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In no time, the forty-six thousand pounds of rice were completely distributed among the villagers. Many villagers from Zhoujiatun had never seen so much rice in their lives. Rice is quite a rarity in Northeast China; even if one has money, it may not be available for purchase. At this moment, every household had received several hundred pounds of rice. Even the elderly and lonely had over a hundred pounds. The villagers were so happy that they were almost speechless, flocking home with their rice.
Yezhi's family received 482 pounds of rice, filling five large sacks. Black Treasure was responsible for carrying one sack, while Aunt Zhou took another. Yezhi was straining to carry a sack but after just two steps, he was out of breath.
One Egg, Xiao Shuan, Dogzi, and Zhou Da rushed over, saying, "Sister Ye, let us help you!" With the kids' assistance, they finally managed to transport the rice back home.
"Everyone stay here and have dinner at my place!" Aunt Zhou stopped Dogzi and the others from leaving.
"Aunt, with such a bountiful harvest, which family wouldn’t want to celebrate? Don’t hold them back!" Yezhi laughed as she pulled Aunt Zhou back. Aunt Zhou was so delighted that she just wanted to enjoy the lively atmosphere.
"Daughter, since we’re so happy today, let’s invite Teacher Xiao and Wednesday over to join us!" Seeing Aunt Zhou so enthusiastic, Yezhi agreed, "Sure! I’ll cook a pot of fragrant white rice and prepare some good dishes for everyone to enjoy!"
"Great! I’ll go call Teacher Xiao and the others!" After saying this, Aunt Zhou took Black Treasure and left the house. Yezhi went to the vegetable garden and picked about ten green peppers, a large bunch of fresh scallions, and gathered the last few cucumbers. Then she ran to the cellar to fill a basket with cabbage, radishes, and some fresh mushrooms preserved with freezing spray.
"Yezhi!" While still in the cellar, Yezhi heard Meizi and Aunt Li's voices. She climbed out of the cellar with her heavy basket and found quite a few people already standing in her small courtyard. "What’s going on?" Yezhi wondered why everyone had gathered at her house instead of cooking at home.
"Yezhi, hurry up and cook the rice! We want to learn how!" Yezhi was amused; it turned out these housewives were skilled at making corn pancakes but had never cooked rice before. They had come to her for guidance to avoid messing it up and wasting the precious rice.
Setting down her basket, Yezhi stood on the Big Wooden Platform. "Since everyone is eager to get home and cook, I’ll first explain how to make rice—the simplest method: rinse the rice twice, then use one cup of rice to two cups of water in a pot over low heat. Let it simmer slowly until the aroma becomes strong; at that point, everyone must pay special attention to avoid burning it." As experienced cooks themselves, Yezhi's explanation was clear and straightforward, making the housewives eager to rush home and try it out.
"Yezhi, how do you cook the rice?" The single men in the village hadn’t even entered the courtyard before they started calling out. Once they stepped inside, they found there was hardly any space left for them to stand.
Yezhi had a kind heart and took care of the villagers who came later. She repeated the method of cooking rice over and over again. Before she knew it, more and more villagers arrived at her home, filling every available spot in the front yard.
"Yezhi, hurry up and explain the second method! We need to make room for the others!" Aunt Ren Er shouted from the crowd.
"The second method: First, boil the rice in a large pot, making sure there is plenty of water. When it's about eighty percent cooked, drain it using a sieve. The thick white liquid left in the pot is rice soup, which is very tasty. The drained rice should be steamed for another twenty minutes, and while steaming, poke a few holes in the rice with chopsticks," Aunt Li said as Mei Zi, who had arrived earlier, squeezed through the crowd.
Yezhi suddenly called out, "Also, everyone, don't throw away the water used for rinsing the rice! This rice washing water can be used to water vegetables and flowers, wash dishes and clothes, remove rust, and eliminate fishy odors. If used to wash your face, it can make your skin moist and smooth."
"Really!" What woman doesn't love beauty? The cooks paused to ask questions. Yezhi nodded affirmatively, but the older men were not pleased and shouted, "What are you being vain about? Let's go!"
