Happy Farmer's Life

Chapter 46 Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is a very important solar term in a year. In some places, there is even a saying that "the winter solstice is as big as the year". Although it is not so exaggerated here in Sanqing Village, every household still gets up early in the morning to prepare.In the past, during the winter solstice, there were northern dumplings and southern glutinous rice balls. Du Weiming himself is a southerner who usually eats glutinous rice balls.Sanqing Village eats a kind of dumpling that Du Weiming has never seen before. It is similar to glutinous rice balls, but it looks more like vegetable dumpling.

Last winter solstice, Du Weiming was a newcomer and didn't know anything. Aunt Zhang next door sent a plate of dumplings, and he just followed the villagers.In the morning, the dumplings and some food must be prepared, and every family will go to the grave first.Of course Du Weiming was no exception, he got up early and started to prepare.

I went to the town to do some shopping yesterday, and last time I sold potatoes and dried bamboo shoots for a lot of money. Of course, I have to prepare well for this winter solstice.A herring, a bowl of meat, and some bean products, these are the basic dishes for worshiping ancestors.Du Weiming simply bought more meat, and prepared to make bacon and other things. This time, someone came to sell geese. Du Weiming also bought two geese, some pastries and so on.Perhaps because of the winter solstice, there were more people going to the market than usual, and there were a few villagers on the bullock cart of Du Weiming's family.This time, only Du Weiming, Wang Wu and Zhou Wen went to buy, and even Yamato dolls stayed at home.Although the big guy said that the harvest is not good, every household has prepared a lot of dishes on important days.

Du Weiming was preparing dumplings early in the morning. After the corn flour was reconciled, he asked Lian Da to knead the dough.The meat is minced into puree and stuffed with green vegetables, which is actually similar to wonton dumpling.Make big dumplings and steam them in a pot.Add braised pork, braised fish, and tofu, and of course a small jar of wine, and everyone set off to worship their ancestors.Wawa is now considered to be a member of the Li family, so of course she went to worship the ancestors with Du Weiming.

The cemetery is behind the village, and when Du Weiming arrived, many people had already started worshiping their ancestors.There are still some weeds in front of the stele. After cleaning it, put the wine and vegetables on it, kowtow and burn paper money, and it is considered good.

Lunch is to reheat the dumplings and vegetables made in the morning, and everyone eats very happily.The baby likes those two geese very much. Du Weiming originally wanted to kill the pickled ones, but now he is reluctant to do so.I taught the baby the poem "Goose, goose, singing to the sky, white hair floating in green water, anthurium touching the clear waves." With this realistic comparison, the baby is very interested in learning it, and he has already mastered it after a while. I read it, but I still didn't understand the meaning, so Du Weiming explained it to him one by one.

"Brother, I will be responsible for raising two geese in the future, okay?"

Du Weiming was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't expect this.

"How did the baby think of raising geese?"

"I've seen cows, chickens, and ducks. This is the first time I've seen this goose. I want to raise this goose, okay?"

Du Weiming had a headache when he heard this. It's cold and there is not much water in the river. It's really not a good time to raise geese.After communicating with the baby, I finally agreed to raise it for two days first, and then slaughter it after two days, and then raise it when the weather is warmer.

Du Weiming wants everyone to try the authentic glutinous rice balls.This requires glutinous rice flour.It’s not easy to get glutinous rice either. Brown rice and white rice are commonly eaten here. Glutinous rice is rare, let alone glutinous rice flour.When I went to the town, I searched for a long time before I found some glutinous rice, and I came back to get it myself.

"Brother, brother, what is the purpose of soaking the white rice for so long?"

"Baby, this is not white rice, it's called glutinous rice. Brother, can I make you glutinous rice balls tonight?"

"What are glutinous rice balls?"

"Well, my brother can't tell, it's just a kind of delicious dumpling. You'll know when you make it for the baby at night."

"Brother, wouldn't it be good if the baby came to help too?"

"The baby will help my brother pick some green onions and come back, wash them clean, okay?"

The doll went to the door to pick after receiving the task.Some onions are planted at the door, and you can pick some when you want to eat.The glutinous rice was soaked last night. In the morning, it was taken to the graphite in the village to make a slurry, and hung up in a cloth bag. When the water dripped dry, it was ready to use.If there is too much, let it dry and it will become glutinous rice flour.

I made two kinds of glutinous rice balls today, red beans and fresh meat.In fact, Du Weiming prefers to make black sesame stuffing, but there is no way to make the black sesame filling for the time being, so he can only make red beans.With the experience of making spring rolls last time, the red bean paste is much faster to make. Now it’s cold, so it doesn’t matter if you make a little more, and it won’t go bad after ten days and a half months.

