Villager of Daming

Chapter 603: Different strategies for refreshing noodles

During the meal, Anqing was in a daze, and all the officials following him were also in a daze. Apparently they also heard what the prince and King Qin said.

I don’t understand many terms at all, I only know what they are, and that’s because two people explained them and changed them into common names.

Zhu Xi took a sip of the chewy noodles, then bit the garlic, showing an expression of enjoyment: "It's delicious, everyone. The fried noodles contain lean pork. It's similar to the noodles from our place, but it's less oily. It's cool when it's cold." It’s best to eat.”

As soon as he spoke, all the officials came back to their senses and tasted the noodles carefully.

When he arrived in Peiping, Zhu Wentian saw that it was too hot, so he happened to eat Beijing noodles with soybean paste. There were very few ingredients, just eggs, black bean sauce, cucumber shreds, and no other messy things.

The original fried noodles didn’t even have eggs, just fried black bean sauce in a pot and poured it on the noodles. Summer cucumbers are not valuable, so cut some shredded cucumbers.

The egg sauce is scrambled eggs, and then pour in black bean sauce, which is called doubanjiang in Beijing. It is made from soybeans, not broad beans. Add water and let it boil. If it is not so dry, put it into a big bowl.

But the food for everyone can’t be that simple, and it’s rather dry. Eat more meat and eggs, and less sauce. If it’s too bland, you can have side dishes!
Plenty of side dishes to choose from, including pickles.

The guards eat in shifts. They put a bowl of noodles in a small iron basin, scoop out the sauce and other side dishes, grab a handful of cucumber shreds and garlic cloves and throw them on the noodles, then squat on the outside to eat.

Some even ask for a little more cold water so that they are less dry when eaten. When you drink it in the end, the bowl will look clean.

It wasn't until the last rotating guard had eaten that the people in Xiaqiu Village stopped making noodles and cooked one for themselves.

Zhu Wentian filled the noodles in a large basin and sat at the table in the inner room. Zhu Biao and Zhu Chong ate slowly. So far, they had not finished a quarter of the bowl of noodles.

Seeing Hanhan sit down, he speeded up. He was waiting for Hanhan just now!
The two people didn't move their chopsticks, and the others didn't dare to move. They could only take two bites first.

Hanhan has an appetite when he eats. Hanhan is very strong, and he eats a lot.

Zhu Wentian looked around, put down his chopsticks and ran back to the car, holding a small jar with a piece of paper on the outside and the words "stinky tofu" written on it.

"Yes, open it quickly and let's take a piece." Zhu Ping was happy.

Zhu Biao was not polite. He waited for Hanhan to put down the jar, opened it, picked up a piece with the chopsticks next to him and put it on a plate.

After Zhu Xi finished picking it up, he called to other officials: "Do you want to eat it? Jubiqi's stinky tofu was made on the road when we came out last year. With the addition of fermented bean curd, it is a good thing."

This is different from fried stinky tofu marinated in brine. It is a type of fermented bean curd, called Qingfang.

Zhu Wentian At that time, many people who made fried stinky tofu didn't know the craftsmanship well, they just fried the dried tofu and spread it into green cubes.

Their authentic fried stinky tofu is made from amaranth stalks, which is different from Qingfang.

The red bean curd and the green stinky tofu need to be fermented for several months and cannot be fried at all.

When the officials saw that the prince had been pinched, they themselves were not polite. They brought plates and asked the village guards to give him a piece.

In the smelly atmosphere, everyone finished eating and continued on their way.

People in Xiaqiu Village give out a piece of mint candy to everyone who eats stinky tofu and garlic. Eat it as you like, and you have to eliminate the smell after eating it.

In the afternoon, when the surface temperature is the highest, the team arrived at the rice fields in Shunyi County.

The soldiers in the army wore bamboo hats and stepped back step by step to plant rice.

"Have you eaten?" Zhu Biao asked Zhu Taiyi who was sitting here. As soon as Zhu Taiyi came up with the idea of ​​growing rice, he couldn't leave.

