Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 424 423 Versatile
With mutton soup and fried buns in his mind, Tang Zhitong didn't sleep well that night and got up at five in the morning on Sunday.

When I was working as a deliveryman in the first half of the year, I sometimes got up earlier than this. It’s only been half a year, and I’m already a little uncomfortable with getting up so early.

Zhang Guifang had always gotten up so early to make breakfast for herself. Tang Zhitong sighed inwardly: Being a mother is not easy.

Tang Zhitong got up quietly, turned on the light in the small living room in the middle, and started a fire with the firewood he had prepared in advance. He was very careful in everything, trying not to disturb Xiao Wang's rest.

Then he carefully put away the chopping board, pressure cooker and other utensils, and stewed the lamb's trotters that he had processed yesterday.

Sheep are animals that can be found almost everywhere, and although the breeds are somewhat different, the ways of eating them are not much different. In addition to roasting, stir-frying, deep-frying, and stewing, soup is always a must.

The methods of making mutton soup in different places are different. If you just make it at home, you don’t have to be too particular about the ingredients, or even not to use them.

Tang Zhitong was previously boiled simply with water, and then seasoned with salt and pepper, and it still tasted good.

This time, Tang Zhitong used sheep's trotters to make soup, and added some seasonings, but they were all common ingredients, such as green onions and ginger.

Put it in a pressure cooker and cook it. While the fire is coming on, knead the dough.

A true expert is very good at making dough pieces, and the error in each piece is very small.

When Tang Zhitong was learning to make it, his father found a simple scale that he used when he was a child and showed it to his son.

On one side was a weight that had been weighed long ago, weighing two taels, and on the other side was a hook. Tang Zhitong had to put each dough piece on the hook until it was balanced before he could proceed to the next step.

According to Tang's father, this is how his father taught him to do it, so that the weight of each burnt item would be consistent.

The reason for doing this is, on the one hand, to ensure that the pancakes are cooked at about the same time, and on the other hand, because some customers are picky and always want to buy big ones.

But then again, when you have little money and have to eat less, who wouldn’t want to buy more for the same price?

When Tang Zhitong first started working, there was either too much or too little dough, so he had to pinch off a piece or add a piece each time to balance the small scale.

I practiced like this on and off for about a month before I finally formed the muscle memory. I could balance the small scale with ten dough pieces in a row, which was barely considered qualified.

Of course, now we cook and eat it at home, so it doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, as long as we pay attention to the heat and make sure it’s not burnt.

Firewood catches fire quickly, and after the stove surface heats up, Tang Zhitong starts to make a fire.

Roll out the dough, stretch it, spread a layer of pastry on it, roll it up, and then press it into a pancake.

At this time, since the dough is still very soft, it needs to be placed on the stove and baked.

Both sides of the dough must be baked, and only after it becomes hard and shaped can it be placed in the drawer below.

Nowadays, people are reluctant to use oil when cooking. Besides, this stove has never been used to cook much, so there is no oil stain on the stove surface. Tang Zhitong wiped it before going to bed yesterday, so he just used it this time.

Tang Zhitong worked slowly and after putting four pancakes on the stove, he stopped to take a break.

It was impossible to make it faster, as the oven was not very big and could not be compared to the oven he used to make oil-fried buns when he was a child. The flat pan could hold twenty small buns, and there were four drawers underneath, each of which could hold eight buns flat. He didn't even have time to wipe the sweat off his face when he was busy.

It was only then that ordinary people didn't care. If they continued to do this for a few decades, they would probably be complained about for not paying attention to hygiene, and sweat dripping on their pancakes...

The stove that Tang Zhitong customized has only one drawer, on which at most four burners can be placed horizontally, and no more can be placed.

Of course, slowing down is not a bad thing. I haven't done it for many years, so I may feel a little unfamiliar with it at first. At least I won't be in a rush this way.

"You got up so early?" Although Tang Zhitong was already very careful, Xiao Wang was still attracted by the fragrance. He asked with disheveled hair and rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"There are not many cakes in the drawer, so I'll get up earlier and try to finish it by breakfast time. You can go back to sleep for a while, the bed is warm." Tang Zhitong had oil on his hands, so he could only express his concern with words.

"I'm not going to sleep anymore. I'll stay with you for a while." Xiao Wang yawned, took the hairband from the desk, gathered his hair with his fingers, and tied it up simply.

"Then take a stool and sit in front of the stove. It's warm here." Seeing that Xiao Wang insisted on accompanying him, Tang Zhitong pouted at the stool.

