Chapter 50: Planning for Lamb Soup

Neither Ming Dai nor Zhou Sinian knew what was happening with the villagers. They arrived home early.

After locking the door, Zhou Sinian immediately wanted to take a bath. Ming Dai hurriedly led him into the space.

Without needing Ming Dai to say anything, he tossed the basket aside and ran into his room to start his bath.

Ming Dai was exhausted too. She went upstairs, ran a hot bath, and soaked to recover her energy.

When she came out, Zhou Sinian was already outside at the faucet, washing his back basket, using rose-scented body wash.

Seeing the foam everywhere, Ming Dai couldn’t help but feel helpless. Well, as long as he was happy.

She set the rice to steam and then went to check on the sheep pen. The lambs’ fur had dried and now looked fluffy, like little rose-scented clouds. They were quite adorable.

It was just the chocolate-colored mess on the ground that was a bit annoying. Ming Dai wondered how she could convince the cleanliness-obsessed Zhou Sinian to help out in the sheep pen.

It would have to be with some Chinese delicacies!

Ming Dai began thinking about tomorrow’s lamb soup. She wasn’t sure if Aunt Huang would trust her to handle the knife.

She gave the sheep some corn as feed, then thought about planting some grass for them to eat. The land in the space should be put to use.

As she passed by the scrubbing Zhou Sinian, she headed back inside.

Dinner was eaten in the space. Ming Dai made spicy chicken with peppers, steamed rice, and tomato egg soup.

Perhaps they were both too tired, but the two of them ate everything—food, soup, and all—without leaving a trace.

Ming Dai thought to herself that they must make money; otherwise, just eating would probably make them poor!

After finishing washing up, Zhou Sinian took the initiative to stoke the kang, making sure the firewood was fully stocked.

Looking at the weather, snow would likely start falling soon, and without a good fire in the kang at night, they’d both be waking up from the cold repeatedly.

That night, they both fell into a deep sleep, while the other villagers—some excited, some regretful, some jealous—mostly lay awake, unable to sleep.

The next day, early in the morning, the workers arrived at their designated spots, eager to finish the work quickly so they could head home for food.

Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian were also up early. They made millet porridge, steamed buns, and had them with a bit of pickled vegetables, enjoying their breakfast.

After the meal, Zhou Sinian hurriedly washed the dishes and took his small bag, waiting by the door for Ming Dai.

Ming Dai packed some spices into her basket before heading out.

In the morning, Ming Dai had already set up an enticing expectation for Zhou Sinian, telling him that she would make a lamb soup for lunch that was even more delicious than chicken soup. Just the thought of it made his mouth water, and he was already feeling impatient.

The two of them wandered over to Liu Dazhu’s house. At that moment, only Aunt Huang and Huang Dalian were home, as the children had already gone out to play.

“Ah, Xiao Ming is here, come in!” Aunt Huang called out warmly.

The meal had already been finished at Liu Dazhu’s house, and Aunt Huang was out with her daughter-in-law, drying some preserved vegetables.

Ming Dai noticed a large pile of dried string beans and felt tempted. “Auntie, you’re so hardworking! You’ve saved up so many dried vegetables!”

Farmers always liked being praised for their hard work, and Aunt Huang smiled happily. “These are just things from the field, they don’t cost anything. Tonight, I’ll have my eldest send some over to you. Since you arrived late in the season, there really aren’t many vegetables left for winter. You can’t be eating just cabbage and radishes every day.”

Ming Dai gave a shy smile. “Thank you, Auntie. I was just feeling too embarrassed to ask.”

Huang Dalian chuckled. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? We’re all family.”

It wasn’t that Huang Dalian was overly generous. Although these dried vegetables didn’t cost money and were grown on their own land, preparing them still took time and effort.

She wouldn’t be willing to give them to just anyone, but Xiao Ming was different. After all, her own children had eaten plenty of the food Xiao Ming had given them. She wasn’t the type to take without giving back.

This was precisely what Aunt Huang appreciated about Huang Dalian—she understood social etiquette. She wasn’t recklessly generous, but she also wasn’t stingy. She knew when to hold back and when to give, unlike her second daughter-in-law, who was petty and narrow-minded.

No doubt about it—she had chosen well.

Ming Dai smiled and complimented Aunt Huang a few more times before turning the conversation to the sheep.

Aunt Huang pointed to the main room. “It’s hanging in there. I watched it carefully last night, afraid the rats would get to it. I added salt to the blood to help it coagulate, and we’ll stew it together at noon.”

Huang Dalian glanced at the madman squatting by the barn, a little apprehensive. “Xiao Ming, how did you catch this sheep?”

Aunt Huang shot her daughter-in-law a look. “Don’t ask nonsense!”

Huang Dalian smiled awkwardly. “I was just curious.”

Ming Dai shook her head nonchalantly. “It’s nothing, Aunt Huang, there’s nothing to hide. It was just a stroke of luck. Zhou Sinian and I went up the mountain to look for chestnut shells to use for fire-starting. We just happened to see a sheep sliding down the slope. Before I even realized what was happening, Zhou Sinian rushed over and grabbed it, knocking it out with a rock.”

Aunt Huang and Huang Dalian both nodded in understanding. “So that’s how it happened. No wonder, you were lucky. Normally, those sheep never come down from the cliffs. They must’ve come down for the tender leaves recently, which is probably how you caught it.”

Ming Dai nodded, then asked, “Aunt Huang, how are you planning to cook it?”

Aunt Huang grinned. “Your uncle said we’re having lamb soup for lunch, and we’ll share it with everyone. I’ll save you a leg; you can decide how to eat it.”

Ming Dai’s eyes lit up. So, they were indeed making lamb soup. “Who will cook it at noon?”

Aunt Huang looked a little embarrassed. “I’ll cook it. I’m the only one with time. Everyone else is busy catching up with work. My cooking is just okay, though, don’t complain.”

Ming Dai’s eyes flickered mischievously. “Aunt Huang, the food you cook must be delicious, don’t be so humble. But…,” she paused, leaving her words hanging in the air, successfully drawing the attention of both women.

Huang Dalian eagerly asked, “But what, Xiao Ming? Come on, we’re not outsiders!”

Ming Dai, shyly adjusting her green headscarf, said, “Well, you know, I’m from Beijing, and in winter we really like to drink lamb soup. I even brought quite a bit of seasoning with me. Aunt Huang, maybe you can use some of it?”

She then took off her backpack and pulled out small paper packets for them to see.

The two women looked at the packets in surprise. “Wow, you city folks really know how to do things! You’re making lamb soup, and you’ve got so many seasonings? We just throw in the offal and simmer it, maybe add some scallions, ginger, and salt!”

Ming Dai smiled. “Well, I also brought some Chinese herbs. My father’s a traditional Chinese doctor, and I’ve always been a bit frail, so I often drink these kinds of soups. I learned a bit from him.”

Aunt Huang slapped her thigh, excited. “Ah, isn’t this a coincidence! Xiao Ming, you’ll be the one to cook the soup at noon!”

Ming Dai was caught off guard, but her inner thoughts were already laughing. She hesitated for a moment and quickly said, “No, no, Aunt Huang, you should do it. I’ve only been cooking for a short time!”

Huang Dalian, already intrigued by Ming Dai’s description of the lamb soup, jumped in. “Exactly! Let us country folk taste what Beijing’s lamb soup tastes like!”

After some coaxing, Ming Dai reluctantly (and secretly delighted) agreed, promising that she would make the soup well.

Aunt Huang chuckled, encouraging her, thinking to herself, It’s just meat, how bad can it be? There’s no way it’ll be that terrible!