Rebirth in 1984, starting from beekeeping in the mountains

Chapter 95 Show off your cooking skills!
"Master Xiao Fang, your technique is quite sophisticated!"

"I made a mistake asking you to light the fire earlier. Come... you should cook this fried tofu and meat dish!"

"I'll help you light the fire!"

In front of the earthen stove with smoke rising from it, a burly man enthusiastically thrust the large spatula in his hand into Fang Hongan's hand.

Fang Hongan tried to refuse several times but failed. He could only smile and pick up the spatula.

I never expected that I came here to help light the fire.

Then the chef with the spatula was in a hurry to pee so he asked him to help turn the dishes.

In his later life, Fang Hongan also worked at a construction site for a few years, and was quite popular at that time.

Making this kind of rural banquet food is naturally a piece of cake.

Let alone flipping a dish, he didn't think much about it. After getting familiar with it for a few times, he used the skills he learned on the construction site.

The chef, who was in a hurry to pee, had an accident on the way and was delayed for a while. He thought the dishes were still being cooked on the stove and something bad was going to happen.

When I came back, I saw Fang Hongan skillfully holding the spatula and taking the food out of the pot.

The way he cooked the pot was obviously the skill of a master chef.

When I looked at the appearance of the dish again, it was much prettier than mine. I took a piece and tasted it, and the taste was also excellent. I felt that it was... far better than my own cooking.

This master chef is from Lanxi Village and is a very down-to-earth person.

When he saw that Fang Hongan cooked better than him, he insisted on giving up his position to Fang Hongan, and then he helped Fang Hongan to keep the fire, which led to the scene at the beginning.

The big spatula was already in his hand. Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Fang Hongan simply rolled up his sleeves and started to work.

The banquets of this era were not as sumptuous as those in later generations.

But in the Xiaonan region, this kind of important banquet also emphasizes having ten large bowls.

However, due to different conditions, the contents of these ten bowls are not exactly the same.

For a place with good conditions like Lanxi Village, the standard of ten bowls is definitely high.

Today, Fang Hongan’s father-in-law prepared half a pork loin for his birthday banquet.

This standard is considered high in Lanxi Village.

There are said to be ten dishes, but three of them, namely, braised pork with brown sauce, pork dumplings, and red date meatball soup, are steamed, so only seven dishes are left after stir-frying.

Two have already been fried, and now Fang Hongan only needs to fry the remaining five.

According to the chef who is now in charge of the fire, there will be thirty tables arranged for today's birthday banquet.

There are eight people at a table, which means there are two hundred and forty people.

For Fang Hongan, who had worked as a communal manager for 500 people on a construction site for several years in his previous life, this was completely within his control.

Waving the big spatula, washing the pot, adding oil, adding ingredients...

His movements were quite skillful. He did not seem flustered at all. Instead, he seemed very comfortable with the job. In between stir-frying, he took out cigarettes and passed them to the master chef and the two chefs in charge of steaming the dishes.

Several masters saw that although Fang Hongan was young, he was quite sophisticated in his way of speaking and treating others.

The most important thing is that his cooking skills are really good.

At that moment, everyone couldn't help but admire it.

I wanted to find out about Fang Hongan's background, but Fang Hongan just said perfunctorily that he was a relative of the birthday boy from another place and let the matter go.

One dish after another, the two dishes were quickly cooked.

That is, when it came to the third level, probably because Fang Hongan was working so hard, he naturally showed off some of the fancy skills he had learned in his previous life.

Some people were surprised when they saw it, only to find out that the chef had been replaced.

For a moment, many people were amazed and began to inquire about the origins of this young master chef.

Nowadays, in a big village with good conditions like Lanxi Village, the people who help with the banquet are not hired casually.

Things like making tea, pouring tea, washing dishes and washing vegetables are all fine.

Generally, the host invites some relatives and friends to attend the banquet.

But for people like cutting vegetables, lighting fires, serving dishes and cooking, you can’t just hire random people.

They must be people who can take the lead and control the situation in this regard.

After all, since the establishment of the large production teams, each production team has had a special team capable of preparing large banquets.

The people in this team are generally well-known people in the village.

