Sky Curtain: My Happy Daily Life Exposed by Xiao Sizi

Chapter 58 Remembering the bitter past and appreciating the sweet present, a promise for tomorrow.

Chapter 58 Remembering the bitter past and appreciating the sweet present, a promise for tomorrow.

"Here it comes! Little tofu! Stone-ground soy milk with our baby bok choy, it's so fragrant!" Mom carried a bowl of milky white soy milk covered with tender green shreds, which is known locally as "little tofu".

The aroma of soybeans instantly filled the room.

This original soy milk is made by soaking soybeans in water and then grinding them directly with a stone mill while adding water. It is very fresh and tender. It needs to be cooked at home. In the past, people would add vegetables to it so that it would be more palatable and satisfying.

Today, people rarely use stone mills, and this delicacy has disappeared.

Now, Grandma San has found a stone mill again, and everyone can enjoy the old flavors again.

"We're here! We're here! We're all back!"

"What about beer?"

"Here, come on, I'll get two drinks!"

The arrival of my third aunt's two uncles immediately made things lively.

"Oh, this is my young master?"

"This child is so adorable!"

"I am your third uncle!"

"I'm your second uncle!"

"Hello, Second Uncle~~ Hello, Third Uncle~~" Little Sizi squinted her crescent-shaped eyes as she looked at her two enthusiastic uncles.

The little guy was eating a tender ear of corn, his face covered in corn crumbs, completely unaware of it.

Lu Chen quickly wiped the little guy's face.

Grandma's two sons live in other places, so only her eldest uncle and father drink with them, while Grandpa drinks with Grandpa.

The children are Lu Chen, Lu Ping, Lu Ning, and Xiao Sizi. Their uncle's son is studying at a university elsewhere.

There were two large tables in the room. The grandfather and his family sat at one table, and the children and ladies sat at the other.

Both sides were enjoying themselves.

"Ahem..." Third Grandma, as the elder and host, spoke first.

"Today our whole family is gathered together again, what a joyous day! It's truly remarkable that our families have managed to live like this for so many years, with no worries about food or money. The only imperfection is that my eldest brother and sister-in-law passed away too soon..."

"Old woman, why bring this up on such a joyous occasion..." Third Grandfather wiped away his tears.

"Ah, I've gone off-topic again. Today is a celebration for the arrival of a new member to our Lu family—a baby girl! The first time in two generations that a girl has come..."

"My parents weren't blessed..." the uncle said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Let's all eat more for my parents!" Dad raised his glass. "Come on, bottoms up!"

"Dry!"

"My uncle and aunt are happy for us too!"

"Cheers!" The young man raised his drink cup.

"This little guy! So clever!" The whole family smiled, their eyes reddening.

On the dining table, a large braised fish steamed, its sauce coating the snow-white flesh, which trembled slightly.

Orange-red fish roe, like shattered coral, is embedded in the fish's belly; the glistening fish bubbles are soft, glutinous, and translucent; the little roe twitches its nose; and its eyes shine as if they are filled with stars.

"Come on, Sizi, try the fish roe first!" Second Grandma scooped up a roe with a small spoon, blew on it gently, and said, "Crunch, it's so sweet!"

Little Sizi remembered how pitiful Little Fish was during the day, and her little brows furrowed. Lu Ping quickly stepped closer and said, "Don't worry, little sister!"

The river is teeming with fish roe; eating this helps the little fish swim even faster!

"Really?" Little Sizi opened her mouth in disbelief—"Crunch!" Her little face instantly lit up with a smile, "It's sweet! I want more!"

"The fish bladder is bouncy too!" Lu Ning picked up a fish bladder and handed it over.

The little girl scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth, giggling, "It's like jelly! So bouncy!"

Second Grandpa picked out the tender meat from the fish belly, dipping it in the broth: "Eat slowly, the fish head is still stewing in the pot, we'll make it tomorrow."

㸆炜炜㸆㸆炜㸆㸆炜㸆㸆炜㸆㸆炜㸆㸆炜㸆...

"6

"Second Uncle! The fish head needs to be boiled three times to get the flavor!" Auntie interrupted with a laugh, filling the room with laughter. Little Sizi slurped up the fish soup with rice, his little mouth glistening with oil. He even took a sip of the soy milk from his small bowl, smacking his lips: "Soy milk is so delicious!"

"Here you go, Sizi, this is the one I picked especially for you, the softest, tender meat right under the gills!" Third Grandma proudly presented it.

