Jiang Cancan secured the donation, so Jiang Baichuan made sure to leave extra for her family. He left four packs of five-pack instant noodles, 20 packs of ten-pack ham sausages, 10 packs of biscuits, a box of pickled vegetables, five packs of children's milk powder, and some other snacks as well. Although Cancan wasn't home, she had a younger sister, so these things wouldn't go to waste.
"Then I'll go back first, Uncle. Before I came back, I went to the school again. The auntie at our school library collected a batch of clothes, bedding, paper, pens, notebooks, and some sports equipment that graduates didn't want anymore. I sent it by post and left your phone number. Please receive the package when it arrives."
"You little rascal! With you and Cancan doing all this, I've saved a lot of money on shopping this year." Jiang Baichuan rarely praised him like that.
"Is there a reward for doing good deeds? When Can Can comes back, can you kill an old hen for the two of us?"
As the saying goes, what you can't have is always the best. Jiang Xiaoman had been eyeing his uncle's free-range chickens for quite some time.
"Get lost! The old hens at school are kept for laying eggs. If you want to eat, I'll kill a rooster for both of you," Jiang Baichuan said, enduring the pain.
To Jiang Xiaoman's surprise, probably to speed up the project, the construction team that Tang Xinlan had hired had built a zipline between the foot of the mountain and his home.
This made things much easier. He ran to the dock at the foot of the mountain, hopped on a metal frame used for transporting building materials, and carried Jiang Cancan's things to his own house first, then carried them to Jiang Cancan's house, saving him half the journey.
"Xiaoman, you're finally back! If you hadn't come back, all the people who built your house would have run away!" The staff member on duty at the transfer point joked when he saw him.
"It seems the secret that my dad's cooking is terrible can't be kept anymore..." Jiang Xiaoman couldn't help but chuckle.
After having the items transported up the mountain, Jiang Xiaoman called his father and found the home of a man who often went fishing at the end of the reservoir at the foot of the mountain. He bought ten catties of dried pickled fish and half a basin of large crucian carp seeds.
This kind of crucian carp is only the length of a chopstick and has a lot of bones, but the meat is delicious. After frying it in oil to soften the bones, it is slowly stewed in a small clay pot with a layer of frozen tofu at the bottom. The taste is incredibly fresh, cheap and delicious - this half-basin of crucian carp only cost him twenty yuan!
The fish is cheap mainly because locals don't eat much of it, finding it too bony and lacking in meat. There are also many crucian carp and goatfish in the water flowing down from the reservoir, and you can catch several in one net. The fishermen bring them back to make pickled fish.
After marinating, it is smoked over firewood until golden brown, then taken to the market to sell. Locals love to eat it, but it is troublesome to make. When fishermen see that Jiang Xiaoman wants to buy it, they wish they could sell him the whole bucket.
Jiang Xiaoman didn't want to. If he carried such a big bucket back, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Just cleaning the fish would exhaust him.
Besides, he still had to go to Jiang Cancan's house.
Carrying the fish home, Jiang Youliang couldn't wait to come out and meet him after walking three miles.
"I knew you were going to buy groceries by shipping these things up here. Why did you buy these crucian carp and melon seeds? Nobody eats these!" Jiang Youliang complained as he took the fish from the dozen or so crucian carp and melon seeds strung together with straw rope.
"I'll stew some crucian carp for you tonight. That's how city people eat it. It's delicious, and the fish bones are fried until they're soft so they won't get stuck in your throat," Jiang Xiaoman soothed her father gently.
"Didn't your aunt come back with you?" Jiang Youliang was naturally asking about Jiang Cancan. Although he was decades older than Jiang Cancan, according to the original generational hierarchy of the two families, Jiang Cancan should call him "older brother".
"She's competing, and the TV station invited university professors to give them intensive training. I came back to take care of some things before going back to be with her."
