Jiang Shan and Jiao's mother ignored what was happening outside, saying that they would leave all the decisions to Sanlang.
Saburo felt immense pressure as he hosted guests for the first time.
To bolster his courage, he called Cao Qing over to help him entertain the guests. Although Yuan Wen was a good man, he was, after all, their hired hand, and having him serve the guests would seem disrespectful.
As for Qiao Sheng, who was practically the head of the household, he had no choice but to stand by and serve tea and water to his distinguished guest.
Qiao Shi, along with Wang Siniang and Xue Zhen, busied themselves in the kitchen preparing lunch for the large group.
Lunch was served at two tables. Li Minghe, Fu Qiyuan, Magistrate Cao, Master Wu and his son, and the two young adults sat at one table, while Jiang Shan and Jiao's mother, along with the Magistrate's wife and Madam Wu and her daughter, sat at another table.
When the specially made hot pot was served, the aroma instantly stimulated everyone's taste buds. The previously polite and reserved crowd immediately revealed their true nature and prepared to feast. Even Master Wu, with the help of Sanlang, tied up his wide sleeves.
Li Minghe and Fu Qiyuan followed suit, rolling up their sleeves. Only Magistrate Cao felt it was improper and resolutely refused to do the same.
Once all the prepared ingredients were arranged in a complete circle around the table, Li Minghe finally understood the true meaning of "rolling up one's sleeves".
With so many dishes, you can't just eat the few in front of you, can you? You have to stretch your chopsticks out to eat something else, right? With such a big, steaming iron pot, you might be able to stick your sleeves out, but you might not be able to pull them back in.
Sanlang explained how to eat hot pot. Qiao Sheng first helped Li Minghe, Fu Qiyuan, and Magistrate Cao each cook two slices of mutton. Then, it was up to each person to put on their own show.
Magistrate Cao quickly realized the inconvenience caused by the sleeves. When he was trapped in the big iron pot for the third time while trying to eat the squid skewers in front of Qing'er, he went all out, waved to Qiao Sheng, and helped him tie up his sleeves in front of everyone.
But in the short time it took to gather those cuffs, two more skewers of squid were gone.
After eating their way through the food, everyone was covered in sweat, but they felt incredibly satisfied.
Cao Qing swiftly snatched the last piece of mutton from in front of his father, then turned to Sanlang with a grin and said, "Ah Xian, serve the food!"
Wang Si Niang brought over two large baskets and took out several plates of food from them, arranging them around the table. She didn't forget to tease everyone, saying, "Wow, you're fast! You're just as quick as those mother and daughter!"
This remark drew another burst of laughter from the crowd. You see, most women in this era didn't eat much. Even with Master Wu's daughter, there were only five people in the household, while outside there were four grown men and three children. Saying that the men were no less than the women and children was, in effect, a euphemism for saying that the women could eat a lot! And they could eat a lot!
The county magistrate's wife seemed to have opened another door to the world of food. She was curious about this and wanted to try it, she had never seen that before and wanted to try it, she had never eaten this before and wanted to taste it, and she had to have another bite of that that looked delicious.
With each bite taken with chopsticks, you'll eventually get stuffed.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Jiang Shan brought out the fruit tea he had prepared beforehand, one cup for each person, and none of them would have the same one twice.
The group of women ate and drank to their hearts' content. Wu Youmei even whispered to Madam Wu that she wanted to come again tomorrow.
On the man's side, Sanlang only ordered three cups of fruit tea, one for each of the three children.
Since it was described as fruit tea, it's understandable that the adults didn't pour any. However, Li Minghe is an unusually foodie, and he feels that anything made by this family is worth trying.
Sanlang was now in a real dilemma. These eight cups of fruit tea were originally prepared for their own family, one cup for each person, but now they had all been given away.
"Brother Li, we're out of fruit tea. How about we order another dessert?" Sanlang asked reluctantly.
The cake was specially made by his sister last night for today's housewarming celebration, and he hasn't even had a bite yet.
Lee Myung-hyuk was absolutely blown away by the so-called dessert!
This is a complete birthday cake model, complete with frosting, a greeting written in jam, and a card with the Chinese zodiac animal drawn on it, but it's missing birthday candles.
Take a bite, and the taste is even sweeter and softer. The cream melts in your mouth, smooth and sweet, and a feeling of happiness rushes straight to your head.
"What is this? How can it be so delicious?" Magistrate Cao took a bite and couldn't help but squint his eyes in delight.
Cao Qing's eyes widened, his gaze towards Sanlang filled with uncontainable joy and excitement. He loved his little friend so much; he wanted to stay with him forever!
Seeing the cake being devoured, Saburo was extremely annoyed and reluctantly answered, "Cake."
"What is a cake?" Li Minghe asked without hesitation.
"It's made with eggs, milk, butter, and powdered sugar. Only my sister knows how to make it; no one else can learn it!" At least Saburo believed he couldn't learn such a difficult skill as making cakes.
Fu Qiyuan couldn't figure out how such ordinary ingredients could be made into such delicious snacks.
That woman shone brightly like the sun, radiating boundless light. He must have cherished her in his heart, right? But why did she seem to show him no warmth whatsoever?
The guests were so reluctant to leave after the meal that Jiao's mother insisted that the country should not be overworked and asked Sanlang to see them off.
Sanlang first saw off Magistrate Cao's family, then Master Wu's family, and finally Li Minghe and Fu Qiyuan.
Fu Qiyuan walked several steps away, then turned back and called out to Sanlang. Meeting his eyes full of affection, he asked softly, "Sanlang, I really want a well-behaved and sensible younger brother like you. Would you be willing to recognize me as your sworn brother?"
Sanlang's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed again. He lowered his eyes and said, "I have an older brother. I keep him in my heart and miss him. If I acknowledge you as my sworn brother, I will only think of you and will no longer think of my older brother."
Fu Qiyuan's hands, tucked into his sleeves, trembled slightly. He looked up at the vast, empty sky and only turned to leave after a long while.
Jiang Shan glanced at the congratulatory gifts on the table, then at Jiao's mother, his lips pursed like a clam shell, but his eyes darted around.
Looking at the beautifully packaged "Elementary Learning Manual," Jiao's mother was clearly not in the right state of mind.
“My brother said he would give me ‘The Primer for Children’ when I start school,’ saying that Mother used this book to teach him.” Sanlang’s voice was muffled, and he seemed listless, as if he had no energy.
Jiang Shan pulled him into his arms and said softly, "Are you tired? Sanlang performed exceptionally well today, you were really great, and you were just like a real man!"
Sanlang shook his head shyly: "I'm not tired. It's more tiring for you, sister. You go and rest for a while. I'll stay here and keep Mother company."
Jiang Shan rubbed his fingers on the gold ingot and nodded, saying, "Keep talking with Mother for a while, I'm going to take a nap."
Sanlang looked at his mother and felt that she must feel the same way he did. She just needed to find a quiet place where no one was around to miss her brother, and she didn't need anyone to talk to her.
The mother and son's gazes were fixed on the book "Elementary Learning Collection," each thinking about the most familiar stranger.
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