"No wonder everyone says you cook so well, Xiaoman. I see your house is so nicely built. Are you planning to open a farmhouse inn or something in the future? I'll have to bring my parents over for a couple of days. They're both retired cadres with high pensions, so you can take advantage of them for a few days."
"Pfft~~ Uncle and Auntie are here, I'm not going to rip them off." Jiang Xiaoman almost spat out her chicken soup.
I never expected that this Director Sun, who looks so handsome with thick eyebrows and big eyes, would actually like to cause trouble for his father.
However, he does plan to renovate the second and third floors of his house after finishing the spring planting season, so that he can open his doors to guests when the chrysanthemums bloom this autumn.
Don't be fooled by the fact that his house only has a few guest rooms. If it's fully booked half the time of the month, the money he earns is enough to cover his family's living expenses for several months.
Moreover, he has just started his business, and there are many places where he needs to spend money. If he unfortunately fails and loses his income, this agritainment business will at least help his family make ends meet.
After dinner, the two moved to Jiang Xiaoman's room, opened a computer document, and Sun Zheyuan was responsible for asking questions and taking notes, while Jiang Xiaoman answered. After they finished writing everything down, Sun Zheyuan immediately downloaded a new "Special Support Fund for Rural Youth Returning to Their Hometowns to Start Businesses" application form from the official website and checked it against the form with Jiang Xiaoman one by one.
Jiang Xiaoman was sweating profusely as he frantically searched for his ID card, his university graduation certificate, and various award certificates from his school days. He couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate that someone had helped him fill out the form. Otherwise, if he had come alone, he would have missed a piece here and another there, and he would have had to make a lot of unnecessary trips.
"Don't rush, take your time. I've already spoken to my supervisor, and I need to focus on getting the project approved for you during this period. If we don't finish writing it tonight, we can continue tomorrow. Half a day isn't a big deal."
Actually, this is mainly because Jiang Xiaoman had to provide all the information for the forms. If he were to fill out his own forms, it would only take him an hour.
With the enthusiastic assistance of Sun Zheyuan, a "professional at filling out forms," Jiang Xiaoman finally finished the application form before midnight.
After spending the entire night struggling with forms, their personal relationship quickly warmed up, and Sun Zheyuan went from being called "Director Sun" to "Brother Zheyuan"...
"Brother Zheyuan, I'm hungry. Do you want some late-night snacks? Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight." Jiang Xiaoman lay on the table with a miserable expression.
"Eat something, or you might not be able to hold on." Sun Zheyuan wasn't hungry, but after working overtime all night, he felt like he had suffered a great injustice if he didn't get something good to eat.
It was getting late, so Jiang Xiaoman told Sun Zheyuan to go to the bathroom and take a shower first. After all, he had been climbing the mountain and was covered in sweat, so he wouldn't be able to sleep comfortably without taking a shower.
Fortunately, he and Sun Zheyuan were about the same size, and Jiang Xiaoman had a few sets of new thermal underwear she had bought before the New Year that she hadn't opened yet. She gave him a set, as well as new underwear, socks, a new toothbrush, and a towel...
Watching him carry things out of the walk-in closet like Doraemon, Sun Zheyuan almost died laughing while leaning against the door frame. "Xiaoman, did you bring the whole supermarket home? I feel like you have everything!"
"Hey! Isn't it all because of the pressures of life? Our home is far from the village, and even further from the town. If we only think of buying things when we need them, it'll be too late!"
"Besides, things are quite expensive in town. So I usually buy a lot of things online at wholesale prices and keep them at home."
As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoman pointed to the thermal underwear in his arms: "Take this for example. I saw that a set costs more than fifty yuan in town, but I can get it for just over twenty yuan a set online. It's half the price."
"I bought ten sets this year. My dad and I are both too old to grow any taller, so they can last for several years."
"That's how it is for ordinary people like us. We not only have to know how to make money, but we also have to know how to save money!"
"Pfft~ That makes sense, hahaha! I should have asked you to buy a few sets for me. The ones I bought in town weren't even as good quality as yours at half price wholesale. They make my skin itchy." Sun Zheyuan laughed heartily.
Hearing him say that, Jiang Xiaoman couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Most of the clothes sold in our town are made of synthetic fiber fabric. You city people definitely won't be used to wearing them. Here! Seeing how pitiful you are, I'll give you another set. Anyway, it's not expensive."
As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoman took out a set of unopened thermal underwear from a compartment in the wardrobe and handed it to him.
Sun Zheyuan didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it on the spot, saying that he would definitely bring him a big surprise when he came back next time.
Chapter 148
There wasn't much good food to eat in the mountains at night, so Jiang Xiaoman rummaged around in the kitchen and simply scooped out half a basin of flour to make half a pot of noodle dumplings.
I used the leftover chicken soup from dinner as a base, shredded some chicken meat, sprinkled it into the noodle soup, added four poached eggs, and chopped some rapeseed and garlic sprouts.
The resulting dumpling soup has an orange-yellow broth with bright green garlic sprouts floating on top, making it both visually appealing and delicious.