"What will she do these next few days? Take care of herself? Isn't she only in third grade?" Jiang Youliang raised his eyebrows.
“It’s okay. Jiang Xia said he happens to be free and will cover for me for a few days.”
"What?" Jiang Youliang's eyebrows furrowed so deeply they almost knotted together when he heard the name of the little priest. "You want him to take care of Cancan? He can't even take care of himself!"
"Pfft~ It's okay, Dad. Actually, the TV station has arranged special life teachers to take care of these younger contestants. They just need a parent to accompany them. They don't need to take care of the children; they just need to keep an eye on them and make sure nothing happens to them." Jiang Xiaoman was also a little worried about the newly appointed priest. After all, this guy had abandoned his old nest to chase after celebrities, so he seemed very unreliable.
But what can be done now? He has a ton of things waiting for him to come back and deal with, and Jiang Baichuan is also tied up. Looking around, it turns out that Jiang Xia is the most free person in the whole village...
However, there is one advantage to inviting Jiang Xia over. This guy is said to have done in-depth research on the entertainment industry in order to do data analysis and fight against negative publicity for the movie star. He has even joined a lot of fan groups. With him around, at least he can help get more votes during the voting.
After putting the things down, Jiang Xiaoman quickly got busy cooking.
The villagers, who were working, were so excited to see Jiang Xiaoman finally return that they burst into tears.
Great! They finally don't have to eat Uncle Youliang's cooking anymore! o(╥﹏╥)o
Having been away for several days, a makeshift stove had been set up next to his family's shack. Jiang Xiaoman asked her father to bring out half a basin of potatoes, peel and cut them into small pieces, then chopped a small basin of cured pork, a bowl of green and red peppers, and some pickled bamboo shoots. First, she stir-fried the potatoes with the cured pork and pickled bamboo shoots until the potatoes changed color. Then she cooked the rice and waited for the water to evaporate before pouring in a large basin of stir-fried potatoes. This way, the cured pork and potato rice was especially delicious, especially the crispy rice crust at the bottom, which was oily, crispy, and fragrant!
After cooking a large pot of rice and vegetables, Jiang Xiaoman marinated the prepared crucian carp and melon seeds, coated them with batter and egg white, and fried them in oil over low heat until golden brown. She then drained the oil, heated the oil again, added scallions, ginger, garlic, dried chili peppers, and fermented bean paste, stir-fried them until cooked, then added spring water, brought it to a boil, added the fried crucian carp, covered the pot, and cooked for more than ten minutes.
Because there were many of them, it was inconvenient to use a small clay pot, so Jiang Xiaoman simply took a large stainless steel basin. First, she laid the blanched frozen tofu at the bottom, then a layer of Swiss chard stems, and finally ladled the crucian carp and soup from the pot into the basin. She lit a charcoal fire underneath and let it simmer. An enticing aroma slowly spread, making the workers on the construction site almost drool.
"Just cook two more dishes, Dad. Go tell everyone to wash their hands and come eat!" Jiang Xiaoman brought the mixed cold dishes to the table.
Chapter 59
As they ate the food prepared by Jiang Xiaoman, the villagers who came to help couldn't help but shed tears of emotion.
In the past, people in the mountains were poor, and they would roast or boil potatoes every day to eat in rotation. Every family ate the same thing, and no one would complain about cooking skills.
Even if you make flowers out of potatoes, aren't they still just potatoes?
But things have changed in recent years. Anyone with a skill or physical strength has gone to work in the city. To be honest, the construction site meals that city dwellers look down on are considered delicacies that are hard to come by even at home during the Spring Festival by the people of Langshan.
Even during the Lunar New Year, the way they cook meat is very monotonous. They either salt it to make cured pork and use it to cook potatoes, or they cut fresh meat into thick slices, render the lard first, then pour in a large pot of potato chunks, add water, and boil it until cooked...
