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Zhou Fu reached out and tapped his son on the head. "Don't ask that."

Qiu Li scratched her head, insisting, "I just want to know the answer."

According to Earth's calendar, Jian Mo hasn't eaten spicy strips for over a year, and as she talked about it, she actually made herself crave them.

He looked up at Wu Jiong: "Which day of the next few days are we free?"

Wu Jiong: "Tomorrow."

Jian Mo glanced at Qiu Li and Banjiu, and said with a smile, "I'm free tomorrow."

The two little ones cheered, "Jian Mo, can we come and visit tomorrow?"

Jian Mo: "Sure, Qing Kuo, if you have time, you can come and visit. You can help me with some chores."

Qing Kuo: "Since you've put it that way, wouldn't it be a waste of your invitation if we didn't come and see?"

Jian Mo smiled and said, "Then everyone come over, I'll make a little more."

Jian Mo made a promise with everyone to make spicy strips tomorrow, and he specially prepared the ingredients in advance.

All he can make is rice and spicy strips.

The Pearl Rice grains here are quite large, so I guess I'll have to roll them out smaller, but I'll figure it out tomorrow.

When the kids heard that Jian Mo was going to make spicy strips, they ran over early the next morning and gathered around the windowsill to watch.

Jian Mo looked at the pair of wide, round eyes. "Not that fast yet, you're too early."

Jiang Xing said in a clear voice, "Jian Mo, we wanted to come as soon as possible to see if we could help."

Seeing the kids' eager expressions, Jian Mo decided to give them a chance to participate. "Then go help me pick herbs from the vegetable garden."

Jiang Xing immediately went to pick up the basket. "Jian Mo, what spices do you want?"

Jian Mo: "We need some scallions, ginger, and garlic, as well as some broadleaf herb. One basketful should be enough."

After hearing Jian Mo's request, the little ones rushed to get the baskets and ran off in a flurry, looking very energetic.

Jian Mo couldn't help but smile slightly.

Before long, the adults who were free also came over.

Qing Kuo turned his head and glanced over. "Where are the little ones? Banjiu barely ate anything this morning, just ate a couple of bites and ran over."

Jian Mo: "Send them off to gather spices."

Qing Kuo nodded in agreement. "It's good to give them something to do, so they won't keep chattering here."

Chen Yi, the father of Zhou Dao, said, "When they return, let them go and cut grass for the two Flying-Winged Beasts."

Zhou Fu: "That's a good idea. They're actually doing a pretty good job finding food for Jiujiu and Ying'ao now."

They walked towards the kitchen, talking as they went.

Jian Mo has already steamed the rice. To make spicy strips, she needs to mix the rice with flour and starch, knead it into a dough, roll it out, cut it into strips, and then steam it.

There should be other methods for making spicy strips on the market, but Jian Mo only knows this one.

Jian Mo: "Everyone, please wash your hands first, then you can knead and roll out the dough here on the cutting board."

No one objected, and they quickly washed their hands and came over.

Kneading dough, rolling it out, and cutting it into sheets don't require much skill; you just need to put in the effort.

When Jian Mo does these things alone, she gets impatient because the tasks are trivial.

The atmosphere instantly became more relaxed when everyone worked together, and they chatted as they slowly rolled out the dough.

Jian Mo saw that the dough in the wooden basin was piling up and said, "You guys keep rolling it out, I'll go make some chili oil."

Qing Kuo asked, "How do you make chili oil? Do you just put the chilies directly into the oil?"

Jian Mo waved her hand. "No, no, no, that's too easy to burn and make it bitter. I usually render the oil first, and then pour it into the chili powder while it's still hot."

Jian Mo said, showing them the pounded chili powder.

The dried chilies are especially crispy and can be pounded into a very fine powder using a small stone mortar.

Jian Mo: "First, simmer the spiced oil. Then pour it into the chili powder. I've already processed this chili powder; it contains powdered sugar, fruit wine, and shellfish powder, among other things. The powdered sugar and shellfish powder enhance the flavor, while the fruit wine moistens the chili powder, preventing it from burning."

Everyone around nodded, though it was unclear whether they understood.

Jian Mo ignored them and directly ordered someone to start a fire, then poured oil into the pot.

They use almost no vegetable oil here; they use animal fat everywhere.

Different animal fats have different flavors; some have a very strong flavor, while others have a milder flavor. To avoid overpowering the other flavors, Jian Mo specifically chose an animal fat with a milder flavor.

The animal fat heated up quickly, and he poured in various spices, frying them patiently.

The aroma quickly wafted out during the frying process.

Qing Kuo sniffed. "With this aroma, it would probably taste good with anything."

Jian Mo: "Yes, it will be even more fragrant when poured into the chili powder. This chili oil is great for mixing with side dishes, meat, or just as a side dish."

Zhou Fu: "Then we need to make some preparations."

Jian Mo: "Sure, the weather's getting colder, this oil won't spoil easily, so it's definitely worth keeping some on hand. We can use it when we're too lazy to cook."

The oil was heated quickly, Jian Mo scooped it up and poured it little by little into the chili powder, stirring as she did so.

Each time he poured oil, a fragrance was released.

In no time, the entire kitchen was filled with a fragrant aroma, both sweet and pungent.

Many people couldn't stand it and ran out into the yard to cough, but couldn't help but exclaim, "It smells so good!"

Jian Mo said with a smile, "This is the chili oil I was talking about. You can try it."

When he said that, everyone took the liberty of dipping their chopsticks in the chili oil and tasting it.

Zhou Fu exclaimed in surprise, "It's not spicy anymore after being made into chili oil!"

Jian Mo: "Yes, this method produces chili oil with a stronger aroma than spiciness, and a milder flavor, making it delicious for mixing with side dishes or as a side dish on its own."

Zhou Fu: "Ah, it tastes so good. The powdered sugar and shellfish powder inside are just right."

Jian Mo: "Both powdered sugar and shellfish powder enhance the flavor, especially shellfish powder, which is easier to obtain. It's best to add more of it."