1986: Old Stories in Northeast China

"My dear daughter, it's time to get up."

Early the next morning, Chen Tiezhu shouted.

"Dad, lie down for a while, it's warm in the quilt."

Doudou opened his eyes and replied.

"The children will come over soon, and you won't have a chance to share candy with them." Chen Tiezhu said.

"Dad, Doudou is up."

As soon as Chen Tiezhu finished speaking, the little guy immediately started dressing.

The quilt was indeed very warm, but sharing candy with the children would be even more fulfilling.

"You will become a lazy bug in the future."

After the little guy came out of the room, Chen Tiezhu said.

"Dad, Doudou is not a lazy bug. Doudou is good enough, but Doudou is afraid of the cold." The little guy said seriously.

"Yes, you are afraid of the cold. When you play during the day, sometimes you don't even wear a hat." Han Xiuying added.

The little guy pretended not to hear and ran to the courtyard to check the stove candy and Yuanxiao stuffing made yesterday.

This was very satisfying, it was really good.

As for today's breakfast, the little guy ate it absent-mindedly. From time to time, he looked outside to see if the children had come.

"Yingzi, drive the car away and come back to eat Yuanxiao at noon." Chen Tiezhu said.

"Well, do you think our village passed or not?" Han Xiuying asked.

"What?" Chen Tiezhu began to play dumb.

"Master's wife, cut him, I can't stand it." Lu Dan began to add fuel to the fire.

"Who said yesterday that we should practice twice as much? It seems that he ran a small circle at the door in the morning?" Chen Tiezhu said.

Lu Dan kept silent and began to eat breakfast seriously.

"Uncle Jianguo didn't come last night, so he must have passed. If he didn't pass, he would definitely come to notify us after the meeting." Chen Tiezhu said with a smile.

"Don't worry. Whether it can be done depends on how much parents value their children's education. Even if it doesn't work in the first one or two years, it will get better slowly."

Han Xiuying nodded, as if that was the case.

Just after breakfast, the children in the village rushed to his yard as if they had made an appointment.

They probably stayed at home for a long time, afraid of delaying his family's dinner.

Chen Tiezhu didn't have to worry about this job. The two girls could do it with Doudou.

When it came to playing, the two girls were no less happy than Doudou.

"Uncle Jianguo, it seems that it was approved last night?"

At this time, He Jianguo also came over with a pipe, and Chen Tiezhu greeted him.

"It's approved, but who will send the children and cook for them has not been determined yet." He Jianguo said with a smile.

"Let everyone sign up for the next two days, and then let Yadong and Yanan put the whole frame on the carriage. Hang felt in winter and plastic in summer to keep out the wind and rain."

"At the beginning, everyone didn't really understand how good this was. After talking for a while, everything became clear. Although it's going directly to the town to go to school, it looks far, but it's actually nothing."

"That's good, Uncle Dong and his family are a bit busy with work recently." Chen Tiezhu nodded with a smile.

"What's the matter? Do you still have to shake the Yuanxiao yourself?" He Jianguo asked.

"Take the children to play, there are many children in the family. Big children, small children, they are all quiet." Chen Tiezhu said with a smile.

Lu Dan listened, but pretended not to hear it, still cutting sugar melons very seriously, and asked Doudou to share them with the children.

"That's it for now, I still have to go to the factory. The mushroom sticks produced now look really good, but the fermentation of our culture medium, it would be better if it could be faster." He Jianguo said.

"We have to wait until the weather is warmer so that fermentation can be faster. I'll ask the machinery factory to make two larger jars so that we can make more at a time." Chen Tiezhu said.

"I didn't expect it to be so large. Now there are people from other towns who want to grow mushrooms, and they will come to visit during the day."

"I may have to go out in two days. If someone comes, please greet them. They are also brothers I met outside, and they are all our own people."

"Then, come and do it, leave it to me." He Jianguo nodded, and then strolled out.

"Okay, comrades, after distributing the candy, you can have Yuanxiao at my house at noon. But there are not so many bowls, so go home and get chopsticks later."

Looking at the happy children, Chen Tiezhu greeted them again.

This is incredible. These children are so happy all of a sudden.

In fact, it doesn't matter whether the Yuanxiao is delicious or not. The key is to be able to continue playing.

"Master, how do we make Yuanxiao?" Lu Danasked curiously.

"We already have the filling, so we'll spray some water on it, put some glutinous rice flour in the basin, and just shake it." Chen Tiezhu said.

"Otherwise, how can we call it shaking Yuanxiao? Just shake it out little by little. Shake it for a while, take it out and spray some water, and then continue shaking it."

"We shake Yuanxiao in the north, and make glutinous rice balls in the south. That is to say, mix the glutinous rice flour, then wrap the filling, roll it into a ball, and that's it."

"Hehe, Master, make some of them." Lu Dan said with a smile.

"Every day, they love to play more than the children." Chen Tiezhu said helplessly.

It was redundant for me to say that I had to take them to play.

But this job can't be done by myself alone. There are two free big laborers, so they must come together.

The two girls didn't know how difficult this job would be, and they were excited to hold the basin filled with glutinous rice flour and get ready.

"I'll give you an example." Chen Tiezhu said as he sprayed some water on ten fillings and then threw them into the basin.

"It's mainly about shaking. The more stable the shaking, the more evenly the fillings can be coated with glutinous rice. As for other difficulties, there is no difficulty at all."

He had to give the girls an example, and then he held the basin and shook it.

The fillings inside were also covered with glutinous rice powder after his strong shaking.

After taking it out, he sprayed some water carefully, and then threw it into the basin and shook it.

"Simple, too simple." Lu Dan said confidently.

"Yeah, simple." Doudou beside him also nodded in agreement.

Then he picked up two fillings, dipped them in some water, and threw them into his own small basin, shaking it vigorously...

"Sister Dandan, how did Doudou's Yuanxiao get into your basin?" Doudou frowned.

"Wait, I have to study it too, this thing doesn't seem to be very obedient." Lu Dan also frowned.

When I saw the master shaking it, it was very simple, spinning in the basin. But when I shook it myself, why did it feel a bit fierce?