nashuaworldcup Chapter 286 Aunt Li Falls into the Water
Chapter 286 Aunt Li Falls into the Water
"Sister, can we eat this crayfish now?"
Xiao Nanqing held up a crayfish he had caught and asked Shen Nian expectantly. The other people also looked at Shen Nian expectantly.
Shen Nian looked at the anticipation in their eyes and nodded. Seeing everyone excitedly immersing themselves in the river again, she silently swallowed back her words, "It's just that there's not much meat."
Aunt Li was carrying a bundle of firewood as she passed by the bridge. She saw Shen Nian, who was groping in the river, and she couldn't help but walk to the edge of the bridge out of curiosity and asked:
"Shen Zhiqing, what are you doing?" she asked while trying to peek inside the bamboo basket.
Shen Nian looked up when he heard the voice and saw that it was Aunt Li, so he ignored her and continued to explore.
Seeing that Shen Nian ignored Aunt Li, Ye Jiaojiao, Shen Nianle, and the others tacitly didn't look up. Chunyang even snorted at Aunt Li and turned his head away, ignoring her.
Aunt Li saw this, but she didn't get angry. Instead, she laughed and said teasingly, "Oh, you're so focused that you don't even want to talk to me."
Upon hearing this, Shen Nian looked up and rolled his eyes at her. Then, he said to Shen Nianle in a rather sarcastic tone, "Xiao Le, did you forget to bring Zhao Cai and Jin Bao with you when you went out today? Aunt Li said she wanted to eat their meat last time. You should have brought them out so they can get to know people properly."
When Aunt Li heard what Shen Nian said, she felt a little embarrassed and her expression suddenly became a little interesting.
She had just said it casually at the time, and she had never expected Shen Nian to hold such a grudge. For a moment, she was at a loss as to what to do, and stammered, "You...you kid, I was just joking with you..."
However, Shen Nian ignored her. Seeing this, Aunt Li knew that staying any longer would only bring trouble to herself, so she picked up the bundle of firewood and prepared to leave.
However, before she turned around, she heard a grunting sound behind her. When she turned around, she froze in place.
Shen Nian and the others also heard the sound. Shen Nianle raised her head excitedly and shouted excitedly: "Sister! It's Zhao Cai and Jin Bao!"
Perhaps Zhaocai and Jinbao heard Shen Nianle calling their names, and they instantly became excited. The two big dogs wagged their tails and ran towards this side.
When Aunt Li saw the two big dogs running towards her, she was so scared that her face turned pale and her legs began to tremble involuntarily. She thought of Hu Tingting's miserable situation.
She wanted to leave this dangerous place quickly, but her feet suddenly went weak and the bundle of firewood in her hand fell to the ground. She hurriedly tried to grab something to steady herself, but she grabbed nothing.
Aunt Li had forgotten that she had just stood at the edge of the bridge in order to see what Shen Nian and the others were touching. In a hurry, she subconsciously took a step forward.
"oops!"
With a scream, Aunt Li fell into the river. Although the water was not too deep where she fell, it was enough to soak her whole body and make her look miserable.
When Shen Nian and others saw this, they were stunned at first, and then Ye Jiaojiao couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Although Shen Nian didn't laugh out loud, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. Chun Yang clapped his hands, as if he was watching a good show. He was also thinking silently in his heart that he must tell his grandmother about this when he got home.
Shen Nianle suppressed a smile and said with pretended concern, "Aunt Li, are you okay? Your firewood is almost floating away. Do you want us to help you pick it up?"
Aunt Li snorted and said unhappily, "No need, I can do it myself!"
After saying that, she began to walk downstream, trying to pick up the firewood that had drifted down the river. She looked a little funny, and Shen Nianle finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Gu Yanqing, who had brought Zhaocai and Jinbao with him, looked curiously at the group of people busy in the river and asked softly, "What are you doing in the river?"
Shen Nianle looked up at him and responded with a smile: "Brother Yan, we are touching the snails. My sister said that fried snails are delicious!"
Gu Yanqing heard this and turned to look at Shen Nian. Shen Nian felt his gaze and looked up at him: "Are you going to take Zhaocai and Jinbao to the back mountain?"
Gu Yanqing nodded and said, "Yes, I'll take Zhaocai and Jinbao to the back mountain for a walk to see if there's anything I can catch. If I do, I'll bring you a share."
"Okay, then go ahead."
Shen Nian nodded readily in agreement. Zhaocai and Jinbao could catch some small game anyway, so she didn't need to be polite to Gu Yanqing.
