Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 48: Delicious Crispy Pork!

Chapter 47

Delicious Crispy Pork!

The chubby child hurried into the house to ask her uncle for some paper. Once she had the paper, she dashed to the kitchen to grab some charcoal. With her supplies ready, she secluded herself in her room.

Xiaolin sat pondering what kind of shop she wanted to create. With limited knowledge, minimal creativity, and a self-declared lack of innovative thought, she sighed over her perceived emptiness of the brain.

"Maybe a skillet pork shop would be nice. Four seats per table, and a kitchen at the back. A single-story building should do. The space on the side could serve as parking for carts and horses. Yeah, that’ll work!"

Her chubby hands grabbed the charcoal and started sketching on the paper. Initially, she drew a rough front view of the shop and a floor plan for the second drawing. She’d consult a professional for the dimensions later.

The seating area would have open doors for ventilation, with a secluded kitchen in the back. There would be storage for supplies and wood, as well as a restroom at the back of the parking area.

For the market, she envisioned an open structure with just pillars and a high roof for good air circulation, avoiding any musty or foul odors from fresh goods. She’d also need to order tables for vendors to display their wares.

"Right, for the hotpot, we’ll need a stove and pot too. Or maybe a deep skillet so it’s wider. Hmm."

After one last glance at her paper, she gathered her drawings and scampered out of the room. Her father was overseeing villagers digging up the ground for her vegetable plots. The area was spacious enough to accommodate nearly ten plots.

"Father!" The round figure ran to her father and handed him the papers.

"What’s this, child?" Tianrong took the papers to have a look.

"It’s the design for my shop and market."

Tianrong felt a headache coming on as he studied the ambitious scribbles. He was so absorbed that Huan Tan came over.

"What are you working on?" The young man inquired, bending down to the busy little figure.

"Oh, Xiaolin drew some designs for her shop," Tianrong handed over the papers for Huan Tan to see.

Huan Tan took the paper and stood silently. He excused himself to Tianrong before lifting the chubby child and heading back to the small house. The young man took a deep breath before speaking out.

"This is a shop design?" He unfolded the paper for the child in front of him to see.

Seeing it, Xiaolin laughed dryly, admitting she needed help with the drawing. Sighing, Huan Tan fetched a fresh piece of paper for her.

The chubby child sneakily grabbed some paper while her uncle was asleep, as he had to share her room to accommodate guests from the Huan Tan family. Sometimes, Xiaolin would sleep with her parents instead.

"What kind of shop do you want?" The elder asked as he took the paper and charcoal, ready to help.

"I want it like a skillet pork shop. The front is open and airy, with the kitchen at the back, a storage room, and a woodshed too."

Hearing her wishes, Huan Tan set to work drawing. Though not particularly skilled, he was confident his rendition would be more recognizable than the prior squares and rectangles.

Xiaolin sat hunched over, watching the older figure draw with great interest. Her little mouth occasionally let out sounds of amazement because the drawing was much more beautiful than hers.

"Are we going for an open style like the BBQ restaurant?"

"Um, I’d like the front of the shop to be open but still able to close it, perhaps with folding doors like the old houses from our era."

Huan Tan nodded, understanding as most old shops from his time had wide-open doors, some with iron doors and some with wooden folding doors for the older establishments.

"It’s done."

"Wow," the chubby child exclaimed, eyes wide. He had drawn a real restaurant, not just a box like she had.

"And what’s this?" Huan Tan pointed to another picture.

"The market," she confirmed.

"Market?"

"Yep, like a fresh market dome, just with pillars and a high roof to avoid any bad smells."

"Got it."

After sketching for a while, Huan Tan handed the paper back to the plump child. Xiaolin was thrilled and declared she would be making crispy pork that day before bouncing off to find her father, leaving Huan Tan alone in the house, swallowing his saliva.

"Fatherrrr!"

Tianrong turned to see a white blob... no, a running blob coming towards him, brandishing a piece of paper. He took the paper to unfold it and looked at it in astonishment.

"Who drew this?"

"Uncle Tan," she said.

"Very good. Are we starting the shop now? I will talk to the builder."

"Yes, this shop will just be enough for ten tables, using one mu of land for each shop we bought. The market will be on the opposite side."

"Understood, I’ll take care of it," Tianrong bent down to plant a big kiss on his daughter’s cheek before storing the shop design away.

Xiaolin skipped into the kitchen, where she found her grandmother and Aunt Huan Qingqing talking at the back of the house and asked for their help in boiling pork belly.

"What are you boiling so much pork for, child?" Zhang Ruo asked her granddaughter, who tasked her with boiling two large pieces of pork.

"For delicious fried pork."

Once the pork was ready, the plump figure directed Zhang Ruo and Huan Qingqing to prick the pork skin all over with a sharp stick. Then, they blanched the pork and soaked it in vinegar for 1 ke (15 minutes).

