Episode 8: Spicy and Wine-Flavored Rabbit

Hua Erniang was undoubtedly a beauty, being called "Xiao San'er" by a beauty made one swell with an inexplicable sense of pride in an instant, but... now was not the time to be happy, right?

"Second Sister, you... what did you call me?" Hua Xiaomai felt three drops of cold sweat drip down the back of her head and unconsciously reached out to touch the basket on her back.

She and Meng Yuhuai had just parted ways, had that guy already run to the Jing Family's courtyard to bitterly recount her misdeeds?

Hua Erniang rolled her big and clear eyes, swaying her willowy waist with each step, walked to Hua Xiaomai and raised her hand, giving her a straightforward slap on the head: "You act as the third at home, if not 'Xiao San'er', what should it be called? Why have you come back so late, didn't you see the sun has already set? That short forest gets very damp and cold in the afternoon, if it seeps into your bones, you'll suffer in a few decades!"

Phew, all is well... Hua Xiaomai's heart settled, and she quietly patted her chest. Indeed, guilty consciences lead to no good, this feeling of anxiety, always fearing being caught, was truly unbearable!

"Second Sister, you should call me by my name from now on. I'm already this old, being called 'Xiao San'er' like this, people will laugh at me." She glanced into the house, took the basket off her back, "Has Brother-in-law not come back yet? When I left in the morning, he told me he wanted to eat wonton, so I went to dig up some shepherd's purse and also found a cluster of particularly good Wild Mushrooms, tonight I'll make some for you..."

"Don't rush, come here and take a look." Hua Erniang grabbed Hua Xiaomai's arm and pulled her into the kitchen without any explanation, casually pointing to the ground, "Look, do you know how to cook rabbit meat, or shall we have this for dinner tonight?"

There was a chubby gray wild rabbit tied up with straw rope in the bamboo basket on the ground, round and slick.

"Your brother-in-law really enjoys rabbit meat, it's just that we usually don't have time to go into the forest to catch any. Now that we've got such a rabbit, if you know how to cook it, prepare it for dinner tonight. It would be a nice treat for him." Hua Erniang squatted down to stroke the rabbit's head and sighed, "When I have some spare time, I'll also take him to the mountains to look around, catch one or two more, skin them and make him a scarf, it's warm. If there's any left, I'll sew you a pair of gloves. You manage the household cooking, your hands soaking in cold water all day, it won't do if you don't keep them warm."

Hua Xiaomai felt a warmth in her heart, yet at the same time, she couldn't help but have some doubts.

Just now in the short forest, she vaguely remembered Meng Yuhuai carrying two wild rabbits; this one at home, couldn't be...

"Second Sister, where did this wild rabbit come from?" She had barely let go of her worries before they surfaced again, and she quickly glanced at Hua Erniang.

"From Meng Family's eldest brother!" Hua Erniang said without hesitation, "He said he went to the forest today and caught these two rabbits. He and his mother couldn't finish them, so he kindly brought one over for us. What's the matter?"

"No, nothing." Hua Xiaomai quickly shook her head, slightly hesitantly asked, "Then... didn't he say anything else?"

Damn it, Meng Yuhuai really did come over, now she was in big trouble!

Unexpectedly, Hua Erniang completely misunderstood, waving her hand dismissively and boisterously shouting, "What could he say, you expect him to apologize to me or something? I reckon he also knows that what he said at our house the other day was off the mark, isn't this just sending something over to show his remorse? If he sends it, let's just accept it honestly, why think too much?"

While speaking, she even raised her hand to smooth her hair, a smug expression on her face: "Pshaw, I see that he's usually so cold and indifferent when he speaks, even when he meets girls, it's as if he doesn't place any of the women in Fire Knife Village in his eyes. But what he really thinks in his heart, only he himself knows!"

During her words, there was a clear implication that all of the male villagers of varying ages were smitten by her beauty.

Hua Xiaomai had no time to laugh at her. She downplayed it as much as she could without leaving any trace, "Is it just him and his mother at home? Oh right, he is the Leader, so his family must be in the county, right?"

"What family? I'm just a lone wolf here!" Hua Erniang said with a curl of her lip. "When I first married here a couple of years ago, I did hear that someone had arranged a marriage for him, but it wasn't long after it was set that the girl died! Hasn't that just delayed things until now? His father passed away early, and his mother's temperament is worse than a stone in a dung pit, so stubborn and foul-smelling. And over this marriage affair, she's been making a huge fuss every day, nagging anyone who'd listen. It's amazing that he, on the other hand, is still so composed, not in a hurry at all!"

