Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 259 Two Families Gather, Warming Hearts in a Famine
"We don't need that many. One fish is enough. I'll make two more dishes later."

Li Hongmei knew very well that with the current weather, the fish wouldn't spoil even if left until tomorrow morning.

If we cook the two grass carp that Li Hongbing brought over, even if we invite Chen's mother and Chen Jiwen over, we still won't be able to finish them in one meal.

Li Hongbing did this clearly because he wanted to keep the extra fish to help his family.

Li Hongbing never takes away the leftovers from lunch; he always has an excuse.

It wouldn't have been so bad in the past, but now with various quota reductions, the whole country is facing difficulties. Even though Li Hongbing is the top chef in Fengzeyuan's kitchen and his situation is much better than most people, it's definitely not as easy as it used to be.

Every time Li Hongbing came to deliver something, Li Hongmei couldn't refuse and would try her best to keep him for a meal, not wanting to take advantage of him.

Although they are siblings, they both have families now, with children and elders, so it's definitely not as easy as it was when they were single.

Speaking of which, Li Hongbing is the head chef at Fengzeyuan, but Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo also have good jobs, working as a workshop worker and a driver at the food factory, respectively.

Li Hongbing wanted to help Li Hongmei, and Li Hongmei herself wanted to help her younger brother Li Hongbing in return.

Li Hongmei didn't have much to do about the food supply, but as a worker in a food factory, she was entitled to internal employee benefits.

Li Hongmei was unaware that Li Hongbing truly lacked nothing and had more than enough resources to help them.

"Sis, don't worry about that, I'll take care of lunch!"

Upon hearing Li Hongmei's words, Li Hongbing immediately took another grass carp off the handlebars of his bicycle and spoke up.

Seeing this, Li Hongmei had no choice but to say helplessly, "Alright, Jianjun and Qingwan love your cooking the most, so I won't fight you for it."

What else could she say when Li Hongbing was in this state?
The back-and-forth over a fish only made them a laughingstock among the neighbors.

to be frank.

Actually, it's envy.

Who among the neighbors in this courtyard doesn't envy her for having a younger brother who is the head chef at Fengzeyuan Restaurant?

The key point is that Li Hongbing would also come to deliver fish every few days.

However, only Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo knew that Li Hongbing was sending not only fish, but also grains, oils, meat and other good things, but all of this was done in secret.

The same principle applies to guarding against backstabbers.

While everyone else is hungry, eating well and being well-fed may seem like you're not bothering anyone, but it can easily arouse jealousy.

Moreover, although Li Hongbing purchased these supplies with his own money through normal channels, they were purchased several years ago, and even Li Hongbing himself could not explain their origin.

Even though Li Hongbing was the head chef at Fengzeyuan and enjoyed some internal employee benefits, the quantitative standards were uniformly applied from above.

Once or twice is one thing, but over the years, the sudden appearance of so much extra grain and meat will raise suspicions if anyone is in a normal state of mind.

Even Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo themselves had their own speculations, but they certainly wouldn't tell anyone.

With Chef Li Hongbing here today, and having taken the initiative to cook, Li Hongmei naturally couldn't compete with him. However, she didn't sit idle; instead, she assisted him on the sidelines, doing some simple kitchen help.

Without wasting any words, Li Hongbing took a kitchen knife and two grass carp and went straight to the pool to process them.

After scraping off the scales, opening the abdomen, removing the unwanted internal organs, and cleaning it thoroughly, they immediately began to debone and slice the meat, all in a smooth and efficient manner.

Although he is now the head chef in the kitchen and no longer needs to worry about handling ingredients and cutting them, Li Hongbing has gone through these stages and has a solid foundation, with exceptional knife skills.

While Li Hongbing was processing the grass carp, other residents in the courtyard couldn't help but be drawn over.

Everyone knows that Li Hongbing is the master chef of Fengzeyuan. It's a rare opportunity to see Li Hongbing demonstrate his knife skills and cooking techniques, so naturally, no one would miss it. Maybe they can even learn a few tricks themselves.

Some chefs wouldn't easily show these things to others, but no matter how good these things are, Li Hongbing won't hide them for fear that others will learn them.

If someone truly has that talent and ability, that's their skill.

If someone asks for advice, even if they are not in the professional circle, Li Hongbing will often give them some pointers and even teach them some cooking tips.

The next dish Li Hongbing is going to make, sauerkraut fish, is just like this.

To some extent, this sauerkraut fish dish can be considered Li Hongbing's "original creation".

According to the normal course of history, pickled fish appeared around the 1980s, but it did not become popular until the 1990s, becoming a popular dish in Sichuan and Chongqing, and gradually spreading to the whole country.