"Why does it need to be dried too?" Huan Qingqing asked the chubby child beside her as they carried the pork out to sun-dry in a basket.

"To make the pork a bit dry. If it’s wet when we fry it, the oil will splatter and could cause injuries."

"I see. Xiaolin, you’re so smart."

"Hehe."

While waiting for the pork to dry, the plump child started shaping mud mixed with a little water into round balls, with the twins joining in out of boredom, and even their fluffy cow frolicked around, sometimes accidentally kicking Xiaolin’s mud creations.

"Xiao Zhong! Not again, you’ve kicked me mud balls several times now," the chubby figure scolded the chubby cow, hands on hips and a puffed-up, about-to-burst face.

"Don’t scold him. He just wants to play. I’ll help you shape it," Ching Long told his little sister.

"If Xiao Zhong wants to play, it should wait its turn. That’s not very nice."

When scolded by Xiaolin, Xiao Zhong moved away a bit then flopped down with its face buried in the backyard grass, looking sad.

Seeing this, Xiaolin sighed and went to hug the sulky cow, apologizing to it.

"Xiao Zhong, I’m sorry. Let me finish my work, and then I’ll play with you. Please stop being mad."

Pffft!

The sullen cow turned its head away, but its chubby owner apologized sweetly and promised to take it for a bath in the stream for a refreshing time since it hadn’t bathed in months.

"Right, Xiao Zhong, the most handsome and majestic creature on earth."

Xiao Zhong looked back at its young master’s chubby face before licking her face several times like a puppy would its owner. Xiaolin laughed and pushed the cow’s face away.

Moo~

"Stop licking, I’m all wet now. Xiao Zhong, wait here, I’ll take you to bathe."

Xiaolin hugged it tightly once more before getting up to continue with her clay work.

The round mud balls were stuffed with about twenty hot pepper seeds each. Then, she sprinkled loam on the round balls and watered them to moisten.

"Why not plant them directly in the soil?" Ching Lang asked, having never seen this method of planting before.

"Making mud balls like this lets us know which seeds germinate and which don’t. Once they sprout, we can then plant them in the soil without wasting space."

Ching Lang nodded in understanding, thinking he might try this method when he got home.

The trio, along with the plump cow, made their way to the stream behind the house. The weather had warmed up significantly, so it was fine to play in the water. Seeing the shallow water in the stream, Xiao Zhong hurriedly ran into it joyfully.

"Be careful, Xiao Zhong," Xiaolin cautioned the cow while bending down to take off her shoes.

The twins watched their little sister and the cow with wide eyes.

"Xiao Zhong, lie down quickly, I’ll bathe you."

Hearing her, Xiao Zhong lay down in the stream, where the water wasn’t even knee-deep, so it could lie down comfortably. The chubby child scrubbed and massaged Xiao Zhong’s long fur as if she was washing clothes.

"Are you bathing Xiao Zhong?" Ching Long asked excitedly.

"Yes, he hasn’t bathed in a long time," she replied while scrubbing non-stop.

"Use this too!" Ching Long exclaimed before running back to the house.

Xiaolin looked puzzled, wondering what he meant. She shook her head and turned back to continue bathing Xiao Zhong.

Ching Long looked at the chubby figure before taking off his shoes, rolling up his pants and shirt sleeves, and walking into the water to help bathe Xiao Zhong.

Soon after, Ching Long returned with a small piece of soap he had cut from his mother’s bar. After taking off his shoes and rolling up his clothes, he followed his brother and sister into the water. He used the small piece of soap on Xiao Zhong, creating a few bubbles but still managing to clean effectively.

"Is that soap?" Xiaolin asked.

"Yes, now tell Xiao Zhong to stand up, so it’ll be easier to scrub it clean."

"Xiao Zhong, stand up."

The plump cow stood up as commanded, and the three kids teamed up to scrub it as if it was a grimy cloth that had been stained for years. After a long scrub to get it squeaky clean, they all emerged from the water.

Xiaolin fetched some old rags stored in a chest to dry Xiao Zhong off. The pampered cow, treated like bovine royalty, stood proudly with its eyes closed as Ching Long comforted it by scratching its chin.

"I’ll leave Xiao Zhong’s drying to you then. I’ve got other things to do," she handed the cloth to Ching Lang before swiftly running off.

Ching Lang looked at the damp cloth in his hand and then up at the disappearing round figure into the house. Meanwhile, Xiaolin hurried to clean her hands and loudly called out for Zhang Ruo, startling her into coming out with a surprised look.

"What is it, child?"

"Hehe, I just want Grandma to help fry the pork."

"What am I gonna do with you? This child."

Zhang Ruo lit the fire and waited for the oil to heat up before frying the sun-dried pork, skin side down first. Xiaolin observed from a distance, cautious of the splattering oil. She had never made crispy pork before and only knew the basics, hoping it would turn out crispy for her.

