Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 423 422 Shaobing
Early on Saturday morning, Tang Zhitong left home at the usual time. After dropping off his two younger sisters, he did not go to the Post and Telecommunications College, but went to the coal yard in the west.

This was the first time for the Materials Bureau and the Coal Yard to organize such an event, and they were not able to accurately grasp the needs of the masses.

Although the newspaper said that it would start from next month, there was no guarantee that some residents would go to buy coal in the next two days. In any case, Tang Zhitong went there yesterday and there were quite a few people there.

The students from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications got up no later than Tang Zhitong. When Tang Zhitong arrived at the coal factory, the students had already taken up their posts according to the established division of labor.

When many classmates saw Tang Zhitong, they greeted him with a smile, thanked him and praised him.

Although they all receive scholarships, who would complain about having too much money?
One dollar a day is already a very high income for these college students who have not yet entered the workplace.

On the way back yesterday, they all learned the ins and outs of this social practice. They all admired Tang Zhitong from the bottom of their hearts for a student like him who did not care about personal gains and losses and fought for benefits for his classmates.

"Alright, alright. If you praise me any more, I'll be so proud that I won't be able to be pulled down." Tang Zhitong had a smile on his face since he entered the door. While he was being polite to his classmates, he also reminded them: "Since everyone knows what's going on, you have to do this social practice well. I've already given a guarantee to them, so don't let me down."

After seeing Wei Zhizhen, Tang Zhitong waved goodbye to his classmates, walked forward and asked, "Teacher Wei, didn't you say that the class will start tomorrow? It seems like today's class is about to officially start."

"The newspaper has discussed it and decided to warm up today. The news about Wen Nuan Yue has been out for a long time, and we have to report the progress tomorrow. We need to get some materials today." Wei Zhizhen smiled and explained to Tang Zhitong.

"I understand, I understand." Tang Zhitong nodded. Today's situation will be reported in the newspaper tomorrow. This is already an extraordinary speed. The key is that it is not false. Compared with those who do superficial work in advance, fooling both sides is already considered conscientious.

"I have communicated with the coal yard again. The activity was said to last for a month, but it may not last that long. According to previous supplies, residents mostly buy coal in early November. In this way, the social practice time left for your class is only four days at most." Even if Tang Zhitong did not come, Wei Zhizhen planned to go to him and make this clear. After all, Director Yan assigned him to such a practical activity out of Tang Zhitong's face. If he doesn't want to give face to the monk, he has to give face to the Buddha.

"Okay, thank you Teacher Wei, four days is already a lot." Tang Zhitong had no objection to this. He couldn't take all the benefits. What's more, four days was only four yuan per person. If he took this money to buy sweet potatoes in the countryside, he could buy twenty or thirty kilograms.

Tang Zhitong got the news. Four days, that is, from today until next Tuesday. He can go back to school on Wednesday and have a good rest at home for two days.

During the half hour that Tang Zhitong had been at the coal yard, nearby residents had come to buy coal one after another.

In order not to disturb his classmates from going to work, Tang Zhitong said goodbye to Wei Zhizhen and his classmates, rode his bicycle to the Beijing Library, and told Xiao Wang that he did not have class today and would not come to pick her up in the afternoon to save her from waiting in vain.

After saying hello to classmate Xiao Wang, Tang Zhitong gathered a cartload of firewood and went home to prepare making sesame cakes.

Chinese food civilization has a long history, with many cuisines and a variety of ways to cook pasta, with each region having its own characteristics.

Although Tang Zhitong has never counted the types of sesame cakes, he would conservatively guess that there are definitely no less than 100 types, because there are already twenty or thirty types in his hometown.

Among these twenty or thirty kinds, the most famous one at present should be Zhoucun Shaobing.

Zhoucun sesame cake has four main characteristics: crispy, fragrant, thin and crunchy. It is round and yellow in shape, with sesame seeds all over the front and crispy holes on the back. It is as thin as a poplar leaf and extremely crispy.

It breaks into pieces when you chew it, and your mouth is filled with the aroma of sesame and sweetness. If you drop it on the ground, it will break into pieces. It is commonly known as "Shandong Guara Leaf Sesame Cake".

The production of sesame and sugar is limited at the moment, so Zhoucun sesame cakes are definitely a good thing.

The reason why it is the most famous now is that in September this year, Zhoucun Shaobing was presented as a gift and received a letter of thanks.

There are many other regional specialty sesame cakes in the Qi and Lu regions, which are not inferior to Zhoucun sesame cakes. They are just more suitable to be eaten while hot due to reasons such as shelf life and taste.

According to local language habits, the pasta made by Tang Zhitong’s grandfather cannot be called shaobing, but should be called "huoshao".

There is a difference between sesame cakes and fire-baked cakes. Shaobing is only baked on one side and usually has sesame seeds, while fire-baked cakes are baked on both sides and usually have stuffing or fillings.

Gradually there wasn't much difference between the two and they were often mixed up.

