The restaurant wasn't crowded at lunchtime, and Xia Minmin and her group found seats as soon as they arrived. The waiter placed the menus on the table.
"What would you like to eat, gentlemen?"
Xia Jianguo handed the menu to Xiao Wu, who was the guest and should order first.
Xiao Wu looked at the menu for a while, then handed it back, saying, "Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, you two decide what to order! We don't know anything about it!"
Xia Jianguo glanced at the menu. "Pickled cabbage and black carp? Is the fish caught from the river?"
"Yes, it was just pulled out of the river this morning and is still being kept in the pond."
"Braised rabbit meat, shredded potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and a hot pot dish will do."
"Okay, I'll go to the kitchen to place the order, it'll be ready in no time."
Li Chunmei stopped the waiter who was about to leave, saying, "Serve the soup first! We plan to have soup before eating."
"OK."
After saying that, the waiter headed towards the kitchen.
Looking at the street outside, Xia Xiaomei said, "Second brother, second sister-in-law, Xiaowu, let's take a stroll around the county town after we finish eating! I've never been to the county town before!"
Xiao Wu looked at Xia Xiaomei with heartache.
Li Chunmei said, "Sure, we also need to buy some things to take back with us. Jianguo, how about buying a pair of bottles of liquor and a carton of cigarettes for your uncles?"
"I think it's a great deal. Five hundred yuan for each of my aunts, how about that?"
Hearing his second brother and sister-in-law discussing gift-giving, Xiao Wu couldn't help but think that as the newlywed son-in-law, he should also give something. Although Xiaxia's parents were no longer alive, there were still some elders in the family, and he couldn't be impolite.
"Second brother and sister-in-law, do you think Xiaxia and I should bring some things back with us, since this is my first time?"
After thinking for a moment, Xia Jianguo said, "We will bring them. You can just buy them with us."
Xiao Wu smiled and said, "Thank you, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law!"
The waiter carefully carried a bowl of soup over and said, "Hello, your soup is here. Please enjoy."
Li Chunmei took five bowls and served a bowl of soup to each person, letting it cool before they drank it.
The soup was a light minced meat and vermicelli soup, and the bright green scallions sprinkled on top looked beautiful.
Xia Minmin couldn't resist any longer and started drinking it once it cooled down a bit.
Xia Minmin was pleasantly surprised, "Mom, this soup is delicious."
The pork nowadays tastes much better than the pork from later years. It has a fresh and sweet flavor, and the soup, apart from a little salt and the aroma of scallions, is full of the original flavor of the ingredients.
"Hmm, this soup is really good."
"It tastes really good, you should drink more."
The large bowl of soup was finished by several people in no time.
Shortly after we finished our drink, the waiter brought over braised rabbit and shredded potatoes. "Please wait a moment, the other dishes will be served shortly."
Seeing the group of people who were starving, Li Chunmei said, "Okay, could you please bring us a bucket of rice?"
"Okay, I'll bring it to you right away." The waiter said and went to get the food.
The food was steamed in wooden buckets, which made it much more fragrant than food cooked in iron pots.
Xia Minmin was hesitant to eat braised rabbit.
She watched as everyone ate the braised rabbit meat with relish, and couldn't help but swallow hard.
Xia Xiaomei held up a piece of braised rabbit meat and said to Xia Minmin, "Are you sure you don't want to eat it? It's really delicious!"
What's really annoying is Xiao Wu. Every time he picks up a piece of braised rabbit meat, he holds it in front of Xia Minmin's nose so she can smell it.
Enraged, Xia Minmin left her seat and started hitting Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu laughed and cried out, "Oh dear, oh dear, please let me go, Sister Xia!"
Xia Jianguo had no choice but to get up and pull Xia Minmin back.
Xia Xiaomei rolled her eyes at Xiao Wu, "I've never seen anyone as annoying as you."
Xiaxia and Minmin glared angrily at Xiaowu as they returned to their seats.
Li Chunmei sat down next to Xia Minmin and said, "Are you sure it's not? It really is delicious!"
Xia Minmin saw how happy they were eating,
Li Chunmei tried putting a piece of rabbit meat into Xia Minmin's bowl, and everyone else stared at Xia Minmin.
"Xiaomin, you really have to try it, it's really delicious."
"Xiaomin, this is farmed rabbit meat, it's fine. It's meant to be eaten, just like chicken."
Xia Minmin picked up a piece of rabbit meat from the bowl and put it in her mouth. No wonder everyone loves it so much, it really is delicious! The meat is very tender and won't get stuck in your teeth at all.
"How is it? Isn't it delicious?"
We didn't lie to you, did we?
"Xiaomin's expression just now was hilarious, like she was ready to die."
"Anyone who didn't know better would think she was taking poison."
After tasting the first bite of braised rabbit meat, Xia Minmin picked up a few more pieces.
The waiter brought out a large bowl of some kind of dish from the kitchen, and it seemed to be coming from the direction of Xia Minmin's table.
"Hello, your pickled cabbage and blackfish has arrived. Please enjoy."
Snakehead fish has tender flesh and few bones, making it especially suitable for children and people who can't pick out bones, and Xia Minmin has both.
Li Chunmei said, "Xiao Wu, why don't you try our blackfish?"
Xiao Wu picked up a piece of pickled fish with his chopsticks and was immediately attracted. "Second Sister-in-law, the one you recommended is really delicious."
Li Chunmei smiled and said, "My family used to live near the river, so I'm quite knowledgeable about eating fish."
After dinner, everyone went to explore the county town. Compared to Shenzhen, most things were much more expensive. They quickly bought bedding, a few bottles of liquor, and some cigarettes.
After collecting my luggage, I rented a van and headed back to my hometown.
The road was much easier to travel on than last time, with fewer potholes, and Li Chunmei didn't get carsick this time.
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