Chapter 44 Pumpkin Sticky Rice

The two of them went to the vegetable patch behind the house with baskets in hand.

　　It's August now, and Crescent Village is next to Wangyue Mountain, and it's starting to get cold in the morning and evening.

　　There are many autumn cucumbers as long as an adult's hand hanging on the cucumber stand, and two rows of cowpeas planted next to them are also hanging densely, waiting for people to pick them.

　　Ye Anyian and Jiang Zhu picked cucumbers and cowpeas.

　　In autumn, you should choose the tender ones to eat. Old ones have thicker skin, thicker flesh, and less tender taste.

　　However, the two of them usually come over in a few days to see if any of them have grown, and they pick and eat them as they go. None of them are too old.

　　Ye Annian picked a few mature ones, and then picked a few tender ones and put them into the basket. Seeing that there were many ripe fruits on the fig tree next to him, he picked a few easily.

　　These days, no pesticides are used when growing things, and the farmyard fertilizer applied is also clean. Ye Anyian rubbed the skin with his hand, then broke it open and tasted one. It was indeed sweet.

　　Seeing Jiang Zhu still picking cowpeas, he went around the field to look for him.

　　Between the two ridges of cowpea racks, Jiang Zhu was holding a basket and reaching out to pick cowpeas.

　　Ye Annian walked over and handed a clean fig to Jiang Zhu: "The fig is ripe and quite sweet."

　　Jiang Zhu was holding a basket in one hand and picking cowpeas with the other. When he saw Ye Annian handing over figs, he subconsciously wanted to free his hand to pick them up.

　　But he had just picked the cowpeas and his hands were not clean, so he wiped them on his clothes.

　　At this moment, Ye Annian had already opened the fig, squeezed out the pulp and stuffed it into his mouth.

　　The soft flesh of the fruit touches the tip of the tongue, and the sweet taste spreads in the mouth.

　　Jiang Zhu was startled for a moment, and when he raised his head, he met Ye Anian's cold spring-like eyes with a smile.

　　He also laughed: "It's very sweet. Can you pick more to eat?"

　　Ye Annian looked at the ripe purple figs he picked in his basket: "I picked all the ripe ones."

　　There are only five or six small fruits in the basket, which are very conspicuous lying on a few green autumn cucumbers.

　　"Then let's split up."

　　Jiang Zhu looked at the cowpeas that he had picked for most of the basket, then pulled Ye Anyian to the ground and found a place to sit down.

　　"There are still a lot of fruits on the tree. Let them wait for a few days to eat. Let's eat this one."

"Okay." Ye Annian took out all the figs in his basket, gave three to Jiang Zhu, and kept three for himself.

　　The outer skin of ripe figs is lavender, and the plump tops are cracked, revealing the red flesh inside.

　　With a light fragrance and a delicious sweetness, Ye Anian still felt a little unsatisfied after eating three of them. He didn't know if it was because he and Jiang Zhu secretly ate alone.

　　"Woof!"

　　"Woof woof! Woo~"

　　Several dog barks were heard, and Tong Qian's chubby little body rushed over like a cannonball.

　　Ye Annian threw away the remaining fig peel on his hands and wiped his hands on his clothes, feeling as if he had been caught.

　　Jiang Zhu also finished eating at this time, stood up first, and then reached out to pull him.

　　Copper Coin rushed up to the two of them and began to play around their feet, sniffing everywhere with its little nose.

　　Seeing it like this, Jiang Zhu smiled and joked with Ye Anian: "Look, this dog's nose is like a spirit. We can even attract it by eating a fig."

Ye Anyian knelt down and touched Tongqian's furry dog ​​head: "Tongqian, you didn't see anything just now."

　　Copper Coin stuck out her tongue and rubbed his hand, looking at him with a pair of bright black eyes without blinking, wondering if she understood.

　　"You can't do this."

　　Jiang Zhu also squatted down, stretched out his hand and tapped the tip of Coin Coin's nose, and said temptingly: "Don't tell Fu Zai and Ding Qiu, I will steam sweet pumpkin for you when you get back."

　　"Woof!"

　　Tongqian suddenly tilted his head, wagging his tail and flying up, rubbing against Jiang Zhu's feet, then turned around and ran away.

