056 – Deliver Dumplings
“We’ll eat anything in the morning and make dumplings at noon.” Qin Mian was in high spirits. Today was the first time he was going to eat dumplings since he transmigrated.
“Dumplings?” Lei Tie looked at him inquisitively.
Qin Mian was astonished. Could there be no such delicacy as dumplings in this time and space?
“You’ll find out later.”“Alright.” Lei Tie nodded and gave up the idea of going up the mountain. Winter Solstice was the first festival after he and his wife got together, so it should be celebrated properly.
Qin Mian made a pot of stewed noodles with the ingredients Lei Tie had dealt with. After breakfast, he asked Lei Tie to knead dough, while he prepared the dumpling stuffing. He remembered that his grandmother used to wrap the dumplings with deep-fried pork dough sticks and blindweed stuffing. The blindweed were fresh and tender and the pork was savory. When mixed together, the taste was excellent.
It was too troublesome to make deep-fried dough sticks. Qin Mian mixed the flour with water into diluted liquid, added eight eggs, stirred them evenly, spread them out in the oiled wok, fried them into thin egg pancakes, and then cut them into small pieces. Next, he chopped pork into small pieces. There was no blindweed, so instead, he used green vegetables and chopped them up. He stir-fried these with chopped scallion and ginger in the wok until half cooked before adding proper amount of salt. After he made sure it was evenly mixed, the savory dumpling stuffing was done.
After the dough was made, Qin Mian took a lump of dough, kneaded it into a tube shape, and then cut it into small dough pieces with a knife. Next, he used a rolling pin to roll them into thin slices, making the dumpling wrappers.
Lei Tie was in charge of rolling the dumpling wrappers after he learned it. Meanwhile, Qin Mian wrapped the dumplings while warming beside the charcoal stove. He placed a dumpling wrapper in the center of his left palm, used a small spoon to scoop out dumpling stuffing and put it on the wrapper. Then, he closed the dumpling wrapper and pinched it tightly. A dumpling was wrapped in a few seconds and placed in a large clean sieve.
Lei Tie’s hand quickly rolled a dozen dumpling wrappers and Qin Mian wrapped them altogether. After the dumpling wrappers were used up, he continued to roll… In this fashion, an hour later, nearly 200 plump white dumplings covered the whole sieve.
“Make fire and prepare to cook the dumplings.” Qin Mian ordered.Lei Tie ignited the stove, scooped a few ladle of water into the wok and covered it.
“How many do you eat?” Qin Mian asked. More than 100 dumplings could not be eaten by two people in one meal.
Lei Tie looked at the dumplings and said without hesitation: “50.”
Qin Mian was a little skeptical, “Can you finish them?”
Lei Tie’s mouth agape, “You wrapped it small.”
Qin Mian’s sharp eyes found that his (LT) ears were a little red, and he could not help but smothered his laugh, “What’s so embarrassing? I don’t dislike you eat too much. I can afford you, don’t worry.”
Lei Tie nodded.
Qin Mian felt uncomfortable when he (LT) was so serious. After the water boiled, he was still unable to bear it and wanted to laugh when he picked up the dumplings to put into the wok, “Cough. First cook a wok for us to eat. Then cook another to send to the old house and Grandpa Jiang’s house. At that time we split from the family, Grandpa Jiang gave us eggs, which we still haven’t returned the gesture. Today is our chance.”
Lei Tie nodded.
When the dumplings were out of the wok, Qin Mian ate 35 of them. It was quite delicious. If it was not for his stomach could not be filled anymore, he would like to eat more. Lei Tie easily wiped out 50 pieces of dumpling and even added 5 more.
Qin Mian picked up the second batch of dumplings one by one to put into two large bowls and then the bowls were stored in a food box.
“Are you going or not?” Qin Mian asked.
“Together.”
Lei Tie picked up a silvery gray scarf on the back of the chair and put it around Qin Mian. He went out after Qin Mian and locked the door.
The two walked all the way surrounded by the smell of meat, fish and oil from every household. There was hardly anyone on the road, and none of the naughty children, who usually liked to run around, were seen. There was delicious food at home, so the children were reluctant to go out.
