Chapter 424: New Bow Testing the Water, Fish Balls and Wintersweet
Logically speaking, my parents should be here too, because they promised to have lunch together.
"My parents are cleaning up the old house and sweeping the dust." Caiyun replied.
Although there are few people living in the old house, it still needs to be cleaned during the New Year, and couplets must be posted in the same way. When the time comes, guests can arrange to stay there.
Although the old house is a slate house, the inside has been tidied up and plastered. It is much better than ordinary mud houses.
Lin Heng nodded to express his understanding, finished the tea and went to carry the things into the house.
Then prepare the ingredients for hot pot. The copper stove hot pot is so tempting in this weather. I want to have a meal every two days.
When they finished cooking the hot pot and were about to call their parents, they happened to come over too, carrying a snakeskin bag.
"I bought sweet potato vermicelli. It weighs thirty-two pounds." Father Lin said as he leaned the bag on the bench.
Lin Heng came over and took out a bundle to take a look at the familiar light yellow, 100% handmade sweet potato vermicelli: "I will soak some now and let's eat hot pot."
Sweet potato vermicelli, no matter how you eat it, it tastes great, there is no doubt about it.
After soaking until soft, place it in a pot and cook it, then dip it in a dipping sauce mixed with sesame sauce and other seasonings. When you eat it, it will not only taste smooth but also taste great.
The only unattractive thing is that these noodles are the thickness of wires. It would be great if they could be made into wide sweet potato noodles. But this is not impossible. You can make a small amount of sweet potato noodles at home.
He also has some sweet potato starch stored at home, and he plans to make some some time. The main reason is that the wide starch tastes better when eaten piece by piece.
After eating a hot pot meal until three o'clock in the afternoon, those who ate were greatly satisfied physically and mentally. Their bodies were warm and their stomachs were full, and the taste of the delicious food was still lingering in their minds.
"Dad, have you heard that there are wild boar or other disasters there recently? My new bow and arrow are back, and I'm going to try the water."
Lin Heng asked while making tea. His tea pet was very Simple, it is a beautiful little stone that Xiaoxia picked up by the river.
"We haven't heard much here. Your eldest brother has also been fighting recently, and he didn't hit anything at all."
Father Lin took a sip of the black tea and said, "But you You can try it in Shimen Village. I heard that the wheat and rapeseed there have been harmed by wild animals."
"Okay, I understand." Lin Heng nodded and decided to go and take a look. .
I don't want to hunt, but I want to give the compound bow a shot.
And he doesn’t want to hunt small prey, it’s better to get a bigger one.
After drinking the tea, he took out his bow and arrow and looked at it again. He went to the backyard to practice for a while before deciding to go out for a walk.
He went over and called his eldest brother to see if he wanted to come with him.
“Of course, I have nothing to do at home in the afternoon anyway. Let’s go hunting and come to my house for hot pot in the evening.”
Lin Yue said with a smile that he also recently bought a copper stove hot pot, and his wife Liu Juan also learned how to make hot pot base.
“We just had hot pot.” Lin Heng said.
"It's okay, just have another meal." Lin Yue strongly invited.
In the end, Lin Heng could only agree to come over to eat. After saying that, the two of them took their weapons and set off together.
On the way, Lin Yue looked at Lin Heng's bow and arrow, smiled and said, "I think your bow is more handsome than the previous one."
"I also think we need to find a better prey to consecrate it this time." Lin Heng said with a smile.
They asked Lin's father to drive the man to the entrance of Shimen Village in a three-wheeler. Then they went in to inquire about it, followed a nearby path up the mountain, and started searching.
After searching around, I saw a lot of wild boar and muntjac excrement, but I didn’t see any larger prey. It was getting dark before I knew it.
"Brother, there is a golden rooster over here."
Suddenly, Lin Yue called Lin Heng softly.
Lin Heng came over and took a look. There was a beautiful male golden rooster resting on a big persimmon tree not far away.
"Come on, I don't want to fight."
Lin Heng shook his head and said, not wanting to give the first bow and arrow to a little golden rooster.
