Chapter 103 - 94: Making Steamed Buns

Chapter 103: Chapter 94: Making Steamed Buns

That afternoon, Grandpa went back to work for the production team. Xiao Man closed the courtyard gate, then brought out her medical books and a rubber anatomical model to study under the pear tree. Hearing that Xiao Man wasn’t at school, Grandma took a moment before it dawned on her: students didn’t have class on Saturday afternoons.

So, Grandma shuffled into the house, pulled a bag of flour out of a wooden chest, and enthusiastically decided to teach Xiao Man how to make buns.

Xiao Man: ...

’Didn’t we say we’d make the buns tonight?’

But she saw that Grandma was already fumbling to pour flour into the enamel basin painted with goldfish, so she rushed over to help. After putting away her books and the anatomical model, Xiao Man washed her hands. Following Grandma’s chattering instructions, she mixed the water and flour in the correct proportions, then covered the bowl and placed it by the warmer side of the stove in the kitchen. With that done, she started preparing the fillings.

Grandma knew that tomorrow was Sunday and that Xiao Man and her friends were going into the mountains with Grandpa to gather fruit, so she deliberately told Xiao Man to make extra dough. "The fact that you’re in the fifth grade isn’t just because of your own hard work; it’s also thanks to the help from Guan Ailan and the others," she said. "So let’s make extra buns today. You can take them up the mountain tomorrow and give one to everybody. It’s a rare treat for us country folk, and it’ll be a nice way for you to show your friends you care."

Xiao Man agreed, asking Grandma, "So how many kinds of fillings should we make?"

"Is there much bok choy left in the garden?" Grandma asked in return.

"There’s still a little, and some Shanghai bok choy too. I scattered the seeds along the edge of the radish patch, so there’s enough for another week."

"In that case, let’s make a shiitake mushroom and bok choy filling and a pickled vegetable filling. There are also some toasted sesame seeds in the cupboard. We can crush them with a little salt and make a sesame filling, too. Your grandpa loves sesame."

Xiao Man was speechless. "I love sesame too, but buns with a salty, crushed sesame filling? Isn’t that a little weird? Grandma, how about I buy some white sugar and we make a sweet kind instead?"

"All right. As long as you and your grandpa will enjoy it, let’s make them," Grandma said.

So Xiao Man took a yuan and ran to the production brigade’s cooperative store to buy white sugar.

They had brown sugar at home, but it was better to save that for making ginger tea or sweet glutinous rice balls. Xiao Man preferred to use white sugar for the sesame filling anyway.

The cooperative store was empty of customers. Lin Liuping sat alone by the entrance, knitting a sweater. When she heard the sound of running footsteps, she looked up and saw it was Xiao Man. A smile blossomed on her face. Her eyebrows curved like willow leaves over a pair of large, sparkling eyes. Her oval face was fair with a rosy blush, the color of the climbing roses blooming in Xiao Man’s courtyard. ’She really lives up to her reputation as the number one beauty of Gongdao Village,’ Xiao Man thought. ’In a future generation, she could run circles around those internet celebrities.’

"Sister Liu Ping, I need to buy some white sugar!"

"Okay, I’ll weigh some for you now. Xiao Man, I haven’t seen you in so long! You’ve changed a lot—you’re getting prettier and prettier!"

"You’re the pretty one, Sister Liu Ping! You’re our village belle!"

"What? Village belle?"

Lin Liuping stood up to stretch. Distracted by Xiao Man’s comment, she stumbled and nearly fell, grabbing onto Xiao Man to steady herself. "You little rascal, are you teasing me! Tsk, tsk, look at this dewy, rosy little face. Let me give it a pinch!"

After Lin Liuping pinched her cheeks twice, Xiao Man couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. ’I barely have any flesh on my bones. You’re a grown young woman; your skin is even more supple and firm, not to mention you’re gorgeous. By that logic, shouldn’t I get to pinch you back a couple of times?’

Her gaze then fell on the half-finished, sapphire-blue sweater lying on the chair. An idea sparked in her mind, and she asked, "Sister Liu Ping, who are you knitting that for?"

Lin Liuping answered as she weighed the sugar, "Oh, that? It’s for my uncle."

