Chapter 43 Treating Guests to Dinner
Huo Tingzhou actually knew that Jiang Si had never cooked and didn't like doing housework.
He stayed in the Jiang family for more than ten years, and his primary task every day was to follow her around and protect her.
It can be said that he knows all of Jiang Si's preferences and habits by heart.
But Huo Tingzhou didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
She had never cooked for the first 21 years of her life, so there was no reason for her to change that once she arrived on Qiongzhou Island.
Moreover, unlike Shanghai, the residential compound here does not yet have access to gas.
The kitchen at home is small, and the coal stove produces a lot of smoke.
If she went with him, Huo Tingzhou would have to keep glancing at her every now and then, so he decisively refused.
"There aren't many dishes, so they're quick to make."
Besides the two of them, the only other people who stayed for the housewarming party were Commander Xiao's family of four, Deputy Commander Lei and his wife, and He Ping, making a total of seven adults and two children.
The dishes had been agreed upon beforehand, but the brothers Wei Dong and Wei Min had just delivered a grouper.
Even fish can't be kept alive in this weather.
Huo Tingzhou thought for a moment and decided not to make the pickled radish and old duck soup, but to make a fish prepared in three ways.
Half of the fish is steamed, and the other half is used to make fish ball soup.
The remaining part can be fried directly.
Next, I'll make Yimeng stir-fried chicken, which is Uncle San's specialty and Jiang Si's favorite.
I stir-fried tomatoes and eggs for the two kids, and then served a plate of fried peanuts.
There's no time to steam buns at this hour, so we'll just cook some rice as the main dish. It's mainly because we've been on Qiongzhou Island for a long time, and people in the military are used to eating rice.
Seeing that he had arranged things in an orderly manner, Jiang Si did not stand on ceremony with him.
"Then you go cook, I'll tidy up the house."
Putting everything else aside, at least the bed and other bedding need to be tidied up for the night.
Fortunately, her third uncle sent her enough quilts, but it was a pity about the few sets of silk bedding.
There's no way to use this; she can only keep it in her personal space for her own enjoyment.
Making the bed was easy enough, but she had a lot of clothes.
Jiang Si herself has a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder; when she organizes her clothes, she likes to categorize them by season, such as spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
The colors must also be arranged in order from dark to light.
So just organizing her clothes would take at least one or two hours.
Watching her busy figure, Huo Tingzhou's heart swelled with joy.
Once he had calmed down, he went to Commander Xiao's house next door.
"Hey, what brings you here?" Xiao Zhengjun asked, looking puzzled.
Huo Tingzhou was in a hurry to go back and cook, so he replied with just a few words.
"Could I borrow your coal stove for a moment?"
The dishes he makes are all laborious, and with only one coal stove at home, he can't eat until 10 p.m.
"Okay, I'll take it to you."
"By the way, do you want me...?"
Xiao Zhengjun had only spoken halfway when Hu Meili suddenly called out to him, "Old Xiao! Come here for a second."
"What's wrong?"
“Your son has a problem he can’t solve. Come over and explain it to him.”
Upon hearing this, the two brothers in the room were immediately filled with question marks.
They're writing self-criticisms, so where did the questions come from?
A moment later, Xiao Zhengjun pushed the door open and came in.
Which question can't you two answer?
"..."
The two brothers pursed their lips and looked at their mother. "Mom, which question don't we understand?"
Hu Meili rolled her eyes at the two brothers and tapped on the desk with her hand.
"Look at the characters you two have written! They look like scribbles. Even a chicken claw could write better. Erase them and rewrite them right now!"
After saying that, he glared at Xiao Zhengjun again, "You, come with me."
"Old Hu, why did you interrupt me just now?" Xiao Zhengjun asked, puzzled.
Hu Meili was speechless. "If I hadn't interrupted you, would you have gone to Xiao Huo's house right now to lend him a hand?"
"Yeah, isn't it normal for brothers to lend a hand to each other?"
“When we used to have guests, they would always come early to help out.”
"Are you stupid? A young couple can strengthen their relationship by cooking and chatting at home."
"Do you think it's appropriate for a grown man like you to stand between them?"
Xiao Zhengjun took a moment to react.
That's true. His sister-in-law finally came, and it's really not good for him to go over there and act like a third wheel.
However, he was still somewhat unconvinced, saying, "It's no use just stopping me. That kid He Ping might already be on his way."
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!
As soon as Xiao Zhengjun finished speaking, Hu Meili saw He Ping's figure in her line of sight.
Fortunately, she was quick-witted and managed to pull He Ping to her home before he entered the gate.
As for Deputy Commander Lei, Hu Meili wasn't worried at all.
With Mingjuan around, nothing will go wrong.
Sure enough, Deputy Regiment Commander Lei and his wife arrived shortly afterward.
The two sisters-in-law exchanged a knowing smile, and only when Huo Tingzhou came to return the coal stove did everyone follow him.
When I entered the house, the food was already on the table.
Jiang Si greeted them with a smile, "Sisters-in-law, please sit down. There are no outsiders here today, so please don't stand on ceremony."
"Don't worry, Sister Si, we won't stand on ceremony with you."
"These close friends are all in cahoots; it would be pointless to keep being so polite with each other."
After Hu Meili finished speaking, she quickly led the children to their seats.
Xu Mingjuan followed closely behind.
Including He Ping, there are exactly four families today.
One family sits in one corner, just right.
When He Ping saw that everyone present was in pairs and he was all alone, he quickly called Wei Dong and Wei Min over to sit with him.
The remaining two men, one of them was responsible for holding the bowls and chopsticks.
The other person was responsible for pouring soft drinks for everyone.
After everyone was seated, the eldest brother, Xiao Zhengjun, cleared his throat a few times.
"Today, let's use water instead of wine to warmly welcome our younger siblings."
"Secondly, on behalf of everyone here, I wish you both a prosperous life, a sweet and lasting happiness!"
The others didn't say anything, but they all had smiles on their faces.
They were genuinely happy that Old Huo was able to start a family.
Upon hearing this, Huo Tingzhou and Jiang Si stood up together and exchanged a glance.
They didn't say a word, but they both understood each other's feelings.
Finally, Huo Tingzhou spoke up, "Thank you, we will definitely make the most of our lives."
"Come on, everyone raise your glasses, cheers!"
"cheers!"
"..."
Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely, but considering that Jiang Si and the others had to go to the military hospital for a physical examination early the next morning, they parted ways early.
Before leaving, Hu Meili and Xu Mingjuan rushed to tidy up the kitchen and dining table.
They were moving so fast that Jiang Si couldn't stop them!
They didn't come over then because they were afraid of disturbing the young couple.
If you eat your food, wipe your mouth, and leave now, what kind of person would you be?
Over there, Deputy Regiment Commander Lei also called Huo Tingzhou outside for a private chat.
After everyone had left, Huo Tingzhou filled a basin with hot water and knocked on Jiang Si's door—
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