When it gets dark, everything in the mansion on the top of the mountain is so dark that it’s so scary!
It took more than 5 years to design and build this mansion! This is what Brother Wang told me. He originally worked in the construction industry, specializing in sewerage systems. The truck that was used for work is still kept and is often washed and wiped in the yard. That day I walked past him carrying two bags of freshly bought vegetables. Brother Wang suddenly sighed: Oh, I really envy you that you can still do things at this age!
In the past, he and his wife, one repaired pipes and the other did takeout, working hard to support their family. Fortunately, our two daughters are doing very well in school and have both obtained Ph.D. degrees; they have found good jobs and good husbands. Mia is very filial and asks her parents to rest at home very early. But for people who are used to doing things, it is very uncomfortable to stop. Fortunately, a few years ago, when my son-in-law wanted to build a house, Brother Wang helped supervise the construction, which put his expertise to use. He knew all the details of the construction of the house.
"Guess, how much is this house worth?" Brother Wang asked me.
"It should be worth $30 million, right?" I have been filming "American Interiors" for two years, and I have a rough idea of the price of luxury homes in the Bay Area.
"I'm not afraid of scaring you! It cost $5 million to buy this land alone; the construction cost was at least more than $20 million! My son-in-law is too particular. The base of the house is made of thick steel pipes, which are deeply embedded in the rock formations. Even a magnitude 9 earthquake You can't move it! This house has a lifetime warranty from the builder!"
That's true. One day, I met a man in his 50s who accompanied Steve to look around the house. Brother Wang said that it was the builder himself who would check if there were any problems or hidden dangers 2-3 times a year.
Brother Wang supervised the construction of the house, and when he was bored, he opened up wasteland and planted vegetables in the yard. When he found out that I also loved gardening, he invited me to visit his vegetable patch after get off work. After five or six years of hard work, the vegetable field is full of life. There are large buckets for fertilizing on the ground and watering pipes, which are very professional. I was happy when I saw the pumpkin vines all over the ground: "Brother, you are fertilizing too much!" The pumpkin leaves are as big as cattail fans, with a few flowers huddled under the leaves, and the heads are drooping.
"The leaves have taken away all the fertility! You have to knock off at least half of the leaves; stop fertilizing and watering for a week! Also, you have to come early in the morning to pollinate the pumpkin." I picked a male flower and showed it to him. Apply pollen to the stamens of female flowers. Brother Wang suddenly realized: "Wow, there are secrets in all walks of life! I'm still surprised that the leaves are so fat, why don't they bear fruit!"
There is a modern constant-temperature wine cellar on the ground floor of the main house, which can be seen through the glass partition wall to a very sophisticated wine storage rack. There's a lot of space inside and Steve stores a lot of wine there. But he saw a few cardboard boxes piled on the ground. They were fruits and vegetables picked by Brother Wang from the field, which looked out of place. Brother Wang said helplessly: My family doesn't like to eat these dishes very much, and I can't give them away: my old colleagues and friends have gradually become alienated from us. You can’t use these fresh vegetables to fertilize them! As he said this, he gave me two boxes of vegetables.
This pair of ordinary people have not yet adapted to the lifestyle of the rich. My daughter's family only came to stay for a while during the winter and summer vacations. The rest of the time the house was empty. Although we usually hire cleaners and gardeners to take care of it, there must be reliable people taking care of such a large house, right? So the two elders took up this responsibility without hesitation. The hilltop mansion is very deserted. Mrs. Wang said: Once it gets dark, everything is dark and scary! Mia told us to turn on the alarm and leave all the lights on for the night. We, who are used to saving money, can’t bear to waste electricity like this!
Daughters are truly filial to their parents. We arranged for them to travel every year; at first we even booked first-class flights for them. Brother Wang said half braggingly and half frustrated: The first class cabin is very spacious. You can order whatever you want, drink whatever you want, and you can even lie down and sleep. But we two are not used to it: surrounded by wealthy people, we don’t understand their rules, and we are afraid of making a fool of ourselves and embarrassing our daughter! So I only take business class when I go out. They never considered themselves wealthy!
Brother Wang said that his son-in-law is an investor. He bought land to build a house and planned to move to the Bay Area. I really hope that my daughter’s family can move back soon, so that they can go back to live in the old house at the foot of the mountain: they are used to living there, it is stable.Listening to his words, one can’t help but feel something: People work hard to chase wealth, thinking that having money will lead to happiness! But those who have truly achieved financial freedom feel that it is not their dream. The paradox of happiness is like the moon in the mirror! Maybe happiness only exists in the process of your pursuit...
Preview for the next issue: [Belle's Private Chef's Notes · 70] The doctor's housewife is good at managing the house; the Filipino housekeeper knows everything
Today's cuisine: Braised vegetables
Braised vegetables are Chinese cuisine One of the features. Both meat and vegetable dishes can be braised. After being marinated, it has a strong and refreshing taste. It is an essential home-cooked or banquet appetizer. Netizens wrote in asking about tips for making braised vegetables. Braised vegetables are divided into red braised vegetables and clear braised vegetables. Today’s demonstration is red braised vegetables.
Ingredients:
One marinade package, red soy sauce, rock sugar, salt, green onion and ginger, cooking wine; marinade (meat and poultry, soy products, kelp, peanuts, etc.).
Method:
. Boil marinade: marinade packets are scattered into the pot, add red soy sauce, salt, cooking wine, onion, ginger, and a little rock sugar, simmer for 30 minutes, and filter out the spice residue.
2. Marinate: Blanch the poultry meat and wash it, add marinade, bring to a boil over high heat, and simmer over low heat until the meat is soft and cooked.
3. Method: Beef and pork are best simmered in a pressure cooker first, and then marinated after they are tender; poultry only needs to be cooked in the marinade for 30 minutes.
4. Soaking: Soak the marinade in the marinade overnight, bring it to a boil the next day and then remove it from the pot.
Belle Gege reminded:
1. It is recommended not to keep the "old stew". Because the marinade is rich in protein, it goes bad easily and should not be stored for a long time.
2. Marinade is rich in purine, and repeated use will increase the concentration, which can easily cause gout!
3. You can make multiple kinds of braised vegetables at one time and store them in the refrigerator. The order is as follows:
a) First braise beef and pork to increase the flavor of the marinade.
b) Braised chicken and duck will make them easier to cook and add fresh flavor.
c) Put the dried tofu directly into the marinade, do not cook it (cooking the dried tofu too much will cause air holes).
d) Add the above marinated ingredients into the marinade and soak overnight. Boil it the next day and remove from the pot. After the steam evaporates, the brine becomes beautiful.
e) The remaining marinade can be braised peanuts , soybeans, kelp, etc. There is no waste at all!
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Belle Gege is a senior media person , has been engaged in print media and television documentary production in the United States and China for more than 20 years. Because he loves cooking and is passionate about food culture research, he was able to experience it by chance nine years ago and became a personal chef for the top wealthy people in Silicon Valley. The legendary experiences and stories during this period can be narrated by Belle.
