Chapter 165: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 165: Trouble Knocks on the Door (8)
Once the water boiled, Mo Yan put the raw chestnuts into the pot, added a small amount of salt, covered the pot, and after about five minutes, she took out the chestnuts and cut them open with a knife. With a peel and a strip, the chestnut skins came off along with the shell.
After removing all the chestnut skins, Mo Yan put them into a steamer to steam. In no time, they were cooked. She then cut these chestnuts into small pieces, ground them with a rolling pin until they turned into fine powder, and mixed them with glutinous rice flour and regular flour in a ratio of three to two to one.
After adding some Spirit Spring water and honey and thoroughly kneading the dough, she shaped it into a round cake and placed it in the steamer. When the water boiled and the steamer was put on, the sweet fragrance of chestnuts soon filled the air.
The sweet aroma of chestnuts was very strong. As soon as the hot steam rose, Xiao Hua couldn't wait any longer. It licked its lips and ran over, circling around the steamer eagerly, listening to the bubbling sound inside the pot, wishing it could use its claws to lift the lid and take a look.
After steaming for a while longer, Mo Yan removed the remaining firewood. Once the chestnut cake in the steamer had cooled down, she picked up a knife and cut the whole cake into matchbox-sized pieces, arranging several plates of them.
"Here, this plate is all yours." She placed a plate in front of Xiao Hua, whose saliva had already dripped onto the ground.
Xiao Hua whimpered excitedly, pouncing over and devouring one-fifth of the plate of chestnut cakes.
Mo Yan chuckled and tried one herself. Hmm, the taste was better than the chestnut cakes in the pastry shop, not as overly sweet, with a richer chestnut fragrance.
After they had their fill, they exited the space. Mo Yan lay on the bed, lost in thought, while Xiao Hua obediently lay on the cotton mattress under the bed, licking its lips contentedly and soon fell asleep.
The next day, Mo Yan took Xiao Hua and went to Liuyang Village with Li Zhong. These days, the new house was being built, and the yard needed to be arranged. Some details needed to be adjusted, and she had to go and see for herself.
Arriving at the construction site, Mo Yan took out a cloth bag filled with chestnut cakes from the space and hung it around Xiao Hua's neck, letting it take it to Da Bai to eat.
Xiao Hua licked her and then trotted away.
Mo Yan stood in front of the new house, looking at its structure, and felt a strange sense of satisfaction. From now on, this would be her home!
"Yan'er, come here, Dad has something to discuss with you."
Mo Qingze stood in front of the grass shed, beckoning to Mo Yan. When she approached, he took out a piece of paper and said, "These are the dates Dad asked the old man in the village to calculate. They're all auspicious days. Which day do you think would be good for the topping-out ceremony?"
Topping-out ceremony? Mo Yan suddenly remembered that there was still such a thing.
The topping-out ceremony was like a crowning ceremony for people, connecting the construction of temples, the universe, gods, and humans. The common people attached great importance to it. Not only did they have to choose the right day, but there were also a series of complex rituals, which couldn't be taken lightly at all.
Mo Yan took the paper from her father's hand and looked at the dates on it. She found that the nearest day was May 26th, followed by June 6th and June 22nd. Without hesitation, she pointed to June 6th. "Our house started construction on March 6th, so June 6th would be perfect for the topping-out ceremony."
Mo Qingze nodded with a smile. He also favored this day. "Alright, there aren't many things left to do at the construction site. Dad will go and prepare for the topping-out ceremony in a couple of days."
Mo Yan nodded. The topping-out ceremony was a big event, not something that ordinary women and girls could handle. Her father allowing her to choose the day for the topping-out ceremony already showed his openness.
"By the way, Dad, after the topping-out ceremony, the house will need some decoration. When do you think we can move in?"
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