Fishing and Hunting 82, Starting with Three Sisters Who Overprotect Their Brothers

"Test what?" Xu Xiulian turned her head suspiciously, the kitchen knife hovering in mid-air.

"Master said that if the chicken pieces are cut evenly, they'll taste better if we stir-fry them first," Zhang Wenshan said cautiously, looking at the cleaver in his mother's hand.

His cooking skills aren't that great, but they're definitely better than Xu Xiulian's.

The older generation came from hard times, where women were used like men and men were used like animals. They couldn't even get enough to eat, so they had no time to think about the taste of food or to spare any effort in preparing it.

The main point is that it should be cooked thoroughly and edible.

Xu Xiulian asked with a hint of doubt, "Really?"

"Of course it's true, just wait and eat." Zhang Wenshan stepped forward, took the cleaver from his mother, and with a flick of his wrist, deftly sliced ​​open the pheasant's belly.

He extended two fingers and probed inside.

They quickly removed the pungent-smelling internal organs intact, then skimmed off the golden fat under the skin and set them aside for later use.

"Why bother with all this trouble?" Xu Xiulian muttered, confused.

"For stir-frying." Zhang Wenshan didn't even look up. After stroking the joints for a moment to confirm their location, he raised his knife and with a few sharp, thudding sounds, the pheasant was instantly dismembered.

"My uncle is amazing, they're all the same age!"

Zhao Qiang clapped and exclaimed repeatedly, his emotions running high. Xu Xiulian nodded involuntarily, then frowned.

"When did you learn that?"

Judging from his knife skills, he must have practiced a lot. My son has never cooked at home!

"I practiced at my master's house. My mother soaked the mushrooms and grabbed a lot of hazel mushrooms." Zhang Wenshan touched his nose, guiltily changing the subject.

"Eight people are needed to cook a meal. Even the head chef doesn't have this kind of pomp and circumstance," Xu Xiulian muttered, taking a step towards the door.

I watched as my mother's figure disappeared through the doorway.

Zhang Wenshan hurriedly scooped out a thick spoonful of solidified white lard from the jar and added chicken fat along with it.

It's sizzling!

The milky white liquid, interspersed with golden oils, continuously blended together, emitting an enticing aroma.

Seeing that the cooking time was about right, he poured all the chicken pieces in at once, stirred them gently, and soon the chicken became firm and the surface turned golden brown.

"My goodness, this is enough for half a month, what are you going to do with the liquor?"

Xu Xiulian came in after washing the mushrooms and immediately noticed that a lot of the lard in the jar had been emptied. Then she saw that her son was still holding a wine bottle, and she trembled with heartache.

Zhang Wenshan ignored the warnings and poured the liquor directly into the pot.

With a ripping sound.

White steam and fragrance rose simultaneously, instantly filling the entire outer room.

"Gulp." Zhao Qiang tiptoed closer to the stove, inhaling deeply through his nose. "Uncle, it smells so good, really good."

"Don't hurt him." Xu Xiulian quickly picked up her grandson and took two steps back, but couldn't help but peek into the pot as well.

This flavor is so tempting!

Zhang Wenshan was single-minded.

Once the fishy smell in the pot has dissipated, quickly add boiling water, scallion segments, ginger slices, peppercorns, and star anise, then pour in the soaked mushrooms along with the water.

Skim off the foam.

The dark golden broth is clear and bright, like the surface of a lake under the setting sun, unlike the murky broth of ordinary stews. The flavor of the meat and the aroma of hazel mushrooms blend perfectly.

Xu Xiulian and Zhao Qiang, grandmother and grandson, couldn't help but swallow hard.

It must taste really good, right?

……

In Northeast China, the midday temperature can reach 30 degrees Celsius.

Zhang Jianshe, along with his daughter and son-in-law, carried heavy hoes home. The three of them were covered in dust, and sweat etched gray lines on their faces, which then solidified, making their faces almost unrecognizable.

As soon as I reached the courtyard gate, a long-lost aroma of meat wafted over.

They all stopped in their tracks, their throats bobbing uncontrollably.

