Chapter 66 The Wen Family’s Mid-Autumn Festival Dinner
"Wen Jin, do you still want to eat? If not, I'll ask Aunt Niu to take it away!" Wen Yulan slapped Wen Jin on the back. "We've all finished eating, and you're the only one left!"
Wen Jin looked back and saw that everyone had put down their clean bowls and was looking at him. Feeling awkward, he buried his head and scooped up the mung bean ice again.
"Jingjing, can we eat fried skewers every day at the construction site?" Yunyun curled her lips at Wen Jin and started chatting with Zhao Xiaojing.
"That's right! Last time I went to the construction site, I found that the workers were very enthusiastic about eating!" Wen Yulan smiled as she recalled the scene at that time. "I heard that because the workers were so enthusiastic about eating, the kitchen staff could leave work half an hour early."
"It's indeed a little early. Some workers make three servings of fried food every day and eat them with two bowls of rice." Zhao Xiaojing also smiled.
"Hiss...Mom, are you guys at the construction site looking for college students to help carry bricks? I want to go too!"
Yunyun was extremely envious when she heard this.
"I told you to go, but don't move all the bricks into the cafeteria!" Wen Zhiyi mocked in an exaggerated tone.
Everyone in the circle laughed.
After chatting for a while, time passed by unnoticed. When Aunt Niu called for dinner, the bowl of smoothie they had eaten was almost digested, and they all washed their hands and went to the table.
Wen Yulan said that there were a lot of people today, so she specially invited a chef to come and cook.
The restaurant has already laid out a large table full of dishes. The colors and types are well matched.
Near the center sat a generously prepared spicy crab dish, next to which sat a clay pot of pork rib and lotus root soup, steamed pearl glutinous rice balls, steamed sea bass, and roasted chicken with dried beans. Around the edges were winter melon and shrimp soup, eggplant with mashed garlic, fried tofu with bok choy, and preserved egg salad.
In the middle are the fried foods made by Zhao Xiaojing. She re-fried some of each and arranged them carefully, putting them together on a large plate and sprinkling dipping sauce on each.
Zhao Xiaojing felt a little embarrassed when she saw the placement of the items. Wen Jin took a look and frowned. He wanted to say something but shook his head and said nothing.
The others' eyes lit up as they stared happily at the fried food in the middle.
"Mom and Dad, would you like a drink today?"
"Drink some!"
Fan Guiying waved her hand.
"Take the pot I brought back last time! That wine is delicious. I bought it specially for my parents!" Wen Jin shouted, stretching his neck.
"Good! You bought the best ones." Wen Yulan complained, and generously weighed out two bottles of red wine and a pot of yellow wine. The old couple drank the yellow wine, and they drank the red wine.
White wine is too spicy, so they usually don’t drink it at family dinners.
Yunyun rushed to open the bottle of red wine and started pouring it glass by glass.
"Jingjing, do you drink? I forgot to ask you."
The Wen family all have a good alcohol tolerance, and Yunyun has developed it every time she drinks with them, but Zhao Xiaojing doesn't know if she can drink.
"Have a drink."
Seeing that everyone had tried it, Zhao Xiaojing was eager to try it too.
"Then I'll pour it for you first. If you're not used to it later, you don't have to drink it."
"Jingjing, you try it first. You can't change the drink after drinking it. We drink because we are happy, not to force others to drink."
"Yes! Girl, don't compare yourself to their alcohol tolerance. Estimate the amount yourself."
Yunyun poured wine for Zhao Xiaojing, and Fan Guiying and Wen Zhiyi followed up with specific instructions, and Zhao Xiaojing agreed to them one by one with a smile.
"Come, I'm the oldest, so I'll raise a glass first. This glass is to welcome Jingjing. We all get along well with you. From now on, just treat this place as your home! Come, let's toast together!" Grandpa Wen looked at Zhao Xiaojing and said with a smile, and Zhao Xiaojing quickly thanked him.
"Welcome Jingjing!" Grandpa Wen started the conversation, and everyone clinked their glasses and took a big sip.
