Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Dumplings

"It's nothing, I just happened to be thinking about making dumplings. These scallions can be used for the filling!"
Zhang Shengli saw that Zhou Ling was scolding Liu Dapeng again, so he quickly tried to smooth things over. "You two sit and have some tea. For a meal for less than ten people, I can handle it myself."
"How can that be? My dad asked you to help me cook, how could I let you do it all alone? Besides, you're not familiar with our stove and kitchen!"
Zhou Ling turned to Liu Dapeng and said, "Go pour yourself some tea, Zhang Shengli and I will cook."
"It's fine, I'm not thirsty..."
Having had his cooking privileges revoked by Zhou Ling, Liu Dapeng felt even more awkward and could only look at Zhang Shengli for help.
"Well... Officer Liu, if you have nothing else to do, could you go buy some pork ribs and belly meat? I'll make dumplings with pork ribs for everyone."
Zhang Shengli had to give Liu Dapeng an excuse to leave.
"Alright! I'll go buy the ribs on my motorcycle right away!"
Liu Dapeng got up and headed outside.
"Why are you rushing? Wait a moment!"
Zhou Ling stopped him and turned to Zhang Shengli. "Check our condiments and see if we're missing anything. Let Dapeng buy everything at once, so he doesn't run around like a headless chicken, making trip after trip."
"That's true..."
Zhang Shengli looked over the condiments in Zhou Ling's kitchen. "No starch, so you'll need to buy a bag... Also, star anise, ginger peel, cardamom, fennel—get some of each. And cooking wine—if they have it, buy it; if not, use white liquor."
"How much of each should I get?"
Liu Dapeng took a small notebook and pen from his pocket, ready to jot down the list.
"You really are so rigid! It doesn't matter how much—just get some of each. Why are you asking so precisely?" Zhou Ling snapped again.
"Oh, alright, alright!"
Liu Dapeng bowed his head and hurried out of the kitchen, and soon the sound of his motorcycle echoed outside.
"This Liu Dapeng, just looking at him makes me anxious. I can't stand it!"
Zhou Ling was still upset.
"He's actually a good person, just... a bit too honest," Zhang Shengli said with a smile.
"Honest? He's like a block of wood! Like an abacus bead—unless someone pushes him, he doesn't move. No opinions of his own, only does what his mother tells him!"
"Isn't it good to be obedient?" Zhang Shengli laughed. "His family is well-off, and his parents have always worried over him since he was young. Can't blame him for that."
"Hmph! Then let his mother worry about him for the rest of his life. I'm not going to do it!"
As soon as Zhou Ling said it, she realized she'd misspoken and quickly changed the subject. "Hurry and knead the dough, making dumplings is slow work!"
"It's fine, I can pinch dumplings quickly..." Zhang Shengli smiled. "I'll knead the dough, you chop the scallions for the filling."
"Alright!"