The eldest sister, Zhang Fengxia, beamed with joy, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Dad, my little brother really caught a pheasant and brought it home! He's truly learned his lesson!"

On the way back, I heard several people mention that my younger brother and Li Dong had argued.

I didn't expect it to be true.

She could no longer contain herself and rushed into the yard in a few steps.

Zhang Jianshe awkwardly touched his nose and looked at his honest and simple son-in-law, Zhao Hongwei, standing next to him.

My grandson is getting older every day, and our expenses are increasing rapidly.

They agreed that after the grain was returned this year, each family would go back to their own home, but the youngest son lost his job and came back, and now they have to support him.

The land has been allocated now, but things are different now than before.

After paying the collective share, the rest is all theirs. With the eldest son-in-law's hard work, they can definitely live a better life on their own than they do now.

"Aba aba aba!" Zhao Hongwei gestured repeatedly, meaning that as long as his brother-in-law didn't gamble, it was fine.

"Fine, if he dares to act recklessly again, I'll personally break his dog..."

Just as Zhang Jianshe was about to make a guarantee, Zhang Fengxia's sharp, angry shout suddenly came from the courtyard.

"The whole family hasn't even sat down at the table yet, and you've already started sneaking a bite!"

The two of them hurriedly ran into the yard.

Zhao Qiang was huddled in the shadows of the eaves, holding up a half-eaten, glistening chicken leg in his small hand, with shiny oil stains on the corners of his mouth.

He looked at his angry mother with a bewildered and aggrieved expression.

Zhao Hongwei's brows immediately furrowed, and his eyes showed worry.

It's fine to have a sweet tooth, but sneaking food is not a good sign. My brother-in-law is like that; I didn't control him at first, but I couldn't control him later.

Zhang Jianshe looked at his pitiful grandson and felt a pang of heartache.

The root of the problem lies with the fourth son. If he were even remotely decent, why would the family have gone half a year without meat?

He cleared his throat, about to speak up and smooth things over...

"I didn't steal it!" Zhao Qiang's lips trembled, and his eyes instantly reddened. "My uncle gave it to me!"

"You dare to lie again!"

These words were like igniting a powder keg. Zhang Fengxia's voice became even sharper than before, sounding like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Zhao Hongwei's face also darkened, his eyes scanning his son as he wondered if he should give him a beating to teach him a lesson.

Given his brother-in-law's possessive nature when it comes to food, it's already a blessing if he doesn't snatch food from his son, let alone share chicken legs.

"I didn't! It was my uncle who gave it to me!" Zhao Qiang said, his neck stiff, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I'll teach you to lie!" Zhang Fengxia looked around angrily, looking for a suitable weapon.

"What's all the noise about?"

As soon as Xu Xiulian pushed open the door, Zhao Qiang rushed into her arms and burst into tears.

"I told my mother the chicken leg was given to me by my uncle, but she didn't believe me."

"Don't cry, my dear grandson." Xu Xiulian tenderly wiped away the tears and oil stains from her grandson's face. "It was given to him by the fourth son. Qiangzi didn't lie."

"Mom, don't protect him." Zhang Fengxia frowned, not believing it at all. "He's so young and he's already learned to lie. What will become of him in the future?"

"It's true, they even saved a bowl especially for the third son," Xu Xiulian said helplessly. "Come in and eat!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jianshe and the other two exchanged glances, and followed him into the house with a mixture of belief and doubt.

In the center of the table, a large bowl of steaming hot pheasant soup, glistening with oil, was placed, with bright orange flatbreads attached to it.

The mustard greens and corn porridge on the side were unappealing.

"Where's the fourth son?" Zhang Jianshe looked around but didn't see his youngest son.

"I'm going to check on our gravel plot of land."

"What's the point of just looking?"

Zhang Jianshe subconsciously began to scold, and the room instantly fell silent.

Zhang Fengxia casually changed the subject: "Mother, your skills are even better than those of the master chefs who make banquets."

Little did she know that this compliment would cause Xu Xiulian's smile to come to an abrupt end.

"It was my uncle who did it!" Zhao insisted, unable to wait any longer.

"What?"

Zhang Jianshe and the other two widened their eyes in unison, as if they had heard something extraordinary.