomai was busy in the Guan Family's house until dusk before leaving. When she left, the bamboo shoot strips on the skewers had already started to harden slightly. She couldn't let go of her concern, and she spoke a few more words to Guan Rong's parents, repeatedly reminding them to keep a constant watch by the fire, before she hurried back home.
Unexpectedly, the next evening, Guan Rong came over again.
"Xiaomai sister!" As soon as she entered, she joyfully grabbed Hua Xiaomai, beaming, "The bamboo shoot strips are done, and they taste really good! My dad, my mom, and I watched over them all night, without leaving for a moment, and today, in the afternoon, right after we took them off the fire, my dad couldn't wait to slice a small piece to try. Guess what, you don't even need to cook them, just chewing on them, and it's a mouthful of deliciousness!"
At that moment, Hua Xiaomai was helping her second mother gather jujubes. She put down what she was doing, smiling, "That's great. I saw you had quite a lot of winter bamboo shoots yesterday. You can store them in baskets and enjoy them slowly. By New Year's, you'll even have an extra dish to add to the table!"
"Yes!" Guan Rong nodded vigorously and then said, "My dad mentioned he had tasted these bamboo shoot strips many years ago, but there is no such practice locally, and he hadn't had the chance to taste them again. He was very pleased! Now that we've learned this method from you, my dad is thinking about buying more bamboo shoots to make a lot of strips to give to relatives and neighbors to let them try something new!"
"... Really?" A thought struck Hua Xiaomai, and she abruptly looked up, "Rong Sister, are you saying these bamboo shoot strips aren't sold locally?"
"Yes, I've never seen them in the market," Guan Rong replied with certainty, not knowing what Hua Xiaomai was getting at.
"So you think..." Hua Xiaomai's mind raced, "if we make several big baskets of these bamboo shoot strips and sell them in the restaurants, taverns, and the market in the county, would people buy them?"