The Koi Wife of the Prime Minister

Chapter 182 Salted Duck Eggs

That was where Shen Yan often set up her stall, and it was also the place where the two of them would most likely meet again.

"Perhaps meeting her at the market would be a good start."

Song Yunfeng hoped silently in his heart.

As he followed Song Yuntang towards home, the uncertainty about the future in his heart was mixed with a hint of anticipation.

When it was almost dark, Shen Yan saw that there were not many customers left, so he prepared to close the stall and go home.

After returning home, Shen Yan started to boil hot water to prepare to rinse the dining cart and the wooden barrels containing the dishes.

When Shen Yan returned home, she first lit the stove in the kitchen and placed a large iron kettle on it.

She took out a bundle of dry firewood and some charcoal from the cupboard, gently placed them under the stove, and lit the fire.

The flames burned fiercely under the kettle, gradually heating the water in the kettle to boiling.

While waiting for the water to boil, Shen Yan walked into the yard and picked up the wooden dining cart and the wooden barrel containing the dishes.

These wooden containers are already a bit greasy and covered with food residue after a day of use.

She first rinsed the residue in the bucket with clean water, then wiped the oil stains on the food cart with a damp cloth to ensure the surface was clean.

Shen Yan then went back to the kitchen and checked the kettle.

When the water boiled, she caught the hot water in a large wooden trough, which was specially used for washing dishes.

She poured in some cool water and adjusted the water temperature so that the washing process would not burn her hands but would be thoroughly clean.

Shen Yan took out a piece of soap, rubbed it on the wooden barrel and the dining cart, and began to scrub them carefully with a scrubbing brush.

She brushed and rinsed with clean water, making sure every corner was carefully cleaned.

The food residue in the wooden barrel was slowly washed away, and the barrel wall became clean and bright again.

After completing the initial cleaning, Shen Yan checked all the tableware and wooden barrels to make sure nothing was missed.

She rinsed it again with clean water and then placed the barrel and the dining cart in the sun to dry.

The sun shines warmly on wooden utensils, causing them to dry quickly.

Throughout the entire process, Shen Yan tried to be meticulous and thorough, because she knew that only clean dining carts and wooden barrels could satisfy customers. Otherwise, if problems were found, there would be fewer repeat customers.

Losing customers is a small matter, but losing your reputation is a big deal.

After doing all this, Shen Yan went to the chicken coop to check on the chickens and ducks. Now the chickens and ducks have grown very big.

Shen Yan was about to feed the chickens, so she started preparing bran and wild vegetables for them.

When Shen Yan finished cleaning the dining cart and wooden barrels, she walked to the chicken coop in the yard.

As dusk gradually fell, the sunlight shone softly on the chicken coop, and the chickens and ducks had grown fat and strong.

Shen Yan stood at the door of the chicken coop and clapped his hands gently, which attracted the sound of chickens crowing and ducks quacking.

She took out the bran and wild vegetables prepared for the chickens from the small granary.

The bran is made from corn and wheat and is rich in nutrients, while the wild vegetables are fresh vegetables picked by Shen Yan from the fields every morning. They are both fresh and healthy.

Shen Yan first sprinkled the bran in the feeding trough of the chickens and ducks, and gently mixed it with her hands to ensure that every chicken and duck could eat it.

She enjoys close contact with the chickens and ducks, and communicates with them softly every time she feeds them, as if they can understand her words.

Then, Shen Yan cut the fresh wild vegetables into small pieces and scattered them on the ground.

When the chickens and ducks saw the food, they immediately became excited, and the sound of pecking filled the chicken coop.

Shen Yan looked at them with a smile, enjoying the time spent with the animals.

When all the chickens and ducks had almost finished eating, Shen Yan took out some clean water and replaced the drinking water for them.

She cleaned her homemade poultry waterers, making sure the water was clear and pure, which was essential for the health of the chickens and ducks, because otherwise they would be sick and lay fewer eggs.

Shen Yan observed the condition of each chicken and duck, and after making sure they were full and satisfied, he left the chicken coop with satisfaction.

She knows that good husbandry and feeding are the key to keeping chickens and ducks healthy and producing high-quality food.

After feeding the chickens and ducks, Shen Yan went in and picked up some chicken and duck eggs while they were eating. It was because Shen Yan fed them well that they were willing to lay eggs.

There were a lot of duck eggs, and Shen Yan was afraid that they would go bad and she wouldn't be able to eat them, so she planned to make them into salted duck eggs.

Thinking of this, Shen Yan put on his backpack again and went up the mountain to dig red mud. The salted duck eggs pickled with red mud mixed with salt water are delicious.

Shen Yan gently closed the door of the chicken coop, leaving a group of satisfied chickens and ducks behind, and quickly walked towards home.

She knew that today's harvest would not only be the fresh chicken eggs and duck eggs, but also buckets of delicious salted duck eggs waiting for her careful preparation.

After returning home, Shen Yan first went to the storage room in the yard to take out some clean pottery jars and basins.

She already had a plan in mind: to use the red mud and refined salt she dug up to pickle a batch of brightly colored and delicious salted duck eggs.

She put the dug red mud into a large wooden barrel. The red mud had a fine texture and carried the fragrance of earth.

Then, Shen Yan rinsed the red mud with clean water until the water became clear and mud-free, so that the pickled salted duck eggs would not have an earthy smell.

She put the processed red mud back into the barrel and slowly added the carefully measured coarse salt.

Shen Yan was not in a hurry. She knew that every step had to be done precisely to ensure that the final salted duck eggs would have a uniform taste.

While stirring, feel the changes in the mixture of red mud and salt in your hands.

She didn't start the next step until she felt the mixture was even and the red color of the soil and the white salt were perfectly blended.

Shen Yan moved the red mud and salt water in his hand aside and took out the prepared pottery jar from the storage room.

She carefully placed each duck egg into the jar one by one, and then coated each egg evenly with red mud brine.

Her movements were unhurried, as if she was performing a sacred ritual for each duck egg.

The duck eggs in the jar were gradually covered with red mud and salt water. Shen Yan made sure that each duck egg was evenly wrapped without any exposed eggshell.

Shen Yan knew that this was the only way to make the salted duck eggs more evenly pickled and more flavorful.

Finally, Shen Yan covered each pottery jar with a lid and carefully placed them in a cool and ventilated place.

She was ready for the weeks-long wait, looking forward to the day when she would open the jar and smell the rich, salty aroma.

After they finished, it was already dark and Shen Yan felt a little hot.

She thought that the bathtub she had customized from a carpenter not long ago should be ready by now.

Thinking of this, Shen Yan went to the old carpenter to get the bathtub he had customized.

Shen Yan closed the door of the storage room, leaving behind a piece of salted duck eggs that were quietly pickling in a ceramic jar.

She felt a little tired, but her heart was filled with satisfaction and anticipation.

Crossing the courtyard, Shen Yan came to the old carpenter's workshop.

The workshop was brightly lit and the carpenter was organizing his tools.

Seeing Shen Yan, the old carpenter came up to her with a smile: "Miss Shen, are you here to get the custom-made bathtub?"

Shen Yan nodded and responded with a smile: "Yes, Master Carpenter, are you done?"