"No need, no need, you should go back early! Don't worry about kneading the dough, there are so many people at home. Just come back early tomorrow to help!" Grandma Su said busily.
These children, no wonder they could play with her own precious darling, they were all good children.
But it was already nine o'clock, and if they went back any later, she wouldn't be at ease.
"Then we'll head back first and come again tomorrow." Yu Ruiyuan agreed immediately.
She was familiar with the Su family and knew that when the Su family worked, the women didn't work while the men watched.
Men had more strength, so the task of kneading dough was generally left to the men in the family.
Qi Xiaofang wanted to say something more, but Yu Ruiyuan pulled her away.
Yu Ruiyuan also quite liked the few girls who stayed at their home.
Diligent, hardworking, and kind children, who knew how to find ways to earn money and lighten the burden on their families.
Although they were girls from the countryside, they were neither servile nor overbearing, were good people, understood etiquette, and knew how to advance and retreat. They were children who would have some good fortune in the future.
"Let's go, we're going back. We can still make a few more hair ties."
Yu Ruiyuan smiled and led the three hesitant girls away.
Grandma Su then arranged for Old Third Su to work with the remaining brothers, San Gong and Xiao Si.
"You have more strength, knead the dough, and we'll help you."
Old Third Su had been helping since he was young and was very familiar with the process. He moved out the flour bags and found large basins to prepare.
San Gong (when I first wrote, I wanted to write Xiao San, but to avoid ambiguity, I insisted on writing San Gong instead of Xiao San) and Xiao Si immediately stepped forward to help busily.
Su Xiao Tian also wanted to help her two older brothers, but she was persuaded by her brothers and grandparents.
"Precious darling, your brothers are doing it, you just watch, it's tiring!" Grandma Su poured her granddaughter a cup of water and had her sit on the side to watch.
Su Xiao Tian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had grown up, why were they still treating her like a child?
There were so many people in the family, they had to knead quite a lot of dough.
How long would it take for just the three men to finish?
Clearly, Su Xiao Tian had not anticipated the fighting power of the men in the family.
The uncle and his two nephews, each holding a large basin, kneaded a basin of dough in no time.
The women in the family were really just assisting, helping to scoop flour and add water.
With the whole family working together, they had kneaded several large basins of dough in a short time.
Grandma Su busied herself covering the kneaded dough with basins of the same size, then wrapping them with clean cloths and placing them on the warm kang.
The weather was cold now, and if they weren't placed in a warm place, the dough definitely wouldn't rise by the next morning.
Therefore, Grandma Su carefully placed all the dough basins on the warm kang and also covered them with blankets.
After all these tasks were completed, the family members returned to their rooms to rest.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, as the Su family woke up, the Du family elders had already arrived with the three girls.
"You're up so early." Grandma Su asked with a smile, "Have you eaten breakfast? Liang Xiu is cooking porridge. After breakfast, we'll start working."
They were all familiar with each other, so they didn't stand on ceremony. They came as soon as they got up and hadn't eaten anything.
"We just came to eat."
"Besides millet porridge, we'll also boil some eggs. Each person gets one, to keep you full!" Grandma Su added.
"Grandma Su, I'll help wash the eggs." Qi Xiaofang immediately offered.
She ate a lot, so she should work more.
Grandma Su smiled, "Alright, with so many people, boil a few more."
Breakfast consisted of millet porridge, vegetable buns, eggs, pickled vegetables, and cut fruit.
More than ten people ate breakfast, chatting and laughing.
After breakfast, the family members divided their tasks and began to work diligently.
Grandma Su directed her children and grandchildren to move the dough basins from the kang into the kitchen one by one.
"So much?" Yu Ruiyuan asked in surprise.
"Of course, it has to be this much. I'm thinking with so many people, we not only need to make steamed buns and flower rolls, but also fried oil cakes, fried mahua, and youguozi. We also need to make some boat-shaped steamed buns and prepare some buns too," Grandma Su said, counting on her fingers.
In previous years, when the family's conditions were not as good, they dared not make such a fuss. Now that their conditions were good, they could eat as much white flour as they wanted, so of course, they had to make more.
Yu Ruiyuan thought, isn't that right? The Su family had dozens of people. If each person ate one steamed bun, it would take quite a lot.
Plus, they had to send some to the orphanage, and they also had to give some to Old Chi. If there wasn't enough, it wouldn't suffice.
"Indeed, since we're making them, let's make them all at once."
"That's what I was thinking too. Today, we'll make all sorts of steamed buns. By tomorrow, we'll focus on meat. We need to prepare braised pork, spicy pork, and winter fruit pork. Fried meatballs and fried crispy pork shouldn't be missed either," Grandma Su said happily.
As she spoke, she also sighed, "It's only in the new society that we can live a good life and eat steamed buns made of white flour. Before, even steaming buns, we had to mix in some cornmeal."
Yu Ruiyuan smiled, "It's only your family's good fortune now; other families don't have this condition."
The Su family was diligent and hardworking, had ambition, and was truly lucky, which was why they had such a good life now.
In fact, many families might not be able to afford so much white flour for the New Year.
"This is also because we've encountered good times, so we can live such a life. Before, no matter how capable you were, it was all for nothing! After working hard for a year, all the grain went to the landlords!" Grandma Su lamented.
"That's true. We've encountered good times, so let's live well for a few years. It won't feel like we've come to this world in vain."
"Grandma, you still have decades to live, and the good days are still ahead." Su Xiao Tian said with a smile, hugging Yu Ruiyuan's arm.
"Good, Grandma will wait to enjoy your blessings."
Yu Ruiyuan didn't understand the meaning behind Su Xiao Tian's words, only thinking that Su Xiao Tian meant she would be filial to her in the future. She smiled so broadly that her eyes crinkled.
Grandma Su watched the interaction between the old and young woman, a smile on her face, without a trace of jealousy.
"One basin of dough for steamed buns, one basin for boat-shaped steamed buns and flower rolls, one basin for fried oil cakes, and the rest for youguozi and mahua."
The old lady decisively allocated these tasks.
Different doughs had different requirements for kneading and ingredients to be added.
Steamed buns needed to be slightly firmer, so that the steamed buns would be dense and filling.
Buns needed to be rolled out, and the dough should be slightly softer, but kneaded to be elastic, otherwise, the skin would break easily.
For fried oil cakes, it was best to add lard, honey, and eggs, so that the fried oil cakes would be rich in flavor and sweet.
For fried mahua and youguozi, the key was crispiness.
"Let's steam the boat-shaped buns first. While the buns are steaming, we can wrap the baozi."
Yu Ruiyuan's culinary skills were not good. Even when making dough, she could never make them look presentable.
Even after following Grandma Yu to make boat-shaped steamed buns many times, the ones she made were still clumsy and unattractive.
Grandma Su also knew Yu Ruiyuan's weakness, so she asked her to help peel onions and cut vegetables, while she, along with Liang Xiu, quickly finished making the buns and put them in the steamer.