9 Chapter 9
◎You won’t know until you compare◎
The next morning, Jiang Jingyun took out all the tableware in the house and found that there were not enough tables, chairs, bowls and chopsticks. He was thinking about where to borrow some when he saw his aunt coming over with a basket of bowls and chopsticks, and her eldest and second cousins carrying tables and chairs.
Before I even entered the door, I heard my aunt's cheerful voice: "I heard that our chef is going to show off his skills today, so I thought I could learn from him if I came earlier. Is this the right time?"
"I didn't make it in time. My brother prepared it last night. I tried it and it was delicious." Before Jiang Jingyun could say anything, his clinging little sister spoke first.
"Oh, it's so delicious." The aunt put down the basket and picked up the cute little sister. "Give me some to try, okay?"
"Okay, my brother said that we can eat it after everyone arrives." The younger sister drooled as she spoke, and pointed to her aunt with her fingers, "My brother only let me taste a little bit yesterday, but it was super delicious."
Jiang Jingyun listened to his little sister's childish talk, pinched the little greedy cat's nose, and explained to his aunt with a smile, "I was afraid it would go bad in the hot weather, so I prepared it last night. The dishes are long-lasting, and they will taste better if they are prepared in advance."
"Okay, as long as you have the arrangements, we'll just wait for dinner with a thick face." Although he said that, his hands were busy. He asked his eldest and second cousins to go back and forth several times to set up the table and chairs. He put down the dishes and chopsticks that had already been washed at home, and then went to his own vegetable garden to pick and wash vegetables.
After all the busy work, Jiang Jingyun, the owner of the house, didn't get any work at all.
He looked at the sky, thinking that it was getting late, so he decided to go to his uncle's house first, come back and cook some vegetables so they could have dinner. So he discussed with his aunt who was washing vegetables: "Aunt, my uncle has something to do and can't come today. I want to heat up a dish and send it over. Is that okay with you?"
"What can he do? He's just a soft-hearted person." The aunt curled her lips and said disdainfully, "I guess it's that Mrs. Mo who is making trouble again, making a fuss and not letting me come..."
As a junior, Jiang Jingyun couldn't talk about his elders behind their backs, so he could only smile awkwardly.
Seeing his embarrassment, the aunt waved her hand and said, "Go ahead. I'm here to make sure everything is arranged for you."
"Yeah, people often say that having an old person in the family is like having a treasure. We are so lucky to have you in our family." Jiang Jingyun flattered him shamelessly.
"Go away, you just know how to tease me." The aunt-in-law glanced at him sideways and waved him away, "Go and do your own thing, don't get in the way here."
"Understood!" Jiang Jingyun bowed and saluted, then quickly ran away dragging his swollen pig's trotter before being beaten. He carried the dishes that had just been heated up in the kitchen and held three taels of silver to pay off a debt in his arms. He limped to his uncle's house under the scorching sun and it took him almost an incense stick of time.
He stopped in front of the courtyard gate to take a breath and wipe the sweat off his face, then raised his hand and knocked on the wooden door three times, then stood there waiting for the door to open.
After waiting for a while and seeing no response, Jiang Jingyun went forward and knocked three times, then crossed his legs and looked into the yard: "Uncle, are you home?"
"Here it comes, here it comes. Why are you in such a hurry? Are you calling for the soul?" A slightly sarcastic voice was heard, and then the courtyard door opened with a snap. It turned out to be my aunt Jiang Mo.
She was seen fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan, leaning against the door frame, looking askance at Jiang Jingyun in front of her, and speaking in the same sarcastic tone as always, "Oh, I was wondering who it was, it turns out to be nephew Jingyun. What wind brought you here today? Could it be the autumn wind?"
Jiang Jingyun didn't want to get entangled with her any more, so he walked past the people and went inside, shouting loudly as he walked: "Uncle, are you home? I am sorry to bother you today, please come out."
"Hey...what's wrong with you? You're a scholar, why do you barge into other people's houses?" Jiang Mo followed closely behind him, reaching out to grab him, "Stop right there!"
Jiang Jingyun nimbly dodged her pull. When he came with things today, Mrs. Mo had the same attitude. One could imagine the grievances that his second brother had suffered yesterday.
Although it is easy to be soft-hearted, there is no need to humiliate others like this. Thinking in his heart, his face also showed a little impatience, "Auntie, men and women should not touch each other. Although you are the elder, please respect yourself."
"You!" Jiang Mo's hands were shaking with anger, and she pointed at the tip of Jiang Jinglin's nose, "Well, you are really a good guy!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. Jingyun has been well-read and sensible since childhood, so he is naturally a good person." Jiang Jingyun deliberately misinterpreted Jiang Mo's meaning without changing his expression.
"When did I ever praise you?" Jiang Mo stamped her feet in anger, but she had no way to deal with this stubborn nephew who was thicker than a wall.
Just as the stalemate was happening, Jiang Laosan finally came back from outside carrying a hoe. Seeing the two men standing in the yard without talking, he wondered why Jiang Jingyun came at this time.