At this time, it does not exist.

The reason Li Hongbing thought of this and came up with the sauerkraut fish dish ahead of time is mainly because the only meat resource he can reasonably and openly obtain is fish.

No matter how good your cooking skills are, you'll get tired of eating fish prepared the same way all the time. So Li Hongbing naturally tries to cook fish in different ways, including sauerkraut fish.

Moreover, Li Hongbing also made home-style modifications to various dishes.

The traditional methods used in restaurants and hotels are very expensive in terms of oil and ingredients. If you want to make it at home, it's difficult for ordinary families to have the conditions for high heat and plenty of oil.

The problem of cooking oil was solved when Li Hongbing renovated the house. He had plenty of money and had already stockpiled various supplies, including oil, before the era of ration coupons arrived, so it was not a problem.

However, even though Li Hongbing doesn't lack these things, cooking at home is not so extravagant. Unless it's a holiday or a special occasion, the amount of oil and ingredients used is still a luxury for most people, but it's far more economical than cooking in a restaurant.

In times of scarcity, oil and fat were generally scarce, and everyone wished they could have more. But if you ate too much oil, it would be bad for your health.

Many people in later generations developed various diseases because of this.

The emergence of sauerkraut fish is a boon not only for Li Hongbing, but for many others.

Fish meat is often quite fishy, ​​and most ordinary people find it difficult to mask the fishy smell without oil and seasonings, let alone cook it well.

Unfortunately, oil and spices were relatively scarce in those days, and people were reluctant to use them. However, the flavor of pickled cabbage could mask the fishy smell to a great extent and had its own unique flavor, making it an excellent choice to pair with fish.

After making the pickled fish, Li Hongbing didn't keep it a secret and even took the initiative to teach the recipe to his neighbors.

Of course.

Li Hongbing usually shares some cooking tips with everyone, but he doesn't hold them all back. For example, some key points of his family's Shandong cuisine are even secrets that he won't tell others.

Although Li Hongbing didn't think much of it, decades later, all sorts of masters were teaching online, bringing out all the "secret manuals" that were originally kept tightly hidden.

However, people are still quite conservative in this day and age, and Li Hongbing also abides by this rule. He will not go against the entire sect or even the entire circle, and will not do anything "rebellious".

Li Hongbing isn't stupid; doing these things wouldn't benefit him at all. At most, he might gain some gratitude from his neighbors, but it wouldn't actually be of much use.

"Hongbing, we're out of the old pickled cabbage at home, so we'll have to use pickled cabbage instead." Just as Li Hongbing finished preparing the fish, Li Hongmei suddenly ran over and said.

"That's fine, they're all the same."

Upon learning of this situation, Li Hongbing didn't pay much attention to it.

The pickled cabbage that Li Hongmei mentioned is naturally the kind of pickled cabbage from the Sichuan and Chongqing regions, which is mainly made from mustard greens. As for pickled cabbage, it is a type of pickled cabbage commonly eaten in Northeast China.

These two can be considered classic examples of one in the south and one in the north.

The pickled fish that Li Hongbing remembers was actually made with pickled cabbage from the Sichuan and Chongqing regions, but that kind of pickled cabbage is quite difficult to find in Beijing.

After all, mustard greens are relatively rare in the market, while Chinese cabbage is the mainstream.

After the public-private partnership reform, in the past few years, the master chefs of various restaurants and hotels have often visited each other's restaurants to exchange and learn. Li Hongbing was no exception. During this period, he also got to know many master chefs and colleagues, including master chefs of the Sichuan cuisine school. It was not difficult to get some authentic Sichuan and Chongqing pickled vegetables from them.

Putting everything else aside, Li Hongbing could easily solve this problem simply by relying on Sha Zhu and Sha Zhu's master, Dong Congyou.

If you don't have the traditional Sichuan-Chongqing style of pickled cabbage, you can use pickled cabbage as a substitute. In the past, Li Hongbing even made a special Northeastern-style pickled cabbage hot pot in the winter.

only.

Chinese cabbage and pickled cabbage are easy to overcook and are not as crisp or resistant to stewing as Sichuan and Chongqing pickled cabbage, resulting in different textures and flavors.

However, this is a different flavor, and it's not bad if done well.

The two methods of making pickled fish are not too different. Li Hongbing first puts the fish head and fish meat pieces with fish bones and fins into a pot and lightly frys them in a little oil. Then he stews the fish soup, adds the pickled cabbage, and finally adds the fish meat just before it is ready to be served.

The sliced ​​fish cooks very quickly, in no time.

These fish fillets need to be processed a bit more now. In addition to adding salt for seasoning, they also need to be marinated with egg white and starch.

