Affection for Sidaogou during the Famine

The squeezed juice flows into the barrel along the grooves carved on the wooden bottom plate, and the clear sugarcane juice is obtained. The squeezed juice needs to be boiled immediately, otherwise it will easily deteriorate.

Next, you need to pour it into a large pot, light the fire and start boiling the sugar, that is, heat the syrup to a certain concentration.

Boiling sugar is the most critical step. Too high a temperature will damage the quality of the sugar, and too low a temperature will cause the juice to have too low viscosity, affecting subsequent efficiency and finished product quality.

Therefore, the heat is critical! During the sugar boiling process, you need to stir repeatedly to prevent the syrup from sticking to the bottom or crystallizing.

This is a very tiring job!

Han Zhaozhao is not afraid of being tired, she just treats it as training. This job can not only exercise arm and wrist strength, but also waist strength. She is not in a hurry, just do it slowly, isn't it just making candy?

Apart from being a bit hot from the fire while guarding the big pot, everything else was acceptable.

Han Zhaozhao pulled out an electric fan, connected it to the line and started to blow it.

After the sugar is boiled, the syrup needs to be crystallized. This process mainly involves cooling the concentrated syrup so that it gradually crystallizes.

Han Zhaozhao went to the warehouse and found a large bundle of oil paper. He used wooden planks to simply nail together a few large wooden frames to make a mold, laid out the oil paper, and poured the boiled syrup into the mold.

Okay, now wait for the syrup to cool and harden into shape, and you’ll get old brown sugar.

When Han Zhaozhao went to bed that night, it was already 2:30 in the morning.

Han Zhaozhao was so tired that he was in a daze the whole night. His arms were sore and swollen, and no matter how he fiddled with them, it didn't work. But he was also very sleepy and didn't fall into a sound sleep until dawn.

She slept in and didn't get up until nine o'clock. While brushing her teeth, she watched the old lady clean the yard.

"Grandma, who came this morning? Why did I hear so many people talking so loudly?"

The old lady leaned on the broom and replied: "I asked them to keep their voices down.

Aren't they neighbors in the alley? When the canteen was closed, everyone was short of food and iron pots, and they didn't even have firewood. Once the news spread, wouldn't they dodge?

Go to the backyard and take a look. We have put down more than half of the firewood this morning, but it's not even burnt yet!"

After washing up, prepare to have breakfast.

"Zhao Zhao, I'll eat first. I left some rice in the pot for you. It's not that grandma didn't want to cook. There were so many people coming and going at home this morning, so I cooked pumpkin and corn paste.

However, I have cooked five potatoes for you under the stove. Don’t forget to take them out and eat them.

I plan to go to the company tomorrow and report for work. I heard that several bad elements have been taken down in the past few days, and the scrap collection station will be busy again. I'm afraid your Grandpa Wang can't handle it alone."

Han Zhaozhao understood her grandmother's thoughts as soon as she lifted the lid of the pot, "Grandma, I know that we have to keep a low profile when cooking for the next period of time.

Don’t we have sorghum rice and dried sweet potatoes at home? Let’s cook multi-grain porridge in the morning and at noon. It will fill us up without being noticeable.”

The middle-aged wives and old ladies of this era are all very experienced in life. They can analyze what kind of food people eat at home just by taking a quick glance.

In case someone comes to borrow food every day, they will have to eat diet meals for a while!

Han Zhaozhao held a bag of grain and carried a stool and went to the grain store to queue up to buy grain.

As soon as I arrived at the street where the grain store was, I met a large group of people walking towards me with their heads hung low.

"Eh? Isn't this the little girl from the Han family?"

The face looked familiar. It should be the neighbor lady in the alley. "It's me. Auntie, are you here to buy food too?"

"Hey, don't mention it. I got up early and went to the market late! I waited in line for half the night, and there were only three people left before my turn. I didn't expect that there was no food!