As a large and prosperous village, Lanxi Village is even more particular in this regard.

The entire banquet-making team is very famous in the surrounding villages.

In particular, the master chef's Lan Shilin is famous for his ability to cook delicious dishes, hearty dishes and grand banquets.

Whenever Lanxi Village prepares a big banquet, the team of Lan Shilin is the first choice.

At first, when many people saw Fang Hongan cooking with a big shovel, they thought that Fang Hongan was just a temporary substitute.

But as I watched, something felt wrong.

This young man finished cooking one dish, then the second, and now he has finished the third dish, but he hasn't been replaced yet.

Moreover, Lan Shilin had clearly returned.

But he had no intention of taking the spoon back.

Instead, he helped to start the fire.

She looked as if she was letting the young man cook for her.

"Hey! Is Shi Lin accepting a disciple?"

"So sure! Could this be the Shilin family's son?"

"How can we not recognize our son? He's almost an illegitimate child..."

……

Many people were speculating about Fang Hongan's identity.

Amidst the chatter, there were people who saw it closely and couldn't help but shout out.

"This... doesn't this look like the son-in-law of Zhen Shanbo who carried two baskets of birthday gifts?"

"Ok?"

"Ok?"

"Hey! Now that you mention it, they do look alike!"

"Their figures and clothes are very similar! As for their faces, they were wearing straw hats when they came here before, so it was hard to tell them apart!"

"That's him! I've seen him before! He's Wenxiu's man!"

"Yes! I've seen it too!"

……

As more and more discussions were added.

More people spoke up to confirm.

As the identity was confirmed, the expressions on the faces of the onlookers became even more surprised.

"This son-in-law from this poor mountain village can be a chef!"

“Is this skill feasible?”

"Of course it will work. Didn't you see that Shi Lin, who has a bad temper, is willing to help him light the fire?"

"It's really strange! A young man like Shilin can actually take the initiative to light a fire! It's rare!"

"From this point of view, this son-in-law is not bad! He is filial and can help in the kitchen!"

"Didn't he say he was very poor? Doesn't he know how to handle things? How come he doesn't look like that at all?"

……

the other side.

Ever since Lan Jianjun left the room, his mind was filled with the image of the birthday gifts piled up like a small mountain.

He just couldn't figure out where his extremely poor brother-in-law got so many expensive birthday gifts.

All these things added together would cost at least over a hundred yuan.

Is this the kind of thing that Fang Hongan can do as I understand him?
I am sure there must be something wrong here.

He was hot-tempered and wanted to confront Fang Hongan immediately.

As a result, I searched all around the backyard but couldn't find it.

Just when he was getting angry, when he turned to the door, he suddenly heard a lot of people discussing Fang Hongan's name.

After listening to it, Lan Jianjun became even more confused.

Fang Hongan!
Cooking in the kitchen?

Lan Jianjun almost suspected that there was something wrong with his ears.

Shocked, he hurried to the kitchen.

When he saw this, he was immediately stunned.

The one cooking with the spatula, isn't he his third brother-in-law Fang Hongan, whom he glanced at?
Been looking for a long time!

He actually came here!

A son-in-law comes here to help in the kitchen!
You're just fooling around and making a fool of yourself!

Lan Jianjun got excited and rushed over immediately: "Why are you doing this here?"

"Cooking!" Fang Hongan smiled faintly, "It's okay anyway!"

"Nonsense!" Lan Jianjun stamped his feet, "Get out of the way, let Brother Shi Lin cook!"

The big man who was burning the fire was the Lan Shilin mentioned by Lan Jianjun.

By now, he already knew Fang Hongan's identity.

After being amazed, he smiled awkwardly after hearing what Lan Jianjun said, and said to Lan Jianjun: "Jianjun! Let's let Master Fang do it! His cooking skills are much better than mine, and he cooks better! It just so happens... I also want to learn how to make the stir-fried beef slices with celery tender from him!"

"You...learned from him?"

Lan Jianjun looked at Lan Shilin infatuatedly and couldn't help but scratching his ears hard.

Only then did I hear that the people around me were echoing Lan Shilin's words.

