Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 232 Chapter 231 Pancakes

Pushing the grindstone is a boring job, and many people with insufficiently developed cerebellum will become dizzy after just a few turns.

In the early days, landlords used oxen and horses to grind mills. Tang Zhitong's family had never been rich and could not afford oxen and horses, so Tang Zhitong personally went to battle this time and experienced the feeling of an oxen and horses. It was still better than working for the capitalists decades later. Blessings are much easier.

The size of the stone mill I bought at that time was a little smaller, so when pushing, you need to increase the load, such as pressing the basin containing the ground corn on it. This can push the ground corn more finely, and the pancakes will taste better.

"Mom, is there rice flour in this?" As the stone mill rotated, the unique fragrance of millet came out faintly. Tang Zhitong sniffed and asked.

"Well, didn't you say the rice noodles are delicious? I put a lot of them this time." Two grinding sticks can be tied to a stone mill. Tang Zhitong is responsible for one, and Zhang Guifang is responsible for the other, and they grind their eyes from time to time. Scoop a spoonful of soaked ingredients.

"Do you still remember me?" Tang Zhitong was a little surprised. It had been at least ten years since he said this.

In the early years, there were no two unified grain systems. In order to save money, Grandma Tang always bought raw grains from the market and processed them herself, mainly corn and millet.

Corn can be used to steam steamed buns, and millet is mostly used to cook porridge. Occasionally, Grandma Tang will make pancakes. If the corn is not crushed enough, she will mix in some millet. When Tang Zhitong eats pure corn, it tastes sour and hard, but the ones with millet are sweeter and more It's soft, so I praised it twice.

"Remember it. If you don't make it easily now, just make what you like to eat." Zhang Guifang said matter-of-factly. After the food coordination, the prices in the grain store are affordable and they are all processed, which saves time and effort, so the family eats raw grains. There are fewer opportunities.

"Then I'll come back tomorrow to make some food. Let's roll pancakes and eat them." Tang Zhitong's glutton was aroused when he heard that the batter was mixed with millet.

It is said that Qilu people eat burritos rolled with green onions. This is a stereotype of Qilu people in the poor years. They did eat them when they were poor, but they were not rolled with green onions, but with small chives.

Zhangqiu green onions, which are famous for being "not as tall as green onions", are probably a product of the 90s. However, this kind of green onions were not popular with ordinary people when they first came on the market.

At that time, living conditions had improved, and ordinary people mostly bought onions for cooking. But how many onions were used for cooking? Because refrigerators were not widely available, a Zhangqiu green onion was already dry before it was used up. Therefore, most of the Zhangqiu green onions at that time were sold to restaurants and steamed bun shops.

Especially in the bun shop, I particularly like Zhangqiu scallions. One scallion weighs more than a pound, which saves time and effort compared to peeling small onions. Zhangqiu scallions have more white onions. The prices of various onions are about the same, so I stick to the big ones.

Vegetable farmers are not stupid. They also serve one-season fields. The yield of Zhangqiu green onions is much higher than that of the old varieties, so they are becoming more and more popular. However, local demand is limited, and logistics was not very developed at that time. The freight was extremely high, so people flocked to it. The planting has also led to slow sales.

When it comes to this, I have to thank the National Infrastructure and Green Connect, which have solved the food basket problem for most people. I cannot thank Three Barrels of Oil. People have worked hard for a year, and most of the profits have been given to the oil barrels.

It is strange to say that according to a simple consumption concept, the high-priced oil enjoyed by the people should include the price of oil barrels, but the three barrels of oil are never given to the driver. Where do the oil barrels go?

When Zhang Guifang asked Tang Zhitong to push the ball, Wang Jingwen didn't refute, but Tang Zhitong had been tired for a day and she felt distressed, so she thought of pushing him.

When Wang Jingwen saw that Tang Zhitong was distracted, she thought he was tired and went over to replace Tang Zhitong.

Wang Jingwen is not dizzy because she is a ballet student.

Tang Zhitong remembered that the ballet he and Wang Jingwen watched for the first time had a section where they were spinning around in circles. I believe Xiao Wang had practiced it before.

That section is relatively light. Some dance students can spin for several hours without getting dizzy. I can only say that it would be a pity not to improve the balance ability of the pilot.

Tang Zhitong sat next to him, watching the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law going around, and was already thinking about what to cook tomorrow night.

Pancakes rolled with green onions? It is true that many people cannot afford it nowadays, but if you eat onions, you will get a strong taste in your mouth. How can you communicate and study at night? It's choking enough to press down even when brushing your teeth.

