However, through the window, aside from the gradually reddening sunset, the aroma of stir-frying also slowly drifted out. It not only spread throughout the courtyard but also wafted out past the Ding family’s walls.
The neighbors on both sides of the Ding family were naturally the first to notice the scent, but they could only ignore it while chewing on their own meal of chaff and wild herbs. Who told them they weren’t as successful as the Ding family?
However, before long, several figures appeared outside the Ding family’s wooden gate.
The older one was Jiang’s youngest son, Ding Shao. Compared to Ding Hong, he was nearly ten years younger. Mothers, without exception, tend to favor their youngest sons, so the relationship between Ding Shao and Madam Jiang was not as tense.
Today, he had taken a basket of saved chicken eggs and the family’s homemade century eggs to sell in town and only rushed back at dusk. Along the way, he had picked up the eldest branch’s second son, Ding Sheng, who studied at the village school in the neighboring village, as well as the second branch’s second daughter, Ding Baozhen, who was learning to weave in the same village.
The uncle and his nephew and niece had barely reached the gate when they smelled that fragrance. Their stomachs couldn’t help but rumble, and they pushed open the gate and entered.
“Mother! Mother!”
Ding Sheng ran toward his family’s room with his cloth bag slung across his shoulder, his voice loud enough to echo for days.
“I’m hungry, I want to eat!”
Ding Shao shook his head at the sight.
Ding Sheng could be said to be the only junior in the Ding family who attended school, but anyone with a discerning eye could see he wasn’t cut out for it.
He was already fifteen this year and was due to go to the county for examinations in a few days. He had already failed before, yet he was still so unsettled; it seemed the eldest brother would waste his money once again.
“Youngest Uncle, I’ll head back first then.”
Ding Baozhen, also carrying a cloth bag, spoke calmly to Ding Shao. Only after he nodded did she return to the second branch’s room.
Ding Shao figured Yao Dan must be in the kitchen, so he headed that way. Unexpectedly, before he reached the door, he saw Yao Dan coming out in a great hurry.
His eyes lit up, and he stepped forward with a joyful expression:
“Wife! Guess how much I earned today…”
“Tell me later, I’m busy getting something!”
To his surprise, Yao Dan interrupted him directly and even bypassed him to head toward the living quarters.
Ding Shao was astonished and glanced at the kitchen with confusion, but in the end, he still chose to follow his wife.
This goes back to a short while ago: after Ding Baozhu made the stir-fried pig stomach tips with pickled radish, she prepared to make a cold-dressed dish to prevent the food from cooling down too quickly.
However, since it was a cold dish, the seasonings were very important, and what was available in the kitchen was clearly not enough.
Thinking of this, Ding Baozhu frowned slightly.
Yao Dan had just recovered from her shock at the former’s practiced technique. Seeing that Ding Baozhu seemed troubled, she asked:
“What’s wrong?”
The flames in the stove pit continued to rise as another handful of firewood was added. Steam began to curl out from the edges of the large pot lid; the pig stomach was nearly cooked.
Ding Baozhu rubbed her chin and answered truthfully:
“I’m thinking of making cold-dressed shredded stomach, but I’m lacking some ingredients. If only there were Sichuan pepper or mustard…”
“Sichuan pepper? I’ve seen it in town, but it’s not to our taste, and it’s not cheap either.”
Yao Dan shook her head as she explained. At that price, she wouldn’t even buy it just to try it, let alone when she didn’t eat it at all; buying it would be useless.
Seeing Yao Dan’s reaction, Ding Baozhu fell silent. She wondered if there was black pepper here. But if even Sichuan pepper was expensive, then wouldn’t the latter be an unattainable luxury?
Of course, it was also possible that people in this region simply didn’t eat spicy food; Sichuan peppers were mostly produced in the Sichuan-Shu region.
Yao Dan, looking for a way to help, asked:
“What is this ‘mustard’? Perhaps it can be found.”
Ding Baozhu smiled:
“Mustard isn’t hard to find; you just need mustard seeds.”
“Oh, I thought it was something precious! Your third uncle also dried a batch of mustard seeds and hasn’t planted them yet. Since you want them, I’ll just go get some for you, won’t I?”
As she spoke, Yao Dan was about to leave the kitchen. Ding Baozhu hurriedly called out a reminder:
“Youngest Aunt, just a small handful is enough, don’t bring too many!”
