The weather was terribly cold, and it was best not to eat cold braised dishes, as they wouldn't taste good when chilled. After cutting the braised dishes that needed to be portioned, they were arranged on plates. All the braised dishes, along with the steamed buns and flower rolls, were then placed into a steamer to be heated. They tasted even better when warm.
Pig's blood and dried tofu sheets were blanched and set aside. The vermicelli noodles were soaked in warm water.
In another pot, a small amount of rapeseed oil was poured and heated. The prepared scallions, ginger, peppercorns, and star anise were then stir-fried until fragrant.
Next, the thinly sliced pork belly, which had been marinated in seasonings, was added to the pot and stir-fried until its color changed.
Finally, an appropriate amount of soybean paste was added and stir-fried to release its aroma.
Hot water was added to the pot. Since there would be vermicelli noodles in the stew today, more water was needed. The water poured into the pot completely submerged the meat pieces by two centimeters. The heat was turned to high, and a small amount of soy sauce was added for color, along with sugar for freshness. A little salt and pepper were added, and the stew was brought to a boil over high heat. It was then simmered on low heat for twenty minutes.
By this time, the rich aroma of the meat was already wafting from the pot.
The lid was lifted, and the prepared potatoes, eggplant, green beans, dried tofu sheets, fried tofu puffs, and pig's blood were added. The stew continued to simmer over high heat for another fifteen minutes. The final step was to add the napa cabbage, pumpkin, and vermicelli noodles, and bring it to a boil again over high heat.
After simmering for another eight minutes, it was ready to be served.
The kitchen was filled with a rich aroma, a mix of meat and various vegetables.
During lunchtime, Fu Shu and De Shu, Xiang Dong, Er Hu, and a few others who were drinking sorghum wine, slowly ate and drank alongside the braised dishes and a large pot of stew.
The rest of the non-drinkers had a large bowl of stew each, which they devoured with gusto. The fragrant stew, paired with steamed buns or flower rolls, made everyone feel very satisfied.
As the name suggested, it was truly a chaotic stew. Many vegetables that had never been combined before were present, with both meat and vegetables, making it both nutritious and well-balanced.
The stew contained the fragrant and soft potatoes, the tender and fragrant green beans, and the sweet and soft pumpkin. All the ingredients, stewed together, created a delicious and aromatic dish.
The variety of flavors that filled the mouth was endlessly delightful and perfectly complemented the rice.
Despite the simple seasonings, the taste was remarkably rich and satisfying.
Even though this large chaotic stew looked ordinary, made from common home-style ingredients, it was irresistible once stewed together.
Especially the thick vermicelli noodles, which had absorbed all the savory flavor of the meat and the natural freshness of the various vegetables – it was simply unbelievably delicious. The only word to describe it was "perfect."
Soaking rice in the broth of the chaotic stew was even more "perfect."
The dragon and phoenix twins, waking from their nap, arrived just in time for the meal. The two little ones had exceptionally good appetites for lunch today! Each of them ate a small bowl of stew broth mixed with steamed buns and pumpkin.
Even after finishing their meal, the twins still looked as if they hadn't had enough. Chen Lan had just put down the twins' small bowls and hadn't yet wiped their little mouths.
Jia Yao, with his greasy little mouth, suddenly expressed his opinion on lunch. All that came out of his mouth was the word "fragrant, fragrant."
Inspired by her brother, Jia Hui, also with a greasy little mouth, chimed in beside him, repeating her brother's words and saying, "Fragrant, fragrant."
Seeing the adorable and innocent expressions of the two little foodies, everyone at the table burst into laughter.
Xiang Xi, who usually enjoyed teasing the twins, and who they also liked very much, spoke to them.
Xiang Xi teased the twins, saying, "Jia Yao, Jia Hui, how is it fragrant? Show Uncle how you feel."
The twins simultaneously took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then smacked their little lips. Perhaps it was the telepathic connection of twins! Finally, they both uttered a word from their little mouths together: "Fragrant, fragrant."
The twins' vivid and lifelike expression, along with their adorable appearance, made everyone eating in the living room erupt into uncontrollable laughter.
Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi laughed so hard they spat out their food, holding their stomachs and exclaiming, "Oh! Oh! I'm dying of laughter!" and "Oh dear! I'm going to die of laughter!"
Grandma, Mother, Liu Mama, and Cui Mama laughed until tears streamed from their eyes.
Hearing everyone's laughter, the twins initially stared blankly. Finally, startled by everyone's reaction and laughter, they both hid in Chen Lan's arms, constantly calling out, "Mom, Mom."
Chen Lan, no longer concerned about wiping their mouths, quickly hugged them and comforted them, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Everyone is praising Jia Hui and her brother for being good children!"
Everyone quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Jia Yao and Jia Hui are good children."
Grandma, wiping away tears of laughter, also quickly said, "Yes, yes, Jia Yao and Jia Hui are Grandma's good grandchildren, they are good children."
Mother also quickly put down her chopsticks and came over to comfort them, "Grandma's good grandchildren are the cutest good children. Come, Grandma will hold you, so your mother can eat. If you don't eat, the food will get cold."
Lunch concluded amidst everyone's laughter. After lunch, De Shu and Fu Shu, without even taking a nap, went back to shoveling snow from the greenhouses.
Xiang Xi and Xiao Shuan also obediently followed De Shu and Fu Shu to the greenhouses to shovel snow in the afternoon. Chen Lan quickly gulped down a few bites of her meal and followed them.
This was because De Shu had issued a strict order: "Look at the overcast sky. It's estimated to snow heavily for several more days. We must have all the men mobilized today, and all the snow on the greenhouses must be shoveled clean before dark."
Due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the greenhouses, the snow on top had frozen together, making it very difficult to remove. It was a strenuous task. If too much force was used, there was a fear of damaging the greenhouse's insulation. Chen Lan realized this wouldn't work. She was already freezing. If they continued to shovel slowly like this, when would they finish?
She thought to herself, recalling hearing people talk in her previous life about how coarse salt was often used to clear snow from city roads in winter. Coarse salt is one of the most commonly used de-icing agents because it is inexpensive, abundant, and effective at melting ice and snow. Furthermore, it is very simple to use for snow melting.
Therefore, she suggested to De Shu that they use coarse salt to remove the snow from the greenhouses.
De Shu and Fu Shu discussed it. They didn't have any better solutions. Although they felt it was a bit extravagant, they reluctantly agreed to Chen Lan's suggestion.