Song Anxin and Lin's sister-in-law were already used to the little ones making a ruckus at home. Lin Daxi also had a smile on his face. The women were all busy in the kitchen chatting at the same time.
Lin Daxi had already learned from her mother that her second aunt had changed for the better, and she also knew why Zhang Mei had married Feng Nian—oh wait, she should be called Song Mei now. Her mother also told her that the two families often ate together, and her second aunt had even set up a duck egg workshop where her mother worked. Her father had also earned a considerable amount by making wooden gift boxes. Her mother said that the family's life was getting better and better, and she was now very grateful to her second aunt. Of course, she wasn't afraid of her anymore, mainly because her second aunt was now very kind.
Lunch was ready quickly, and Uncle Bai brought Ah Si along. When they saw Da Cao and Xiao Cao, he gave each of them a small trinket he had carved to play with. The two children were overjoyed.
Everyone sat in the courtyard to celebrate the festival together. The lunch was especially lavish, with scallion oil chicken, Peking duck, braised pork (of course), sweet and sour dishes (for the younger ones), boiled fish fillets, snails caught from the river, braised delicacies, salted duck eggs, steamed eggs with mushrooms and minced meat, green beans and eggplant, stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings, and wild vegetables picked from the mountain that the village children brought in the morning... Persimmons were also on the table, symbolizing good fortune, and of course, the most important dessert of the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes.
There was still some leftover wine from last time, so after everyone toasted each other, they began to enjoy the feast.
Big Grass and Little Grass could hardly believe their eyes, while Lin Daxi had already seen it while helping in the kitchen. She had heard from her mother that they could eat meat from time to time now, and she was genuinely happy for the good life that her family and her second aunt's family were living.
Da Cao asked her mother timidly, "Mom, can I eat all of these? Don't we need to save them for Da Bao?"
Lin Daxi's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing this. Her family was poor and rarely had access to good food. Even when they occasionally slaughtered chickens and ducks and bought meat and grass, they couldn't afford to eat any themselves. Her mother-in-law insisted on saving everything for her husband and her brother-in-law's eldest child.
Poor Big Grass and Little Grass could only watch longingly, drooling, and after they finished eating, they carefully licked the last bit of meat from the bottom of their mother's bowl in the kitchen.
Upon hearing this, Sister-in-law Lin immediately put on a fierce face and said, "You still want to leave it to him? Dream on! That old hag only cares about her grandson. She doesn't love her granddaughter, but I do."
Her face softened with kindness as she said, "Big grass, little grass, eat whatever you want. Look how thin you are, you need to eat more to nourish yourself."
As he spoke, he picked up two pieces of chicken and put them into two small bowls.
Song Anxin also laughed and said, "Yes, this is my second maternal grandmother's house. You can eat whatever you want. This is sweet and sour pork. Your Uncle Dongzi Fengyao loves it. Da Cao and Xiao Cao, try it."
As he spoke, he also picked some up and put them in their bowls.
The two little ones stared wide-eyed at their bowls. It was chicken, and there was meat too! They felt like they were dreaming. They took a bite, and their eyes narrowed. Their aunt was right, there was even more delicious food!
Grandma Song liked the two little ones very much and felt sorry for them, so she kept putting food on their plates. Not to mention Sister-in-law Lin, the two little ones' bowls were soon piled up like a small mountain.
Song Anxin said helplessly, "Mother, sister-in-law, please stop putting food on Da Cao and Xiao Cao's plates. The bowls are overflowing. It won't be good if the two little ones get too full. Da Xi, please keep an eye on them. Don't let them get an upset stomach from eating so much meat all at once."
Grandma Song and Sister-in-law Lin immediately stopped their hands from putting food into Da Cao and Xiao Cao's bowls, and awkwardly put the food they had picked up with their chopsticks into their own bowls, looking quite embarrassed.
Brother Lin also joined in, but his wife and Aunt Song were too fast, so he could only squeeze in when he had a chance. He quickly put a piece of braised pork into his granddaughter's bowl at the last moment and pretended to be nonchalant as he withdrew his hand.
Everyone at the table found it hilarious. Lin Daxi also told the two little ones to eat slowly, to eat vegetables, and not to force themselves to eat if they couldn't finish.
The two little ones obediently agreed.
Old Bai chuckled and said, "Fengnian's mother, your family is so kind and loving. I've never seen any family get along so harmoniously as yours."
Song Anxin felt guilty. "Uncle Bai, that's because you haven't seen what the original owner looked like before."
He picked up a small snow skin mooncake and said, "Fengnian's mother, how come you have so many kinds of food ideas? I, this old man, have gained quite a bit of weight from eating at your house these past few days."
Uncle Bai really has a special fondness for those snow skin mooncakes. He's already eaten two since they were served, and now he has his third one in his hand.
Grandma Song smiled and said, "Master Bai, don't mention it. I've only been here a short time and I've already gained quite a bit of weight."
Everyone here can attest to this and agrees wholeheartedly; none of us here have gained a lot of weight thanks to Song Anxin's feeding.
Ah Si, his mouth greasy with food, said, "Master, you should eat less of these sweets. Yesterday you ate most of the mooncakes that Aunt Lin brought. Be careful that you don't feel unwell again."
Song Anxin: "......" Uncle Bai, you really can eat a lot, aren't you afraid of high blood sugar?
Old Bai was caught red-handed by Ah Si, and he was caught in a dilemma: whether to eat the mooncake in his hand or not. He pretended to be angry and said, "You little brat, you're talking about me now. Humph, then you can eat it."
He then gave the mooncake to Ah Si.
Ah Si chuckled, took a big bite out of the mooncake, and said as he ate, "Second Aunt, your mooncakes are really delicious, just as good as those in the capital."
Now everyone heard clearly, and Song Anbang asked, "A-Si, you and Uncle Bai are from Kyoto?"
Lin Fengshou looked interested and said, "A-Si, what's Kyoto like? Tell us about it."
Ah Si finished the last bite of the mooncake, and Old Man Bai pretended to cough twice to signal him, while also looking distressed about his mooncake.
Song Anxin: "..." Uncle Bai, isn't it a bit late for you to cough now?
Ah Si, trying to curry favor, rolled up a slice of roast duck and gave it to his master. Then he said, "My master and I have traveled all over the country, so we've naturally been to Kyoto. It's just that there are a lot of people and a lot of money, but that's about it. I still prefer it here."
"Hehe, Master, this roast duck is delicious, isn't it? It's just as good as the ones in Kyoto."
Old Bai nodded as he ate his roast duck, and only then did he give Ah Si a friendly look again.
Lin Fenghe said, "Fourth Brother, do they also have roast duck in the capital?"
"Yes, Aunt Lin is really amazing. She can even make Peking duck from the north, and she makes it so delicious," said Ah Si.
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