Chapter Thirteen Braised Pork Knuckle

  In the morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves and spilled into the courtyard. Zhang Zhi, who had slept on the big kang in the farmhouse for a whole night, opened his eyes and looked around to find that Chen's two brothers were no longer there.

  He muttered, "Not going to school every day, why get up so early and work so hard? Two fools." He put on his clothes and pushed the door out.

  As soon as he went out, he saw the little servant girl who had beaten him last night sweeping the yard. He walked up to her with a fierce expression and questioned: "Was it you who beat me last night? Humph, I've never been beaten like that by anyone before, are you dare to have a one-on-one fight with me today?"

  Xi Mei ignored him and walked past him to sweep the other side, Little Overlord felt extremely humiliated. He stepped forward, snatched the broom from her hand and threw it on the ground. Smugly looking at her, thinking now you should hit me, let's see how I'll deal with you.

  "This time Xi Mei was really angry, 'You little brat, I don't want to bother with you but you still come looking for me on purpose. Alright, let's fight, are you afraid?'"

  "How dare you call me a little kid? I'm already 9 years old this year, and I heard Aunt Zhao say that you're only 8 years old, so you're the little kid!" Zhang Zishang's hands were on his hips and his eyes almost reached the top of his head.

  Sister Xi looked on for a while, then stepped forward to mediate: "Second sister, the young man saved me yesterday, we should be nicer to him." She pulled her sleeve to hint at her to lower her head. "If he's always so angry, mother won't like him and he won't come to our house again."

  The two sisters exchanged a smile, and Xiao Bao Wang asked discontentedly, "What were you whispering about just now?" Xi Mei shook her head at her sister and said with a smile, "We were just discussing what delicious dish to cook today to entertain you. I like braised pork belly, brother, how about you?"

  Xiao Ba Wang thought for a moment, his mother said that since they came here, they couldn't trouble others, had to listen and obey, or else she wouldn't have let him come. He thought about how his mother kept saying every day that she didn't eat meat in order to lose weight. He and his father hadn't eaten meat for a long time either. Alas, since his mother didn't eat it, neither were they allowed to eat it.

  Thinking of the shiny and tender braised pork belly, saliva was flowing down quickly. Looking at the two little girls staring at him in front of him, he pretended to be reluctant and said: "The braised pork belly is just a braised pork belly, anyway you can't make anything else."

  He finished speaking and ran away, if he didn't run, hadn't you seen that big guy was about to take action again?

  Xi Mei watched him walk far away before pulling her second sister towards the kitchen, seeing Zhao Shi in the kitchen, she ran up to her with a spoiled expression, "Mother, mother, good morning, Xi Mei thinks you look even better than yesterday!"

  His father heard the giggles and asked with concern, "Good girl, did you sleep well last night? I told you to sleep with us, but you didn't. What's wrong, don't you like your dad?" After that, he squatted down and tickled her.

  Xiao Mei burst out laughing, knowing that everyone was using their own way to make her forget about yesterday's incident. Although no one said anything, from last night to early morning, each person would sneak a peek at themselves while they slept. Even Er Gei, the most straightforward of them all, stood by her bedside for a long time.

  With such a good family, what else can she say? She deliberately twisted her small body and coquettishly said, "Mom, Xiao Gege is coming to our house for lunch today. I said I want to eat braised pork belly and he also wants to eat it. Mom, how about stir-frying some red-braised clams too?"

  "Alright, today we not only have to invite Young Master Zhang from the Zhang family, but also your grandparents, Uncle and Auntie's families, as well as your Aunt Qian and Hu Zi. Yesterday was exhausting enough for them."

  Zhao told Xi Mei, then ordered Chen's father and sons: "Old man, go to the butcher's house in the village and cut five catties of meat. Rui Xuan, Rui Hao, you two go to the riverbank to pick up some river clams."

  "After some thought, she said to Xi Ju and Xi Mei: 'You two go to the old house that way and pick some vegetables. Also, ask your younger aunt to come and help out.'"

  You two, pointing at Xi Mei and Xi Mai, go and entertain Young Master Zhang well, don't come over here to cause trouble.

  Xi Mei said: "I won't go, I'd rather help my mother here than serve that young master." Zhao Shi thought for a moment, lest the two of them start fighting again. So she gave in to her.

  Gave Xi Mei two eggs, took a bowl of pickled mustard greens that Xi Jie stir-fried with sour and spicy potato shreds, added a golden-brown pancake, and scooped a bowl of thick millet porridge.

  "Go and deliver it to Young Master Zhang's house. After he finishes eating, don't bother about it anymore. Later, I'll let Xi Mei come and clean up." Madam Zhao instructed.

  "Alright, got it. I'm off then." She carefully carried out a large plate of food through the door.

