1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

Chen Gaoshan was kissing her passionately, and then he grabbed her hand and led her to the west room.

"You have no idea how bored I am at home. Hurry up, time waits for no one, get moving!"

His wife was pregnant, so he couldn't be too rough with her. Instead, he went to Widow Liu's place. He was so eager to get down to business. Without even playing the erhu, he got straight to the point, pushing her to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). After a while...

Widow Liu braced herself on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and after a while, he lifted her onto the kang.

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Spring is the mating season, and right now they could hear the donkey from Uncle Erda's house in the village braying loudly.

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Of all the staple foods, Chen Gaoshan's favorite is white flour steamed buns and Xuanhu (a type of steamed bun).

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Widow Liu was so weak and powerless that she felt as if all her energy had been drained. She leaned limply against Chen Gaoshan's chest, not even having the strength to lift her hand.

She couldn't help but start to doubt her life. Ever since she got together with Chen Gaoshan, he had come here more often than he had in the two years she was with Da Ya's father.

He always used tremendous force, always starting twice. Her body couldn't withstand such torment.

He finally managed to catch his breath.

Her hair was all messed up by him and scattered on the pillow. She reached out and gently punched his chest.

At this moment, Widow Liu's voice was tinged with a sticky tone.

"Shanzi, when you go back, please don't eat too many frogs. Those things are very nutritious. You're already so energetic even without eating them. If you actually eat them, I might as well just die. You might as well just break me apart."

Don't you have any compassion for me? How can you treat me like this, torturing me to the point of exhaustion? I can't take it anymore.

Chen Gaoshan looked down at the woman in his arms and reached out to tighten his grip on her waist.

"Kill you? I couldn't bear to. I'm holding back here, not going all out."

Liu Chuncao rolled her eyes in anger. This was what they called not letting loose?

If she were to let him do as he pleased, she feared she wouldn't be able to hold on and would simply pass out, or perhaps even feel so nauseous that she would vomit.

She buried her head in his chest, too lazy to pay attention to him anymore, and only focused on calming her rapid breathing.

By the time Chen Gaoshan got up to leave, Liu Chuncao was too exhausted to even get off the kang (a heated brick bed). She could only lie in bed and watch him leave.

Chen Gaoshan returned to his own courtyard. As soon as he entered the door, he handed the remaining toads in the basket to his mother.

"Mom, we caught a lot this time, so we can eat as much as we want today."

"Mom will make it for you right away, so you can eat your fill."

Chen Liu was an expert at making frogs in the village. After receiving these frogs, she immediately and skillfully began to sort them.

She specifically chose the large, plump female leopard with lots of oil.

The plan is to string apricot blossoms and lotus flowers together with thin hemp rope and hang them under the eaves to dry into dried toads.

This toad oil is a precious commodity. After being dried, it can be taken to town and exchanged for a lot of grain.

Chen Gaoshan leaned against the door frame, watching Xinghua and Lianhua sitting on small stools, diligently skewering frogs.

The mother leopard in the basin was still jumping around and struggling to escape, but she was soon strapped to the ground.

Watching this scene, he felt that living beings were so fragile, and in the end they could not escape being manipulated by others. Humans are truly the most cold-blooded animals on earth.

But then I thought about the stewed frog legs, and I have to say, they were really satisfying and delicious.

The remaining male toads and a small number of female leopards were all taken to the kitchen by Chen Liushi and washed clean with water.

Without looking up, Chen Liu gave the order.

"Shanzi, go to our soy sauce jar and blanch a bowl of soybean paste. It's essential for stewing frogs."

Chen Gaoshan quickly grabbed the porcelain bowl and hurried to the soy sauce vat in the corner of the yard.

The jar of soy sauce was covered with a piece of glass, which Dad had specially bought from town. Apart from the gun, it was the most precious thing in the house, and it was always handled with utmost care.

He lifted the glass, leaned against the jar, and then lifted the cotton cloth. Instantly, a pungent yet fragrant aroma of soy sauce wafted up – yes, that was the authentic smell of soy sauce.

It has a slightly pungent smell, but every household needs it.

Speaking of this soy sauce, Mrs. Chen was extremely proud of it. She was a clean and upright person, and the soy sauce jars in her house were kept clean. No maggots or mold ever grew in the soy sauce, no matter the season.

Looking at the other people's soy sauce jars in the village, they were not only filthy, but also infested with maggots and mold. None of them had so clean and authentic-tasting soy sauce.

"Mom, the soybean paste is here!"

Chen Gaoshan handed over a bowl of rich and fragrant soybean paste.

Chen Liushi took the sauce and immediately began stewing the vegetables.

The firewood crackled in the stove, the pot was heated, a spoonful of rendered lard was ladled in, the oil was hot and smoking, the soybean paste was poured into the pot and stir-fried, the aroma of the soybean paste was fully brought out.

After stir-frying until fragrant, pour all the frogs into the pot at once, quickly cover it with the lid, and a splashing sound comes from inside the pot, but it stops moving after a while.

Chen Liu lifted the pot lid, quickly stir-fried for a couple of seconds, added scallions, ginger, star anise and other seasonings, sprinkled salt, added a pot of water, then chopped a few potato chunks from her own garden and threw them in, covered the pot and simmered over low heat.

Before long, the aroma from the pot grew stronger and stronger, making people's mouths water.

Chen Liushi picked up the spatula, scooped up some broth, and tasted it. The flavor was just right, neither too salty nor too bland, and it was ready to be served.

Braised frog is a hearty dish. The preparation method is flexible and you don't have to be picky about side dishes. You can throw potatoes, eggplants, and green beans in and stew them together, and they will all be flavorful.

Soon, a large pot of braised frog legs was served on the kang table, its aroma filling the air.

The family sat around the kang table, but no one had time to speak.

Everyone was busy blowing on the steam and eagerly stuffing it into their mouths. With one bite, the oily aroma of the frog mixed with the roe was so delicious that it was impossible to stop eating. They just ate to their hearts' content. It was so fragrant that it made you want to swallow your tongue. Even the runny feces smelled good.

Because she was pregnant, Lianhua, who usually suffers from severe morning sickness and feels nauseous at the sight of meat, ate very well this time and finished a large bowl.

Chen Gaoshan watched as his wife's appetite finally improved.

"Lotus, if you think these frogs are delicious and not disgusting, I'll go to the river and catch more in the next couple of days so you can eat your fill."

Lotus nodded, still chewing on the large female leopard.

"Yes, these two days are the best for eating. After a couple of days, once the mother leopard has given birth, her belly won't be as oily and full of eggs."

"Okay, I'll go again tomorrow. Since you love it, eat your fill. Xinghua, you should eat more of this too. It's very nourishing. Parents, you should take some to nourish yourselves."

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