While Li Hongbing was doing these things, Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo were also busy. Li Hongmei was washing vegetables, while Zhao Weiguo brought out peach shortbread, candied fruit and biscuits from home to treat the little guy Li Jianwu.

Compared to other workers, the benefits for food factory employees are indeed quite good.

Moreover, as both Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo work, their income and standard of living are not bad.

It's just that with the current reduction in various quotas, things seem a bit difficult.

However, everyone is like this, and even without Li Hongbing's help, their family's situation is still ahead of most people.

It didn't take long.

Before Li Hongbing could finish cooking the sauerkraut fish, Zhao Jianjun, who had run out earlier, returned with Chen's mother and Chen Jiwen.

The arrival of Chen's mother and Chen Jiwen naturally made the atmosphere in the house much more lively, as if it were a festival or the New Year.

They live in the same street district, especially within the Nanluoguxiang area, so the two families often interact. They don't see each other very often, but they are close friends, and Li Hongmei and Zhao Weiguo are very hospitable, which is why they do this.

By the time Li Hongbing finished making the sauerkraut fish, the steamed rice was also ready.

Most people only have one stove in their homes. People like Li Hongbing have a few, so they can't use both stoves at the same time. But when he was cooking fish soup, he simply put the bamboo steamer on top, which solved the problem perfectly, saving time and coal.

The meticulous planning and calculations are full of wisdom and experience from the people.

With the main dishes and staple foods ready, Li Hongbing quickly stir-fried two more dishes, and soon finished today's lunch.

soon.

Four adults and four children sat down at the table, filling the square table completely.

Chen Jiwen is still young and obviously can't be like Zhao Jianjun and Li Jianwu and the other children. However, Li Hongbing's family has a dining table and chair specially made for his age, which was originally made by Li Hongbing for Zhao Qingwan.

As for Zhao Jianjun, he was born before Li Hongbing had started working on these things, so naturally he didn't enjoy this treatment.

All that's missing is Chen Xueru, who's going to work today, and then both families will be together.

"Wow, this pickled fish is so delicious!"

After taking a bite of the pickled fish and drinking the soup, Zhao Jianjun looked at Li Hongbing with admiration and praised, "Uncle, your cooking skills are simply amazing!"

"How could it not be great?"

Hearing her son's "nonsense," Li Hongmei almost rolled her eyes and said directly, "Your uncle is the head chef of Fengzeyuan, a first-class cook. How many people are as lucky as you to eat your uncle's cooking?"
Your uncle can cook a simple stir-fried cabbage better than your mom can. You should be grateful to have an uncle like that!

There was no hint of frustration at her inferior cooking skills in Li Hongmei's words; it was pure pride.

"Eat more if you like!"

Looking at his chubby-faced nephew Zhao Jianjun, Li Hongbing smiled and said, "If you want to eat something delicious later, come to your uncle's house. Even if your uncle isn't here, you can ask your Grandma Li to cook for you. Your Grandma Li is a pretty good cook too."

The sauerkraut fish I made for lunch was alright, but the two dishes I stir-fried afterwards, while not bad either, lacked the wok hei (wok aroma) that required proper stove heat, making them somewhat disappointing.

Due to limited practical conditions, Li Hongbing's skills could not be fully utilized.

"Hongbing, don't let Jianjun's small size fool you, he has a huge appetite. A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home. Don't let him come to your house and cause trouble, or he'll eat you out of house and home!"

In response to Li Hongbing's words, Li Hongmei quickly spoke up.

Li Hongmei already felt embarrassed by Li Hongbing's secret help, even though they were siblings. Li Hongbing's contributions and assistance to her were really too much.

If Zhao Jianjun were to go to Li Hongbing's house and feast again, she would feel even more guilty.

Moreover, Li Hongmei also had to consider the thoughts of Chen's mother and Chen Xueru. Although she knew they were good people and wouldn't hold grudges, it was fine once or twice, but if it happened too often, they would inevitably have some thoughts.

To know.

Since the rationing of grain began and the implementation of grain coupons, even if relatives came to visit and stayed for a meal, they would bring their own grain coupons; there was no such thing as eating and drinking for free.

If Zhao Jianjun were to go, no amount of grain coupons would be enough to cover the expenses.

Li Hongbing was the only exception.

Li Hongmei knew that Li Hongbing was trying to help their family in a roundabout way, hoping that they could have enough to eat during this period of food shortage, just like before.

"Sister, you're being too formal by telling me all this."

Li Hongbing looked at Li Hongmei and said earnestly, "We're family, so let's be honest behind closed doors. I really don't need this much..."

(End of this chapter)