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Chapter 155: The Benchmark of Naye Village
Chapter 155: The Benchmark of Naye Village
Throughout April, Deng Shirong was busy with two main tasks:
First, he built a water wall and a fence around his home. Second, he demolished the old house.
After the water wall and fence were completed, the villagers were envious. The addition of these structures made Deng Shirong’s home look much more beautiful.
Especially with the intricate wooden railings Deng Shirong had installed on the water wall and fence, the overall appearance became even more stunning.
While the villagers were envious of the water wall and fence, they were puzzled when Deng Shirong decided to demolish the old house.
"Why would he tear down a perfectly good house?"
"Even if no one lives there, can't it be used as a storage shed?"
"Or for raising chickens and ducks?"
Especially for those whose homes were not as good as Deng Shirong’s old house, the decision was particularly hard to swallow. It was like someone who couldn’t even afford a full meal seeing Deng Shirong throw away leftovers. It was truly frustrating.
At the time, someone couldn’t help but ask, "Old Ninth, why are you tearing down the old house?"
Deng Shirong couldn’t say that the old house obstructed the view of the new house and made it look unappealing. Instead, he smiled and replied, "I want to build a grain-drying yard in front of the house."
Upon hearing this, everyone understood.
In those days, rural families relied on farming, and the importance of a grain-drying yard was undeniable. Even though the production team had a large grain-drying yard, it was still crowded with so many households using it.
Especially during the grain-drying season, people had to arrive early to secure a spot.
If he could build his own grain-drying yard, it would be much more convenient.
Thus, when the neighbors learned that Deng Shirong planned to build a grain-drying yard, they couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased. If the yard was built, they would also benefit from it.
After the old house was demolished, the new house had a more open and majestic view.
Deng Shirong planted large red flowers and moonlight flowers between the water wall and the fence as decorative touches. He also had the over one-acre empty space hardened with lime and cement.
By the time all this was completed, it was already May.
Originally, Deng Shirong’s house was already the most beautiful in the village. After all these improvements, it became even more stunning.
Now, Deng Shirong’s home had become a benchmark for the entire Naye Village, a goal for all the villagers to strive for.
...
At the end of April, everyone in the Shuangwang region began cutting down thorny bamboo leaves to prepare for making zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) during the Dragon Boat Festival.
After cutting the thorny bamboo leaves, the thorns on both sides had to be removed and the leaves dried. Once the leaves were soft, they could be rolled into bundles and boiled. Boiled thorny bamboo leaves were resilient and less likely to tear, making them superior to many other types of leaves for wrapping zongzi.
Along with the thorny bamboo leaves, pre-cut bamboo strips were also boiled. These strips were used to tie the zongzi.
On the third day of the fifth month, the entire Naye Village was busy making zongzi, as the next day was the Dragon Boat Festival for the Deng clan in Naye.
Everyone knows that the Dragon Boat Festival is on the fifth day of the fifth month, but the Deng clan in Naye celebrated it on the fourth day of the fifth month, a unique tradition in the entire country.
This unusual tradition began during the Republic of China era when a notorious bandit named Long Sanba emerged in the Shuangwang region.
In 1914, with the support of bandit leader Chong Zongfu, Long Sanba recruited over 150 ruffians and bought 45 guns and 5 horses. He began his banditry, committing atrocities from Yulin in the north to Heping Baisa in the south. He killed, set fires, robbed, and raped, becoming the most influential bandit in the history of the Shuangwang region.
One year, Long Sanba led 35 bandits on a robbery. On their way back, they passed through Naye Village and saw some oxen, intending to steal them. However, they were discovered by the village militia, who opened fire, killing over ten of Long Sanba’s men and forcing him to flee.
As the leader of the bandits in southern Bobai, Long Sanba couldn’t afford to lose face. After returning, he declared that he would raid Naye Village on the Dragon Boat Festival.
When the Deng family of Naye Village heard the news, they panicked and decided to celebrate the festival a day early on the fourth of May, then quickly packed their belongings and fled.
Since then, the Deng family of Naye Village has always celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival a day earlier than the rest of the country.
In later times, every Dragon Boat Festival, the internet would erupt in a heated debate over sweet versus savory zongzi. For years, neither side could convince the other.
In the south, where Guangxi is located, zongzi are traditionally savory.
Of course, even among savory zongzi, the flavors can vary widely depending on the ingredients used. Some savory zongzi are so delicious that you can’t stop eating them, while others are so bad that you won’t want to take a second bite after the first.
At that moment, Deng Shirong was packing ancient-style zongzi with his eldest daughter and daughter-in-law.
Zhang Xiuping, who was more than three months pregnant, no longer needed to be as cautious as before. Sitting down to help pack the zongzi wouldn’t affect her.
In Shuangwang, besides glutinous rice and pork, there was one more essential ingredient: pig mallow leaves. These leaves are a natural spice with a very unique aroma, making them a perfect match for the zongzi and pork, adding an incredible fragrance.
As they began to pack the zongzi, Deng Yunzhen looked at the large basin of marinated pork, took a deep breath, and said, "Dad, the pork you marinated smells so good. This year’s ancient-style zongzi will be much better than before."
Zhang Xiuping also nodded in agreement, "Yes, the raw pork already smells so strong. Once it’s packed into the zongzi, it will be incredibly fragrant."
Deng Shirong, busy packing, smiled and said, "Actually, the marinated pork is delicious even when stewed on its own. But when packed into the zongzi, it absorbs the aroma of the pig mallow leaves and the glutinous rice, making it even more delicious."
The three of them chatted and packed the ancient-style zongzi together.
Deng Yunzhen had learned to pack zongzi from her mother when she was still alive. After her mother’s passing, she had been responsible for packing the zongzi for the family for several years, though she had needed help with the seasoning from her neighbors.
Thus, her technique for packing zongzi was very proficient. She first formed the luhu leaves into an eight-shaped pattern, added an appropriate amount of glutinous rice that had been soaked in alkaline water and seasoned, placed two pig mallow leaves, and then a piece of pork. She then closed the zongzi, wrapped it tightly with the remaining luhu leaves, and secured it with bamboo strips.
With that, one ancient-style zongzi was packed.
Deng Yunzhen then picked up a pair of scissors and cut a small mark at the end of the luhu leaves. This mark indicated whether the meat inside was fatty or lean.
Whether in this era or in later times, there were always people who couldn’t eat fatty meat. To avoid wasting the fatty meat in the zongzi, it was important to mark them so that those who didn’t eat fatty meat wouldn’t take the wrong ones.
Zhang Xiuping, as the only daughter in her family, had also been a key player in packing zongzi, and her technique was just as good as her sister-in-law’s.
Working together, the three of them finished packing all the zongzi in less than half an hour.
Next, it was time to boil them.
Unlike in other places where zongzi are boiled for just an hour or so, in Shuangwang, the ancient-style zongzi are boiled for eight to ten hours. This ensures that the glutinous rice is cooked to the point where the grains are no longer visible, and they stick together, creating the perfect texture.
(End of Chapter)
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