Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 161 - 160: Roasted Chestnuts

Chapter 161: Chapter 160: Roasted Chestnuts
The days were getting colder, but the villagers of Liu Family Village were getting more restless by the day.
Counting the days, the conscripted laborers who went to the border to transport grain should be returning around this time.
Women and children from other families ran to the village entrance four or five times a day, just hoping their men could return safely.
Those who had a little spare time would group into threes and fives to check out the main road at Lower River Village, and inquire if anyone’s family member had returned yet.
Knowing that laborers from the same county town had returned home, their hearts grew ever more excited and anxious.
Only Qin Yao and her four children acted as if everything was normal, eating and drinking as usual.
Look at this, Da Lang was holding a large basin of chestnuts, and Qin Yao carried a bucket of fine sand from the riverbank. They both insisted on going to the Liu Family’s old house at the right time when He got off work, determined to experiment with Mrs. Zhang and He on roasting chestnuts.
When Mrs. Zhang looked at the sand in the bucket, she frowned, "People don’t use river sand for roasting chestnuts; they use iron sand!"
Qin Yao didn’t care about that; she was craving it so much she couldn’t sleep, and she had to eat it today, even if it wasn’t perfect.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law couldn’t do anything about her, so what could they do? Just roast it.
He brought out a big pot, and Mrs. Zhang lit a clay stove in the yard. The charcoal fire was glowing red, burning vigorously.
The children at home, hearing the commotion and seeing Qin Yao standing by the stove, immediately guessed that their third aunt was making something delicious again.
Jinbao and Jinhua immediately left their playmates, called over Second Lang and the Dragon and Phoenix Twins who were playing with a ball, and rushed into the yard.
Seeing them, He hurriedly waved her hand to shoo them away, "Stay back, don’t get burned by the charcoal."
"It’s not hot, it’s warm. Mom, my hands are cold; let me warm them!" Jinbao squatted by the stove and stretched out his hands as if to roast the fire, but actually, his neck stretched out really long.
Seeing the pot full of sand, he widened his eyes, "Grandma, what are you roasting the sand for?"
Can people eat this? Jinbao wondered internally.
Second Lang gave him a sideways glance, "Don’t you know that you need sand to roast chestnuts?"
Jinbao and Jinhua shook their heads, not knowing.
Sanlang stood far away with his sister, cautioning, "Don’t get too close, or your clothes might catch fire."
The brother and sister looked down at their new jackets. Si Niang even lifted her foot to show her dainty, flower-embroidered shoes, cute and exquisite.
Jinhua had the same pair. The two cousins silently exchanged glances, and Jinhua immediately left her cousin Jinbao, moved over to her sister, warmed her hands, and cupped Si Niang’s rosy, cold face, laughing with foreheads touching.
Soon enough, Jinbao’s exclamation came from the yard—a hole was burned in his new jacket, making He lift the pot shovel to scold him in anger.
Jinbao felt wronged, running around the yard to escape his mother, simply not wanting to leave; fearing if any good food came, he’d miss the first fresh bite.
In the end, Qin Yao, finding him too noisy, grabbed his collar and stopped He’s pot shovel with her hand, advising for peace, thus ending the standoff between mother and son.
As soon as He calmed down, within a few minutes there was noise from the kitchen again. Turning back, she saw Jinbao on tiptoe, trying to fetch the soap above the cupboard to wash his hands, but it was too slippery and fell to the ground.
"Liu Jinbao!" He shouted in anger, "When there’s any good stuff at home, you must ruin it. Your third aunt only gave us two pieces. Your grandmother and your second aunt aren’t even willing to use it to wash their hands, and you dare to touch it again!"
Qin Yao exchanged glances with Da Lang and Second Lang, who were standing obediently beside her, giving them a knowing look.
After some secret shoving between Da Lang and Second Lang, Second Lang surrendered and ran into the kitchen to drag Jinbao away.
"Brother Jinbao, let’s go play in the field!"
There’s mud and straw in the field to make stoves, light fires, and play house. The game is loved by kids from three to twelve years old.
Jinbao’s eyes lit up immediately, but before leaving, he told Jinhua, "Call us when the chestnuts are done!"
Jinhua agreed, exchanging a glance with Si Niang. Both sisters thought, finally, he’s gone.
The yard quieted down, and both the adults and children breathed a sigh of relief.
Mrs. Zhang, looking at the dry sand, asked He for some oil. He was shocked, "You need oil too? With such a big pot, a little oil won’t be enough, right?"
Qin Yao eagerly took out ten copper coins from her bosom, instructing Da Lang to buy half a catty of oil from Liu Huolang’s house.
The young man had quick legs and soon returned with the oil. Mrs. Zhang poured it all into the pot to mix the sand evenly.
Then, they added the chestnuts with cross cuts and began stirring to heat them, roasting until the chestnuts were cooked.
Soon, a delicious aroma wafted out, tempting the Dragon and Phoenix Twins and Jinhua to swallow their saliva secretly.
Qin Yao didn’t show it on the surface but inwardly was very excited.
Finally, under the alternating stirring of Mrs. Zhang and He, the chestnuts were cooked. Although they weren’t roasted with iron sand, they looked quite good.
The sand ensured even heating, preventing them from burning, while the chestnut meat inside was cooked.
Mrs. Zhang shoveled a heap of hot chestnuts into a bamboo basket. In the cold weather, a slight breeze cooled them down, and under the expectant eyes of everyone, Qin Yao picked up a chestnut, peeled it, and popped it into her mouth.
Taking a bite, it was soft and powdery, with a slight hint of caramel sweetness.
Qin Yao gave a thumbs up, "Delicious! You all should try it; it’s really no worse than those sold in the county town."
Although she hadn’t actually tasted the roasted chestnuts from the county town, the taste matched what she remembered.
Seeing this, everyone else couldn’t hold back anymore and each grabbed a chestnut to try. The three little ones who didn’t know how to crack the shells bit them along with the shells, first eating the powdery meat, then spitting out the shell.
He thought that anything with enough oil wouldn’t taste bad, especially when it was chestnuts they had roasted themselves.
She took a bite, and indeed, it was fragrant and sweet, one after another.
Mrs. Zhang, amused by everyone’s happiness, took all the chestnuts from the sand, sifted the sand, and packed them into a bamboo basket, intending to let everyone bring them inside to eat.
But eating indoors didn’t feel as good as in the yard, so no one moved inside. They all stayed by the stove, eating one after another.
Seeing this, Mrs. Zhang could only let them be, and went inside to find a straw mat to cover the bamboo basket, lest the heat dissipate too quickly.
Jinhua ate seven or eight in a row and then remembered to call Jinbao. Together with the Dragon and Phoenix Twins, each stuffed a handful of roasted chestnuts into their pockets before heading out.
"There they go showing off again. Just wait, in no time they’ll be back with empty pockets." Mrs. Qiu helplessly smiled at Qin Yao.
Qin Yao didn’t mind, knowing children have social needs too, "There’s plenty. I still have half a basin at home, and once it’s all eaten, we’ll roast another batch."
Mrs. Zhang and He, with aching arms, shivered slightly at the thought.
He, speaking her mind without restraint, said gruffly, "You better not! If tomorrow I can’t lift the big ladle and delay everyone’s meal at the workshop, don’t blame me!"