Ying Mingcheng had really thought about this carefully. He took out a list and handed it over, "This is what I think."
"Xiao Gao bought about five or six pounds of lamb legs. You can stew them in the morning, then braise the lamb or make a sauce to dip it in. Then pour some radish into the pot and cook a soup. That's one dish and one soup."
"Don't you dislike the salted fish the cafeteria gives out? Two per table, stew them with the radish."
"Mr. Bai from the cafeteria said he would give me a piece of salty dumpling. I can stir-fry it with shredded pork later. It will be a delicious dish."
"Braised pork with potatoes. Do you like potatoes?"
"Boil the cabbage, stir-fry the cabbage, scramble eggs, stir-fry tofu, and stir-fry some mushrooms, and that's about enough."
The dried mushrooms from last time have been sent out. Now Ying Mingcheng is talking about what she harvested when she went to the mountains for morning reading two days ago. It was a large bunch of wild golden needle mushrooms. This kind of mushroom only grows once in its lifetime. Fortunately, she carried a medicine bag with her, otherwise she really wouldn't be able to get it back.
Mu Huaixi gave mushrooms to her familiar sisters-in-law that day, and the remaining ones were enough to stir-fry two or three dishes. She originally thought of drying them and eating them slowly, but when she saw that Ying Mingcheng wanted to entertain guests, she nodded.
She counted on her fingers and found that Ying Mingcheng had planned nine dishes and one soup. Although they were all radishes and cabbages, it was still a big feast in this winter when there was a shortage of food.
"Then I'll bring back some astragalus and angelica and stew them with radish and mutton. I can also help prepare the dishes. Leave the scrambled eggs and fried mushrooms to me." Mu Huaixi wanted to help share some of the burden, but was ruthlessly rejected by Ying Mingcheng.
"No, I've planned it all." Ying Mingcheng pulled out another piece of paper. Written on it was the order and arrangement for preparing the dishes, stewing them, and stir-frying them. It was clear at a glance. "Stir-frying requires stirring the wok over a high heat. My strength is perfect for that. When the time comes, you can help with seasoning the stew so the guests can eat hot food, and we can enjoy the feast together."
At the previous Wenju banquets that Ying Mingcheng had, his sister-in-law, who cooked, would usually come out of the kitchen only after everyone had almost finished eating. He felt uncomfortable when he thought that those who worked so hard could only eat leftovers.
Besides, he is the main chef in their family. If he doesn’t come out, people outside probably won’t dare to pick up their chopsticks.
"You..." Mu Huaixi praised him sincerely after listening to his arrangements, "If you become a chef, you will definitely be a great chef."
Ying Mingcheng laughed heartily, excitedly sharing his thoughts. "Right, I think preparing a banquet is similar to mobilizing troops for battle. Providing food and supplies first, and attacking from both sides, is the only way to achieve success on multiple fronts and ultimately defeat the enemy with one strike."
Mu Huaixi couldn't believe he could even comprehend military theory from the kitchen. She pondered the menu again and asked, "Should I ask Fengjuan to buy two chickens?"
"No, the lamb shank is enough. We don't need to be too conspicuous."
The menu was finalized, and Ying Mingcheng was relieved to see that she had no objection. In fact, his cooking skills were not as good as he boasted to Xiaoxi. He could only make cooked food. Apart from the braised pork, he really didn't have any signature dishes. For example, he didn't know what to do with the stinky hairtail fish he had just sent out.
"Also," Ying Mingcheng paused, raised his hand and touched his nose, "Remember to settle Xiao Gao's bill, ahem."
Mu Huaixi couldn't help but smile, but a warm feeling welled up in her heart. Ying Mingcheng did what he said. He handed over his salary as soon as he got it, leaving only some pocket money.
"I see," Mu Huaixi nodded. "Do you want to take out the wine we bought last time? Do you want to drink?"
Mu Huaixi spent a fortune at Jiangcheng Department Store, her biggest purchase being ten bottles of Moutai, using up all of Ying Mingcheng's wine coupons. It wasn't that she loved wine, nor was it a medical need, but at that time, Moutai was only seven yuan a bottle. Who could resist?
You have to know that when she knew about the Moutai brand, it had already soared to a height that even her monthly salary could not reach.
Mu Huaixi also knew that he was engaging in some retaliatory spending, but who could not buy a bottle of Moutai for seven yuan?
She had originally planned to save the wine and take it out when something worth celebrating happened, but now, looking at the man sitting across the table and discussing things with her, she felt that this was something worth taking out the wine for.
Ying Mingcheng's eyes lit up, and he was obviously very excited, but he was a little hesitant. "I originally planned to set it for the day after tomorrow at noon. How about changing it to the evening?"
He planned to warm up at noon so that he wouldn't feel cold when sitting in the yard, but everyone had tasks to do in the afternoon and obviously couldn't drink.
"Why not schedule it for noon on the 27th? Aren't you guys on holiday that day?"
The troops started their holiday on the 27th, but they only did not have to train. They still had to perform daily duties and patrols. Ying Mingcheng was assigned to be on duty on New Year's Eve, and Captain Wei was assigned to be on duty on New Year's Day.
"The 27th..." Ying Mingcheng hesitated for a moment, then told me his plan. "Xiao Gao found a carpentry shop for me, and I plan to go out and have a look on the 27th. Don't you want a bathtub? I thought I'd buy some wood early and make it for you by the New Year."
Mu Huaixi opened her mouth slightly. She really didn't expect that someone would remember what she said before going to bed.
This feeling was truly too unfamiliar. Her heart felt as if it was invaded by a group of ants, making her feel numb, sour, and astringent. It took her a while to get used to it.
Ying Mingcheng continued to ask, "What kind of bathtub do you like? Do you want to take a bath at home?"
"No," Mu Huaixi said as if waking from a dream, "This tub is prepared for you, or rather, for Brother Song. His body is too weak, so I plan to let him try the medicinal bath."
"Oh, it's for Old Song," Ying Mingcheng's attitude immediately changed. "I remember there were big oil drums in the logistics area. Will ironware affect the efficacy of the medicine?"
Mu Huaixi failed to suppress his laughter and waved his hands, saying, "No, it has no effect. It's just that I found this bathtub for you. I wanted to let you try the medicine first."
"It's okay, I'm not picky. But my legs and feet are fine, is it okay for me to test the medicine on Old Song?"
"Medicinal baths aren't for healing your legs and feet; they're for invigorating blood circulation and replenishing Qi, or in other words, repairing hidden injuries."
Ying Mingcheng and Song Zhengxin's promotions and awards were earned through repeated life-or-death struggles, leaving them both with numerous wounds. While external wounds healed, internal issues remained. Song Zhengxin, weakened by three surgeries, suffered a resurgence of these old injuries, leaving him unable to sleep or eat.
The last time she took Song Zhengxin's pulse, he had strongly expressed his unwillingness to take Chinese medicine, so she wanted to use medicinal baths and honey pills to recuperate his body, and then start treating his waist and legs when he could tolerate acupuncture.
"It's not that troublesome," Ying Mingcheng muttered, but his heart was filled with joy. Thinking of the Moutai, he said, "Then let's set it for noon on the 27th. Two bottles of Moutai will be enough. No, let's just take one bottle first."
The seven-yuan wine was almost as expensive as a leg of lamb. Ying Mingcheng felt that it couldn't be any more eye-catching. Thinking of this, he began to blame the second battalion commander Du Jun. If he hadn't set up a warm residence, everyone could have just eaten together in the cafeteria. There wouldn't have been so much trouble.
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