After everyone had drunk two cups of tea, Madam Rong asked, "Madam Shi, didn't you marry your grandson's wife? Why haven't we seen this daughter-in-law show up in such a long time? Please greet the guests for her mother-in-law."
It would be fine if Madam Master were to stay here and chat with us, but Madam Master is also asked to entertain these guys."
Madam Shi said hurriedly, "It's a pleasure chatting with the old lady and the lady. They're not young anymore. Except for the youngest son of the Yan family, all of them have married, and two of them are fathers. They're enjoying themselves, so there's no need for me to do anything."
My new daughter-in-law is a man of ideas. Seeing that the weather is good, she has arranged for today's banquet to be held under the tiled canopy in the Peony Garden. She is over there with her staff, and we will see her soon."
Mrs. Shi also supported her family: "This is a good idea. After all, it is more interesting than eating in this house. It is bright and spacious, and not confined. You can also look at the layout of my garden.
You can also give me some ideas on how to make the garden more novel, interesting and not too troublesome."
Mrs. Rong smiled and said, "You are really a troublemaker. You want the garden to be novel, interesting and elegant, but not too troublesome."
Everyone burst into laughter, and soon a maid came to invite them in, saying that the arrangements over there were ready. So everyone moved to the Peony Garden.
Sun Yanan had changed her clothes and was welcoming guests at the entrance of the Peony Garden. With the introduction of her mother-in-law, she first paid her respects to Mrs. Rong.
The mother-in-law introduced her to several other guests and said, "They are all classmates and friends from childhood. There is no need to be so restrained. These children have grown up together, so there are no need for so many rules."
After Sun Yannan and the others were seated, the maids first placed the four large platters of cold dishes made by Xiaoye, distributed the dishes and bowls to the host and guests, and then served the shredded chicken and hibiscus appetizer soup.
Sun Yannan personally served soup to the two old ladies and the wife, and the maids also served soup to the other guests. Old Madam Rong said to Old Madam Shi, "Such knife skills and such delicious taste, you, old lady, have such a great chef hidden in your home!"
Mrs. Shi also smiled and said, "I think our chef has made some progress."
The young master of the Yan family ate the braised duck platter and praised it, "This is so delicious! If it were paired with some osmanthus wine, it would be perfect."
This platter of braised food was actually made by Sun Yanan on weekdays to satisfy his cravings, and now he asked Xiaoye to carry the jars from his yard to the big kitchen.
As soon as the young master of the Yan family finished speaking, a maid brought wine and said, "Osmanthus wine is here." Everyone burst into laughter again.
Seeing this, Sun Yanan quietly left the table and hurried to the kitchen. Xiaoye had taken out the steamed sea bass and braised pork with pagoda sauce that she had made from the steamer at the time she had instructed. Sun Yanan looked at them carefully for a moment, verified the heat, and then called for someone to serve the dishes.
The second chef's stir-fried pork with fresh mushrooms and stir-fried bean sprouts with wood ear mushrooms and lotus root slices were also served on the table.
The sea bass was fresh and tender, the braised pork belly was salty, fragrant and tender, and the skill of the knife stacking it into a square pagoda was amazing. The taro slices and dried tofu shreds underneath were soft and sticky, and fragrant and flavorful. The two stir-fries were fresh and cooked to perfection.
The young master of the Yan family also laughed and said, "If this chef could come to my house to work, our family would eat a few more bowls of rice."
Sun Yanan personally served a round of dishes to each of the two old ladies and the two wives, and then the four big maids, Mei, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum, took over respectively. She hurried to the big kitchen again.
Each person received a portion of beef stew covered in cheesy rind, along with a large plate of shredded lamb. The side dishes included stir-fried fern sprouts and shredded pork belly with chili peppers.
Sun Yannan stood beside Madam Shi and lifted the lid of the cheese wrapper for her. He said, "You can tear the cheese wrapper into pieces and soak it in soup with the beef, or you can eat it as is. It all depends on your preference."
The young master of the Wu family first tasted the puff pastry, then tore half of it into pieces and soaked it in soup to taste it: "This dish is really special. It's delicious no matter how you eat it. I can't stop eating it."
The young master of the Yan family said, "You haven't tried this hand-shredded lamb yet. It looks like a large, white dish, boiled in plain water, and you might think it's nothing special. But once you take the first bite, you can't stop and want the second and third bites."
Old Madam Rong nodded while eating, and when she saw the stir-fried fern sprouts, she said, "Ferns are available in this season, and I really like them." Upon hearing this, the maid hurriedly served the fern sprouts to the old lady.
Sun Yanan rushed to the kitchen again and quickly prepared four home-cooked dishes: boneless braised duck, double-flavor boneless pig's trotters, lion's head and braised spareribs, and ordered people to serve them.
The second chef’s stir-fry is served with fried bacon with dried tofu and fried meat with magnolia slices.
Everyone started complaining that the lion's head was too big, so the maid cut it into small pieces for everyone to share. After taking the first bite, someone shouted, "You shouldn't cut it up. I can eat the whole thing myself." Everyone laughed again.
The two old ladies loved the pig's trotters, and the young people almost all liked the spare ribs and pickled duck. Xiaoye steamed the rice in a small bowl, and it was fragrant.
For those who don't like rice, there's also eight-treasure rice pudding, steamed dumplings, wontons, and cold noodles with shredded chicken. All are served in small bowls, and several maids, each holding a tray, go around the circle, letting everyone help themselves.
Finally, when everyone had almost finished eating, the maids served each person a small cup of Yunwu Xiangpian tea, which tasted bitter at first but then sweet, with a lingering fragrance and a refreshing taste that relieved greasiness.
At this time, the maids served each person a bowl of shark fin in chicken soup and a small bowl of steamed egg with shrimp.
Madam Rong asked, "So there are other dishes. Why did you serve fragrant slices just now?"
The master's wife said, "This is what makes my daughter-in-law different. This soup and steamed rice are light and delicious. Only after drinking the fragrant slices can you taste the benefits of these two dishes."
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