Chapter 21 [Pedestrians staying overnight]
After everything was ready, Fang Chang picked up the big wild boar, went to the stream to wash and clean it, cut it into several large pieces and picked it.
The parts that cannot be processed at this stage should be discarded far away as food for wild beasts in the mountains.
Put the large pieces of meat in the cleaned back basket, he returned to his bamboo and wood hut, and then used a few washed wood as a support, took the meat out of the basket and placed it on it for processing.
Adding some more firewood to the firepit, Fang Chang first picked large pieces from the wild pork he brought back, divided them into thick strips, and placed them on a bamboo plaque. Then cut the remaining part into small pieces, put them in clay pots, put them in the fire pond and boil them for a while, after changing the water, cut the wild onions and **** into sections, boil the water, then remove the flames, Bring to a simmer.
The pot cover is simply made of thin bamboo slices. It is not tight, and there are many gaps and holes, so the steam overflows from it, and the smell of meat diffuses, wafting in the room.
Because Fang Chang didn’t have any sugar in his hands, he couldn’t braise it in soy sauce. Currently, he only supports clear stewing.
Wild boars exercise all day long, with more lean meat and less fat, but the meat is delicious.
While waiting, Fang Chang tasted the tea in the bamboo tube, and at the same time took two pieces of bamboo, and began to sharpen the small jade knife with the straight back. During this period of time, he has been breaking tree branches to use as chopsticks, which is not easy to use.
Today coincides with the meeting, just to make two pairs of bamboo chopsticks.
The aroma in the room is getting stronger and stronger. When the pork pieces can be pierced easily with chopsticks, it means the meat is soft and rotten. Fang Chang opened the bag he brought up the mountain, took out a little coarse salt, crushed the salt grains and sprinkled them into the jar.
Salt is the soul of cooking.
Then, Fang Chang rummaged through the back basket, found a few plant tubers, peeled them, cut them into pieces, and threw them into the jar. Pull over more burning firewood, quickly boil the semi-finished product in the jar, and then simmer for a while, the cooking end is just right.
Fang Chang's hands were not afraid of burning, and he took the jar off the fire. He picked up his own stoneware bowl, and filled most of the bowl of stewed meat with a long-handled bamboo spoon.
The sun is just right, coming in from the window and shining on the food in the bowl.
The primary color of the cooked meat is paired with the tuber, which looks light and not greasy. With its constant aroma and the light-colored soup in the bowl, it looks extremely attractive.
Wait for it to cool down slightly, use the freshly made bamboo chopsticks to pick up the delicious food in the bowl, and put it in your mouth.
Simmer for a long time, so that the meat seems to melt in the mouth, leaving only a mouthful of fresh fragrance. After adding wild onions and ginger, not only is there no fishy smell, but it also has a special flavor. The tubers are already ripe, but they have a crispy feeling when bitten off, and then loosen in the mouth, leaving a soft, glutinous and sweet fragrance, and the taste is just right.
The only fly in the ointment is that the salty taste of coarse salt is not positive enough, with a slight bitterness.
It's a pity that the last time I got it from Linxi Village, the wine that was brought to Xianqiya was drunk in one go, otherwise it would be more enjoyable to eat with sorghum wine.
For the next meal, Fang Chang considers using the slate that he fried the bacon last time to fry fresh slices of meat.
At the same time, the big bones removed can be used to make soup. It's a pity that under the condition of insufficient seasoning, pork is not suitable for roasting, and one of the main cooking methods at this stage is missing.
Although he didn't get much fat this time, Fang Chang still saved some as much as possible, and prepared to use it to boil oil.
Oil residue is a delicacy, and lard can be used to cook vegetables and vegetables, and it has many functions in life, which can greatly improve the quality of life.
After eating and drinking enough, he started to process the strips of meat that had just been cut out on the bamboo plaque.
Put pigskin under it, crush the coarse salt in the bag, put long thick meat strips on top, and rub slowly with salt. After feeling that it should taste good, tie up the thin rattan, hang it on the roof, and hang it over the firepit.
Fang Chang usually uses mostly pines and cypresses as firewood. The smoke produced by these fuels is very suitable for smoking bacon.
Most of the salt brought was consumed, and the rest was enough for a while.
...
…
Linxi Village is actually not particularly remote, because a few miles away is the official road.
The so-called official road is the road built by the imperial court. Due to the backward productivity, it is often raised with soil, sand, stones, etc., and the sides are simply drained. Horse-drawn carriages staggered past each other.
This kind of road, when it rains and snows, will be slippery and muddy and difficult to walk on. This is also the norm in the world-stone roads are too expensive and can only be used in cities or on the streets of wealthy villages and towns.
During the Taiping period, the official roads were repaired frequently, and there were more pedestrians and horses coming and going on them.
The clothes of the donkeys are like the wind, those carrying the load are trembling, those driving the ox cart are mediocre, and those carrying the parcels are coming and going. Everyone is not in a hurry and walks slowly.
Moving the pole on his shoulders, the porter surnamed Xie took a few steps and looked up at the sun in the sky:
"The sun is so strong this afternoon!"
The person who was walking next to him with a homespun bag on his back walked silently, and replied: "Yes, it's very hot, but it's only for a while, at most half an hour, and it will be much more comfortable after the sunset comes out."
"Um."
Pedestrians with similar speeds often like to go together. Chatting with each other can not only relieve loneliness, but also make them less tired.
It is necessary to bring more water to drink on the road, otherwise talking too much will make you thirsty.
It's getting late.
The setting sun approached the horizon, and the color began to turn red. Due to the background of far and near things, it appeared even bigger.
A group of people chatted and talked about the issue of rest at night.
Porters often walk this way and are very familiar with how to lodge: "There is Linxi Village here, we can just walk there in the evening, and we can try to stay there. But there are only two abandoned old houses to live in, and each person pays one For two pennies, you can also ask the villagers to cook an extra breakfast, which is very cost-effective."
With a book boy next to him, the master and the servant walked with their books on their backs. The scholar asked suspiciously:
"When I passed by Huqiao Town just now, why didn't I stay there? I see that it is quite prosperous there, and there are inns and restaurants."
The porter smiled and said:
"Your Excellency, I don't know that those of us who walk around the rivers and lakes are most afraid of delaying time, so we can walk as far as we can during the day, so that we can save several days by going back and forth. Can you earn more of these days? But it is related to the family's livelihood, and living here is very economical."
"In the direction you are going now, you can spend the night in Linxi Village. When you go back, you will be able to reach Huqiao Town in the evening. At that time, you can seek accommodation in Huqiao Town. This will save the least time. After all, it is more than ten miles away. If it’s too bad, I might have to walk another day.”
The people around heard it and wrote it down, silently remembering the words full of life experience in their hearts.
The porter smiled and said: "Besides, we all heard when we passed by that something happened in Huqiao Town. It's better to stay away."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The scholar next to him even dragged out a sentence and whispered: "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall."
The consumption rate of the outline is much faster than expected. I sorted out a little outline this morning and during the day, so there is only one update. Although it is far from clean, I will resume double updates tomorrow. Sorry~
In addition, Xie Hanji quietly gave a reward.
(end of this chapter)