Marrying a Cook in the 1960s

Chapter 54

Views:

Wang Ying sat by the stove holding a bowl, waiting expectantly for the beef in the pot to be cooked.

Xu Shuang wiped the sweat from his head. He used the big piece of beef to make tomato stewed beef and boiled beef according to Wang Ying's idea. He also cut the other part into stuffing and rolled it into a small meat pie as Wang Ying suggested.

Wang Ying: "Add some scallion and ginger water to remove the fishy smell, then add some onions, marinate, and then make a finger-thick meat patty and fry it..."

Xu Shuang didn't understand how this was eaten. Instead of making dumplings or buns, they made meat patties? And the meat patties didn't have a crust? Wouldn't it be greasy without a crust

Wang Ying lied with her eyes wide open: "I heard from my classmates when I was in school that this is called a hamburger. You can get a steamed bun, cut it in the middle, and then spread the meat patty with raw onions and some tomato sauce, and then eat it like a roujiamo."

Xu Shuang: "... Can this be delicious?"

Wang Ying: "It's not that delicious, but it's just for fun."

After all, if you eat too much good food, you will inevitably want to try the junk food from your previous life. Hamburgers, French fries and a big Coke, it's very pleasant to think about it. French fries are too oily now, don't even think about Coke, you can only eat hamburgers.

Wang Ying was still gesturing: "Make another pancake, add some cabbage leaves on it, put the fried beef strips in it, add some fried corn flakes, and wrap it up with five corners."

Hehe, tender beef and five-spice powder.

Wang Ying held a hamburger and tender beef cubes in her hands and gave Xu Shuang a bite first.

Xu Shuang himself was disgusted. He was a cook and usually cooked, stir-fried, boiled, deep-fried, roasted and stewed. He had never seen this way of eating mixed raw and cooked food, and it did not require any technical skills at all.

Wang Ying was happy. Isn't it just a simple technique? What kind of technique can an American fast food have? It's all about speed. Fry quickly and then combine to make the dish.

However, when Xu Shuang took the food into his mouth, he was a little surprised.

The beef patties were topped with ketchup, raw vegetable leaves and shredded onions. Although not as soft and tasty as the stewed ones, they had a unique texture and were not bad.

He added chili sauce to the tender beef and five-sided dish as Wang Ying suggested, and it tasted spicy and fragrant, but the outer layer of dough was too thick and didn't taste very good. Xu Shuang suggested changing it to leavened dough, but Wang Ying didn't comment. Leavened dough could be tried, anyway, it was for home consumption, not for sale, and he also had to consider whether leavening the dough would take too much time.

Wang Ying took a big bite and said vaguely, "It's better to get some dairy products and make a sauce with the dairy products."

These two improved versions of fast food tasted OK, except that the sauce was a bit lacking.

Xu Shuang's eyes flashed: "I'll go ask the animal husbandry station in a few days to see if they sell milk there."

Life in the countryside is not easy now, and there is basically no one to drink milk. In the city, you may be able to order fresh milk with quotas, but in the countryside, there is no such thing. But then again, even in the city, only a few families can order milk, and only some cadres' families can get quotas, and ordinary cadres cannot even meet this standard.

"There are buffaloes at the animal husbandry station. I'll ask if I can buy some buffalo milk."

Wang Ying: "Really?! I want to eat fried milk!"

Xu Shuang no longer asked Wang Ying where she knew so many foods. In short, Wang Ying would always suggest some food he had never seen before. Every time he cooked it according to her instructions, he found that it tasted not bad.

but…

“What is fried milk?”

Wang Ying: "It's just coating fresh milk with a layer of egg and frying it in a pan."

This is her favorite food!

Xu Shuang: "...Okay, I'll make you fried milk when I get back."

Fried eggs wrapped in fresh milk? Wang Ying's fried fresh milk sounded dark. Xu Shuang, who was very confident that he could pass the second-level chef exam, suddenly felt intimidated. He was afraid that he couldn't do it.

Wang Ying didn't know that she had invisibly undermined Xu Shuang's self-confidence. Instead, she ate one meal after another and was particularly happy.

When all the dishes were out of the pot, Old Mrs. Xu also came over and the three of them sat at the table.

Wang Ying had not told Old Lady Xu that she had an exam today, because she did not want to make her sad. When she was told that she had passed, Old Lady Xu was very surprised.

"Passed? I told you that our Ying girl would definitely pass! If you can't pass with your great skills, then it must be the clinic's fault!"

Wang Ying smiled, but what she didn't say was that Doctor Wei from the commune clinic had advised her a lot, saying that the commune was very willing to recruit a group of medical workers with basic skills.

