Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 857 856 Brother-in-law, you're so naughty
When Xiao Wang said he wanted to eat green beans, Tang Zhitong's first thought was to make a pot of braised noodles with green beans.

Braised noodles with green beans is a common dish in the noodle-eating regions of central and northern China, mainly distributed in Henan and Hebei provinces. This dish is not found in Tangjia.

Tang Zhitong had eaten here a few times before and thought the taste was okay, so he could give it a try.

Authentic braised noodles with green beans must have pork belly, and the rendered fat is used to enhance the aroma. However, it is quite difficult to find meat right now, and Tang Zhitong cannot simply pull pork belly out of his space. He can only settle for using the pork fat he had previously stored.

"I'll pick the green beans!" Upon hearing that her husband was going to make braised noodles with green beans, Xiao Wang became interested, after all, Director Ye was from Henan Province, and she had eaten it before.

“There are wooden sticks inside, it’s easy to trip over them. Fengzhen and Fengzhi are both idle, there’s no reason for you to do any work. You should rest.” Zhang Guifang quickly stopped her daughter-in-law when she saw her daughter-in-law was about to start working.

Although there is a folk custom of not spreading the news for at least three months, as a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, there was no reason to keep such news from Zhang Guifang.

Zhang Guifang had been eagerly awaiting this good news, and naturally refused to let her daughter-in-law do any more work.

As a result, Xiao Wang's status in the family has been elevated once again, firmly placing him at the top of the family hierarchy, to the point where anyone who doesn't know their place will get a beating.

"Don't look at me, it won't help. At most, I'll let you pick some kidney beans." Xiao Wang was not used to the change in family treatment and looked to her husband for help. Tang Zhitong did not give in to her. Not only was his mother worried, but he was also worried.

In the end, the task of picking kidney beans fell to the sisters Fengzhen and Fengzhi.

Influenced by local colloquialisms, customs, and preferences, kidney beans have an outrageous number of aliases, such as string beans, kidney flat beans, string beans, green beans, jade beans, and oil beans. In many places, they are even collectively referred to as string beans.

Green beans and pea shoots are two essential vegetables in the Tang family's courtyard year-round. Although they contain toxins and can easily cause poisoning and diarrhea if not cooked thoroughly, Zhang Guifang has not changed this habit under the influence of the old lady.

According to the old lady, green beans and bean pods are nourishing, which is why the child grew up to be so strong and tall.

Tang Zhitong agrees with this statement.

In the internet age, many people joke that Shandong has the highest food poisoning rate in the country, and they don't understand why people would eat soybeans if they are so likely to cause diarrhea.

Tang Zhitong felt that this was related to the scars of famine. Cowpeas, scientifically known as cowpea, are easy to grow and have a high yield. In the summer, a bunch can be bought for one yuan, making them very popular among the people.

Moreover, cowpeas have a much higher protein, calcium, and sodium content than other vegetables at the same time, making them a true all-rounder. Farmers have no reason not to grow this easy-to-manage vegetable.

Under the influence of this dietary structure, the average height of Shandong people has jumped to the top in the country.

Some people say that the average height of Shandong people is related to their economic level, but Tang Zhitong does not agree with this statement.

Looking at the world, no matter how developed the economy is, the rich are only a minority. Most people are of average means, and the rest are busy struggling for a few coins.

Once averages are involved, how can people who toil and struggle for a few taels of silver afford to feed their children meat, eggs, and milk every meal?

Inexpensive soybeans and tofu have become the main sources of protein intake.

Making braised noodles with green beans is simple. After making the hand-pulled noodles, sprinkle some vegetable oil on them, knead them evenly with your hands, and then steam them for five to ten minutes.

Since there was no meat at home, Tang Zhitong chose to use animal fat to bring out the aroma of the spices, then stir-fry the green beans, and finally add salt, soy sauce, and sea cucumber powder for seasoning.

Pour in boiling water and simmer for five minutes. Set aside a bowl of soup, then add the steamed noodles to the pot.

Sprinkle the broth evenly over the noodles, cover the pot, and steam for another three to five minutes. Then stir well and serve.

"Brother, it's delicious! Did you eat braised noodles at the state banquet and then make them for us?" Fengzhi finished a large bowl herself, still wanting more.

“This dish isn’t served at state banquets. I learned how to make it from someone else.” Tang Zhitong reached out and scooped up the bottom of her sister’s bowl, handing it to her and instructing her, “You can’t eat any more after you finish this.”

"Hmm." After learning that this was all she could eat, Fengzhi slowed down her eating pace, asking Tang Zhitong as she ate, "Brother, what kind of dishes are served at the state banquet? Are they better than braised noodles?"

"Every inch has its advantages and every foot its disadvantages. There is no such thing as a perfect dish. The dish that tastes good to you is the good dish." Tang Zhitong, as usual, avoided this kind of question.

State banquets are of a high standard; in addition to the exquisite dishes, there is also a special dish.

Tang Zhitong caught some sea cucumbers on his trip to Andong. Although the estuary wasn't the best place for sea cucumbers, they were still wild and pollution-free, so they were fine for his family to eat.