After taking the first sip, everyone started to pick up their chopsticks. Except for Zhao Xiaojing and Wen Jin, the whole family, young and old, reached for the fried food in the middle.
Wen Jin looked at the table full of delicious food, then looked at his parents. His brows instantly frowned again, staring at the old couple's actions.
Wen Yulan saw this and picked up a piece of fried garlic pork ribs and put it into Wen's bowl, "Eat!"
Wen Jin was given a warning look by Wen Yulan, and then he sighed and picked up the chopsticks.
As soon as I took a bite, my brows relaxed unconsciously.
The skin of these ribs is particularly crispy, fragrant, and has a strong garlic flavor. It tastes dry and fragrant, but the taste is not dry at all. You can tell from the first taste that it is fresh! This piece also has a little bit of crispy bones, which makes it crunchy when chewed, which is very refreshing.
Wen Jin finished eating one piece and picked up another.
Zhao Xiaojing ate and watched. "Little girl, are you Yunyun? Your cooking skills are pretty good! Did your family run a shop and learn from it?"
"No, I met my grandfather while he was fishing," Zhao Xiaojing said with a smile. "I learned the skill online and figured it out on my own."
Well, it’s not a lie to go online through the system, Zhao Xiaojing thought silently.
Wen Jin nodded, secretly surprised. He didn't seem so disgusted as he watched the old couple continue to gnaw on the fried duck neck. He had just tasted it, and the meat was fresh, and the oil had no peculiar smell. It was okay for the old couple to eat less.
"Jingjing, it's delicious, you should have one too!" Yunyun quickly picked up a piece of garlic pork ribs and put it in Zhao Xiaojing's bowl.
"I think this is delicious!" Zhao Xiaojing was eating pearl glutinous rice balls and put one in Yunyun's bowl.
These pearl glutinous rice balls are a Yangcheng specialty. To make them, soak the glutinous rice in water the night before, then season the meat filling the next day. Once the flavor is perfect, shape the meat filling into balls, roll them in the glutinous rice, coat them with a layer of glutinous rice, and steam them.
Making good glutinous rice balls requires effort. Not only do they need to be round and pearl-like, but they also need to hold together when steamed. Wenjia makes these very well.
The outside is glutinous, but the meat inside is chewy and tasty.
"Jingjing knows how to eat. This is the specialty of the chef we invited."
Wen Yulan saw that Zhao Xiaojing knew what she was talking about, so she introduced it to her.
"Try his pork ribs and lotus root soup. The lotus roots used are from Honghu Lake, and they've been stewed until they're powdery and very sticky."
Wen Yulan turned the pork ribs and lotus root soup over and adjusted the direction of the large spoon beside it.
"Try it."
"Delicious! The lotus root is fragrant, soft, glutinous and sweet! The soup is delicious too."
"Sister Yunyun."
Zhao Xiaojing then transferred the lotus root soup to Yunyun next to her.
"No, no, it'll take up space in my stomach and delay my fried food." Yunyun held a chicken carcass and chewed it, her mouth full of oil.
"Girl, how did you come up with this fried duck neck? It smells so good and is perfect for drinking." Wen Zhiyi looked at the duck neck in his hand and praised it highly.
"Dad. This thing is delicious, but don't eat too much. It will make your stomach uncomfortable if you can't digest it at night!" Wen Jin couldn't help but interrupt.
"Come on, the old man just said it's good to drink, so let's satisfy him and have another drink!" Seeing that Haodaer had started again, Fan Guiying immediately interrupted and picked up the wine glass to drink the second one.
"Then let's use this glass to wish our parents good health and that they can drink every year!" Wen Yulan immediately took over and picked up the glass.
"Mom and Dad, may you be healthy and live a long life!" Wen Jin raised his glass helplessly.
"It doesn't matter whether you live to be a hundred or not. As long as you live a quality life, I will live happily until I am seventy-three or eighty-four. It will be much more interesting than living timidly until I am a hundred!" Wen Zhiyi muttered, glaring at Wen Jin and clinking glasses.
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