The pork was placed in a small wooden bucket and lowered into the well to keep it cool. The flour and eggs were carefully hidden inside the cabinet, while the seasonings were stored separately.
It was already noon, so Lin Miaoyin began preparing lunch.
Meng Yuanzheng had already cleaned the snake. Once it was prepared, it looked almost like a huge eel, so Lin Miaoyin was no longer as scared of it.
She asked Meng Yuanzheng to prepare the ingredients while she cut the snake meat into small pieces. She added some white liquor, fresh ginger, green onions, and salt, then mixed everything well and left the meat to marinate.
Meng Yuanzheng found some potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, eggplants, and green beans. They had all been grown in the Lin family’s private vegetable plot and had been brought over by Lin Miaojun a few days ago.
After washing the vegetables by the well, he brought them inside in a basin.
Lin Miaoyin quickly cut them into chunks, prepared the other ingredients, and washed the wok.
Meng Yuanzheng had already started the fire.
Once the wok was hot, she boldly poured in a large amount of oil.
There was no point being stingy with the oil. They could figure out how to replace it after they finished eating.
When the oil was about eighty percent hot and began to smoke, she prepared to fry the snake meat.
This was the part Lin Miaoyin feared most.
Cold water hitting hot oil could cause it to splatter violently.
Meng Yuanzheng stood up.
“Want me to do it?”
“No need. I’ve already figured out the trick.”
As she spoke, Lin Miaoyin dumped all the snake meat from the bowl into the hot oil and quickly grabbed the lid to cover the wok.
The oil hissed and crackled loudly.
After about ten seconds, she lifted the lid. The oil was no longer splattering.
She stirred the meat with a spatula and fried it until the surface turned golden brown, then took it out.
Once the oil became hot again, she put the snake pieces back in for a second fry before removing them and draining the excess oil.
Next, she put the chopped ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns into the hot oil and fried them until fragrant.
She added the vegetables and stir-fried them until they were about half cooked. Then she poured in some water and arranged the fried snake meat on top.
She covered the wok and let everything simmer.
On the small stove nearby, the porridge was bubbling away.
Lin Miaoyin sat on the pile of firewood and wiped her face with her apron.
Cooking in the summer was really exhausting.
Before the apron even reached her face, a white handkerchief was suddenly held out beside her.
“Use this.”
She glanced at him, took it, and smiled.
“Let me see. This handkerchief is still new. Did you buy it?”
Meng Yuanzheng shook his head.
She took another look.
“Isn’t this from my dowry?”
Meng Yuanzheng also looked confused and completely innocent.
“I took it from my trunk.”
“I remember now! A few days ago, you even secretly took some of the Dacron fabric from my dowry to make clothes for that female educated youth named Hui! You took this handkerchief at the same time, didn’t you?”
She had completely forgotten about Zhang Hui until now.
Adding the female lead, another female educated youth, and herself, Lin Miaoyin had to admit that Meng Yuanzheng had quite a lot of romantic attention around him.
Meng Yuanzheng frowned deeply. He clenched his hand into a fist and rested it on his knee.
“Did I really do that?”
“Of course you did! Too bad you forgot. Ah, if Zhang Hui finds out, she’ll be heartbroken.”
Lin Miaoyin fanned herself with the corner of her clothes while secretly watching him from the side.
Meng Yuanzheng lowered his head, looking unhappy. He did not answer.
Just then, they heard a voice coming from the courtyard.
Lin Miaoyin poked her head out and saw a woman walking in, swaying her hips slightly. She had a long braid and was wearing a military-green shirt and trousers. She headed straight toward the house.
“Cousin! Cousin-in-law! What are you cooking? It smells so good!”
It took Lin Miaoyin a moment to remember who she was.
This was the original Lin Miaoyin’s cousin, Yan Hongyue.
She was another cannon-fodder character in the novel. She had been engaged to the male lead since childhood, but she was vain and obsessed with money. Later, she started dating the son of some minor county official and dumped the male lead.
In short, she existed mainly to make the male lead’s life look even more miserable.
“Why are you here?”
Lin Miaoyin shifted over and made room for her on the long bench.
“I heard my cousin-in-law was injured, so I came to see him.”
Yan Hongyue sniffed, clearly enjoying the delicious smell in the air.
“Empty-handed?”
