Siheyuan: He Yuzhu’s Sunshine Farm

Chapter 12 Storing Chinese Cabbage for Winter (First Update)
In the 60s, vegetable cellars were something every household had on hand, because in November, when autumn and winter alternate, "winter storage of Chinese cabbage" was once the top priority for people in the Four-Nine City.

The sizes vary. The vegetable cellar of He Yuzhu's family has a square cellar entrance with a side length of 0.7 meters. It is made of cement masonry and has a locking iron lid.

The cellar is 2.2 meters deep and can be accessed by iron ladders. The cellar covers an area of ​​about two square meters. The four walls are made of red bricks and are inlaid with wooden partitions to facilitate storage and stacking. Ordinary adults can straighten their waists and move around inside. freely.

He Yuzhu went down to his vegetable cellar and used a large basket to take out nearly thirty kilograms of potatoes stored there. Today, He Yuzhu wanted to give one kilogram of potato shreds to the old and young men in the courtyard.

At this time, the Chinese cabbage has not been stored, but it has only been for the past two days.

This is something that must be done in Sijiucheng, because compared to staple foods that need to be exchanged for food stamps, vegetables can be bought with real money. Of course, ordinary vegetables also need to be bought at that time, and whether they can buy them depends mostly on luck.

For example, cucumbers, tomatoes, and potatoes were the most commonly eaten vegetables. At that time, they cost a few cents per pound, and the daily supply was limited.

Sometimes when the sales are not that good, they will pile them up with a dustpan, and the price will be cheaper.

These sweet potatoes and garlic sprouts were considered high-end dishes at that time, and they could only be bought at the market through "grapevine information." Sometimes it was necessary to send out "athletes" from the family to squeeze out the crowds and "spell out some." The results will come.”

Only this Chinese cabbage can give people the most sense of security.

Because Chinese cabbage stored in winter is not sold in the usual market, most of the time you have to wait for the car to drive over and sell it in the alley.After hearing the news, the neighbors went to the place where the trucks were unloaded, queued up to get numbers, and bought what they needed.

Every household with a flat-bed three-wheeler has to push the cart over. Those who don't have these "guys" don't have to worry. "Say how much you want, and they will help deliver it to your doorstep."

At that time, every winter, He Yuzhu and He Yuyu's family would stock up on more than 300 kilograms of Chinese cabbage.

"It sounds like a lot. One vegetable weighs about ten kilograms. In total, it only amounts to more than 30 plants."

Of course, this also depends on the space in each household's courtyard. "If you buy too much, you won't have room to put it, and it's not easy to store it."

There are certain things to do when planting cabbage in the yard of a bungalow.Under the eaves, lay bricks at both ends of the steps. Both ends of the wooden planks must be placed on the bricks. Layers of Chinese cabbage should be placed in the empty spaces. Cover the top with a quilt or a piece of plastic sheet. Only in this way can the Chinese cabbage be ventilated from top to bottom and stored for a longer period of time.

However, such stacking cannot be done once and for all. Every household has to do it several times in winter.

In winter, people in bungalows in Hutong pay more attention to the weather. If the temperature is slightly higher, what they worry about most is the cabbage under the wall.

As the old saying goes, this is because you are afraid of being "covered". "If you open the cabbage and see the yellow core inside, then the whole cabbage is broken. If there is still water vapor inside, it means it can still be stored."

In the 60s when supplies were scarce, every cabbage could be put to good use by everyone.

The Chinese cabbage gang is also reluctant to throw away. The old people always use the cabbage gang to chop the stuffing and steam the buns.The tender cabbage hearts are the rarest, so people always save them for sauerkraut.

Then you have to use steaming rice soup or noodle soup to cover the water, and then put it into cold water to lock in the crispness of the cabbage. Finally, put it into a clean jar, which is a delicacy that can't be eaten all winter long.

I remember that at that time, the porridge and mustard greens on the winter dinner table could only be regarded as supporting roles. The most appetizing dish was cabbage, vermicelli and tofu. MSG is rarely used, and most people add a little sesame oil before serving. Decades have passed, and the taste is still the "unparalleled taste" that many drinkers remember.

He Yuzhu came out of the vegetable cellar, carried a basket of potatoes back, then went to the yard to get a basin of water, washed the potatoes one by one, scraped them, then sliced ​​and shredded them, and then added some chili peppers. and garlic slices.

After it’s done, it’s time to stir-fry. Although hot and sour potato shreds are an ordinary dish, it’s not easy to make them well. How to keep the potato shreds cooked and crispy is the key, and there are tricks to this. of.

First of all, the shredded potatoes must be washed twice to remove the starch on the surface of the potato shreds and the water will become clear. In this way, the shredded potatoes will not stick to the pan when fried, and the color will not oxidize and turn black. This step is to fry the shredded potatoes. Tips: take out and drain the water.

Secondly, when frying, stir-fry over high heat and quickly. Add rice vinegar in two batches, followed by minced garlic to enhance the flavor.

After a while, a large pot of shredded potatoes was ready. He Yuzhu directly took his iron pot and began to walk into the houses in the middle courtyard.

"Grandma Li!"

Grandma Li of this family used to work as a heroine in the homes of dignitaries. It is said that she was very beautiful when she was young. The clothes she made were very popular, especially the buttons she made with many patterns and her skills were good. She was also good at making wedding dresses, many Rich families would ask her to make clothes for their wives, and silk and satin were no problem in her hands. The wedding dresses she made were grand and beautiful. I don't know why she has always been single and has no children.

In the past, Sha Zhu and Grandma Li were just acquaintances. However, today He Yuzhu took the initiative to come to Grandma Li's house. When she heard someone calling her outside, Grandma Li was a little surprised when she saw that it was Sha Zhu and asked: "Zhu Zhu, are you?" Why are you here?"

"Grandma Li, I just fried shredded potatoes, please try my craft." He Yuzhu appeared with a big pot.

At first, Grandma Li wanted to refuse, but when she saw that He Yuzhu had fried such a big pot, she stood up in surprise and immediately took the bowl and said, "Why did you fry so many shredded potatoes?"

"I want everyone in the courtyard to have a taste of my craftsmanship. Thank you all for speaking up for me just now. Otherwise, the Jia family wouldn't have blackmailed me for much money." He Yuzhu smiled and took a spoonful from Grandma Li's bowl. potato floss.

"Zhuzi. Listen to grandma, you are a good person and a young man. Don't associate with this widow. You have to get married. Reputation is very important. Don't think about raising children for others. I have never seen anyone raising children for others. He died well." Grandma Li said to He Yuzhu sincerely.

He Yuzhu also nodded gratefully: "I understand, Grandma Li, you can rest assured. If anything happens at home from now on, just call me. I can do anything like moving coal or cabbage."

As He Yuzhu walked out of Grandma Li's house, Grandma Li also smiled and nodded: "Okay!"

After He Yuzhu walked out, Grandma Li took a bite of He Yuzhu's potato shreds, and a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. At this time, the system's voice sounded in He Yuzhu's mind: "Congratulations to the host for obtaining a happiness value of +10!"

"Here we come..." He Yuzhu felt a little happy, and then he felt relieved. The fried potato shreds he gave to Grandma Li were worth ten happiness points. So there are a hundred people in this courtyard, and there are also one thousand happiness points for whatever happened today. .

With the happiness points, he could open up a few more fields and buy some chickens, ducks, geese, pigs and sheep to raise. It would be really happy, but what left He Yuzhu speechless was that he was completely overthinking it.

　The third update today, although the recommendation is not up to [-], but thank you for the recommendation vote!

　　


(End of this chapter)