Seeing that she agreed so naturally, Gu Yanqing smiled, called out the names of Zhaocai and Jinbao, and walked towards the back mountain.
Aunt Li stumbled in the water, trying to pick up the firewood that was carried away by the current. Perhaps because she was too anxious, she almost fell every time.
She could only watch the firewood drifting away from her with the river, and finally gave up the idea of collecting firewood. She wanted to climb ashore, but Zhaocai and Jinbao were still lingering on the shore and did not leave.
Only after Gu Yanqing took Zhaocai and Jinbao away from the river did Aunt Li climb up the bank in frustration. She picked up the few remaining firewood that had fallen on the bridge, glared at Shen Nian and the others, and then turned and walked away.
"Sister, Aunt Li glared at us before she left!" Shen Nianle said in a low voice.
"Let her glare at us, it won't hurt us." Shen Nian'an responded calmly.
Shen Nian heard Shen Nian'an's words and nodded with a smile: "Xiao An is right. The more she glares at us, the angrier she is. She is angry at herself, so who cares if she glares at us or not."
Shen Nian was right about this. Aunt Li walked home with the remaining firewood. She became more and more angry along the way and couldn't help cursing as she walked.
"This Shen Nian, it's fine if he is not a good person himself! The brothers he is taking care of are becoming more and more bad people! And that Yan Zhiqing, why did he bring his dog to the river for no reason? He even washed away all my firewood! None of these people are good people!" Aunt Li muttered as she walked, her face full of anger.
As soon as she got home, she threw the firewood in her hand to the ground, sat on the doorstep angrily, and gasped.
Her husband, Li Qiusheng, heard the noise and came out. Seeing Aunt Li soaking wet and looking furious, he asked with concern, "Grandma, what happened to you? Did you fall into the river?"
Aunt Li was so angry that she had no idea where to vent it. When Li Qiu Sheng asked about it, she told him everything that had happened, and even exaggerated the evil deeds of Shen Nian and others.
When Li Qiusheng heard this, he knew that she must have troubled Shen Nian again, so he just glanced at her indifferently and said:
"You're already this old, why would you bother her if you have nothing to do? Besides, a few pieces of firewood aren't worth much, don't get yourself hurt by such a small thing."
"What do you know!" Aunt Li became even angrier when she heard what Li Qiusheng said. "Shen Nian is deliberately trying to make things difficult for me. If she hadn't raised a dog in the brigade, would I have fallen into the river?"
Li Qiusheng shook his head helplessly. He knew Aunt Li wouldn't listen to anything he said to her. So he simply let her sit on the doorstep and grumble while he went back into the house with his hands behind his back.
When Aunt Li saw that Li Qiu Sheng not only ignored her but also went back to the house to hide, she became even angrier and could no longer sit still.
He followed Li Qiu Sheng into the house angrily and vented his anger towards Shen Nian and the others on Li Qiu Sheng.
When the grandchildren heard her angry scolding, they all hid in the house and dared not come out. Li Qiu Sheng was scolded like a quail. He sat on the kang and smoked his pipe in a depressed mood.
Aunt Li heard the commotion from her own yard. A rare smile rose from her lips as she cursed inwardly, "Serves you right!"
……
Meanwhile, Shen Nian returned with Ye Jiaojiao, Shen Nianle, and a few others, all with a full load. Chunyang, who had been catching snails and lobsters with them, was also invited to their home for dinner.
Zhao Gaoxuan consciously went back to the Youth League Home to get food for him and Ye Jiaojiao, and picked some vegetables, and then returned to Shen Nian's house to help.
Shen Nian patiently demonstrated to everyone how to handle the snails and make them spit out the sand.
She first cut off the tail of the snail, then put it in a basin, added a small amount of water, covered it with another basin, and shook it up and down vigorously.
Ye Jiaojiao and Shen Nianle watched her movements, nodded continuously, and shouted that they had already learned it.
Shen Nian raised her eyebrows and smiled, giving them her seat to do the work. Looking at a small group of people squatting by the well cleaning snails and lobsters, she turned around and went into the kitchen.
Thinking of the crayfish and snails that he would cook later, Shen Nian decided to make a pot of stewed rice, which would save time and effort.
She simmered the rice first, then went to the cellar to get a piece of bacon. Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle rarely came into her room on their own initiative, and Li Jichu and Xiao Nanqing never entered her room unless she was at home.
Therefore, even the cellar in her house had never been entered by them. At home, she always took out something, and they assumed that there was something else in the house.
So when they saw Shen Nian coming out with a piece of bacon, the four of them were not surprised at all.
