"What are you looking at? Go boil some water," Lady Zhou told Lady Zhang, then instructed Lian Xiuxiu, "Call your second and third sisters-in-law, and also Yeye and Yaya over."

Children are always filled with enthusiasm and curiosity when it comes to making buns. Lian Manman had eaten buns in her previous life but her memory of making them was fuzzy. Now, she and Xiao Qi were both curiously perched on the edge of the kang, watching Old Master Lian knead the dough.

The dough for the buns mainly used millet flour, but if only millet flour was used, the dough would become too sticky, making the buns glue to one’s mouth. Therefore, a proper proportion of sorghum flour had to be added to the millet flour.

With the Lian Family being so large, they did not have enough millet and sorghum to use solely, so they had to add some sorghum flour. To make delicious buns with just the right stickiness, the proportion of each type of flour had to be controlled well. Old Master Lian was very experienced in this matter; he was the one to decide how much of each flour to use.

On top of the kang were two large pottery jars, used for mixing the dough. This was because the amount of dough needed was large, and the largest basin in the house could only mix about ten to fifteen jin of dough at a time, while the two jars could handle three hundred jin.

Old Master Lian, Lian Shouxin, Lian Shouyi, and Lian Shouli all took off their shoes and stood on the kang.

They poured the flour into the jars in the right ratio, while Lady Zhang and Lady Zhao brought over the boiled water. Old Master Lian had already taken off his cotton-padded jacket, wearing only his inner shirt, and had rolled up his sleeves high. First, he tested the water temperature with his hand and nodded in approval. Lian Shouyi, carrying the water basin, began to slowly pour the water into the jar. Meanwhile, Old Master Lian stirred the flour in the jar with a thick wooden stick. Next to the other jar, Lian Shouli was in charge of pouring the water while Lian Shouxin was in charge of stirring.

As Old Master Lian worked, he did not forget to remind Lian Shouxin beside him.

"Old Fourth, keep an eye out, don’t make the dough too thin," Old Master Lian said.

"Alright," Lian Shouxin replied loudly, continuously stirring.

When Lian Shouxin saw that enough water had been added, he told Lian Shouli to stop. By this time, the dough in the jars had started to clump together. Stirring a hundred or so jin of dough was very strenuous. Lian Shouxin had also taken off his cotton-padded jacket early on, rolling up his sleeves high like Old Master Lian. At this point, Lian Shouli also put down the water basin, took off his cotton-padded jacket, placed his hands on the wooden stick, and the two brothers joined forces to stir the dough. Lian Shouyi naturally did the same.

Kneading the dough was an absolute physical job, so it was the men of the house who were responsible for it.

When the dough was almost ready, they stopped stirring. Removing the wooden stick, they began to knead the dough with their hands. Old Master Lian and his three sons took turns kneading the dough. By the time they finished with both jars of dough, each of them had sweat on their foreheads, and the sweat in their necks had soaked through their shirt collars.

Lian Manman then pulled Xiao Qi over, carrying a basin of warm water. They soaked several towels in it and handed them first to Old Master Lian.

Old Master Lian took the towel and wiped his sweat, then chuckled as he patted Xiao Qi’s head, kindly praising Lian Manman and Xiao Qi for being both filial and sharp-witted.

The dough was done, but it couldn’t be used to make buns right away as it needed to ferment. Therefore, lids were put on the jars, and they were wrapped tightly with old quilts before being left on top of the kang to ferment naturally.

"Manman, Xiao Qi, come over and help pick the beans," Lian Xiuxiu called out from the kang.

While the men were responsible for kneading the dough, the women were in charge of sorting the beans. This involved placing a large Chinese basket on the kang, spreading out the soybeans, and removing impurities like grit, dirt, and shriveled beans so that only full, individual soybeans were left to be cooked into sweet bean paste.

A large basket took up half of the kang. Lady Zhou, Lian Xiuxiu, Lady Zhang, Lian Zhizhi, Lady He, Lian Yaya, Lady Zhao, and Lian Yeye each occupied one side. Every two people worked with two baskets, one holding the beans, the other collecting the discarded impurities.

Lian Manman and Xiao Qi squeezed in next to Lady Zhang, and also extended their hands to help pick the beans.

"Just knew you’d be buttering someone up." Lian Xiuxiu rolled her eyes at them.

Lian Manman and Xiao Qi both giggled. They weren’t about to get mad at Lian Xiuxiu—she was just jealous of the two of them.

Sure enough, the more they laughed, the more Lian Xiuxiu got angry, and then they laughed even more.

"Behave yourselves," Lady Zhang scolded Lian Manman and Xiao Qi with a glance, her voice low, "or else, I’ll send you both back to your rooms."

Although picking beans was work, Lian Manman and Xiao Qi didn’t find it tiring or dull; they just thought it was fun. So when Lady Zhang said that, they both pursed their lips and dared not laugh anymore.

"Mom, my hand hurts," Lian Xiuxiu suddenly said.

Lian Manman looked up and glanced around. Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi, along with Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye, had already picked full baskets of beans, while Lady He and Lian Yaya, along with Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu, had about half a basket each.

"You can take a break over there," Lady Zhou told Lian Xiuxiu.

Lian Xiuxiu backed away from the large basket and leaned against Lady Zhou, flashing a triumphant smile at Lian Manman and the others.

"Manman, don’t crowd your mother. Go on, pick through your second aunt’s beans again," Lady Zhou suddenly told Lian Manman.

What did that mean? Lian Manman blinked, a bit puzzled.

"Go on," Lady Zhang gave Lian Manman a knowing look. Lady He was careless with her work and lacked a sense of responsibility. Lady Zhang also feared that the beans she picked weren’t clean, which could spoil a pot of bean paste. She was a cheerful person, and since she had agreed to make buns together, she wouldn’t nitpick. Besides, she always believed that extra work wouldn’t kill anyone, and she disdained those who were lazy and slippery.

Before Lian Manman could reply, Lady He had already thrown the half-picked beans back into the basket.

"Mom, I’ve picked once, and now Manman has to pick again, or should I just stop picking?" Lady He said with a grin, "Mom, my hand hurts too."

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First Chapter is up; I’ll strive for a second update tonight. Seeking some pink encouragement. a.

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Ruoyan’s completed farming novel recommendation:

Title: "Rebirth: When Flowers Bloom and the Moon is Full" (Main story plus extras completed) (Direct link below, click to go straight there)

Synopsis: Transported to the life of a falsely accused and abandoned wife, carrying a little bun, she embarks on a sweet life with a cost-effective man. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)