The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 386 - 357 The Familiar Taste, "Big Glutinous Rice Balls" _1

Chapter 386: Chapter 357 The Familiar Taste, "Big Glutinous Rice Balls" _1

Qi Shuliang left Qi Zhenghan reading books in the study and went downstairs.

Seeing the cleaned shepherd’s purse on the cutting board, his face lit up with joy, "Mom, how did you know I wanted to eat shepherd’s purse dumplings?"

"Hehe, of course I knew, I always make them when spring comes. Sometimes when you forget, you dig up the shepherd’s purse yourself and ask me to wrap them for you," Third Grandma Qi said with a beaming smile, "You don’t get to eat these here, do you?"

"I do eat them, sometimes I go to Chinatown for some, but none of them taste as good as the ones you make," Qi Shuliang said with praise. His words pleased Third Grandma Qi, but they were also true, the taste indeed wasn’t authentic.

Seeing her husband speak so excitedly, Anna knew that her husband really liked the food his grandma made. She washed her hands and came over to help.

The maid minced the meat as He Tiantian had instructed.

He Tiantian picked up the kitchen knife and, on the cutting board, "bang, bang, bang" chopped the meat—this made the filling firmer.

Third Grandma Qi chopped the vegetables very finely, then also chopped scallion, ginger, and garlic, and put them in a clean bowl before starting to knead the dough.

A dough enough for seven to eight people was prepared, then covered with a bowl for it to rest.

By that time, He Tiantian had finished chopping the meat filling, which was combined with the shepherd’s purse.

Third Grandma Qi added oil, salt, and some seasonings, starting to season it thoroughly, stirring the meat filling non-stop. To ensure the taste, she spooned out a little to try, and the flavor was just right.

The dough had rested and was ready for rolling out the wrappers when He Tiantian realized the house only had one thick rolling pin, which was used for making bread and wasn’t suitable for rolling dumpling wrappers.

"Tiantian, what should we do without a thin rolling pin?" Third Grandma Qi felt troubled because it was already too late to go to Chinatown to buy a rolling pin.

He Tiantian also felt troubled.

What should they do now?

The filling was almost ready, they couldn’t just not make the dumplings!

Just then, Qi Shuliang’s eyes brightened, and his gaze fell on a drinking glass bottle, two fingers wide and thirty centimeters long. He grabbed it, removing the wrapping paper from the top.

"Will this work?" Qi Shuliang asked, a bit eager to eat dumplings.

He Tiantian nodded, "Yes, yes!"

After cleaning it, He Tiantian began rolling out the dough, a small piece of dough turning into a circular dough skin with thinner edges and a slightly thicker middle.

"Now we can make dumplings." After rolling out a few dumpling wrappers, He Tiantian found the makeshift glass rolling pin quite handy.

Qi Shuliang washed his hands and started making dumplings with Third Grandma Qi.

"Dad, I want to learn too," Qi Zhengmin said, finding it fun, and went to wash his hands.

"Alright, come here, Dad will teach you," Qi Shuliang said cheerfully, showing his daughter how to wrap dumplings with his hands.

Seeing Qi Shuliang also knew how to make dumplings, Anna asked her husband to teach her as well.

The kitchen was occasionally filled with the family’s knowing laughter.

Upstairs, Qi Zhenghan finished the homework his dad had left for him and came downstairs, only to see his sister with a face painted like a small calico cat.

Everyone was gathered around, and Qi Zhenghan felt shy.

Seeing that the wrapping was almost done, He Tiantian told Qi Zhenghan, "Zhenghan, don’t just stand there, fill that big pot with water. Once it boils, we can cook the dumplings."

"Alright." Qi Zhenghan was happy to be involved.

Once the water started boiling, He Tiantian began to cook the dumplings.

"Zhengmin, the dumplings you made are all weird shapes. You’ll have to eat them after they’re cooked," He Tiantian joked, estimating that most of the dumplings Qi Zhengmin made would end up just as pieces of dough.

"Sister Tiantian, don’t do it," Zhengmin said with a pained expression. "Grandma said the dumplings I make will break, and the filling will end up in the soup, leaving us with just the skins." Just thinking about it made her realize that dumpling skins were not as tasty as the stuffing.

One by one, the plump white dumplings all floated to the top.

Zhenghan brought over a plate, and He Tiantian scooped the dumplings onto it.

Third Grandma Qi asked everyone what dipping sauce they preferred and had prepared several different kinds.

Anna actually wanted ketchup.

Qi Shuliang had a bit of a heavy taste, opting for vinegar with minced garlic.

Zhengmin, like Zhenghan and Third Grandma Qi, all chose vinegar.

He Tiantian liked it spicy, so she added chili sauce to her vinegar.

Once a pot was ready, He Tiantian asked Third Grandma Qi to take Shuliang and Zhengmin to eat while she took care of the next pot.

When another pot was done, Zhenghan and Shuliang came back with their plates, ready for another serving.

Anna, Third Grandma Qi, and Zhengmin were also quite satisfied with their meal, but their appetites had their limits, and they couldn’t eat any more.

When it was He Tiantian’s turn to eat, Zhengmin looked over with big eager eyes, swallowing her saliva.

"Zhengmin, you’ve eaten plenty," Anna said, comforting her daughter while stroking her head. "Grandma is so talented, she’ll make more delicious food in the future."

Hearing this, Zhengmin looked at her grandmother and asked, "Grandma, will you make us more delicious food like this in the future?"

During this period of time, Third Grandma Qi had been bored with nothing to do, but seeing her granddaughter enjoy her cooking had given her a new goal. She nodded and said, "Of course, of course. Tonight, I’ll make you spring rolls."

"That’s really tasty," He Tiantian said, giving a thumbs up. "Once you eat it, you can’t forget it."

"Yay!" Zhengmin beamed with joy.

Shuliang and Zhenghan, having eaten two big plates of dumplings, were very pleased.

Seeing how much her husband enjoyed the meal, Anna had already memorized the steps, planning to make some for him whenever possible.

He Tiantian saved some dumplings for the maid, allowing her to taste them too.

After eating, she eagerly asked how to make them, as she liked the flavor.

From then on, whenever Third Grandma Qi and He Tiantian used the kitchen, the maid wouldn’t hide away anymore; instead, she watched closely and took notes, determined to learn and add the recipe to her repertoire.

Of course, this was done with the consent of He Tiantian and Third Grandma Qi.

Since it was just everyday food, He Tiantian and Third Grandma Qi didn’t mind at all—take notes freely!

On Sunday, it was time to listen to opera at the Auspicious Building again.

Today’s performance was "The Romance of the West Chamber," which Third Grandma Qi knew well; she listened with rapt attention, the melodies lingering in her mind.

Before they knew it, He Tiantian and Third Grandma Qi had already been in Country M for almost a month.

He Tiantian lived every day to the fullest, but when the deep of the night brought stillness and silence, she would think of her parents and Huo Yingjie.

After washing up, Tiantian extended her left ankle and said, "Gurulu gurulu mi······"

The Snake King promptly emerged!

Originally, the Snake King wanted to make an imposing entrance, but as soon as it appeared, it turned into a chubby baby and fell onto He Tiantian’s big bed.

Instantly, all sense of intimidation was lost, replaced only by a pink and adorable appearance, like a giant glutinous rice ball.

Even in this state, the Snake King looked out the window with a woeful expression and kept silent, a hint of melancholy on its face.