　　Jiang Zhu pulled Ye Anian to his feet and said with a smile, "Look, it understands."

　　"That's just a copper coin fool," Ye Anian curled his lips, "How can a dog be bribed by a pumpkin?"

　　Jiang Zhu raised his eyebrows: "What? The pumpkin glutinous rice I made is delicious."

　　Ye Annian nodded cooperatively: "That's natural, everything you cook is delicious."

　　The two of them directed and performed a play for themselves while playing with the copper coins, and returned to the yard talking and laughing.

　　The sun was shining brightly at noon, and Ye Anyian was in the main room packing up the freshly picked autumn cucumbers and cowpeas.

　　Jiang Zhu brought the big pumpkin that was placed in the medicine house. After washing it with water, he cut the pumpkin in half and took out the pulp inside.

　　Ye Anian washed the cucumbers and cowpeas, picked out two tender ones and gave each of Fuzai and Dingqiu one to eat directly. The rest was cut into pieces and served cold later.

　　Wash the cowpeas and cut them into sections and fry them with the bacon later. After he finished doing this, he went to see Jiang Zhu's progress.

　　Jiang Zhu had already soaked the red dates, raisins and glutinous rice. He first put a few wolfberries on the bottom of the hollowed pumpkin, then spread a layer of glutinous rice, and then spread a thin layer of brown sugar on the glutinous rice.

　　Seeing Ye Annian coming to see him, he asked, "Would you like it sweeter or lighter?"

　　"Sweeter." Ye Anyian said.

　　After Jiang Zhu spread another layer of glutinous rice on the brown sugar, he started to spread another layer of brown sugar. After that, he sprinkled the soaked raisins directly on the brown sugar, then spread the glutinous rice, then brown sugar, and finally topped it with red dates.

　　Seeing what he was doing, Ye Anyian blinked: "There are so many layers."

　　The pumpkin glutinous rice made by grandma is much simpler than this. You just need to soak the glutinous rice and put it in the pot, put the cut pumpkin pieces and red dates in it, steam it in the pot, and when it comes out of the pot, pour it out and mix it with sugar. .

　　"Yes, the pumpkin glutinous rice steamed in this way is sweet and soft, and the texture is layer by layer, so it will be delicious." Jiang Zhu said, "If you don't like sweet food, then add less brown sugar in a few layers."

　　Just listening to what he said, Ye Anian could already imagine how fragrant the pumpkin glutinous rice would be when it came out of the pot.

　　"I feel like if you don't want to be a doctor anymore, it would be a good idea to open a shop and sell food."

　　Ye Anyian said this sincerely. He really thought Jiang Zhu's food was good.

　　Jiang Zhu put the two halves of stuffed pumpkin on the basket in the pot to steam. Hearing this, he smiled at Ye Annian: "Forget it, I don't like to deal with these oils, salts, sauces and vinegars all day long."

　　Ye Annian was startled, and then he thought that he was usually too lazy. After living here for so long, he seemed to have only cooked two or three times.

　　And as Jiang Zhu's husband, it seems that he should do these tasks. At least this is the rule here for husbands and brothers.

　　After Jiang Zhu finished speaking, seeing Ye Anian's stunned expression, he knew that he must have gone astray.

　　He took the handkerchief on the stove and wiped his hands, pinched Ye Annian's face: "What are you thinking about? I just don't like to be busy in the stove all day. But if I make it for you and Fu Zai, , that's different."

　　Ye Anian was pinched in the face by Jiang Zhu, and he was still a little stunned. He didn't realize what he meant by saying this, and asked: "Why is it different?"

　　"Cooking food for the people you like is something that can make people feel happy." Jiang Zhu said.

　　Ye Annian looked at him, his cold eyes suddenly widened.

　　Damn it, he seemed to understand what Jiang Zhu meant.

　　"Well, yes, yes. The pot is boiling outside, I...I'm going to feed the chickens."

　　The hands hanging by his sides secretly grasped the sleeves, Ye Anyian pursed his lips, and walked into the yard with hands and feet.

　　Jiang Zhu caught a glimpse of the red tips of his ears, raised the corners of his mouth, and shook his head helplessly.

　　After the food was ready, Jiang Zhu called for dinner in the main room, and Ye Anyian, who was wandering around the yard, went in to serve the food.