Aunt Zhou and Xiao Cheng saw from a distance that the Zhou family was crowded with people; even people were perched on the courtyard wall. "Zhou Bao, Zhou Youcai, what are you doing hanging on our wall?"
Zhou Bao was a sturdy young man. He and Zhou Youcai were pulled down from the wall by Aunt Zhou. "Aunt Zhou, I can't cook rice; I'm afraid I'll ruin it. I came to ask Yezhi how to make it!"
"Yeah, Aunt Zhou, you know my dad is sick and needs someone around. My mom sent me to ask!" Zhou Youcai replied with a simple smile.
"Haha, you could ask Teacher Xiao too," Wednesday said as she pushed Xiao Cheng forward. Xiao Cheng looked confused; he had eaten plenty of rice but had no idea how to cook it.
Zhou Bao and Zhou Youcai looked at the seemingly all-capable Xiao Cheng with admiration. Xiao Cheng shrugged his shoulders and said, "I can't do it!" Wednesday and Aunt Zhou were surprised that there was something Teacher Xiao couldn't do!
After sending off a group of villagers, Aunt Zhou, Wednesday, and Xiao Cheng finally entered the yard. Yezhi jumped down from the Big Wooden Platform and said, "You’re here! I haven't cooked yet!"
Xiao Cheng rolled up his sleeves and said, "We'll help you cook!" Zhou San also rolled up his sleeves in agreement. "Then you can help me catch those two wild chickens in the Peach Tree!" With chickens to eat, Zhou San was very enthusiastic. However, Xiao Cheng was a bit clumsy; after trying for a long time, he still couldn't catch the flashy wild chicken. Even Black Treasure felt sorry for him as he chased after him with an upright white goose following closely behind.
Yezhi stored the rice washing water in a basin, placed the rice in a large pot, added water, and brought it to a simmer over low heat. The pot emitted a gentle bubbling sound, and a faint aroma of rice began to waft through the air.
Carefully controlling the heat, Yezhi waited until the pure and rich fragrance of rice filled the small kitchen, causing both Aunt Zhou and Yezhi to involuntarily swallow.
"Why does it smell so good!" Zhou San shouted while cleaning the internal organs of a wild chicken. Xiao Cheng took a deep breath; he had never experienced such a rich aroma before. Meanwhile, Black Treasure was already in the kitchen, cradling its round belly.
Once the rice was cooked, Yezhi took the wild chicken that Zhou San had prepared, chopped it into pieces, and sautéed it in oil until fragrant. She added salt, scallions, ginger, and garlic, then mixed in mountain mushrooms and various other mushrooms with soy sauce, star anise, and dried chili peppers to stew.
Aunt Zhou brought the chicken to the table. Yezhi wiped her face and continued making tiger skin chili peppers, stir-frying cabbage, and drizzling hot oil over shredded radishes sprinkled with dried chili powder. Finally, she added some fragrant vinegar and smashed cucumbers.
Aunt Zhou arranged all the dishes on the table while Yezhi cut some pickled vegetables and walked into the room. Aunt Zhou lifted the wooden pot lid; after the steam dissipated, she saw a pot full of bright green, translucent rice grains that were distinct from one another.
"This rice is green!" Xiao Cheng exclaimed; it was his first time seeing green rice.
Zhou San, who had never eaten rice before, shouted, "What's wrong? Isn't rice supposed to be green?"
Yezhi pretended to be surprised. "I've never seen green rice either; my uncle didn't mention it. Could it be that our Zhoujiatun has good mountains and water that caused a mutation?"
"Mutation..." Xiao Cheng was deep in thought when Aunt Zhou warmly called out, "What are you standing there for? Eat while it's hot; the dishes will get cold!" Zhou San eagerly scooped a big mouthful of rice into his mouth. "So... so hot..." he exclaimed as he opened his mouth, releasing a cloud of steam. Aunt Zhou laughed and scolded him: "Why are you so impatient? There's plenty!"
Yezhi blew on her rice to cool it down before putting it in her mouth. The plump grains were smooth like oil; when bitten into, they were soft yet elastic. The most delightful part was the natural fragrance; just eating plain rice, Yezhi could easily finish two large bowls.
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