Sky Curtain: My Happy Daily Life Exposed by Xiao Sizi

Chapter 60: Grandma's Wild Vegetable Tofu!

"Great! Seven cans! The canned food is so pretty!" Little Si jumped up happily.

"You two little rascals are quite resourceful, knowing to use your New Year's money to buy canned food!" Third Grandma stopped scolding and chuckled.

"Third Grandma, what is New Year's money?" Little Si asked, tilting his head up.

"Oh, wait a minute, Third Grandma will show you." Third Grandma slapped her forehead and went into the house.

"Third Aunt, where are you going?" Mom asked as she watched Third Grandma put down the millstone and leave.

"I'm going back to my room to get something," the old lady said without turning her head.

"My third aunt went to get the red envelope," Lu Chen said with a smile.

"Your third grandmother has spent money again." Mom frowned.

"Mom, Grandma is happy, why are you stopping her?" Lu Chen said smugly.

Under the sky.

People started discussing, "Wow! Kids get lucky money now!"

"The little princess didn't receive any New Year's money!"

"The little princess is going to receive New Year's money!"

Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun started smiling again.

On the sky.

In the room.

"There's still one red envelope left. This child is so pitiful, he's never even seen his New Year's money." Third Grandma went back into the room and opened a drawer.

"Here, Sizi, this is a red envelope from your third grandmother. This is your New Year's money." The third grandmother took out an exquisite little red envelope.

"Hmm? This is the New Year's money? Thank you, Third Grandma." Little Sizi took the gold-embossed red envelope with gold flowers printed on it, her little face beaming.

"Third Aunt, why are you taking this so seriously? This isn't a day for giving red envelopes, is it?" Mom said with a smile and a reproachful tone.

"This child has never received a red envelope in his life, how pitiful! Now that he's in our family, he has to receive one! You parents can't stop him!" Third Grandma said aggressively.

As she spoke, Third Grandma posted a picture of Xiao Sizi receiving the red envelope to the family group chat, along with a voice message: "Everyone, look! This is a red envelope I gave to Xiao Sizi. You grandparents, uncles, and brothers in this group, you decide what to do. I'm letting you know in advance."

The mother and Lu Chen were once again at a loss. The situation escalated once more.

"Grandma, Grandma! Open the can for us!" Lu Ping shouted.

"Alright, alright, come inside with Grandma. Sizi, come too." Third Grandma put the red envelope into Sizi's pocket.

"Alright, alright. Time to eat canned food!" The three little ones scurried back into the house.

Inside the hall, three little ones were lying on the table waiting to eat canned food.

Grandma San took out three small iron bowls, each with a small spoon stuck in it.

Grandma opened a jar of peaches and divided it into three small bowls. The bright orange peaches immediately attracted the three little ones.

Glug glug!

The three little ones picked up their bowls like calves and drank the canned water.

"Wow! It's so sweet!"

"Zhengxi is so delicious!" Xiao Sizi squinted her eyes.

"The canned food is ready! It's so juicy and sweet!"

"tasty!"

"Good peach!"

Clink, clink! The spoons and bowls clatter.

The three children ate with great relish.

After finishing one bottle, he ate another.

Mom and Lu Chen have finished grinding the soybeans and are now washing the grinder.

"Lu Chen, take this brush, basin, and bucket to your third grandmother's house. Then, get on her tricycle and we'll take Xiao Sizi to your maternal grandmother's house," Mom instructed after packing the things.

"Yes." Lu Chen carried the buckets and other items into the hall of Third Grandma's house.

"Brother! I'm at Seven Cans!" Little Sizi grinned.

"Brother, come and have some canned food! There's still more than half a can left!"

"Yes, Brother Chen, we can't eat anymore."

"Lu Chen, here, these are all for you. The three little ones can't eat anymore, their tummy is full." Grandma San handed all the bottles to Lu Chen.

"Perfect timing, I'm thirsty. Thank you, Grandma, and thank you, the three little ones!" Lu Chen happily picked up the can of food.

"Lu Chen's mother, come and rest for a while, come in and have a cup of tea." Third Grandma went out to greet her mother, and together with her family, they carried in a bucket of soy milk.

Grandma San had already brewed red date and goji berry tea, and Mom and her husband sat in the living room drinking it.

"Chenchen's mother, tell me, how could we have imagined that life would turn out like this a few years ago? When you first got married, our families were farming every day!" Third Grandma said leisurely.

"Yes. Now everyone in the village doesn't need to farm anymore. Only a few people work on the contracted fields. Aren't they just workers?" Mom said happily.

"Yes, now that we old folks are retired, we don't even have enough money left over from our annual land lease payments, so exercising is our priority!"

"Yes! Now we can eat whatever we want, unlike before when we could only afford to buy a few pounds of meat during the Lunar New Year."

My mother and third grandmother are reminiscing about the past hardships and appreciating the present happiness.

Under the sky.

The people of Wanchao were all stunned.

