Chapter 920: Crispy....
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Su Fengmao and Shen Qiuhua felt relaxed as they sat inside. The windows were open, letting in the summer breeze.
“The wind here feels so good.”
Su Binglan smiled and explained, “Jin’an and I chose the location for this farm. It’s pretty good because of the breeze.”
She picked up a kettle and went to pour water for her parents, but Luo Jin’an took the kettle and helped her. Su Binglan simply smiled at her husband. The couple had a tacit understanding of each other.
The family drank some water and rested for a while before returning home in the afternoon. On the journey home, they took another street in Su Teng Village’s development site.
There was a milk tea shop on this street, and of course, the family saw several people queueing up there. Su Binglan asked her nephews, “Do you want some?”
Su Xuehai was younger and more enthusiastic than his older brother. He
nodded vigorously, saying, “Yes, please, Aunt Binglan!”
Su Xuexuan also wanted milk tea but was too shy to ask. Even so, he was already seven years old. He had become more mature after studying at Blue Mountain Academy for so long.
“All right, I’ll order it for you.” Although Su Binglan was the shop owner, she still stood in line and waited to order. After all, there were so many people lining up outside.
When Su Binglan returned to the carriage, Shen Qiuhua sighed and said, “l heard there’s a milk tea shop in town, too. There are always people queueing there also.’
“That’s because milk tea tastes so good,” Liu Yinyin said smilingly, “l noticed more young ladies wanting to buy milk tea compared to men.”
Shen Qiuhua added, “Even your grandmother and aunt like drinking milk tea. Still, we can’t drink too much because there’s a lot of sugar in it. It’s okay if we drink it occasionally.”
It was getting late when the family reached home. They were busy for a while, especially when Su Fengmao had to extract the wheat grains and dry them. Afterward, he had to grind them at the mill.
The whole family was busy with their crops while Luo Jin’an chopped plenty of firewood for them to use that night.
Su Binglan said, “Father, Mother, let’s bring a few basins to the pond to gather cicadas.’
Although everyone wondered how many cicadas they could catch, they did not doubt her. Therefore, everyone did as she said and went to the pond together. Su Binglan found a spot to sit and said, “Let’s make a fire here.”
“All right,” Su Fengmao said as he laid the firewood.
“Father, even though there’s a pond here, you’ll have to be careful with the fire. Don’t let the embers get too far.”
Shen Qiuhua added, “You’re right, Binglan. The embers might escape and cause a fire. Please be careful, dear.’
Su Fengmao said, “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. 1 can handle this minor issue.”
Cicadas chirped by the pond all summer night. One could tell there were many of them there. The trees beside the pond were enormous, and the cicadas were not visible from above.
“We have to shake these trees,” Su Binglan said, “The cicadas will then fly off and into the fire. Afterward, we’ll pick them out.”
“We can do that,” Su Wenzhe said with a smile. However, after some thought, he said, “Wait, how will we shake such enormous trees?”
“I’ll shake it,” Su Binglan said as she approached the tree.
“Here, let me help.” Luo Jin’an took his wife’s hand, and the duo shook the tree together.
Su Wenzhe remembered his brother-in-law as Young Marshal Wei. He knew ordinary people would have failed to shake the tree, but not Luo Jin’an. Su Wenzhe looked at his brother-in-law admiringly.
When Luo Jin’an returned, he continued practicing martial arts with Su Wenzhe. Of course, the latter could not compare to Luo Jin’an’s skills and strength.
Su Wenzhe heard that his brother-in-law had been practicing martial arts since he was still a child. Naturally, Luo Jin’an possessed higher internal strength.
Soon, the cicadas flew off the tree and toward the fire before burning and falling to the ground. Su Wenzhe picked up the cicadas and said, “It’s so simple if we can just pick them up like this.
“I only knew how to hunt cicadas with sticks last time. Sometimes, I’d only catch a few after trying all afternoon. I’ve already picked up so many this time.”
“Father, I got some, too,” Su Xuexuan said excitedly.
“Me too!” Su Xuehai refused to let his brother outdo him. It was only natural for children to like doing such things. The two boys were not afraid of cicadas and simply picked them up.
Shen Qiuhua, Liu Yinyin, and Su Wenxiu joined in, too. Everyone was excited, while Su Binglan was happy to see her family having fun.
“Are these enough, Binglan?”
Su Binglan looked at the lot and said, “That should be plenty. We also have enough to give some to Granduncle and Grandpa.”
Su Wenxiu sighed. “I didn’t expect to catch so many cicadas.”
“It’s normal for so many to show up during summer. They kept chirping even when we were napping in the afternoon.”
The family caught many cicadas before going home together. Then, Shen Qiuhua soaked them in water to prevent them from flying away. Meanwhile, Su Binglan cleaned and stir-fried some snails.
Immediately after, she began to fry the cicadas. After lighting a fire, she added oil to the pot and then fried the cicadas. Soon after, she added cooking wine and seasonings.
She fried the cicadas until they were as crispy as possible. That way, it would test the best. Su Binglan said, ‘I made these snails and cicadas a little spicier. Grandpa can’t eat much chili, so I’ll send him and the others a different batch later.’
Su Fengmao said, “Your grandpa would be delighted if I went. I’d be happy to visit him while I’m at it.’
Su Binglan said, “Okay, you can send Granpa’s share over. Oh, don’t forget to teach Granduncle and the others how to eat the snails. Take these toothpicks, too.”
Su Fengmao happily said, “You’re so attentive, my dear daughter.”
After some thought, Su Binglan asked, “Oh, Mother, where are the pearl necklaces for Grandma and Aunt Dingwan?”
“They’re here. I can send them over tonight. I’ll go with your father.” Shen
Qiuhua had already planned to visit Dingwan and Old Madam Su anyway..