"I didn't eat. I ate the pancakes baked last night when it was dark in the morning. Then everyone went to the fields and started working. Until now, it's all over."

Zhu Taiyi's Adam's apple twitched as he swallowed. Apparently he didn't eat either and was always accompanying him. "What do you want to eat?" Zhu Biao asked again.

"Zhajiang noodles, please add more water, I can't eat anything else." Zhu Taiyi answered honestly.

"Li Chief?" Zhu Biao looked at the Li Chief.

"Let's do it now, but it can't be noodles, it can only be made mechanically." The manager responded.

People from Xiaqiu Village moved equipment and preheated the steam engine. They took this opportunity to set up the stove and make new fried sauce, which they had all eaten before.

After waiting for more than a quarter of an hour, the five-lift small steam engine was ready for use. As soon as the assembled accessories were connected, flour, water and part of the canopy ash were poured in to knead the dough automatically.

When some of the soldiers reached the edge, they would take a few sips of mung bean water and twist their waists.

They all wear boxer briefs, shirtless, and hats so that they don’t have to wash their clothes, otherwise the sweat will soak through the clothes and the unwashed smell will be too strong.

They are not afraid of being watched, they do not feel embarrassed when doing their work, and they do not force you ladies and daughters-in-law to come and watch.

"What was originally grown here?" Zhu Xi gave Zhu Taiyi a piece of candy.

"Thank you, King Qin. Plant some sorghum, and then soybeans depending on the situation. If the weather is bad, leave it uncultivated. The more uncultivated the land is, the more it will be. When you come here, the grass is two feet high, and there are rabbits, snakes, and hedgehogs in it. When you plow the ground, fill it with water." , and also caught a lot of loaches and eels.”

"Can't we strengthen the river embankment? Oh! No one has any help! How should we plant here? The land beside the river should not be left uncultivated..."

It reminded us of how people around Shijiu Lake and Danyang Lake did not dare to farm for fear of being washed away.

Now there are more and more people there, and those without household registration are all running to get naturalized. After all, they belong to Yingtian Mansion. "

Zhu Xiang compared it to the same situation. They were all afraid of flooding. In the past, there were only "black households" in the Shijiu Lake area.

Later, the Yanzhi River was opened, and the water in Shijiu Lake could be drained out in time during the rainy season. Now there are more people, planting, breeding, and a passing economy.

An Qing took two steps and found that the pain in his inner thigh was not so bad, so he said: "Your Highness, Your Highness the Prince, Your Highness the King of Qin, if you build the river embankment, you can grow winter wheat and then soybeans."

"Do you know how Fang Lu and the others grow? Let's borrow grain first. This year, due to the cold spring and reduced production, we will not receive grain from the affected areas.

Lend it to us first, and we will return it with grain transfer from Hebei and Shandong. There is no impact there, and the land tax should be paid this year. "

Zhu Biao decided not to harvest local grains. Winter wheat production has decreased, and it doesn’t matter whether others grow soybeans or not!
Ningguo Mansion, where Xiaqiu Village is located, and Taiping Mansion to the north, only pay one season's land tax, and those who plant in intercropping or rotation will not be harvested.

If you move to places like Peiping and Datong, it is inevitable that people will reduce their wheat production, and whether they grow other things or not will be harvested by the court will be taken into account.

It is a legal issue. Just because someone has planted soybeans and sorghum, we do not have to harvest their reduced wheat production.

Anqing was sweating on his forehead. Of course he knew what the officials of the Yuan Dynasty did. He didn't care as long as he didn't rebel. He learned the method from Xiaqiu Village to increase people's income, so what else did he care about?
Anyway, no one in Peiping died of hunger last year because people at the nursing home donated things, including eggs.

Officials of the previous government asked the people they helped to donate. If each family donated a little, it would be easier to manage the province of Beiping.

If another person starves to death, it means that the officials of the Ming Dynasty were greedy.

"Chief, is there any way for An to participate in politics?" Zhu Biao asked the head directly.

"Your Highness, let's go to Peiping! There are many places that can provide peat, the kind north of Xiaqiu Village." The head of the village gave an answer.

(End of this chapter)