When the time was up, Su Yan immediately took out the kiln-roasted chicken with pliers.
As the charred, dry soil is broken, the sweet aroma of the chicken wrapped in lotus leaves instantly intensifies.
Nianyu's mouth watered, and she quickly said, "Auntie, it smells so good!"
Seeing this, Guo Ziming took the initiative to knock the soil off the other two kiln-roasted chickens and said, "Junior sister, you give them to the children first, and we'll take these two to the living room."
Su Yan replied, "Kiln-roasted chicken tastes best when it's hot; it won't taste good when it's cold. You can take it to the living room and share it. This one is for me, Tao Yue, and the children."
Peeling back the last layer of lotus leaves reveals an even richer aroma of the kiln-roasted chicken. Inside, the chicken is stuffed with shiitake mushrooms, glutinous rice, and Chinese sausage, and sprinkled with goji berries and a handful of scallions. The aroma of the meat is infused with the fragrance of rice, and the chicken is bright in color, tender, and juicy—it looks incredibly tempting!
"OK."
Guo Ziming and the other two couldn't wait to try the kiln-roasted chicken, so they put it on a plate and took it to the living room.
This is the first time anyone has ever seen this thing.
Su Yan tore off a chicken leg for Nianyu.
The little girl sat by the fire, her mouth brimming with the delicious flavor of meat, her eyes crinkling with happiness. "This is the best meat I've ever eaten!"
Su Lei and Hu Zi followed the smell and came to the kitchen.
Seeing the fragrant chicken, Su Lei's eyes lit up. "Sis, I want some too! How could you eat it behind my back!"
Su Yan said irritably, "If I were eating behind your back, this meat would have been gone long ago!"
As she spoke, she tore off a whole chicken wing for him and gave the other chicken leg to Tiger.
The weather is cold now, so tearing it by hand doesn't feel hot.
Su Lei doesn't like chicken drumsticks, so he happily accepted the chicken wing.
The three little ones squatted by the fire, eating with great relish.
She gave the remaining wing to Tao Yue, and then ate the other parts of the meat.
With one bite, the chicken juices burst in her mouth, and Tao Yue's eyes lit up. "Ayan, this chicken is so delicious! We could open a shop and sell it!"
Su Yan shook her head repeatedly, "Forget it, I don't have the energy to do any other business. You guys should try this sticky rice, it's even better than meat."
In less than fifteen minutes, the chicken and sticky rice were all gone, and the children were still a little hungry.
"Sis, are we having this again tonight?" Su Lei asked expectantly, "I want to eat it again!"
Before Su Yan could speak, Li Juan's voice came from outside, "Eat! We'll continue eating this tonight."
As Li Juan walked into the kitchen, she said, "Ayan, quickly teach me how to cook this chicken. Let's cook the rest of the chicken now. It's New Year's Eve today, so we need to eat dinner early."
Su Yan guessed what was going on and asked, "Mother, you don't mean you want to learn how to make it and then sell it in a shop, do you?"
"Let's see how it's made first." Li Juan said, "You know what, it tastes really good. It's the first time I've ever felt that rice is even more delicious than meat. Your master and Grandpa Jiang couldn't get enough and asked you to make some more for dinner."
"Alright, then let's make the chicken into kiln-roasted chicken."
On such a fine day, Su Yan had originally planned to cook herself, with her mother helping out.
"Since there's glutinous rice inside the chicken, we won't have eight-treasure rice this year. Let's make some dumplings instead."
Eight-treasure rice is a local custom in their hometown, and this dish must be on the dinner table every New Year's Eve.
Just as Li Juan finished speaking, Guo Ziming appeared at the door.
He held a chicken leg in his hand and walked straight to Su Yan. "Junior sister, this is a leg I specially saved for you. Eat it quickly, it's still a little warm."
Su Yan was stunned for a moment. Before she could say anything, Tao Yue suddenly said meaningfully, "You're so biased! Why did you only leave chicken legs for Ayan?"
A hint of nervousness flashed across Guo Ziming's eyes, but he calmly replied, "She's my junior sister, so of course I'd think of her whenever something good comes along."
Su Yan didn't think too much about it, took the chicken leg and ate it without ceremony. "Thank you, senior brother. You all go to the living room. My mother and I are preparing dinner."
"I'll assist you," Guo Ziming immediately said.
“How can that be? You’re a guest, how can you let a guest into the kitchen?” Li Juan refused, “Go to the living room and wait for your meal.”
Su Yan had already turned around to prepare the dishes, and Guo Ziming didn't know what to say so he stayed behind.
He left with Tao Yue.
Upon entering the courtyard, Tao Yue suddenly asked, "Young Master Guo, do you like Ah Yan?"
Tao Yue has always been sensitive and suspicious about Su Yan's affairs.
The main issue is that Guo Ziming's behavior was quite obvious; the way he looked at Ayan was anything but innocent.
Xie Jin and Ye Feixu didn't look at Su Yan with the same intensity he showed, as if she were a precious treasure, making it hard not to suspect anything.
Guo Ziming paused, his hands behind his back gradually tightening. He said, "Miss Tao, you've misunderstood. I only have the feelings of a senior brother and junior sister for Ayan. She's my master's only female disciple. It shouldn't be a problem if I dote on her a little, right?"
Su Yan hasn't completely let go of Jiang Jingxing yet, so if she were to find out about her feelings for him at this time, she would definitely be rejected.
So, let's wait and see.
Tao Yue tilted her head. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just heard that the Guo family is planning to find you a future wife. If the girl you like is Ayan, do you think her background will be acceptable to the Guo family?"
The Guo family is an upper-class family in Beijing, with a status close to the top of the pyramid. Their influence is widespread, and the Tao family would have to climb at least three classes higher to even get a foothold in the Guo family.
Although Tao Yue is a bit naive and innocent, as the only daughter of the Tao family, she often goes out to eat and socialize with other young ladies in the circle, so she is very clear about the distribution of major families in Beijing.
The old man of the Guo family, Guo Ziming's grandfather, was known for his strictness and stubbornness, and his old-fashioned thinking. He was the one who arranged the marriages of his three sons and daughters. Whether it was his sons getting married or his daughters getting married, the husband's family or the in-laws' family had to be of equal social standing to the Guo family. Otherwise, he had plenty of ways to make his children compromise.
Guo Ziming is the most outstanding male member of the Guo family and the heir personally chosen by Old Master Guo. His marriage is absolutely not something he can decide for himself.
Guo Ziming's father was initially quite tough, willing to break with the Guo family to marry the woman he loved. However, he persisted for less than a year before finally succumbing to the pressure from Old Master Guo and marrying another young lady three months later.
These things are no secret; everyone knows them.
Tao Yue didn't specifically inquire about it; her grandmother told her it as gossip when she was bored.
Guo Ziming's expression stiffened. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Tao Yue. "You investigated me?"
Tao Yue was startled by his sharp gaze and subconsciously took a step back, swallowed hard, and said, "I didn't investigate you. These things aren't secrets. I heard them from others when I attended a party."
I'm not stopping you from liking Ayan, it's just that Ayan was just hurt by Jiang Jingxing. If she's hurt by your family too, it would be too tragic for her. I hope you can think about her situation more.
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