In the communal kitchen, each household has two stoves, one big and one small, fueled by coal briquettes. When cooking, you turn on the stove and start cooking; when done, replace the briquette, close the cover below the stove, and keep a pot of water on top.
However, to save briquettes, everyone uses only one stove, and it's only when relatives visit or during New Year's and other holidays, when there's more cooking, that both stoves are used.
After cooking the meal and steaming the egg custard, Yuan Chun brought the whole pot along with the food into the room.
Turning around, she grabbed a few potatoes and went to the kitchen, using a small iron pot to fry some shredded potatoes.
