"Xiaoni, since it's from your mother, keep it for yourself and don't buy anything for Manli. If you make her crave it, she'll keep pestering you for money all the time," Tao Chunfang replied with a smile, her smile much more genuine than before.
Qiao Xiaoni: "You can't say that. Aren't I her aunt? Do you think this little girl would call me aunt for nothing? I'm going to town to see if there's anything useful, so I won't buy her any treats. When things are better at home, I'll definitely buy her snacks every day."
Tao Chunfang's smile widened: "I'm glad you said that. There's no need to spoil children. As long as they have something to eat, that's enough."
Li Meihua remained silent. Her daughter-in-law, though not verbally complaining about her favoritism towards her daughter, was undoubtedly resentful. Seeing the harmonious relationship between the sisters-in-law, she was happy for them too. After all, her daughter would eventually marry, and she and her husband would pass away sooner or later. Besides their two sons, who else could truly help their daughter? A good relationship with her sister-in-law would also be a source of support.
"Mom, I want to ask you for more lard to put in the filling. Look, this big bowl of vegetables is twice as much as last night's. If you add another spoonful of oil, they'll definitely think it won't taste good."
"Add more oil, and someone will definitely buy it," Qiao Xiaoni said with a smile.
Li Meihua's smile turned awkward: "We still have half a jar of lard to last us two months! If we add too much now, there won't be any oil left in the dishes later, and they'll be even harder to eat."
Qiao Xiaoni tugged at Li Meihua's arm and said coquettishly, "Just trust me this once. I promise this little bit of lard won't be wasted; it will definitely bring income to our family."
Li Meihua had seen her daughter cry and whine before, but this was the first time she had ever acted so coquettishly. Her ears immediately softened, and she nodded in agreement.
Qiao Xiaoni happily went to the wall and untied the rope, successfully taking the small jar of oil out of the basket. Whether the vegetable pancakes would sell well today depended entirely on this.
Li Meihua watched with a pained expression; her precious daughter had scooped out so much oil that it would be enough for her to cook for a week.
Qiao Xiaoni glanced at the oil jar in her hand, knowing it was time to stop while she was ahead. If she continued, the old lady wouldn't be able to take it anymore. So she put it back in the basket and hung it up.
The purpose of this is to prevent rats from stealing the oil, and almost every household does this.
After remixing the filling, the cabbage filling looked shiny and delicious.
Tao Chunfang couldn't help but swallow hard; it had been a long time since she had eaten such a hearty and flavorful meal. Qiaojia Village was geographically remote, and the villagers barely managed to raise their children on just a few acres of land. Fortunately, in the past two years, the two brothers had been called away to work in neighboring villages, which improved the family's situation somewhat, allowing them to have enough to eat. However, it was only enough to fill their stomachs; they couldn't even afford to eat more meat.
"Sister-in-law, save one of the vegetable pancakes for Manli when they're done cooking. It's good for children to eat more so they can grow up tall and beautiful."
"Mmm!" Tao Chunfang's eyes reddened and she almost cried, but she turned around and forced back her tears.
The three women busied themselves steaming a large pot of seaweed cakes. The basket woven by the old man came in handy; they lined the bottom with newspaper, then a layer of white cloth, placed the seaweed cakes inside, making sure there was space between them, and finally covered them with a small blanket.
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