Chapter 54.1

Autumn is the best season for admiring the moon, with a refreshing and crisp breeze.

After the cubs were done with their studying, they began to help Su Xiaoxiao with her work.

River snails are different from field snails. Field snails live in fields and consume a lot of mud every day. After being picked up, they must be kept overnight, and the black mud must be removed thoroughly before cooking.

The river snail, also known as the mountain snail, lives in a small stream on the mountain. The water in the stream is very clear and it is already kept very clean. Of course, it would be better to still rinse it with clean water overnight, but it will not affect the food if they are not rinsed.

The children easily knocked on the river snail shells, while Han Cheng followed Su Xiaoxiao’s instructions and made a cross on the chestnut, making it easier to peel before eating.

When Li Yufeng finished making all the clothes, she went to the kitchen to help Su Xiaoxiao.

She first sprinkled some water on the wooden bucket where the bean sprouts were raised, and then moved the bucket closer to the stove and warmer, saying that this way the bean sprouts could grow faster.

Su Xiaoxiao plans to follow the method she used to bake the mooncakes yesterday and make preparations for roasting chestnuts in a clay jar.

Li Yufeng also thinks this method is very good.

Revised: Han Cheng washed the chestnuts and brought them in. Su Xiaoxiao asked him to put them in the clay jar, along with a few corns.

Li Yufeng took some burning charcoal from the stove, placed it inside the stove, and allowed the charcoal to slowly roast the chestnuts and corn.

They still had chicken for dinner, and Su Xiaoxiao added some salt to the half of the chicken that was left from noon. The addition of salt completely transformed the flavor of the chicken compared to what they had eaten earlier in the day.

The chestnuts are both powdery and fragrant, while the corn is sweet and sticky. They are so satisfying that there is no need to cook rice for dinner. Simply having these as staple foods and enjoying a bowl of soup is sufficient.

“Mom, starting today, chestnuts have claimed the top spot as the most delicious food, and the corn is also incredibly tasty!” It was Fantuan’s first time eating chestnuts, and he was completely won over once he tasted them.

Xiao Bao disagrees. He often goes to the mountains to pick up chestnuts in Sujia Village and says, “I still think chicken is delicious.”

Xiao Zhuzi nodded and said, “All of them are delicious.” His days after arriving here felt like he was in heaven.

Xiao Doubao also has a special liking for eating chestnuts, but Su Xiaoxiao is cautious about allowing him to eat too many at once. Firstly, there is a risk of choking, and secondly, she is worried that he may have difficulty digesting them. In the end, she broke off a small portion of the corn for him to chew on.

After dinner, the cubs played in the yard for a while, Han Cheng took them to take a shower, and Su Xiaoxiao started frying snails.

Before returning the courtyard of Xiao Zhuzi’s family to the army, they harvested all the vegetables in the vegetable field and distributed the majority of them to their neighbors. Su Xiaoxiao took perilla, chili, ginger, scallions, and garlic for herself, storing them to consume gradually.

Now these ingredients come in handy for stir-frying snails. With just a few simple ingredients, Li Yufeng, who had just finished a satisfying meal, couldn’t help but salivate and exclaimed, “When you stir-fry something with oil, it creates such a delightful aroma. How can anyone resist the enticing fragrance of stir-fried snails in our Sujia Village?”

In Sujia Village, Su Xiaoxiao used to stir-fry snails, but the aroma that filled the air this time was distinct from what Li Yufeng had previously smelled when her daughter had prepared stir-fried snails.

Su Xiaoxiao flipped the stir-fried snails and commented, “That’s how it should be. I prefer not to add cinnamon and star anise at home, but I absolutely love your pickled sour bamboo shoots. The combination of the sour and spicy flavors is even more delicious when paired with these snails.”

Just the thought of it made Su Xiaoxiao’s mouth water.

Li Yufeng glanced at her daughter and said, “Why didn’t you mention it in the letter? If you had, I would have brought you some pickled sour bamboo shoots.”