Not married? Hua Xiaomai completely relaxed, and the corners of her mouth instantly curled up.

Regardless of whether her behavior in the woods had been appropriate, at least she could completely scrape off the accusation of seducing someone else's husband from her mind, and strut around with her head held high!

With this worry out of the way, she instantly felt much lighter. She ushered Hua Erniang out of the kitchen, grabbed the pitiful rabbit, and skillfully skinned and cleaned it, ready to make a dish called "Spicy Rice Wine-Scented Rabbit".

She had some bean paste sauce made by Hua Erniang from the previous year in the house. Hua Xiaomai lifted the lid to smell it and, not giving up hope, dipped her finger to taste it. As expected, the sauce was salty and bitter, with a suspicious hint of sourness. She couldn't be bothered to guess how Taihe had endured the previous years and, taking a small bowl, went next door to borrow some bean paste sauce from the elderly Pan. Meanwhile, she contemplated that since she was destined to stay here, she should prepare various common sauce ingredients next spring and make several jars herself. After all, satisfying one's culinary desires to the best of one's ability is always a top priority in life.

The rabbit was cut into small pieces, blanched in boiling water to remove the blood, then simmered in a small flame along with rice wine, star anise, ginger slices, and a pinch of salt. After about as long as it takes to burn an incense stick, the rabbit pieces could be taken out to drain the water.

She mashed fresh Cornelian cherries and mixed them with the bean paste sauce. A fierce fire roared in the stove, and when the oil in the wok was heated to caramelization, she first threw in a pinch of Sichuan pepper to bring out the aroma, then stirred in the rabbit pieces. Once the meat had a light golden-red hue on the surface, she added the Cornelian cherry-bean paste mixture and garlic slices to the wok. At that point, she poured half a bowl of rice wine over the rabbit, igniting a blaze around the edges of the wok with a "whoomph", sizzling, and the intense aroma of wine assaulted her senses.

"Sis, what are you making that smells so good?" Jing Taihe, who had just returned from the blacksmith's shop, entered the door and took a deep breath.

The old man Pan leaned against the door frame of his courtyard, craning his neck to look this way without pause, murmuring to himself, "Such skill, amazing... Taihe is finally seeing better days..."

Only Hua Erniang sat in the courtyard, plucking at the weeds irritably, "Hmph, the dishes I make aren't much worse, right?"

To accompany the Spicy Rice Wine-Scented Rabbit, Hua Xiaomai made a special steamed sorghum rice. The grains were golden and glowed attractively in the candlelight. After plating the rabbit, she sprinkled fried peanuts and a small bunch of scallions on top, shiny and bright red, making one's stomach, already hungry, seem twice as empty in an instant.

The dishes were served, and Jing Taihe couldn't wait to pick up chopsticks, his eyes radiating sheer delight. He grabbed a piece of rabbit and stuffed it into his mouth, savoring it for a while without speaking, and then reached for a second piece.

"Oh dear, be careful not to burn yourself!" Hua Erniang, feeling bitterly jealous, couldn't help but speak up, "Is it tasty?"

"Crispy skin, tender meat, the wine flavor has permeated the flesh, spicy and fragrant!" Jing Taihe hastily replied amidst his busyness, "So spicy, truly spicy!" he remarked, while reaching for another piece with his chopsticks.

"Is it really that good?" Hua Erniang, skeptical, also took a small piece to chew. She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and muttered softly, "It's just... just average..."

Her words lacked conviction, causing Hua Xiaomai to laugh uncontrollably on the side. She quickly served a small bowl of rabbit meat, "Second Sister, today's dish was a success thanks to the bean paste from Elder Pan's house. I'd like to share some with him and Grandma."

"Go after you've eaten. Aren't you tired after all that work?" Hua Erniang tapped the rim of the bowl.

"I'll take it to them while it's still hot, Pan Elderly and his wife are probably having dinner right now. The rabbit won't taste as good if it's heated a second time," Hua Xiaomai said as she walked to the door with the bowl, turning her head to smile at Hua Erniang and Jing Taihe, "You two go ahead and eat, I'll be right back."