Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
They used two roosters, and a rabbit and cut them into different slices. The meat was marinated with seasoning for the grill.
They even marinated wings, chickens' stomachs and feet, so everyone was able to have a portion each.
They picked several three-finger wide crucian carps for marination as well.
There were a few quibs as well added in.
Apart from the meat dishes, they also prepared a few vegetables, including fresh shiitake mushrooms, leeks, winter bamboo shoot slices, winter melon slices, pumpkin slices, yam slices, Chinese cabbages, etc.
To avoid the grill getting too oily, they chopped the roosters and pigeons into four big dices and marinated them with ginger and cooked wine for porridge.
Qiao Xuan made the seasoning. In the evening, they started the fire for the grill.
The two stoves were covered with wire, and pieces of marinated meat were roasted on them. Soon, the meat started to sizzle and smelled great. Shao Junyan and Shao Qing were walking around, eagerly waiting to eat. They could hear laughter in the backyard.
Ms. Niu was very happy to see Ms. Yan bringing wild roosters and rabbits as well as bamboo home.
Ms. Yan said that she bought them from Eldest Aunt, who sold them at a very low price. She even gave her the winter bamboos.
Hearing that some money was spent, Ms. Niu felt heart-broken. She complained in an annoyed voice. "Your Eldest Aunt is bullying you! She even asked you for money!"
Ms. Yan was speechless. She forced a smile and said, "Mom, Eldest Aunt did not want it, but I insisted. We can't always take free things from them, right? I would not give away things for free if they ask me all the time as well. Also, it is really cheap! Let's cook the rooster with winter bamboo and leave the rabbit for tomorrow night!"
She did not like what Ms. Yan said, but she did not counter her.
But when she thought that she did not pay herself and Ms. Yan did it for her sake, so she decided not to continue discussing it.
She still added. "Don't be so silly next time. Qi can hunt, and he can share stuff with us easily. We don't need to pay them!"
Ms. Yan smiled. "I am going to cook now…"
Ms. Yan found the whole concept so strange. How could someone take things without paying and still find it reasonable?
But she could not say anything against her mother-in-law, though she disapproved of her behavior.
But she could say something to her husband…
The next day, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan went to the Zhang Village.
They visited Ding Erzhu and his wife as well as a few tenants, discussing plowing when spring arrived.
Then, they met the Land Officer at the Zhang Village, informing him that the creeping figs and tea trees would be ready for cutting. This was the right time.
It was neither cold nor hot, and the cuttings and transplanting would not lose water. After the first spring rain, they could quickly revive, take root and germinate.
Also, Qiao Xuan was surely going to take care of those plants with her superpower. They would survive and grow well.
The villagers were willing to make some money for the early spring plow.
Qiao Xuan asked the villagers to apply at Ding Erzhu's place. There were ten vacancies maximum, one from each family, until the positions were filled.
The villagers would do the cutting, whilst the tenants would do transplanting.
When the arrangement was done, they went into the mountains to dig tea tree seedlings and cut the creeping figs.
They asked only their own people to do the work, rather than anyone outside the family..