“Uh…”
Yan Hongyue smiled.
“Oh, come on. We’re cousins. Do we really need to worry about those formalities?”
Lin Miaoyin was not buying it.
She stood up, opened the wok, stirred the meat and vegetables, then covered it again.
“It smells so good! Sis, can I stay for lunch?”
Yan Hongyue was practically drooling.
Her cousin-in-law was from the city, and sure enough, he knew how to enjoy life.
She also wanted to marry someone from the city in the future.
As for the man she had been engaged to since childhood, he was still digging coal.
Marrying him would be completely foolish.
“No. I stayed up half the night just to catch two snakes. If you want to eat them, go catch some yourself.”
Lin Miaoyin’s relationship with her cousin was only average. They lived in the same village, so there was nothing wrong with refusing to let her stay for lunch.
Yan Hongyue pouted and looked at her resentfully.
“So stingy.”
“Tell me. Why did you really come looking for me?”
As Lin Miaoyin spoke, she asked Meng Yuanzheng to move over and then sat down on the other side of the bench.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to the county town with a friend to watch a movie. Can you lend me the leather shoes you wore when you got married? I only have cloth shoes. It would be so embarrassing to go to the city wearing those.”
Yan Hongyue gave her a pleading look and even clasped her hands together.
Lin Miaoyin thought for a moment.
She remembered how far the story had progressed.
It had reached the part where the poor male lead was about to be betrayed by his fiancée.
And the person who was going to betray him was standing right in front of her.
But if Yan Hongyue did not betray the male lead, how would he end up with the female lead?
So she really could not interfere with this.
Besides, apart from betraying the male lead, Yan Hongyue had not done anything particularly bad. The original novel did not say much about her.
“All right. You can borrow them, but don’t damage them.”
“Cousin, you’re the best! I love you the most!”
Yan Hongyue happily thanked her.
“Come with me.”
Lin Miaoyin stood up, dusted off her clothes, and told Meng Yuanzheng to keep an eye on the food.
Then she took Yan Hongyue into the room and brought out the leather shoes, which had been wrapped in newspaper.
“Don’t worry, Sis. I’ll only wear them for one day. I promise I’ll wash them completely clean before returning them.”
Yan Hongyue carefully hugged the shoes.
Lin Miaoyin did not really care about the shoes. They were just a pair of ugly old-fashioned shoes anyway.
But knowing that Yan Hongyue was going on a date with the man she was cheating with, she still gave her a few warnings before sending her away.
When Lin Miaoyin returned to the kitchen, the snake meat was almost done.
She sprinkled a handful of chopped green onions over it and took it off the stove.
She filled two large bowls.
The dish looked and smelled delicious. Even during holidays, it would be difficult for an ordinary family to eat something this good.
She covered one bowl with another large bowl and placed it inside a basket. She put a layer of cloth over it.
It was still fairly early, and it was not yet time for lunch at the Lin family home, so she carried the basket over there.
The Lin family was preparing their own lunch.
Lin Miaoyin briefly explained where the meat had come from.
Her mother and Cui Fen sighed with emotion and praised Meng Yuanzheng for being capable.
Lin Miaojun even patted his chest and promised to find some realgar to use as a snake repellent.
Before Lin Miaoyin left, her mother filled another large basket with vegetables and even stuffed several freshly cooked steamed buns into it.
Only then did she let her daughter go home.
When Lin Miaoyin returned, Meng Yuanzheng was sitting under the eaves with his eyes closed, resting.
When he heard the courtyard gate open, he opened his eyes and quickly walked over.
He took the heavy basket from Lin Miaoyin’s hands.
“I drew some water from the well. Go wash your hands.”
After Lin Miaoyin washed her hands, Meng Yuanzheng put the basket of vegetables away.
“The porridge has already been served and is cooling. Go eat.”
When Lin Miaoyin sat down at the table, she found that the porridge was at the perfect temperature. It was no longer burning hot like freshly cooked porridge.
The chopsticks had already been placed on the table.
The steamed buns were arranged neatly on a plate, and some pickled vegetables had already been placed in a small bowl for her.
Meng Yuanzheng sat down and lifted the large bowl covering the snake meat.
Seeing Lin Miaoyin staring at him strangely, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Miaoyin smiled, showing her teeth.
“You really are such a caring wife and mother.”