Back to the 1980s: Transmigrated as the Bigshot's Pampered Wife-Chapter 82: Soybean Pig’s Trotter Soup

After dinner, Gu Jiaojiao called for Second Brother Gu to cut up the side of pork from the farm and chop off a leg for Song Zijie.

She also had him pack up some local specialties for Song Zijie. When Aunt Song saw all the things, she was so happy she couldn’t stop grinning.

She was especially ecstatic to learn that the Divine Doctor had also come to Qing City. Now there was hope for her son’s illness, and she walked with a spring in her step.

After the meal, Mr. Gu walked Uncle Song’s family to the courtyard gate. The Song family’s driver was waiting to take the three of them home.

Gu Jiaojiao didn’t give the river snails and dried snail meat she had bought at the black market to Song Zijie.

Gu Jiaojiao kept the snails in their shells in a container of fresh water. Fresh snails couldn’t be eaten right away because they would be full of sand and grit.

After a few days, the snails would have spat out most of the sand and grit, so they wouldn’t be gritty to eat.

Back at the black market, the vendor had said he’d already kept them for two days, which meant she could stir-fry them for lunch tomorrow.

"Jiaojiao, will all this pork go bad?" Su’s mother asked worriedly.

"Mom, let’s stew one of the pig trotters tonight. We can also braise another trotter and some pork belly. We can eat to our heart’s content."

"We’ll turn all the leftover meat into cured pork. Cured pork can last for a year without spoiling."

’Of course, in my space, fresh meat would never spoil no matter how long it was kept. But I can’t let anyone else know I have a space.’

"Jiaojiao, you must be tired. Just tell me how to stew the pig trotters, and I’ll take care of it."

"Okay. Pig trotters are an ingredient we all love. They’re delicious whether they’re braised or stewed in a soup."

"We all love their chewy, springy texture, and they’re rich in collagen."

"Grandpa and the others are severely malnourished, so a pig trotter and soybean soup would be perfect. We can have it for breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Jiaojiao, you’re malnourished too, so you need to eat more. Let’s stew a hind trotter, then."

"The front trotters have more meat and fewer bones, while the hind trotters have less meat and more bones. We’ll use the front trotter for the braised dish."

Su’s mother had been a head chef, after all, so she made the decision in a flash. The others didn’t know much about cooking, so naturally, they had no objections.

In an era where oil and meat were scarce, the choice was different from what it would be in later generations. If it were up to Gu Jiaojiao...

...she would have chosen the hind trotter for braising. But regardless of which part was chosen, or whether it was for soup or braising...

...if the pig trotters weren’t prepared correctly, they would end up with a gamey taste.

Making delicious pig trotters had a lot to do with cooking techniques.

Gu Jiaojiao told Su’s mother that the key to perfect pig trotters was a principle of "add three things, omit two." This would make them tender and flavorful, and most importantly, free of any gamey taste.

Gu Jiaojiao had already taken out vinegar and many other seasonings from her space and placed them in the kitchen.

The Su Family assumed she and her husband had bought them at the department store, so they didn’t find it strange.

Vinegar is a sour seasoning, but besides adding acidity, it also has another effect: cutting through richness and eliminating any gamey flavor.

When stewing pig trotters, adding a little vinegar right as they go into the pot not only helps cut the richness and gamey taste...

...but most importantly, the vinegar helps break down the collagen, making it easier for the body to absorb and use.

At the same time, it acts as a tenderizer, helping the trotters become soft and absorb the flavors.

However, it’s important to note that vinegar should be added right at the beginning.

If added too late, the vinegar won’t evaporate completely, which will affect the overall flavor and leave the trotters with a slight sour taste.

Whether the pig trotters are being slow-cooked in a clear stew or braised, soybeans are the perfect partner.

Besides creating a nutritious balance of meat and vegetables, the soybeans also crucially help to cut through the richness.

Furthermore, soybeans themselves have a subtle sweetness that can greatly enhance the overall taste of the dish.

One thing you must not add is Sichuan peppercorns. Sichuan peppercorns are a seasoning with a numbing quality and a relatively strong aroma.

When eating pig trotters, besides enjoying the chewy texture of the meat, the main goal is to savor their natural savory flavor.

But if you add Sichuan peppercorns, they will easily mask this inherent flavor, which would be counterproductive.

Another thing to omit is cooking wine. Cooking wine is better suited for stir-frying, whereas stews are started with cold water.

"Jiaojiao, I’ve memorized it all. Don’t worry, go get some sleep. You have class tomorrow," Su’s mother urged her.

"Mom, I’ll leave it to you, then." After saying that, Gu Jiaojiao also urged the frail members of the Gu Family to go rest.

Second Brother Gu took Geng Ruixian to wash up before showing him to a room on the second floor to sleep. He then came back downstairs to help chop the pig trotters.

Grandpa Gu and Eldest Brother Gu’s health had improved, but they still needed a long period of recuperation.

Mr. Gu was tired from the car ride, and Mrs. Gu, whose constitution was weak, also needed to rest. That left Mr. Su, Su’s mother, Su Qinchun, and Second Brother Gu to do the work.

The four of them were full of energy, eager to fill their own little piggy banks. Gu Jiaojiao had established a rule at home: the more you work, the more you earn.

Su Qinchun earned fifty cents a day for washing dishes, which added up to fifteen yuan a month. An ordinary worker’s monthly salary was only a little over twenty yuan.

Every chore came with a corresponding payment, so not only did no one complain about the work, they were actually excited to do it.

Su Shuochi wheeled himself over to help Gu Jiaojiao get some hot water, then returned to their room so she could wash up.

He, on the other hand, wheeled himself out to the hand-pump well in the courtyard to take a cold shower.

Gu Jiaojiao hung his IV drip as usual. She used a hairdryer to dry his short hair, and then had to dry her own long hair before she could go to sleep.

"Jiaojiao, you’re tired from driving. Go lie down on the bed, I’ll dry your hair for you."

When interacting with others, Su Shuochi was a man of few words, often coming across as aloof and perfunctory.

But as soon as he was with Gu Jiaojiao, he would chatter on endlessly, his every word revealing his care and concern for her.

"It’s awkward for you with only one good hand. I’ll do it myself."

"It’s not awkward at all. See? I can hold the hairdryer with my right hand like this. You go ahead and sleep."

Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t talk him out of it, so she let him. As Su Shuochi dried his wife’s hair, he asked...

"Jiaojiao, you’re giving some food to your big brother tomorrow, right? The packaging for the things in your space... we don’t have anything like that here."

"Oh, that’s right. And we can’t just tear open the packaging in this summer heat. What should we do?"

Usually, when Gu Jiaojiao took out small quantities of things, she would just tear open the packaging before giving the food to them.

For fruit, she would also remove the packaging and hand them out one by one.

"Doesn’t your space have that thin paper for wrapping fruit? We could stick that paper over the packaging."

"Tomorrow, while you’re at class, I’ll stay in your space and cover the packages. What do you think?"

Su Shuochi was subtly laying his trap. ’His wife was going to class tomorrow, and he’d been trying to figure out an excuse to go with her.’

"That could work... But if you disappear all morning tomorrow, what will you tell Grandpa and the others?"

"Hah, I’ll just say I’m going out to buy something, and then I’ll pick you up from school so we can come home together."

"Okay, let’s do it your way then. While you’re at it, you can also help me organize the food in the space. See what’s suitable for the Sheng family’s eldest brother and get it ready yourself."

"Whatever my wife says, goes. I’ll be sure to complete the mission. You go to sleep first, Jiaojiao." Su Shuochi was overjoyed.

’The thought of going to school with his wife truly made him excited.’