The soaked glutinous rice grains were full and round. A gentle squeeze would turn them into fine powder.
After draining the water, sift a thin layer of starch evenly over the rice. Brush a thin layer of clear oil on a colander to prevent sticking, and then spread the glutinous rice thinly into it.
When the oil in the pan heats up to 60% of its full heat, put the colander into the oil. Once the crispy rice is set, gently shake it off the colander and fry it over low heat until both sides turn golden brown. After draining the residual oil, let it cool before eating.
Li Ying also made half of the crispy rice with scallion oil for a savory flavor and half with brown sugar for a sweet taste, which could be snacks to kill time on the road. The fried crispy rice was more storable than the "qiuer" made by Granny Sun and could be eaten in more ways.
When it was time to eat, simply wash and marinate various seafood and meat slices. Stir - fry them in hot oil, then add high - grade soup and bring it to a boil. Pour in some water - starch to thicken the soup, and then pour the hot soup over the crispy rice. This was the "Three - Delicacy Crispy Rice".
The part of the crispy rice soaked in the soup became soft, glutinous and delicious, while the part not covered by the soup retained its original crispy and fragrant taste. The taste was extremely rich.
One could also slice bamboo shoots, blanch them to remove the bitter taste, and then stir - fry them with edamame and meat slices. Add broken crispy rice and high - grade soup, bring it to a boil, and then drizzle with some sesame oil and pepper.
The bamboo shoot tip and crispy rice soup was extremely delicious. Drinking it while it was hot would warm one's body.
Seeing that Li Ying had arranged everything properly, Granny Sun finally felt relieved.
Li Ying still remembered the joy on A Man's face when she received the arrow - borne letter from Old Zheng. A Man had thought there were other people from her hometown in the town.
A few years ago, A Man was abducted by bandits and sold to a human trafficker at will. She had been wandering around in the Central Plains. Although this girl seemed heartless and rarely mentioned it, Li Ying knew that A Man must miss her hometown.
This time when they were going to look for a suitable water source for making glue, Li Ying deliberately took A Man with them. Nominally as a guide, but actually she hoped that A Man could reunite with her relatives.
The group walked and stopped. After a few days, they finally arrived at the first stop marked by Su Buchi, Yunjia Village.
This place was located in a sunken river valley between two dangerous peaks. Due to the inconvenience of travel, the villagers rarely communicated with the outside world.
Li Ying saw from afar a stone boundary marker standing at the village entrance. There were a few old men sunbathing beside it. She jumped off the carriage and was about to go over to ask for information.
But before she could explain her purpose, the old men sized her up and then coldly said, "We don't know anything about well water or springs. Outsiders are not welcome here. You'd better leave quickly!"
Li Ying was given the cold shoulder. She still wanted to explain that she meant no harm, but the old men had already started pushing them away and issuing an order to leave.
Lu Xunguang was afraid that she would be at a disadvantage. He rushed forward in a single step and stood in front of her.
His expression was cold and tough, but the old men remained unmoved. They sized up Li Ying and A Man, and still insisted firmly, "Go quickly, go quickly! It will be too late if you don't leave!"
Li Ying vaguely sensed something strange. She gently tugged at Lu Xunguang's sleeve, signaling him not to argue and to leave as they were told first.
The group stopped the carriage at a place a little farther from Yunjia Village. Seeing that it was getting late, they built a clay stove, set up a pot, and prepared to have a meal.
Besides the various fish and shrimp dishes from their own canned food factory, Lu Xunguang also caught a pheasant.
Li Ying took the chicken breast and cooked a plate of tender and delicious crispy rice with chicken slices. She boiled two chicken legs and wings into a pot of coconut chicken soup. The remaining minced meat and chicken offal were simply mixed with the seasonings of red - oil chicken in a bowl, which became a delicious cold dish.
Mianmian was already tired of drinking goat's milk. Li Ying steamed an egg custard for her and drizzled a few drops of sesame oil to enhance the flavor. It smelled very fragrant.
The staple food was the naan that Li Ying made by herself before leaving home. She sprinkled a layer of white sesame seeds on it and baked it golden brown in the naan pit.
Now, just brush a thin layer of mutton fat on it, sprinkle some cumin and salt, and re - heat it. The edges would become as soft as if it had just come out of the oven, while the middle was crispy and delicious. Every bite was full of fragrance, making one feel as if they were in the golden wheat waves.
Granny Sun never dreamed that she could eat so well on this star - and - moon - chasing journey. She kept praising, and even Mianmian waved her little hands excitedly and made "yaya" sounds.
The rich aroma of the meal caused a rustling sound in the grass.
"Could there be some wild animals?" A Man casually asked. Lu Xunguang immediately stood up, took out the quiver on his back warily, and stared menacingly at the shadow in the bushes.
"Spare me! I'm not a wild animal!"
After a long time, a timid human voice came from not far away. The tree shadows swayed, and a thin figure slowly walked out.
The person was short and disheveled. Although dressed like a man, with the faint moonlight, one could vaguely see that she had delicate features. Obviously, she was a girl about the same age as A Man.
Lu Xunguang put down his crossbow, but still frowned and coldly asked, "Who are you?"
The girl timidly took two steps forward. A gust of night wind blew, and the fragrance of the meal, like a nimble little snake, got into her nose. The girl subconsciously swallowed her saliva and whispered, "I'm from Yunjia Village. My nickname is Junzi. I just smelled the fragrance of the food and couldn't help coming out to take a look."
"I didn't mean to disturb you. If I'm in the way, I'll leave right away..."
Li Ying saw that she was speaking urgently. Her thin body looked like it was about to fall at any moment, obviously not having had enough to eat for several days. She felt a pang of pity in her heart.
She waved her hand and said with a gentle smile, "Hungry, aren't you? We have plenty of food left. If you don't mind, come and have some with us?"
She exchanged a look with Lu Xunguang, and Lu Xunguang immediately understood.
They intended to enter Yunjia Village to look for a water source for making glue, but the villagers were extremely exclusive, so it was really not a good idea to barge in rashly.
Since this girl "Junzi" said she was from Yunjia Village, if she could be their guide, it would surely get twice the result with half the effort.
He put away his crossbow and silently stood guard on one side. Junzi saw that this group of people even had a child with them, and they all looked kind - hearted. A Man was very enthusiastic. She pulled Junzi to sit by the campfire and broke off a large piece of roasted naan for her. Only then did Junzi finally let down her guard.
After Junzi was full, Li Ying then calmly explained her purpose.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Junzi shook her head vigorously like a rattle - drum.
"No, no. I finally managed to escape from the village. You are all young and beautiful girls. If you enter our Yunjia Village, you will definitely be arrested!"
A Man wondered, "We have no grudges against your village. Why are they so unreasonable and arrest people at will?"
A look of deep distress appeared on Junzi's face. She bit her lower lip tightly and stared fixedly at the tip of her foot. After a long time, as if she had finally made up her mind, she honestly said, "To be honest, something strange has happened in our village, and the villagers have all gone crazy!"