After the dumplings were cooked, Jiang Xiaoman cut up another plate of pickled Jerusalem artichokes and mixed them with chopped chili peppers.
He noticed this while they were eating: Sun Zheyuan really liked Jerusalem artichokes. There was a big bowl of Jerusalem artichokes with chopped chili peppers on the table, and he ate half of it all by himself.
Sure enough, when Sun Zheyuan saw a plate of freshly mixed Jerusalem artichoke slices on the table, his eyes lit up. He quickened his pace and walked over to help Jiang Xiaoman bring the bowl of noodles to the table.
There were only two of them, and it was quite cold in the mountains at night during this season, so Jiang Xiaoman didn't take the food to the restaurant next door. Instead, she moved the small dining table next to the stove.
The stove, freshly lit, is especially warm. Sitting here and eating a bowl of hot noodle soup warms you up from the inside out.
With the crisp and spicy Jerusalem artichoke slices, Sun Zheyuan shoveled down three bowls of dumpling soup in one go, so full he could barely stand up.
"Xiaoman, hurry up and renovate your guest room. I'll apply to be stationed in the village later, and I'll live at your house and work for you. I won't take a salary; you just need to provide me with meals."
When Sun Zheyuan thought about how the menu at the town's canteen hadn't changed for two years, he suddenly didn't want to go back.
“What’s the big deal? Just go back and apply. There are plenty of rooms on the second floor, but we can’t fit them all right now. I’ll have someone partition off a room in the attic for you to live in.”
Jiang Xiaoman is now reluctant to let Sun Zheyuan go. It's rare to find someone who can fill his gaps. Most importantly, he doesn't have to pay him a salary; all he has to do is provide three meals a day.
He'd be willing to stay for more than just a few days, he'd even stay for an extended period.
I'm just afraid the town won't let him go, hehe...
Sure enough! When the town leaders heard that Sun Zheyuan, the town's only "essential writing expert," wanted to apply to be stationed in the village, they rejected him without hesitation.
joke!
Sun Zheyuan has gone down to the village to be stationed. Who will write speeches, work reports, and meeting minutes for the leaders?
After much persuasion, Sun Zheyuan finally managed to secure five days for "project inspection."
Since they were only staying for five days, there was no need to renovate the attic just for this purpose. Jiang Xiaoman simply moved the extra bed from his father's room to his own room.
Anyway, the two of them are going to discuss how to write the application materials together that night, so sharing a room will save them trouble.
The next morning, Sun Zheyuan returned to town with the application materials he had worked on overnight.
He needed to submit the project application form for Jiang Xiaoman's beekeeping cooperative as soon as possible.
Then, I packed my bags and went to Langshan Village for a "village-based inspection."
The project application form is only the first step; subsequent submissions must also detail the project's implementation.
The main task for him, as a poverty alleviation cadre, was to personally visit several beekeepers involved in the cooperative to verify whether they were truly participating in Jiang Xiaoman's beekeeping cooperative, how much they had invested, their expected annual income, and so on. He also needed to take photos and record videos...
Therefore, you can't get government subsidies for nothing; you have to show your superiors solid achievements!
Jiang Xiaoman and Sun Zheyuan went down the mountain together. The logistics information showed that the chrysanthemum seedlings he ordered would arrive in town this afternoon. He had to hurry and ask Shan Yan to call a few of his apprentices to help.
It wasn't that he wanted to take advantage or save on the wages of a few helpers; it was mainly because Shan Yan's apprentices also wanted to grow chrysanthemums with him. Since that was the case, it was necessary for them to come to his place for an "internship" first.
I heard that his chrysanthemum seedlings will arrive this afternoon, and he will hire someone to plant them on the mountain tomorrow. Even Lang Ying said she wanted to go with him.
Since her divorce, this young woman has become incredibly career-driven, and she refuses to give up any opportunity to make money.
This time, she didn't even hesitate; she immediately took out all the acres of mountain land she had been allocated and wanted to be one of the first people in Langshan Village to plant chrysanthemums, together with Jiang Xiaoman.
Jiang Xiaoman greatly admired her courage. When she heard that she was also going to learn how to grow chrysanthemums, she immediately agreed.
He has already ordered a second batch of chrysanthemum seedlings from online stores, half of which are from Lang Ying's family.
It has to be said that Jiang Xiaoman is really lucky. As soon as he pushed open the door of Shan Yan's house, he saw that all of Shan Yan's disciples were in his yard!
"Are you having a meeting?" Jiang Xiaoman looked at everyone, completely bewildered.
"Hey! What kind of meeting is this? These brats are just making a ruckus!" Jiang Yu glared at Shan Yan, annoyed. It was all his master's fault! He didn't even stop his apprentice from causing trouble!
"Brother Xiaoman, you've come at the perfect time! We can have a feast today! Brother Xiaoyu is celebrating his thirtieth birthday today, it's a big day!"
It's said that a man should be established by thirty, and it's true that you should celebrate turning thirty.
Jiang Yu has always been low-key, and he didn't really want to invite his relatives. Unexpectedly, when he said he wouldn't hold a banquet, Shan Yan's disciples insisted on coming to the feast and even brought their gifts first.