Unlike the construction site canteen, where they stir-fry salted pork slices with side dishes like wood ear mushrooms, dried tofu, and green peppers, there are several ways to cook chicken! Braised, steamed, stewed—each one is more delicious than the last!
Having grown accustomed to the hearty meals prepared by city chefs in the canteens, the thought of going back to Jiang Youliang's "Langshan Traditional Roasted Potatoes" and "Boiled Beef Ribs" was unimaginable... In short, if it weren't for the fact that everyone was from the same hometown and they couldn't refuse, this group would have run away long ago!
For dinner, we had a big pot of braised pork, potatoes, and rice. The rice, soaked in the broth, was incredibly fragrant, and the potatoes were infused with the flavor of the meat—even tastier than the meat itself! There was also a large bowl of stewed frozen tofu, crucian carp, and melon seeds. The crucian carp, about the length of chopsticks, were coated in batter and egg white and fried until crispy; even the bones were chewable and edible. Two fish per person, topped with a generous spoonful of delicious fish broth—it was absolutely divine!
This frozen tofu was made by Jiang Xiaoman herself before their old house collapsed. When the old house collapsed, the family's refrigerator was firmly buried under the mud house. Later, Jiang Youliang led people to dig the refrigerator out, and they were surprised to find that this brand of refrigerator was of such good quality! It had been buried in the ground for several days, and the shell was even dented, but it could still be used when plugged in!
Jiang Youliang simply moved the refrigerator here again. It's a bit unsightly, but it's very convenient for storing leftovers and chilling a few bottles of beer in the summer. There's also some frozen tofu that his son made before in the freezer. Jiang Xiaoman used the frozen tofu she made to stew the crucian carp this time.
Worried that there wouldn't be enough food for everyone, Jiang Xiaoman also prepared a dish of steamed salted fish with soybean paste and chili, a cold dish of houttuynia cordata, a seaweed and egg soup, and a dry pot cabbage stir-fried with sliced salted pork. Before stir-frying, she sautéed garlic and chili until fragrant, and the taste was just as good as the dry pot cabbage served in city restaurants. Everyone was very satisfied with the meal.
"Xiaoman, you're not going back to school this time, are you?" After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, someone finally couldn't help but ask.
They really didn't want to eat boiled Swiss chard anymore.
"No need to go back, Uncle, I've already brought back my graduation certificate." Jiang Xiaoman said as she ran to get her backpack and took out her bright red undergraduate graduation certificate and bachelor's degree certificate.
There's no way around it; his dad's proudest moment in life was showing off his son. He used to show off his son's final exam report card and various awards, and later he showed off all sorts of award certificates. This time, it should be the last time he can show off his son's grades.
really!
Seeing his son produce his university graduation certificate and bachelor's degree certificate, Jiang Youliang's face instantly lit up. Listening to the flattery from the surrounding villagers, he still had to feign modesty and say, "His university education didn't cost the family much money. My son Xiaoman has always been a good student, winning scholarships every year in university. He stopped asking me for tuition from the second semester of his freshman year. It's all the government's money that's supporting his education!"
Wow! That's really impressive!
The men in the mountains work themselves to the bone to send their children to school. Who doesn't want their child to go to university? But the problem is, even if they do get in, their meager annual income from working isn't enough to pay the tuition or support a university student.
That's why people say Jiang Xiaoman is a natural-born scholar!
While other people spend money on university, he manages to save tens of thousands of yuan from the various scholarships he receives each year, in addition to paying tuition, to build a house for his family!
They had all heard that Jiang Youliang had started a new business by buying a neighbor's land to build a new house, and a large portion of the money came from Jiang Xiaoman's savings during her university years!
The people in the mountains don't understand the difference between work-study programs and scholarships. They only know that Jiang Xiaoman studied for four years without spending a penny of her family's money and even earned tens of thousands of yuan. She's really amazing!
