Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 223: The first twelfth lunar month begins to bloom, and the blood-shadow feather light refle

Xiaoyu smiled and replied, "I'm going to make some cured chicken and duck. Winter is coming soon, and some cured food will help us get through the winter."

Ah Cai nodded repeatedly and said, "That's a good idea. Let's get started and prepare."

After that, everyone walked into the house together. The house instantly became lively with discussions about making cured chicken and cured duck.

Yuyu blinked curiously and asked, "Mom, are these chickens and ducks cured in the same way as the cured fish and pork?"

Xiaoyu smiled and nodded, saying, "It's the same. First, you have to clean the chickens and ducks, carefully removing the internal organs and stray hairs. Then, evenly rub salt on their bodies, inside and out. The amount of salt must be controlled carefully. Too little and they'll spoil easily, and too much and they'll be too salty to eat."

"Then add some peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon and other spices and marinate for a while to allow the flavor to fully penetrate."

"Once the marinade is fully absorbed, hang it in a well-ventilated and dry place to dry it out in the sun. Let the wind slowly dry out the moisture. After this process, the cured chicken and duck will be ready. They will taste delicious when you eat them."

Yu Yu listened as if she understood something, her eyes full of anticipation, as if she had already seen the tempting cured chicken and duck hanging under the eaves.

Li Hao clapped his hands and said loudly, "Alright, alright, let's start killing the chickens and ducks. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can feel at ease."

As he spoke, he took the lead and walked to the open space on the side, rolled up his sleeves, and the muscles on his strong forearms bulged slightly, showing his usual ability and strength.

Xiaoyu also put down the things in her hands, took off the apron around her waist and tied it tightly, and carefully tied up her hair to prevent it from falling apart in the busyness.

She walked to the corner where the tools were placed, picked up a sharp chicken-killing knife, weighed it lightly in her hand to test the weight, and her eyes instantly became focused and determined.

Si Li was a little more cautious. He slowly rolled up his sleeves and carefully tucked the hem of his shirt into his belt to prevent it from getting dirty or caught during the operation.

He stood aside, watching Li Hao and Xiao Yu's actions, seemingly learning and observing silently, while also thinking about how he could better help. After all, he did not have much experience in such work.

Yu Yu watched from the side with some nervousness and curiosity.

Li Hao walked up to a rooster, reached out and nimbly grabbed the rooster's wings and feet, and lifted it up steadily.

The rooster struggled desperately, crowed loudly, flapped its wings hard, and its feathers fluttered down.

Li Hao was unmoved. He twisted the rooster's neck to the side, revealing the blood vessels in the neck. Xiaoyu quickly walked forward, raised his knife and slashed it. A cold light flashed, and chicken blood gushed out and splashed into the bowl prepared in advance.

Li Hao skillfully threw the rooster onto the open space nearby and let it bleed.

Next, we deal with the duck, which is waddling along the ground, trying to dodge.

Li Hao took a step forward, squatted down, and hugged the duck with both hands.

The duck's flat beak kept opening and closing, making a "quack" sound, and it rubbed Li Hao's arm with its neck, trying to break free.

Li Hao hugged it tightly, stood up and handed the duck to Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu took the duck and cut the duck's neck skillfully, and the duck's blood was also collected.

When processing the internal organs, Xiaoyu carefully cut open the chicken's belly with a knife, and the warm internal organs slowly slid out.

Her expression was serious and earnest, and her fingers moved flexibly inside the abdominal cavity, taking out the chicken gizzards, chicken livers, chicken hearts, etc. one by one and placing them in a basin beside her.

Every movement was clean and neat, without any drag.

Si Li helped pass the tools, keeping a close eye on Xiaoyu's movements, and occasionally handed her a clean cloth so that she could wipe the blood off her hands.

Li Hao was not idle either. He had already started processing the second chicken.

Beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead, sparkling in the sunlight.

From time to time, he would rub his cheek with his shoulder to wipe off the chicken feathers that accidentally touched his face.

Yu Yu watched without blinking, and although she was a little scared, she was more filled with admiration.

As the chickens and ducks were processed one by one, the ground was filled with processed ingredients and blood-stained tools.

Xiaoyu straightened up, breathing slightly. Her apron was stained with blood and chicken feathers, but her eyes were full of satisfaction.

Li Hao smiled and brushed off the dust and chicken feathers on his body, saying, "It's finally done. Now we can start pickling."

Si Li also breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at his clothes, which were a little messy but still clean, and was glad that he did not make any big mistakes while helping.

Yu Yu cheered and ran over to look at the processed chickens and ducks, imagining them becoming delicious cured meats, with a smile of anticipation on her face.

Yuyu's eyes widened, and she looked at Xiaoyu with admiration and said, "Mom, you are so good at killing chickens and ducks. I thought it was so difficult just now, but you did it so neatly and quickly. You took care of them all in a few strokes."

Xiaoyu wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, and with a proud smile on her face, she responded, "Of course, Mom has been doing this kind of work for many years. Practice makes perfect."

"Back then, when Mom first learned to do this, she was also very busy. She would either cut her hands or not handle the internal organs properly. But as she did it more often, she became more skilled."

Yuyu came forward curiously and continued to ask, "Mom, were you particularly scared when you killed chickens and ducks for the first time?"

Xiaoyu gently stroked Yuyu's head and recalled with a smile: "It's natural to be afraid. Looking at the lively chickens and ducks, I was really a little scared."

"But there's nothing I can do. Someone has to do the housework. I just gritted my teeth and got the hang of it. After a while, I got used to it and slowly I got used to it."

Si Li also smiled and said, "Xiaoyu's craftsmanship is really amazing. Today I have really opened my eyes. Every step is done just right, without the slightest mistake. I think this is also a skill accumulated in life."

Xiaoyu waved her hands and said modestly, "It's nothing special. It's just everyday work. If we farmers can't do these things well, how can we live?"

"Besides, if the preserved meat is not cooked well, the winter will be lacking in flavor."

Li Hao also echoed: "Yes, mother, we must learn this skill from you, so that we can make these cured meats by ourselves in the future."

Xiaoyu looked at everyone, her smile widening as she said, "You want to learn? That's easy. Later when we're pickling, I'll explain the ins and outs of this in detail. You just need to learn carefully."

Yu Yu nodded happily and walked around Xiao Yu.