Although Wang Ying is not a medical student, she can apply to the health center to transfer her to be a doctor.

Wang Ying considered it again and again, but finally refused.

She still lived too far from the commune, and...

As soon as she left, there was no one left in the team to see a doctor.

After going through so many things, Wang Ying also developed feelings for some members of the brigade.

She felt that her current life was already ideal. She just needed to wait and find the right time to ask Tian Youfu to open a medicinal field for the team so that the lives of the members would be better.

Xu Shuang also accumulated some experience. After a few years, her rank would be raised and she should be able to be transferred to the county town. She would also go to the county town to find a job as a doctor.

Wang Ying's idea coincided with Xu Shuang's. Xu Shuang still remembered the emergency situation when Qian ** gave birth. He now felt that he had to wait until he and Wang Ying moved to the city before having a child. The specific time would definitely depend on Wang Ying's own wishes. Naturally, Xu Shuang would fully support Wang Ying in arranging her career development.

Three people were eating in the house. The boiled beef was served with bean sprouts and bean skin underneath, which was spicy and fragrant. There was a layer of red oil on top, which covered the rice. The red oil soaked into the rice, making people sweat from the spiciness.

Tomato beef, sweet and sour sauce paired with large chunks of beef. The beef has been stewed for a long time, so it is fat and tender but not greasy, and the rich soup goes very well with rice.

There was also a plate of garlic-fried bok choy and a bowl of egg drop soup on the side.

Wang Ying ate two bowls of rice with the dish. It was a rare occasion for her to eat meat. Xu Shuang didn't even put any grains in the rice. It was just plain white rice! With beef and broth, the rice was delicious.

After finishing the meal, Wang Ying was still reluctant to leave: "I don't know when I will be able to eat meat next time."

Xu Shuang pointed to the pigsty outside and said, "Is it time for the pigs too?"

Wang Ying has been raising this pig for almost half a year, and now it has grown bigger than any pig raised by the brigade before! There is no need to weigh it, it has been weighing more than 200 kilograms.

Wang Ying calculated the time: "It's about time. We can send it away by the end of next month."

It happened to be the wheat harvest season at that time, and it was a time to work hard. Many families in the brigade had come to her and made reservations early on. When the time came, each family would come to exchange some of the pork that Wang Ying had distributed.

You have to change it. If you don’t eat something good, you will be exhausted during the double harvest season.

"Is your exam also at that time?"

Xu Shuang’s second-level chef examination is also imminent.

Xu Shuang: "Yes, it should be in the county town by then. My master will be there too. Do you want to go and watch the fun?"

Wang Ying was very excited: "Can I go too?"

Can I eat delicious food based on this kind of cooking rating

Xu Shuang: "It's not possible to go as a family member, but my master should be there, you can follow him in. I heard that the chef rating will ask the public to help supervise, I don't know if it still exists now."

Mass supervision!

Wang Ying's eyes lit up instantly!

“I’ll go!”

Only a fool wouldn't go, such a good thing is rare to come across.

The young couple agreed on the arrangements, and the exam, which others would have regarded as a formidable enemy, was treated by them as a spring outing.

At the same time, thousands of miles away in the Northwest.

Unlike places with distinct seasons, the northwestern border area was still cold at this time. The dry grass was everywhere, and the scene was bleak.

The people who traveled thousands of miles to help the border area all carried hoes. In such a not-too-big farm, some were educated youth assigned here, some were people who signed up to help the border area, and there were also quite a few people sent by factories to engage in development.

Xu Ming walked in the middle of the crowd, wearing a patched thin cotton coat. He was currently assigned to Group 5. The task of this group was to open up a nearby gravel field.

In the future, a piece of equipment will be installed here to extract oil.

A young girl with pigtails shyly handed a small paper bag to Xu Ming, and ran away before Xu Ming could say anything.

A burst of teasing voices immediately came from behind.

"Oh, she's a college student after all, so likable. She's only been here for a short time, and she's already won the flower of our farm."

"That's because this guy is good-looking. If it were me, I would definitely be more popular than him."

"Why?"

"Because I'm stronger than him!"

"Just brag, young girls don't like strong guys like you, they like gentle and graceful ones."

Xu Ming was not annoyed at all. He put the egg in his arms with a smile. A young man next to him rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong with college students? Aren't they just here to start a new frontier like us? Education is useless here! Besides, does it mean that those who study a lot are necessarily better? Not necessarily."

This remark is sour, jealous and impolite.

Xu Ming was carrying a hoe and didn't feel at all that others were talking about him. He still looked serious.

