The Koi Wife of the Prime Minister

Chapter 176: Can't do farm work

After the cleaning was completed, the house was left to air out for a few days, and then the jars of sauerkraut were moved in.

Bean curd sheets have also started to be made. In a few months, we will have to start making pickled peppers, chopped peppers, etc.

Soon, it was the day for planting rice.

Shen Yan began to make a special kind of rice cake, which was made by mixing the colors of various vegetables and fruit juices together to make a rice cake with nine colors, also called nine-color cake.

This kind of rice cake has a layered taste. The main ingredients are the rice that was harvested before the New Year, plus the juice of leeks to make rice milk, and the dried gardenia fruits are also soaked in water and turned into a paste.

Then add pure white rice and chopped tomatoes. These colors have good meanings, symbolizing rice planting in spring, harvest in autumn, golden rice, and snow-white rice. The red color of tomatoes symbolizes a prosperous life.

A good harvest every year is what the villagers look forward to.

After making the rice milk, Shen Yan started to make the nine-color cake.

This pastry is not only colorful but also has a dense texture. It is an indispensable delicacy for local people during festivals.

Shen Yan first cooked the glutinous rice in a bamboo cooker. She controlled the heat precisely so that every grain of rice could maintain a plump taste.

At the same time, she prepared natural ingredients of various colors, such as yam juice, carmine, spinach juice, blueberry juice, etc. Each color represents different meanings and wishes.

The next step is the most critical. Shen Yan needs to do two things at once. Divide the cooked glutinous rice into nine portions and add ingredients of different colors and mix them evenly.

She used her soft fingers to gently knead each ball of glutinous rice, allowing the color to fully penetrate and present brilliant and colorful colors.

She then places each ball of dyed glutinous rice into the cake mould layer by layer, pressing it gently to ensure that each layer is even and compact.

Finally, she spreads a layer of white rice paste on the top of the pot, making the whole pastry look as smooth as jade.

This process requires patience and skill, only in this way can the pastry maintain its perfect color and taste.

Finally, when all the dyed glutinous rice is placed in the mold, Shen Yan carefully puts the pastry into the steamer and steams it slowly over low heat.

She would occasionally flip the steamer to ensure that the cakes were heated evenly, and would occasionally gently insert a bamboo stick to check for doneness.

Shen Yan paid attention to the timing to ensure that the rice cake was cooked through but not too mushy.

During the steaming process, the house is filled with the aroma of rice and various ingredients, making people salivate.

When the steam rises and the aroma of food fills the air, the whole village seems to be immersed in the delicious fragrance of pastries.

Shen Yan smiled, knowing that her efforts would soon be rewarded. This was not only a delicacy, but also an expression of her love for life.

Finally, when the nine-color cakes were steamed, with bright colors and tempting aroma, Shen Yan carefully took them out and placed them on a beautiful plate, ready to welcome the elders and children in the village to share this delicacy from the bottom of her heart.

After it was done, Shen Yan first gave some to Sister Xiaolan and asked her to taste it.

Not long after, Sister Xiaolan also made meat and vegetarian meatballs, as well as sweet potato cakes.

Sister Xiaolan thought of the sweet potato cake, which is the most popular snack among the villagers. It is a simple but sweet and delicious snack.

She picked the freshest sweet potatoes from the fields near the village. They had bright red skin and flesh and were sweet and rich in flavor.

First, Sister Xiaolan peeled the sweet potatoes, cut them into small pieces, put them into a pot, added water and cooked them.

She is good at controlling the heat so that the sweet potatoes are cooked to just the right softness and texture.

After taking out the cooked sweet potatoes and draining the water, Sister Xiaolan began to mash them into a fine paste with a wooden spoon.

Her technique was skillful and she used just the right amount of force to ensure that every piece of sweet potato was turned into a smooth puree.

Next, Sister Xiaolan put the mashed sweet potatoes aside and prepared to mix it into the filling for the pastries.

She took out a bowl of fine sugar, sprinkled in a few white sesame seeds, added a little bit of pure spring water, and stirred evenly.

This sugar sesame filling is the soul of sweet potato cake, bringing a sweet and mellow taste.

Next, Sister Xiaolan formed the sweet potato puree into small balls, each of uniform size, and then gently flattened them with the palm of her hand.

She took out the filling she had prepared in advance, wrapped it in the center of the sweet potato puree ball, and then gently flattened it again with her palm so that the filling was evenly wrapped in the sweet potato puree.

Finally, Sister Xiaolan put each shaped sweet potato cake into a frying pan and fried them over low heat.

She makes good use of a wooden spatula, turning the pancakes over from time to time, making them golden on both sides, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

During the frying process, a sweet sweet potato aroma spreads, making people salivate.

When the sweet potato cakes were fried until golden and crispy, Sister Xiaolan took them out one by one and placed them on a beautiful plate.

Each cake is plump and tempting, exuding a strong home-cooked flavor.

After completing this village specialty, Sister Xiaolan felt satisfied.

After it was done, he asked the children at home to send some to Shen Yan.

By the end of the month, the whole village was busy with farming.

Shen Yan's family doesn't have much land, so they are not in a hurry. Even when taking their sister Wang Lin to plant rice, they move at a leisurely pace and are not in a hurry at all.

Wang Lin had no experience in transplanting rice seedlings. She was a little kid and was laughed at by other boys in the village.

To be honest, Shen Yan didn't know how to do farm work. When she was standing barefoot in the water, leeches crawled onto her legs.

Shen Yan jumped up in fright and was laughed at by everyone.

When Shen Yan was laughed at by everyone, she felt a little embarrassed and uneasy.

She had never really participated in farm work and was unfamiliar with these activities, so she seemed clumsy during the rice planting process.

As a child, Wang Lin lacked experience and was not very good at such farming activities.

Looking at the other children and adults in the village doing their farm work skillfully, Shen Yan felt a little helpless.

She knew she needed more practice and guidance before she could really handle these farm tasks.

However, she also realized that these taunts might not be malicious, but a form of teasing and interaction among the children in the village.

During the busy farming season, Shen Yan and Wang Lin worked hard in the fields every day.

Compared with Shen Yan's mentality, Wang Lin's mentality is relatively good. Even when encountering setbacks, she doesn't feel anything and always comforts her sister.

Although there were many difficulties at first, they gradually mastered the techniques of transplanting rice seedlings.

Shen Yan learned how to correctly control the moisture content of the soil, and Wang Lin also gradually became proficient under the guidance of her sister.

As time went by, Shen Yan gradually gained recognition and respect among the villagers, and they began to realize that Shen Yan and Wang Lin were also working hard to learn and grow.

Gradually, the children in the village stopped teasing them and were willing to share with them the joy and hard work of farming.

Shen Yan also discovered that during these days, the relationship between her and Wang Lin became closer and more intimate.

The two sisters worked together in the fields and their relationship deepened.