After letting her father indulge in his Versailles fantasy, Jiang Xiaoman put away her graduation certificate and took the opportunity to calculate the construction period with the foreman. Her house was simpler than the guesthouse next door, with only two floors, six rooms, plus an attic for storing grain. The main building was now completed, and the rest should be finished in about a week.
"Can you finish in four days? I have to go back to J Province next Friday, and I'll probably be gone for several days. I'm afraid I won't have enough time and it will delay the uncles from settling my wages." Jiang Xiaoman took the opportunity to tell them about Jiang Cancan's participation in the national competition auditions. Apparently, the pressure to garner votes increases as the competition progresses, and almost everyone in the village who goes out to work now uses a smartphone, which means Jiang Cancan has a lot of votes to cast!
"Oh my~ then a golden phoenix is about to fly out of Langshan this time! Okay! Four days it is! Let's hurry up and work hard these few days, and try to finish in four days!" Whether he was really worried about Jiang Cancan or didn't want to continue eating boiled beef jerky after Jiang Xiaoman left, the foreman gritted his teeth, turned around and discussed with a few helpers, and decided to split into two shifts, leaving a group of people on the mountain at night to catch up on the work.
Jiang Xiaoman didn't understand engineering matters, but he promised the contractor that as long as the project was completed within the stipulated time, he would still settle the payment according to the original agreement. In addition, during the few days he was at home, he cooked all three meals, an afternoon snack, and a late-night snack for those rushing to finish the project.
The foreman immediately smiled with satisfaction, and the others followed suit.
Jiang Xiaoman's cooking skills are much better than those of the chefs in the construction site canteens in the city. She uses high-quality ingredients and is generous with oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, making her dishes flavorful and filling.
In response, Jiang Xiaoman could only say that his four years of work-study in the cafeteria during college were not for nothing; he knew all the lazy tricks the cafeteria chefs used!
Cooking is actually similar to learning; once you master the techniques, you can easily prepare a feast by yourself.
The next morning, Jiang Xiaoman chopped half a basin of diced cured pork, mixed it with diced potatoes, pickled bamboo shoots, and pickled chili peppers to make filling. She made several large stuffed pancakes, each the size of a plate. The dough had been kneaded and fermented the night before. She pan-fried the pancakes until they were golden brown and glistening with oil. Each person received two large pancakes, plus unlimited sweet potato porridge, which was both filling and convenient.
After finishing her meal, Jiang Xiaoman handed the dishes and chopsticks to her father, then hurriedly headed towards Jiang Cancan's house with a full basket on her back and two large plastic bags in her hands.
Jiang Cancan's house was still the same, the old house was dilapidated, but a new pot had been added to the kitchen. Needless to say, it must have been bought and delivered by that photographer last time.
Grandma Jiang was overjoyed to see Jiang Xiaoman. She kept grabbing him and asking how Jiang Cancan was doing in the city. Jiang Yueyue stopped picking potatoes and snuggled in her grandmother's arms, looking over with her big eyes.
She hadn't seen her second sister for several days, and there was no phone at home, so she was actually more panicked than Grandma Jiang.
Grandma is old, and Jiang Yueyue grew up on her older sister's back. She has never seen her own mother since birth; her second sister is her mother.
Children from poor families mature early. Jiang Yueyue once suspected that her second sister might be like her eldest sister, getting married and never coming back. She even cried secretly several times.
"She's doing great! Cancan sings beautifully, and the TV crew and many fans online really like her. They've given her lots of things. But she has to attend training this time and can't come back. Luckily, I'm back, and Cancan asked me to bring you a lot of things." Jiang Xiaoman said, taking things out of the basket and plastic bag one by one.
"This is a soup pot, the kind city people use to make soup; this is a wok, and this is a frying pan. If you don't know how to use them, just leave them at home for now, and wait for Can Can to come back and teach you."
"Here are instant noodles, sausages, canned goods, pickled vegetables, self-heating rice, and other things that can be eaten as a meal. I'll cook some for you to try later."
