126 It Was of Great Use
Old Master Su was puzzled because they usually threw the pheasant’s feathers away. He wondered why his granddaughter asked him to wash the feathers instead.
‘Is she worried that I might get tired chopping wood? Is that why she’s deliberately telling me to wash the feathers?’
Since his granddaughter had told him to do that, it could only mean the feathers would be helpful. “Binglan, should I dry the feathers after washing them?”
Su Binglan was disemboweling the pheasant to make crispy pheasant. She initially planned to make crispy fried pheasant, but after some thought, she knew it would use up a lot of oil. Commoners would typically be reluctant to use so much oil.
Although she wanted to use the oil, she knew her grandparents would not be willing, so she thought it was better to save it instead.
Therefore, Su Binglan decided to make pheasant stew with mushrooms. When it rained, her grandparents went to the mountains to pick mushrooms.
Pheasant and mushrooms complimented each other and would produce a fresh and delicious flavor. Something so pure would undoubtedly taste good.
Su Binglan was thinking about what to cook when she heard her grandfather’s question. She explained smilingly, “Yes, Grandpa. You need to dry the feathers because they will be useful afterward.
Su Binglan piqued Old Master Su’s interest. “Oh? What would we use pheasant feathers for?” Old Master Su never knew he could use pheasant feathers for anything.
Meanwhile, Old Madam Su was washing mushrooms when she asked curiously, “Yeah, what can we use pheasant feathers for, Binglan? I only know we can make shuttlecocks out of them.”
Even a shuttlecock would not need that many feathers.
Su Binglan said smilingly, “Haven’t you guys used pheasant feathers before?”
Old Madam Su responded, “N-No, I never thought to do anything with such a small amount of feathers. At most, we can dry them and use them to make a fire, but it won’t burn for long.”
There were few feathers on a pheasant, and it would be useless.
Su Binglan said, “Chicken feathers, duck feathers, and even goose feathers are useful to keep yourselves warm. You will understand when it gets cold during the winter.”
Su Binglan wanted to make a down jacket and down quilt so it would not be so cold during the winter. It was an ancient era, and there was no heating.
Although every household had a brick bed that they could warm up with fire, the winter was frigid, and it would sometimes freeze the ground. A fire could only heat their brick beds, but the cold air would still be a problem.
Having a down jacket or down quilt would help alleviate that problem.
Although Su Binglan did not tell the elderly couple how she would use the pheasant feathers, they thought their granddaughter was right.
“Okay, Binglan, we will wash and dry any feathers we find so you can use them.”
Su Binglan thought of something and said, “Oh right, I remember that Third Uncle has raised some sheep. Am I right?”
Old Madam Su replied, “Yes, your third uncle has a few sheep,” as she spoke, she guessed something and asked, “Is their wool useful too?”
Su Binglan replied, “Yes, Grandma. The wool is indeed useful because we can weave them into sweaters.”
When the weather was cold, one would typically wear a sweater inside and a down jacket on the outside to keep themselves warm.
Su Binglan had finished disemboweling the pheasant as she spoke. She placed the pheasant on the chopping board and prepared to hack it into pieces.
Old Master Su, Old Madam Su, and Su Fengchen became anxious when they saw Su Binglan reaching for the cleaver.
Su Fengchen was the closest to her, so he hurriedly said, “Binglan, don’t accidentally cut your hand. Let me do it.”
Su Binglan looked at Su Fengchen and said, “Uncle, your right hand…” She feared hurting her uncle’s self-esteem and did not know to continue.
Su Fengchen looked at his hand and said, “I-It’s okay. I’ve practiced cutting vegetables using my left hand over the past few years.”
Su Binglan felt terrible when she heard that. Su Binglan knew if she had been in the same position, she would not have mastered her knife skills.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Fengchen. I won’t cut my hand because I cook at home too,” she said as she started hacking the chicken.
The trio was shocked when they saw Su Binglan’s knife skills.