With many people and the long table far apart, Xiao Yunying plated the cooked dishes separately.

Madam Chen brought two maids with her, but she guessed that the maids wouldn't drive the carriage; she assumed there would be a coachman waiting outside.

Since Ling Qi probably couldn't sit at the table, Xiao Yunying took some dishes from each of the two plates and decided to set up a separate table for Ling Qi and the others.

"Luo Chen, bring the dishes up. Put the sauerkraut fish in the center, and one serving of the other dishes on each side. Have Luo Yang come and get the bowls and chopsticks."

She didn't make much pickled fish, and since Chen Yuancheng had already served it, she didn't share it with Ling Qi and the others.

After arranging for Luo Chen, Xiao Yunying said to Chen Yuancheng, "You and your mother eat first. Your mother's maid probably can't sit at the table. I'll prepare another dish for them so they can eat at the stone table in the courtyard. Have Ling Qi come in and serve it."

"good."

Xiao Yunying sped up the cooking process, boiling water in one small wok and pouring oil into another, frying the quail eggs until they developed a tiger-skin pattern, then removing them and setting them aside.

After the water boils, add a few drops of oil and a little salt. Blanch the bok choy and mung bean sprouts until cooked, then set aside.

Heat oil in a wok, add ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add tomato sauce and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add quail eggs and stir-fry. Add salt, light soy sauce and sugar to taste and stir-fry evenly. Add a little water and simmer for a while to let the quail eggs absorb the flavor.

Arrange the bok choy leaves facing inwards around the plate, place the quail eggs in the center, pour any excess sauce over the quail eggs and bok choy leaves, and it's ready to serve.

She quickly prepared the stir-fried mung bean sprouts and the stir-fried yam with wood ear mushrooms. Finally, she plated the braised pork with preserved mustard greens and served it on the table. She also served a large wooden bowl of rice for Ling Qi to take to eat, and a small bowl of rice for the living room. Lunch was now complete.

Normally, Xiao Yunying sits in the main seat, Luo Xin sits next to her, Luo Chen sits on the right, and Luo Yang and Luo Li sit on the left.

When eating with her family, they sit on the right side, her parents in the main seats, and her brother and sister-in-law on the left.

With Madam Chen present today, although she is not Xiao Yunying's formal elder, she is still of a certain age, so she was given the seat of honor.

Xiao Yunying sat in the upper right seat next to her, opposite Chen Yuancheng.

"Why aren't you eating, Madam Chen? The food is simple, please don't find it offensive."

"No rush. You are the host and I am the guest. How can the guest start eating before the host has even sat down at the table?"

Xiao Yunying joked, "If I sit down at the table first, won't there be no one to cook?"

He reached out and touched the outside of the porcelain basin containing the pickled fish. The temperature was still acceptable. He took a small bowl, filled it with the pickled fish, and ladled out a small half bowl of soup, which he then presented to Madam Chen.

"The pickled fish tastes best when it's hot. Mrs. Chen, please don't be shy, have a taste."

Xiao Yunying ladled out a small bowl for each person, giving Chen Yuancheng the smallest one: "You can try it first, then eat the rest."

Chen Yuancheng said helplessly, "I understand."

Xiao Yunying served food to Luo Xin and whispered to Chen Yuancheng that he shouldn't eat anything too greasy.

"You should eat less braised pork belly, but you can eat some preserved mustard greens. It's okay to eat chicken, as the tea tree mushrooms and dried bamboo shoots inside are delicious. You can eat more stir-fried yam with wood ear mushrooms, which I made especially for you. Wood ear mushrooms are good for replenishing qi and blood, moisturizing the lungs and calming the mind, and they also help boost immunity."

What is immunity?

"Anyway, it's good for your health, so eat more."

Madam Chen ate her food with an outward calm demeanor, her eyes darting back and forth between her son and Xiao Yunying.

Chen Yuanyao picked up a quail egg and said, "Sister Yunying, where did you find so many pearl eggs?"

"They were found on the mountain. We found quite a few a while ago, but now there aren't any left. The quails aren't laying eggs anymore because it's getting cold."

Madam Chen said, "Pearl eggs are not cheap, each one can sell for fifteen coins. This meal has cost Miss Xiao a lot."

Good heavens, Xiao Yunying thought to herself.

"It's no trouble at all. We farmers live off the mountains. Everything in the mountains is free. We can eat whatever we want without spending any money."

She couldn't help but think that eggs usually cost three coins for two, and one quail egg is equivalent to seven chicken eggs. Apart from the size difference, they all taste the same to her, so why doesn't she eat chicken eggs?

In ancient society where resources were scarce, should she raise quails specifically to lay eggs and sell them?

I don't know where I can catch live quails.

Mrs. Chen's arrival did not affect the atmosphere at the dinner table. It seems that the Chen family does not pay much attention to the so-called "not talking while eating or sleeping," and they chat as they please.

Chen Yuanyao, in particular, kept asking about the recipes while eating, as if she wanted to learn how to cook herself.

Xiao Yunying tried her best to explain the whole cooking process, even explaining how to pickle sauerkraut and pickled peppers.

She didn't mention the irreplaceable seasonings because she didn't believe Chen Yuanyao could remember them all; she was just listening for the spectacle.

She specifically mentioned that ten people making the same dish would produce ten different flavors, reminding Chen Yuanyao that the same method can produce different flavors depending on who makes it.

Madam Chen was kind and straightforward, without any airs, which made Xiao Yunying feel comfortable and at ease.

She could sense that Madam Chen was trying her best to appear gentle and refined in front of her, but in reality, her every move revealed a straightforward and capable look and aura.

She's a bit like her boss from her past life, a very capable and strong woman.

She had always been curious about what kind of parents could raise the Chen siblings to have such good temperaments, and after meeting Mrs. Chen today, she finally understood.