PFC Chapter 162: Rabbits are so cute, of course we have to eat them
Chapter 162: Rabbits are so cute, of course we have to eat them
Zhao Huanxi looked up and saw… it was Mrs. Zhang again… why did she always seem to want to make a name for herself? Last time, her second son came looking for trouble with her, and she still hadn't gotten back at him yet.
Before she could start to fight back, someone else started to reply.
"Zhang Yanzi, your rice price has increased too much? People are helping out with good intentions, and you're still here making sarcastic remarks. Why don't you prepare a table of delicious food for those officials?"
"Are you kidding me? She lives in that leaky house. If it weren't for her Liu Yuanbao, she wouldn't even be able to come up with a penny. And you're asking her to prepare wine and food. Aren't you trying to kill her?"
"Hahahahahaha!"
"You look down on Sister Yan Zi too much, don't you? When she divorced, she had two taels of silver as pension money. If you want it, you can take it out."
The crowd was talking one after another, and Zhao Huanxi didn't even need to take action. Mrs. Zhang ran back home in shame.
No matter how much she spoke, few people present supported her, and her words alone could not defeat so many.
Huanxi shook his head, said hello to everyone, and went home with the lunch box.
I'm in a good mood today, so I'm going home to kill the rabbit I asked Xiaobai to catch a few days ago. We'll all have a feast together. I'll also see if the locals here can handle chili peppers.
Xu Qingzhao did not go out today. After all, she was a wanted criminal of the imperial court. If she was caught, it would be very troublesome.
After she walked away, the people behind her started to talk in low voices.
"Youmao, Huanxi is such a good girl. I plan to ask my son Yuanke to marry her. Do you think she's suitable?"
The patriarch looked at the village chief, wanting to ask for his opinion. Actually, it wasn't really an opinion; his tone was more like a notification.
The village chief was secretly complaining: As for your Lu Yuanke... I don't even want to say anything. He has failed the exam for the scholar position for several years and you still want to say that others are happy. It's almost like you want to ask their maid to wipe your Lu Yuanke's ass.
Although he felt contempt in his heart, he still smiled and replied, "I wonder if your Yuanke's personality will be compatible with Huanxi's? Besides, Yuanke is a good student. When Yuanke passes the examination to become a scholar next year, Huanxi will probably be considered too high to marry. He will also take the examination to become a Jinshi. Then, will Huanxi...feel a little behind?"
This was said in a tactful way, but it also reminded him that Huanxi was not worthy of Yuanke and that Yuanke deserved "better".
But this was just what the village chief wanted to say. He didn't look down on Huanxi at all; he just didn't want Lu Yuanke to like her. Flowers stuck in cow dung.
Although Lu Yuanke usually didn't stay in the village, whenever he was seen in the village, he would always look arrogant and would ignore anyone who called out to him.
He looked down on the villagers because he had only studied for a few years. Even the girls in the village could hardly be attracted to him. He even wanted to say that they were happy, but they probably wouldn't even give him a straight face.
The clan leader was also an experienced man, so how could he not understand the meaning of the village chief's words? He also began to ponder in his mind. His eldest grandson had always been his pride. If he really passed the imperial examination, he would have to serve as an official in the court.
If the daughter of a high-ranking official takes a fancy to me, then happiness will be an obstacle...
He sighed and said to the village chief, "You're right. But...if they're still in love, I can still be a co-wife."
The village chief was so angry that he almost rolled his eyes to the sky. He had even mentioned his concubine. This clan leader usually understood the big things, but he just couldn't figure out these things.
He casually agreed with a few words, picked up the bag of food and went home. He really didn't want to argue with this old man.
----
"Huanhuan, the rabbit is ready. Shall we hand it over to the kitchen?" Xu Qingzhao was holding the cleaned rabbit in his hand.
"Give it to Chunliu. Have her chop it into small pieces and soak the blood in cold water. I'll go clean it up later."
She was watching the growth of the pepper seedlings in the petri dish, and the greenhouse over there was also under construction. There were so many people at home recently.
Let’s just prepare two more tables of food tonight so we can all have fun together.
So I went to the backyard and told those who were working not to go home for dinner, and that everyone should have dinner here today.
Those people thought of the delicious meals that the officers and soldiers had eaten at noon, and their mouths watered. They nodded in agreement.
She went into the kitchen and told Chunliu her idea, and Chunliu prepared a pot for Huanxi to cook.
When you see that the rabbit in the basin has bled, take it out and drain the water. Since it is freshly killed, there is no need to blanch it again.
Use scallion, ginger water, salt and soy sauce to add the base flavor, and set aside to marinate for half an hour.
On the other side, they were preparing side dishes. The last time Yuan Zhen and Xia He went to town, they saw someone selling lotus roots and bought a lot.
Then use diced lotus root, rabbit, and some lettuce to make spicy stir-fried rabbit.
The people on the other side were not idle either. Yuan Zhen helped to light the fire, while Chun Liu and Xia He were cutting vegetables and stewing respectively.
The kitchen is much narrower than when it was first renovated. I bought a lot of pots and pans, including several clay pots and casseroles. There is a row of them at the back, which makes it very convenient for stewing things.
After all the side dishes were cut, seeing that it was almost time and the people who went to work later would be back soon, Huanxi asked Yuanzhen to light a small fire.
Heat the pot until it is slightly smoking, pour in enough soybean oil, insert chopsticks into the pot, and when big bubbles appear, put the marinated rabbit meat into the pot piece by piece and fry slowly until the surface is browned, then scoop it out with a colander.
Then fry the diced lotus root. When it is almost done, add the lettuce and fry until it is cooked through.
Filter the oil and pour it into a free bowl so that you can use it for cooking next time.
Leave some oil in the pan and add scallions, ginger, and broad bean paste. Stir-fry until fragrant. Add the spices and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the fried rabbit and stir-fry evenly. Add rice wine and cook until fragrant. Add a little boiling water and simmer for a while. When the water is almost reduced, add the diced lotus root and lettuce strips. Finally, add some seasonings and taste.
After serving it out in a large bowl, add half a bowl of chili segments at the end to make it spicy. Considering that these people are eating chili for the first time, the chili added at the end tastes only slightly spicy, not too spicy.
"Mom, what are you cooking? It smells so good!" Xiao Yin came in from outside and started drooling as he looked at the rabbit in the basin.
Huanxi patted her head and said with a smile, "Let's eat rabbit today. Isn't it delicious?"
"Fragrant~"
Chun Liu, who was standing by, echoed, "Madam's cooking skills are really good. The rabbits I cooked before always had a fishy smell, but the one you cooked is just fragrant."
"You all should try it later and give me some suggestions. It will be very useful in the future." Rabbit is naturally on the farm stay's menu, so opinions are very important.
Chunliu and the others had also cooked other dishes and were now serving them out one by one.
Today I made four meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and two soups. I opened a jar of low-proof wine and put it aside, mainly for the men to drink.
At this time, people who had finished work also came back one after another. After washing their hands, they sat awkwardly at the dinner table, feeling a little embarrassed.
The main reason was that the food smelled so good that the aroma wafted from the kitchen to the backyard, and the workers' stomachs had long been aroused, and now their stomachs were rumbling.