Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 873 - 445 Frost Flower_2

There is another type of root cellar which, after being excavated, requires bricks, stones, wood, and other materials to stack and support its structure, similar to building a house. This kind of root cellar is generally quite deep and larger, able to store many items. The storage duration and preservation effects far surpass those of the simpler root cellars. Moreover, this is a permanent construction, enduring through spring, summer, autumn, and winter for year-round use. The entrance to the root cellar is designed with more convenient and stable steps.

The Lian Manman family built just this kind of root cellar. This root cellar was divided into two parts: one for storing vegetables and fruits, and the other for storing wine. Thus, one could say there was a vegetable cellar and a wine cellar.

Such a root cellar can be used throughout the year for the preservation of foods and other items.

When they first stored vegetables and wine inside, Lian Manman and Xiao Qi enjoyed playing in there, but now that it’s gotten cold, Lian Manman is too lazy to go.

For dinner, Lady Zhang indeed made shrimp and winter melon stew, which was very fresh, and Lian Manman ate an entire bowl of rice.

After dinner, the family sat together and discussed preparing to make steamed buns.

Once winter comes, every household starts making steamed buns. This year, the Lian Manman family was busy and had fallen behind.

"How many pounds of steamed buns should we make this year?" Lian Shouxin asked Lady Zhang.

"Do you all like eating steamed buns?" Lady Zhang asked the kids. Now that living conditions had improved, steamed buns had become a choice rather than a necessity.

"I like them," Xiao Qi replied.

"Is there anything you don’t like to eat?" Lian Manman teased as she pinched Xiao Qi’s face. Xiao Qi had grown taller, and though he had put on some weight, it wasn’t very noticeable since he remained chubby, and thus he was still a delight to touch. Lian Manman’s affection for him was almost comparable to the warmth and fluffiness of Da Hua’s tummy fur.

"There are six of us in the family, let me think... let’s make a hundred pounds of flour this year," Lady Zhang said. "This year we’ll just use yellow millet flour without adding milo flour. Prepare more red beans, and we’ll make them with thin skin and a generous filling."

In Thirty Mile Camp, an average family could eat steamed buns for three to four months, twice or even three meals a day, particularly for breakfast, which almost every household did.

This is because steamed buns only need a quick fry, and a pot of soup can be cooked on the stove at the same time, requiring little fire and a short amount of time to have a complete breakfast ready.

"Okay," the kids echoed in unison. The sweet, soft, and appropriately sticky red bean filling, wrapped with thin and fragrant skins, was a favorite among the children.

The next day, Lian Shouxin drove to the mill to grind yellow millet flour, while Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, and Lian Zhizhi sifted red beans at home.

Early the next morning, Lian Shouxin mixed the yellow millet flour in a large vat and left it to rise on the kang bed stove. By evening, Lady Zhang invited Lian Shouli, Lady Zhao, and Lian Yeye over, and also called two capable and tidy daughters-in-law from the village. After an early dinner, Lady Zhang started cooking the bean paste.

While waiting for the bean paste to soften, everyone prepared the steaming racks and cut corn husks. During the autumn harvest, Lian Manman had selected the inner white layers of good corn husks, dried them, and stored them away. Now they were taken out and cut into appropriately sized pieces, rinsed in warm water, and soaked until soft.

This tender corn husk would later be used to prevent the buns from sticking to the racks.

Like with the perilla leaves and large tree leaves given by Lady Li, these tender corn husks also had their own unique fragrance.

Once the bean paste was ready, and the millet flour had risen enough to lift the lid off the vat, the family set up two tables on the kang bed, and everyone sat down to start making steamed buns.

Wu Lang and Xiao Qi didn’t just stand by watching; they came to help. Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli were still in charge of tending the fire. Mr. Loo, being from the south, had never seen steamed buns being made and was quite curious. He watched and even tried to make one, but without success, he gave up and went back to his study to read.

With just a hundred pounds of steamed buns to make and the help of two efficient daughters-in-law, by midnight, the buns were all wrapped, cooked, and laid out in the yard to freeze before being stored in the vat.

After cleaning up, Lady Zhang cooked a dish of green bean pods with shredded meat, scrambled eggs with garlic sprouts, in addition to reheating a pot of white meat with pickled vegetables and a pot of stew with potatoes and vermicelli. A steaming stack of fresh buns was also brought out. They invited Lian Shouli’s family and the two daughters-in-law to eat, and then everyone went their separate ways back home.

The next day, it was the Lian Yeye Household’s turn to make steamed buns. With just three people in the family, they only made fifty pounds and asked Lady Zhang, Lian Zhizhi, and Lian Manman to help, and also treated them to a meal.

It had snowed twice in winter and, entering the twelfth lunar month, the weather grew even colder. The Lian Manman family began planning early to procure New Year goods.

"Let’s think about what we want," Lian Manman said. This year, they had a good income and naturally planned to celebrate a prosperous New Year. "Food, clothing, necessities—anything you want, just mention it."

"We don’t need to buy meat this year; I’ve already discussed it with Old Zhang. In a few days, we’ll be slaughtering our New Year pig," Lian Shouxin said.

"We don’t need to buy chickens and ducks either; the ones we’ve raised ourselves can’t even be finished in a year," Lady Zhang said.

"What about beef and lamb?" Lian Manman asked. Beef and lamb were rare in Thirty Mile Camp, and purchasing them would be somewhat troublesome.

The family was in the midst of their discussions when Lady Wu Wang arrived in a cart.

"A letter from Taicang, sent by the Old Lu Family. I happened to be free, so I delivered it for you," she said.

***...****

Here’s the second update, asking for pink hearts.

Today is the 6th, and the double pink heart event ends tomorrow. For those who have monthly tickets and pink hearts, don’t waste them—throw them to the Little Landlord.

Striving for a third update tonight. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)