The Farm Life Of a "Fool"

Chapter 16

Spicy food was a favorite of Xu Ran's. The same may be said about Liu Tong. Xu Ran cautiously poached a few potatoes and waited for the sauce to be ready before dipping them into it. This was, without a doubt, their first time attempting this recipe.

Liu Tong followed Xu Ran's advice and added the seasonings to the pot. He poured the oil into the bowl of chili powder after smelling the savory aroma. When oil was poured on top of the chili powder, it instantly sibilated. Simultaneously, the spicy flavor emerged. It was the ideal temperature. Xu Ran was eager to place the bowl on the bamboo table's side, where they had already placed some potatoes.

Xu Ran dug some chili sauce and spread it over the potato with a small wooden spoon. The food looked delicious thanks to the reddish chili oil and fermented soybeans.

Xu Ran couldn't wait to try the potatoes after they had cooled down a little. Liu Tong was on one side of him, nervously looking at him.

The chili sauce was incredibly hot. Xu Ran's lips went red after finishing the potato, and he couldn't speak for a while, making Liu Tong even more uneasy. "How's it?, Ran?"

Xu Ran was still attempting to savor the moment. It tasted exactly like the sauce his mother used to make, and he hadn't had it in a long time. Xu Ran was overjoyed to be able to taste it one more today.

He gave Liu Tong, who was still nervous, a bear hug and said, "Thank you, Tongtong. You're incredibly sweet."

Liu Tong was uneasy, and Xu Ran was now holding him in his arms. He was puzzled by this.

Xu Ran hugged him for a while and then let him go. "Tongtong, you are awesome! You made it."

"Really?" Liu Tong was shocked.

"Of course, you can try it yourself." Xu Ran responded. With that being said, he took a potato with chili sauce and handed it to Liu Tong.

Liu Tong took it and thoroughly tasted it. Then he exclaimed, "Wow!" as he opened his mouth wide in surprise "It's delicious, Ran. I did it on my own."  

"Yes, you succeed. Tongtong is awesome." Xu Ran was generous with his compliments.

Feeling extremely excited, they two began to cook nonstop.

The family sat around the table late at night, happily eating potatoes dipped in chili sauce.

The chili sauce was given to Wu Mei's and other friends' families the next day, and Xu Ran and Liu Tong received compliments.

The chili sauce was delicious, but it wasn't worth selling. After some time, it will taste better. They were eventually able to finish the chili sauce. It was September, which meant rice harvesting season had begun.

Wu Mei's family, along with a few other families, owned several acres of rice-growing land. It was now time to harvest the rice. Xu Ran agreed to assist the three families after speaking with Liu Tong. They would have died of starvation if it hadn't been for their help. 

Because they didn't have any tools at home, Xu Ran and Liu Tong took the kids to Wu Mei's house empty-handed. The three families decided to first help Wu Mei with the harvest. Then it'll be Liu Qing's family, and finally Wu Lan's. Given the large number of people involved, it shouldn't take long to be done.

To harvest crops was competing with the weather. It was all about speed.

Xu Ran stayed at home to look after the kids because he was unfamiliar with crops and farming. He also did the cooking, feeding the pigs, and gathering pigweeds, so he was clearly a househusband. As a result, Xu Ran became upset. When it came to farming's busy season, it was critical to make sure that everyone was fully fed; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to work. Xu Ran finally had the opportunity to visit the town.