Lin Yue nodded, loaded a birdshot, aimed a shot, and the golden rooster fell down with a loud bang.
"Let's go down the mountain along the ditch. There is no need to continue hunting at night now." Lin Heng looked at his elder brother and said.
Lin Yue nodded and smiled: "I thought so too, it's too cold and I can't stand it."
I walked down both sides of the ditch, but didn't find even a small prey. The two just shook their heads and walked towards Hongfeng Mountain.
After returning home and warming up, I had another hot pot meal at my eldest brother’s house. He was still a little irritable after not catching his prey, so he huddled in Xiulan's soft embrace at night to find comfort.
A woman who loves you is the best emotional adjuster. Here at Xiulan, Lin Heng can let go of his guard and disguise. Under her gentle comfort, all the unhappiness will disappear.
“It smells so good.” Lin Heng sighed, hugging his wife and falling asleep.
The next morning, the two got up and opened the back door. Xiulan suddenly cheered: "Ah, the wintersweet is blooming, it smells so good!"
"As expected of wintersweet, beautiful and fragrant," Lin Heng exclaimed deeply. In a tone of emotion, he approached Xiulan with emotion, then broke off one and inserted it into Xiulan's high ponytail and said with a smile, "My wife is more beautiful."
The code of conduct he believes in is 'There are Flowers can be folded as long as they need to be folded, and they should be folded. There is no idea of watching them quietly.
Just like chasing Xiulan, if you like her, chase her, no matter what your conditions are, your life is only once, all you have to do is have the courage to try.
“My mouth is so sweet.”
Xiulan's eyebrows were curved by what Lin Heng said, and her words were all sweet.
The two looked at the plum blossoms, then at the swimming fish, and completed the unbeatable exercise task every morning. Now they feel uncomfortable if they don't exercise every morning, as if they are missing a little bit. Nothing the same.
As for Xiaoxia, sometimes she gets up and does it, sometimes she doesn’t want to get up and forgets it. There is no need for a child to ask so much, as long as she is happy.
The two went to get the milk and made breakfast, and then called their three precious children to eat together, enjoying the warm daily life.
After eating, Lin Heng started to make his own sweet potato wide noodles. The making method is the same as making vermicelli.
Boil water, pour some of the sweet potato starch into it, and stir until it becomes a gel-like liquid. Then add more starch and stir evenly so that there are no lumps at all.
The normal next step is to put the stirred sweet potato starch colloid into a colander and drain it into vermicelli. To make wide noodles, put it into an iron basin and steam it in a pot.
After steaming, it looks like jelly. At this time, use a knife to cut it into wide strips and place it on a dustpan to dry.
The sun came out at noon. Lin Heng looked at the cut sweet potato noodles on the dustpan and sighed: "It's more fun to make things with my wife at home."
"Then don't go to the mountains for the time being. "We don't have enough meat now, so there's no need to be cold." Xiulan looked at him and said softly. She naturally felt sorry for her man, and didn't want him to go out to get cold, or even get hurt accidentally.
"I'm not going. Even if I go, I'll have to wait until after the New Year." Lin Heng agreed with a smile.
Yesterday's trial made him understand that it was difficult to hunt prey near the village, so it was better to stay at home with his wife and children on the kang. Whether he drank tea, read a book or did other things together, he was very happy.
The sun was nice today. After making sweet potato vermicelli, they took their children to the Red Maple Mountain to bask in the sun and walk around.
Lin Heng held his son in his arms and taught them how to walk. They can already start learning to walk at the age of one, and they also want to learn.
"Haha...wow...Dad..."
Lin Luming giggled and kicked his little feet randomly on the ground, having a great time.
Lin Heng held him and played for a while, then switched with Xiulan and hugged his youngest son Du Heng. He would not treat one favorably and treated the children equally with a bowl of water.
"These two little guys can really take two steps. It seems that they can learn to walk at one and a half years old." Mother Lin said next to them.
"Yes, the words are becoming more and more true." Father Lin also smiled and said that the growth of his two grandsons is still very endearing.
In the sunshine, Lin Heng helped them walk around the yard. Xiaoxia sat next to them in a small wooden cart, curiously watching her younger brother toddle.