“The food you cooked smells really good. I dreamed of eating sesame seed cakes and wanted to call you to eat with me, but you ignored me and I woke up in a hurry.” Xiao Wang sat down, sniffed the smell and said.

"You really can't forget me no matter what good things happen to you. When it's cooked, try it first to see if it tastes like the one in your dream." Tang Zhitong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and was also a little moved. He thought that good things always happened to him in his dreams, but he had never had such a dream.

"You can tell from the smell, it's much more fragrant than in the dream." Classmate Xiao Wang smiled brightly and became more and more proud of her husband's craftsmanship. Not only does he know a lot, but he also cooks well.

"Hehe, wait until the mutton soup is ready, and eat it with the sesame seed cake. Oh, the taste is so good, I can't even describe it." Tang Zhitong began to drool as he smelled the aroma.

Ever since Xiao Wang reminded him last night, Tang Zhitong began to think about how to avoid being discovered by the neighbors. The most appropriate way at the moment might be to use a plug-in to enclose the surrounding space while cooking.

This is what Tang Zhitong thought, and he did it quietly. The specific effect remains to be verified. After the fire is lit, he will go out and smell it.

The young couple were chatting and laughing under the light, and making fire didn't seem so boring anymore.

"Try it first." As the first batch of fried dough sticks came out of the oven, Tang Zhitong poured them into a basket and handed them all to Xiao Wang.

"I'd better wait and eat them together in the morning." Xiao Wang took the basket, put it aside, and shook his head.

"We are all family, so what's wrong with trying it first? Listen to me, try it while it's hot, and give me some suggestions for improvement." Tang Zhitong felt that Xiao Wang might feel like he was eating alone, so he picked up one and wanted to give it to Xiao Wang, but put it down again because it was a little hot after being fired.

"Then wait a moment, it's too hot." Tang Zhitong shook his hands. There was ghee on his hands, and he couldn't pinch his earlobes to cool them down.

"You're an adult, but you're still so anxious. Stretch out your hand so I can see if you're okay." Classmate Xiao Wang grabbed Tang Zhitong's wrist and looked at his fingers.

"It's okay, it's not a red-hot iron." Tang Zhitong withdrew his hand, put the pancake on the stove into the drawer, and started rolling out the pancake again.

Xiao Wang held her chin with her hands, watching her husband busying himself with sparkling eyes. He seemed to know everything and be omnipotent, like a treasure. After putting all four pancakes on the stove, Tang Zhitong said again: "Eat it. It's not hot this time. It tastes just right."

"Okay." After hearing this, Xiao Wang did not refuse. He stood up and washed his hands before picking up a fire.

He tore off a small piece and passed it to Tang Zhitong: "Here, you've worked the hardest today, you eat first."

“Okay, you eat it too.” Tang Zhitong didn’t hold back. He put the steamed bun into his mouth and chewed it carefully. The crust was crispy and fragrant, and the inside was salty and fragrant. It tasted good.

"It's so delicious!" Xiao Wang tore off another piece, put it in his mouth, chewed it twice, then opened his eyes wide, nodded in satisfaction to Tang Zhitong.

“If it tastes good, just eat it all.” Tang Zhitong replied cheerfully, then pulled the pistol to turn the roast over, roasting both sides so that it would be cooked more evenly and taste better.

"No, I want to save it for the mutton soup." Xiao Wangtong tore off another piece, put the rest back into the basket, and put it aside, planning to eat the remaining half later.

"Okay, the mutton soup will probably be ready in about half an hour." Tang Zhitong raised his hand to check the time. It was a little past half past five. Considering that mutton's trotters were difficult to stew, they could stay on the stove for a while longer.

According to the solar terms, it will be the beginning of winter in a week. The sun comes out at about six o'clock in the morning. Now the sky in the east is already pale, and the sound of roosters crowing can be heard faintly in the distance.

In the summer, there are more chickens crowing nearby. As time goes by, there is less and less food to feed the chickens. It seems that the chickens have completed their mission and are either sold or eaten by their owners after being sterilized at high temperatures.

At half past six in the morning, Feng Zhi knocked on the door: "Brother, get up!"

"Come in." Xiao Wang stood up and opened the door of the room for his sister-in-law. The temperature outside was low early in the morning and at night, so he let her in for fear that the child would be cold.

"Hello, sister-in-law. Wow! It smells so good! I couldn't smell anything outside!" Fengzhi greeted first. As soon as she entered the door, she was caught by the fragrance. Her eyes were glued to the stove and couldn't be taken away.

