Chapter 32 Old Shadows of the Republic of China (1)
"Brother~" Jiang Huiqin took the man's hand at the door and acted coquettishly, "You promised me yesterday that you would teach me!"
Jiang Feng guessed that the middle-aged man in front of him who looked somewhat similar to himself was his great-grandfather Jiang Chengde.
The huge age difference between the two looks more like father and daughter than brother and sister.
"They are all big girls who are about to get married, and they haven't gotten into shape yet." Jiang Chengde reached out and patted her head fondly, "Are you still embroidering the wedding dress in the room?"
"It's all my fault for that brat Wei Jin. I had already finished all the embroidery, but another corner was torn. Tomorrow I'm going to take wedding photos with Ming Yi. If I catch him later, I'll have to give him a few hard knocks. !" Jiang Huiqin raised her little fist and waved it to show her determination to beat her nephew. She trotted to the front. Seeing Jiang Chengde walking slowly behind, she urged: "Hurry up, hurry up!"
Jiang Huiqin ran fast, and Jiang Feng could only follow at a trot. The invisible wall behind kept hitting his back and butt, as if someone was beating him with a whip.
Tai Feng Building was very close to the Jiang family's small courtyard. Jiang Huiqin slipped in through the back door with ease and finally stopped in the back kitchen, allowing Jiang Feng to finally have time to stop and take a breath and rub his poor buttocks.
It would be a shame for his great-aunt not to practice long-distance running.
"Miss Jiang, the chef has just left." A helper in the kitchen reminded Jiang Huiqin when he saw Jiang Huiqin sneaking in.
"Shh, I'm borrowing the kitchen, don't tell my boss." Jiang Huiqin searched around but couldn't find the ingredients she wanted. Jiang Chengde didn't come again, so he jumped anxiously.
After a while, Jiang Chengde arrived late.
"Brother, hurry up. I also made an appointment with Mingyi to go to the movies tonight. Please hurry up!" Jiang Huiqin urged.
Jiang Chengde laughed: "When will you change your impatience? As promised, I will only teach you this dish once. Look carefully and don't move. This is what Mr. Zhang ordered."
"I won't move, I will definitely not move!"
Jiang Chengde walked to a stove, opened the lid of the large iron pot, took out a small bowl inside, and placed it in front of Jiang Huiqin.
"Mr. Zhang's mother likes House Yan, and my brother-in-law ordered Huang Yan. The method is the same. Go and pinch out the fluff inside." Jiang Chengde pushed the bowl in front of her, "Cut it clean and pour the water over it. Soak in alkaline water.”
Jiang Huiqin honestly picked up a pair of sharp chopsticks, approached the small bowl in front of her, and carefully picked out the small black fluff and other magazines inside.
Jiang Feng also curiously leaned over to take a look. The chopsticks were very thin, but too thick compared with the small fluff in the bowl. Jiang Huiqin's hands were very skillful, but it was very difficult to pick them up.
"The bird's nest should be rinsed with warm water first, and then simmered in a pot for an hour and a half. Don't you need me to teach you how to make willow leaf pigeon eggs?"
"No, no, no." Jiang Huiqin lowered her head and picked out another small piece of hair.
Seeing Jiang Huiqin dance carefully, Jiang Chengde stopped giving instructions and went to the table next to him to get eight small wooden spoons. He put a layer of oil in the spoons with an oilcloth and put them aside. Immediately afterwards, he took a piece of ham on the right hand side.
"The ham needs to be cured first. By the way, I have to give you two more hams for your dowry. Be careful when slicing it. Don't cut it carelessly. Wait for it to swell in the alkaline water and then wash it with warm water. You tear it into strips, forget it, you pick it first, you won’t be able to remember it if you talk too much.” Jiang Chengde kept moving his hands as he spoke.
The large kitchen knife was lightly slashed along the texture of the ham, and there were several thin slices of ham on the chopping board.
Jiang Huiqin lowered her head from the moment she heard the word "dowry" and didn't listen to a word of what was said next.
After Jiang Huiqin had picked out the fluff and impurities from the bird's nest and soaked it in alkaline water, Jiang Chengde's willow-leaf pigeon eggs were also ready. The steamed pigeon eggs were covered with ham slices and winter vegetables. They looked really good.