However, Tang Zhitong felt that he could only make braised sea cucumber with scallions at most, and could not replicate the broth-based sea cucumber. The chickens used to make the broth were not only specially farmed, but also of a specific breed.

Fortunately, I hadn't eaten shark fin in the previous two days.

After all, they've seen the "No buying, no harm" public service announcement and haven't eaten shark fin soup. Now they can openly shout, "I'm not part of your decadent lifestyle; if the earth is destroyed, it's all my fault!"

The younger sister is easy to fool, but Xiao Wang is not. She watched her husband's performance with a smile.

After finishing dinner, Tang Zhitong returned to his room and first opened the letter he hadn't had time to read.

The letter was written by Shi Zhengze. The instructions for using the incubator and the troubleshooting guide have been compiled. Because they couldn't contact Tang Zhitong, the research team has handed them over to the hospital.

In addition, Shi Zhengze was very pleased to inform Tang Zhitong that the incubator had been completed and put into use, and was currently hatching chicks for the farm.

The reason we dared to put it into use is that He Ping's side had already proven the stability, reliability, and insulation effect of the incubator through experiments. The brood of chicks used in the experiment had grown up and were able to fly short distances.

"Hey, He Ping can go out and be a circus performer now." Tang Zhitong was very happy after reading the letter. He handed the letter to his classmate Xiao Wang and pointed to the paragraph about He Ping's bird-raising achievements.

"What acrobat?" Xiao Wang put down his book, somewhat confused.

"The incubator project, you should have seen He Ping's baby birds when you went last time, right?"
For the sake of this experiment, she did not participate in the production labor organized by the school and stayed at the Post and Telecommunications Institute to take care of the chicks.

Those birds are cuckoos, and they've grown up.

They all followed He Ping; wherever she went, they flew there. As long as He Ping called out, they would land in her hands.

At the end of the letter, Shi Zhengze wrote about He Ping's experimental results, which were very successful and many classmates were envious.

It's said that research classes are all male students. Which boy didn't dream of raising an obedient bird when he was a child?

"That must be so much fun!" After reading the video, Xiao Wang imagined He Ping walking his bird with a hint of longing.

"The holidays are coming soon, so you can invite her over to play. Let's see what a well-behaved cuckoo looks like." The outside world isn't as safe as it used to be, and Xiao Wang is pregnant again, so Tang Zhitong doesn't plan to let her run around everywhere.

“Okay! I’ll write her a letter.” Little Wang stopped reading, grabbed a pen and paper, and was about to make an appointment with He Ping.

"Okay, let's go to Chunshu Hutong tomorrow. The insulated box project is almost finished, and we need to arrange a celebration party." Tang Zhitong folded Shi Zhengze's letter, stuffed it into an envelope, and put it in a drawer to save it.

Although it wasn't written in the letter, Tang Zhitong could guess from the letter that the research team wanted him to keep his promise and hold a celebration party with meat.

This promise must be kept, and the job quota in Beijing must also be fulfilled. Both of these can only be carried out legitimately with Director Ye's involvement.

“Okay, I haven’t told Mom about the pregnancy yet. Let’s tell her together tomorrow.” When talking about pregnancy, Xiao Wang looked at her husband with a blush of happiness on her face.

"Then it's settled." Tang Zhitong smiled and took out a letter.

The letter was addressed to Mark Jian, and the main point was simple—Third Brother, can you share a recipe?

Although Tang Zhitong knew roughly what ingredients were used in coral cabbage, he was not clear about the specific cooking method.

These days, there's no internet, and there are few published cookbooks. Many dishes are passed down orally from master to apprentice.

This is where the advantage of Ma Kejian's work comes into play. No matter how difficult the dish is, he can get the recipe through the organization, and there's not necessarily only one way to make it.

Sunday, May 6.

When Zhang Guifang learned that the young couple was going to Chunshu Hutong, in addition to the freshly picked kidney beans, she insisted that they also take some flour with them.

"Mom, just bring cornmeal, we can keep the flour for ourselves." Xiao Wang disagreed. The flour was bought by her mother-in-law with her own grain coupons when the grain store had no coarse grains available. Now that the grain store has resumed supplying coarse grains, there will be no more opportunities to buy flour like this. She certainly couldn't use the fine grains her mother-in-law bought to subsidize her family.

"Mom, any kind of noodles will do, so let's just bring cornmeal. The extra can be saved for Wenwen." Tang Zhitong made the final decision when she saw her mother was about to refuse again.

"I'm not asking for special treatment, we'll all eat together." Xiao Wang understood what her husband meant and glared at him.

Zhang Guifang understood and agreed with a beaming smile.

"Why should we leave it for my sister-in-law?" Fengzhi asked, bewildered and confused.

"Children shouldn't ask such questions." Zhang Guifang couldn't win against her daughter-in-law, but she was more than capable of educating her daughter.

Tang Zhitong packed the cornmeal and green beans into sacks and tied them to the front bar of the bicycle. Xiao Wang sat on the back on a cushion that his mother-in-law had made for him a few years ago, and the young couple set off happily.

