My village can't be like this

Chapter 640: Roasting Lamb

"Wow, how come you have so much? This is more than my family uses in a year."

Chen Ze's eyes widened when he saw the big bag of seasoning in Zhang An's hand.

"That's not a lot. Didn't you see that when Zhou Yang and his friends were preparing banquets, they used basins to serve the food? You have such a big sheep, if you put less, it won't be marinated well. Besides, we didn't ask you for money, and you still think it's too much? Let's go."

Zhang An rolled his eyes at this guy, feeling that he was taking advantage of the situation.

"What about Qiqi? Why don't you take him with you?"

Chen Ze did not leave in a hurry, but stretched his head to look towards the house, looking for Xiao Siqi.

"Why take him there? Just let him stay at home with my mom. If you take him there, he will just act up."

Chen Ze's side should be full of adults. Zhang An felt that there would be nothing to play with his son if he took him over there, so it would be better to leave him at home where Xiaohu and the others would keep him company.

"Of course I'll take him over to eat roast lamb together. Qiqi loves these foods the most."

Chen Ze couldn't remember anything else, but he remembered clearly that Xiao Siqi was a foodie.

"It's not time yet. A sheep as big as yours will have to wait until the evening to be roasted."

Such a big sheep, even after being slaughtered, would weigh more than 60 kilograms. It would take two hours just to marinate it, and it would take even longer if it were roasted. It would definitely take at least four or five hours.

"Then let's go. I'll come over to lend it to him when it's done roasting tonight. Otherwise, he'll hold a grudge against me and say that Uncle Chen roasted the lamb without calling him. That would be unfair to me."

Chen Ze grinned. Even though he was just joking, it was already great that he remembered the little guy.

Arriving at the Dongli yard, Zhang An followed Chen Ze into their yard one after another, and indeed saw quite a few people inside.

After a quick count, I found that there were about ten men and women combined, with men making up the majority.

Only then did Zhang An understand why Chen Ze chose such a big sheep.

"Where's Grandpa Chen? Isn't he home?"

Zhang An didn't see Mr. Chen, so he asked.

"The old man must be at Grandpa Ding's place. This is the time when the two of them are going to decide the winner. He probably won't be back until dinner time."

Chen Ze spread his hands and said as if it was a matter of course.

Their old man and Ding Yi's grandfather have been friends for a lifetime. Now that they are in their old age, it would be best if they could get together.

"Zhang An, let me introduce them to you. They are all my friends in the provincial capital. This is Cheng Peng, this is Jin Wen, and this is..."

After entering the yard, Chen Ze first introduced each of them to each other.

However, during the introduction, they only introduced their names, and did not introduce Ding Yi and others in as much detail as when they first came.

Zhang An is not a fool. He can see from this that these people’s relationship with Chen Ze is not as close as Ding Yi’s.

This group of people came here at this critical juncture, probably just for the hotel that Chen Ze was building.

"Everyone, you have come from afar, you can spend a few more days here. Although it is not as prosperous and lively as the provincial capital, it will definitely satisfy everyone."

Zhang An greeted everyone without being distant or trying to get close to them.
"That's for sure. To be honest, I quite like it here. There's no noise from cars coming and going. It's much quieter than the provincial capital."

The man named Cheng Peng also responded to Zhang An with a smile.

"Then everyone, have fun while I pickle the sheep."

I don’t know why, although this group of people were all talking and smiling, Zhang An could feel a very obvious boundary. It was not like the feeling when he first met Ding Yi and the others.

This is obviously a problem of circle, but Zhang An didn’t think much about it. He would not force himself to integrate with others.

So Zhang An didn't continue chatting with them, and this time he just treated it as helping Chen Ze.

After preparing the sauce, Zhang An began to give the plump little sheep a full body massage.

After 81 steps of wiping, kneading, patting, kneading, etc., the massage is considered complete.

"Old Chen, it's time to light the charcoal fire."

More than an hour later, Zhang An asked Chen Ze to start burning charcoal.

"Isn't it too early to cook it now? Didn't you say it should be marinated for two or three hours?"

Chen Ze took out a brand new firebox and asked doubtfully.