Chunyang's eyes flashed with surprise. His family's bacon had been eaten long before the autumn harvest. Then he remembered that Shen Nian would go hunting in the mountains, and he probably ate wild game from the mountains.
Ye Jiaojiao and Zhao Gaoxuan also had the same idea. The most important thing was that as long as they had food to eat, they would never ask where Shen Nian's food came from.
Shen Nian washed the bacon and diced it, then peeled some potatoes and diced the beans. He also grabbed a handful of previously dried mushrooms, soaked them for a while, and diced them as well.
Accompanied by the laughter and joy outside, Shen Nian spread the chopped vegetables evenly on the rice, then covered the pot and let it continue to simmer.
"Sister! We're done! The lobsters and snails are all washed, come and take a look!" Shen Nianle's voice came.
"Hey! I'll be there right away!" Shen Nian put down the knife in his hand and walked out of the kitchen.
She looked at the lobsters and snails that had been washed and packed separately by Ye Jiaojiao and others by the well, and nodded with satisfaction.
"You guys did a great job. Thank you for your hard work."
Shen Nian praised with a smile, then told Zhao Gaoxuan to bring the crayfish and snails to the kitchen, as she was going to start cooking.
Zhao Gaoxuan nodded and brought the two dishes into the kitchen. Ye Jiaojiao continued to lead the others in picking the dishes Zhao Gaoxuan had brought.
Chunyang followed closely behind Shen Nian and asked curiously, "Sister Nian Nian, how are you going to cook these snails? I've never eaten snails before."
Shen Nian turned around and smiled at him, "I'll fry it later. Let you try it first to see if it tastes good."
When Chunyang heard this, his eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously. He followed behind Shen Nian and became her little follower.
Shen Nian started to get busy in the kitchen. She first blanched the snails in water. After blanching, she put the snails into a basin beside her and took them out to rinse with cold water.
Then, she put oil at the bottom of the pot, added garlic and stir-fried it until fragrant. She also scooped out the chili sauce she made, poured it into the pot and stir-fried it until fragrant. Then she poured the snails into the pot and stir-fried it for a few times.
Shen Nian skillfully added various seasonings, then stir-fried them a few times, began to add water to the pot, and finally poured in some white wine, covered the pot, and began to simmer the snails.
After Shen Nian finished with the snails, the braised rice on the side was ready. She mixed the rice, put it aside, and then started stir-frying the lobster.
The kitchen was filled with a rich aroma, which attracted Shen Nian'an and others outside to look in.
"Wow! Sister Nian Nian! The dishes you cook smell so good!" Chunyang shouted excitedly.
Hearing this, Shen Nian glanced at the snails in the pot. Then, smiling, he took out a small bowl, put a spoonful of snails in it, and handed it to Chunyang: "Chunyang, try it first, be careful, it's hot."
Chunyang couldn't wait to take the small bowl, his eyes fixed on the fragrant snails. He shouted to Shen Nian, "Thank you, Sister Nian Nian!" and ran out of the kitchen happily with the snails.
When Shen Nian'an and the others saw him running out with the bowl, they all gathered around him. Not caring if it was hot or not, they each grabbed a piece and tossed it into their mouths.
After Shen Nianle sucked out the snail meat and ate it, his eyes suddenly lit up and he ran into the kitchen and started flattering Shen Nian.
"Don't worry, it will be ready soon."
Shen Nian responded with a smile, his hands moving non-stop as he took out the lobsters and snails, and asked Shen Nianle and the others to take them out.
When Gu Yanqing came in carrying two pheasants, he happened to see Shen Nianle and others bringing dishes to the table under the grape trellis.
Shen Nianle was sharp-eyed. Seeing Gu Yanqing come in, he immediately shouted to him, "Brother Yan, you're here! My sister is in the kitchen."
Gu Yanqing nodded, carrying the pheasant and heading straight to the kitchen. As soon as he entered, he saw Shen Nian diligently stirring the rice in the bowl with a spoon.
Seeing Gu Yanqing coming in, Ye Jiaojiao greeted him softly, "Yan Zhiqing, you're back."
Shen Nian turned around when he heard the voice, and his eyes met Gu Yanqing's unexpectedly. There seemed to be an indescribable tacit understanding between the two.
Gu Yanqing shifted his gaze somewhat unnaturally, his eyes involuntarily falling on the pot of stewed rice in front of Shen Nian, and he even swallowed his saliva unconsciously.
When he realized what he had just done, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Gu Yanqing's face, and he quickly handed the two pheasants in his hand to Shen Nian.