Chapter 90 Eating a Banquet
Captain Tang finally left with his stomach groped. How long had he not eaten braised pork? Aunt Ji's eldest daughter-in-law was such a good cook that he ate so much that he was full without noticing. Captain Tang was very happy to get the approval slip and promised to commend Shen Ruoqing before leaving.
While Wang was cleaning up the mess, she couldn't help but mutter, "He said he didn't want to eat, but he ended up eating more than anyone else. This Captain Tang is really delicious."
"Second sister-in-law, how can you say such things about Captain Tang behind his back?" Shen Ruoqing looked at Wang. "Captain Tang took such good care of our family before. We treated Captain Tang to a meal of meat, and you still say such things behind his back? Second sister-in-law, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you will bring disaster to our family sooner or later if you behave like this."
"It's his job to take care of our family. If Captain Tang hadn't asked my father-in-law to do that job, would he have gone? It's only right for Captain Tang to be good to our family."
"You can't say that. It was Dahai who agreed to go to work there. Captain Tang has taken care of our family for so many years. That's because Captain Tang is kind and righteous. It's not like he should take care of us in this way." Old Mrs. Ji was still clear-headed in the face of major events. Perhaps because of the mention of Shen Dahai, there was a hint of emotion in her eyes.
"My dear, your dad would be happy if he knew you got into high school."
Shen Ruoqing didn't know what to say to comfort Old Lady Ji, so she could only say, "Mom, if Dad is in heaven, he must be very pleased. We should live a good life. Dad is watching us from heaven."
Shen Ruoqing coaxed Old Lady Ji back to her room.
the next day.
The Shen family and the Liu family held banquets at the same time. Because Ji Meihua said that there was no need to pay a gift, it seemed that the Liu family had more guests.
Shen Ruoqing got up early and took Little Radish Head for morning exercise, then went to the rice fields to catch loaches and eels.
This is the time when there are many loaches and eels, and you can catch a large basin of them at this time.
"Aunt, this doesn't have much meat. Is it really delicious?" Shen Xue asked.
"This thing doesn't require much seasoning and oil, but it tastes really good. You have to trust your aunt. Our lunch depends on it." Shen Ruoqing chuckled, "Call your playmates to help us catch eels and loaches. I'll trade them with them for fruit candies once we catch them."
"Then they will definitely be happy to exchange it." Candy is very attractive to children.
Not long after, Shen Ruoqing caught a small basin of eels and loaches from his home and exchanged the sugar for a large basin of eels and loaches.
"Mom, look, I changed the pot to a big one!" Shen Ruoqing walked into the yard happily.
"Exchange? What are you going to exchange? Didn't you say you were going to catch someone?" Old Mrs. Ji seized the loophole in Shen Ruoqing's language and narrowed her eyes.
"My aunt exchanged it for candy!" Shen Hanwu laughed foolishly, "I exchanged it for a handful of candy!"
"Hehehe, Mom, it's just a little bit of sugar, just a little bit, really, not much. Look how much a handful of sugar is worth in exchange for so many eels and loaches." Shen Ruoqing smiled and handed these eels and loaches to Mrs. Du to deal with.
"You are so generous that you have to exchange these free things with candy. You don't need so much." Old Mrs. Ji rolled her eyes at Shen Ruoqing and continued to work on her work.
The Shen family set up six tables and the Liu family set up eight tables.
There were obviously more people at the Liu family's place, and because they didn't have to pay any money as a gift, many of them brought their families with them, so the eight tables couldn't accommodate everyone.
"Patriotic daughter-in-law, are you just using these things to entertain us?" Aunt Qi brought her family to the Liu family for a banquet, but all they served were boiled vegetables, and there was hardly any animal oil. The only meat dish was fried with the vegetables, and it was shredded meat, and the staple food was sorghum rice.
"The food is too bad, isn't it? Aunt Liu, even if you can't compare with the Shen family, you shouldn't treat us so casually, right?" Another young wife couldn't help but say.
"I heard that the Shen family has a lot of delicious food, and there are dozens of kilograms of meat alone."
"At this time of year, wasn't Wang Er's family's banquet also configured like this? Why are you complaining so much when my family does the same thing? It's bad enough that you two eat and drink for free, but you're also picking on others. The Shen family's banquet is better, so why don't you go to the Shen family?" Ji Meihua also has a bad temper. Upon hearing the guests' complaints, she started to retort. Her words were a bit harsh, and some of them didn't even eat their food after hearing them. They just threw down their chopsticks and left.
"Dear uncles, aunts, and sisters-in-law, I'm really sorry. Originally, our family wanted to have a big party to let everyone have fun, but the family also has to raise money for my high school tuition, so the face-washing ceremony is a little simple. I hope you don't mind. It's a kindness that everyone is willing to come, and Xinyi will remember this kindness in her heart." Liu Xinyi hurried out to save the situation.
Her grandmother was really something, she wanted to suppress Old Lady Ji but was unwilling to pay more money. I had advised her to prepare a better banquet and even gave her money, but she still did this. Now, after paying for food and money, she still couldn't get anything good.
"Xinyi is still a sensible girl."
Some people who wanted to leave immediately sat down again after hearing Liu Xinyi's words.
Ji Meihua also realized that her attitude was wrong, and quickly changed the subject: "Yes, yes, yes, our family is still trying to raise money for my granddaughter's tuition, so we are a little tight on money. I'll ask my eldest daughter-in-law to go to the kitchen and fry some eggs later."
In contrast to the Liu family's banquet, the Shen family seemed to be having a great time.
Everyone was stunned by the Shen family's banquet. Braised pork, braised pig's trotters, corn rib soup, fried eel, fried loach... There were also several semi-meat dishes with meat slices. Even the fully vegetarian dishes had a lot of meat oil added to them. The staple food was brown rice and steamed buns made of two-grain flour.
This banquet is the first one in Dashitou Village in the past ten years.
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The guests who came all praised the Shen family for their kindness, especially those from the same village who even compared them to the Liu family.
"It's a good thing I came to the Shen family. I heard that the Liu family has only vegetables and no meat." This said by a common relative of Old Lady Ji and Ji Meihua.
"Look at this dish, half of it is meat. How did the eel and loach taste so good? Aunt Shen, you must teach me how to make it later."
"Look how much oil is used here. The loach is fried in oil. But you know what, it tastes really good. I think it tastes better than meat."
"These loaches and eels are cooked by my dearest child herself. How are they? Do they taste good?" When Grandma Ji heard someone praising these two dishes, she quickly brought her daughter out and asked everyone to praise her more.
"Miss Ruoqing is really capable. Her cooking skills are great, comparable to her sister-in-law's." It is also recognized by everyone that Han's cooking is delicious.
Mu Bai was also invited to the banquet. Shen Ruoqing was afraid that he would feel uncomfortable staying alone, so she arranged for him to sit at the same table with the four brothers of the Shen family.
"Mu Zhiqing, have a drink." Shen Xiangxi was about to pour wine for Mu Bai. "This wine is Red Star Erguotou, bought specially from the supply and marketing cooperative. Come and try it and see how it is different from the grain wine we have here."
Mu Bai was disrespectful to refuse and had to meet Shen Xiangxi.
“Not bad indeed.”
(End of this chapter)