"Hey Little Fish Bro! You didn't even invite me to your 30th birthday celebration! You at least have to have three drinks with me later, right?" Jiang Xiaoman unceremoniously took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and quite brazenly decided to renege on today's birthday gift—
"Since you didn't call me, I don't need to give you this gift anymore. I'll just make you a bowl of longevity noodles instead."
"Brother Xiaoman, why don't you go all the way and cook lunch for me too?" Jiang Yu was unwilling to let Shan Yan cook again when he saw him arrive.
The others thought they were going to be tortured by Shan Yan's cooking skills today. After all, Jiang Yu was the birthday star, and it was unreasonable for the birthday star to cook for them. The three Shan Cha sisters were still young, and Shan Yan was the only one in the family who could cook.
Shan Yan's cooking skills... well, let's just say they'd rather eat roasted potatoes if they could!
A group of boys coaxed and persuaded Chef Jiang Xiaoman into the kitchen, where they were incredibly attentive, helping her pick vegetables, tend the fire, and fetch plates.
Jiang Xiaoman smiled and shook his head. Anyway, the seedlings wouldn't arrive until the afternoon, so there was no rush. He might as well cook a good meal for everyone, since it would be these guys' turn to help his family tomorrow.
Let's go check what ingredients we have for lunch today.
This sight made him incredibly jealous, and he wished he could take on a few filial apprentices himself!
Shan Yan's apprentices are truly filial to Jiang Yu, their "master's wife"! A pile of delicious food was stacked in the corner of the kitchen, all of which were gifts they brought from home.
There was a whole ham, a pair of brightly colored roosters in a bamboo cage, a bighead carp weighing over ten kilograms, and a basket full of free-range eggs...
People living in the mountains don't actually have many nice things; these things are considered quite respectable gifts to them.
The fathead fish with red paper still stuck to its body had already died. It had to be killed quickly. Jiang Xiaoman still needed to prepare other ingredients, so she simply asked Shan Yan's two apprentices to move the fish to the pond in the yard, remove its scales, and clean it.
"Leave a palm-width piece of fish meat below the fish head, cut it in half, and make a spicy fish head dish for the birthday man at noon to wish him a prosperous year!"
"Leave a piece of fish meat about the length of a chopstick above the fish's tail to make a dragon's tail swing!"
"What is 'dragon's tail sweep'?" a few young men asked curiously.
"It's braised fish tail." Jiang Xiaoman explained casually, and then told them not to cut the remaining fish meat in the middle, but to cut it in half first. Such a big fish is really rare in early spring, and it would be a pity to cut it into pieces and cook it with tofu.
Moreover, according to their local custom, tofu cannot be served at birthday celebrations, because the meal served to guests when someone in the family dies is commonly called "tofu rice".
Serving tofu as a dish at a birthday celebration is practically a curse upon the birthday person, isn't it?
So today he plans to use the meat from these two fish to make two plates of crispy fried fish pieces.
Cut the fish meat into two-finger-wide fillets. First, marinate them with salt, rice wine, rice vinegar, and shredded ginger for half an hour. Then, drain the water that comes out during marinating. Next, beat an egg, add two spoonfuls of flour, salt, pepper, and coarsely ground chili, and stir into a batter. Heat oil in a pan, dip the marinated fish fillets in the batter, and fry them.
Fish fillets fried like this can be used in hot pot, or stewed with vermicelli or cabbage. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for two days without spoiling.
In the past, when Jiang Xiaoman and his father went to the reservoir to collect fish, they would often make a big pot of these crispy fried fish pieces at home, pack them into bags and freeze them in the refrigerator. When they wanted to eat them, they would take out a bag separately, which was very convenient.
The aroma of fried fish fillets filled the air, and not only the group of greedy boys, but even the little girl, Shan Guo, peeked through the door frame several times, her mouth practically watering.
Seeing that it was still early for dinner, Jiang Xiaoman simply used the oil pan she already had, cracked a few more eggs, chopped some chives and poured them in, scooped up four full bowls of flour, and fried two large plates of oil-fried dough cakes for them.
These cakes don't need to be fermented; you can fry them as soon as the batter is mixed well.
Jiang Xiaoman is a skilled cook; the fried rice cakes she makes are all plump and golden. Because she wants to keep the children in mind, she doesn't add chili powder and makes them all plain.
"If you want something spicy, go and make your own chili powder!" Jiang Xiaoman handed the fried dough cakes to Qingshan, so that he and his fellow apprentices could have something to eat first.
His home is nearby, so he wasn't hungry after breakfast. These guys, on the other hand, live far away and ran all the way here after breakfast, so they must be starving.
Jiang Xiaoman's fried dough cakes are different from those made at home. In Langshan, most families fry these by mixing flour and water into a paste, adding a little salt, and then dipping them in chili powder after frying.
However, Jiang Xiaoman's oily rice cake contained chopped chives, eggs, and other ingredients. If you tasted it carefully, you could also taste the minced ginger. It wasn't as spicy as eating it with chili peppers directly, but it left you feeling warm all over. The crispy outside and tender inside texture was just right.