CHAPTER 229: CHAPTER 228 WILD VEGETABLE PORRIDGE (CHAPTER 19)

Back home, Mu Shuangshuang rummaged through boxes and cabinets, searching for something.

Cucumber, eggs, but unfortunately no rice paste and honey. Mixing white rice paste with egg whites and honey, applying it for the time of an incense stick; once removed, it truly can be said to be as delicate as a bullet, then use a layer of cucumber mask...

"Oh dear, why didn’t I think of it, we actually have a stone mill at home."

Zhao Yun’s house has a large stone mill, which was previously pushed by men or pulled by donkeys. Later, a rope was added to the beam to reduce some of the force, making it lighter, so less strength was needed for pushing.

Mu Shuangshuang initially placed the stone mill in the kitchen. She quickly grabbed some rice, soaked it for a while, and started grinding paste.

The rice paste produced wasn’t very thick, as the rice hadn’t soaked long enough.

After grinding to her desired amount, Mu Shuangshuang beat an egg, mixing the egg white into the rice paste evenly, (ps: you can try, I used it when I was young, it worked quite well) and asked Yu Si Niang to wash her face, then applied the mixture to her face.

An incense stick’s time later, Yu Si Niang, who had washed her face, found her skin not only smooth but also tender, and she couldn’t help but touch it, feeling quite fond of it.

"Shuangshuang, this... I feel like it’s not my face anymore," Yu Si Niang indulged.

Without a copper mirror at home, she could only use a water basin. Although the image in the basin wasn’t clear, her psychological effect made her feel she saw herself clearly.

"Just used an egg white, quite extravagant," Yu Si Niang still felt a bit pained.

"Mom, don’t think like that. You get what you give. A woman’s face is her first appearance, and if it’s good-looking, she’ll be more confident. This is a world that values appearances.

It’s like nobody would dare enter a house if the front looks old, broken, and dirty, with cow|||dung and stuff, right?"

Yu Si Niang nodded. "You’re right, an egg now sells for no more than a penny in town. I and your dad make a fan, and it can sell for a penny."

Yu Si Niang muttered, as if comforting herself.

She used to be accustomed to saving every item, never daring to use both rice paste and eggs as she does now.

"Mom, it’s good that you understand. I’ll cut a few pieces of cucumber for your face, then we can prepare dinner."

The farmers’ knives are made of iron and are particularly sharp. Mu Shuangshuang cut a small segment of cucumber and applied it all over Yu Si Niang’s face.

Just as she was about to uncover the pot lid, she surprisingly discovered that the lid wasn’t in the same position as she left it at noon, as if someone moved it.

Sure enough, lifting the lid, there wasn’t even residue left in the pot.

The bowl holding the food lay sideways in the pot, with the leftover oil licked clean, and the last piece of boiled fish eaten down to just a fish head.

"Mom, our leftovers were stolen."

Mu Shuangshuang furrowed her brows, trembling slightly as she held the pot lid.

"Ah, what’s going on?" Yu Si Niang approached, not even caring about the cucumber mask on her face, stared at the pot for a long time, then said, "How did a thief strike in broad daylight?"

"Probably someone from over there. I’m speechless. They even stole the leftovers and licked the oil residues in the bowl clean."

Excited, Mu Shuangshuang even spoke in internet slang.

Indeed, she had seen plenty of petty theft from her past life until now, but had never seen someone steal leftovers.

Yu Si Niang’s face froze. Mouth agape, she glanced towards the direction of the Old Mu Family, paused for a while, then continued, "Forget it, just a bit of leftovers. If they want to steal, let them."

"Let them, what else can be done."

Catch the thief with evidence; she couldn’t go inspect everyone to see who stole the leftovers, nor could she wait until they defecated to see who discarded what.

Overall, this time, Mu Shuangshuang was disgusted.

"No way, the bowl licked by someone must be disinfected again."

Mu Shuangshuang grabbed some fir leaves, lit a fire, started adding firewood into the stove, poured several ladles of water into the pot, added a spoonful of salt, a few drops of vinegar, and after the pot boiled, washed the bowl again and again before stopping.

Yu Si Niang watched from the side, feeling both angry and amused. Angered by someone doing such a vile thing, amused by her daughter’s disgusted expression, as if the bowl were tainted with something bad.

"Mom, let’s keep it simple tonight. I’ll chop some wild vegetables; we can add water to the lunchtime crust in the pot, cook them together, eat wild vegetable porridge, then make a cold dish, cucumber salad."

Mu Shuangshuang had leftover chili oil from last time making cold noodles, so her cold dishes were always in demand.

Indeed, the chili oil itself is spicy and fragrant. When mixed with cucumber and a little vinegar, it’s truly a summer essential delicacy.

"Great, today I’ll send a message to your grandpa and grandma, asking them to deliver some sweet potatoes and mixed grains. Our rice was bought, if we don’t save, by next year’s harvest, I don’t know how much money we’ll spend buying rice."

Last time Yu Si Niang went home to fetch green beans; Shuangshuang’s grandpa asked her to bring some sweet potatoes. She declined, thinking with the family not split, no matter how much she brought, the third branch wouldn’t have enough.

Now things have changed, the third branch is split now. Whatever she takes from her parent’s house is hers.

"Yes, yes!"

Mu Shuangshuang naturally agreed. Not just for her family, other farmer households also never cook plain rice. Every time rice is cooked, only a little is used, with the rest mostly mixed with sweet potatoes or wild vegetables.

Mu Shuangshuang started washing vegetables. These days, there’s enough greens at home. Zhuangzi’s mother sent so many, and Aunt Xiao Yun often brings some.

However, vegetables are like this; if kept for a day or two, might wilt.

The taste won’t be good, so Mu Shuangshuang decided to process the greens after cooking the porridge, making cucumber skins, bitter gourd can be dried to eat as dry bitter gourd, as for small cabbage types, they can be blanched in boiled water, dried to make dry mustard greens.

The wild vegetables collected from the mountain were chopped by Mu Shuangshuang. She poured two ladles of water into the pot, waited for it to boil, placed the crust in the pot, kept stirring, then added all chopped wild vegetables, continued stirring.

Soon, a pot of wild vegetable porridge was ready.

Wild vegetable porridge, with a bowl of green cucumber salad, just looking at them increases one’s appetite.

The third branch of the Old Mu Family remains harmonious and happy as usual.

But it’s uncertain on the other side of the Old Mu Family, they also started eating dinner...

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