  "Come on, little brother, come and eat. I've brought the meal out for you." She put the food on a stone table under the big tung tree outside.

  After he sat down, she handed him a pair of chopsticks. "Brother, hurry up and eat. Later, I'll take you to see the chickens we raise at home." Zhang Zhi looked at the dishes with disdain, "Your family eats this every day? Even our servants eat better than you guys..."

  Before he could finish speaking, a pair of small hands took away the things in front of him. Looking at Xi Mei's puffed up little face, he couldn't say another word. After all, it was he who was being picky in someone else's home.

  Sister Xi quickly snatched it from her sister's hand, "Sis, hurry up and let him eat, we still have things to do later. It's already getting late."

  Xi Mei hastily put the things in front of him, "Eat quickly, and then go to bed."

  The little overlord made a disdainful face, daring to challenge me. Seeing no one applauding for himself, he could only dejectedly pick up his bowl and drink the porridge. Unexpectedly, as soon as he took a sip, wow, it was really delicious! The millet was cooked thick and creamy, with a sweet flavor of pumpkin inside. Eating a mouthful of bread with a mouthful of vegetables, the more I ate, the happier I became. It's really unexpected that something so simple tastes so great.

  In no time, everything was gone. With a satisfied belch, he looked at the two astonished people and finally rubbed his head in embarrassment, "Heh heh, I was too hungry."

  Earned a big white eye. Xi Mei went to the kitchen to help. Leaving Xi Mei alone, pitifully accompanying someone, in less than an hour, she saw his power.

  Holding a stick to chase the flying chickens in the yard, it was all feathers everywhere. Then she climbed a tree and made a silly face at her younger brother Mei. After finally coming down, she chased the neighbor's big dog, and eventually got chased by the dog herself, running wildly on the streets. Luckily, her elder uncle intervened to prevent any injuries.

  Xi Mei thought he didn't look like a child from a wealthy family, but rather an ape that hadn't evolved successfully. Finally, they were tired of playing and wanted to rest.

  As soon as he walked to the gate of her house, he smelled a tempting aroma that made his mouth water. Xi Mei invited him in and asked her big brother to entertain him while she herself slipped into the kitchen.

  "Daughter, what are you doing? It smells so good." Seeing Xi Mei come in, Zhao Shi said: "There are quite a few people coming today, we must treat them well, your father just killed an old hen and is stewing it now, aren't you hungry? We'll be having dinner soon."

  Sister Xi turned her head and saw her older sister cooking clams in soy sauce, pretending to be surprised and asked: "Sister, didn't my third sister and I do it differently last time? You're definitely not as good at cooking as we are."

  Xī Jú thought so too. With so many people today, don't mess it up and lose face. Last time the two of them accidentally did it together, let her guide you a bit, that's also right.

  Smiling at her, "Alright, then you're the head chef today. Will it be okay if big sister helps out?"

  Sister Xi had a sullen look on her face. "Of course, it's fine, but sister, let's first braise the pig's trotters, this takes time, don't let the braised river clams get cold after they're done, that wouldn't be good to eat."

  "Right, right, you're absolutely right. Then let's make braised pork belly first, can you do it?" Ji Kui was just teasing her, no one expected a four-year-old child to be able to do it.

  Who knows Xi Mei has an expression of "don't look down on me", "do it and I'll wait for you, big sister"

  Take out the big sauce made by Zhao, and apply it to all the meat. This is to make the pork knuckle colored. Then grind the spices, Sichuan pepper, and small fennel into powder and sprinkle them on. Chop scallions, ginger, and garlic into small pieces and marinate them. After a while, Xi Mei instructed her sister to heat up the pot, pour in oil, and stir-fry the big sauce.

  Add cassia bark, chili peppers, scallions, ginger and garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel into the pot. Add a bit of sugar and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant. Then add cold water. When her friend taught her this recipe, she said that adding cold water was to prevent the meat fragrance from dissipating.

  "Sister, is it fragrant? You hurry up and burn a big fire, otherwise the meat won't be good to eat later."

  "Yes, young ancestor." Xi Ju hurriedly quickened the pace of her fire-making. After the water boiled, she added some of his father's wine and sighed that if there was fermented bean curd it would be even better to add some fermented bean curd for a more appealing color. But now this aroma is already very rich.

  "Sister, after skimming off the foam, we can put in the meat. Where's Second Brother? Call him to come and cook, we'll go prepare the cold dishes." Xi Mei said mischievously.

  "You always bully your second brother, taking advantage of his kindness to you."

  "Sister, what's wrong with that? I'm also very good to second brother. Look, he just wants meat, and I let him smell the meat aroma for so long. Second brother will definitely be grateful to me."

  After finishing speaking, I also felt happy beyond words. The two sisters looked at each other and couldn't help but burst out laughing.