After Chen Lan smoothed away the lingering threads of reluctance in her heart, she looked back and found her mother-in-law had already disappeared.
She searched for a while before finding her mother-in-law and Cui Mama by the fungus shed, busy spreading lime powder on the ground for disinfection. After greeting them and stamping her feet a few extra times on the lime powder at the shed entrance, Chen Lan walked inside.
Upon entering the fungus shed, she saw Liu Mama holding a spray bottle, meticulously checking for any signs of pests or diseases on the fungus and misting the water-starved poplar wood.
After a greeting to Liu Mama, Chen Lan followed along to look at the fungus growing on the poplar wood. Quite a bit of fungus had already grown, appearing larger than an adult's thumbnail.
While observing, she waited for a while. Seeing that her mother-in-law and Cui Mama had finished their work, Chen Lan was about to mention the matter of everyone eating together in the winter to her mother-in-law.
However, her mother-in-law spoke first. "Xiao Lan, it's good you're here. I was planning to find you later after I finished up here to talk about this fungus shed. Look, the weather is getting colder every day. We're afraid to even water it much now, for fear of lowering the temperature too much. If it continues to get this cold, we'll probably only be able to grow the fungus to this size."
Chen Lan was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Mother-in-law, this fungus should ideally be harvested this season.
If it doesn't work out, how about this! We install a thick cotton curtain at the shed entrance, and a thick layer of straw mats on the roof. We can also plaster a thick layer of mud on the outside walls. If that's still not enough, we could install a fan heater or a stove in the shed."
Her mother-in-law replied happily, "Alright, I'll take care of the straw mats with Chun Mei and your Liu Mama. We'll go cut grass by the mountain later. Plastering the mud walls will be for your Uncle De and Uncle Fu. Chun Mei, go ask De Shun and Chen Fu to come help with the mud walls.
Xiao Lan, I think the idea of a stove might be a bit unreliable. Installing a thick cotton curtain and a fan heater seems more practical."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. Please wait a moment, I'll go see who among Xiang Xi and the others is free and ask them to install it for you, how about that?" Chen Lan replied.
Her mother-in-law said gleefully, "That's wonderful! For the past few days, your Cui Mama, Liu Mama, and I have been worried that the fungus wouldn't grow, not only wasting months of our hard work but also betraying our daily diligent care for it.
Honestly, I haven't even doted on our darling grandson Jia Yao this meticulously. Now, with the fan heater, plus the thick cotton curtain, the roof covered with thick straw mats, and the walls plastered with another layer of mud, if the temperature in the shed still doesn't rise, then there's nothing else we can do." Su Dan Novels.
Her mother-in-law then asked curiously, "Xiao Lan, why are you here today? You rarely come here. Is there something on your mind?"
Chen Lan felt a bit awkward, unsure how to explain to her mother-in-law why she seldom visited the fungus shed. Could she admit she had forgotten about growing fungus?
After some thought, she decided not to explain and just tell the truth. "Mother-in-law, the weather is getting colder. When we eat outside now, the food gets cold very quickly once it's served, leaving us feeling cold inside.
This can't go on like this. Firstly, the children can't handle it. I think after a few more meals, even the adults won't be able to bear it. If this continues, it could lead to health problems."
Cui Mama chimed in, "What Xiao Lan says is true. Eating has been like this these past couple of days. The first few bites are warm, but then it gets colder and colder, leaving your stomach feeling chilly by the end, making you feel uncomfortable all day."
Chen Lan had been talking for a while, but her mother-in-law still hadn't fully grasped her intended meaning.
Finally, she said, "Xiao Lan, what you're saying is the truth. It's just as Chun Mei described. I've also been feeling a bit unwell in my stomach these past few days. But if we don't eat out, where else can we eat? Are we supposed to cook at home? But looking at the stove at home, it can't accommodate such a large pot."
Seeing that her mother-in-law had no intention of separating their meals, Chen Lan decided to be more explicit. "Mother-in-law, the winter in Changbai Mountain is very long, lasting perhaps half a year. The coldest temperatures can drop to over minus thirty degrees Celsius, and for the entire winter, the average temperature is around minus ten to twenty degrees Celsius. It's hardly worth it for everyone to rush back and forth, exposed to the cold wind just for a meal every day!"
Her mother-in-law finally began to understand Chen Lan's meaning. She asked, "So, you mean we should eat separately? Each family eats at their own place?"
Chen Lan nodded, confirming resolutely, "Yes! The twins are still too young, and with the weather getting colder each day, my two younger brothers are also small, and my mother is frail. None of them can withstand the cold. I plan for them to stay home and hibernate from today onwards, no longer going out."
Her mother-in-law considered this. "That makes sense. Anyway, when each family is hibernating, they'll be burning the stove for warmth all day, and cooking a meal or two won't be a problem.
Alright, it's settled. Once Xiang Dong, Er Hu, and the others finish their current tasks, and after they go to the mountain to chop firewood for the winter and stack it, we will officially disband the communal kitchen. We'll divide the grain, vegetables, meat, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, and then we'll prepare for hibernation and eat separately."
After speaking, her mother-in-law paused and suddenly remembered something. She asked, "Xiao Lan, have the households in the five houses been equipped with pots and pans? And have the stoves been installed?"
Chen Lan quickly replied, "Everything has been arranged. The stoves in each house are the same, and the pots, pans, bowls, chopsticks, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar are all identical. Even the pots on the stoves are the same."
Her mother-in-law said, "Good! It's good that everything is ready. Xiao Lan, Chun Mei, you know, I find that iron pot at home, the one called 'Lang' by name, it looks quite peculiar. I wonder if it's as good as the iron pots we use now?"
Chen Lan quickly explained, "That Korean cast-iron pot is called Arirang. The advantage of this cast-iron pot is that it heats evenly, which can greatly reduce our cooking time, and its heat retention is excellent!
This cast-iron pot is much better than the iron pots we use now. When it's cold in winter, you don't have to worry about food getting cold quickly, and stir-fries are less likely to burn.
This Arirang cast-iron pot can not only be used for stir-frying but also for pan-frying pancakes, dumplings, fish, stewing meat and vegetables, and even baking. It can also be used for steaming buns, flower rolls, and vegetables. Basically, it's a multi-purpose pot.
Of course, this pot also has a drawback. Because it's made of cast iron, it's very prone to rust. Therefore, after stir-frying or cooking, you need to wipe the inside and outside of the cast-iron pot dry, and keep the surface of the cast-iron pot dry to prevent rust."