Chen Lihua asked many more questions, and Xu Yan picked out what he could say and told the elderly couple everything he knew in detail.
When Xie Zhuo heard a noise in the yard, he had already ridden his bicycle out.
Xu Yan called out to Da Bao.
"Third Aunt," Da Bao put down the small wooden stick he was holding and ran to the door of the main room, "What do you want with Da Bao?"
"Where did Third Uncle go?" Xu Yan asked.
“Third Uncle went to buy meat,” Da Bao said.
Xu Yan nodded, and seeing that his head was covered in sweat, she waved to him, "Call Xiao Bao over here, let's see the sweat on your foreheads."
As Xu Yan spoke, he waited until the two little ones were standing in front of him, then used a clean handkerchief to wipe their sweat.
Then he said, "Let's go back to playing."
Da Bao and Xiao Bao dashed out.
Xie Zhuo was very quick; he bought the meat in half an hour.
Xu Yan took Chen Lihua and Xu Cangsong, who had been traveling for several days, to a room next to the main hall and settled them in before turning to go to the kitchen.
Xie Zhuo has already stir-fried two vegetarian dishes and mixed a cold dish. Now he is heating the oil in the wok to stir-fry the meat.
"It smells so good!" Xu Yan was enveloped by a strong aroma of oil as soon as she entered, and she wrinkled her nose and took a sniff.
Xie Zhuo glanced behind her and, seeing that she was alone, asked, "Did Mom and Dad go to rest?"
Xu Yan paused as she sat down on the small stool by the stove, then looked up at Xie Zhuo and said, "You call me that so smoothly."
“Otherwise what?” Xie Zhuo glanced at her.
Xu Yan suddenly realized that he didn't know about his engagement, and he was speechless.
“It deserves praise,” Xu Yan said as he sat down.
Xie Zhuo glanced at her again, but didn't say anything more. However, when the oil temperature rose and started to smoke, he told Xu Yan to sit further away. Xu Yan obediently moved the small stool closer to the table.
Many people in later generations said that food cooked in a wood-fired earthen stove was more fragrant, but Xu Yan didn't feel that way. She thought that as long as the cook was skilled, the food would taste good no matter how it was cooked.
Today I experienced a traditional earthen stove, and the chef's skills were superb. What a wonderful life!
The moment Xie Zhuo poured the meat into the oil, she smelled a strong aroma of meat.
Even though it hasn't been long since I finished lunch, I'm already feeling a bit hungry and my mouth is watering.
"It smells so good!"
Da Bao and Xiao Bao also gathered at the kitchen doorway, and shouted out as they smelled the kitchen.
“Oh my two darlings,” Xu Yan was startled by their voices and turned to look at them, “Third Aunt’s ears will go deaf sooner or later.”
Da Bao and Xiao Bao giggled.
Xie Zhuo glanced at Xu Yan when she spoke her first sentence, then continued to concentrate on cooking.
The kitchen was bustling with activity. Chen Lihua and Xu Cangsong hadn't eaten lunch, and their supposed rest was just lying in the room; they couldn't sleep at all.
Hearing the commotion outside and smelling the wonderful fragrance, I couldn't bear to lie down any longer.
“You’re worried your daughter will suffer?” Chen Lihua said while putting on her shoes. “I think she’s living a very happy life.”
"This Xie Zhuo seems like a good guy. He's tall and has a good appearance. Most importantly, I think he's really good to our daughter."
Xu Cangsong remained silent.
Just before leaving, he said, "Let me think about it some more."
Once they left the house, Xu Cangsong felt that there was basically no need to "take another look." If the whole courtyard was filled with fragrance now, it was Xie Zhuo's cooking. He thought it would be good for his daughter to marry him.
At least we won't go hungry.
"Da Bao and Xiao Bao, go call Grandpa and Grandma for dinner," Xu Yan said, seeing that Xie Zhuo had already served all the dishes.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao ran outside excitedly.
Although they had grilled fish for lunch, the smell of meat still made them both drool uncontrollably.
"I'll take the dishes out," Xu Yan said, walking over to take the plate from Xie Zhuo's hand.
Before her hand even touched the plate, Xie Zhuo grabbed her and put his arm around her waist.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Xu Yan glanced at the kitchen doorway before pushing Xie Zhuo's hand away.
"What did you call Da Bao and Xiao Bao just now?" Xie Zhu asked, staring down at her.
"Huh?" Xu Yan didn't react.
Isn't it just Da Bao and Xiao Bao?
What else could it be called...?
She suddenly paused, as if she had thought of something.
Looking up, she saw Xie Zhuo still staring at her intently, as if he wouldn't let her go until she made things clear.
“I,” Xu Yan stammered.
Then, staring at Xie Zhuo, she asked, "Are you jealous, Xie darling?"
After saying that, without waiting for Xie Zhuo's reaction, she pushed his hand again. This time Xie Zhuo didn't use any force, and she easily broke free from his grasp, took a step back, picked up the other dishes on the table, and left the kitchen.
They ate under the pear tree again, with four adults and two children surrounding the small table tightly. Xu Yan's mung bean soup was also served.
After a few hours, the mung bean soup had cooled down. One sip was sweet and delicious, and I felt like I could eat two more bowls of rice.
Chen Lihua and Xu Cangsong felt it was too extravagant; even at their home, they rarely ate like this except during the Chinese New Year.
But when the food on the chopsticks was put into their mouths, they felt that since their daughter had married him, what was wrong with eating a meal from him?
Xu Yan wasn't hungry because she had eaten a lot at noon. She tasted almost every dish and then stopped eating, focusing on drinking her mung bean soup.
Xie Zhuo, on the other hand, ate quite a lot.
Not only did she clean up all the leftover food on the table, but after finishing the meal, she also started drinking with her father.
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