Chapter 47: Teaching Mother-in-Law to Make Rice Wine

Seeing them carrying a pile of things, Mother-in-law's reaction was the same as Second Sister's.

"Oh my, why are you carrying so many things? You should have called me to help. Be careful, put it down slowly, don't hurt your feet." Mother-in-law hurried to Li Shenxing's side.

"It's fine, Mom, I can handle it." Li Shenxing said easily.

After putting everything down, Li Shenxing said to Mother-in-law and Second Sister, "Mom, these are all new steamers, along with cheesecloth, spoons, and glass jars for the rice wine."

Mother-in-law asked in confusion, "We already have steamers at home, why buy new ones?"

"Those are all greasy. Rice wine can't come into contact with oil, or it will go bad."

"What should we do then?" Second Sister asked.

"First, wash everything. The glass jars need to be scalded with hot water. Wash the glutinous rice and soak it."

"Then, Shenxing, you rest. The washing and cleaning can be done by Mom and your Second Sister. You and Chanzhen can watch TV." Mother-in-law didn't let Li Shenxing help and handed him the remote control.

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Mom. I'll take a break." Li Shenxing agreed with a smile.

There wasn't much to do, and in a short while, Mother-in-law and Second Sister finished.

"Shenxing, what should we do next?" Mother-in-law took the hot tea Li Shenxing handed her and asked.

"The glutinous rice needs to soak for at least two hours before we can proceed with the next steps."

"Then I'll go buy some vegetables. What do you want to eat, Shenxing? I'll cook it for you." Mother-in-law held Li Shenxing's hand and asked.

"Mom, I'll cook lunch today. Just tell me what you want to eat."

Second Sister immediately exclaimed happily, "Spicy stir-fried clams! I've been thinking about them ever since I had them last time."

"Hey! You brat, how can a sister act like that? Shenxing, don't listen to your Second Sister. You usually cook at home, so take a break here and enjoy Mom's cooking."

"Let's do it this way. I'll go buy vegetables with Mom, and then we'll cook together. That way, I can also taste Mom's cooking."

Second Sister also persuaded, "Yeah, yeah, let's have a simple lunch with three or four dishes."

Hearing this, Mother-in-law didn't insist, "Alright, let's go buy vegetables now."

...

"Wenxiu, who is this handsome young man?" the vegetable vendor asked.

"This is my third son-in-law, he's here to help me buy vegetables." Mother-in-law replied with a smile.

"Oh, your son-in-law is really filial. You're so lucky." The vendor praised.

"Not really, not really. You're too kind. He's afraid I'll get tired carrying too much, so he's helping me. Alright, you go ahead, I'll go buy vegetables." Mother-in-law said with a smile and bid farewell to the vendor.

On the way, Mother-in-law greeted the familiar vegetable vendors enthusiastically, introducing Li Shenxing who was following her. Li Shenxing maintained a polite smile throughout, cooperating with Mother-in-law's show-off mode.

After buying the vegetables and leaving the market, Li Shenxing felt his cheeks were numb from smiling.

Back home, Li Shenxing quietly told Second Sister about his experience at the market, and Second Sister laughed heartlessly.

"Why is this girl laughing so much?" Mother-in-law asked curiously.

"Nothing, I just played a joke on Second Sister. Mom, what dishes are you going to cook? I'll help you." Li Shenxing changed the subject.

"I'll make a spicy fish soup, spicy stir-fried octopus, and kimchi stir-fried pork belly." Mother-in-law counted on her fingers.

"Hehehe..." Li Shenxing was amused by Mother-in-law's cute appearance and said, "Mom, I'll make spicy stir-fried clams, stir-fried zucchini, and braised tofu with tomatoes. Five dishes and a soup should be enough for us."

Mother-in-law rolled up her sleeves, "Let's start cooking. We still need to make rice wine later. Hey! Second daughter, stop being lazy and come help."

"Coming, coming." Second Sister reluctantly dragged her feet into the kitchen.

With the three of them working together, a table full of dishes was ready in about half an hour.

Father-in-law also returned home on time for lunch.

"It smells so good, what are we having today?" Father-in-law asked as soon as he entered.

Hearing Father-in-law's voice, Li Shenxing poked his head out of the kitchen and replied, "Dad, you're back just in time. We can start eating."

"Oh! It's Shenxing. Let's have a couple of drinks after the meal." Father-in-law said happily.

At this, Mother-in-law came out and complained, "You're never at home, and when you come back, all you think about is drinking."

Li Shenxing put his arm around Mother-in-law and said with a smile, "It's fine, Mom. I'll have a couple of drinks with Dad. Usually, no one drinks with him."

Hearing Li Shenxing's words, Father-in-law, who had been scolded by Mother-in-law, immediately cheered up.

In a warm atmosphere, the family enjoyed their lunch together.

...

After resting for a while after lunch, Li Shenxing and the others went back to the kitchen to prepare for steaming the glutinous rice.

"First, wash your hands. Line the steamer with cheesecloth, then drain the glutinous rice and pour it in." Li Shenxing said.

He added enough water to the steamer. After Second Sister poured the glutinous rice onto the cheesecloth, he poked a few holes in it.

"Why do we need to make holes?" Second Sister asked in confusion.

"Definitely for ventilation, right?" Mother-in-law said.

"Mom is right." Li Shenxing covered the pot, "After the water boils, continue steaming on high heat for 15-20 minutes. When the time is up, you can taste the glutinous rice to see if it's soft and chewy. You need to judge the time yourself."

Half an hour later, "Mom, now we need to pour the steamed glutinous rice into a large bowl with cold water. After stirring and draining the water, crush the koji and mix it evenly with the rice." Li Shenxing demonstrated while teaching.

Divide the mixed rice into two glass jars. The temperature determines the fermentation time; the higher the temperature, the shorter the time, which can be artificially accelerated. After the rice wine liquid seeps out, add cold water (water to rice ratio of 2:1). In about half a day, the rice wine will float to the top. You can eat it the next day. To prevent further fermentation and souring, you can store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The remaining liquid is light rice wine, which can be bottled and stored in the refrigerator, making it a great summer drink.

Chinese rice wine, made from glutinous rice, has an alcohol content of about 15°-28°. The brewing process is simple, and you can make it at home. It has a sweet and mellow taste.

Rice wine contains over ten types of amino acids, eight of which are essential and cannot be synthesized by the human body. The lysine content in rice wine is several times higher than that in wine and beer, which is rare in other nutritional drinks. Therefore, it is called "liquid cake." [PS: I suddenly feel very sad when writing this. Can you understand?]

[PS: The author's mother often makes it at home. It can be a summer dessert or a winter snack, and it's very delicious.]

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