"What? Modern people are so lucky?"

"You don't have to do anything?"

"Does the land naturally sustain people?"

"What's going on?"

"Have all the people received land?"

The emperors of each dynasty were also uneasy.

Li Shimin frowned and said in a low voice to Empress Zhangsun, "I have observed that in Lu Family Village, the people do not need to cultivate the land themselves. They can enjoy a life of abundance simply by leasing the land to others. Even an old woman like Third Madam can drink tea and exercise every day. The days when she could only afford to buy meat during the New Year are long gone. I have never heard of such a sight before."

Empress Zhangsun exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, those New Year's money and canned food items seem like ordinary things for children to hear about. Yet, the way he eats the canned food is as if it were a delicacy. Could it be that in later generations, everyone will enjoy such a blessing?"

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, slammed his fist on the table in court: "What is the meaning of those words about 'contracted land' and 'workers'? Does this mean that in future generations, land will not belong to the imperial court, but will be managed by the people themselves? If so, where will the imperial court's taxes come from? How will the army be fed?"

Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, observed coldly and said in a deep voice: "If everyone can eat without farming and wear clothes without weaving, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"

Yet the scene depicted in the sky clearly conveyed an atmosphere of abundance and peace. Could it be that the laws of later generations are far superior to those of our Great Qin?

Beside him, Li Si bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the 'modern era' mentioned in the heavens may already be a thousand years in the future. The farming methods and governance of that time are beyond our comprehension. Yet, the people live in peace and prosperity, and the emperor does not disturb their livelihoods; this is indeed a sign of a golden age."

After a long silence, Qin Shi Huang sighed, "If that is truly the case, then my empire, which has lasted for ten thousand generations, has also come to nothing."

Emperors of other dynasties also harbored their own thoughts; some were envious, some were worried, and some were confused.

The people murmured among themselves, "If we could live like Third Grandma, our lives would be complete!"

Under the sky, a clamor erupted, lasting for a long time.

Lu Chen gulped down the rest of the can of food, juice and all, in a few mouthfuls, wiped his mouth and said, "So sweet! Third Grandma, we're getting ready to go to Grandma's house."

"Alright, ride slowly on the road and keep an eye on the rhinoceros," Grandma San instructed, wiping the sugar stains from the corners of the three little ones' mouths.

Mom finished her tea and stood up, saying, "Third Aunt, we're leaving now. Ping'er, Ningning, listen to Grandma, don't run around."

"Got it!" Lu Ping and Lu Ning replied in unison.

Upon hearing that they were going to Grandma's house, Little Sizi excitedly jumped off the small stool: "Going to Grandma's house! Going to Grandma's house! Isn't Little Tofu Seven there?"

"That's right, Sizi is so smart! Grandma's making wild vegetable tofu today!" Mom smiled and took Sizi's hand.

Lu Chen had already pushed the tricycle out of the yard, patted the back seat, and said, "Get on, little princess, and Mom too, let's go!"

Lu Chen lifted Xiao Sizi into the back of the truck and sat her down, and her mother also got in.

Lu Chen stepped into the driver's seat, turned the key, and the electric tricycle emitted a slight hum.

"Hold on tight, let's go!" Lu Chen twisted the handlebars, and the tricycle smoothly drove out of Grandma San's courtyard, heading towards Grandma's house along the newly built cement road in the village.

A gentle breeze brushed against Xiao Sizi's cheeks. Neat houses lined both sides of the road, with occasional small vegetable gardens and flower beds. In the distance stretched vast fields contracted to her father's agricultural company, where lush green wheat seedlings thrived under the sunlight.

Under the sky.

The people watched the tricycle move swiftly along the smooth, mirror-like road and exclaimed in amazement once again, "That little iron cart runs so smoothly! No need for oxen or horses!"

"Why is that road so smooth and shiny? Is it paved with flagstones?"

"Look at that field! It's so neat and orderly! It must be fertile soil!"

The emperors and generals, on the other hand, were more concerned with the vast fertile fields that seemed to require no cultivation from each household, and the sight of almost no emaciated pedestrians on the road, and felt a mix of emotions.

Before long, the tricycle arrived at Grandma's house.

Grandma was already waiting at the gate. When she saw the car arrive, she beamed from ear to ear: "Oh my, my little darling is here! Let Grandma hold you!"

As soon as Xiao Sizi got out of the car, she jumped into her grandmother's arms: "Grandma! My little wild vegetable and tofu is here!"

"Okay, okay, Grandma will make it for you right away!" Grandma affectionately rubbed Xiao Sizi's cheek.

In the courtyard, large basins are filled with fresh, green seasonal wild vegetables such as shepherd's purse and bitter lettuce.

Lu Chen picked up the bucket of freshly ground soy milk, which exuded a refreshing soy aroma.

Grandpa was tending the fire in the kitchen, and steam was rising from the large pot.

