Chapter 10: Organizing Ingredients for Dinner

After washing and drying the bamboo baskets, Wen Nuan Nuan carried them all into the kitchen. She arranged them neatly on the floor, already planning in her mind how to store everything.

The large-holed bamboo baskets would be used to store eggs, salted eggs, century eggs, sweet potatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, and the like.

The solid round bamboo basket would be used to store rice. It was large enough that any leftover rice from each day could continue to be stored inside.

Another identical basket would have a cloth bag made from cotton fabric placed inside. Each day, the white flour from the refrigerator box could be poured into it, and the bag’s opening simply tied shut.

Smaller baskets would be used separately for mung beans, red beans, millet, tea leaves, goji berry and ginseng slices, and so on.

Cured meat, sausages, and salted fish would be hung in the courtyard to air-dry. Once completely dried, they could be brought into the kitchen and hung up.

Snacks and desserts would be kept in her room.

By late August, the weather had already turned somewhat chilly, especially in the mornings and evenings, where the cold was increasingly felt. The temperature difference between the north and south was significant. Now that she was in the north, she needed to prepare for winter.

The ready-to-eat foods she had previously made—such as steamed buns, dumplings, and shaomai—would be taken and eaten on the same day. That should be enough for the four of them for now, so there was no immediate need for long-term storage items like flour, noodles, rice, and coarse grains.

Once Leng Xiao returned, given his large appetite, they would likely need to use some of these supplies.

Moreover, having been born in the south, she was accustomed to eating steaming hot white rice. Going without it for too long simply wouldn’t do.

The flat, wide drying trays were perfect for holding fresh vegetables and fruits that had been washed and drained. The produce she had stored in the refrigerator was the freshest and most tender, and arranging it on the drying trays would prevent crushing while keeping everything clearly visible.

Fresh meat, tofu, dried tofu, golden crispy meatballs, lotus root balls, radish balls, as well as steamed buns, dumplings, and shaomai, would each be placed on household bamboo trays. This way, they could be easily taken as needed on the day they were to be eaten.

Rice cakes and glutinous rice cakes needed to be soaked in water inside wooden barrels.

Now, only the seasonings and canned goods lacked proper storage containers.

Hmm, she could ask Second Brother to make some wooden bowls to hold chili sauce, chopped chili sauce, soybean paste, and the like. Especially salt—throughout history, it had always been controlled by the court and was extremely precious. She had only stored a small bottle in the refrigerator, so it couldn’t be wasted.

Then, some wooden cups could be made to hold rapeseed oil, prepared scallion oil, osmanthus sugar, and green plum wine.

They could replace these with porcelain cups once they bought some in the city later. For now, these makeshift containers would suffice.

It would be best to also make a sturdy storage shelf to keep everything neatly organized without taking up too much kitchen space, while also making items easy to access.

Wen Nuan Nuan knew her refrigerator could automatically replenish daily, but one must always be prepared for adversity. There might come a day when the refrigerator suddenly malfunctioned or when a large amount of food was urgently needed. The accumulated supplies would then come in handy.

Although she hoped that day would never come, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Those who had experienced the period when they couldn’t leave their homes understood just how important having ample food was.

It was also because of that time that many people’s mindsets changed. They grew grateful to parents who loved stockpiling food at home and came to understand the importance of building high walls and storing abundant grain.

The sense of security that came from having sufficient food was something nothing else could provide.

Wen Nuan Nuan felt that in her past life, she might have been a little hamster—always fond of hoarding things.

“Sister-in-law.”

Hearing a call from the courtyard, Wen Nuan Nuan went out to look and saw that Leng Chen and Leng Yun had returned carrying a thick piece of wood.

“We knew sister-in-law didn’t need the bamboo basket anymore, so we went to find second brother and brought back boxwood. Sister-in-law said you still needed wooden bowls and a wooden basin, right? How big should they be? I’ll make them.” Leng Chen’s clear voice explained every detail.

Wen Nuan Nuan now realized the importance of having the right teammates!

They were so efficient!

There was no need for her to give further instructions—they had already anticipated the follow-up issues.

Quick, steady, and precise.

“I need a few wooden bowls for seasonings and a few wooden basins for dishes, about the size of soup bowls. How many can you make this afternoon? Also, wooden cups, but those aren’t urgent—they can be made tomorrow.”

“Three wooden bowls and two wooden basins can be finished before dinner. After dinner, I can make five or six wooden cups.” Leng Chen estimated the time and gave a conservative number.

“Wow, that fast? Second brother is amazing!” Wen Nuan Nuan hadn’t expected him to finish everything in one afternoon and praised him delightedly.

Leng Chen scratched his head sheepishly. It was the first time he had been praised so earnestly, making him feel that even his seemingly worthless skill made him a useful person.

“Oh, I also want a storage rack.”

Wen Nuan Nuan carefully explained the dimensions and shape to Leng Chen. After receiving his assurance that it was no problem, she smiled warmly and said, “There’s tea cooling on the table in the main hall, along with pastries and candies. You two can have some when you take a break. I’ll go to the kitchen to organize the ingredients.”

Leng Yun, after all, was still a child at heart and naturally lively. After thanking Wen Nuan Nuan, he immediately bounded toward the main hall in three leaps.

As the older brother, Leng Chen, though the same age as Leng Yun as twins, was noticeably more steady, introverted, and shy. He silently sat back on the low stool and began making the wooden bowls.

Wen Nuan Nuan turned and entered the kitchen. She needed to organize the ingredients and pick out what to prepare for dinner.

They had stewed chicken and spare ribs for lunch. For dinner, she would reheat the Braised Pork with Small Abalone and Red-Braised Pork Trotters. She had made only a small amount of Lotus Root Balls and Radish Balls, so she would steam them together on one plate.

There were five Korean soy sauce eggs she had made earlier, which she would also serve.

She would stir-fry some bean sprouts and make a cold cucumber salad.

For the main course, she would heat four Steamed Buns.

All set.

So simple and delicious.

Wen Nuan Nuan was very satisfied.

When dinner was served, the three brothers were so happy they nearly cheered.

“Sister-in-law, won’t eating like this cost too much money?” Leng Chen asked uneasily.

As soon as he finished speaking, Leng Yun’s round eyes also looked over, his cheerful expression dimming with a hint of unease.

They were afraid of not knowing where their next meal would come from. Wen Nuan Nuan thought of the brothers’ sudden misfortunes and their turbulent upbringing, which helped her understand this deep-seated anxiety and worry.

“Sister-in-law has carefully calculated the expenses. For this dinner, only the pork is a bit expensive. The pork belly costs thirty-five wen per jin, and the thing cooked with it is similar to river mussel meat—your second brother caught it in the river and has been keeping it in a bucket in the kitchen, so it’s free. The pig’s trotters don’t have much meat—thirty wen for two, and the vegetables aren’t worth much either.” Wen Nuan Nuan spoke seriously, though she was making it all up.

After all, weren’t two nine-year-old children easy to fool?

They were already poor and didn’t even have a single copper coin to their names. What concept of money could they have?

Leng Tian looked at Wen Nuan Nuan with admiration as she explained without blushing or her heart racing. No wonder sister-in-law had asked him about pork prices at noon.

But sister-in-law had only asked about the price of pork.

How did she even know the price of pig’s trotters?

Moreover, the side dishes in the Braised Pork, according to his sister-in-law, were similar to river mussel meat, but when he ate them, he felt they were clearly very different. He had never found such river mussels in the rivers around their area.

Indeed, fairies and mortals were different—they could lie without any pressure at all.