Siheyuan: Big City, Small Love

"Xiao Laizi, can you really do it?" Old Master Wu still didn't quite believe it.

The whole Wu family followed He Lai and Old Man He to peel acorns.

"Oh, by the way, these acorns should be soaked like soybeans." He Lai said, slapping his forehead.

"Haha, it's okay, it's okay. After you're done peeling, just sleep here with grandpa. Old man He, you can go back now." Old man Wu was even happier.

Everyone laughed out loud.

"Okay, then you guys continue working on it. I'm leaving now. Xiao Laizi, if you're done tomorrow, remember to send some to grandpa."

When Mr. He heard that it seemed impossible to do it today, he didn't hesitate and walked away with his hands behind his back.

……

Early the next morning, Old Mrs. Wu and her daughter-in-law were grinding acorns.

He came to see what he had polished. It looked pretty good, and it looked like the real thing.

"Xiao Laizi, this should also be passed through the gauze net, right?" asked Old Mrs. Wu.

"Of course we should. We should remove the impurities and the starch in the residue, right?"

He Lai said.

"Well, Xiao Laizi understood it, haha. It seems he can do it!"

Soon a large bucket of acorn water was ready.

"Grandma, let's start cooking. We need to cook it until it becomes thick."

He Lai thought for a while and said based on his memory.

"Okay." Old Mrs. Wu didn't hesitate and poured it directly into the pot.

He Lai began to stir constantly.

"Xiao Laizi, do I have to keep stirring this?"

"Yeah. Because the starch concentration is high, I'm afraid it will sink. So I have to stir it constantly."

He Lai wasn't actually sure, but stirring was definitely right.

"Little Laizi, give it to me. Your aunt will definitely take good care of you."

"Thank you, auntie."

He Lai didn't refuse either.

My aunt took He Lai's shovel and continued stirring.

Soon, the acorn water in the pot became thicker and thicker. He Lai felt that it was about done, so he took a clean wooden plate.

"Aunt, come and put it in." He Lai said to his aunt, holding the wooden tray.

"Row."

It was quickly packed, filling up the plate.

"Xiao Laizi, do you want to find something to press it down?" asked Old Mrs. Wu. Looking at the sticky substance in the wooden tray, she felt a little guilty. After all, this was different from making tofu.

"No need to press it, grandma, this is not watery."

He Lai remembers that it was done like this, after smoothing the surface with a spatula, he covered it with a lid.

"Grandma, Aunt, this is good. Once it's cold, you can cut it and eat it!"

Congratulations from the believer.

"Really?" Old Mrs. Wu still didn't quite believe it and looked at He Lai with a puzzled look.

"Grandma, how can you not trust your grandson!" He Lai had no choice but to shake Old Lady Wu's arm.

"Okay, okay, okay, believe me, grandma believes me." Grandma also smiled and patted He Lai's hand.

indoor

The whole family drank porridge together.

"Xiao Laizi, are you sure? If you are, Grandpa will go to pick acorns in the next few days. There should be a lot of them in the forest."

Mr. Wu also hoped that it would succeed. After all, they would be food in the future, and acorns would not go bad in a short time.

"It shouldn't be a big problem. The weather is cold now, so it should be fine soon." He Lai gave an affirmative answer.

"Old man, don't go. Why go into the mountains? It's not like you can't afford food." Old Mrs. Wu firmly opposed Old Man Wu going into the mountains just to pick acorns.

"Oh, I can just bring more people with me. There are two of us, and the He family has four or five people, and we have hunting rifles, so we are not afraid."

Mr. Wu still wants to go.

Mrs. Wu let him do what he wanted. Picking up some acorns shouldn't be a big problem.

noon

"Xiao Laizi, this really looks like dried tofu. Want to cut some and try it?"

Mr. Wu looked at the acorn tofu in front of him.

"Grandpa, let's stir-fry it and put it in a soup. Isn't that how you make tofu?"

He Lai suggested.

"Yes, yes, yes, old woman, come, kill a fish and make some tofu soup."

The Wu family still had some frozen fish that hadn’t been eaten yet, so they made this dish.

"Okay, you wait."

After a while, the crucian carp and tofu soup was ready. He Lai tasted the tofu.

"Grandma, Grandpa, it's delicious, you should try it!" He Lai quickly invited everyone to eat.

"Well, not bad, not bad, this can be done." Old Mrs. Wu said with a smile. After all, acorns are free and all are wild, so it only takes a little time.

Everyone tasted it and finished it in no time.

"Not bad, not bad. Xiao Laizi, you are really good. You can think of this."

Mr. Wu said with a smile.

"Grandpa, this thing has already existed in some places, but we just don't know about it here."

He Lai had no choice but to lie to deal with it. After all, his later experience made many of his things seem so special.

"Well, so, you still have to study, Wu Chang, Wu Sheng, you two brats, why don't you learn from Xiao Laizi.

Look at how well you guys study. I’m thankful that you can finish junior high school. You are not as promising as our little flower!”

Old Master Wu started to use He to lecture his grandsons again, and neither of his grandsons dared to say a word.

He Lai was also very embarrassed. How could they compare with a person who traveled through time like me? Forget it, forget it, let's just run back to grandpa's house.

"Grandpa, um, can I bring some back for my grandpa to try?" He Lai touched his head.

"Okay, old lady, go and get a bowl for Xiao Laizi to take away. You bastard, you're just enjoying the blessing of our family." Old Man Wu unconsciously took out his pipe and wanted to light it.

"Grandpa, stop smoking. You promised your grandson." He Lai saw that Grandpa Wu wanted to smoke again, so he grabbed the cigarette holder.

"Um, okay, okay, grandpa won't smoke anymore." Grandpa Wu smacked his lips.

"Grandpa, I'll go make tea in the afternoon, please wait for me." He Lai took the acorn tofu and ran to the He family.

"Xiao Laizi is right. Smoke less. You seem to be coughing a little now." Old Mrs. Wu also advised.

Mr. Wu tapped his pipe. Only Mrs. Wu could say anything to him. Forget it, forget it. I won't smoke today.

He family

Old Mrs. He has already cooked a plate of acorn tofu.

"Grandpa, grandma, please try it. I've eaten it at grandpa's house and it's delicious." He Lai quickly handed over the chopsticks.

"Well, it's really good, not bitter at all." Grandpa He couldn't stop eating after taking one bite.

"Really? I'll try it too. Yes, it's good. Our little Laizi is really amazing. Now we have one more food to eat."

Old Mrs. He was also very happy. Things like this that have no cost are really good.

After the two of them finished eating, He Lai said, "Grandpa, find someone to take me to town. I want to buy some medicinal herbs."

"Okay, come with me to your uncle's house and see if they are free. Let's go. I have something to do too." Old Man He stood up, patted his trousers, and walked out of the yard.

He Lai hurried to catch up. He seldom went to his eldest uncle and second uncle's homes. Usually, they came to visit Grandpa He.