"Mom, the soy milk is ready, and the wild vegetables are washed. We're just waiting for you, the master chef, to get started." Mom smiled and rolled up her sleeves, ready to help.

"Okay, let's get started!" Grandma put down the little ox and neatly tied on her apron.

Grandma took out some of the soaked wild vegetables and chopped them finely on the cutting board.

My mother slowly poured the ground soy milk into a pot of boiling water, stirring gently with a spoon as she poured.

As the temperature rises, the soy milk begins to coagulate into flocculent soy curds.

Soon, the pot will be boiling. The milky white soy milk will swirl and form large clumps of tofu, which will quickly surge into huge waves!

"Quick! Spread the vegetables! It's overflowing!" Grandpa shouted.

"They're here!"

Grandma quickly gathered up the chopped wild vegetables and sprinkled them evenly into the pot.

The vibrant green wild vegetables instantly blended together with the milky white tofu.

"Add a little bit of salt," Grandma instructed, and Mom did as she was told, sprinkling in a few grains of salt.

Grandma took the spoon and began to use a specific technique to "press" the mixture, allowing the tofu, wild vegetables, and water to blend further, so that it wouldn't break apart but would solidify without disintegrating.

A unique aroma, a blend of the fragrance of beans and the fresh scent of wild vegetables, filled the air.

Little Sizi clung to the stove, his big eyes fixed on the pot: "It smells so good! So pretty! White and green!"

Under the sky.

The ancients stared at it intently, asking, "What is this? Bean soup with wild vegetables?"

"Unheard of! Beans and wild vegetables can be cooked together like this?"

"Look how much the little princess is drooling; it must be delicious!"

"The method seems simple, but I wonder how it tastes?"

Which tastes better, the baby bok choy tofu dish I made last time or this one?

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Before long, Grandma felt it was ready. She scooped up a little with a spoon, and the wild vegetables and tofu had perfectly combined into a paste-like food that still had a grainy texture. It was green and white, steaming hot.

"It's done!" Grandma turned off the stove.

Grandpa took out several large, rough porcelain bowls. Grandma filled one bowl to the brim, let it cool slightly, and then handed it to the eager little Sizi: "Here, little darling, try Grandma's wild vegetable tofu. Be careful, it's hot."

Little Sizi eagerly took the bowl, scooped up a spoonful with a small spoon, puffed out his cheeks, blew on it, and carefully put it into his mouth.

"Mmm!" Little Sizi's eyes instantly lit up like stars. Her little mouth chewed rapidly, and she loudly proclaimed, her words muffled, "Wow! The beans are so fragrant! The vegetables are so sweet! It's even better than canned food!"

Her little face was filled with pure happiness as she scooped up another big spoonful and ate it with great relish.

Lu Chen and his mother each served themselves a bowl.

Mom took a bite and sighed contentedly, "Mmm, it tastes just like it used to, the taste of spring. Wild vegetables are so much better than baby bok choy! They have such a chewy texture!"

Lu Chen slurped down her food quickly, exclaiming, "Grandma's cooking is amazing!"

Grandma and Grandpa beamed with joy as they watched the children eat happily.

"Alright, turn off the fire. I'll make a few more side dishes. Old Li, add more firewood to the big pot for steaming rice." Grandma got up.

"Mom, let me help you."

"Grandpa, I'll get you some firewood."

Lu Chen and his mother both stood up.

"Grandpa, let me help you start the fire~~" Little Sizi squatted down and helped the old man start the fire.

"Grandpa, here you go." The little guy picked up a wood-chopping stick and handed it to his grandpa.

"Hmm! Our little Sizi is so good." Grandpa smiled and took the stick, putting it into the stove.

"I'm so excited!" The little guy was overjoyed.

"Yes, the firewood our Sizi brings burns really well," Grandpa praised.

"Hehehe..." The little guy's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

"Mom, what vegetables are you steaming in the pot?" Mom asked while chopping radishes.

"They're all delicious. There's braised pork knuckle, cabbage rolls, stuffed eggplant, braised pork belly, bighead carp..." Grandma rattled off the dishes with great familiarity.

"These are all my favorite foods!" Mom beamed.

"I prepared this especially for Xiao Sizi. It's delicious, not greasy, and easy to chew. Although she's not my biological child, if you raise her well, she'll be just like your own. My daughter, so thoughtful!" Grandma said meaningfully. "Mom, I know all this. We're family. We wouldn't go against our conscience! We're good to other people's children, let alone our own!" Mom sighed sincerely.

"Mom, are we going to stew this radish with beef?" Mom asked.

"Yes. I've already stewed the beef. We also need to make some sweet and sour meatballs, two stir-fried vegetables, and a salad."

"Mom, you've done so much, you've worked so hard." Mom felt bad about it.

"It's not hard work. Your dad helps me, and he has both an electric cooker and a gas stove, so it's very convenient!"

, 7

Grandma remained calm and composed.

"Mother, Sizi wants to eat something delicious again!"

"Li Tai is so jealous."