“Which house to go first?”
About to arrive, Lei Tie asked.
Qin Mian said with a meaningful smile, “As someone’s children, of course we should go to our parents’ house first.”
After entering the courtyard gate of the old house, they saw the people were all sitting around the table in the central room. It looked like they were about to eat. Lei Xiangren did not sell soup today. Lei Xiangzhi took a holiday and was at home. A large family was talking and laughing; it was very lively.
Qin Mian greeted in a loud voice: “Father, mother, we’re here. Are you all already eating?”
Lei Xiangyi, Lei Xiangli, Lei Xiangzhi and Lei Chuntao all stood up to greet them.
“Eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law.”
Lei Daqiang’s attitude today was surprisingly good. He smiled while nodding, “Eldest and eldest daughter-in-law are here.”
Lei Tie nodded blankly as a greeting.
Du Shi glanced at him and Qin Mian lightly, and without getting up, “I don’t know you two are coming. I’m afraid the food is not enough.”
Qin Mian deliberately looked at the dishes on the table, “There are so many dishes, adding two pairs of chopsticks should be no problem.”
Du Shi’s expression changed.
Zhao Shi chipped in: “What is eldest brother carrying?”
Qin Mian looked at Du Shi with a smile, “We just came here after eating. Just now I was just joking with mother. We’ve brought some food here. Please get an empty large bowl or plate.”
“Ah.” As soon as Zhao Shi heard that there was food, she straightly moved and brought a large plate.
Qin Mian took out the dumplings from the food box and poured them all into the plate.
“What is this, eldest sister-in-law?” Qian Shi asked curiously.
Qin Mian put the empty bowl back into the food box. “It’s a kind of food made of flour. Like meat stuffed buns, it’s wrapped with meat stuffing.”
Zhao Shi stared at the food box and said with a flattering smile: “I seem to see another bowl?”
When Du Shi heard that, she stared at Qin Mian and used her eyes to tell that he’d better bring out the other bowl as well.
Qin Mian had yet to speak, Lei Xiangren already could not wait, “Is it meat stuffing? Give father to taste first.” Then he took the dumplings to the men’s table, picked one up and put it into his mouth. After taking a tentative bite, he chewed it eagerly, “En, it’s delicious.”
Qin Mian said leisurely: “The other bowl is for Grandpa Jiang next door. When we split up from the family, Grandpa Jiang gave us a basket of eggs, which could be described as a timely help. Second brother’s wife, don’t you think your eldest brother and I should return this favor?”
“Oh, that’s so.” Zhao Shi was disappointed.
Du Shi said while frowning: “Didn’t you invite them to meal during housewarming? This dumpling doesn’t need to be delivered, right?”
Lei Daqiang interrupted her, “Eldest and eldest daughter-in-law are doing the right thing.”
Qin Mian chuckled, “Father, we’ve been busy a while ago, we haven’t said ‘congratulations’ to you.” He was deliberately making Du Shi uncomfortable.
Du Shi’s face was as black as charcoal and her chest sharply heaved.
Lei Daqiang laughed, feeling a little embarrassed, but at the thought of Miss Wei, his pupils floated with joyous expression, “Do you want to eat some, together?”
Lei Xiangren and Lei Xiangyi ate several dumplings in a row. Zhao Shi said in a hurry: “This dish is quite a lot. Mother, you divide it.”
Lei Xiangli and Lei Xiangzhi both looked at her with a straight face.
Qin Mian snickered and stood up. “Father, mother, please eat slowly. We’ll go and visit Grandpa Jiang.”
Arriving next door, they knocked on the courtyard gate. It was a 17-year-old boy who came to open the gate, tilting his head as he looked at Qin Mian and Lei Tie.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Is Grandpa Jiang at home?” Qin Mian raised his voice as he asked.
“Who is it?” As soon as Grandpa Jiang came out of the house and saw Qin Mian, he laughed and said: “Ah, it’s you two. Come in and sit down.”
Grandpa Jiang’s son and daughter-in-law poked their heads from inside the house, but they did not come out. It could be seen that they were not very welcome.