"Brother, how will the bird's nest be soaked?" Jiang Huiqin saw that the pigeon eggs were steamed, and couldn't help but look at the already soaked bird's nest in the bowl.
Jiang Chengde went over to take a look and became anxious. He hurriedly poured out the alkaline water and rinsed it with warm water: "You said you don't remember things, but you really don't remember things! I asked you to soak your hair and take it out. How long have you been soaking it for? Why? Hurry and scoop up a bowl of cold water!”
Jiang Huiqin hurriedly went to scoop up water.
When Jiang Huiqin scooped out the cold water, the bird's nest had been torn into pieces by Jiang Chengde. Jiang Chengde washed it with cold water and put it in the pot.
The Jiang family's love for soup has indeed been passed down from generation to generation. As soon as the bird's nest was taken out of the pot, the boiling soup was poured on it. Only then did Jiang Feng notice that the two large pots on the stove behind were filled with soup.
When Jiang Feng turned around, the bird's nest had been taken out, and there was only the steaming clear soup in the pot that was about to boil. Just as the clear soup was about to boil, Jiang Chengde poured another ladle of cold soup into it and sprinkled a pinch of salt. Finally, he filled in a spoonful of Shaoxing wine and threw the pot to Jiang Huiqin.
"When it boils, skim off the foam." After that, he started to arrange the dishes.
After getting the task, Jiang Huiqin, who wanted to make up for her mistakes, stared at the cauldron in front of her.
"Aunt, aunt, Brother Mingyi is looking for you." A little carrot head ran into the kitchen.
"Weiguo, from now on you have to call me uncle, don't mess with the seniority!" Jiang Chengde made a serious face.
"Oh." The smile on the little carrot head gradually disappeared.
This is!
grandfather? ? !
Jiang Feng stared at the little carrot head in front of him with a string of snot hanging from his nose, and couldn't believe his eyes.
Before Jiang Feng could fully observe the young version of Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Huiqin ran out with a blushing face. Jiang Feng could only chase after him, otherwise his waist and butt would suffer.
Then Jiang Feng experienced a large-scale dog food feeding scene.
Who said that people in the old society were very conservative, and that anything about being passionate but only polite is all nonsense!
Caesar didn't poop a single grain of dog food!
Jiang Feng witnessed with his own eyes his teenage version of his great-aunt and uncle watching a movie. You feed me a plum and I help you pick a melon seed and hold your little hand. At the end of the movie, the heroine is miserable. After his death, Li Mingyi secretly kissed Jiang Huiqin's left cheek.
It's obviously a tragedy movie and it's silent, but the two of them felt like they were watching a sweet love movie.
After watching the movie, Li Mingyi sent Jiang Huiqin home, and Jiang Feng followed them.
The critical hit from the couple's dog in front was too much, so Jiang Feng felt that it was safer behind him.
"Tomorrow we will go to Jinli Kai Photo Studio to take wedding photos." Li Mingyi stopped in an alleyway from Jiang's small courtyard.
"Yeah." Jiang Huiqin responded softly.
"In 5 days, you will be my wife."
"Yes." Jiang Huiqin's voice became even lower, her head lowered, even the tips of her ears turned red with embarrassment.
"If my mother didn't insist on choosing an auspicious day, I really wish I could let you marry me today. I will definitely publish it in the newspapers, not only in Peking, but also in Shanghai and Nanjing, Ta Kung Pao and Min Bao. I want the whole country to know that you are my wife!" Li Ming hugged Jiang Huiqin, lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead, and whispered:
"Goodnight, mydarling!"
Jiang Huiqin's face, which was just a little red at first, suddenly turned red. She got out of his arms and ran home without looking back.
Jiang Feng suffered a lot when she suddenly ran away. Without any preparation, she was hit hard by the invisible wall behind her and was knocked directly to the ground.
The bump really hurt!
Jiang Feng got up from the ground and found that he was in a room, and it was daytime.
You know, it was night when Jiang Huiqin ran home just now.
"I won't wear it, I won't wear it, I won't wear it!"
Before Jiang Feng could figure out what was going on, he heard Jiang Huiqin's angry scream. (End of chapter)