Among the many kinds of steamed buns, Weifang meat steamed buns, Boshan meat steamed buns and Laiwu crispy steamed buns are slightly more famous.

Among Weifang huoshao, the most famous one is Laoweixian meat huoshao, also known as Chenghuangmiao meat huoshao, which has crispy skin, tender filling, fragrant and not greasy.

Paired with the local specialty Huo Le, eat it while hot and it has a unique flavor.

Compared with Weifang meat hot cakes, Tang Zhitong prefers Boshan meat hot cakes. Because they are baked on one side and contain sesame seeds, they are also called Boshan meat hot cakes.

The representative of Boshan meat biscuits is Jiaozhuang biscuits, which have a thin and crispy skin, a layer of sesame seeds on the outside, and pure meat and green onions as fillings. They are baked in a traditional coke oven, and the aroma can be smelled from far away when they are baked.

The freshly baked sesame cakes paired with a bowl of hot millet soup are so delicious.

Although Boshan meat pancakes are also available in gift boxes, the taste is not right when eaten cold. Even after being heated, they are not as delicious as when they are freshly baked.

Perhaps it was the impression of his childhood diet in his previous life, but Tang Zhitong’s favorite dish was Laiwu fried crispy buns.

Laiwu Fire-baked Buns were originally vegetarian, with only dough filling but no stuffing. Later, with the integration of different cuisines, they gradually came with stuffing, and the name also changed from "Laiwu Crispy Fire-baked Buns" to various other names.

Some are called Laiwu oil-fried sesame cakes, some are called palace sesame cakes, and some are called royal sesame cakes.

It doesn’t matter what you call it, what matters is whether you can gain the recognition of the gluttons.

The authentic Laiwu fire-baked bread is crispy, with circles and layers of crispy crust, which crumbles away when you take a bite.

When life gets better, this fried bread is definitely not eaten dry, it should be served with some soup.

Tang Zhitong believes that mutton soup is the best match for fried crispy buns, and many people share this idea.

Although most mutton soup restaurants sell steamed buns or fried cakes, gluttons usually buy two steamed buns from a restaurant that they think tastes good, and carry them in a convenient bag to a mutton soup restaurant they approve of.

Ask the boss for a bowl of mutton soup or mutton offal soup, add a spoonful of mutton fat, or a few spoonfuls of chili, or an extra portion of lamb intestines or lamb brain, and then have a delicious meal.

If you have such a meal in winter, you will feel warm all over. If you have such a meal in summer, you will sweat all over. After sweating, you will have only one feeling - refreshed and comfortable!
Tang Zhitong missed this taste, so after returning home he prepared to knead the dough and make sesame cakes.

Zhang Guifang was still very surprised when she learned that her son was planning to make sesame cakes. She knew her son best and knew that he had never had this skill before. She asked a similar question to Wang Jingwen: "Can you make sesame cakes?" "I learned it from someone at the construction site last year. It's not difficult." Tang Zhitong looked nonchalant, trying to downplay the difficulty.

However, making fried sesame cakes is not that simple. In my previous life, I watched my parents busying around since I was a child. Children of poor families have to grow up early, so I often got involved and helped out.

It is important to use three kinds of flour to make fried shortbread, which means a certain combination of leavened dough, raw dough and old dough.

Although food coupons had been abolished at that time, ordinary people generally did not buy noodles. Instead, they used their own wheat or exchanged it with neighbors to grind noodles.

After scooping the wheat and drying it in the sun, it is ground into flour. There are also other steps to prepare the noodles, such as leavening the noodles, cooking the noodles, fermenting the noodles, mixing the noodles, kneading the noodles, making the alkali, mixing the flour and alkali, and joining the noodles. It is very complicated and laborious.

Making the dough is just the first step. The next step is to prepare ghee, test the dough, roll it out, spread the ghee, and bake it.

When doing this job, the noodles cannot be used on the same day. Generally, the noodles are prepared one day in advance and used the next day.

Tang Zhitong remembered that the price of a steamed bun was only about 10 cents at that time, and the gross profit of each steamed bun was only a few cents.

It was after 90. For reasons that are inconvenient to talk about, the people living nearby had no money, and no one would buy if the price was too high, so they could only sell at a low profit. My parents worked from dawn to dusk, but still couldn't make much.

Making fried dough sticks is a laborious and tiring job. One can only earn hard-earned money and most people cannot persist in it.

We had to sit by a coal stove for five winters and six summers. At that time, very few people could afford air conditioning. It was still okay in the winter, but in the summer we had to rely on a fan. It was too hot!

Tang Zhitong put the dough to rise and had just washed his hands when someone called out at the door, "Comrade Tang Zhitong, do you live here?"

"Hello, hello, it's me." Tang Zhitong hurriedly went to greet him. Is this the coal delivery man?
"Hello, Comrade Tang, we are here to deliver coal. Where should we put these coal for you?" All the people who came were college students. Two people were responsible for one cart, and 500 kilograms of coal were allocated to one cart.