After playing for a while, he put the two little guys back in the stroller. Lin Heng went to help his father take out the big wooden barrel from the warehouse, sealed the gaps with sawdust, and poured water to soak it.
They will kill the pigs the day after tomorrow, so preparations must be made in advance.
"Dad, let's go catch two more fish. We will catch a few and store them in the mountain stream. I will catch two more and bring them back to make fish balls."
After finishing the wooden barrel, Lin Heng looked at his father and said. "Okay, I haven't fished for a long time." Father Lin nodded and happily took the fishing rod and went fishing.
Lin Heng watched and accompanied his father without fishing. The bait he used today was still native silkworms. Maybe because the weather was colder, the effect was a little worse than before. It took a few minutes to catch a fish.
After fishing for a while, Father Lin said: "The fish are not very strong in winter. You can make fish balls. I can make them by myself."
"Okay, Then I'll go."
Lin Heng nodded and walked back to ask Xiulan to take a bucket and go catch fish in the mountain stream.
“This fish looks like it has lost weight.” Xiulan said, looking at the fish in the pool.
"It's delicious when it's thin." Lin Heng took out all the fish with a big fishing net. These fish are almost stocked, so he should catch them first and move them to another place. This pool will also be stocked with newly caught fish later.
After a lot of effort, he picked out all the fish. Four of the nine fish were kept in a small pool below. The remaining five fish were knocked unconscious by Lin Heng and Xiulan. Killed them all by the river.
One grass carp killed was about five or six pounds. After killing it, Lin Heng looked at Xiulan: "Is five enough?"
Xiulan thought for a while and said, "Actually, there are more. It’s okay to make a little, and it won’t go bad if you have a freezer. The three children can eat the fish balls.”
“Then kill three more.”
Lin Heng walked over, grabbed three two sticks, and beat him to death, and he was quickly wiped out.
The two of them took the fish and quickly ran back to warm themselves over the fire. They made the fish balls here in Hongfeng Mountain. One was because there were so many people and the other was because there were people to help take care of the children. Xiulan could also take a rest. .
“You got eight fish, it’s hard enough to catch them.” Mother Lin looked at the eight big grass carp and shook her head and said,
Caiyun also said: “Yeah, you have to fight with both hands. It’s useless, but I’m going to help you second brother.”
“It takes a long time, just take your time.” Lin Heng is not worried, his father will definitely come to help soon.
It doesn't matter if you can't finish it. In this weather, the fish won't go bad if you leave it for a day or two.
Cut the fish meat into pieces and remove the big fish bones. Cut the remaining fish meat into strips and put it on the chopping board and beat it with a rolling pin.
During the beating process, the fish bones and fascia are continuously removed, and finally you will get pure white fish velvet. At this step, the fish meat is considered ready.
The rest was left to Xiulan. She scooped up the fish meat and put it in a basin, added some green onion and ginger water and stirred it evenly to make fish balls.
With the head and bones removed from a grass carp, the pure fish meat is about four pounds. It is much easier to beat than beef balls. Lin Heng beat it very quickly.
Father Lin caught nine more large grass carps and put them into the pool under the waterfall. When he came back, he helped Lin Heng fish balls together. The two of them worked very fast, and they were all finished in one o'clock.
Xiulan and the others have also cooked the fish balls one after another. More than 30 kilograms of fish balls have been cooked in a large pot, which is enough to last for several months.
For lunch, Xiulan made a soup with fish bones and made some winter melon and fish balls. Xiaoxia ate a small bowl by herself, and her two sons also ate a lot.
"Is it delicious?" Mother Lin asked with a smile.
“It’s delicious.” Xiaoxia nodded as if she was pounding garlic.
Caiyun also said: "If you raise it in mountain spring water, the fish meat will indeed taste better."
She had eaten fish that had not been raised in mountain spring water before, and there was indeed a big difference in taste. Now The fish balls have no fishy smell at all.
Eating rice and a meal of delicious fish balls, Lin Heng nodded with some satisfaction.