I took some fresh meat and asked Lian Da to chop it into meat fillings, add onion, ginger, cooking wine, salt, etc., mix well, and add an egg to make the salty stuffing.Wawa was also very happy to see that her green onions came in handy after washing, so she obediently watched her brother work.

There are some skills when making glutinous rice balls. Zhou Wen didn't learn it at the beginning, and he failed a few of them. Fortunately, the dough can be made again after kneading. It took several attempts to wrap it.

"Zhou Wen, wrap the sweet ones into round ones, and put the salty ones on a pointed end, otherwise you won't be able to tell the difference."

"Okay, sir."

The doll was very interested in seeing it and wanted to wrap it. Thinking of the price of the glutinous rice, Du Weiming gave up the idea of ​​letting him make it.The doll curled her lips, but there was nothing she could do.Don't look at my brother who seems to be very talkative, if he says no, then he really can't.The doll also has experience, so she can only forget it when she sees this.

The doll was wearing a newly made cotton coat, and Zhou Wen and the others also put on new cotton coats. Tears of excitement almost flowed out at that time.It's a new cotton coat, I haven't worn it for several years.The doll was also very happy, and proudly passed it on to other children, which attracted countless envious eyes, and of course brought some new troubles to Du Weiming.Also, the fabrics this time are only the most common. Many people have already said that, if the fabrics bought by Shangjingyuan are used, there will be a lot of gossip.

The wrapped glutinous rice balls are placed in white and round bamboo strips one by one, which looks good.Du Weiming sent some to Aunt Zhang and Carpenter Zhang. Usually they would send some delicious food. Now that they made glutinous rice balls, of course they would also give them some to try.

While making glutinous rice balls, Du Weiming also taught the baby to sing the song of selling glutinous rice balls, "Selling glutinous rice balls, selling glutinous rice balls, the little brother's glutinous rice balls are round and round..." The family was full of laughter, and when the glutinous rice balls were served, the doll sang early Waited with a spoon.This glutinous rice ball is quite big, and the doll is two bean paste and two fresh meat.I guess I should be full.A lot of glutinous rice balls were cooked, and the whole family ate the steaming glutinous rice balls together, talking over and over again. It was really a warm scene.Tangyuan originally means reunion of the delegation. I don’t know what Jing Yuan is doing now. When I wrote last time, I mentioned that I would come over. I don’t know when I will come back.If he knew that he had made delicious food and he didn't eat it, his face would probably stink again.Du Weiming found himself in a daze, patted himself on the head, told himself not to think too much, and rejoined the topic.

After the winter solstice, every household is preparing for the New Year.There is not much work in the field, the most is to go to the vegetable field to look at Chinese cabbage, radish and the like.Before it snowed on the mountain, many young men in the village rushed to hunt in the mountain. No one dared to go after the snow fell.Even Yamato Wang Wu also went, and Du Weiming took the baby and Zhou Wen to the mountain to have a look.It is estimated that this is the last time everyone goes up the mountain.He and Zhou Wen chopped a lot of bamboo, and it is still useful to take it back.There are also some winter bamboo shoots, but the amount is not much. After digging up, half a bamboo basket was filled, so I took the baby back first.

I took a lot of bamboo and put it in front of the house to dry, and used it for firecrackers during the Spring Festival.He also asked Zhou Wen to cut a lot of bamboo knots.

"Master, what's the use of this bamboo pie?"

"Get ready, I'll cook something delicious for you when I have time."

Zhou Wen is already somewhat immune to his young master's strange food, so listen to the young master.Wang Wu and Lian Da also returned with a full load, three hares, two pheasants, and a roe deer.He also worked together with a few boys in the village to catch a wild boar, saying that he would send a copy later after killing it.

Last time, all the hare and pheasant chickens were used as bacon. One rabbit and two chickens were kept for eating in the next few days.Sure enough, when it was dark, the wild pork was delivered. Even Dahe and Wang Wu made great efforts. The wild pork was delivered on a rope, and it was estimated to weigh more than ten to twenty catties.

The meat at home is enough, this time I bought a lot of meat, in addition to making braised pork, glutinous rice balls and so on, most of them are also marinated meat, these meats are prepared for croquettes or something.Too much bacon at home.The meat for the Chinese New Year is almost done, and I will go to the town again before the new year to see what is missing and then add some.

Jing Yuan said that he would come over during the Chinese New Year, and it will be Chinese New Year in more than ten days. I don't know when he will come?