Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Time passed slowly amidst the aroma and tension. More than an hour later, the broth in the pot had become rich and flavorful, turning an enticing dark reddish-brown.

The pork head and pork belly chunks had been stewed until they were tender and soft, easily pierced with chopsticks. The rich aroma of meat and spices was locked tightly in the small kitchen, almost forming a thick, intoxicating "fragrant barrier."

Wang Xiulan picked up a trembling, glistening, and tempting piece of pork belly with her chopsticks. With a gentle shake, the fatty part jiggled like jelly, and rich sauce dripped down the piece of meat. She carefully scooped out the pig's head and pork belly and placed them in a large bamboo basket to cool.

She deliberately seared the pork belly piece, which she intended to use for braised pork, in a hot, empty pan with enough residual oil. The skin side sizzled and tightened instantly, turning a light golden brown. This was a method passed down from her ancestors; meat treated this way could be stored longer and was less prone to spoilage.

By the time everything was finished, it was past noon. The kitchen was filled with an irresistible aroma, and the mother and daughter's stomachs were already rumbling loudly.

Looking at the glistening, reddish-brown pig's head meat and the tempting piece of pork belly hanging in the basket, then at the golden cracklings in the bowl next to it, and then at the large jar full of solidified, snow-white lard... an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and...luxury welled up in Wang Xiulan's heart.

"Xiao Ran, you must be starving!" Wang Xiulan's heart softened when she saw her daughter's longing gaze at the meat, and a surge of generosity welled up within her. "Come on! Let's splurge a little today!"

She picked up the lukewarm piece of pig's head meat, chose a cut with a good balance of fat and lean meat and plenty of collagen, and finely sliced ​​it into thin pieces. She filled a small bowl and handed it to Wei Ran: "Here, have a taste! Eat slowly, be careful it's hot!"

Wei Ran cheered, took the bowl, and without even bothering to use chopsticks, picked up a piece of still-warm pig's head meat with her little hand and stuffed it into her mouth.

The meat was stewed until incredibly tender, melting in her mouth. It was fatty yet not greasy, lean yet not dry, with a rich, savory aroma of braising and meat filling her mouth, mixed with the unique sticky, chewy texture of the collagen. It was so delicious that her eyes narrowed, her little mouth glistening with oil, as she mumbled, "Mmm...Mom...it's so delicious! Even better than...better than Chinese New Year!"

Seeing her daughter eating with gusto, her mouth brimming with oil and her face beaming with happiness, Wang Xiulan felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She cut a few slices of pig's head meat for herself, and then made what she considered an extremely "wasteful" decision—she took out a white steamed bun!

These days, white flour steamed buns are a rare treat! Usually, people eat a mix of cornmeal and sorghum flour. But today, Wang Xiulan felt it was worth it! Her son had been "lecturing" her daily that there would be no shortage of food at home; a little cornmeal was just for show, and there was no need to skimp on meals. Thinking about the grain in the cellar, she felt comfortable indulging in a little luxury.

She sliced ​​the white steamed bun horizontally, but not all the way through. Then, she layered thick slices of pork head meat inside!

Finally, a small spoonful of the thick, piping hot braised pork broth from the pot was carefully poured over the meat! Instantly, the broth soaked into the center of the steamed bun, and the aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of wheat rose up!

A simple yet incredibly tempting "roujiamo" (Chinese hamburger) was born! Wang Xiulan looked at this "luxurious" creation in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then gritted her teeth and took a big bite!

The soft, slightly sweet steamed buns, soaked in a savory and rich braising sauce, wrap around succulent, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth pork head meat... Several different textures and aromas intertwine and explode in your mouth!

A tremendous, pure sense of happiness from the food instantly overwhelmed this woman who had always lived frugally! She even let out a soft, satisfied "Mmm," her eyes welling up with tears. How long had it been? How long had it been since she had eaten meat so heartily? And meat that smelled so good!

"Mom! I want one too! I want to eat that too!" When Wei Ran saw the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) in her mother's hand and then looked at the meat slices in her own bowl, she immediately lost interest and pointed at the steamed bun, shouting.

Looking at her daughter's longing eyes and then at the half-eaten steamed bun in her hand, Wang Xiulan's guilt about "spending money" was instantly replaced by pampering.

She smiled, a hint of helplessness and indulgence in her voice: "You greedy girl! Even meat can't shut you up! Fine, fine, I'll make you one too!" She took out another steamed bun and did the same thing, only this time she put fewer slices of meat on it for her daughter. Even so, Wei Ran jumped up with joy when she received her own roujiamo (Chinese meat sandwich).

The mother and daughter sat on small stools in the kitchen, enjoying the warmth of the stove, eating a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and drinking plain water, finding it incredibly delicious and satisfying.

Sunlight streamed through the condensed windowpanes, bathing them in its warmth. The rich aroma of meat and oil from the kitchen enveloped them, creating a small, secret space filled with happiness just for the mother and daughter. This simple yet incredibly luxurious lunch became the warmest and most satisfying meal they could remember.

The mother and daughter finished their luxurious roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) lunch with great satisfaction, their stomachs warm and their faces glowing with contentment.

Wei Ran licked the remaining oil and meaty aroma off her fingers with lingering relish, her eyes occasionally glancing at the remaining pig's head meat and the bright red pork belly in the basket.

