Chapter 61
On New Year's Eve, the warm sun slanted into the Tang family's courtyard. Grandma Tang held a watering can to water the wintersweet, and water droplets rolled down the tender yellow petals.
While she was chatting with her guest Derich, who was said to have come from abroad to visit her, her eyes kept glancing towards the kitchen - from there came the faint aroma of peanut oil, mixed with the sound of faint conversation.
"Sorry, I have to go see if the bacon is steamed." Grandma Tang smiled, put down the watering can, and walked quickly to the kitchen on the cobblestone road.
As soon as I reached the carved wooden door, I heard my grandson's clear voice: "Brother, do you want to blanch this?"
"No, just leave it there, I'll use it later." The calm male voice was accompanied by a smile.
Grandma Tang looked through the half-open door and saw Tang Li putting the cut sea rain on a white porcelain plate. Tang Ximian was standing on tiptoe to reach the ginger in the wall cabinet, and the back of her sweater revealed a piece of her white waistline.
"Grandma, there's a lot of smoke here. Please go out quickly. It will be fine soon." Tang Ximian turned around and saw the figure at the door, and waved quickly.
The boy's cheeks were slightly red from the heat, and there were short pieces of chopped green onions on the ends of his hair.
"Okay, okay, you two, be careful."
Grandma Tang's eyes were wrinkled with laughter. "Then I'm looking forward to the feast you two will make."
"Of course. My brother's cooking is bound to be delicious. With my help, it will be even better and more delicious! I'm sure you'll want more!"
Tang Ximian turned around, eyes sparkling, and boasted about himself confidently like Wang Po selling melons.
White mist rose from the boiling oil pan, and the boy suddenly took a deep breath: "Smell this aroma, it's so fragrant!"
Tang Li couldn't help laughing and knocked the edge of the pot with his spatula: "Silly brother, that's the smell of peanut oil, I haven't even started adding the vegetables yet!"
"Ah?" Tang Ximian was surprised. He turned around and saw that it really hadn't been released. He scratched his head in embarrassment.
The laughter coming from the kitchen broke the winter silence. Grandma Tang leaned against the door frame, watching the two children busy in the steaming heat. In a trance, she saw them fighting over the sugar melons when they were young.
Time flies, old man. Our grandchildren have grown up now. I hope you take good care of yourself over there...
The big red lanterns cast a warm red glow on the Tang family courtyard, and the aroma of the New Year's Eve dinner overflowed through the cracks in the carved windows.
In the center of the round table, sweet and sour spare ribs coated in amber sauce were shining brightly in the porcelain plate, the scallion shimmering on the steamed sea bass was trembling with the steam, and the dumplings just out of the pot were still emitting wisps of white mist in the bamboo steamer.
When Tang Ximian brought the last plate of steaming hot lion's head to the table, beads of sweat had already appeared on his temples.
Seeing this, Tang Li handed him a piece of paper and said, "Wipe your sweat."
"Delish, try this bacon. It's made by me, your grandma. No one else's tastes as good as mine."
Grandma Tang smiled and picked up a piece of fat and lean bacon with a serving chopstick and gently placed it in Delish's bowl.
Delish put it in his mouth, and the moment he took a bite, his eyes lit up like two clear springs: "It's delicious, Grandma Tang really has good cooking skills!"
Tang Li lowered his eyes and poured a bowl of corn and pork ribs soup for his grandmother. The porcelain spoon made a crisp sound when it hit the edge of the bowl.
"Grandma, please don't worry about him. He just comes here to eat and drink for free. Please eat more."
Then he picked up a piece of taro steamed pork ribs and put it into grandma's bowl: "Try it and see if it's cooked well. Is it like the one you made for us?"
"Okay, okay, grandma, try it."
After eating the ribs that her eldest grandson brought over and tasting them carefully, Grandma Tang exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Xiaoli, yours tastes exactly like mine. You're truly a master."
"That shows grandma taught me well." Tang Li smiled gently.
"Yes, it's all grandma's teaching. Come, let's toast grandma and wish her a happy New Year's Eve. I wish grandma good health and everything goes well." Tang Ximian raised his glass and motioned for everyone to toast together to celebrate.
The smile lines at the corners of the old man's eyes were filled with the tenderness accumulated over the years. "Okay, let's toast! I wish Xiaoli and Delixi good luck in their work, Ximian success in her studies, and everyone peace and happiness forever!"
"I wish Grandma Tang happiness and peace every day." Delish also expressed his blessings with a smile.
"Okay, okay, eat more vegetables."
“This is delicious”
"Right? This is the big crab I picked myself. It's so big..."
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