"Please put it over here at the base of the wall, thank you." Tang Zhitong had already made preparations. He used the firewood he brought back this morning to make a circle as a place to store the coal.

It is true that the Tang family has an independent yard, but Zhang Guifang, who lives on the land, has used most of the space to grow cabbages, so there is not much space left. In order to avoid crushing the cabbages, Tang Zhitong can only separate out a space to store coal.

"Good, your cabbage is growing well." The college student came in to determine the location, and after seeing the cabbage, he gave a compliment.

"Add some dishes to winter." Tang Zhitong took out a cigarette and handed it to Zhang Guifang, who had just left the main room, and said, "Mom, get a few bowls and pour some water to quench the thirst of these comrades."

"Comrade Tang is too polite. We are not thirsty." The college students who came here had not had much contact with society and had very simple minds. They waved their hands one after another. Not only did no one take the cigarette, they didn't even intend to drink the water. Each of them had a basket, and they filled the basket with coal from the cart, and then transported it to the place designated by Tang Zhitong and poured it in.

Since people didn't want cigarettes or water, Tang Zhitong had to be sensible. He didn't just stand there and watch. He took a shovel and a rattan basket from home and joined the coal transport team.

There were only 500 kilograms of coal in total. Five people were working on it. Each of them only had to shovel about 30 to 40 pieces. It didn't take long to finish.

While working, Tang Zhitong asked around and found out that these people were from the Aviation College.

College students nowadays don’t even need to choose a major. They can become successful and achieve something even if they choose blindly, let alone study in one of the eight major universities.

Tang Zhitong feels that he can brag about this for the rest of his life. When he is old, he can point to the TV and proudly tell his grandchildren that so-and-so once delivered coal to his family!
Tang Zhitong enthusiastically pulled the four college students to drink a bowl of water boiled with Yuquan Mountain spring water before letting them go.

As for the reappearance, the college student did not mention it, and Tang Zhitong had never thought about it at all.

The coal yard is a state-owned unit, so some employees may exchange coal slag or something, but they will never shortchange customers and their credit is top-notch.

In the afternoon, Tang Zhitong said goodbye to Zhang Guifang, got on his bike, and went out for a ride in the northwest wind, almost freezing his nose.

There is no way to stay at home. The boasts made must be fulfilled. How can I make soup without something with the smell of mutton?

So on this trip, Tang Zhitong brought back sheep's hooves and a cart of firewood.

They were all pulled out from the space. The twelve sheep's trotters were the ones I bought for my three younger sisters to make "Galaha" during the Chinese New Year last year.

If you want to make delicious mutton soup, you can either use meat or mutton offal. Of course, you can also use bones, but if there is not enough meat, offal and bones, you can't make a rich mutton soup.

This mutton soup will be drunk for two meals at home, and some will be sent to Chunshu Hutong, and some will be brought to Wu Haiyang. Without the bones, it will have no taste at all.

After much thought, Tang Zhitong decided that the lamb's trotter was the right choice. There wasn't much meat, but the quantity was large and the price was cheap, so it was "slightly" acceptable.

"So many?" When Tang Zhitong got home, Xiao Wang had already returned home from get off work. When she saw the sheep's trotters in her husband's hand, she exclaimed.

"It's small and has no meat. Let's make some soup, one for each of us, and chew the bones." Tang Zhitong handed the sheep's trotter to Xiao Wang, and unloaded the firewood from the bicycle. He raised the "wooden wall" surrounding the coal a little higher, as he had to buy coal tomorrow.

When taking care of my family, I have to do some things openly and I can’t use space to cheat.

After Tang Zhitong built the wooden wall, he soaked the sheep's trotters in water and began to make the pastry, which is another key factor besides the dough.

The oil used for authentic fried buns is donkey oil, but conditions are limited now, and Tang Zhitong has no oil, so he can only make do with pork at home.

There may be a slight difference in taste, but Tang Zhitong believes that no one will be picky at the moment.

"It smells quite nice." Wang watched her husband fiddling with the puff pastry at the stove. The aroma kept pouring into her nostrils and her saliva was secreted uncontrollably.

"Hey, don't worry. I'll get up early tomorrow and prepare the sesame seed cakes and mutton soup. Then you can eat them while they're hot." Tang Zhitong poured the pastry into a bowl and set it aside.

"Will there be a smell? When I got off work today, a few people carrying water were muttering about how good the food is at home and how fragrant it was. When they saw me coming, they didn't even try to hide their smell and even raised their voices." Student Wang said with some concern.

"Who asked us to have a chef at home? It's normal for the food to smell good. I'll use a pressure cooker to cook it tomorrow, and it won't have much flavor. I'll pay attention to this aspect next time." Although Tang Zhitong said this, he was also thinking about how to deal with it. It would be great if he could process all kinds of ingredients outside and only bring the finished products home.

(End of this chapter)