Although the third branch focused on livestock, they also had land to plant. However, most of the crops they grew were used as animal feed.
Mustard greens were easy to grow and grew quickly; not only could they eat them, but the chickens, ducks, and pigs they raised could also eat them, so nothing went to waste.
It was just that the third branch had been busy with their own business recently and hadn’t tended to them. Since there was still time before the end of the spring plowing, they actually hadn’t planted many.
Watching Yao Dan’s hurried departure, Ding Baozhu shook her head but also curled her lips into a smile.
Not long after transmigrating here, besides her own parents, the one who had shown her the most kindness was this youngest aunt.
Likely because her youngest uncle was still quite young and his wife was even younger, compared to Ding Baozhu—who was considered an “old maid” in the village—there wasn’t much of an age gap, making it easier for them to talk.
She then turned to scoop the cooked pig stomach out of the pot. After it cooled, she sliced it into shreds with a knife. She also took some pickled cucumber strips from an earthenware jar and sliced them into shreds as well.
Just then, Yao Dan returned and handed over a handful of mustard seeds with a smile:
“Will these do? Quick, let me see how it’s made.”
“Alright.”
Ding Baozhu agreed readily, took the mustard seeds, and asked Yao Dan to get a piece of gauze.
Ideally, mustard seeds that had been aged for at least two years would be best, but lacking that condition, Ding Baozhu didn’t mind.
She found a stone mortar and finely ground the seeds, then mixed them with warm water in a bowl.
Once Yao Dan brought the gauze, she placed it over the bowl’s opening and continued to brew the mixture with hot water. What emerged was a yellowish substance, somewhere between liquid and paste.
Ding Baozhu added some vinegar to it and filtered it one last time. The mustard was ready, emitting a faint, sharp fragrance.
Only she knew that what she had made was “yellow mustard.”
However, considering people here didn’t eat spicy food, even if she could have made the other type—green mustard—she still would have chosen this yellow mustard, which wasn’t as intense and had its own aroma.
Using this yellow mustard as a base, Ding Baozhu added salt, vinegar, minced garlic, and sesame oil. She mixed the whole bowl into the shredded stomach and pickled cucumbers. With a toss of her chopsticks, the fragrance immediately surged upward.
“It smells so good!”
Yao Dan couldn’t help but exclaim.
“This smell is completely different from the dish just now. Baozhu, when did you learn all this?”
“Learn what?”
Just then, Liu Ping entered the kitchen after finishing her work. Seeing Ding Baozhu and Yao Dan together, she didn’t find it strange.
“Second Sister-in-law, you’ve come just in time.”
Yao Dan pulled her over with a beaming smile:
“Your Baozhu has become so capable. I wonder if she gained this knowledge from traveling out with Second Brother? Now she can even cook such great food. Won’t she be a good wife when she goes to her husband’s house?”
Seeing the room filled with steam and fragrance, Liu Ping also felt it was strange, but she didn’t say much, only smiling:
“Then I’ll take your kind words to heart—Baozhu, your father and sister are back; we can start the meal. Sister-in-law, you should also attend to Third Brother and the children.”
Hearing this, Yao Dan lifted the lid of the other pot; the mixed-grain rice inside was also cooked.
She had also made a plate of stir-fried vegetables; although they were bright green, it was hard to tell exactly what they were. Additionally, there were some pickled vegetables.
Seeing this, Ding Baozhu took out an extra small bowl, filled it with some mustard-spiced shredded stomach, and handed it over, saying:
“Third Aunt, take some of this back to try.”
“Oh, how can I accept this?”
Yao Dan wiped her hands on her apron but didn’t move.
Ding Baozhu smiled:
“Why shouldn’t you? If it weren’t for your mustard seeds, I wouldn’t have been able to make this dish.”
Although Liu Ping didn’t know exactly what had happened, she chimed in from the side:
“Your niece is giving it to you, so just take it. We’ve eaten eggs from your house before, haven’t we?”
In fact, Yao Dan had been watching Ding Baozhu cook and smelling the aroma, and her appetite had long since been piqued. She stopped declining and smiled:
“Then I’ll thank my niece. When I go back and let her third uncle try it, he’ll definitely love this flavor.”