Qin Mian did not go in. He just brought out the dumplings. “Grandpa Jiang, we still have something to do, so we won’t go in. We haven’t had a chance to thank you for the eggs you gave us last time. It’s our homemade food. It’s just a small token to show our respect to you.”
“We’re fellow villagers, why the need to be courteous?” Grandpa Jiang was a little surprised and then he smiled that made the look in his eyes more amiable, “It’s not easy for two adult men to live together. You two keep the food for yourself.”
Qin Mian said: “Don’t be too polite, Grandpa Jiang. We’ve made a lot. This is especially for you. If you don’t accept it, it’ll be cold.”
“All right.” Seeing his insistence, Grandpa Jiang took the bowl and went to the kitchen. After a while, he took out the empty bowl with two plump Chinese cabbages.
“Yesterday, I passed by your vegetable garden and saw that the vegetables in the garden haven’t grown up. You can take these two cabbages back to eat. It’s not worth anything, don’t refuse them.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Jiang.” Seeing his kindness, Qin Mian accepted it generously.
Lei Tie also said “many thanks”.
Watching the back figures of the two men leaving, Grandpa Jiang stood for a while before entering the house.
“Father, why are you being close to them?” Grandpa Jiang’s son, Jiang Dayou, complained in a low voice.
His daughter-in-law stood at the side. Although she did not say anything, she also had a look of disapproval on her face.
Grandpa Jiang sat down at the table, glanced at his wife, put a peanut in his mouth and chewed it slowly, “Ask your mother why.”
Grandma Jiang laughed and put her baby grandson into her embrace. “Dayou, let me ask you. Did Lei Tie and his wife commit murder and arson?”
Jiang Dayou shook his head.
“Did they swindle people?”
Jiang Dayou said: “There is no such thing.”
“That’s it.” Grandma Jiang said gently, “At the time when they split from the family, your father gave them a few eggs. Until now, they still remember it. One can see that they’re grateful. At that time, they practically left with nothing, but now they run a shop in the town. I heard they make a lot of money every day. Even the idea of selling soup at the Six Bends River by the brothers next door came from Lei Tie’s wife. One can see that they are capable people.”
Jiang Dayou was absorbed in thoughts.
“All right. Let’s eat.” Grandpa Jiang laughed, “You don’t like to associate with them, but they don’t necessarily like to associate with you.”
Jiang Dayou felt helpless. Was it necessary to belittle your son like that?
When Qin Mian and Lei Tie walked into the alley where they lived, they saw Zhang Dashuan standing at the gate of their house with a plate. There was a bowl turned upside-down on the plate.
They quickened their pace.
“Brother Zhang.”
“Where did you two go?” Zhang Dashuan smilingly said, “I’ve been waiting for a while. Have you had lunch? Isn’t it a holiday today? Your sister[1] made a cabbage stew and asked me to bring you two a bowl. Now it’s still hot.”
Qin Mian opened the door and invited him in, “We’ve eaten. We went to the old house just now. You and sister are so thoughtful.”
Zhang Dashuan said: “What is this worth? We haven’t thank you two for giving the job of making bamboo sticks to me. I’ve made a lot of money recently. It’s enough for a good year.”
“Brother Zhang has taken care of us more often.” Lei Tie said.
Zhang Dashuan happily handed the plate to Qin Mian, “Fine, I won’t say anything. Our two families will take care of each other. Here, it’ll taste better if it is re-heated in the evening.”
Qin Mian took the plate to the kitchen and said Lei Tie: “You sit with Brother Zhang.”
“You went there.” Zhang Dashuan smiled ambiguously as he said to Lei Tie, “In a few days, Uncle Lei’s second wife will join the household.”
“That’s his business.” Lei Tie wore an uncaring expression.
Zhang Dashuan did not comment. Lei Daqiang was the first person to marry an equal wife, not to mention in the Green Mountain Village, but even in the Running Water Town. He and his wife were still worried about what gifts to send.
Since he had not eaten lunch yet, he just sat for a while and then went home with a bowl of raw dumplings.
Note:
[1] Not blood-related
