Chapter 179 Chicken Stew

If you don't say Zhao's mother has a high emotional intelligence, she would always praise people one after another, never praising one and then belittling another, so that there would be no rift between the sisters-in-law. She is not fair, but she never favors one over the other.

The eldest and second wives of Zhao looked at each other, pursed their lips and smiled. In fact, they didn't have that many thoughts. They were all family members, and they knew each other's character after getting along for a long time. Neither of them was the kind of person who would cheat or play tricks, so of course they got along well.

But they also benefited from the mother-in-law's fair approach, so they never had any unpleasantness with each other like people in other families.

Lin Jianyan held Xiaomi in her arms and felt that the child's body was exceptionally soft, like a ball of warm marshmallow, nestling in her arms, feeling warm.

Xiaomi's small hands grabbed Lin Jinyan's collar, her big eyes flickering, and the next moment, she raised her head and pressed her face against Lin Jinyan's.

"Uncle, it smells delicious."

Lin Jinyan's heart was instantly melted by Xiaomi's action, and his smile deepened. He responded softly: "Xiaomi, do you like the sweet smell of uncle?"

Xiaomi nodded vigorously and rubbed her little head against Lin Jianyan's face, just like a friendly little animal.

The people around couldn't help laughing when they saw this scene. Mother Zhao said, "It seems that it will be difficult for our Xiao Mi to find a partner when he grows up."

Seeing this, Zhao Dalong couldn't help but come over and said, "Let me hug you."

Lin Jinyan wanted to hand her over to him, but Xiaomi hid in his arms and refused to let him hold her, mumbling, "No, no." She grabbed Lin Jinyan's collar tightly and refused to let go.

Zhao Dalong couldn't help but feel jealous, "Hey, I'm your uncle. Although I'm not as good-looking as your elder brother, I'm not ugly either. Why do you like him and not me?"

After hearing this, Xiaomi poked her head out of Lin Jianyan's arms and said in a baby voice, "Uncle, it's Xiangxiang."

Zhao Dalong sniffed himself and said, "I don't stink. You can smell me, I smell pretty good too." Then he moved closer to Xiaomi.

Xiaomi wrinkled her nose and hid behind Lin Jinyan, mumbling, "Different, different."

This cute look made everyone laugh again.

Lin Jianyan held Xiaomi for a while and felt his arms getting heavy. It was really unbearable to hold a little girl weighing more than 20 kilograms for a long time.

Seeing this, Zhao's mother quickly took Xiaomi and said, "Hey, you must be tired. Go and take a rest. Dinner will be served soon."

Lin Jianyan stretched his sore arms and said, "Xiaomi doesn't look big, but it's quite heavy.

Mother Zhao held Xiaomi in her arms and rocked her gently. "Children grow fast and change every day. You go sit in the main room first. I'll put Xiaomi down and we'll prepare to eat."

Xiaomi was unhappy, twisting her body and whining, "No, I still want uncle to hold me."

Mother Zhao coaxed: "Xiaomi, be good. Uncle is tired. Let uncle play with you after dinner, okay?"

Xiaomi nodded, not quite understanding, and muttered, "Eat, eat."

Lin Jianyan smiled and nodded, "Okay."

Coincidentally, after the meal was served on the table, Zhao Dalong's second brother also came back. The two brothers hugged each other again with red eyes.

Zhao Dalong looked at his second brother sweating profusely and said distressedly, "Second brother, did you walk back? It's more than ten kilometers. How can you bear it every day?"

The second brother wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeves and said with a simple smile, "Well, it's a habit. It's not like this every day. There is an ox cart in our village. I go there in the morning and it's a little late when I come back, so I don't take the ox cart. I just walk back from get off work and think of it as exercise."

"Okay, let's stop talking and eat."

Everyone sat down one after another. While eating and chatting, Zhao Dalong took out the good wine he had just bought. The taste was so delicious that the men who loved wine almost drooled.

Zhao Dalong poured a full cup for the village chief, who carefully held out his hand to catch the wine, fearing that a drop might spill. "Well, it's good wine, just taste it."

Zhao Dalong smiled and replied, "Fourth uncle, you usually worry so much about the village, this little bit of wine is nothing. My eldest brother and my brother will stay at your house later, and we will need your care for the next few days, so a little wine is nothing, just drink as much as you want."

The village chief smiled and nodded, sniffed the aroma of the wine, and said intoxicatedly: "Okay, then I won't be polite. This wine smells authentic!"

Mother Zhao also asked Lin Jinyan and David to eat more meat, but she was afraid that they would dislike it, so she didn't serve them any vegetables. "You guys eat more, the meat is really bad."

Lin Jianyan smiled and replied: "Okay, don't worry about us, we will eat."

The portions of dishes on the table were quite large. The main course was a large bowl of chicken and braised pork with potatoes on the side, as well as stir-fried vegetables, cold cucumbers, and another dish that Lin Jianyan couldn't recognize, but it tasted like fungi, so she guessed it was some kind of mushroom.

Lin Jianyan picked up a piece of chicken and put it into his mouth. A look of satisfaction immediately appeared on his face. It was a free-range chicken from a farm, stewed in an iron pot. It was so delicious.

The chicken is firm and flavourful, the rich soup coats every fiber, and is stewed just right. With a gentle bite, the meat and bones separate, and the aroma blooms in your mouth instantly.

The braised pork is also very delicious, but it is a bit greasy if you eat too much. However, when paired with the cold cucumber salad, it is simply a delicacy.

Several little guys were also eating with their mouths full. Their family was not well-off and they could only eat meat once in a while. At this moment, the children stared at the table full of meat dishes and their chopsticks fell like raindrops.

Xiaomi's cheeks were bulging like a greedy little hamster, and he mumbled, "Meat, meat, delicious."

Mrs. Zhao looked at him, feeling distressed and relieved, and said softly, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Mother Zhao quietly put food into the children's bowls, her eyes full of love.

After drinking more than thirty glasses of wine, the men had almost finished their drink and had a full meal, so it was time to leave.

The village chief could hold his liquor quite well, and although he was a little flushed, he was still in a stable position. "It's getting late, and I should go back. Ah Yan and David, come with me. I've already made the beds for you at home."

Lin Jianyan and David looked at each other and nodded in thanks. After the three of them said goodbye to the Zhao family, they walked together to the village chief's house under the moonlight.

Nowadays, the villagers have no entertainment options and can't go to bed that early, so after dinner, there are always many people gathering at the entrance of the village to chat.

Feeling this wonderful atmosphere, Lin Jianyan's heart calmed down.

The village chief's house was not far from Zhao Dalong's house. It was just a few steps away. In the moonlight, Lin Jianyan looked at the green brick and tile house in front of him.

The regular roof lines are smooth, and the green bricks on the wall have an ancient hue under the moonlight, exuding a down-to-earth rural charm.

The village chief pushed open the red-painted door in front of him and called out from inside, "Old lady, a guest has arrived."

Just as he finished speaking, there was the sound of brisk footsteps coming from the inner room, and a kind-looking lady came out quickly.

She was wearing a floral apron. She wiped her hands on it and smiled enthusiastically. "Hey, come in quickly. You must be exhausted from the journey."