225 They Always Supported Her
The villagers lived on grain crops. After so much hard work, they would only have enough grain to eat for a year when the autumn harvest ended. Then they would sell the rest of their grain to save just enough for a year.
Now, they could sell more eggs to earn money, but those without skills would have no other source of income. Moreover, no one dared to get sick because the cost of medicinal herbs was too high. One would use the local treatment method for a cold or a fever.
Su Binglan hoped to make the villagers wealthy, too, since it would have a positive effect. For example, since her uncle’s salted and preserved eggs sold well, he would buy more from the villagers, and they would earn some money.
Su Binglan said thoughtfully, “You won’t have to worry about being unable to sell them, Uncle Fengchen. Your egg dishes are selling well, so you can buy more supplies from the villagers. Leave the selling to me.
“Your egg dishes will remain popular even if we sell them in other towns. These things are easy to sell since the market is massive.” Su Binglan always had a way of selling these things.
Su Fengchen excitedly nodded. “Okay, I understand.”
He wanted to say thank you but was afraid of being too polite. He felt his life had a purpose and was meaningful now, especially when he bought eggs from the villagers.
None of the villagers initially believed it, but everyone was grateful to Su Fengchen when they discovered what he had done for them. He also knew life was not easy for most households.
He was inadvertently helping himself and the villagers. Su Fengchen was thrilled that everyone else was happy because he enjoyed doing such meaningful things.
Since that was the case, he could overcome the negative emotions in his heart, no longer feeling depressed and self-abased. He discovered that he had more to look forward to in his life and could still do many things.
Then Su Binglan talked about the grilled chicken and roast duck. When she talked about them, Old Madam Su could not help herself. After all, she had eaten many delicious foods recently.
She asked, “Why don’t we slaughter a duck and a chicken tonight, Binglan? Then we can make the grilled chicken and roast duck you mentioned. We won’t remember how to make them if you just tell us. It’d be better if we learned while doing it.”
Su Binglan understood her grandmother’s reasoning. However, she could not argue if she were to ask her grandmother and uncle to slaughter a chicken and duck as test subjects.
She only visited them to buy eggs from Su Fengchen so she could make mooncakes. Still, she did not expect Old Madam Su to be so straightforward. She noticed her grandmother’s excited expression and smiled.
Su Fengchen also hurriedly added, “I’ll slaughter a chicken and a duck right away!” He had already bolted out of the house before his niece could say anything.
Old Madam Su said, chuckling, “Binglan always has many ways of cooking delicious food.”
Since Su Binglan had developed so many delicious foods, Old Madam Su felt she had benefited from it. Otherwise, an older lady like her from the countryside could not taste so many delicacies.
Old Master Su felt energized. “I’ll go help Fengchen.”
Shen Qiuhua interjected, “You should rest, Father-in-law. I’ll go help instead.”
Old Madam Su gently pulled Shen Qiuhua, saying, “Stay here and chat with Binglan and me. Let the men do their work.”
Su Binglan continued, “Grandma, we can eat the roast duck we make by tearing the meat apart by hand. It’s fragrant and convenient to eat. We can even dip the meat in various sauces. Still, we need a lot of oil to make a roast duck.”
Old Madam Su already knew that. She said, “Don’t worry about that, Binglan. We know the food you make will be delicious. Besides, we can make up for how much oil you use.”
Su Binglan was willing to visit her grandparents because they were open-minded and not old-fashioned feudal people. Her grandparents always supported her, no matter what she did or said.
Only then did Su Binglan feel at ease doing anything. Otherwise, she would have concerns about telling her grandparents about certain things. It felt good to be supported by family members.
After a while, Old Master Su and his son brought the chicken and duck into the yard, and Su Fengchen humanely slaughtered them. He used a bucket to hold the blood so it would not stain the floor.
He even held the chicken by its legs to control its blood flow better. Meanwhile, Old Master Su held the duck by its legs to do the same thing. After draining the chicken and duck of their blood, the father and son could pluck the feathers and clean them.
The chicken in Su Fengchen’s hands struggled initially but stopped soon after. He looked at his niece and said, “Binglan, should we put away the duck and chicken feathers?”
“Yes, Uncle Fengchen.” Su Binglan had already arrived in the courtyard at that moment. She looked at two buckets and said, “Grandpa, are these clean?”
Old Master Su said, “Yes, they are. I just used them this morning. Your grandmother typically uses them to wash vegetables.”
Su Fengchen quickly reacted. He looked at the two buckets and asked, “Binglan, do you want to use the chicken blood and duck blood for cooking?”
No one used blood for cooking in the past. Everyone would just dispose of it, but Su Fengchen remembered his niece keeping the blood whenever she slaughtered chickens.
Moreover, his second sister-in-law once came to deliver something and mentioned keeping the pig’s blood after slaughtering it. She said she could use the pig’s blood for cooking and eating.
Su Binglan replied, “Yes, duck blood is fantastic. We can use it to make duck blood soup. It’s delicious and nutritious.”
She walked over and squatted in front of the buckets to check the blood. She knew there would be plenty of chicken and duck blood if they kept slaughtering them.
She also knew the family could not finish it all by themselves. However, they could make duck blood vermicelli soup and sell it as a dish.
For that, the family needed sweet potatoes, which she had planted in her pocket dimension. She had many piled up in a warehouse after harvesting them.
She had yet to use them, so she thought of making duck blood vermicelli soup. Although, the family had many things going on and could not handle another business idea.
Moreover, Su Fengchen had not recovered yet, making it inconvenient for him to sell things in town. Su Binglan knew she had to think carefully about this later, but no one knew what she was thinking at that moment.
Su Fengchen heard his niece’s words. He said smilingly, “I know your duck blood soup will be delicious, Binglan.”
Su Binglan said, “I’ll teach you how to make it tonight, Uncle Fengchen. Then you can make it frequently to replenish and nourish your body.”
“Okay.”
When Old Master Su and his son finished prepping the duck and chicken, Su Binglan began teaching Su Fengchen how to make grilled chicken and roast duck.
Meanwhile, Old Master Su and his wife listened attentively on the sidelines. Old Madam Su said, “Now we can help Fengchen cook something daily if we have nothing to do.”
Su Binglan nodded.
First, she prepared the seasoning and explained in detail what she put in it. Then, as she removed the chicken’s internal organs, she said, “After draining the chicken’s blood and plucking its feathers, you must remove the chicken’s innards. Then you must wash them with clean water, insert a knife here, and…”
