As Chen Lan, panting and exhausted, hauled and carried all the supplies to a spot not far from the main kitchen door, she saw a few older women who were helping in the kitchen preparing dishes for the evening meal. They had just been washing vegetables in basins. Chen Lan glanced at the basins and saw that they were washing wild vegetables. Beside them was a large basket of unwashed potatoes and a big basin of pickled cabbage.
Seeing Chen Lan arriving with so much luggage, the older women quickly put down their basins, wiped their hands on their clothes, and hurried forward to help carry the items.
One of the women took the basket Chen Lan was carrying, another took the bucket of pig blood, and two more helped to unload the basket on Chen Lan's back.
The two women who helped unload the basket were surprised by its weight and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! What could be so heavy?"
When they saw it was a basket of pork, they gasped again, "Heavens, so much pork!"
At this moment, Sun Xiaomei, who was preparing food inside the main kitchen, heard the commotion outside and came out. She smiled happily upon seeing Chen Lan and greeted her, "Xiao Lan, what brings you here?"
As she looked down and saw the items Chen Lan had brought, she also exclaimed, "Xiao Lan, you brought so much pork, and so many vegetables! And there's pig blood in this bucket?"
She then stared at Chen Lan, completely bewildered.
Sun Xiaomei had been working in the kitchen for many years. Although not a seasoned chef, she could tell that the pork and pig blood Chen Lan brought were very fresh. The pork was bright red, with no obvious discoloration. As for the pig blood, Sun Xiaomei knew at a glance that it was the second batch. The first batch often contained impurities, making the resulting blood curdled product have a poor texture, be difficult to cook, and have a strong bloody smell. Anyone in the know would tell you that for pig blood, it's best to choose the second batch – it's clean, tender, and suitable for hot pot or cooking.
Chen Lan said with a chuckle, "Sister Xiaomei, everyone has been working so hard lately, with farming, digging wells, and building houses, as well as planting vegetables and digging wild vegetables every day! We should have a good meal today and improve our diet. Sister Xiaomei, tonight, can you and your mother bring out all your best culinary skills and prepare a feast for everyone?"
As she spoke, Chen Lan rubbed her slightly sore shoulders. Seeing Sun Xiaomei staring blankly at her, she smiled and pointed to the items on the ground, introducing them, "Here's a bucket of pig blood, and also tripe, soybean sprouts, and tofu skin. In the kitchen storeroom, we have dried mushrooms, daylily buds, and vermicelli. Can we make a Mao Xue Wang with pig blood?"
Upon hearing Chen Lan's words, Sun Xiaomei quickly nodded, smiling happily, and replied, "Yes! Yes! With so many good ingredients, we can definitely prepare a feast tonight! Xiao Lan, you rest for a while. I'll go get my mother. My mother and I will brainstorm and see what delicious dishes we can make tonight!"
Before she finished speaking, Sun Xiaomei turned and bustled into the main kitchen. In no time, Grandma Sun followed her daughter out.
Since everyone was familiar with each other, Chen Lan and Grandma Sun exchanged simple greetings.
Then, Grandma Sun and her daughter began to quietly discuss the menu for the evening. Chen Lan asked the other older women to wash the soybean sprouts, tripe, and other side dishes, while she went to the storeroom to get the dried mushrooms, daylily buds, and vermicelli to soak.
In a short while, the mother and daughter had decided on the menu: there would be "Hui Guo Rou" (twice-cooked pork), which was savory, not greasy, and slightly spicy; "Mao Xue Wang," which Chen Lan had always wanted to eat, known for its numb, spicy, fresh, and tender flavor, both appetizing and good with rice; and "Shui Zhu Rou Pian" (sliced pork in hot chili oil), with tender meat and bright red broth, characterized by its "numb, spicy, fresh, and fragrant" taste.
There was also "Dong Po Rou" (braised pork belly in soy sauce), tender and savory, slightly sweet, not greasy, and melting in the mouth; "Ma Yi Shang Shu" (vermicelli with minced pork), light, refreshing, and slightly spicy; "Tian Shao Bai" (steamed pork belly with sweet sauce) and "Xian Shao Bai" (steamed pork belly with savory sauce), which looked greasy but were fragrant and not oily when eaten; and finally, the brightly colored, sour, spicy, and refreshing "Yu Xiang Rou Si" (shredded pork in garlic-sauce), eight famous Sichuan dishes in total.
Just hearing the names of these dishes made Chen Lan's mouth water. Not to mention the older women, who had never even heard of such dishes. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the feast tonight.
With the menu decided, everyone worked swiftly. Some washed vegetables, some cut vegetables, some cut meat, and some chopped meat filling. They were well-organized and coordinated their efforts to prepare the meal.
Chen Lan also stayed to join the fun, assisting the mother and daughter. The mother and daughter were confident and efficient, with a clear division of labor. Sun Xiaomei first tackled the time-consuming "Tian Shao Bai" and "Xian Shao Bai," while Grandma Sun started with the labor-intensive "Dong Po Rou."
After "Dong Po Rou" was stewing, Grandma Sun moved on to make "Hui Guo Rou." Sun Xiaomei put the "Tian Shao Bai" and "Xian Shao Bai" in the steamer and then began preparing the side dishes for "Shui Zhu Rou Pian."
Chen Lan helped with the fire while enjoying the aroma. Soon, rich meaty aromas filled the kitchen, making the older women working outside lick their lips. This was even more so for Chen Lan, who was helping in the kitchen.
Chen Lan had only had a casual lunch and had just rushed back from a long distance. Her stomach was already empty. Now, smelling such delicious aromas, she was practically drooling, and her stomach was rumbling.
As one dish after another was served, the aroma in the kitchen became even more intense. Chen Lan, unable to bear the temptation any longer, quickly ran out of the main kitchen.
By this time, most of the people working on various construction sites had gradually returned, and soon everyone was gathered.
Sun Xiaomei's eight main dishes and several home-style dishes were ready. Grandma Sun called out to a few of the older women to quickly carry the dishes to the tables outside, as it was time to eat.
As people returned from work, they had smelled the delicious aromas from afar. On their way, they had been guessing what the dishes would be tonight. Now, looking up close, they were indeed all good dishes.
So, Grandpa Zhou and Grandpa Zhao, along with their old buddies, happily started to tease, "Xiao Lan, with such good food tonight, we should at least have a drink, shouldn't we!"
Chen Lan readily agreed with a nod, "Are you gentlemen planning to drink sorghum wine?"
Grandpa Zhou and his old buddies replied, "That's for sure!"