Before Jiang Lao San could speak, Jiang Jingyun handed over the basket in his hand and said, "Uncle, you are back just in time. Thank you for your care recently. I asked Jinglin to come over yesterday. I wanted to invite everyone to have a simple meal to express my gratitude. Unfortunately, I heard that you were too busy today, so I sent you a dish."
"Did Jinglin come yesterday?" These past few days, Jiang Laosan and his eldest son went to the town to find odd jobs during the day and came back after dark every day. After returning last night, he did not hear Mrs. Mo mention him.
Jiang Laosan glanced at Mrs. Mo, saw the tense atmosphere between the two people in front of him, and thought about his wife's usual behavior. He knew that she had done something without telling him. But after all, she is the mother of two children, and she couldn't be disrespectful in front of her nephew, so she could only smile awkwardly and smooth things over for her: "Yes... there are some things... I have been looking for odd jobs in town recently..."
"Oh, so that's the case..." Jiang Jingyun responded, but in fact, there is no one who is going to the town to find a job today, and now he is carrying a hoe and looks like he just came back from working in the fields.
He did not expose this obvious lie, but brought up another matter, "Jingyun is very grateful for your timely help a while ago, but I also know how difficult it is for you. I have scraped together some money during this period, which is just enough to repay the loan, so I specially send it to you today." After saying that, he took out the silver that he had prepared in his arms and handed it over respectfully with both hands.
Jiang Lao San looked at his nephew who was respectful and a little uncomfortable. He hesitated and said, "Didn't I tell you earlier that uncle is not in a hurry, just leave it alone..."
Before he could finish, Mrs. Mo next to him snatched the silver from Jiang Jingyun's hand, bit it and found it was real. She immediately smiled and even looked at him more favorably. "If someone returns it specially, just keep it. Your family can hardly make ends meet, why are you pretending to be so high and mighty?"
Jiang Lao San glared at her and said, "Shut up! I'll settle your account later!"
He reached out to take the silver and was about to return it when he heard Jiang Jingyun say, "Uncle, please accept it. It is only natural to repay a debt. If you do this, next time your nephew has something to ask for, he won't dare to ask you."
After hearing this, Mrs. Mo wanted to speak again, but after stealing a glance at Jiang Lao San's face, she decided not to rush into trouble for the time being. Anyway, she was there, and the money had been returned and there was no way she could ask for it back.
"Then... I'll take it first. Come find me next time you need it."
"Okay, thank you, uncle." Jiang Jingyun agreed. Regardless of the Mo family, his uncle was sincere. "I still have guests at home. I will go back first. I will come to visit you next time when you are free."
——
When I got back home, it was almost noon and my uncle's family and Xiao Muyan were already there.
The aunt had already steamed the rice for him, and washed and arranged the vegetables neatly. Seeing Jiang Jingyun coming back, she smiled and said, "The time is perfect. I have prepared everything. Do you want to cook for yourself or should I do it?"
"Let me do it, let me do it. I promised to let you see my cooking skills!" Jiang Jingyun rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen.
"Okay, then I'll help you." The aunt-in-law didn't compete with him and readily gave up the position of chef.
Jiang Jingyun had already prepared the main course last night. It only needed to be stir-fried and heated before it could be served. He then quickly stir-fried two green vegetables and served the pork tripe and chicken soup that his aunt had already heated up in advance. Then a large table of food was ready.
Jiang Jingyun raised the cup in his hand and said, "I've troubled you all a lot during this period. I'd like to offer you all a cup of tea instead of wine." After saying that, he raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.
"We're all family, there's no need to be polite, let's eat!" The uncle waved his hand kindly and picked up his chopsticks first.
They had done heavy work all morning and had just been standing outside the kitchen, smelling the delicious food wafting out. They were already starving.
The stewed pork trotters, the braised pork belly with alternating fat and lean meat, the spicy and sour pork intestines, the fragrant braised pig offal, paired with the fragrant white rice, are simply delicious and will make you relish it!
Finally, drink the delicious pepper pork tripe and chicken soup. After a bowl, you will feel hot all over and your stomach will feel warm and soothed.
Not to mention the children who have been craving for the food since last night, even the adults couldn’t stop eating.
After this meal, everyone was full and finally collapsed in their chairs.
The eldest cousin Jiang Jingxuan touched his round belly and burped contentedly, "Fifth brother, your cooking skills are really great. After eating the food you cook, I can't eat anything else anymore."
When the eldest aunt heard this, she patted her eldest cousin on the shoulder and said angrily, "Then don't eat it anymore. I'll save some food."
"Hey, no, Mom, I was wrong. The food you cooked is also delicious." The eldest cousin hurriedly begged for mercy from his mother, who was in charge of the family's finances.
"Go away. I'm annoyed when I see you." The aunt-in-law looked at her eldest son with disdain and called her daughter-in-law, Hu, who was sitting next to her and laughing secretly, to help clean up the dishes.
Jiang Jingyun hurriedly stood up to stop them when he saw this. His aunt and the others had already helped a lot just now, so how could he not have the nerve to let the guests clean up after the meal.
"Your legs and feet are not working properly, we can do it." The old lady pushed him back to sit, "You guys sit down and chat for a while, don't bother us."
Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Jiang Jingyun had to sit down, but he did have something to discuss with everyone.
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