"Oh, your handiwork is amazing, Sister Liu Ping! Is that a herringbone stitch? It’s beautiful! It’s a shame I’m all thumbs. My Grandpa and Grandma don’t even have any sweaters to wear!"

Xiao Man wasn’t being falsely modest—she really didn’t know how to knit. In her past life, she was always busy working. Later, when she moved to the city, everyone wore machine-knit wool sweaters that were soft, light, and warm. Who would still wear something hand-knit?

Lin Liuping finished weighing a yuan’s worth of sugar, tied the bag shut, and said with a smile, "You can learn. It’s not that hard. But you’re a student, so you probably don’t have the time. It’s sweet that you’re so thoughtful. How about this: you get your Grandpa and Grandma’s measurements, and I’ll knit them for you. I’ve got plenty of time. But do you have any yarn?"

Xiao Man’s heart leaped with joy. "If you’re willing to help, Sister Liu Ping, that would be wonderful!" she said quickly. "I don’t have any yarn right now, and you haven’t finished your current project yet. By the time you’re done with that sweater, I’m sure I can get the yarn!"

Lin Liuping nodded, then asked, "You still need ration tickets to buy good wool yarn these days. Do you have any?"

Xiao Man paused. "Yarn needs tickets, too? I don’t think we have any."

Cloth and meat tickets were common in the countryside, but grain tickets were rare. After 1977, ration tickets became less and less important, but you still needed them for certain things, especially high-quality goods. That was how they rationed them out to the common people.

"Other types of yarn don’t require tickets, but pure wool is only available with them," Lin Liuping said. "How about using a different kind? Acrylic works, too."

Xiao Man shook her head. The two sweaters Sister-in-law Sun had given her were both pure wool. She couldn’t possibly wear wool sweaters herself while giving her Grandpa and Grandma ones made from acrylic yarn that sparked with static. "I’ll go home and ask. Maybe we have some tickets that I just don’t know about."

"After I finish the collar on this one, I’ll only have the two sleeves left. That should take me three to five days. You can bring the yarn over then," Lin Liuping said. "It’ll take about three weeks to knit your Grandpa and Grandma’s sweaters, and the really cold weather should be here by then."

Xiao Man took the bag of sugar from her. "Okay, thank you so much in advance, Sister Liu Ping! When I have a school holiday, I’ll come and learn how to knit from you. By the way, how late will you be here? My grandma is teaching me how to make buns, and I’ll bring you some when they’re done!"

Lin Liuping’s face lit up with surprise. "Really? That’s wonderful, getting to eat buns! In that case, two would be great. I can have them for dinner. Then I won’t have to go anywhere and can just watch the store until seven before heading home."

Xiao Man said, "They’re all vegetarian fillings, by the way. We’re making shiitake and bok choy, spicy pickled vegetable, and sweet sesame. I’ll give you five. You can eat three and take two home for your younger brother and sister."

When Lin Liuping heard Xiao Man mention her younger siblings, an image of her own room flashed through her mind—a complete mess. Her locked drawers had been pried open, the neatly folded clothes in her trunk had been worn and then carelessly stuffed back in, and there were several black shoe prints on her clean bedsheets... Her expression darkened, and her tone grew flat. "No, don’t worry about it. Your family doesn’t have much to spare. Two is plenty for me. I like vegetarian fillings."

Xiao Man didn’t press the issue, simply waving goodbye before she left.

Just as she was walking away from the brigade headquarters, she saw Guan Ailan running toward her, a large bowl in her hands. Guan Ailan said she was there to buy salt.

Xiao Man told her that her family was making buns to take to the mountain as rations the next day, and that there would be enough for everyone.

Guan Ailan was overjoyed. "Making buns? That’s so special! I’ve never even seen one before! I’m done with my chores for the day, so can I come over and help in a bit? Oh, and about the flour—can you use cornmeal? My family has meal ground from our waxy corn, and it’s really soft and glutinous when we make griddle cakes with it. How about I bring some over? If we mix it in, we can make a few more, can’t we?"

Xiao Man: ...

’Well, I’ll give you credit, Guan Ailan, you’ve got some good ideas,’ Xiao Man thought. ’In the future, cornmeal becomes a popular health food. It’s actually delicious for making whole-grain steamed buns and pastries.’