Ruan Meng instructed the third brother to begin processing the pufferfish.
After rinsing the small fish clean, the second brother took over the task of removing the bones.
Besides the small pufferfish attracted by the second child, A Yuan caught pufferfish, each weighing seven or eight pounds. Ruan Meng estimated that everyone could eat to their heart's content.
Following Ruan Meng's instructions, the third brother opened the fish's internal organs, removed the skin, and then cut the fish meat into pieces.
Without Ruan Meng's prompting, the third brother now arranges the pufferfish skin and meat in a very organized manner.
The third brother glanced sideways at his second brother and seemed to realize why his sister insisted he handle the pufferfish spines...
It seems that, without realizing it, my patience has improved.
Song Shiwen and Fan Zili had already removed the spines from the porcupines, and the third brother took turns handling them.
Ruan Meng started preparing the small fish, and after her third brother cleaned the skin and flesh of the pufferfish, she began to process the pufferfish.
Ruan Meng gave instructions from the side, letting her third brother do it.
Ruan Meng used a small porcupine skin and fish belly to make soup for Madam Xu.
A Yuan caught a large sea cucumber, cleaned out one of its internal organs, and then slowly steamed it over a low flame.
Cut the remaining pufferfish skin into small pieces. Ruan Meng prepared chili peppers, scallions, and garlic. Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry the pufferfish skin until it curls up. Add chili peppers, garlic, and balsamic vinegar separately. After stir-frying, set aside a small bowl and add chopped scallions to the pan.
The room was filled with a sour and spicy aroma, making everyone who smelled it start to salivate.
A few large porcupine skins were stir-fried into three plates of spicy and sour porcupine skin.
The third brother followed the same procedure, stir-frying the pufferfish meat, but added Sichuan peppercorns and peppercorns to make it spicy.
The third brother swallowed hard as he worked.
It's a pity that Xiao Kai's Shanlan wine arrived before lunch was even served.
Ruan Meng was waiting for the person who would go back and deliver the message.
Ruan Meng and Sun Chengen estimated that even if something unexpected happened and they returned a little later, Song Shiyuan and Fan Zizhong should still be able to come back.
Ruan Meng pan-fried the small fish until fragrant, sprinkled it with seasoned Sichuan peppercorn powder and salt, and distributed it to everyone as a snack.
Ruan Meng did not delay Madam Xu's lunch, and brought her the porcupine skin soup and sea cucumber. Madam Xu actually ate both, and even ate a few bites of rice.
Ruan Meng served Xu Zhen a bowl of rice, then ladled out a small bowl of spicy pufferfish meat and sour spicy pufferfish skin, poured a cup of Shanlan wine, and had her second brother serve it to him.
When the kitchen staff and guards had almost finished eating the small fish, the guard standing at the door ran in, looking somewhat excited.
"They're back! They're back!"
Xiao Kai ran to greet them, reminding the others about the tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks; the second brother served rice, the third brother set out dishes, and the guards ran to fetch the carriage...
Song Shiyuan, Fan Zizhong, and two guards alighted from the carriage. They were somewhat overwhelmed by the eagerness and enthusiasm of the people who greeted them...
When Song Shiyuan saw his elder brother Song Shiwen, he asked him to relay the progress. Song Shiwen replied directly:
"Are you tired? Wash your hands and eat!"
Song Shiyuan stood there, stunned, without moving.
Fan Zizhong observed the people around him and sensed that the atmosphere was different. He wondered what had happened since they were not there.
Just as I was about to ask, I heard Xiao Kai say with a grin:
"Young masters, please wash your hands quickly. Miss Meng and the Third Young Master have prepared a delicious meal and have been waiting for your return. Everyone has been craving it for so long!"
Xiao Kai looked respectful; if A Yuan hadn't been standing beside him, he wouldn't have noticed his "gritting teeth"...
Song Shiyuan and Fan Zizhong were slow to react and didn't realize what was happening before the brothers were left behind and "tied up" and led inside.
Song Shiyuan: "Big brother..."
Song Shi asked, "Don't call me 'Big Brother'! Your Big Brother is very hungry right now!"
Fan Zizhong: "Second brother..."
Fan Zili: "Brother, let's eat first! I can't listen to anything right now!"
If it weren't broad daylight, Song Shiyuan and Fan Zizhong suspected they could have clearly seen the green glint in the eyes of these "wolves"...
After a cup of tea.
Song Shiyuan exclaimed, "Wow! How delicious! Brother, what is this?"
No one paid any attention.
Fan Zizhong took a sip of Shanlan wine and sighed with satisfaction, "It tastes really good!"
Looking up, you can't see a single face; everyone is engrossed in eating.
The third brother deeply felt that good food might require more effort and time, and the experience gained by the taste buds would become all the more precious.
Thinking about it this way, even if things get a little troublesome in the future, he figured he would try his best to be more patient...
From the time his younger sister taught him how to cook, he gained a deeper understanding of the phrase "bitter before sweet."
When they put down their chopsticks, the plates on the table were empty, even the broth was gone. It had been used to mix with rice, and the food was eaten clean.
At first, the guards were mindful of the rules and didn't quite let loose.
Ruan Meng reminded her third brother that he could pour the broth over the rice. Seeing that everyone else had already put down their bowls and chopsticks, Song Shiwen reminded the guards that they could pour the rice onto a plate, since everyone else had already finished eating...
The guards peeked at Sun Chengen, and seeing that his expression was calm and he didn't seem inclined to interfere, they began to eat freely...
Sun Chengen's gaze fell on a bowl of spicy and sour pufferfish skin that he had served himself separately, without any scallions...
A slow smile curved her lips.
Footsteps sounded at the door, and everyone stood up.
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