Ding Sha bought a small oven and baked cookies properly according to the recipe he learned from his mobile phone.
Nanjiang City is a big city. As it gets closer to the end of the year, more and more people return to their hometowns, and there are fewer people in the city.
The small shops that were usually packed in the past have become quiet.
Xiao Jun gave Sister Tong and Aunt Zhuang a holiday, so that they could take the opportunity to go to the street to buy New Year's goods.
The two women went out happily with the money in their pockets, while Ding Sha was still thinking about her butter cookies.
Xiao Jun loosened the soil in the small vegetable patch reserved in the backyard, spread a layer of fertilizer, and waited until the soil was suitable before planting vegetables.
Lifting the thick door curtain between the courtyard and the hall, I smelled a fragrant and sweet scent.
Different from the aroma of Chinese food, this smell reminds people of a quiet and leisurely afternoon, when they are sitting under a parasol in the sun with sweet snacks and a cup of tea beside them.
Lying on the lawn, as if it were a compliment to waste an entire afternoon sleeping like this.
Xiao Jun walked over to Ding Sha and saw her carefully watching the biscuits that were expanding in the oven. "They smell so good."
Ding Sha nodded, "I baked a lot, and I'll share them with my sister-in-law and Xiaole. If I have time, I'll go back and give them to Grandma Zhang and Uncle Wei. We can eat the rest."
Xiao Jun cleaned up the mess on the table for her and said, "Okay, when my sister-in-law and the others come back, we'll go buy some small bags?"
Ding Sha nodded.
Xiao Jun went to the backyard again. I don’t know what he is busy with recently. He is so secretive that I can’t see him at night when I go to bed.
Ding Sha frowned.
One day we have to find out what he is doing!
It was getting dark when Mrs. Tong and Mrs. Zhuang came back with big and small bags, smiling happily.
"It's no wonder that the sales before the New Year are so cheap. I bought a lot of things!" Mrs. Tong's usually quiet face also showed a bright smile.
Aunt Zhuang picked and chose and took out a plastic bag. "I passed by the vegetable market and bought some shepherd's purse. It's not the season, but there's still fresh shepherd's purse. It's really strange."
"But I thought it looked good, so I bought some," Aunt Zhuang said with a bright smile, "We'll make dumplings tonight."
It has been a long time since I last had dumplings. Xiao Jun went back to knead the dough. He loves pasta and kneads dough a lot on weekdays. He knows how to make good dough. As long as the dough is smooth, both hands and the basin will be fine.
Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.
Aunt Zhuang was preparing the dumpling filling. Wash the shepherd's purse thoroughly but don't soak it in water, as the taste would be bland.
Pour appropriate amounts of soy sauce, salt and pepper into the pork filling that is 30% fat and 70% lean, sprinkle some MSG and dark soy sauce, and then add some white sugar to enhance the flavor.
After mixing it with your hands, beat it in a pot for a few times until the meat filling becomes dense and thick, then add the fried scallion oil and finely chopped ginger.
Chop the shepherd's purse into small pieces, sprinkle salt on it to remove the water, squeeze out the water and put it into the meat filling.
After stirring evenly, the fragrant and tempting dumpling filling is ready.
Xiao Jun also took out the dough, rolled it into thin strips, pinched it into small pieces and rolled it out.
The dumplings are thick in the middle and thin on both sides. Put your hands together and pinch them, and the dumplings, each one the size of a bite, will be placed on the lid, white and plump.
Three people were packing it, and Ding Sha was watching.
After boiling the water and adding some salt, put the dumplings in. Four people cooked three dumplings, as there was not enough room in one pot.
The dumplings are white and plump, with thin skin and tender fillings. When you bite one open, you can see the crispy shepherd's purse inside. The dumpling filling is like a small meatball, with just the right amount of salty and fragrant flavor, and you will never get tired of eating it.
Ding Sha ate more than twenty pieces for the first time, and Xiao Jun probably ate more than a whole curtain by himself.
Tong's wife spoke with pride, "My aunt's skill in making dumplings is praised by people all over the town."
Ding Sha looked at Xiao Jun who was eating hard with reluctance. She really couldn't eat anymore and felt like vomiting if she ate any more.
"Aunt, do you want to sell dumplings in the store after the New Year?" Ding Sha asked her, "I'll give you a chef's salary."
Aunt Zhuang was stunned for a moment, "Is it okay?"
"Of course," Ding Sha smiled, "your dumplings are so delicious!"
Aunt Zhuang agreed without any hesitation.
The next day, Uncle Wei brought the crib over on his cart. The light-colored interwoven wood pattern was very soft and pleasing to the eye, and the crib was also made according to Xiao Jun's drawings, without any difference.
Uncle Wei also carefully modified the support at the bottom of the crib into a dual-purpose one, which can be fixed on the ground or propped up in an arc to become a cradle.
Dingsha likes this bed very much.
Uncle Wei also made a lot of fun little toys for children, including ponies, dragonflies and rabbits, each one of them is cute and lifelike.
He also said that it was made of leftover materials and was not valuable, so just treat it as a gift.
Ding Sha paid for the bed and toys, and Uncle Wei took it with a bit of embarrassment, "Okay, I won't push it off with you. If you need to make something for me in the future, I'll give you a discount."
Ding Sha agreed with a smile.
Uncle Wei happily went back dragging the cart while smoking his pipe. Ding Sha couldn't let go of the small bed and placed it directly next to his bed.
I always can't help imagining little Ping'an lying in there playing with his little feet.
There is a counter at the door of the shop, filled with various small desserts that Dingsha makes in his spare time.
When guests pass by here on their way home, they always can't help but take a few away.
An old man with gray hair and a sharp spirit walked in with his hands behind his back. There was a hint of sadness on his face. He sat straight on the stool, with no intention of looking around.
Mrs. Tong handed him the menu. He took a look at it, but before he could say anything, his cell phone rang.
The old man took it out and looked at the notes, then he sighed and picked up the phone, "Hello? What's going on?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm just walking around, taking a walk..."
"I'll be back soon. I'll have dinner and then go back..."
"don’t worry… "
After saying a few words and hanging up the phone, the old man looked at the photo of the father and son who looked very similar on the desk and shook his head.
"Uncle, what would you like to eat?"
"Let me see. Just give me a simple one," the old man flipped through the food. "Do you have any noodles?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Tong, "What kind of noodles would you like to eat?"
The old man looked up at her and asked, "Can you do anything?"
"Generally, anything similar will do." Mrs. Tong had no doubt about Xiao Jun's craftsmanship.
And if worst comes to worst, there’s still Ding Sha!
The old man is interested and is willing to do anything. He is quite arrogant.
He frowned and thought for a while, "Can you give me some noodles with soybean paste?"
Sister Tong said, "It can be done. Please wait a moment!"
The old man wiped the chopsticks he had pulled out of the chopstick holder with a tissue and put them away patiently. Then he looked up at the exhibits in the store.
The decoration and environment are very good. The old man looked around and didn't find any oil stains, which made him feel satisfied.
However, the expectations for chefs are getting higher and higher.
There is a lot of knowledge involved in fried noodles with soybean paste, and he wanted to see if this small shop he walked into casually could really make good fried noodles with soybean paste.
Author's side note: Today's second update is late~
I had a whole afternoon of meetings and my waist is almost broken...
We had dumplings at Silly Cat's house today, but unfortunately I was so full from the fried chicken that I couldn't eat any more...