Wang Xiulan stared at the thick, dark red broth with specks of oil floating on top of it in the pot, feeling troubled. This broth was a treasure; it was infused with the essence of pig's head and pork belly, along with the rich aroma of various spices, resulting in an incredibly mellow flavor. In this day and age, even a drop of oil was precious, let alone such a concentrated essence of meaty flavor.

"Mom, what about this soup...?" Wei Ran looked at the pot, her little face full of reluctance. Wang Xiulan immediately shook her head, her eyes gleaming with shrewd calculation. "This is a treasure! I saw the chef in the village make stew, and it tastes even better with meat broth!"

She glanced around the kitchen, her gaze landing on the winter storage vegetables piled in the corner. A few carrots with soil still clinging to their skins, a few tightly wrapped cabbages, and a large handful of dark brown dried kelp that Wei Chen had somehow gotten from somewhere a few days ago and had already soaked in advance were now lying glistening in the basin.

"I've got it!" Wang Xiulan's eyes lit up, and she immediately had an idea. "Xiao Ran, help Mom wash two carrots, peel a few leaves from the cabbage and wash them clean, and rinse and wring out the seaweed!"

"Alright!" Wei Ran perked up immediately upon hearing that there was more delicious food and quickly ran off to get to work.

Wang Xiulan picked up a kitchen knife and deftly cut the carrots into irregular chunks, tore the cabbage into large pieces by hand, and cut the soaked kelp into diamond-shaped slices or wide strips.

These ingredients were the cornerstone of winter meals in times of scarcity, and now, when they meet this precious broth, they are destined to create a unique and delicious flavor.

Wei Ran rekindled the fire in the stove, keeping it just warm, not too strong. Wang Xiulan first poured the chopped carrot pieces into the pot of precious braised pork broth. As the temperature rose, the rich aroma of the meat was once again released, mingling with the sweet fragrance of the carrots, filling the small kitchen.

"Glug glug..." The broth gently enveloped the orange-red radish chunks as it simmered slowly. Wang Xiulan carefully controlled the heat, stirring occasionally with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

She watched the radish chunks tumble in the dark brown broth, gradually becoming translucent and softening at the edges, and thought to herself: Radishes absorb flavor, and stewing them in this broth will definitely make them a hundred times more fragrant than boiling them in plain water!

Once she estimated the radish was about five or six tenths cooked, Wang Xiulan added the torn cabbage stalks and kelp slices to the pot. The thick cabbage stalks held up well during cooking, while the kelp added a unique umami flavor and texture. Finally, she added the tender cabbage leaves.

"Mom, it smells so good! It smells different from the stewed meat we just had!" Wei Ran said, sniffing the air as she added firewood.

At this moment, the kitchen is filled with the rich base of meat broth, which blends the sweetness of radish, the tenderness of cabbage, and the unique marine aroma of kelp, creating a more complex, homey, yet incredibly tempting stew aroma.

While not as overpowering as the aroma of pure meat, this fragrance, a blend of the essences of various ingredients, is equally tempting and feels warmer and more substantial.

Wang Xiulan, equally anxious, kept a close eye on the airtightness of the doors and windows, afraid that this new combination of aromas would leak out again. The dark red broth in the pot simmered, the orange-red radish chunks became glossy and tender, the dark green kelp slices unfurled, soaking up the broth, and the bright green cabbage leaves, interspersed among them, gradually became translucent. The entire stew presented a rich and warm color.

She tasted it; the savory flavor was complemented by the sweetness of the vegetables, and the aroma of the meat was perfectly infused into every ingredient. There was no need to add any salt or other seasonings; the soup itself was rich and delicious enough. She nodded in satisfaction.

"It's done! In this weather, it won't spoil, perfect!" Wang Xiulan said, extinguishing the fire in the stove completely. She found the largest, thickest earthenware pot in the house and carefully poured the steaming, fragrant stew, broth and all, into it. Orange-red, dark green, and emerald white hues intertwined, the broth thick, with a layer of glistening oil floating on top.

Looking at the large pot of stew, brimming with the essence of meat broth and winter vegetables, Wang Xiulan felt a great sense of accomplishment. This was not only making the most of what she had, but also adding another substantial dish to the New Year's Eve dinner table!

With this, during the Chinese New Year, you can easily reheat a delicious dish with both meat and vegetables, saving time and satisfying your cravings. This is much more substantial than just eating meat, and it will make the whole family feel more fulfilled.

She carried the heavy ceramic pot to the coolest, most well-ventilated corner of the kitchen and covered it with a clean gauze. The cold air would quickly cause the delicious food to condense, forming a natural preservative layer. Only after doing all this did she truly breathe a sigh of relief, feeling that today's "kitchen battle" had finally come to a successful end.

Wang Xiulan watched Wei Ran licking the oil stains off her fingers with lingering enjoyment, shook her head with a smile, and began the final finishing touches.

She carefully moved the jar of solidified, snow-white lard to a cool, shady spot. She wrapped the braised pig's head and the roasted pork belly in clean oil paper, and locked them, along with the untouched half-piece of pork belly, into the sturdy elmwood cabinet. The large brass lock clicked shut, seemingly locking away the aroma filling the room and this hard-won abundance.