The first piece of pork was fried until crispy golden before Xiaolin instructed her grandma to increase the heat and then ladle the hot oil over the pork skin until it started to puff up. The chubby child grinned widely, delighted with the success.

"Is it done like this?"

"Yes, you can do the same with the other piece. Lower the fire a bit, not too high. Once it’s cooked, increase the heat and ladle the hot oil over the pork skin."

Zhang Ruo nodded in agreement. She placed the large fried pork piece on a chopping board, slicing it where Xiaolin indicated, with the young girl directing from not too far. The chopping sound of the pork and its enticing aroma drew zombies of hunger from their bedrooms to peek at the kitchen door.

"Are you making something delicious again, Xiaolin?" Tianchen gazed at the beautifully fried pork with gleaming eyes.

"Uncle, you scared me! Come, try some," the little hand offered a piece of the chopped pork to be tasted.

Crunch, crunch.

The crispy sound and the juicy tenderness of the pork made the chubby child’s eyes widen in amazement, not to mention the aroma. It was a pity she forgot to marinate it with salt, so it tasted a bit bland, but she could always make a dipping sauce later.

"Delicious!"

"Let me try some!" Tianchen quickly reached in to grab a piece of pork, his eyes widening as he looked at his plump niece standing eagerly beside him.

"So good! Can you make more?"

"I’ve made two big pieces already."

"How can that be enough? There are so many people in our family."

"Uncle, you’re so greedy."

"Fine, I’ll admit it." Tianchen continued to enjoy the pork without care.

Seeing this, Xiaolin sent him to boil more pork. The plump child prepared a dipping sauce, this time without fermented fish because it was for everyone else. She still had some roasted rice left from yesterday, so she didn’t use it all up. She seasoned it with fish sauce, a little sugar, and finished with lime.

"Hmm Yummy I really want crispy pork with kale. It’s taking so long for the kale to grow, sigh."

The chubby child took another bite of pork with a wistful face. Zhang Ruo, seeing her like this, shook her head amusedly. The two uncles and nieces seemed to think only of eating until they were plump.

"Right! I can make water spinach too!"

The chubby child smiled widely, quickly grabbed a basket to gather water spinach until it was full and washed it cleanly. Upon returning to the kitchen, she saw Tianchen preparing a small stove to boil the pork skin.

"What did you gather the vegetables for?" The young man sitting on a log asked his niece.

"I will stir-fry it with crispy pork."

"Crispy pork, huh? Hmm, it is crispy indeed. Sounds nice, though."

"It’s going to be very nice, I’m stabbing my flag for it" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Why would you do that for? We don’t have a flag."

Hearing this, Xiaolin sighed deeply and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Tianchen looking after her, scratching his head in confusion.

The chubby child went out to the backyard to pick a bunch of wild onions and then came back. On the way, she happened to meet her father and asked him to clean a couple of the fat fish they had kept in a tank.

"Are you going to make a fish curry?"

"No, I’m going to make the most delicious dish in the entire region!"

"Is that so?" Tianchen looked amusingly as she lifted her arms up to the sky with a proud face.

"Yes, just gut them and slash them a bit, that’s all."

"Alright, I’ll do it for you."

Xiaolin scooped some water to wash the wild onions. After finishing, she stood chatting with her father for a while before heading back to the kitchen. Her uncle had finished boiling the pork, scored it, and was soaking it in vinegar. Xiaolin then asked him to wash the frying pan because she was going to fry the fish.

Her small hands took out two tamarind pots, peeled them, removed the seeds, and mashed them with water to make tamarind juice. She also pounded some chili and garlic because she was going to make a spicy fish dish!

"All ready, Xiaolin," Tianchen came in with the frying pan.

"Set up the stove, let it dry, and then add a lot of oil, please," although Tianchen didn’t understand, he did as his niece instructed.

They got three pigs yesterday, and Zhang Ruo had rendered some pork fat, so they had plenty of oil to fry the pork and fish to perfection. Preparing the ingredients while salivating, she divided the chili and garlic onto a plate of water spinach, followed by seasoning sauce made from oyster sauce, sugar, and soy sauce, ready to be stir-fried.

Once the oil was hot enough, Xiaolin had Tianchen fry the fish their father prepared earlier, one at a time. The two uncles jumped away from the splattering oil, and it took a sweat to finally get crispy golden fried fish.

Xiaolin instructed Tianchen to drain the oil, leaving only a little, to stir-fry the chili and garlic until fragrant. Then, add the tamarind water, season with a little sugar and fish sauce for a sweet, sour, and slightly spicy taste, and pour it over the two plump fishes laid on a tray. They were so big they had to use a tray instead of a plate, garnished finally with chopped wild onions.

After making the spicy fish sauce, the next dish was stir-fried water spinach with crispy pork. Xiaolin had already prepared the seasoning, just needing to stir-fry it until cooked and then add the crispy pork.

"Hehe, this is going to be delicious!"

-----

Read ‘Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en