Then learn how to eat after your material life is greatly enriched!

At that time, green onions were just a supporting role, not a mandatory option. There were also some other dishes that could be rolled, with green onions being the best.

Thinking of meat, Tang Zhitong decided to "advance" some meat from the "construction site leader". The family's meat tickets for this month have all been bought as bacon. The one can be stored well and can be eaten slowly.

Tang Zhitong rested for a while, then replaced Zhang Guifang, and he and Xiao Wang circled the stone mill for more than half a circle until the basin was empty.

It's not over yet. You have to scrape the batter in the millstone into the large basin below. Then, while pushing the stone mill, slowly pour water from the grinding hole to rinse out the remaining grain in the grinding mortar. After all the above is completed, you have to lift the upper plate, rinse the grinding mortar with clean water, put a wooden wedge on it, and let it air dry.

At this point, the grinding has come to an end.

Next, mix the batter and water evenly, cover it with a curtain, and let it ferment overnight to prepare for the grating process.

The next day, Zhang Guifang got up early, took out the spatulas, grates and oil skewers that had not been used for a long time, and prepared to spread pancakes in the gap between the main house and the wall.

In order to spread pancakes this time, Zhang Guifang made a lot of preparations in advance.

A while ago, Zhang Guifang traveled east for several miles during the field planting and wheat harvesting, just to buy some wheat straw from farmers.

Spreading pancakes not only requires special tools, but also requires heat. The fire will not work if it is too big or too small. Wheat straw and corn straw are the ideal burning materials. However, the east side began to be constructed ten years ago and became an industrial land. As agricultural land moved eastwards, it became difficult to buy suitable fuel, so the pancake-making tools at home were put away and turned to making steamed buns and steamed buns.

The gourd at home was passed down from Grandma Tang, who is older than Tang Zhitong. If Tang Zhitong hadn’t prepared scrap metal in advance last year, this thing would probably have made a “contribution”.

The griddle, also called a splitter or a rake in some places, is mostly made of bamboo and is used to spread the batter evenly on the griddle.

An oil wiper, also called an oil wiper in some places, is made of multiple layers of cloth sewn into the shape of a blackboard eraser, with cooking oil seeping on it. It is used to wipe the griddle to prevent the pancakes from sticking to the griddle so that they can be removed.

Zhang Guifang learned her skill in making pancakes from her mother-in-law. In the early years, the Tang family used pancakes as their staple food, so her skills are very good.

By the time Tang Zhitong and Wang Jingwen got up, Zhang Guifang had almost finished spreading the pancakes.

Fengzhen had an impression of pancakes. She couldn't bite them when she was a child, so Zhang Guifang soaked the pancakes until soft and gave them to her daughter. Eating soaked pancakes can cause acid reflux, so she didn't have a good impression of this stuff.

Fengzhi, on the other hand, had a novel look on her face. She was born late and had hardly eaten anything.

Tang Zhitong washed his face and hurried out for a trip. When he came back, he already had a few carefully selected pieces of sweet potato in his hand, which were in the shape of long and thin strips.

"Mom, let's simmer the sweet potatoes after spreading them out." Tang Zhitong placed the sweet potato in his hand next to Zhang Guifang.

"Where did it come from?" Zhang Guifang asked while busy with her work.

The firepower of wheat straw is moderate, but the ash is easily affected by the air and rises. Zhang Guifang specially wrapped a headscarf to avoid getting her hair dirty. This is also a habit she developed in her early years.

"My friend kept it in the cellar, not far from our house. I went over and asked for two yuan." Tang Zhitong made up a lie. He had to let his family slowly accept that he could get food, so as to lay the foundation for the next few years.

"Then you have to repay the gift." Zhang Guifang did not refuse. Her son has been fond of this food since he was a child, but it was mostly spring and winter at that time, and it was easy to buy sweet potatoes.

"Don't worry, you won't forget it." Cooked with the ashes of the pancake, it tastes so authentic! Tang Zhitong wanted to share the few joys of his childhood with his classmate Xiao Wang and his sisters.

After the pancakes are spread out, they are not finished yet. They must be stacked as soon as possible while they are hot, then cut into two sections from the middle, and stored in wooden boxes or cardboard boxes to prevent the moisture from evaporating too quickly.

At this point, the whole process of spreading pancakes is over.

The operation is cumbersome and there are various external restrictions, so the Tang family has not done this for several years.

(End of this chapter)