Transmigrated into a fat wife, farming, raising children, and picking up husbands

"The water's hot!" Hu Yidao shouted. "Sister Lin, you can start plucking the chicken now!"

Lin Xiuer responded and walked over with the slaughtered chicken in her arms.

Pour hot water into a basin, put the chicken in to scald it, then take it out; its feathers will loosen.

Xiao He helped pluck the feathers, and the chicken was quickly groomed until it was completely plucked.

Xiao He was helping with the plucking of the pig's hair. She picked up a basket, carried a wooden basin to the well, drew water, and began to clean the pig offal one by one.

In Lao Hu's basket, besides pig stomach, pig intestines, pig heart, and pig liver, there were also two pig trotters, all cleaned up quite well, saving her a lot of trouble.

She squatted by the well, head down, carefully washing. After the first rinse with clean water, blood mixed with filth flowed down.

The second time, rub with salt, turn the pig intestines and stomach inside out, rub off the slippery mucus inside, and then rinse with clean water.

I changed the flour a third time, and rubbed and washed again until the water came out clear and bright, without any more turbidity.

Lin Xiuer picked up the last piece of pig's stomach, held it up to the sun, and nodded in satisfaction. "It's clean."

By the time she finished tidying everything up, the stove was almost dry as well.

Hu Yidao squatted at the stove opening and added a few more pieces of firewood. The flames roared up, and the water in the pot was boiling, bubbling and churning with white waves.

Lin Xiuer carried the wooden basin over and put the washed pig offal into the pot one by one to blanch and remove the fishy smell.

Pig's trotters are the first to go into the pot; the skin is thick and the meat is firm, so they need to be cooked for a while. Next come the pig's stomach and intestines; these two need to be cooked thoroughly, otherwise they will be too tough to chew.

Set the pig's heart and liver aside and add them later; they'll get tough if cooked for too long.

Lin Xiuer sliced ​​a few pieces of ginger and threw them into the pot. As soon as the water boiled, the aroma of meat wafted out.

It wasn't a strong fragrance, but a faint one, with a slightly fishy smell, which was quickly dissipated by the boiling water.

She used a spoon to stir the mixture, skimming off the foam that rose to the surface, cleaning it thoroughly spoonful by spoonful.

"Sister, how long will it take to cook?" Xiaohe asked.

"The pig's trotters need to cook for a while, about half an hour. The pig's stomach and intestines will be cooked about the same. Once they're almost done, take them out and put them in a separate pot for braising."

As she spoke, she instructed Xiaohe to add another piece of firewood to the stove. The fire blazed even brighter, and the water in the pot boiled even more vigorously.

About 15 minutes later, Lin Xiuer poked the pig's trotter with her chopsticks. The skin had softened and she could pierce it.

She poked the pig's stomach again, and when it was almost done, she took it out.

Ping An appeared beside him at some point and handed him a clean, large wooden basin.

Blanch the pig's heart and liver last, but don't blanch them for too long. Take them out as soon as they change color, otherwise they will become tough and not taste good.

Lin Xiuer used a strainer to scoop out each item one by one: pig's trotters, pig's stomach, pig's intestines, pig's heart, and pig's liver. She filled a large basin to the brim, steaming hot.

Pour out the water from the pot, wash it clean again, and put it back on the stove.

Lin Xiuer began preparing the braising liquid.

The soy sauce was freshly made today; I poured it into a bowl. Salt, sugar, and rice wine were also prepared.

She prepared the spices herself: star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili peppers, all packed in a small cloth bag and tied tightly.

Heat the pot, add oil, and then add a few pieces of rock sugar. Simmer over low heat until the rock sugar melts and turns into an amber-colored syrup, bubbling gently.

"This is caramelizing sugar," Lin Xiuer said to Xiao He, who was tending the fire, as she stirred. "Whether the braised pork looks good or not depends on this step."

Once the caramelized sugar is ready, pour boiling water into the pot. With a "sizzle," white steam rises as the caramelized sugar dissolves, and the soup instantly turns a bright red.

Pour in the soy sauce, throw in the spice packet, and pour in the Shaoxing wine as well.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. The broth slowly boils in the pot, and the aroma begins to waft out layer by layer.

The aroma of star anise, the sweetness of cinnamon, the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, and the spiciness of chili peppers are hidden in the background; you have to sniff carefully to detect them.

Several fragrances mingled together, and when steamed, filled the entire courtyard.

Lin Xiuer first put the blanched pig's trotters, intestines, and stomach into the pot. These are the ones that need to be stewed for a long time, so she put them in first as a base.

Add ginger slices and a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer over low heat.

The fragrance grew stronger and stronger, wafting in waves, carried everywhere by the wind.

Xiao He stood by the pot, sniffing the aroma, her nose twitching, her eyes fixed on the lid as if she wanted to see right through it.

"Sister," she swallowed hard, "Are you done yet?"

"Don't rush," Lin Xiuer smiled. "It's only just been put into the pot, so it needs to simmer slowly until it's fully cooked and flavorful."

Xiao He nodded, but didn't move her feet; she remained standing by the pot.

The fragrance continued to waft outwards, from the west wing, across the front yard, and over the courtyard wall.

Chen Mingxuan was weeding in the corner when he smelled the aroma and walked to the stove, craning his neck to look inside.

"Xiuer, are you done yet?"

Lin Xiuer didn't even turn her head: "It's still a long way off, it just went into the pot."

Chen Mingxuan retreated awkwardly, but his eyes couldn't help but dart towards the stove.

Wu Liangcai wasn't much better off.

He was leveling the pits where weeds had been cleared when he followed the aroma and squeezed in with Chen Mingxuan by the door, gazing longingly at the pot.

Xiao He sat in front of the stove tending the fire, appearing serious on the surface, but in reality, she had already swallowed her saliva several times.

As she smelled the aroma, she couldn't help but think: none of the big restaurants in the capital, even those century-old establishments or those run by imperial chefs, could make food that tasted like this.

This fragrance is so overpowering.

It's not a single fragrance; it's layered, with the aroma of soy sauce, meat, and numbing spiciness, as well as an indescribable, comforting scent.

She didn't know that it was the spiritual spring water that Lin Xiuer had secretly added; she only felt that smelling it made her feel refreshed.

After about half an hour, the pig's trotters in the pot were almost cooked.

Lin Xiuer poked it with her chopsticks and found that it went in easily, then put the pig's heart and liver in.

These cook quickly, so don't put them in with the pig's trotters, or they'll disintegrate during stewing.

When the lid was lifted again, the aroma burst out, more than ten times stronger than before!

The pig's trotters stewed until they released their collagen, making the broth thick and glossy. The pig intestines and stomach, soaked in the broth, were plump and round.

The freshly cooked pig's heart and liver tumbled in the soup, their color gradually darkening.

The fragrance grew stronger with each passing moment, carried by the wind to the outside of the courtyard gate.

A few women chatting idly at the alley entrance suddenly stopped and looked around.

"What smells so good?"

"I don't know, it seems to have drifted over from over there."

"Is someone cooking in that abandoned garden...?"

The group exchanged glances, and although the aroma was enticing, they were still somewhat apprehensive.

After hesitating for a while, they each went home, preferring to stay out of sight.

The adults could tolerate it, but the children couldn't. Before long, people started peeking in from the courtyard gate.

Several children, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, crowded at the doorway, their eyes sparkling as they peered inside.

"It smells so good!"

"What's so delicious?"

Hu Yidao saw them and waved his hand, saying, "Go away, go play somewhere else!"

The children weren't afraid of people and dispersed laughing.