Knowing the origin of the two types of meat, Aunt Feng accepted it and instructed Ma Haiyan to quickly wash and cook it.
The wind-dried meat was very dry and hard, as was the cured meat. It needed to be softened ahead of time and cooled in preparation for the banquet the next day.
"Cut a few radishes into the meat while it's boiling," Aunt Feng reminded Ma Haiyan, "We'll have radishes cooked with the meat tonight to whet our appetites. The soup from boiling meat is all oily, we can't waste that either, we'll save it for our meals."
Ma Haiyan laughed, "Got it, mom. I have experience since Xiaoxue left home."
When Feng Qingxue got married, they had treated the cured meat the same way, only that there were no radishes then, so they added plenty of seasonal vegetables and dehydrated vegetables. Dishes made with such flavorful meat had everyone smacking their lips.