Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Aunt Sun poured about half a pot of water into the iron pot, placed it on the stove, and stuffed a handful of dry firewood into the firebox. The flames licked the bottom of the pot, and the water boiled in no time.

She picked up the chicken, placed it in a large earthenware basin, and then used a gourd ladle to scoop up hot water and pour it over the chicken, working as she did so. Her fingers turned red from the heat, and she winced and hissed in pain.

When the chicken feathers were scalded by hot water, a fishy smell wafted out. The large feathers were quickly plucked off, but the fine downy feathers were still stuck on.

Aunt Sun then carried the chicken to the stove opening and spun it around in the flames a couple of times. With a few soft hissing sounds, the downy feathers were burned off, and the chicken skin turned a golden brown.

After cleaning the chicken, Aunt Sun placed it on the cutting board and made a cut in its belly with a cleaver. She reached inside and took out its heart and lungs, placing them one by one into a basin.

"Don't break the chicken gall," Zhang Sanlang said from the side.

Aunt Sun rolled her eyes at him, hooked the chicken gall bladder with her finger, carefully removed it, and tossed it aside. She then washed the inside of the chicken twice more before lifting it up to drain the water.

Zhang Sanlang watched from the side and nodded.

The chicken simmered in the pot for fifteen minutes. Zhang Sanlang poked the chicken leg with chopsticks. When no blood seeped out, he took the chicken out and immersed it in the cool well water.

He started chopping scallions and ginger. He cut the scallions into sections and sliced ​​the ginger, arranging them on a plate. In another bowl, he poured soy sauce, dissolved a small spoonful of maltose in warm water, mixed it into the soy sauce, and stirred it.

After brewing a cup of tea, the chicken skin tightened and became oily before I picked up the knife and started chopping.

He first split the chicken in half along the spine, then cut it into small pieces. He chopped the drumsticks into sections, removed the wings from the joints, and sliced ​​the breast meat. Each piece was roughly the same size, with the skin still attached to the meat.

Arranged on a plate, the chicken skin facing up, its bright yellow color is very tempting.

Aunt Sun, watching from the side, brightened up. "Zhang Qianxing, your knife skills are impressive! If you didn't know you were Qianxing from the household registration office, you'd think you were the county government cook!"

Zhang Sanlang grinned upon hearing this, ignoring her response. He sprinkled ginger and scallions on the chicken pieces, poured a spoonful of hot oil over them, and with a sizzle, released the aroma of ginger and scallions. He then poured the prepared sauce around the chicken.

"Try it." He pushed the plate towards Aunt Sun.

Aunt Sun picked up a piece of chicken thigh with her chopsticks, popped it into her mouth, chewed a couple of times, and her eyes lit up even more. "Tender! The chicken is tender, the skin is crispy and the meat is smooth. Such a simple cooking method, yet it's so delicious?"

Zhang Sanlang twitched the corner of his mouth and turned to deal with the chicken giblets.

Cut open the chicken gizzards, scrape off the yellow membrane, and slice them thinly. Cut the chicken livers into chunks, turn the chicken intestines inside out, rub them twice with salt, and cut them into sections. The chicken blood has already coagulated, so cut it into small cubes.

Heat oil in an iron pot, sauté ginger slices and garlic cloves until fragrant, then add chicken giblets and stir-fry.

The chicken gizzards curled up in the pot, the chicken livers changed color, and the chicken intestines shrank into small rings. A ladle of water was added and brought to a boil. The chicken blood clots were added last, along with a pinch of salt, and it simmered for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The soup was poured into a rough porcelain pot, with the chicken giblets at the bottom and the chicken blood floating on top, and the soup was clear.

Aunt Sun sniffed. "This soup is delicious. The chicken blood is tender, and the chicken intestines are crisp. The taste is probably no worse than stewed old hen."

While Aunt Sun was rambling on and helping out, Zhang Sanlang cooked three more dishes in a small iron pot.

Chop the eight-treasure vegetables and stir-fry them with salted pork. The salted pork releases oil, and the eight-treasure vegetables absorb the oil, resulting in a savory, fragrant, crisp, and tender dish.

I shredded the cabbage stems and stir-fried them with bean sprouts, adding only a little salt.

I stir-fried cabbage leaves with chicken fat, and the green leafy vegetables were incredibly fragrant.