The man who was speaking got even angrier: "He has a pretty face but he doesn't eat or drink. Who would not be wronged if they followed him?"

This statement was a bit of a name-calling, but no one praised him, everyone spoke for Xu Ming.

"Xiao Zhuang, what are you talking about? Xu Ming is more capable than you. He can repair machines and read foreign characters. Can you do that?"

"That's right, he's good in every way, and anyone who follows our Xiao Ming won't be wronged."

"You are just jealous that Xiao Ming is popular with young women."

Xu Ming didn't say anything, but the words of the people around him made the guy named Xiaozhuang very angry.

"What did I say wrong? Didn't he come down here because he made a mistake?"

Anyone who is interested can find out about Xu Ming's affairs, and they are no secret at all on the farm.

Xu Ming became unhappy when he saw that the mad dog kept biting him.

"Why do you care where I came from or how I got here? Since we are here, we are all people who are building the frontier. You come up and blame me. Otherwise, you can go find the head of the group and ask clearly whether I should be here. At worst, just send me back."

Xu Ming is not stupid in talking, and his series of words made Xiaozhuang feel uncomfortable.

The group worked outside for quite a while before forming a line and returning to the dormitory.

As soon as I arrived at the dormitory, I saw the mail deliveryman coming over carrying a big bag.

Someone pointed out: "Xiao Zhuang, your family sent you something again!"

As he spoke, he enviously said, "Your parents are so nice. They send you a bag almost every three months since you came here. And this time it's such a big bag."

Xiaozhuang was scolded by Xu Ming and others today and was in a bad mood. When he suddenly saw the package, he felt proud.

Among all the educated youth who came to the frontier, only his parents cared about him the most and sent him the most gifts every year.

"It's really annoying. They sent such a big package. I guess they sent food again. Oh, I told you earlier that there is a place to exchange food here. You don't need to send it..."

Xiaozhuang said this very loudly in front of Xu Ming.

This is the only area where he can surpass Xu Ming.

Xu Ming was good in every way except that his family didn't contact him. Among the educated youth, he was also one of those who had little family support.

He is different. His family values him very much and they said they will get him back sooner or later.

When the postman approached, Xiaozhuang immediately greeted him with a smile: "Old Tang, it's so early today..."

Old Tang did not hand him the package. Instead, he looked at him strangely and shouted towards the dormitory: "Xu Ming, your package."

Xu Ming paused while sewing: "Mine?"

Old Tang: "Anyone else but you? Come out and get it quickly. It's so heavy. If it weren't for the large amount of stuff, I wouldn't be the first one to come to your place."

Even if Xu Ming didn't look, he could guess that Xiaozhuang's face was very ugly at this time.

Xu Ming took the package, and the heavy package fell to his body all of a sudden, scaring the people nearby so much that they hurried over to help.

Xu Ming looked up again and found that Xiaozhuang was no longer at the door.

Xu Ming opened the package, and inside was a heavy bag of fragrant fried noodles, as well as some dried goods and rabbit meat, which made Xu Ming inexplicably excited.

The people around also gathered around and said, "Wow, Xu's family is quite wealthy. Look at the fine grains they sent. This is a big bag."

Xu Ming took out some fried noodles and said, "Then why don't we share some?"

Put a spoonful of fried noodles in an enamel bowl and add hot water. It tastes delicious and satisfying.

After Xu Ming had eaten and drunk his fill, he picked up his pen and began to write a reply to his brother.

Hiss, although he didn't expect his brother to send something so early, they were in touch after all. Xu Ming selected some of his own situation and wrote about it.

Actually, he was assigned here with the help of his professor. He first used several connections to get Xu Ming's class status cleared, and then helped him make a decision, allowing him to apply for support in the frontier. Although life here is not easy, it is still manageable.

Most importantly, Xu Ming’s identity here is an educated youth.

That's fine.

Xu Ming informed Xu Shuang of his situation one by one, and in the letter asked him to comfort Mrs. Xu and tell her not to worry.

The days are getting warmer, and the dining table at home is finally becoming richer.

After harvesting various vegetables from the private plot, Xu Shuang immediately began to dry them and pickle them.

First, the dried vegetables. After the beans are harvested, they are cooked and dried. The whole dried cowpeas are put into snakeskin bags and then stacked in a dry place. Eggplants are cut vertically and dried into strips. Sesame leaves are picked and dried, and then added to noodles in winter to supplement vegetable intake. There are also day lilies and dried radishes...

Xu Shuang didn't pickle much sauerkraut. After all, that was a serious job that would only be done in autumn. All she had to do now was pickle a few jars of pickled cucumbers and cabbage.

