55: Chapter 56 Sweet and Sour Ribs_1 55: Chapter 56 Sweet and Sour Ribs_1 Before long, all the back baskets were sold.
She saw that there was still time to return home to cook a meal.
Qiao Duo’er told Sun Erhu and Er Ya to eat something before heading back, with a heavy purse tucked in her arms, she felt quite content.
She thought that by saving basket frames for five or six days, she could surely earn a few hundred Wen Money.
Passing by the pork stall, Qiao Duo’er bought some pork fat and ribs.
Ever since she arrived here, there had always been soup and water to drink, even though it was tasty, she had grown tired of it, so today, she decided to make sweet and sour ribs to mix things up.
“Er Ya, you did really well today, I’ll cook some meat for you later!”
Qiao Duo’er casually rubbed Er Ya’s head.
Er Ya was now quite familiar with Qiao Duo’er and immediately nodded in agreement, “I’ll help you start the fire!”
Qiao Duo’er didn’t stand on ceremony with Er Ya either, not freeloading was a good quality, worthy of praise.
After returning home, Qiao Duo’er got busy preparing lunch.
She washed the ribs clean, put a small amount of oil in the pot, and sautéed the green onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then added the ribs to stir-fry.
When the ribs turned slightly yellow, she poured the previously mixed sauce into the pot and just had to simmer them with water after they changed color.
With Da Ya and Er Ya watching the fire, Qiao Duo’er took the opportunity to slice the Mountain Ginseng with a bamboo knife.
Ginseng was a good thing, but since the original body was in serious deficit, she could only replenish slowly; otherwise, it would not only fail to nourish but even backfire due to excessive weakness.
And the most warming nourishing method was to soak it in alcohol.
As the Mountain Ginseng was already dried, she placed the ginseng slices directly into the alcohol jar to soak for three months, which would be ready for drinking.
By then it would be autumn, not too easy to cause excessive internal heat.
Qiao Duo’er placed the alcohol under the bed, then went out to rinse and cook the rice, and cleaned the string beans and Portulaca oleracea.
Portulaca oleracea was the most abundant wild vegetable of the season and had anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects, which were very beneficial for Tan Zhenghong’s injuries.
So Qiao Duo’er often made it in different ways, planning today to prepare a cold dish, cooled in the well after mixing – perfect for summer.
When the meal was ready, Qiao Duo’er called Erhu, who was slicing Bamboo Strips, back to eat.
Bamboo Strips were the material for Tan Zhenghong to make things, both Sun Erhu and Hu’s Clan did the slicing; Hu’s Clan was very strong and did not perform any less than Sun Erhu when it came to work.
Qiao Duo’er asked Da Ya and Er Ya to also invite Hu’s Clan to join them for the meal, it was only right to not let someone help for nothing.
Although Hu’s Clan felt that the two girls often freeloaded meals from her, she voluntarily came to help, Qiao Duo’er still could not accept this with peace of mind.
Once everyone was present, they began to eat.
Qiao Duo’er picked out some bones with cartilage and put them in Tan Zhenghong’s bowl, it was now time for him to grow and strengthen his bones, so he needed plenty of calcium.
There was a suspicious flush on Tan Zhenghong’s face; being cared for by his wife in front of so many people still made him a little uncomfortable.
However, he felt rather happy inside.
Seeing that Hu’s Clan and her daughters were all just eating with their heads lowered, Qiao Duo’er could only say, “You all eat up, the ribs are cheap and not worth much, you’ve helped me a lot, I have nothing else to show my appreciation with, only inviting you for a meal.”
In ancient times, the prices were indeed strange; bones and ribs were very cheap and often disliked.
“I should thank you, these two girls have caused you no small trouble,” Hu’s Clan said with embarrassment, and indeed, both girls liked Qiao Duo’er so much that she couldn’t stop them.
“The two girls have been a great help, where is the trouble?”
Qiao Duo’er winked at the two girls.
Hu’s Clan then took a piece and after eating it, she did not reach out for more.
It was the same with Da Ya and Er Ya, it had to be said, Hu’s Clan had raised her children well.