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Making pickled chicken is quite different from making regular pickled vegetables. First, the chicken needs to be cut and fried, but in a rural household, where would they have so much oil?
Wan Chunmei thought for a while, then decided to use all the lard from the wild boar they had slaughtered last time.
She felt a bit heartbroken seeing how much oil was being used, but then she reminded herself that if this pickled chicken could really be sold for money, it would be worth it.
The house was filled with the delicious aroma. Besides the several jars of pickled radishes and cabbage she had made during the day, she also made several jars of pickled chicken in the evening.
Three days later…
The Tan family woke up early, gathered around the jars of pickled vegetables, eagerly awaiting the taste of the radish, cabbage, and pickled chicken.
Little Qiyue was especially greedy. She sat on Tan Yiliang’s shoulder, babbling excitedly, her round little face beaming with a big smile.
Tan Sanyuan couldn’t help but glance at her, gently squeezing her little hand.
“They’re ready, they’re ready! Let’s try it out and see how it tastes.”
Wan Chunmei lifted the lid of the pickled vegetable jar, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.
The sweet fragrance of the radish, mixed with the savory scent of the sauce, made everyone’s mouths water.
Tan Yiliang couldn’t hold back any longer. He immediately reached out, grabbed a piece of radish, and popped it into his mouth. The flavor was indeed crisp and delicious—truly tasty.
“Mother, Mother, this is really delicious! It’s so much better than the cucumber and bitter melon pickles!” he exclaimed.
Cucumber and bitter melon had a bitter, astringent taste, while the radish and cabbage were refreshing and sweet, making for a completely different flavor.
Wan Chunmei wiped the sweat from her forehead, happily saying, “Husband, Erqian, Sanyuan, you all try it too.”
Tan Erqian picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and tasted it. He then passed another piece to Tan Sanyuan.
Both of them chewed slowly, then nodded in agreement. “Father, Mother, this is really delicious.”
Old Tan couldn’t resist trying a piece himself. After eating, he pulled Wan Chunmei into a tight hug and laughed, “Your cooking skills are getting better and better!”
The other younger children quickly rushed forward to try a bite and were all overjoyed.
“Bab, bab, bab!” Little Qiyue waved her little hands, eager to get some too.
Tan Yiliang saw how greedy she was and picked up a small piece of white radish with his chopsticks, holding it out to her.
Since she hadn’t grown any teeth yet, she bit down on it, holding it in her mouth. The spicy, sour, and sweet flavors blended together, and indeed, it was incredibly delicious—probably the best pickled vegetable she had ever tasted.
Wan Chunmei quickly shouted at Tan Yiliang, “Yiliang, your sister is still small, she can’t handle spicy food, don’t give her any more!”
Tan Yiliang quickly responded, “Yes, Mother!”
Little Qiyue’s round, pouty face instantly showed her disappointment. She lowered her eyes, clearly upset.
Tan Sanyuan noticed and quickly took out a piece of candy he had been hiding in his pocket. He tiptoed and gently put it in her mouth, whispering, “Little Qiyue, be good, here’s some candy for you.”
After eating the candy, Little Qiyue opened her big watery eyes and smiled brightly at him. That smile was like the warm sun in winter, as if it could melt all the snow outside.
Tan Sanyuan couldn’t help but stare, captivated by her smile.
Tan Erqian, seeing this, shoved a piece of pickled chicken into Tan Sanyuan’s mouth. “Third Brother, hurry up and try this, it really tastes great.”
Tan Sanyuan chewed the piece of pickled chicken, his eyes lighting up. He kept nodding as he chewed, signaling how delicious it was.
Wan Chunmei couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Among all her children, Tan Sanyuan was the most picky. If he said it was delicious, then it was definitely delicious—better than anything the county magistrate or even the palace could offer.
She quickly turned around and began packing the pickled radishes, cabbage, and pickled chicken into jars. “Husband, I’m going to send this over to Old Yu’s family in the neighboring village. You pack a few jars for Erqian.”
Old Tan, still eating, smiled and replied, “Okay, go ahead, don’t worry.”
Wan Chunmei put on her conical hat and rushed out into the snowstorm.
Old Tan quickly followed her out, calling out, “Chunmei, be careful, the road is slippery in the snow!”
Wan Chunmei turned around and waved, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful!”
Her cheerful face didn’t look like a farmer’s; it seemed more like that of a young maiden just beginning to experience love.
Old Tan stood at the door, watching her until her figure disappeared into the distance before returning inside.
Following Wan Chunmei’s instructions, Old Tan packed the jars of pickled radishes and pickled chicken into about thirty jars. He then gathered them into a large basket and turned to Tan Erqian.
“Erqian, there are thirty jars here. When shopkeeper Bai comes by, give him however many he wants. The rest can be sold at the shop. If they don’t sell, then give them away. If they sell, sell them well. As for the price, I don’t know much about it. You and your brothers are in business, so you should know how to price it. But as your father, I still have to tell you—don’t inflate the price. Sell them for what they’re worth, understand?”
Tan Erqian nodded obediently, “Yes, Father, I understand.”
Old Tan smiled and patted Tan Erqian on the head, saying, “Good. Today I collected some mushrooms on the mountain. Let’s have some chicken stewed with mushrooms for dinner.”
The children, upon hearing this, were all thrilled. “Great! Great! We’re having mushrooms!”