On the west side of Chongwenmen Gate, figures were busy at work on the city wall. They were not refugees, but workers from a factory.

If this land is used well, it can yield at least two harvests a year. It may not be enough to solve the food problem, but it can solve the problem of side dishes for many people, just like the Tang family did.

When they arrived at the gate of the Women's Federation dormitory, Gao Dashan was squatting at the entrance of the gatehouse, whipping himself with a rolled-up newspaper.

"Master Gao, I'd like to use your fishing rod later. I'm taking Jingmin fishing this afternoon." After some pleasantries, Tang Zhitong made his request.

"Okay, I'll get it for you in a bit." Having spent a long time with Zhang Ye, Gao Dashan's speech had begun to resemble Zhang Ye's.

"Okay, thank you, Master Gao." Tang Zhitong said with a smile, pushed the bicycle to the entrance of the building, took the sack off the front bar, and carried it upstairs.

"mom!"

The young couple had just entered the door and greeted Ye Zhijuan when Jingmin, who had been holding back for so long, blurted out, "Hmph! Liar! Big liar! He lied to me about fishing, but he never took me!"

"Can't you understand human language? Your brother-in-law has a job, he didn't stand you up on purpose. The first thing your brother-in-law did when he came into the yard was to borrow a fishing rod from Master Gao. He really beat you up for nothing last time!" Little Wang was unhappy. Before he even sat down, he started rolling up his sleeves, acting as if he was going to give Jingmin another lecture.

"Jingmin is still young, don't take it to heart. You can't afford to mess with him. If you really want to fight, wait a few more months, we'll settle it next year." Tang Zhitong was quick-witted and put down the sack, grabbed Xiao Wang and pressed him onto the sofa.

"You're pregnant?" Upon hearing this, Ye Zhijuan was first taken aback, then overjoyed. She quickly walked to the sofa, sat down next to Xiao Wang, and took her daughter's hand.

"Hmph!" Jingmin became even bolder when he heard that they would settle the accounts together next year, and he made faces at Tang Zhitong and his older sister.

"No need to wait until next year, I'm here!" Jingying couldn't stand it anymore. She realized that her older sister was pregnant, so she quickly took over the stick from her older sister to discipline her naughty younger brother.

Seeing that he was about to get beaten up, Jingmin didn't just wait around. He slipped into the bedroom and tried to close the door and lock it from the inside.

How could Tang Zhitong possibly comply with his wishes? With her long legs of 1.8 meters, she took two steps and stepped into the crack in the door before Jingmin could close it.

"Brother-in-law, I was wrong, please, take your foot away." Jingmin pleaded as he held the door open from the inside, unable to close it.

"You're squeezing my foot, let go and I'll take it out." Of course, it was impossible for her foot to actually be squeezed; Tang Zhitong's knee was pressed against the door. While trying to fool Jingmin behind the door, Tang Zhitong winked at her sister-in-law next to her.

"Really?" Jingmin asked tentatively from inside.

"Really, it's more real than taking you fishing. Let go of me, and we'll go fishing after lunch."

"Then I'll trust you this once." Upon hearing that he could also go fishing, Jingmin immediately gave in.

Although Tang Zhitong agreed, Jingying did not. Taking advantage of her brother's relaxed vigilance, she pushed the door in and squeezed in.

"Jingying, go inside and close the door to fight, don't disturb your older sister." Director Ye overheard the children's conversation and made the arrangement immediately, cutting off his son's escape route.

Hearing the sounds coming from the bedroom, Tang Zhitong was quite satisfied. He called out through the door, "Jingying, I'll make you braised noodles with green beans for lunch!"

"Okay!" Jingying readily agreed and worked even harder.

Jingying understood the underlying meaning of Tang Zhitong's words.

Having braised noodles with green beans for lunch isn't just about what you eat, it's also about who cooks it.

"Ah!" Jingmin's scream grew louder as Jingying's slap landed.

Tang Zhitong listened to the melodious music outside the door, a satisfied smile on his face. A sapling will not grow straight if it is not pruned. To be fair, he had always treated Jingmin well, never lacking him food or entertainment. Yet, he gave Jingmin a hard time just because he failed to deliver on his fishing promise once. Was this the persistence of a fishing enthusiast?
Director Ye and student Xiao Wang acted as if they hadn't heard anything, holding hands and whispering to each other on the sofa.

Xiao Wang lowered his head, a shy smile on his face.

Tang Zhitong felt that his mother-in-law was giving Xiao Wang some advice, telling him how to be careful later on. This was indeed a task that his own mother should do.

After a long while, there was no more movement in the bedroom.

The first one to come out was Jingying, who was rubbing her hands. Judging from her movements, it was clear that she wasn't holding back.

Then came Jingmin, tears streaming down his face, looking at Tang Zhitong with a resentful expression: "Brother-in-law, you're so mean."

Tang Zhitong chuckled. It seemed that the kid had finally understood what he was saying under Jingying's guidance. Good. This time, he would teach him a lesson.

(End of this chapter)