"This is children's milk and oatmeal for Yueyue. Children need to drink more milk to grow tall!"
"These books, paper, and pens were all donated to the school by kind people that Can Can knows. The principal specially reserved a lot for Can Can, and I brought them all over."
"There are still a few packages that haven't arrived yet. Many of them contain gifts from Can Can's friends to your family, as well as clothes and bedding donated by our university teachers. I'll deliver them to you once they arrive."
"Our Cancan has made so many friends so quickly?" Grandma Jiang smiled so broadly that her gums were showing.
"When is my second sister coming back?" Jiang Yueyue glanced at Jiang Xiaoman cautiously. She didn't want any gifts, she just wanted her second sister to come home as soon as possible.
"Good girl Yueyue~ Your second sister went out to compete to earn money. She'll come back and build you a big house! Oh, and your second sister also brought you a special gift. Look!" As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoman took out a pink and purple rabbit wearing a floral dress from a sealed plastic bag.
This rabbit is called StellaLou. It is said to be very popular among children. It was given to Jiang Cancan by a fan who was worried that her younger sister would be scared at home, so she asked Jiang Xiaoman to bring it back to Jiang Yueyue.
Sure enough, Jiang Yueyue's eyes lit up when she saw the big pink and purple rabbit, and she hugged it tightly and wouldn't let go.
Seeing that it was almost time, Jiang Xiaoman quickly grabbed three bags of instant noodles, two sausages, and then went to the Jiang family's vegetable garden to pick a handful of amaranth leaves.
This green amaranth is the same as the red amaranth grown at the school, except that the leaves are different in color. Amaranth is not prone to pests, and as long as there is enough water and fertilizer, it can be harvested repeatedly after being planted once. Almost every household here grows amaranth in their vegetable garden.
Jiang Xiaoman originally intended to use the Jiang family's large pot to cook instant noodles for them, but when she lifted the lid, she found that there was still more than half a pot of boiled potatoes left inside. It was obvious that while Jiang Cancan was away from home, the grandmother and granddaughter had probably been cooking one pot of potatoes a day and eating them along with the pig.
After putting the lid on, Jiang Xiaoman had to dismantle a wok, wash it clean, and then temporarily build a stove in the yard with stones. She lit a fire, boiled water, and cooked a pot of steaming hot instant noodles.
The moment the aroma of instant noodles wafted out, Jiang Yueyue couldn't help but swallow hard. Even Grandma Jiang sighed beside her, "No wonder the kids all want to eat this instant noodles, it smells so good!"
Even if it smells delicious, she can't bear to buy it for herself. A pack of instant noodles costs three yuan, and she would have to sell six jin of potatoes to buy one pack of instant noodles.
The grandfather and grandson ate a whole pot of braised beef noodles with ham and amaranth leaves, even finishing the broth.
Grandma Jiang offered Jiang Xiaoman some food, but Jiang Xiaoman waved her hand with a smile: "No, I'm still building a house. I'll eat when I get back. Yueyue, have you learned how to make instant noodles? There's still a lot left. If you and Grandma get hungry, you can cook some for yourselves. I'll bring you a bag of rice in a couple of days."
While cooking, Jiang Xiaoman glanced at the rice jar and noticed that it was empty. No wonder the grandmother and granddaughter had only cooked a pot of potatoes. Considering Jiang Cancan's small stature, she figured that even if they had money to buy rice, they wouldn't be able to carry it up. Jiang Xiaoman's eyes lit up, and she immediately found someone in her mind to carry the rice.
Chapter 60
"Go visit Jiang Cancan's family? Sure! Let's go to the market and buy some things. When are we going?" Fang Xingchen immediately agreed upon receiving the call.
"Tomorrow morning, you guys go to town in the afternoon and buy two bags of rice, two bags of those wholesale bundles of noodles, a box of salt, and two bags of the big bags of chicken bouillon that our school cafeteria uses."