What I'm saying is that Lan Shilin should learn from Fang Hongan. "..."

Lan Jianjun was completely confused.

Just at this moment, a sizzling sound of water drying up could be heard from the big iron pot.

Fang Hongan has already picked up the spatula and started working.

Lan Jianjun looked over with wide eyes, and saw Fang Hongan first shoveled away the water, then scooped oil into the pan, first stir-fried the meat slices, and then added the chili peppers...

It looks like an ordinary action, but in Fang Hongan's hands, it seems very relaxed and effortless.

While copying, he also answered various questions from Lan Shilin beside him.

By the time the questions were answered, a pot of stir-fried celery and beef was ready.

After the food was served, Lan Jianjun couldn't resist his curiosity, so he moved closer and impatiently picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.

Then, just purse your lips and chew gently.

Lan Jianjun's eyes suddenly widened into big round beads!
The beef slices are fried until they are as tender as if they were just cooked. The flavors of beef, celery, and stir-fried spices can all be clearly tasted.

By the way, stir-fried beef with celery is also a classic dish at the Lanxi Village banquet.

Families with better conditions usually have this dish when they prepare big banquets.

Lan Jianjun has eaten this many times, but without a doubt, this is the best fried beef with celery he has ever tasted!

But this...

It wasn’t cooked by Lan Shilin, the number one chef in the village.

It was that poor mountain brother-in-law whom she had never looked down upon who fried the chicken!

This is outrageous!

Lan Jianjun stood there in a daze, his mind a mess.

I didn't know what to say for a moment.

I was stunned for a long time.

"How is it? Is it delicious, brother!"

A faint questioning voice came into Lan Jianjun's ears.

Lan Jianjun looked in surprise and realized that Fang Hongan, who was sitting opposite the stove, had already served all the dishes in the big iron pot at some point, and was holding the big spatula, looking at him with a smile.

"Good...delicious!" Lan Jianjun responded in a daze.

Immediately, he lowered his eyes, too embarrassed to even look at Fang Hongan: "You...fry first! I have something...something to do first!"

He said a few words and left in a hurry.

Turning and walking away from the crowd, he couldn't wait to find his third sister Lan Wenxiu and ask her about it.

But just as he walked into the inner room, a majestic voice called him directly: "Jianjun! Come here!"

Lan Jianjun opened his eyes and saw that it was his father.

"Dad!" Lan Jianjun walked over with an embarrassed look on his face.

"boom!"

When Lan Jianjun walked into the inner room, Lan Zhenshan closed the door and said, "Jianjun! How was the stove just now?"

When Lan Zhenshan asked this, Lan Jianjun knew that his father must have been paying attention to what was happening in the kitchen.

Moreover, it was obvious that he also wanted to go over and find out what was going on.

It’s just not easy because of my identity.

So, I turned to ask myself who had just been there.

"Dad!" Lan Jianjun's facial muscles couldn't help but twitch, and he sighed, "I feel like there's something wrong with my mouth!"

"Fang Hongan's cooking tastes even better than Uncle Shi Lin's!"

"And! The way he talks is just as big as before!"

"Weird...so weird..."

Seeing that his eldest son's expression became more and more weird the more he spoke, Lan Zhenshan's expression became more and more confused.

……

……

This year.

Although it is a big banquet in the countryside.

In many ways, it was more rule-conscious than later generations.

From the row of seats, the order of dishes, the time of meal...

There are many opinions about this.

It was five minutes to noon.

The sound of firecrackers was heard near the archway.

The sound of firecrackers is the signal to remind the guests to take their seats quickly before the meal starts.

After preliminary preparation.

The main hall of the large red brick and tile house and the large areas in front of and on the sides of the house are already filled with square tables that can seat eight.

The bowls and chopsticks are neatly arranged, and the wine jugs and glasses are also fully available.

As the sound of firecrackers rang out.

They all began to sit down one after another in tacit understanding.

at this time.

Fang Hongan had already finished cooking those dishes and sat down with Lan Wenxiu.

The daughter and son-in-law who come back to the parents' home can be considered important characters in this birthday banquet.

So, according to the arrangement, Fang Hongan and his friends sat on the large flat ground, at the square table in the second row.

