Zhang Xuemei directed Xu Mingjiang and his sister to blanch all the thawed duck parts, wash them clean, and set them aside.
I prepared the braising liquid according to the recipe I remembered, and then let it simmer for half an hour.
"Mmm, Third Sister-in-law, your braising liquid smells amazing even before you've added anything. It would be so delicious if you added something!"
Xu Mingwan took a deep breath, his mouth already watering.
Zhang Xuemei smiled proudly, "Right? This is my old recipe, everyone says it's delicious."
"Wait a minute, Third Sister-in-law, have you ever done this before? How come I don't know about it? Mom and the others never mentioned it either?"
Xu Mingwan suddenly realized, how did this become her third sister-in-law's old recipe? And everyone who eats it says it's good, so why have I never eaten it before?
Zhang Xuemei was stumped by the question and didn't know how to respond.
Xu Minghan, quick-witted as ever, immediately explained, "Hey, your third sister-in-law is just praising herself! You know how we are, how could we possibly afford to eat this kind of food!"
"Yes, I'm bragging! You're praising me, so I'm praising myself too!" Zhang Xuemei quickly added.
"Oh, I see. By the way, who taught you this skill, Third Sister-in-law? Did you learn it from your family? I don't mean anything by it, I'm just asking."
Xu Mingwan was a little embarrassed at the end, afraid that his third sister-in-law would think he was trying to steal her skills.
"No, my family doesn't have this skill either. I learned it from an old lady when I was working."
Zhang Xuemei didn't say that she learned it from her family; she simply said that she learned it from outsiders so that she wouldn't be exposed if asked later.
"Alright, it's almost time. Let's put in the duck parts! Put in the ones that won't cook through first."
Zhang Xuemei instructed her husband, since he was already very familiar with the process; Panpan used to crave these things every few days.
Xu Minghan nodded, carefully placing the items inside one by one, and then watching the clock on the wall to keep track of the time.
Seeing that nothing was wrong, Zhang Xuemei pulled her sister-in-law into the room for a chat.
"Xiao Wan, is there anyone in your factory who likes you?"
Xu Mingwan didn't expect her third sister-in-law to be so direct, and her face turned red. "Third sister-in-law, what are you saying! I'm still young, I don't think about these things."
Zhang Xuemei's expression was serious. "Xiao Wan, let's not talk about the other sisters-in-law. For us women, marriage is like a second chance at life. We have to keep our eyes open. Marrying someone from far away is a bad idea, you know?"
Seeing her sister-in-law's serious expression, Xu Mingwan sat up straight and nodded repeatedly, saying, "I know that, sister-in-law. Mom often tells me the same thing!"
"Yes, you should keep that in mind. You can ask us to help you choose a husband in the future."
Xu Mingwan nodded obediently, knowing in her heart that her third sister-in-law was doing it for her own good.
The two then chatted about village affairs for a while, and eventually the conversation turned to loquats.
"I got up early this morning and didn't have time to bring you bayberries, so I brought some loquats instead."
Xu Mingwan didn't get to eat any bayberries when he went home this time, since they all grow on the mountain, and the mountain roads are difficult to walk on early in the morning.
Zhang Xuemei waved her hand dismissively, "It's alright, you can't bring the bayberries over anyway. They're very delicate, and they won't taste as good here."
"It's good to have loquats too. I was wondering why he brought back so many this time. Wasn't Dad going to pick some to sell?"
Xu Mingwan chuckled to herself; it seemed her father's stinginess had become deeply ingrained in people's minds.
"Mom picked them. Dad picked most of them to sell, and we kept the rest for ourselves."
"I was wondering why Dad was suddenly so generous." Zhang Xuemei knew her father-in-law's stinginess very well.
Like in my previous life, everyone in the village was growing watermelons, and my father-in-law also learned to grow a few acres of them.
When they ripen, we'll use a handcart to transport them to town to sell.
At that time, they had moved to the town to send their children to school, renting a house and working in factories.
It's the middle of summer again, and I was so happy to see my father-in-law bring over so many watermelons. I figured I'd keep a few for our family!
The husband thought the same way, so he helped unload the watermelons and waited for his father to divide them.
Unexpectedly, after much deliberation, her father-in-law picked out two small watermelons and handed them over, saying that the small ones were sweeter. This infuriated the couple.
When her father-in-law went out to sell watermelons with a cart, her husband was still not satisfied with the huge pile of watermelons in their living room.
So he picked out the biggest one and hid it under the bed in the inner room, determined to eat the biggest watermelon today.
Thinking back on it now, I feel both amused and heartbroken. We were so poor back then that we couldn't even afford to buy watermelons. After all, our children needed to go to school, and we were in debt. We had to stretch every penny we had, so naturally, we wouldn't have thought about buying watermelons.
When I was young, I would blame my father-in-law, thinking he was stingy and wouldn't even give to his own family.
As you see more of him, you'll realize that this is his nature. He'd love to sell everything in his house to make money, and he wouldn't even eat a single bite of what he grows himself, saving it all to sell.
Looking back now, it's only his personality that allowed him to raise six children in those times, and all of them grew up healthy.
Xu Minghan poked his head in and said, "Xuemei, Xiaowan, the broth in the pot is ready. Let it soak for now. I'm going to the station to pick up Lao Wu."
"Okay, go ahead! We'll prepare dinner." Zhang Xuemei glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost five o'clock. She would start cooking now so they could eat when they got back.
"Sister-in-law, let me do it! It's inconvenient for you with your big belly." Xu Mingwan was very perceptive. She estimated how much everyone would eat and cooked the rice, then checked the ingredients in the kitchen.
Turning to Zhang Xuemei, he asked, "Third Sister-in-law, what dishes are we making for dinner?"
Zhang Xuemei opened the refrigerator and looked around, saying, "We already have a roast duck, and the duck parts in the pot count as a dish. We'll also stir-fry some green peppers and shredded pork. Oh, and could you go to the market next door and buy a sea bass? I'll make a steamed fish. While you're at it, could you also go to the convenience store and grab two bottles of beer so the two brothers can have a few sips?"
He went back into the house to get the money and handed it to Xu Mingwan. Then, still worried, he asked, "Do you know where it is? Just go out of this alley and walk a few steps forward."
"Third Sister-in-law, I know! I saw it when I came. You don't need to pay, I have money." Xu Mingwan pushed away the money Zhang Xuemei offered.
Zhang Xuemei insisted on giving it to her, saying, "It's your business if you have something to do, but you don't need to pay for groceries. You all get room and board here with Third Sister-in-law, so go on!"
Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Xu Mingwan had no choice but to take the money and leave.
The two dishes are readily available. Steaming the fish is quick; just prepare the sauce, and once the fish is steamed, pour hot oil and sauce over it.
Zhang Xuemei looked at the dishes on the table and silently recited their names: roast duck, braised dishes, stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers, steamed sea bass, braised pork ribs, and stir-fried cabbage. That's it.
Just then, Xu Minghan and his brother returned. "Xiao Jiang, come in quickly! Wash your hands and we can start eating."
Zhang Xuemei looked at the young man following behind her husband. He was handsome, fair-skinned, and looked very refined. No wonder he was chosen by a wealthy family; his appearance alone was quite good.
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