　　The weather is hot now, so they eat lunch on the stone table in the courtyard and save time to clear the tables and stools.

　　Fragrant fried cowpeas and bacon, cold autumn cucumbers, and the staple food is sweet pumpkin glutinous rice.

　　Jiang Zhu served everyone a bowl. The pumpkin had been steamed until it was soft and rotten. After emptying out the glutinous rice, he scooped out some of the pumpkin flesh and covered it with everyone's glutinous rice.

　　The yellow and orange pumpkin flesh is sweet and glutinous when you take a bite, and when paired with the sticky glutinous rice, it is so sweet that it fills your mouth.

　　Fu Zai took a bite with a spoon, and his eyes lit up. There were pumpkins, red dates, and raisins, all sweet and pumpkin-flavored. He could eat a big bowl even if he just ate.

　　"Guo Guo! Eat it!"

　　Fu Zai ate the delicious food with big mouthfuls, and then he was surprised again: "There are also... wolfberries!"

　　"Your little tongue is quite clever." Ye Anyian reached out and wiped away the rice particles stuck to his mouth.

　　"Hehe..." Fu Zai laughed.

The pumpkin glutinous rice was sweet and delicious, and Ye Anyian ate it to his liking.

　　Although they are both sweet and glutinous, the taste is indeed different from what grandma makes.

　　"how is the taste?"

　　Jiang Zhu's voice rang in his ears.

　　Ye Anyian nodded and praised without hesitation: "It's delicious."

　　It tasted better than he remembered.

　　Hearing what he said, Jiang Zhu became satisfied.

　　Ye Annian caught a glimpse of Jiang Zhu's smiling side face and heard what he just said again.

　　Cooking food for the people you like is something that makes people feel happy.

His face felt hot, and he stood up pretending to be nothing, picked up the remaining pumpkin peels on the table and fed them with copper coins.

　　The copper coins were really delicious. After eating the pumpkin, I licked the palm of his hand with my little tongue.

　　The palm of my hand was immediately wet and itchy from being licked.

　　"No more." Ye Anyian spread both hands to show Copper Coin.

　　Copper Coin waggled its tail, pounced on him and covered both of his hands, then squatted down and looked at him.

　　"It's really gone." Ye Annian said helplessly, "I'll make it for you next time."

　　He reached out and touched Copper Coin's head and sent the puppy away.

　　As soon as he stood up, Jiang Zhu suddenly grabbed his wrist.

　　"Huh?" Ye Anyian looked at him doubtfully.

　　Jiang Zhu showed a foxy smile and without saying a word, directly grabbed his hand and put it under his nose.

　　Ye Anyian:...

　　"Ugh~"

　　Sure enough, the puppy's mouth is very smelly.

　　Wash your hands!

　　You must wash your hands immediately!

　　Ye Annian rushed to the washstand and rubbed the soap locust several times.

　　Jiang Zhu put away the dishes and looked at Ye Anian smiling.

　　Fu Zai was confused and wanted to ask Ding Qiu, but Ding Qiu couldn't see it.

　　So he jumped up to Ye Anian with a cane and asked, "Brother, brother, what's wrong with Dr. Jiang?"

　　"Why do I have to look at you and smile?"

　　Ye Anyian:...

　　Seeing Fu Zai's innocent look, he suddenly laughed too.

　　After picking up Fu Zai and placing him on a small stool beside him, Ye Anyian called for the copper coins.

　　Fuzai didn't know why and reached out to touch the copper coin. The copper coin happily rubbed against Fuzai and licked his hand, making Fuzai giggle.

　　"Haha, it's so itchy!"

　　"Brother, why exactly?"

　　The child has not forgotten what he just asked.

　　Ye Annian smiled: "Pick up your hand and smell it."

　　Fu Zai blinked his big black round eyes, raised his little hand, put it under his nose and sniffed for no apparent reason.

　　Then...

　　"vomit!"

　　"Ugh...my brother is a bad person!"

　　Fu Zai frowned and held his little hand that had been licked by the copper coins away from him.

　　"Brother and Dr. Jiang are bullying people!"

　　Jiang Zhu's eyes curled up as he smiled, and Ye Anyian also raised the corners of his mouth.

　　Happiness doesn't disappear, it just shifts.