Chapter 61
61 Warmth
Su Xiaoxiao went to the kitchen to make peanut b.u.t.ter. Father Su also joined the team of family laborers peeling peanut sh.e.l.ls.
“Sister, I’m done peeling a basin of peanuts.” Su Ergou placed a basin of peanuts on the stove. “Do you still want to peel more?”
“Yes,” Su Xiaoxiao said. She paused and said, “It’s too cold outside. Come in and peel.”
“Alright!” Su Ergou went outside to bring in a sack of peanuts and his brother-in-law and father.
Su Cheng and his son-in-law were in the category of being forced to peel peanuts. They were lazy and often needed Su Ergou’s reminders.
Wei Ting was young and fast. When Father Su had only peeled a dozen peanuts, he had already filled a big bowl.
Father Su took the opportunity to change their bowls!
Su Xiaoxiao turned around and widened her eyes. “Wei Ting! Why did you only peel these few?”
Father Su waved his hand. “Aiya, don’t blame my son-in-law. I peeled too quickly.”
Wei Ting was wondering if Su Cheng could be any more shameless. His boat was flipped over just like that!
Su Xiaoxiao poured the peanuts into a hot pot and stir-fried them. It was a test of the speed.
The three little fellows returned from showing off next door and surrounded the stove to watch Su Xiaoxiao stir-fry peanuts.
The family gathered in the kitchen illuminated by the fire and oil lamps. The cold wind howled outside, but everyone felt that it was a warm winter.
The skin of the peanut became darker, and the peanut kernels were about to turn slightly yellow. She put them in the sieve and shook them to remove the skin. Those that were not removed were rubbed off with hands.
Su Xiaoxiao washed the stone mill and dried it. She split half of it and let Wei Ting grind it. She put the other half into the garlic pot.
Su Ergou asked, “Sister, what are you doing?”
Su Xiaoxiao said patiently to her brother, “I’m making peanut b.u.t.ter. I just want to try if grinding or pounding makes it more fragrant.”
Su Ergou was very enthusiastic, but Father Su and Wei Ting wanted to slack off.
Father Su pretended to say, “Aiya, my hand hurts.”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “You can grind it with your left hand. It doesn’t take much strength.”
Wei Ting stretched out his bandaged long legs. “My legs...”
Su Xiaoxiao: “You don’t need legs to grind peanuts!”
The two of them continued to work.
The peanut b.u.t.ter in the stone mill was first ground twice with a mill, mixed with cold water, and stirred. Then, it was put into the mill and ground a few times. The more it was ground, the finer the sauce would be.
Su Xiaoxiao asked Father Su to grind half of the sauce into a grainy paste-the adults ate them, and the other half was smooth-and the three little ones ate them.
This smoothness was relative. It was not completely smooth like what she had in her previous life. There were still a few grains.
Su Xiaoxiao continued to stir-fry peanuts and performed the role of the production manager.
Su Ergou peeled the peanut sh.e.l.ls and peanut sh.e.l.ls. He also supervised Father Su and Wei Ting. He could be said to be the workshop director.
The three little ones were only in charge of tasting the peanuts that Su Xiaoxiao had stir-fried, the peanut b.u.t.ter that Father Su had ground, and the peanut paste that Wei Ting had made.
The family had a clear division of labor.
In the blink of an eye, only half of the sack of peanuts was left.
The rich fragrance of peanuts filled the entire kitchen. It was warm and fragrant. Even the Liu family next door could smell it.
Madam He lay under the blanket and drooled at the fragrance. “What did Little Su’s family make again?”
“Who knows!” Niudan’s father turned around with his back facing Madam He and drooled.
For some reason, Little Su suddenly had meat. She ate meat every day!
At first, he thought that it was just some lard that had been refined. After all, Fatty Su liked to eat this in the past. That was his a.s.sumption until he b.u.mped into Su Ergou with a sausage in his mouth. He was eating it while drying the cured meat in the courtyard!
At that moment, he was certain that the Su family had really eaten meat!
It was not lard, nor was it solely for Fatty Su. It was the kind where the entire family could eat their fill!
Madam He was really craving it. She patted her man’s shoulder. “Didn’t we buy a few catties of meat? Tomorrow, you can tell Mom. Let’s make dumplings.”
Liu An said impatiently, “The meat is for the new year! Aren’t you afraid of being scolded by mother? Go and tell her yourself!”
Madam He lay flat in anger and muttered, “How would I dare to say that?”
To be honest, Liu An also wanted to eat meat. However, his parents were in a bad mood recently, so he did not dare to ask.
Madam He smiled again and said, “Let Niudan do it? He’ll definitely do it!”
Niudan, who was lying between the two of them, had long fallen asleep. He did not know that his parents had designs on him.
Liu An was a little tempted. He hesitated for a moment and rejected, “Forget it, we can’t make that much for Niudan. There won’t even be enough for him.”
That was true.
It was not that the Great Wu did not dote on her biological son and her only grandson, but that the family did not have much.
“Hey.” Liu An suddenly thought of Little Wu. “Doesn’t Sister-in-law often work for Little Su’s family? Ask her to ask Fat La.s.s Su for some.”
Madam He asked, “Will Fatty Su give it to us?”
Fatty Su, the little bully, had always been the one to extort others. It was even more difficult to make her spit out something.
Although Old Li had testified that she had helped him s.n.a.t.c.h back the villagers’ New Year goods, who knew what was going on?
Liu An had witnessed he Su family giving Old Li benefits. Perhaps Old Li had been bribed by the Su family!
Therefore, after hearing Madam He’s question, Liu An was not confident.
He said irritably, “Isn’t this your fault? When Fat La.s.s Su was slandered for having killed someone, why didn’t you speak up for her? After Old Li spoke up, Fat La.s.s Su took a lot of things to Old Li’s house! I saw it all!”
Madam He snorted. “You were there that night! Why didn’t you say so!”
Liu An choked. He couldn’t win against Madam He. Just as he was about to flare up and shout, his mother spoke first.
“Why are you making so much noise in the middle of the night? Can’t you let me sleep? Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eat! Are you rushing to eat and reincarnate!”
It was unknown if she was scolding Liu An, Madam He, or Fatty Su and her family next door.
In the kitchen, the family was so busy that they did not hear anything.
Even if they heard it, they would not take it to heart. They would only think that Big Wu was going crazy.
The peanut b.u.t.ter that was ground with the stone mill was viscous, smooth, and delicate. The peanut b.u.t.ter that was pounded with a stone pestle was more inclined to peanut mud and was thick and dense.
Both of them tasted good. The three little ones preferred the version ground with the stone mill. It was smooth and would not cause choking. Su Xiaoxiao was more interested in the one ground by the stone pestle.
The stone mill scattered the peanuts, and the smell was dispersed. The peanuts were crushed, pressed, and tempered repeatedly. The grease and fragrance of the peanuts seemed to have been pressed into every molecule of the ingredient.
With a bite, the oil and fragrance exploded between one’s teeth.
This was really pure peanut b.u.t.ter without sugar or salt, thickener, or hydrogenated plant oil. It was too fragrant!
Su Xiaoxiao smacked her lips and pointed at the pestle in Wei Ting’s hand. “Enough grinding. We’ll make this kind later.”
Wei Ting looked at the remaining half of the sack of peanuts and frowned. “You just want me to keep pounding peanuts for you!”