At the three square tables in the first row were the birthday man, relatives and elders, and the prestigious elders in the village...

Sitting at the same table with Fang Hongan and the others were naturally Lan Wenxiu’s eldest sister, second sister and their families, plus Lan Jianhui.

Because after Fang Hongan finished cooking, he simply washed his face and arrived a little late.

By the time we sat down, almost everyone in the seats nearby had already taken their seats.

From Fang Hongan hurriedly walking over to sitting down.

He was almost the focus of the whole audience.

Although everyone was discussing in whispers, as the voices increased, the fragmented and mixed sounds intertwined together, and the momentum seemed somewhat alarming.

At the same table, except for Lan Jianhui and Lan Wenhui's fat son who was about ten years old, all the eyes of others were focused on Fang Hongan.

Seeing this situation, Lan Wenxiu couldn't help but secretly reached out her hand and tightly grasped her husband's fist.

On the contrary, Fang Hongan, who was the focus, seemed very calm. He looked indifferent and smiled at everyone at the table. Then he took the wine jug and placed it in front of himself.

"Jianhui is still studying and doesn't drink! That's because I'm the youngest. I have the eldest sister and the eldest brother-in-law, the second sister and the second brother-in-law, and today I'm the one pouring the wine!"

After he finished speaking, he picked up the wine jug and started pouring wine.

Lan Wenhui, Lan Wenjuan and others watched the scene in front of them.

They couldn't help but look at each other again.

Different!
It's so different.

It's been less than half a year now, how come my brother-in-law, who used to be so taciturn, has changed so much!
With such calmness and familiarity in his every move, he doesn't look like a poor boy from the mountains at all.

"Hongan!" After hesitating for a long time, Lan Wenjuan finally couldn't help but speak, "It's been a long time! What big business have you been doing?"

In the Xiaonan area, the "big business" in spoken language does not specifically mean doing big business.

It is a very broad concept.

In addition to buying and selling, anything related to making money can be included.

"There's no big business!" Fang Hongan shook his head and smiled, his face full of sincerity. "The conditions on our mountain are poor. Two acres of land are not as good as one acre of land below the mountain! The land can't support us. We have no choice but to seek a living in the mountains."

Lan Wenjuan asked what this meant, and Fang Hongan understood.

This question did not surprise Fang Hongan at all.

The difference lies in who asks.

Fang Hongan had been prepared for this when he went out today.

If you are asked, you must answer it. Otherwise, the more you avoid it, the more people will ask.

But in front of so many people in public, with so many outsiders present, there was no need to tell them about the ways he made money, such as beekeeping, digging for honey, and digging for black bees.

Just give some vague directions.

Fang Hongan definitely did not lie when he said he was trying to make a living in the mountains.

But even those who know about it will not think about it in terms of raising honey, but will make their own inferences.

As expected, Lan Wenjuan seemed to have confirmed her guess after hearing what Fang Hongan said. She asked again, "Are you hunting in the mountains? I heard that your grandfather was a famous hunter!"

This was the attitude of getting to the bottom of things, which was pretty much what Fang Hongan was thinking. He nodded, "Yeah!"

"So that's it!"

Hearing this, Lan Wenhui on the side also had a look of enlightenment: "Then Hongan seems to be quite lucky! There are big mountains over there, and I heard that there are indeed a lot of game. You have found the right way!"

"Yes!" The elder brother-in-law on the side echoed, "I said it before, the big mountain valley has its own advantages!"

"But you can earn money from hunting! But you have to be careful!"

Fang Hongan's elder brother-in-law, named Lan Guihai, has always been a steady person, and doesn't have any ulterior motives.

"Yes! I heard that the wild boars in the mountains are very vicious. When they go crazy, they can pierce a person's stomach... Hongan, you have to be careful!"

"Hongan, can you take us down the mountain someday so we can broaden our horizons?"

The person who spoke this time was Fang Hongan's second brother-in-law, Yang Huaping, from Yangjiatang Village next to Lanxi.

There is an old man who is the village party secretary. His mind is much more active and the expressions on his face change much faster.

(End of this chapter)