After playing here for half the afternoon, they went home. There was no rush to put the fish balls in the freezer. After controlling the water, put it in a cooking basket, wait for it to freeze hard the next morning, break it apart one by one, and then store it in the freezer.
In a blink of an eye, it’s the 16th of the twelfth lunar month. This day is the birthday of twin sons Lin Duheng and Lin Luming. According to the lunar calendar, they have just turned one year old. According to the solar calendar, it will be a few more days.
At noon that day, Lin Heng called his parents, eldest brother, and family over for dinner. He had no intention of making a grand celebration of his first birthday.
“It’s time to catch the week.” Caiyun shouted after the meal was ready.
"Come, let's start." Father Lin said, spreading the tarpaulin and sheets on the ground, and everyone placed the prepared items for catching Zhou on the ground.
These items are pens, books, silver coins, seals, rulers, and flutes.
Zhou Zhou is mainly a small family activity. What items are placed depends entirely on the family’s ideas.
"I brought my son over here." Xiulan said after seeing the things laid out.
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded.
Xiulan put the child on the bed sheet. Lin Luming looked curiously at the adults around him and then at the items in front of him.
Haha giggled for a while, then he crawled over and grabbed the book with one hand and the seal with the other.
"Catch the book first. In the future, our Lin family will have a scholar." Father Lin grinned.
"Maybe he can become an official. Look, he even got the seal. My grandson has a bright future." Mother Lin also smiled.
"Okay, let's take a look at Du Heng."
After chatting, Lin Heng brought Du Heng over again and prepared a new set of Zhou Zhou catching items.
“Ababa!”
Lin Duheng didn’t look at the items after he was put down. Instead, he looked at Lin Heng and wanted to hug him.
"Grab something and choose a good boy you like." Lin Heng pointed at the thing in front of him and said.
Lin Duheng bit his hand and was stunned for a while, then grabbed the silver coins and pen.
"They were arrested almost at the same time. Will Du Heng become a businessman or a calligrapher in the future."
"Then he must be a businessman and a calligrapher."
"Say Yes, both my grandchildren have a bright future.”
Everyone discussed the results of Zhou Zhou's arrest for a long time. Lin Heng smiled and teased his son without saying much.
After waiting for a while, he said: "Let's eat."
"Okay, let's eat."
Everyone nodded, brought the dishes and prepared to eat. Before eating, I fed the two little guys delicious longevity noodles with shrimp and fish balls, which Xiulan carefully prepared for them.
"Okay, let's eat." After feeding the child, Lin Heng couldn't wait to say that he was really hungry.
...
In a blink of an eye, it’s the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month for killing pigs. This day is a good day. Every household is killing pigs. All the relatives of Lin Heng’s family came over early in the morning.
Pig killing is also a kind of party. His uncle and third father’s family all came, and three people from his younger uncle’s family came. Plus some people from the village, more than 20 people gathered.
Although Lin Heng could kill the pig himself, he still called the pig butcher because he was very lazy.
In the morning, after breakfast, Lin Heng and Xiulan brought their children to Hongfeng Mountain to help. After greeting relatives and friends, he was about to start working when his third father spoke up. : "Lin Heng, your calligraphy is good. Can you write us a few couplets during the Chinese New Year?"
"I want it too. No matter what you say, you have to write a few copies for me." Aunt Lin Heng also said next to her.
“Give us some couplets, too. I’ve read all your couplets from last year. They are grand and beautiful.”
Not only relatives want them, but some of the villagers who helped also smiled. Ask for it.
"Okay, writing five couplets for your family should be enough, right?" Lin Heng agreed with a smile. He was happy to write Spring Festival couplets for everyone, which can be regarded as a kind of trust.
“That’s enough, that’s enough.” Everyone nodded and started chatting happily.
After chatting for a while, Mother Lin came over and reminded: "The water is boiling, you can kill the pigs."
"Come, come, let's go."
"Let's go. Let’s go catch the pigs!”
A group of people stood up and started working while talking and laughing. The Chinese New Year is the happiest time of the year for farmers, and killing New Year pigs is the second most enjoyable time. .
(End of this chapter)