Isn’t that unlucky? I have to queue up again tonight!"

Han Zhaozhao exclaimed in exaggeration: "What? The grain store is out of food now? What time is it now?

Didn’t the neighborhood committee say yesterday that the grain store had transferred some food? Why is it sold out now?”

The old lady kindly told her: “There are too many people buying food, and the food store has sold out. However, the salesperson said that there is still plenty of food in the warehouse, but we need to get the food from each food store.

Please come back early tomorrow to buy it. If you come late, you may not be able to get a number.

Girl, you came too late. If you want to buy food, you have to queue up in the middle of the night.

Look at me, I came at three o'clock, but I didn't even get a spot. Luckily, my husband brought back four pounds of sorghum rice yesterday morning, so our family can survive for another day. Otherwise, we would have to go hungry today."

Han Zhaozhao followed the crowd back in disappointment. A young wife behind her asked her, "Don't you have food at home? I heard that when the canteen was still open, your family had already started cooking for themselves."

Oh, someone is jealous already?

"Hey! Forget about it, we all eat in the cafeteria, so we don't need to use fireworks, and we can just wait for the meal.

But my grandma broke her leg due to a work-related injury and can’t get off the kang. There’s nothing we can do but cook at home?

Eating is not a big deal, since you get food from the canteen anyway.

But I had to boil medicine three times a day for two months. I was exhausted just collecting firewood, and I had to find time to do volunteer work.

You don’t know, but we, the grandparents and I, suffered a lot around the New Year.

How can there be any surplus food at home? Don’t you know that everyone has a quota! ”

"Then why is your grandma so kind as to lend out the food? Zhao Zhao will tell your grandma when you go back that you can't be so shameless in your life!"

Han Zhaozhao looked back and saw that it was Grandpa Guan. There was another old man next to him who looked familiar, but she didn't pay much attention to him.

"Why are you talking about this? I can't help it. We are old neighbors. How can my grandma give him face when he comes to her?

My grandma told me to just have some liquid food instead of watching the kids cry from hunger.

The old neighbors were generous, and they didn’t complain that the food was too little even though each family only shared half a pound of food. It’s only difficult these few days. My grandma said that if everyone helps each other, we will get through this difficult time.”

Grandpa Guan was also a good joker, and he said angrily: "If we still can't buy food, what will you two eat?

That's the problem with your grandma. She loves everyone's child. They have parents and family, so why should she be so arrogant? "

Han Zhaozhao smiled apologetically: "You are the same, too. You are reluctant to eat the delicious food and leave it for us, right?"

Everyone smiled kindly, and the old man next to Grandpa Guan spoke up, "Zhao Zhao, why do you see Grandpa Zheng ignoring us? Does he forget me?"

Grandpa Zheng? Where did Grandpa Zheng come from?

Han Zhaozhao’s brain crashed!

The man looked familiar, but she couldn't remember who he was.

Han Zhaozhao scratched his head and greeted him with an embarrassed smile: "Hello, Grandpa Zheng! It's my fault. I was just busy chatting with the ladies. Are you going to buy food too? Did you buy any?"

The old man smiled, probably because he could see that Han Zhaozhao had forgotten about him. He pointed at her with his index finger and said, "Little girl, have you forgotten Grandpa Zheng? You said you would come to see me when you have time, but it's been a year and you haven't shown up.

Years ago, I was talking about you with your grandson, Uncle Bai. I don’t know how you two are doing.

When I met Brother Guan, I found out that your grandmother had injured her leg and you had to be by her side to take care of her.

By the way, please come to the police station sometime. Your uncle Sun and his friends have left some White Rabbit candy for you!"

Han Zhaozhao slapped the back of his head and said, "Oh my god," I suddenly remembered. Isn't this Grandpa Zheng Zhongyi, the security guard at the police station?

Hi! This is what happened. At the end of the year before last, she went to the police station to give them New Year gifts (two kilograms of tofu each)!