Hearing his sister's words, Tang Zhitong smiled. Well, he could save himself the trouble of experimenting.

It seems that the effect of using space to extract air is still very obvious. In the future, can we extract some northwest wind in winter and use it as air conditioning in summer?

Similarly, if we save up some of the hot warmth from the summer, can we use it as heating in the winter?
Wow, I'm such a little genius!
After Tang Zhitong finished boasting, he didn't forget the main thing: "Fengzhi, have our mother and your sister gotten together?"

"Everyone is up." Fengzhi took a step forward, looking at the fire and then at the pressure cooker.

"Okay, let's get ready for breakfast." Tang Zhitong grabbed a piece of dough, wiped the butter off his hands, and paused the process of "Wen Gu"'s childhood skills.

After washing their hands, Xiao Wang carried the fried dough sticks, Tang Zhitong carried the pressure cooker, and Feng Zhi was responsible for closing the door.

After being cooked in a pressure cooker, the sheep's trotters have become tender and tasty, and the mutton soup has become translucent.

As a half-baked cook, Tang Zhitong has never figured out how a pot of mutton soup can be thicker in color than milk without adding any technology or hard work.

Tang Zhitong said yesterday that each person would have a lamb's trotter, but when it came to actually eating, Zhang Guifang didn't allow such luxury at all.

Chop the lamb's trotters into pieces, with only two or three pieces in each bowl. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and a pinch of chopped green onions on them, stir them, and it becomes a delicious dish.

Everyone has different tastes. Some people like to add coriander, chili, vinegar, etc. Tang Zhitong only likes the original flavor, and a little salt and pepper is enough.

A pot of soup. After the family finished breakfast, there were still a lot of lamb trotters left. Zhang Guifang poured them all into the big pot, planning to add some water and simmer them again at noon so that she could have another meal.

After having a hot breakfast, Tang Zhitong carried the pressure cooker back to his room and made another pot of mutton soup to be delivered to Chunshu Hutong in the morning.

"You stay at home and make the sesame cakes. I'm going to the coal yard." After entering the house, Xiao Wang was dressed neatly. Although the weather was not very cold, she still put on the leather collar that Tang Zhitong bought for her from Anton. Her neck was warm, and her heart was warm too.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. There are too many people and you have to queue. It's so cold, don't let you get cold." Tang Zhitong gently hugged Xiao Wang and whispered thank you in her ear.

"How can I be so delicate?" In the time it took Xiao Wang to say this, her ears had already climbed up to the clouds. This place was too easy to get angry, and it would be difficult to put out the anger in broad daylight, so she pushed her man away.

"We will definitely be the future masters. Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick."

After watching Xiao Wang leave, Tang Zhitong went back to the house humming a tune while stewing lamb's trotters and making steamed buns.

Tang Zhitong was humming "Children's League Song", which is the theme song of "Red Child" produced by Changchun Film Studio.

The story of this movie is set in the Soviet area in 1934, where a group of red devils fought against bandits.

This is the only movie that the big boss visited.

It is said that at that time someone asked the big boss whether these young actors looked like the red children of Ruijin back then, and the big boss gave his approval.

The movie was released last year. The children's group's catchy song was widely sung among children and has remained popular for a long time.

Although Tang Zhitong is no longer a child, he was once a child. At that time, the school organized a movie watching event and they had to walk several kilometers to reach the cinema in the town. One of the movies was "Red Child".

After watching the movie, everyone learned to sing this song, just like the kids today.

While humming a song, making fried buns, time passed slowly. An hour and a half passed, the buns were finished and the lamb's trotters were stewed, and then Xiao Wang came back.

"Look at your hands, they're icy cold. Come into the house and warm them up. There are a lot of people queuing, right? If there are a lot of people, just come back. We don't have to buy it today." Tang Zhitong had already cleaned up by now. He took Xiao Wang's hand with a distressed look and made her sit next to the stove.

Xiao Wang selectively filtered out her husband's nagging and only picked out a part to respond to: "A lot. When they heard that it was delivered to their homes, they all scrambled to get it, as if coal was free. Fortunately, I went early and there weren't many people. But it will take until the afternoon for it to be delivered to us."

"It's afternoon, and we're not in a hurry. Come, warm your hands and drink some water." Tang Zhitong handed the mixed hot water to Xiao Wang. The enamel cup filled with hot water was no worse than a hand warmer.

"Yeah." Xiao Wang showed her dimples to her man, took her hands away from the stove, took the enamel cup, held it in her palm, and drank from it in small sips, looking very quiet.

(End of this chapter)