“If Third Uncle likes it, you also know how to make the mustard sauce now, Youngest Aunt. You can make it yourself; it’s perfect as a side dish for drinks.”
Yao Dan joyfully accepted it and left the kitchen with the rest of the food. Liu Ping helped carry out the dishes Ding Baozhu had made, but she was still puzzled in her heart.
After this ordeal, her eldest daughter had not only changed in personality but had also become much more sensible. She felt a bit of a stranger to her.
But… it wasn’t bad. At least she probably wouldn’t do anything extreme again. No matter what, she was still her daughter.
They soon arrived in the room, and Liu Ping smiled as she entered:
“Time to eat! You must try Zhu’er’s cooking this time!”
An old square table had been set in the center. Ding Hong and two other girls were already seated around it, staring expectantly at the food in their hands.
One of them, who looked quite young, said in surprise:
“Big Sister actually cooked personally, and it smells so good? I smelled it while I was braiding knots with Sister Rong just now; I thought it was made by Third Aunt!”
The older one was the recently returned Ding Baozhen. She had a stern, expressionless face and frowned upon hearing this, but she still didn’t voice an opinion.
The one who had spoken was the original owner’s third sister, Ding Baoqin, who was about six or seven years younger than Ding Baozhu.
A basin of mixed-grain rice, a plate of stir-fried pig stomach tips with pickled radish, and a plate of mustard-spiced shredded stomach—all were emitting faint steam. With both meat and vegetables, it was a complete meal.
Ding Baozhu picked a seat and sat down, smiling:
“I just made them casually; I hope you don’t mind.”
Ding Baozhen and Ding Baoqin exchanged a strange look, but then they both looked at the wrapping cloth on Ding Baozhu’s head that hadn’t been removed yet.
If Ding Hong and Liu Ping hadn’t believed in her, they might have already prepared for her funeral. In the past two days, they had invited doctors, sent for medicine, and brought in that spirit medium. Could it be that the medium really changed Big Sister’s nature with a few mantras?
Thinking of this, the two sisters stopped wondering—they were famished!
Each scooping a bowl of mixed-grain rice, they raised their chopsticks to eat. However, the moment the food entered their mouths, their eyes widened in surprise.
They knew the pickled radish was crisp, sour, and sweet, but they didn’t expect the stomach tips to be even crisper than the radish. Moreover, there was no gaminess, only fresh and savory crispness.
After just one bite, they wanted to shove several mouthfuls of rice down; it was so appetizing!
Especially with the sauce soaking into the rice, the mixed-grain rice took on the flavor as well. Now, even eating the rice by itself was delicious.
Ding Baoqin ate a few more bites and noticed the other dish. Although it was also made of pig stomach, it looked much drier, so she took a bite with anticipation.
However, after just two chews, she suddenly felt a rush of pungent spiciness. The stimulation made her cough several times, and she hurriedly said:
“Mother! Give me water, I want to drink water!”
As she spoke, she didn’t forget to fan her mouth with her hand.
Liu Ping went to pour water. Ding Hong’s taste buds had also been captured by the stir-fried stomach tips like his daughters’, and he was buried in his rice. Seeing Ding Baoqin like this, he also took some of the mustard-spiced shredded stomach.
The moment it entered his mouth, it was a complex explosion of flavors: salty, sour, yet also fresh, aromatic, and refreshing. Especially that stimulating aftertaste made him praise it uncontrollably:
“Delicious! This is too perfect as a side dish for drinks. I didn’t expect Baozhu’s skill to be so good. Why haven’t I seen this before?”
Ding Baozhu smiled: “Wasn’t I learning things from you before, Father? I just didn’t show it much. I’m glad you like it.”
Ding Baoqin drank several large gulps of water, finally suppressing some of the spiciness.
Ding Baozhen also curiously took a taste, and as a result, she directly grabbed the half-bowl of water the former had left and drank it before saying:
“This flavor is similar to the spicy cucumbers sold in town!”
But although it was spicy, the kick was strangely addictive, as if even her nose had been cleared.
Ding Hong couldn’t help but send Liu Ping to get some wine. Liu Ping had no choice but to agree, though the two sisters still felt they would be content just eating the stir-fried stomach tips.
Seeing the whole family enjoying the meal, Ding Baozhu was naturally happy. But in fact, she also had her own plans…