“Forget it, the train is so crowded that items tend to get damaged.”Su Xiaoxiao said.

Li Yufeng tossed the washed perilla into the snails and said, “I’ll write down the recipe for you later. In spring, you can go to the mountain and dig some bamboo shoots, then pickle them yourself.” Su Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement and hastened her stirring-frying.

When the stir-fried snails were ready and taken out of the pot, the cubs had already gathered around the dish, eagerly surrounding it one by one.

The few cubs, despite being of similar height, were attempting to peek into the pot by tiptoeing and craning their necks.

Xiao Doubao pulled his grandmother’s hand and asked her to pick him up and take a look.

Li Yufeng bent down to pick up the little cub, who had a curious expression as he watched his mother stir fry.

Fantuan: “Mom, these fried snails are incredibly fragrant. They seem even more fragrant than the last time,”

Su Xiaoxiao took out half of it and poured a large amount of chili peppers into the pot to continue stir-frying.

Su Xiaoxiao said: “It’s the same as last time but this time, Fantuan personally pick up the snails. The food obtained through your own hard work naturally became even more fragrant.”

Xiao Bao agreed. “I also noticed that the snails I picked have an exceptional fragrance, and the rice ear I picked becomes exceptionally fragrant when tossed into the charcoal fire and transformed into popcorn.”

Xiao Fantuan and Xiao Zhuzi looked surprised and said, “Can rice ears turn into popcorn?”

Xiao Bao nodded and said: “Absolutely! Roasting beans and sweet potatoes in the fire during winter is also incredibly delicious.”

Upon hearing Fantuan’s description, the two cubs became even more eager to visit Sujia Village.

The fried snails with chili peppers were just out of the pot when Zhao Xianfeng and his family arrived.

“What kind of food has such an overpowering aroma?” Zhou Yuhua’s voice came from the doorway.

“Everything Aunt Su makes is the most delicious!” Xiao Yu’er, who was completely captivated by Su Xiaoxiao’s cooking, ran inside with excitement.
The three cubs in the kitchen hurriedly left and greeted the two adults before joining the four cubs of similar ages who were already playing together. One of them introduced the airplane game to Xiao Yu’er, while another showed Xiao Yu’er how to play hoop rolling.

Han Cheng had just finished making his chicken feather shuttlecock, with the base prepared in advance by Li Yufeng. They stacked two layers of cardboard, inserted one of the largest feathers in the center, made a cross at the base to secure it, and tightly wrapped it with a piece of cloth before nailing it firmly. A stable and secure base was created, and Li Yufeng also made several in one go.

Han Cheng’s task was to attach the feathers in the appropriate proportion, ensuring that the base always lands first regardless of how he kicked it. Finally, after a meticulous process, the beautiful feather shuttlecock is made.’

Han Cheng held the feather shuttlecock in his palm, and the exquisite rooster feathers scattered, forming a flower-like pattern. As the feathers danced in the gentle breeze under the pure white moonlight, the cubs couldn’t help but cheer in excitement. One by one, they abandoned their toys and gathered around Han Cheng to admire the feather shuttlecock.

Xiao Fantuan reached out to touch the feathers on it but dared not exert any force. “Dad, isn’t this shuttlecock too beautiful?”

Xiao Zhuzi also reached out to touch.

Xiao Bao nodded and said, “It’s really beautiful, even more, beautiful than what grandma did.”

“Your grandmother chose a rooster with beautiful feathers, “Han Cheng said.

Li Yufeng was also attracted and took a closer look and said. “Han Cheng is really impressive,” 

Zhao Xianfeng weighed the feather shuttlecock in his hand a few times and remarked, “Right, Han Cheng! I had no idea you had such a skill. Why didn’t I know about this before?”

“I didn’t know myself until I made this shuttlecock.”

Zhao Xianfeng laughed heartily, kicked the shuttlecock a few times on his feet, and then held it in his hand: “Children, come here, I’ll teach you how to kick the shuttlecock.”