The house is full of stored things, and there are all kinds of dried vegetables inside and outside the house.

Wang Ying was dumbfounded: "Do we really need to prepare so much for the winter with just the three of us?"

There are almost three snakeskin bags of dried vegetables. Can we really eat them all

Xu Shuang: "Not only our food, but also my master's."

Wang Ying understood immediately that this was the portion that was sent to the county town. No wonder Xu Shuang finished the things in her own private plot and also managed to exchange a batch of vegetables for several cousins from her aunt's side.

Xu Shuang wiped her face: "What are we having for lunch?"

Wang Ying's nose was filled with the aroma of dried vegetables: "Just eat an eggplant."

Add lard to the pan and stir-fry the eggplant until fragrant, then add salt, sugar and soy sauce, and finally add a little homemade soybean paste, and the sauce-colored eggplant stew is ready.

Put the eggplant sauce on the hot noodles and you will get eggplant sauce noodles.

Wang Ying was just about to go next door to call Old Lady Xu when she saw Old Lady Xu walking in from outside with a bad look on her face.

Wang Ying: "Mom, what happened?"

Old Mrs. Xu said unhappily: "You are still an educated youth."

Ever since Bai Ling came to Wang Ying last time and tried to use moral blackmail to force all the educated youth to live in the Xu family, but was directly suppressed by Wang Ying, Wang Ying told Old Lady Xu about this matter.

After all, Old Lady Xu is the head of the household, and Wang Ying is afraid that Bai Ling will not give up and will continue to push Old Lady Xu's side.

As a result, Bai Ling did not go directly to find Old Lady Xu, but instead started to work hard with other educated youth.

Some time ago, Old Lady Xu beat up Wang Lingling, which became famous in the team. Bai Ling seemed to be frightened and stayed quiet for a while.

But for some reason, this matter was brought up again recently.

Old Mrs. Xu was furious: "Tell me, how can these young people be so self-righteous? This is my own house, and the brigade didn't confiscate it from me. Why should I give it away to them to live in?"

The key point is, the people who came to tell Old Lady Xu about this were Jiang Lei and another male educated youth. Don’t the two young men feel embarrassed when they said this

And he looked as if it was a matter of course.

Of course Old Mrs. Xu didn't tolerate them. She just rolled her eyes at each of them and ignored them.

Old Lady Xu scolded, "It must be Bai Ling who said that! Jiang Lei and another young man have been getting close to her recently. How can this girl be so cunning! Not only did she want to live here herself, she also insisted on bringing a bunch of educated youth to live here as well."

Wang Ying also frowned when she heard this: "I heard from Aunt Guihua that Bai Ling has never been used to living in her house. She always complains about being uncomfortable here and there. In short, she just wants to have a bed by herself."

Old Lady Xu said incredulously: "Even if she moves in, I can't possibly prepare a separate bed for her. Zhang Ping and Jiang Li each have a bed because there's a couch there. If she moves in, why should I prepare one for her?"

Wang Ying: "Don't worry about her. She can't live in the house. If it doesn't work, I will go to the team leader. We agreed to give each family several educated youths. It has already been divided. Now it's unreasonable to talk about requisitioning a family's house to cram all the educated youths in. "

After hearing what her daughter-in-law said, Old Lady Xu also had a clue in her heart. But she still couldn't help but get angry: "Jiang Lei is such a brainless guy. Bai Ling is just hanging him around to be with others. He even buys this and that for Bai Ling every day."

When a person is stupid to a certain level, even people who dislike him will find him unbearable.

Old Mrs. Xu now looks down upon Jiang Lei.

Since Bai Ling moved into Wu Guihua's house, she has hooked up with another male educated youth. And Old Lady Xu has seen Bai Ling hanging around Yu Pengcheng more than once.

"No one took him seriously, even though he considered himself Bai Ling's girlfriend."

Wang Ying could understand Bai Ling to some extent. She was not looking for a partner, she just wanted some tangible benefits.

Jiang Lei has probably been squeezed almost to the point of exhausting his benefits, so Bai Ling naturally won't keep hanging on to him forever.

Old Mrs. Xu became annoyed when she talked about Bai Ling, and she was also glad that she did not let Bai Ling live in her house. If such a scheming person lived in her house, trouble was bound to happen.

The family of three was happily eating eggplant noodles when someone started knocking on the door.

Xu Shuang went to open the door, only to see two people being carried in from outside. The one holding the board was Yang Hong.

Yang Hong: "Doctor Wang Ying, please take a look. These two were fighting and one of them fainted."

Wang Ying took a look and found that one of them was Jiang Lei.

If the occasion is right, she would have asked, how old are you

Why is it you again