In less than 15 minutes, four dishes and a soup were laid out on the stove.

Chicken giblet soup, poached chicken, stir-fried pork with eight-treasure vegetables, stir-fried bean sprouts with cabbage stems, and chicken oil vegetable leaves.

Zhang Sanlang wiped his hands and was about to call for help when there was another knock on the courtyard gate.

Old Sun went to open the door.

Two young men, both under twenty, stood at the door. The one in front was taller, wearing a gray cloth short jacket, and carrying a bundle on his shoulder. The one behind was shorter, wearing a worn blue cloth shirt, and carrying two bags in his hands.

"Auntie," the tall man called out.

Aunt Sun peeked out from the kitchen, saw the two men, and paused for a moment. "Ah Fang, Ah Zheng, what brings you here at this hour?"

Afang put the bundle down on the veranda, smiled at Aunt Sun, and said, "I've come to see you and Ayun."

Aunt Sun wiped her hands on her apron and walked over. "This child, you came all this way, why did you bring anything?"

She glanced at the oil paper package in Ah Zheng's hand. "What's this?"

"The braised pork belly and braised pig liver were bought at Yuelai Tavern." A-Fang glanced at Zhang Sanlang with a smile. "Zhang Qianxing, sorry to bother you."

Zhang Sanlang smiled when he saw it was him, "It's better to be lucky than early. I've just moved into a new house and was worried about not having enough people to drink with. Your arrival is perfect; please come and sit in the main room."

A-Fang paused for a moment, then his smile widened. He waved the oil paper package in his hand, "We've come at the perfect time today, but it's too much trouble for you. Let me add two more dishes, just a small token of my appreciation."

Zhang Sanlang nodded and glanced at the somewhat dull-witted A-Zheng.

Inside the main room, bowls and chopsticks were already set on the octagonal table.

Aunt Sun served four dishes and a soup to the table, and then cut up the braised pork belly and braised pig liver that Ah Zheng had brought and arranged them on plates, filling the table with food.

Zhang Sanlang brought over a jar of wine, the Autumn Dew White wine awarded by the county government.

He broke the mud seal, and the aroma of wine wafted out.

Qing Ge ran to the backyard and asked He the carpenter to come out.

Old Sun was already seated at the table. Carpenter He came in, sat down opposite him, and grinned sheepishly, "Zhang Qianxing, you're in for a treat tonight."

Zhang Sanlang first poured a bowl of wine for Old Sun, then picked up the bowl himself and stood up. "Uncle Sun, this bowl of wine is for you first. Today is my first day moving into the main house, and the kitchen has just been lit."

"Qing-ge'er is always bothering us like a mischievous monkey, and you have been very kind and caring towards him, which we have all noticed. We still have a long time to live in this courtyard. As your elder, please continue to look after us."

Old Sun quickly stood up, holding the bowl with both hands and bowing, "How could I possibly accept such praise? Sanlang, you flatter me. I usually just lend a hand; it's hardly worth Sanlang's initial courtesy."

Zhang Sanlang patted his shoulder. "Uncle Sun, please sit down. Only after you've finished drinking can I say I've finished my toast."

He poured another cup for Carpenter He, saying, "Brother He, you worked hard repairing the courtyard wall and replacing the doors a while ago. Today there's even more work to do, so I'll toast you with this cup of wine."

Carpenter He stood up and took the bowl, his face slightly flushed. "Sanlang, you're too kind. We're neighbors, no need to mention your hard work." He then tilted his head back and took a swig, grinning. "Good wine."

Afang and Azheng sat at the lower end.

With quick reflexes, he snatched the wine jar, poured one for Zhang Sanlang first, then filled his own cup, and said with a smile, "Zhang Qianxing, this bowl is for me to toast you."

"Firstly, to congratulate you on moving to your new home, and secondly, because my brother and I are young, we hope you will give us some guidance in the future. I'll drink this first as a sign of respect."

Zhang Sanlang picked up his bowl, smiled, and clinked it against his. "It's not really advice. Ah Zheng, you don't come often and you don't drink, so come on, eat more and don't be shy."

As the wine flowed more freely, Zhang Sanlang noticed that A Fang kept glancing at him, and knowing that he probably had something on his mind, he started the conversation, "I just heard from Sister Sun that you two brothers wouldn't be coming around this time. What brings you here today?"

A-Fang's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.