Chapter 76 (1/2)
Madam Liu looked over and discovered that her daughter's speed in plucking the chickens was not any slower than hers. In fact, to her surprise, the chickens her daughter plucked were even cleaner than hers.
What a joke, of course Xiaocao was good at this, just look at what she did in her previous life. Her braised foods shop had a chicken dish, braised roast chicken. Every day she needed to slaughter and prepare around thirty to forty chickens. If she wasn't good at this, that would truly be an oddity!
Xiaocao looked around the room and smiled, ”I don't need wages. Auntie Zhou, just give me the internal organs from these forty chickens instead!”
”What do you want the internal organs for? You're not going to really take them back home to eat them, are you?! …Cao'er, mother knows our circ.u.mstances at home are not very good and that we usually can't taste any meat during most of the year. However, we still can't eat something as dirty as this! How about this, next time I go sell my embroidery, I'll buy a catty of meat and give you a great feast…” The smile on Madam Liu's face gradually dimmed and a look of guilt and shame rose in her eyes.
”Mother, don't worry about it, I really do have a use for these internal organs!” Xiaocao was inwardly surprised and flabbergasted. Didn't they all say that people in ancient times ate internal organs? Was it just a false rumor?
Madam Fang smiled and tried to resolve the dispute, ”When children get older, they start having their own ideas. Younger Sister Muyun, just let her try! Xiaocao, the chicken blood and internal organs are all yours! I'll also give you money for your help!”
Xiaocao shook her head and replied, ”Auntie Zhou, I really can't take your money for the work. Last time when we had moved in and had a banquet, you and Older Sister Linglong were busy for the whole day helping us. You guys didn't even get to eat lunch. I'm only helping out a little. If I wanted money for it, isn't that too much of me? A relative afar is less use than a close neighbor. Neighbors helping each other out is the right thing to do!”
Madam Liu agreed, ”Cao'er is right! Missus, if you keep bringing up giving us money, I will go back home right now…”
Seeing that both the mother and daughter persisted in refusing her offer, Madam Fang no longer brought up the subject of paying them. It took the two adults and three children a whole hour to finish slaughtering and cleaning up the chickens. Yu Xiaocao's speed and abilities were even better than her mother's and was neck to neck to the old hand, Madam Fang. Madam Fang repeatedly praised her skills...
Afterwards, Madam Fang went into the room to take out the cakes and pastries she had bought in town earlier that morning. She shoved them into Xiaocao's hands and insisted that she bring them back home. The Zhou Family sold chickens and eggs, and when it was the off-season for farming, her husband would peddle goods. They were the only family in the village who could afford to buy some sweets for their children to eat from time to time.
Madam Liu held the wooden basin filled to the brim with chicken offal as she watched her daughter who held the pail with chicken blood in one hand and pastries in the other. She frowned and said, ”Do you really know how to prepare chicken blood? Don't talk a big game and not be able to follow up, otherwise Auntie Zhou and her daughters will laugh at you.”
”Mother, stop worrying, when did I ever promise more than I can deliver?” Xiaocao struggled with holding the chicken blood in one hand so she placed the string that tied the pastries together in her mouth. Her freed hand joined the other one in lifting the basin as she stepped forward quickly.
When they got home, Xiaolian had already finished making the meal and was waiting for them before she started serving. Xiaocao proudly shook the pail in her hand and smiled, ”Don't start serving yet, I'm going to make something delicious to add to the meal.”
”What sort of good thing?” Little s.h.i.+tou stood up from his seated position and dashed toward her. After he saw the contents of the basin, he frowned in disappointment and said, ”This is chicken blood! Second Sister, you can't possibly be saying that this will be the tasty dish, right?”
”What sort of expression is that? You don't believe your older sister? Once I finish making it, you don't get to have any!” Xiaocao glared at him, feigning displeasure.
Little s.h.i.+tou remembered his older sister's out of the ordinary culinary skills and backtracked immediately to apologize, ”Second Sister, I was wrong. Everything you make is top-notch. I'm just a wimpy little kid, don't lower yourself to my level, Second Sister…”
”Go, go! Buy a copper coin's worth of tofu from Er Gouzi's place!” Xiaocao cheerfully dispatched him out and entered the kitchen with the basin of chicken blood.
Xiaolian followed her inside and said, ”I'll help! What do you need me to do?”
”Boil some water in the pot, I need to blanch the chicken blood in that!”
The blood in the basin had already started congealing into blood clots. Xiaocao used a knife to cut a few lines to divide them into a few 'tofu pieces'. She took out a block of blood and carefully cut it up into smaller pieces. She placed it into the boiling water to blanch and waited until it changed color before she ladled it back up.
She was making 'spicy and sour chicken blood [1]'. The family didn't have any pickled chili peppers, so she used the pickled vegetables her maternal grandmother had sent over as a subst.i.tute for the sour. After cutting the vegetables into tiny cubes, she started chopping up the dried chili peppers. She also sliced the ginger into thin strips and smashed some garlic heads to be used as well.
Xiaocao ladled a small spoonful of oil from the oil pitcher and put it into the pan. The cubed pickled vegetables, dried chili peppers, the julienned ginger, and smashed garlic were lightly fried in the oil to bring out the flavors. Afterwards, the chicken blood was lightly stir-fried in the aromatics. It was important not to overcook the chicken blood to not ruin the final texture. It had the tender mouthfeel of tofu but had a much better flavor than tofu.
After thinking a bit, she made the decisive decision to add some vinegar to remove the fishy smell and also added some salt and soy sauce. After sauteing everything until it was mixed well, it was ready to plate.
”Smells so good!” Little s.h.i.+tou ran all the way home after buying the tofu. He panted heavily but continued to inhale the smell and had a gluttonous expression on his face.
Xiaocao also made a 'tofu and chicken blood soup'. The snow white tofu floated at the top of the broth and the dark red color of the chicken blood was faintly visible. With the addition of chopped scallions, the green color of the herb contrasted beautifully with the other colors. It was a fragrant and visually attractive soup.
”Time to eat! Time to eat!!” Little s.h.i.+tou impatiently rushed towards the dining table but was pulled back by Xiaocao.
”Don't be in such a rus.h.!.+ Come with me to bring some food over to Auntie Zhou!” She had deliberately made an extra portion of each dish so there was enough for the Zhou Family too.