When the fire was halfway lit, the women began to remove the incense sticks that had been stuck into the offerings and then threw them all into the fire.
As the number of combustible ingots dwindled, the flames gradually died out, leaving only a pile of gray-black ashes on the open ground.
There will be people who specialize in collecting this kind of paper money ashes.
After the Ghost Festival ended, every household began moving their belongings back to their homes.
Shen Qingqing first grabbed a fruit basket and ran home.
Upon seeing Shen Qingqing return, Shen Rongzhou knew that the matter over there was over, and he went with Shen Qingqing to retrieve the items.
Soon, the place that had been bustling just half an hour ago fell silent. Apart from the pile of ashes still smoldering and the incense sticks lying on the ground, everything else was completely cleared away.
Besides being interested in the process of the sacrificial ceremony, Shen Qingqing was also very interested in the activities that followed!
He immediately raised his hand and shouted, "Dad, I want to eat goose neck!"
As if sensing something, Shen Hong, who should still be sleeping, woke up and called out "Mom" in the room.
Because today is a major holiday, Shen Hong didn't send the child to her maternal grandmother's place again after returning last night, since her grandmother also needs to perform the Ghost Festival rituals.
Hearing her youngest son calling, Li Xunli walked towards the master bedroom while instructing Shen Rongzhou to prepare the braised goose: "Chop it into four pieces. We'll eat one foreleg and neck, along with the innards, for lunch today. Put the rest in the refrigerator."
"And there's stir-fried squid with chive blossoms, you can decide what to do with the rest!"
Shen Rongzhou nodded, took out the cutting board and cleaver from the kitchen, and placed them on the plastic sheet that had been laid out: "Okay, got it!"
Shen Qingqing and Shen Yangyang squatted down in perfect unison, their knees apart, their hands resting between their knees, their palms supporting their chins, their eyes fixed intently on Shen Rongzhou's hand as he reached for the braised goose.
Although Shen Qingqing looks more like her father and Shen Yangyang looks more like her mother, the two sisters are very similar in appearance.
The sight of the two figures, one middle school student and one young student, squatting in front of the chopping board, staring expectantly, truly melted the heart of the loving father, Shen Rongzhou.
"Qingqing just said she wanted to eat goose neck, didn't she?" Shen Rongzhou asked, holding the neck of the braised goose in his other hand and a cleaver in his other hand.
Shen Qingqing nodded quickly, "I want the middle section!"
Shen Yangyang glanced at Shen Qingqing and immediately said, "I want to be like my sister!"
Everyone in the Shen and Li families knows that Shen Qingqing is a very picky eater, but if it's something that even she likes to eat, then it must be something good.
"Alright, fine! I'll chop it up for you!" Shen Rongzhou laughed, raised his knife, and with one solid stroke, the neck of the braised goose was separated from its body.
It was thanks to Shen Rongzhou sharpening his kitchen knife when he was at home that he was free; otherwise, he might not have been able to chop off the goose's neck in one stroke.
With a few more swift cuts, the once long goose neck was reduced to seven or eight roughly the same size pieces.
Shen Rongzhou picked out a middle section and handed it to Shen Qingqing first, before taking another section for Shen Yangyang.
"Hehe!" Shen Qingqing couldn't help but laugh the moment she got the goose neck, the salty and fragrant aroma filling her nostrils.
Shen Qingqing opened her mouth and took a bite. The salty and savory flavor permeated the skin, and the oil under the skin burst in her mouth the moment she chewed.
In addition, the chewy texture of the lean meat made Shen Qingqing squint her eyes as she ate.
It smells so good!!!
Seeing Shen Qingqing enjoying her meal so much, Shen Rongzhou was even happier and immediately began chopping goose wings and feet.
Two goose wings, two goose feet, and a goose neck—chopped off, make a delicious dish.
Then there was a foreleg, followed by the internal organs, which added up to another large plate.
"Qingqing, go to the kitchen and get three plastic bags." Shen Rongzhou chopped the remaining braised goose into three large pieces.
Shen Qingqing ran to the kitchen, grabbed three plastic bags, and worked with Shen Rongzhou to each tear open one side of the bag and pack the remaining three large pieces of goose meat into separate bags.
Then Shen Rongzhou put it in the refrigerator.
Shen Qingqing brought two plates of goose meat, which had already been plated, to the table.
He had finished gnawing on the goose neck in his hand, and then reached out and grabbed a goose foot.
"Sister, I want one too!" Shen Yangyang kept close behind Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing paused for a moment, handed her the goose foot in her hand, and took another one for herself.
She strolled into the kitchen while munching on her food to watch her dad make stir-fried squid with chive blossoms.
Her father's cooking habit is to use high heat and strong ingredients, while Shen Qingqing's cooking habits are somewhat similar to Shen Rongzhou's, but more influenced by her grandmother. She tends to simmer and boil, always afraid that the food won't be cooked through, so she adds a little water at the end, covers the pot, and simmers it for a while.
There wasn't much meat on a goose foot, and Shen Qingqing finished it off with a few bites. After washing her hands, she started smashing garlic to make garlic sauce and vinegar dipping sauce.
How can you eat braised goose without minced garlic and vinegar!
Thanks to the great cooperation of the father and daughter, the entire dinner was ready in just one hour!
Li Xunli was already sitting at the dining table with Shen Hong in her arms, and there was a bottle of almond milk on the table for each of them.
The family enjoyed a delicious and satisfying meal.
Shen Hong even ate two pieces of goose neck and drank two small cups of almond milk, he was so happy he almost lost his bearings.
Once Purdue is over, it will soon be time to return to school and register.
Shen Qingqing was forcibly dug up before Li Xunli went to the porcelain factory. Before leaving, Li Xunli reminded her to remember to call Chen Manyu.
Shen Qingqing hadn't adjusted to her holiday schedule yet. When she was brushing her teeth in front of the sink, her eyes were still closed until she was splashed with cold water and became much more awake.
Breakfast consisted of fragrant and sticky white porridge with pan-fried goose meat.
That's right, it's the goose that was left over from the Ghost Festival a few days ago.
Fifteen jin (15 catties). There are only three people in the family who can actually eat: Li Xunli, Shen Qingqing and Shen Yangyang, and Shen Rongzhou.
We couldn't possibly finish it in just a few days, but the weather was hot, and it wouldn't work to keep it frozen in the freezer, so we simply removed all the bones, leaving only the meat, and shredded it to fry.
Shen Qingqing also really liked this method; it tasted incredibly delicious when stir-fried.
After finishing breakfast, Shen Qingqing pushed her bicycle and went to find Chen Manyu.
Chen Manyu hurriedly followed her to school.
Although not everyone in the school necessarily knows Chen Manyu, Chen Manyu is already sixteen years old, which is quite different from a typical third-grade student who is only nine or ten years old.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Qingqing decided to accompany Chen Manyu into the third-grade classroom to register so that he wouldn't be bothered by strange looks.
The students registering in the third-grade classroom did see Shen Qingqing and Chen Manyu walk in, but they all assumed that Shen Qingqing was the one registering and Chen Manyu was her parent who accompanied her.
It wasn't until Chen Manyu went forward to register, while Shen Qingqing stood motionless beside him, that the students looked at them repeatedly with bewildered expressions.
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