Chapter 53 – Protecting wife (3)

Su Xiaoxiao bought some douchi and fennel at the market. She originally wanted to buy some spicy sauce, but after thinking about it, she could just go home and make it by herself.

-Fermented black soybeans / Douchi

-Fennel

-Spicy sauce

When she was passing by the old woman’s stall, the old woman shouted at her with an unhappy face: “Aren’t you going to buy meigan cai today?”

-A bundle of Meigan Cai (梅干菜)

A type of dry pickled chinese mustard. The pickle consists of a whole head of various varieties of chinese mustards and cabbages that has undergone an elaborate process consisting of drying, steaming, and salting. The vegetables are harvested, trimmed before the Qingming Festival, and sun-dried until limp. It is then salted or brined, kneaded until the juices are exuded, and left to ferment in large clay urns for 15 to 20 days. The vegetable is then repeatedly steamed and dried until reddish brown in color and highly fragrant.

Su Xiaoxiao spread out her hands and said, “I just bought a large basket last time, and they can still be eaten for a long time.”

The old woman gritted her teeth, she felt so much regret for the thousandth time that she had sold it so cheaply.

But except her, no one else bought it.

The old woman gritted her teeth and said, “I will sell it to you at a cheap price!”

Su Xiaoxiao only spent 50 wen to buy a large basket of meigan cai.

When she got home, it was already past lunch time, and the three children were starving. Father Su cooked the meal, but it was too unpalatable.

The three children only plunged their heads into the rice bowl and refused to eat the unpalatable dishes made by Father Su.

Even Father Su himself didn’t want to eat it.

Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to cook, and Su Ergou helped her.

When Su Xiaoxiao came out, she saw her father was sitting in the backyard making something from a piece of wood.

Su Xiaoxiao walked over and looked at his hand and said, “Your hand is injured. Didn’t I tell you to stop using your right hand?”

Father Su laughed and said, “It doesn’t take much effort. I am aware of that. Just take it easy!”

“What are you making?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Father Su sighed, “I have been busy with outside affairs for these two days, neglecting my home, and you have been working so hard. The problem about your uncle and aunt’s visit, son-in-law also told me about that, which made you feel wronged. I’m making the crutches for my son- in-law, so that it will be more convenient for him to move around in the future.”

Wait.

It sounded like she heard this before. How did the topic of the conversation suddenly change from her being wronged to making the crutches for Wei Ting?

Wasn’t the way you were thinking too jumpy?

“Dad! Jie!1 The food has been set up! It’s ready to eat!”

1Jie (姐) : older sister.

Su Ergou called out.

“Let’s go to eat.” Father Su put aside the half-made crutches and went into the hall with his little fat, annoyed-faced daughter.

Wei Ting was helped out by Su Ergou and already sat down.

For a certain someone who was just lying down but able to reap benefits from her hard work, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t accept it in her heart.

But when she thought of this morning’s event that had made him faint, she silently endured it.

She calmly glanced at Wei Ting who sat in the opposite direction. Wei Ting picked up the bowl leisurely, with his normal expression on his face.

It was as if nothing embarrassing had happened.

Very good, everyone chose to forget it together.

“Ah, my daughter, what kind of dish is this?” Father Su asked, as he was looking at the dishes he had never seen before on the table. It looked like pork belly, but the recipe looked different from the usual one.

-Pork belly

“Braised pork belly with preserved vegetables.” Su Xiaofei said, “Using pork belly meat.”

-Braised pork belly with preserved vegetables. 

She was originally planning to cook this dish yesterday, but Father Su never came back, so Su Xiaoxiao decided to cook it today.

It happened that she just bought some douchi today. 

“It’s not spicy, right?” Father Su asked.

“Not spicy.” Su Xiaoxiao said.

As soon as he heard it was not spicy, Father Su gave each of the three children a piece.

The three children poked it with the chopsticks, but they could not poke vigorously, so they directly used their small hands. Wei Ting frowned when he looked at them.

Father Su said to his son-in-law, “This is how the children learn to eat. You have to let them do it by themselves.”

Wei Ting thought of the time before coming to the Su family’s house, the three children had always been fed by others all the time. But after coming here, although they ate in a mess, they did it all by themselves.

Moreover, their appetite had increased a lot.

The braised pork belly with preserved vegetables was very tender, it was fatty but not greasy. It melted in your mouth as soon as you ate it. The taste of the well-stewed preserved vegetables (meigan cai) was very good. It blended well with the meat and the douchi, which made unique flavors.

The three little ones were eating until their mouths became greasy.

Wei Ting had never liked greasy food, but he couldn’t help eating several more pieces.

The whole family was so full.