The Crown Princess is busy fishing

The family enjoyed the food while chatting about the interesting things that happened at the annual market.

After a short rest, they continued to stroll around the year-end market.

Red paper used for writing couplets.

lantern.

There's also a new set of bowls and chopsticks.

Finally, Lin Yuge and Xie Jingwan each bought a hairpin they liked.

Only when the sky turned red with the glow of dawn did they set sail home, fully loaded with New Year's goods.

Before the Lunar New Year, the family did not go out again.

The cellar at home was crammed full.

Various ingredients prepared for the Chinese New Year were neatly arranged.

Those buckets contained fish, rice, flour, cured pork and sausages, and some fruits and vegetables that could be stored for a long time.

Two days ago, Zhang Meng's family slaughtered a pig, and Xie Jingwan even went to buy a few pounds of pork.

Thinking of the bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain, there should be plenty of winter bamboo shoots there at this time of year.

Lin Yuge then pulled Lin Qingzhou and said, "Brother, let's go to the bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain to dig for winter bamboo shoots. I heard that stir-fried winter bamboo shoots with meat are delicious."

Lin Qingzhou became interested as soon as he heard that there was delicious food to be found.

The two then picked up small hoes and baskets and headed enthusiastically toward the bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain.

Upon arrival, one is greeted by lush, verdant bamboo groves.

The winter sun shines through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow.

The two carefully searched for traces of winter bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest.

Soon, Lin Qingzhou shouted, "Little sister, look here, there seems to be one."

Lin Yuge hurried over and saw a small, slightly raised mound on the ground.

Lin Qingzhou carefully used a small hoe to gently remove the fallen leaves and soil.

A winter bamboo shoot, still carrying the scent of earth, gradually emerged.

"Brother, it really is winter bamboo shoots!"

They carefully dug out the winter bamboo shoots and put them in the basket.

With this discovery, the two became even more confident.

They kept moving through the bamboo forest, digging up a lot of winter bamboo shoots one after another.

As time went by, the basket filled with more and more winter bamboo shoots.

Lin Yuge estimated that these winter bamboo shoots would last a long time.

I was just about to call my older brother back.

Suddenly, Lin Qingzhou put her index finger to her lips.

She whispered, "Little sister, listen, can you hear something?"

Lin Yuge stopped in her tracks upon hearing this and listened intently.

A faint "squeaking" sound reached my ears.

She looked at Lin Qingzhou curiously and asked, "Big brother, what is that sound?"

Lin Qingzhou frowned and pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Little sister, that sound sounds like a bamboo rat."

“We encountered this when we were cutting bamboo a while ago. Let’s go take a look.”

The two carefully followed the direction of the sound.

They found a small opening in a dense bamboo forest.

The squeaking sound was coming from inside the cave.

Lin Qingzhou said excitedly, "Little sister, it must be a bamboo rat burrow. Maybe we can catch a few."

As he spoke, a hint of lingering enjoyment in his voice, "That stuff was delicious."

"Brother, have you eaten here?"

"Yes, it was caught by Zhang Meng and the others when they were cutting bamboo last time."

"I even learned from them how to catch these little creatures!"

He first searched the surrounding area and blocked the entrance of what appeared to be a bamboo rat burrow with stones and mud.

Only one main entrance was left.

Lin Yuge watched from the side, somewhat doubtful, "Big brother, will this really work?"

Lin Qingzhou said confidently, "Don't worry, little sister. This way, the bamboo rats can only come out from this hole."

“If we stay here, we’re sure we can catch them.”

As he spoke, he gathered some dry grass and branches and started a small fire not far from the cave entrance.

Then, gently fan the smoke with your clothes, letting it drift slowly towards the bamboo rat's burrow.

Soon after, an even more rapid "squeaking" sound came from inside the cave.

Lin Qingzhou stared intently at the entrance of the hole and excitedly said to Lin Yuge, "Little sister, wait, this bamboo rat will soon be unable to stand it and run out."

Sure enough, not long after, a plump bamboo rat rushed out of the hole.

Lin Qingzhou reacted quickly and grabbed the bamboo rat by the tail.

The bamboo rat struggled desperately in his hand, but could not escape.

Lin Yuge looked at the bamboo rat in his hand with some curiosity.

They're chubby and quite cute.

Lin Qingzhou put the bamboo rat into the basket.

Smiling, she said to Lin Yuge, "Come on, little sister, let's see if there are any more."

They continued using the same method and soon caught another bamboo rat.

The two then headed back home.

When Xie Jingwan got home, she saw the two bamboo rats and was so frightened she almost jumped up.

She took a few steps back in alarm.

He shouted sternly, "Lin Qingzhou, what is this thing? How come it's such a big rat?"

Lin Qingzhou and Lin Yuge couldn't help but laugh when they saw their mother's reaction.

Lin Qingzhou quickly explained, "Mom, this isn't a big rat, it's a bamboo rat, it's delicious!"

Xie Jingwan listened with skepticism.

Lin Fanghai heard his wife's exclamation from inside the house.

He hurriedly put down the crossbow he was working on and came out.

He looked at the bamboo rat on the ground and said to Xie Jingwan with a smile, "Jingwan, this is indeed a bamboo rat."

"The kids are skilled; it's not easy for them to catch this thing."

Xie Jingwan frowned and said, "Is this thing really edible? It looks kind of scary."

Lin Fanghai nodded and said, "Don't worry, bamboo rats are a rare delicacy in some places."

"I'll take care of it later, I promise you'll get to try it."

Hearing that she didn't have to deal with the big rat herself, Xie Jingwan was immediately relieved.

She then went to start a fire and cook.

Lin Yuge and the other person helped peel the winter bamboo shoots.

Xie Jingwan went to get a piece of meat, preparing to make stir-fried pork with winter bamboo shoots.

In the kitchen, firewood crackled and burned, steam rising from the fire.

Xie Jingwan skillfully chopped the meat and bamboo shoots.

As the oil in the pan heats up, it sizzles and releases a fragrant aroma.

Lin Yuge watched quietly from the side, unable to get involved.

In today's information age, she knows how to cook many dishes.

But she's a total klutz when it comes to handy things.

Aside from seafood dishes, which were slightly better, other more complicated dishes couldn't be made.

So I could only occasionally hand over the seasonings my mother needed.

Lin Fanghai was handling the bamboo rats on the side, his movements clean and efficient.

Soon, the stir-fried winter bamboo shoots with pork was ready, its color bright and its aroma enticing.

Next, Xie Jingwan blanched the bamboo rat that Lin Fanghai had cleaned and took it out.

I'm going to make braised bamboo rat.

Heat oil in a wok again, and once the oil is hot, add scallions, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings and stir-fry until fragrant.

Then, she put the blanched bamboo rat into the pot.

As the bamboo rat is continuously stir-fried, its skin gradually turns golden brown.

Next, she added soy sauce, rice wine, sugar and other seasonings to color the bamboo rat evenly.

Finally, add water, cover the pot, and let the bamboo rat simmer slowly.

Before long, the braised bamboo rat was ready.

The rich aroma is mouthwatering.

This prompted Lin Qingzhou and Lin Yuge to keep peeking out.

However, they were truly useless in the kitchen at that moment.

We could only wait anxiously for dinner to be served.

Lin Qingzhou chuckled and teased his younger sister.

"Little sister, you still need to practice your cooking skills, otherwise what will you do in the future?"

Lin Yuge said nonchalantly, "It's okay, I'm easy to feed. If I can't take care of you, we'll just eat seafood every day."