Chapter 90 Joining in the fun
Lu Mingyue invited Xia Xiaofang to eat with her, but Xia Xiaofang declined.
It's one thing for a young child to eat with them, but how can a grown woman be so shameless as to follow along?
Even if they have a good relationship, it doesn't seem like a real relationship.
"Oh, there's no need for us to stand on ceremony."
Lu Mingyue pulled her to sit down, and Xia Xiaofang couldn't refuse. She only drank one bowl of soup and refused to drink any more.
"You haven't eaten the pancakes you brought yet, have some more."
"No, we can't eat anymore. My daughter and I are just begging for food. People will laugh at us if they find out."
"Who dares to laugh at us?"
Lu Mingyue put her hands on her hips and said, "If anyone makes a joke about this, I'll be the first to object."
Huo Zheng also said, "Don't be shy, let's eat together. Hasn't Lao Qin come back yet?"
Xia Xiaofang then realized that it was well past her get off work hours, but she still hadn't seen her husband.
Just as I was about to get up to look for him, I heard Qin Lie's voice from outside.
"Old Huo, is my wife home?"
Qin Lie's tall figure appeared in everyone's sight, and Mingming saw his father's eyes light up.
"dad."
Qin Lie strode forward, picked him up, and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Good son."
It seems they get along well with Mingming, and the father and son are very close.
Mingming was pricked by his beard and tried to lean back, trying to break free from her father's embrace.
He looked at his mother with pleading eyes, "Mom."
Xia Xiaofang quickly snatched her son away, rubbed his little face, and glared at Qin Lie, "You have no sense of proportion. Do you think our son has a skin as thick as yours?"
Qin Lie chuckled and apologized to his son, "I'm sorry, son, Dad is just too happy."
Lu Mingyue: "Comrade Qin is here. Sit down and have something to eat."
Qin Lie's eyes lit up. "Great! I just happened to bring some meat and vegetables. Let's eat together."
He had already smelled the aroma of meat in the yard, and Lu Mingyue took the initiative to invite him, so he could get a free meal.
"Xiaofang, now you can sit down in peace."
Lu Mingyue pulled Xia Xiaofang's hand, pressed her down on the stool, and ladled out bowls full of meat soup.
Leilei stuffed a pancake into her hand, saying, "Auntie, have a pancake."
Xia Xiaofang's heart melted. "Thank you, Leilei."
Qin Lie prepared braised pork, stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, and hot and sour shredded potatoes, all of which are favorites of the children.
The three children had a great appetite, taking bites of bread and vegetables, and finally a sip of soup, their little mouths glistening with oil.
Eat slowly.
Lu Mingyue wiped the rice crumbs from Yao Yao's mouth, her face full of doting smiles.
The two children have recently grown taller and heavier, and their faces and bodies are getting fuller, making them look much more energetic.
Xia Xiaofang: "You take such good care of the two children."
Lu Mingyue smiled and said, "Leilei and Yaoyao are both obedient and sensible children, so they don't need much supervision."
Hearing her mother's praise while holding the pancake, Yao Yao nodded and said, "Yao Yao is a good child."
"My brother too!"
Finally, not forgetting Mingming, "Brother Mingming too!"
His childish words made the adults burst into laughter.
Qin Lie took a sip of the soup, the aroma of beef warming his stomach. He hadn't expected the soup, which looked so light, to taste so good.
"By the way, where did the beef come from?"
Cattle are one of the important public assets, and they are generally not easy to obtain.
Xia Xiaofang recounted how they bought beef that day.
Qin Lie nodded, "So that's how it is."
Thinking of the beef jerky and beef sauce that Lu Mingyue mentioned, he felt hungry again.
With a fawning smile, he asked, "Comrade Lu, when are you going to make beef jerky?"
Lu Mingyue pointed to the bamboo sieve outside, "It's ready."
"So fast."
Qin Lie regretfully withdrew his gaze; he had been thinking that if they hadn't done it, they could have joined in.
Beef jerky and beef sauce sound delicious just from hearing about them.
"But the beef sauce hasn't been made yet," Lu Mingyue said.
Qin Lie's hope was rekindled, and he strongly expressed his wish that his family could contribute.
Xia Xiaofang also looked at Lu Mingyue with anticipation.
Under the watchful eyes of the two men, Lu Mingyue felt immense pressure.
She had originally planned for everyone to do it together, and since Qin Lie had already spoken up, there was no reason for her to refuse.
"Okay, let's make it after we finish eating."
I originally planned to have dumplings for lunch and beef soup for dinner, but now it's the other way around. But it doesn't matter, we don't have to be so particular about what we eat at home.
"Great! I'll go home and get my things in a bit. Just tell me what materials you need and I'll go buy them." Xia Xiaofang was eager to try.
"Don't worry, I have everything I need here."
Huo Zheng and Qin Lie were going to the military camp in the afternoon, and they wanted to help out as well.
Under Lu Mingyue's direction, they first processed the beef.
Removing the excess fascia was a delicate task, and it took two grown men more than an hour of hard work to finally finish cleaning all the beef.
"We're leaving now."
Huo Zheng glanced at the time; it was almost time to go to the military camp. He said goodbye to Lu Mingyue and left.
On the way, Qin Lie was thinking about the beef sauce and decided he should buy a few more steamed buns to bring back in the afternoon.
With the beef ready, Lu Ming also began preparing his jerky, following the same order as before.
First, boil the meat to remove the fishy smell, then season and marinate it. Spread the marinated beef evenly on a bamboo sieve.
Place it in a well-ventilated and sunny spot at home and let it air dry for about three or four days.
"Remember to turn it over and dry it during this period, and also be careful to prevent it from getting infested with insects."
As Lu Mingyue laid out the clothes to dry, she gave Xia Xiaofang instructions on what to pay attention to.
If you don't have a resealable bag, put it in a clean, coarse cloth bag, tie it tightly, and hang it in a cool, well-ventilated place.
When the kids are craving something sweet, they grab a handful; it's a rare and luxurious snack.
Xia Xiaofang squatted by the bamboo sieve, holding a small wooden stick in her hand, and followed Lu Mingyue's movements to learn how to arrange the beef strips, listening very attentively.
"Don't worry, Mingyue, I've got it all figured out. I'll turn it over twice a day, morning and evening. I even found a piece of fine gauze to cover the bag after it's dried, so that no bugs can get in."
Just then, Wang Fengmei's youngest daughter, Tingting, ran in from outside the courtyard gate. She immediately spotted the beef strips on the bamboo sieve and came over to peer at them from the edge of the sieve.
"Aunt Lu, what is this? It smells delicious."
Leilei proudly puffed out his little chest and said, "This is beef jerky! It'll be delicious once it's dried; you can chew on it for ages!"
Lu Mingyue smiled and patted Leilei's head: "Once they're dried, Mom will put them in your little pocket so you can have them as a snack on your way to school."
Leilei immediately turned around and tugged at Xia Xiaofang's clothes, saying, "Mom, I want to fill a whole bag!"
This made both of them laugh.
Xia Xiaofang helped Lu Mingyue arrange the last few strips of beef, straightened up and sighed, "You really know how to manage money. You can cook this beef in different ways, so it can both fill your stomach and be a snack. Unlike me, I just stew or stir-fry the meat I buy, and it's all gone in a few days."
Lu Mingyue wiped the seasoning powder off her hands and said with a smile, "It's all just guesswork. We'll figure out how to make beef sauce together later. It'll taste really good with the steamed cornbread you made."
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