"It needs to be marinated for two to three hours, but it takes a long time to burn the charcoal. You can't roast the lamb over an open flame later, that won't work."

Zhang An knew without thinking that this guy wanted to roast the sheep over an open fire. If his idea was true, the sheep would end up being a piece of charcoal. It would be a real waste of a good sheep.

"Is that so? Then I'll go make a fire now."

After hearing what Zhang An said, Chen Ze realized that grilling is not just about burning the charcoal.

But this can't be blamed on him, after all, he had never been exposed to these things before.

When eating out, you basically just pay and wait for the food to be served.

Even though Zhang An's family roasted the meat several times later and called him, he only went there after the meat was done. It was normal for him not to be aware of these things.

By the time the charcoal fire in the firebox turns from an open flame to a dark flame, the little fat lamb is almost fully marinated.

"Okay, let's start baking."

Zhang An cut the lamb twice with a knife and asked Chen Ze to bring the fork for roasting the lamb.

"Here, this one should be big enough."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ze walked out and brought back a two-meter-long steel fork.

"Yes, this fork is good. It even comes with two stainless steel mesh pads."

Zhang An nodded with great satisfaction. The one he spent money on is different and much better than the one he had at home.

The two stainless steel mesh pads can hold the whole lamb without worrying about the minced meat falling off.

Moreover, Zhang An felt that this thing was most suitable for grilling fish, and he could come and use it later.

After putting the sheep on the steel fork, Chen Ze couldn't wait to carry it out.

However, the steel fork itself is quite heavy, and this little fat sheep weighs more than 60 kilograms. Although Chen Ze is an adult man, he does not have the strength of a farmer, and it is very difficult for him to carry it.

"Okay, let me do it."

Zhang An smiled and reached out to take it. Otherwise, he would probably be out of breath by the time he took it outside.

Putting the grill on, Zhang An chatted with others while occasionally rotating the fat lamb being roasted.

Half a day later, the little fat lamb in the oven had changed from white and tender to golden and oily, and an enticing aroma wafted out, quickly filling the entire yard.

"Wow, this smells amazing. I just had dinner not long ago, but my stomach starts rumbling just by smelling the roasted lamb."

The others were originally sitting in the distance playing their own games, but when they smelled the roasted lamb, they all gathered around the grill.

"I feel the same way. It smells so good, so it must taste even better. Brother Zhang An, how long will it take to bake? I can't wait any longer."

Jin Wen was the most down-to-earth person in the group. He sniffed the aroma while looking down at the lamb on the grill. "Hahaha, you might be disappointed. The lamb is only half done now. It will take at least another two hours to be done."

Seeing that there were quite a few people staring at them, Zhang An simply opened the lid of the grill to let them see it clearly. Anyway, there was no smoke coming out of the fire now.

"Slurp, just looking at this golden sheepskin makes me drool. Can't I eat it like this?"

Jin Wen looked at the fat sheep that had been roasted to golden brown, and his eyes suddenly widened, as if they had become the shape of the roasted sheep.

"It's still okay. Even though the outside is burnt like this, the inside is still bright red. If you don't believe me, just look."

Zhang An shook his head and said, then he pressed the knife and cut the roasted lamb. Sure enough, the inside was still very bright red, no different from raw meat.

"Okay, then we'll just have to wait a little longer. To be honest, I didn't expect Brother Zhang An's skill in roasting lamb is so good. The roasted lamb I've eaten in other places before didn't smell as good as this one."

Jin Wen pretended to rub his belly and said as he sat next to Zhang An.

After this interruption, the two became more familiar with each other than before.

Mainly because of his natural demeanor, Zhang An felt a little fond of him.

"Haha, it's not because I'm good at it. The reason why it smells so good is that the meat is of good quality and the seasoning used for marinating is top-notch. Even if someone who knows how to roast lamb comes to do it, it will be the same."

Zhang An's words were not modesty but the truth. His skill in roasting lamb was not very good, just slightly better than a beginner, and he also needed to control the heat more properly.

As for other shortcomings, they are more than made up for by the advantages of ingredients and seasonings.

"Come on, come on. You're just bragging about yourself. The sheep is raised by your family, and you made the seasoning yourself. In the end, you just want to say that your roasted lamb is delicious."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ze followed suit and rolled his eyes.

