"Little brother, I'm back! Come here and let your big sister give you a hug. I missed you so much!"
Er Ya skipped over and rushed to hug the baby. The baby, who was nursing, saw Er Ya and seemed to recognize her as her older sister. The baby was also happy and waved her arms and legs, reaching out her little hands for Er Ya to hug her.
“Look at those two siblings, they’ll definitely have a great relationship when they grow up. They’re so young and they can’t be apart for even a moment.”
Looking at the two siblings, Jiang's mother said softly, "I don't ask for anything now. I just hope that they can grow up healthy and safe."
Lin Jianguo came over carrying two pig trotters and called to Chen Xiuhua, "Mom, I bought the pig trotters. I'll have to trouble you to cook them. If I cook them myself, I'll be wasting good food."
Chen Xiuhua took the pig's trotters, instructed Lin Jianguo to take good care of Jiang's mother and not to make her hold the child all the time, and then went out to stew the pig's trotters.
The little one has a huge appetite, and Jiang's mother clearly felt that her milk supply was not enough these past few days. She mentioned this to Chen Xiuhua in casual conversation, which was overheard by Er Ya.
It was Er Ya's idea to buy pig's trotters. They still believe that to increase milk production, you need to eat more meat and oily foods.
However, Er Ya said that she heard from others that stewed pig's trotters with soybeans is a dish specifically for promoting lactation. Jiang's mother always thought that Er Ya was right. After hearing this, she immediately arranged for Lin Jianguo to go to the market to buy pig's trotters. Coincidentally, Er Ya also wanted to go to the market to buy some things, so she went along with him.
About an hour and a half later, Chen Xiuhua brought over a bowl of milky white stewed pig's trotters and carefully placed it on the table beside the bed.
She took the baby in her hands and gently patted his back to lull him to sleep. At the same time, she urged Jiang's mother to drink a bowl of the hot soup to see if it would have any effect. If it didn't, she would make some more oily dishes.
Er Ya chimed in from the side, "Grandma, it will definitely work. Don't you believe Er Ya?"
Chen Xiuhua affectionately tapped Er Ya's little nose and said happily, "Grandma trusts you the most. Are you hungry? Grandma made you your favorite meat noodles. Go and eat."
"Yay, thank you Grandma, I love Grandma the most."
Er Ya ran out to eat. Chen Xiuhua, holding the baby, urged Jiang's mother to eat pig's trotters. Er Ya's words had to be believed. She had just eaten stewed pig's trotters with soybeans less than an hour ago when she felt a chill on her chest. Her clothes were soaked with breast milk. She quickly picked up the baby and let him drink his milk properly.
From then on, Chen Xiuhua listened to Er Ya and made all sorts of soups and stews for Jiang's mother every day.
By the day before the baby's one-month celebration, Jiang's mother had already lost weight back to her original weight. But miraculously, although her weight kept decreasing, the quality of her breast milk was excellent. In the past month, the baby had grown plump and healthy, weighing about ten pounds, and felt quite heavy to hold.
Lin Jianguo had ordered a pig early on for the banquet. He called a butcher early in the morning to help slaughter the pig. Li Taohua also came early to help, and she and Chen Xiuhua quickly cut the meat into pieces.
Jiang's mother, who is usually a good cook, is still in her postpartum period. Although she strongly insists on cooking herself, Lin Jianguo and Er Ya both shake their heads and disagree. Er Ya even argues that the postpartum period must be forty-two days, not a single day less.
Since Jiang's mother couldn't handle it, and Er Ya couldn't bear to see her grandmother cook so many dishes, she decided to hand it over to Li Taohua and have her find a few more quick-witted people to help with the cooking. They would pay them for their work. This was the initial arrangement for the banquet.
When Li Taohua heard that the banquet was to be handed over to her, she felt a little apprehensive. This pig was so big, it looked like it would be responsible for more than a dozen tables. How could she possibly cook such a large banquet with her skills? She said she could help out, but she was worried about letting the head chef take charge.
Li Taohua dared not go to the stove, and Er Ya began to worry. She ran to find Jiang's mother for advice. At this moment, she missed modern restaurants very much. You just pay the money and they will cook everything for you and put it on the table. You don't have to worry about anything.
When Jiang's mother heard what Er Ya meant, she lowered her head and thought for a moment. Suddenly, an idea struck her. How could she have forgotten her? She smiled and said to Er Ya, "Do you remember the person who gave you eggplants last time? It's Aunt Mei, the one I was talking about."
Er Ya nodded obediently and said, "I remember."
Suddenly realizing that her mother wouldn't casually mention this person to her, she excitedly asked, "Mom, could it be that Aunt Mei you're talking about can cook?"
Jiang's mother nodded and said, "Yes, she can, and she does it quite well. Her cooking skills are top-notch; she was famous for it when she was a girl at home."
"Then let's go find her. Mother, you rest first, I'm off."
It ran away like a gust of wind.
Jiang's mother shook her head, touched her son's face and said, "Look at your sister, she's been running around doing all the chores for your full moon celebration. You can't bully your sister when you grow up."
The baby in my arms was babbling in unintelligible words.
After Er Ya asked Li Tao Hua where Mei Zi lived, she ran to her house. After entering and explaining her purpose, Mei Zi hesitated and said nervously, "I've never cooked for so many people before. Can I manage?"
"Auntie, don't worry. Just treat it like you're cooking at home, only the quantity is a bit larger. Besides, I'm here to cheer you on."
Encouraged, Meizi nodded and said, "Then I'll give it a try, and I'll try my best to do it well."
With the chef ready, Er Ya excitedly pulled Mei Zi's hand and headed towards her home. Time was running out; they had to get to work quickly.
The menu was drawn up by Er Ya: a big plate of chicken, a fish, a pot of pork stew with vermicelli, and a dish of stir-fried pork with chili peppers. These meat dishes were already top-notch. They also added a few seasonal vegetables, an egg drop soup, and finally a basket of steamed buns.
Upon hearing the menu, Li Taohua exclaimed, "Er Ya, aren't these dishes amazing?"
When it comes to village affairs, having two meat dishes, a few vegetable dishes, and a basket of cornbread is already considered good. If Er Ya's family's food is served tomorrow, I guarantee they'll all have a good meal.
"Auntie, my family has a little brother. This is a great joy for our family, and we definitely have to celebrate it properly."
Li Taohua thought that Er Ya was so good to her family, and there were some heartfelt things she didn't understand, so she had to remind her.
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he pulled Er Ya aside and whispered, "Er Ya, you don't know how tough it is for people in the village since you've never had a big event before. When we go to a banquet, we only need to bring 50 cents or a dollar. If we follow your menu, you'll lose money."
To be continued!
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