Qin Yao looked at the Song Zhang family who were expecting to be told something. "I have a hatchet at home. Can I ask the two guards to go to the back mountain and cut some bamboos?"
The second son of the Song family immediately stepped forward and said, "Village Chief Qin, let's take them with us!"
Qin Yao nodded, handed the hatchet to a few people, pointed out the location, and asked them to cut the bamboo back. "Remember to trim the branches. Just get the bamboo poles."
The two Song brothers agreed immediately. There was no chance to act wildly like this in the city, so they picked up their axes and went to the bamboo forest excitedly.
"What about us?" Mrs. Song asked curiously.
Qin Yao invited the two men and Miss Song into the main hall, "Let's sit down and have a cup of tea first. It will be our turn after they have prepared the bamboo and mutton."
As she spoke, she blinked at the slightly disappointed Miss Song, "We are going to do a delicate job in a while, so we need to restore our physical strength to the best condition first."
Miss Song looked up in surprise and received Qin Yao's affirmative smile. The disappointment in her eyes disappeared, and she was instantly full of anticipation for the delicate work she was going to do next.
"I will do it well!" she promised Qin Yao seriously.
In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two young masters of the Song family, along with their guards, carried the bamboo back.
Awang’s speed was also amazing. In just a short while, the sheep was killed.
Dalang and Si Niang also returned from the Lotus Courtyard and said that Gong Liangliao and Qi Xianguan had agreed to let them use the viewing platform of the Lotus Courtyard, and they were looking forward to joining the barbecue party.
The materials and location have been arranged. Qin Yao asked Dalang and Si Niang to go back to Lianyuan and asked Shitou and others to prepare the charcoal stove and tables, chairs and benches. The barbecue party will be held in front of the Lianyuan gate today.
On such a nice day, of course we need to have an open-air barbecue.
Qin Yao signaled to Mr. and Mrs. Song Zhang and Miss Song, who were drinking tea, that they could start working. She came to the yard and signaled everyone to take the sheep and bamboo and follow her to the lotus courtyard.
Song Zhang never expected that he would have such an unexpected gain. When he came, he was still discussing with his sister how to visit the great scholar Gong Liangliao, and now he was about to meet him in person.
Song Zhang couldn't help but get excited, remembering that Liu Ji was also a disciple of the great Confucian scholar. He rolled up his sleeves and took the initiative to come to Awang and Liu Ji, joining the sheep-carrying team. He first asked the great Confucian scholar's disciples about the great Confucian scholar's preferences.
Everyone was holding something in their hands. The children were holding stools and chairs, and Qin Yao was carrying the long table in her room, ready to use it as an operating table.
Liu Ji, Awang and Song Zhang were carrying the slaughtered sheep. Li was also carrying a large pot full of sheep bones behind them. They planned to make sheep soup for everyone in the Lianyuan kitchen soon.
Mrs. Song and Miss Song were afraid that they would appear out of place, so they also carried baskets full of fresh vegetables.
A large group of people came to the Lotus Courtyard in a mighty manner. Under the command of Qin Yao, they set up a barbecue area in a short while.
Shitou and Agu also put out all the movable tables, chairs and benches in the yard, and together with the ones brought by Qin Yao's family, there were three sets of tables and chairs in total.
There was a charcoal stove in front of each table, on which was an iron net taken from Qin Yao's oven.
The maids of the Qi family made some fragrant tea, put a pot on each table, and added a lot of fruits. At first glance, it looked like a banquet outside.
However, unlike usual banquets, today's food had to be prepared by oneself, with no servants serving it to one's mouth.
In front of the large operating table, everyone rolled up their sleeves and, under Qin Yao's arrangement, divided the work and cooperated to start skewering the lamb.
Awang chopped the meat, Liu Ji marinated the meat, Qin Yao, Shitou and other guards were responsible for splitting bamboo sticks, and Song Zhang and his wife and their eldest daughter were responsible for skewering the meat.
As for Dalang and his three siblings, they had already called away Qi Xianguan and the two sons of the Song family and ran off to the mountains to have fun.
As the oldest person, Gong Liangliao doesn't have to do any work. He just sits in a wheelchair, drinks hot tea, basks in the sun, and watches the busy crowd in front of him.
This kind of comfort is indescribable. Gong Liangliao just feels that if there can be such a day in his life, when the people closest to him are around him, he is watching and they are making fun, then he will die without regrets.
All three charcoal stoves were lit. Qin Yao handed the task of splitting bamboo sticks to Shitou and others. She washed her hands with water fetched from the river, picked up the skewers of meat, and began to demonstrate to everyone.
The family always has chili, pepper, cumin and other condiments. Qin Yao also brought two jars of honey stored at home. There are sweet, spicy and numbing flavors to satisfy everyone's taste.
The black goat that Song Zhang brought was quite fat, and after the meat was marinated, most of the mutton smell was gone.
Following Qin Yao's instructions, the Song family strung the lean and fatty meat into skewers. Qin Yao took a handful and placed them on the iron net, fanning them with one hand and flipping them with the other. Under the strong fire, the kebabs made a sizzling sound and a barbecue aroma rose, making everyone swallow their saliva.
This is not over yet. When the meat is half-cooked, Qin Yao brushes it with a layer of honey, then continues to roast it until it is 70% done. She then sprinkles it with seasonings and adds a handful of chopped green onions. When it is 80% done, she puts it in a porcelain plate that has been prepared in advance.
"Come and try it!" Qin Yao waved to everyone to come over. She hadn't made a barbecue for a long time, but smelling the smell of today's barbecue, it should taste good.
"Anything baked by my wife herself must be good!" Liu Ji hadn't even started to flatter her before he started to eat. He picked up a string and took a deep sniff.
A different aroma from the usual meat enters your nose, easily arousing your appetite.
Liu Ji opened his mouth expectantly and took a big bite. The fat and lean meat skewers brought rich layers, and the sweet, spicy and spicy flavors burst out in his mouth at once, stimulating the taste buds and making people want to have a second bite.
"How?" Song Zhang asked.
Liu Ji didn't bother to respond to him. He took another big bite of the skewer, and at the same time used his empty hand to take other grilled food on the plate.
Although it was the first time to eat such grilled skewers, Liu Ji spontaneously unlocked the best way to eat it. He chewed with both hands, one bite after another. The satisfying chewing sound in his mouth made the onlookers around him drool.
Finally, after finishing both skewers of lamb, Liu Ji put down the skewers, wiped his mouth with satisfaction and said, "Delicious! So delicious!"
After that, he took two more sticks and handed one to Qin Yao, raising his eyebrows at her proudly, "Madam, try what you made yourself. I'm amazed. How can there be a woman like you in the world who is both capable of being a lady in the living room and a good cook in the kitchen!"
He took another one and handed it to Gong Liangliao like offering a treasure, "Teacher, please eat it while it's hot. The hotter it is, the more delicious it is! This skewer of meat is absolutely amazing!"
Gong Liangliao pretended to be reserved and hummed calmly. He even took out his handkerchief to hold the skewer before he opened his mouth to eat.
But after taking the first bite, the old man's eyes lit up.
Liu Ji just turned around to take a look at Song Zhang and his wife's reactions when they ate the mutton skewers. When he turned around again, only the skewer was left in the old man's hand.
"Teacher, where is the meat?" Liu Ji asked in shock.
Gong Liangliao licked the grease left on the corner of his mouth and handed him the bare skewers. "Go get five more skewers. No, ten more skewers. Bring me ten more skewers!"
Qin Yao secretly observed everyone's reactions, and the corners of her mouth curled up. She knew that no human could refuse barbecue. (End of this chapter)
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