Zhou Ling washed the scallions and set them on the cutting board.
After only a few cuts, her eyes and nose were streaming.
"Why are these scallions so spicy!"
She tossed the knife aside and wiped her face with the back of her hand, which only made her eyes water more.
"Dip the knife in water, then it won't sting your eyes,"
Zhang Shengli, having finished kneading the dough, dipped the knife in water and quickly chopped the scallions into fine pieces.
Zhou Ling washed her face and came back to help, but Zhang Shengli had already prepared and washed the vegetables and started rolling out the dough.
"Luckily you're here today. If Liu Dapeng were helping me cook, we probably wouldn't eat until late afternoon!"
With nothing else to do, Zhou Ling chatted as Zhang Shengli worked. "You can get everything done so quickly, it's really impressive!"
"It's nothing special. Just practiced hands..."
Zhang Shengli rolled out the dough and began chopping vegetables. "My uncle is truly amazing. When hosting banquets for weddings or funerals, he and I can cook for hundreds of people."
"Then this afternoon, I'll go with you to the Water Conservancy Bureau and meet your uncle!" Zhou Ling was interested.
"My uncle is on leave these days, harvesting wheat at home. He's not in town..."
Zhang Shengli paused and continued, "If my uncle were in town, I'd stay at his place and wouldn't have to live at your house."
"Your uncle works in town and still farms in the countryside?" Zhou Ling asked curiously.
"Of course, he has to farm. His salary alone can't support a family of four!"
Zhang Shengli sighed, "To let his two kids go to school in town, the whole family moved there last year. Four people squeezed into my uncle's single dorm room... They only return to Yangcao Village during spring planting, autumn harvest, and irrigation. The rest of the time, we look after their crops."
"Oh, that's not easy..."
Zhou Ling nodded.
Zhang Shengli finished chopping the vegetables, and soon the roar of the motorcycle outside grew louder as Liu Dapeng returned, carrying a large bag into the kitchen.
"How much did you buy? Why is it such a big bag?"
Zhou Ling was dumbfounded at the sight.
"Ten pounds of ribs, ten pounds of belly meat, half a pound of each condiment..."
Liu Dapeng pulled out the meat and condiments from the bag.
"Are you out of your mind? Why buy so much? This could feed fifty people!" Zhou Ling was speechless.
"But you said... just buy some as I see fit, so I did."
Liu Dapeng protested, feeling wronged.
"You..."

Zhou Ling was about to say more, but Zhang Shengli interjected, "It's alright, whatever we can't eat, we'll freeze and use later! How do you use your gas stove? Teach me."
"It's easy, just turn it and it lights! In winter we use coal briquettes, but when it's warm, we use gas..."
Zhou Ling ignored Liu Dapeng and showed Zhang Shengli how to use the stove.
Their family not only had a gas stove, but also an imported refrigerator—an absolute luxury in Shacheng County in 1988.
Zhang Shengli first chopped the ribs and stir-fried them, then simmered them in the pot. He prepared the meat and scallion filling, then pressed out round dumpling skins with a bowl, placed the filling inside, and pinched them swiftly into dumplings...
These so-called "flat dumplings" are pinched by hand, lacking the pleats of traditional dumplings, but they're quick to make and ideal for feeding many people.
"Wow! How do you pinch these so fast? One per second! Teach me!"
Zhou Ling exclaimed excitedly.
"Uh... I'll show you when I'm done. Put the leftover meat in the fridge and tidy up the rest."
Zhang Shengli directed Zhou Ling to assist him.
Liu Dapeng followed Zhou Ling around, lost as to what to do.
When the ribs were nearly cooked, Zhang Shengli arranged the dumplings atop them, covered the pot, and let them steam...
He mixed a few cold dishes and stir-fried several hot dishes on another gas burner, which Zhou Ling and Liu Dapeng carried to the main room.
Finally, the main dish—ribs with dumplings—was ready. Zhang Shengli brought the whole pot in, set it on an enamel plate, and placed it in the center of the table.
"Ah, as expected of Master Wang's talented nephew! In such a short time, you've prepared such a wonderful spread!"
"Ribs steamed with dumplings on top—I've never had that before!"
"The aroma alone is amazing. We're in for a treat today!"
Everyone praised the meal.
In Shacheng County in 1998, there were no restaurants serving stir-fried dishes, and fewer than ten eateries offering snacks.
Aside from banquets for weddings and funerals, people usually just prepared a few simple dishes at home.
A feast like today's was truly extraordinary.
Zhou Yun was pleasantly surprised and smiled at Zhang Shengli. "Little Zhang, I didn't expect you to make so many dishes. It's a lot of work! You're our guest—come sit and eat with us!"
"No, no, please enjoy while it's hot. I still have dough to knead..."
Zhang Shengli could never sit and eat with Zhou Yun and the others.
Just hearing Zhou Yun say this made Zhang Shengli feel a respect he had never known before.