Little Sizi took the spoonful into the bowl, her little eyes instantly narrowing. "So soft and bouncy! So delicious!"

"Old woman, give Sizi a spoonful of tofu and mix it with sorghum rice!" Third Grandfather instructed.

"Alright, alright!" Third Grandma turned around and served the rice.

"I'll go get the sticky rice cakes!" Mom got up and followed.

"I'll pick up a few chive-filled buns, who wants some?" Auntie chimed in.

"I'll eat sticky rice cakes!"

"I'll eat chive buns!"

"I'm seven! I'm seven!" Little Sizi cried out anxiously.

"Look how well-behaved our little brother is, he eats everything and isn't picky at all." Grandma San looked at her two grandsons, "You two should learn from your little sister."

"Wow! It smells so good!" Little Sizi held a bowl of tofu mixed with rice and sniffed it.

"Come on, Sizi, try the meat stewed by your second grandma. The meat stewed by your second grandma is absolutely amazing." Aunt placed a bright red, trembling, soft and tender piece of pork belly on top of Sizi's rice, and the soy milk was immediately stained with a layer of oil.

"It smells so good! Na na na..." The little ox took a bite of the big piece of meat.

Beyond the sky, ripples spread once more.

The Imperial Palace of the Tang Dynasty.

Empress Zhangsun lightly touched the small face of the prince, smeared with sauce, on the screen with her fingertips, her eyes brimming with tears: "My prince, even in modern times, is pampered and coaxed like this—"

Li Shimin gazed at his daughter's smiling face and laughed heartily, "Look how much Sizi is eating; even I'm craving it."

Li Tai licked his lips lightly below: "The braised pork is so fragrant! The fish brain is fragrant too! The gelatinous texture is so tender! And that fish belly, hiding a treasure, has become a delicacy—the imperial chefs should learn how to make the most of this ingredient!"

Bianjing Study.

"Zizhan! That's your braised pork!" Shen Kuo glared.

"Hmm. I am gratified that this meat can benefit modern people!" Su Shi stroked his beard.

"But the way they eat the swim bladder is truly ingenious! And the fish roe too, it's a delicacy!" Shen Kuo stroked his chin, then quickly lowered his head to take notes.

Su Shi threw down his pen and laughed: "The fish roe is crisp and sweet, the swim bladder is gelatinous and moist! This method of 'milking' subtly captures the essence of controlling the heat. Quickly memorize: Wei..."

"6

Shen Kuo was writing "A Study on the Buoyancy of Fish Bladders" with charcoal when he heard this and was taken aback: "Brother Zizhan, 'writing a character a hundred times in a row,' could it be a secret formula for controlling the heat?"

Yingtianfu Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, then he suddenly shoveled every last grain of brown rice from his bowl: "Biao'er! Remember this! When stewing fish for the Dragon Boat Festival, not a single fish roe or fish maw is to be wasted!"

Empress Ma smiled and added tea: "Zhongba, look at that child's eating habits, he's just like our Biao'er when he was little."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned his face away and muttered, "————It smells good. It smells really good."

The warm pavilion of the Forbidden City.

Emperor Qianlong slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacups to jump: "He Shen! Recreate this banquet within three days! The fish roe must be a translucent orange-red, and the fish bubbles must tremble without dispersing!"

Heshen knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, please understand! Live fish are hard to find in the dead of winter, and fish roe—"

"I don't care! Break the ice to catch fish—"

"6

Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of the smiling face of the little prince surrounded by his family on the screen, and suddenly softened his tone, "—Alright. Issue the decree: Tomorrow, a banquet will be held for the imperial family. I wish to share 'Family-Style Braised Fish' with the princes."

The moonlight in the courtyard was as clear as water.

Little Sizi nestled lazily in Lu Chen's arms after eating her fill, her little hand still clutching half an ear of corn.

The little guy imitated his great-grandfather humming a little tune while washing the pot: "Mingyi fish head, de de de Wei de de de de de"

have to..

'

"Little sister! Let's go catch tadpoles in the river tomorrow afternoon!" Lu Ping and Lu Ning invited enthusiastically.

"Okay! Brother, shall we take the mud with us?" Little Si asked his older brother, looking up at him.

"Of course I'll take you!" Lu Chen patted her little head.

"Okay! Thank you, buddy!"

"Chenchen, I think we should go to your third grandma's house tomorrow morning to make tofu and deliver it to your maternal grandma and the others," Mom suggested.

"Yes, yes, yes! Grind it more! Our generation just loves this kind of food."

Third Grandma cheered her on from the side.