When the others heard this, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Then more than an hour passed and it was around five in the afternoon.

The fragrance in the yard became stronger and stronger, and the people in the yard could no longer resist. They kept wandering in the yard, and from time to time they ran to take a look at the grill.

"Wow, I've only been away from home for a while, and you guys have already prepared something delicious. And you did it yourself."

At this time, Mr. Chen also came back from outside. Smelling the fragrance, he ran straight into the yard.

"Hey, Grandpa Chen is back."

Seeing the old man, Zhang An quickly greeted him.

The same was true for the others, who were very respectful to the old man.

"Even a saint would lose interest in playing chess if he smelled this. I was just wondering who in our courtyard was making delicious food. I was just about to go look for them, but it turned out to be my own family."

After Mr. Chen nodded in response to everyone, he came directly to Zhang An.

"How long will it take for this to heal? Your Grandpa Chen's stomach is already starting to get irritated."

"It will probably take another hour or so to roast it all, but the thin parts of the meat are almost done. If you want to eat it now, I'll cut some off first."

Zhang An stabbed himself in several places with a knife before speaking to Mr. Chen.

"Then cut some off first to satisfy your craving. If we wait another hour, it will be torture. Don't you see that these little guys are already getting impatient waiting?"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen agreed without saying a word.

So Zhang An picked out some roasted parts and cut off more than ten pounds.

"Come on, come on, don't be polite. It's rare for Zhang An to make a move. Come and have a try."

Old Master Chen picked up the large plate and shouted to the crowd.

"Grandpa Chen, let me serve it."

Seeing this, Cheng Peng hurried forward and took the square plate of mutton from the old man's hand.

The others didn't hesitate either. They each took a piece, blew on it twice, and put it in their mouths impatiently.

"It's so hot, but it's really delicious."

Without exception, it received positive reviews from everyone.

The old man is old, and although he can eat some meat now, he can't eat too much.

So after eating a little, he went back to the house. Aunt Li had already prepared dinner for him.

As for the young people in the yard, their eyes were all fixed on the whole sheep. It was impossible for them to eat it, so they had to eat the mutton on an empty stomach.

While they were eating, the rest of the food was cooked on the grill.

"Come on, let everyone in, let everyone in."

Zhang An carried the whole lamb on a fork and walked to the big table in the yard, disassembled it and placed it on the square plate that Aunt Li had prepared long ago.

Chen Ze walked over with a knife in hand, and while cutting the mutton, he divided half of it and put it in another square plate, and asked Aunt Li to take it away.

There were more than 60 kilograms of mutton, which was definitely not enough for the people present to finish, so it was prepared to be sent to the homes of Ding Yi, Zhang An and Li Hongbin.

"Come on, come on, how can we eat meat without drinking wine?"

When Aunt Li went to deliver mutton to each household, Chen Ze came out with a jar of wine and shouted.

"Hiss, what kind of wine is this? It's so fragrant."

Those who knew how to drink took the initiative to take a glass and just took a sip. Cheng Peng, the oldest person in the crowd, immediately asked, and it seemed that he was also a wine lover.

"Hey, this wine is good, isn't it?"

Chen Ze did not answer immediately, but chuckled and asked back.

"It's not just good, it's a fine wine, not inferior to the twenty-year-old wine that my father treasures. Where did you get it? Tell me about it."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Peng did not hesitate to ask about the origin of the wine.

"Hahaha, it's so far away and so close at hand."

Then Chen Ze stopped beating around the bush and glanced at Zhang An and said.

This jar of wine was the one Zhang An gave him before.

"Right in front of me? Could it be Zhang An?"

Cheng Peng didn't react at first, but after a few seconds, he looked at Zhang An and said in disbelief.

"That's right. This wine was brewed by Zhang An himself. Not only did he use an ancient recipe, but the material was also very rare blood rice. I got this jar from him."

This time Chen Ze didn't beat around the bush and just nodded and said.

"Brother Zhang An, did you really brew this wine yourself? Do you have any more? I want to buy some. My father and grandfather are both wine lovers. I believe they will like it."

After getting the answer, Cheng Peng immediately found Zhang An and asked to buy it.

(End of this chapter)