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The sheep stewed today was a half-grown wether. The meat had shrunk a little as it cooked, exposing just enough bone for Shi Wen to grab hold and gnaw on it.

He first took a bite of the mutton.

The sheep had been raised by Fu Meng's family. The meat had no gamey odor at all, only a rich, milky aroma.

Juices burst out as he bit down. The mutton was rich and tender enough to melt in his mouth, and its exquisite flavor hit Shi Wen's brain.

Nothing had been added to the simply stewed mutton; it had only a faint taste of salt.

Yet that touch of salt was enough to bring out the mutton's delicious flavor.

Shi Wen looked down at the meat.

If all the mutton sold elsewhere were this good, surely no one would dislike it.

He took another big bite, then followed Fu Meng and the others' example, scooping up a little chive blossom sauce and spreading a thin layer over the meat.

He thought he might not be used to the taste, so he only dared take a small bite to try it first.

To his surprise, the chive blossom sauce and mutton tasted far better together than he had imagined.

The chive blossoms were slightly salty, and that savory flavor brought out the full taste of the hand-held mutton. The meatiness of the simply stewed mutton met the fresh spiciness of the plants, while fermentation added a salty fragrance. The aromas of mutton and chive blossoms intertwined, each layer unfolding fully in his mouth and building upon the next in the juices, complementing one another. The fragrance was intense and rich, and meat and vegetables reached an excellent balance.

Even though Shi Wen didn't usually eat food with such strong flavors, he couldn't help exclaiming in satisfaction.

Shi Wen said, "Sister-in-law, your chive blossom sauce is so good!"

"If you like it, take some home with you later." Chang Qingqing smiled as she bit into her meat. "I saw on your Moments that your pasture was covered in chive blossoms, wasn't it? If you like it, you can make some yourself."

Shi Wen was tempted, but then he quickly asked, "Is it hard? I'm not much of a cook."

Chang Qingqing said, "It's not really hard, but there are a few techniques you need to get right. I can't quite explain them, so if you really want to make it, I can come over and teach you. I can pick some chive blossoms from your pasture while I'm there. Would that be all right?"

Fu Meng's family had settled here and had only a very small pasture of their own.

When they needed to graze their livestock, they usually had to drive them out into the surrounding hills and countryside.

The national program to restore grasslands by restricting grazing had been in place for many years. Few local families had large pastures; most had only small ones.

Shi Wen readily agreed. "Why wouldn't it be? Go right ahead, Sister-in-law. There are so many chive blossoms that we can't use them all anyway, and they'll be gone by next week. It would be a shame to waste them."

Chang Qingqing laughed heartily. "I'll take you at your word, then. I'll bring a sack over tomorrow."

Fu Meng was eager to join in. "I'll go with your sister-in-law. We never have enough chive blossom sauce each year, so let's pickle more this year."

Shi Wen had troubled the couple quite a lot since coming here.

Naturally, he couldn't possibly refuse them over a few chive blossoms.

Fu Meng and his wife were as good as their word. The very next day, they came to Shi Wen's pasture with a large bag, their son and daughter, who were on summer vacation, and some metal scoops fitted with comb teeth to pick chive blossoms.

Shi Wen hadn't expected such a high-tech product. He picked up one of the metal scoops and turned it over in his hands.

The scoop looked a little like a dustpan, except it had closely spaced comb teeth at the front. To pick chive blossoms, you only had to comb the teeth through the flower stalks and lift gently. The whole blossoms would come off and fall into the metal scoop behind them.

It was much faster and more convenient than picking them one by one by hand.

Shi Wen tried it and soon picked half a scoopful of chive blossoms.

He had only just started using it and wasn't very skilled yet.

Fu Meng and Chang Qingqing were much faster than him, and even the two children worked more nimbly.

Before long, everyone had collected half a bag of chive blossoms.

Chang Qingqing hefted the bag. "That should be enough. Shi Wen, have you got your ingredients ready?"

"They're ready. I bought one or two new airtight jars yesterday, and I've got the chilies and onions ready too." Shi Wen stopped what he was doing. "Are we going to make the chive blossom sauce now?"

Chang Qingqing smiled. "Yes. We'll go make the sauce first and let the three of them carry on picking here."

Fu Meng waved a hand, unconcerned. "Go on, go on. Leave the rest to us."

Fu Meng's daughter turned around and said in a clear voice, "We're really fast at picking them."

Shi Wen laughed. "All right, I'll leave it to you, then."

Chang Qingqing took Shi Wen to the kitchen to make the chive blossom sauce.

They put the freshly picked chive blossoms in a large basin and washed them clean, picked out any debris, and patted them dry with paper towels. Then they could start.

Chang Qingqing fetched the meat grinder she'd brought from the motorcycle's storage compartment. "Chopping them by hand is too much work, so I brought you a meat grinder especially. A quick grind with this and they'll be ready in no time."

As she spoke, Chang Qingqing opened the grinder to show Shi Wen. "I washed and dried it at home, so there's no oil or water inside. Make sure you do the same when you make it yourself. It can't have any oil or water on it."

Shi Wen nodded repeatedly.

Chang Qingqing put the chive blossoms in the grinder, switched it on, and ground them for a few seconds. She checked them, then showed Shi Wen. "This is fine enough. You need to leave a little texture. Don't grind them too finely, or they'll turn into soup."

Chang Qingqing taught Shi Wen how to make the chive blossom sauce step by step.

She even told Shi Wen her own secret: adding onions and chilies to the chive blossoms.

The onions were slightly sweet, which could balance the pungency of the chive blossoms and make the aftertaste richer.

The chilies were purely a matter of personal taste. Those who liked spicy food added them, while those who didn't left them out.

Shi Wen was among those who liked spicy food.

Just as they were working, dogs began barking outside, followed by a man's voice. "Is Shi Wen home?"

Shi Wen recognized Zhang Deyuan's voice at once.

He ran out of the kitchen, poked his head out, and called, "I'm in the kitchen, Brother Zhang! Come on in. Le Wa, stop barking!"