Chapter 98

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"What are you eating biscuits for? I'll make you some dumplings. We happen to have some mutton at home; yesterday your eldest sister's family had a sheep die of heatstroke, and they sent over several catties of mutton. Well, your eldest male cousin went to shear her wool." Su Jin didn't care whether Chai Mi agreed or not; she first heated some water and warmed the mutton.

Then she went to make it into dumpling filling.

"Aunt, add some of that qumo greens I had you get for me, to cut the mutton's gaminess."

Qumo greens are a kind of wild vegetable; Chai Mi's mother used to dig up the roots and plant some in the family's vegetable garden.

As it turned out, this stuff grows on its own from the roots, spreading patch by patch.

(Qumo greens have many other names, mostly differing in the pronunciation of the second character, and can also be called quma greens or ququ greens. They grow mostly at field edges, taste somewhat bitter and astringent, and are said to clear heat and detoxify when eaten. Nowadays, they are often sold in markets in early spring and are quite expensive.)

Su Jin, hearing this, went to find the qumo greens, then chopped them up and put them in the mutton, and the dumpling filling was done.

Chai Mi shook her head watching this, washed her own hands directly, and said: "Let me do it; I'm not much good at other things, but I'm decent at wrapping dumplings."

In her previous life, Chai Mi had worked at a dumpling shop, wrapping dumplings that were especially delicious, and that dumpling shop became the most famous one nearby; later, so many people wanted to eat a meal of dumplings wrapped by Chai Mi that they lined up early in the morning.

Even paying extra to cut in line...

Anyway, back then Chai Mi's dumpling-wrapping skill was truly remarkable.

It's just that the boss never raised the salary, while the workload kept growing because there were many people; finally Chai Mi was worn out and quit to find another job.

And from then on, that dumpling shop declined.

Wrapping dumplings is something northern people basically all know how to do; during New Year festivals, they all eat dumplings.

Although economic conditions aren't good now, in order to eat dumplings, they invented cheaper ways, such as corn flour dumplings, sorghum flour dumplings, buckwheat flour dumplings, thus solving the dumpling wrapper problem.

These corn and sorghum are locally grown, plus some vegetables and local specialty dishes, and then they could eat dumplings.

This era has much stronger ritual feeling than later generations.

The north doesn't have anything especially special to eat; during New Year festivals, dumplings are the main thing. Only the Dragon Boat Festival has zongzi; the remaining festivals basically all eat dumplings.

With people coming and going, dumplings are the best hospitality etiquette.

If someone comes and you don't serve them a meal of dumplings, it's somewhat disrespectful.

So Chai Mi's aunt wrapping dumplings was perfectly normal.

"Did you finish?" Su Jin looked skeptical.

"Aunt, just stand there; I make dumplings better than you. You go... go coax the child."

"Xiu'er is eight years old; she doesn't need coaxing anymore..."

"Then coax her by force." Chai Mi knew from her previous life her aunt's dumpling level: the characteristic was putting in oil to death, so greasy it was unbearable, and eating two would make one uncomfortable; she was truly afraid.

Su Jin helplessly put down the work in her hands, handed it to Chai Mi, then went to coax Chai Xiu.

"Xiu'er, want some candy?"

Children love candy most.

"Want..."

"Uh... none. Aunt will take you to buy some." Su Jin took Chai Xiu'er to the village's small shop to buy candy.

Anyway it was convenient, not far away, so there was no need to worry.

Plus Chai Xiu was obedient enough, so Chai Mi didn't worry.

Chai Mi chopped the dumpling filling, kneaded the dough, and started wrapping dumplings herself.

Those dumplings were wrapped especially small, thin-skinned with big filling, and extremely fast; in a short while, a whole steamer basket of dumplings was done.