Everyone enjoyed the lunch to their heart's content. Even Madam Yang and Xu Ranyun, who hated Su Nuannuan to the core, had to admit that this woman's food was indeed unique and delicious. She said that the shrimp and eel noodles were made with yellow eels produced in the rice fields. Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the farm sent hairy crabs, a few of them would be mixed in. They were usually fed to chickens and ducks, and even the servants rarely ate them. How could they be so delicious? And how was this pickled mustard made? How could it be so fresh and refreshing? Can radishes and bamboo shoots taste like this? Tea eggs were even more amazing. Ordinary eggs, would the masters at the table not eat one or two every morning? Ordinary people regarded it as a good thing, but it became so-so after eating it for a long time. Apart from a faint fragrance, it didn't taste good. It turned out that it could be cooked with seasoning. What did the servants in the kitchen drink? It was just tea leaves, but could it be cooked into such a delicious dish? What would it taste like if I used the good tea at home?
But no matter how delicious it is, everyone still has to pay attention to their image. Just watching Su Nuannuan eating with relish without changing her expression, the masters at the table, from the old lady to Aunt Jiang and Aunt Jing, unconsciously put down their usual manners slightly, constantly putting noodles and side dishes into their mouths, secretly tasting the various flavors, but no one cared to laugh at others.
The women in the room didn't drink, but Old Lady Fang was happy and asked Qiu Ling to bring a few pots of osmanthus honey for everyone to enjoy. After eating and drinking, the maids brought tea and cleared away the leftovers. Old Lady Fang then sat down on the couch, half lying down, and said with a smile: "In all these years, I haven't had such a hearty meal. If Nuan Nuan hadn't stopped me, I would have eaten three big bowls today."
Xu Ranyun laughed and said, "Old lady, I think it's a good thing that Grandma stopped you, otherwise, three big bowls? You would have been full."
Old Lady Fang smiled and said, "That's the truth. I just hate that I have a small appetite and can't eat that much. Otherwise, at my age, I don't care about my figure. Even if I become a fat man, it's worth it. Nuannuan, tell me about it. That... Zhacai, right? How is it made? And these tea eggs, oh, I didn't know eggs could taste this good, I ate three and still wasn't satisfied, but it's gone."
Su Nuannuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, old lady. I have already taught the kitchen daughter-in-law of the Xue family how to make tea eggs. She will make them when the time comes. Are you afraid that I won't be filial to you? As for the pickled mustard, mine is very simple. It's just radish shoots with seasonings and pickled. When autumn comes, there will be enoki mushrooms, day lily, fungus or knotweed, etc. Those are the good things for pickled pickles and mustard. Oh, and there are cucumbers. I asked the daughter-in-law of the Xue family to buy me those finger-sized cucumbers today. She said that such small cucumbers can't be sold at a high price in the market. But this one is also very refreshing if pickled well."
Old Lady Fang said, "Is that so? I just like to eat pickled radish and cucumber strips and the like. When you make them later, you must at least give me some as a gift."
Su Nuannuan smiled and said, "Okay, granddaughter-in-law will remember this."
"Don't forget it when the time comes. I think your memory is not very good sometimes. I said that white-sealed pork is delicious, so I haven't seen you give it to me again." Old Lady Fang snorted coldly, and then asked curiously: "By the way, how do you cook that meat? How come both the fat and the lean meat are so delicious? It tastes very different from other pork."
Su Nuannuan smiled and said, "Of course it's different. It's made by mixing pork and pig's trotter meat. In the words of our grandfather, the fat is not greasy and the lean meat is not dry. Isn't this the characteristic of pig's trotters?"
Everyone started laughing at this. Before the laughter died down, someone outside the door said, "Grandma, the kitchen has sent someone to deliver the cat."
"Wow, they are quick." Su Nuannuan quickly stood up and went to the door. After a while, she came back holding a big black and white cat.
Everyone in the hall looked at her in surprise, wondering how Su Nuannuan brought her cat. Only two people saw the cat and their expressions changed drastically. One was Shi Yurou, who had just heard her little girl tell her what happened. She was angry and resentful, but helpless. The other was naturally the cowardly second girl Duan Xinqi. Seeing her beloved cat in Su Nuannuan's arms, she couldn't help but scream.
This sound was very abrupt, and it was too late for the little girl to cover her mouth. Old Lady Fang glanced at her, and Liu Min beside her said, "What's wrong with Qi girl? Why did you scream for no reason? You scared me."
Aunt Lin's face changed slightly, and she quickly tugged at her daughter's sleeve, smiling and saying, "Madam Min, this child also had a cat, but later lost it, so when she saw the grandma's cat, she cried out." Then she said to her daughter, "You are so reckless and have no manners. Why don't you apologize to Madam?"
Liu Min quickly laughed and said, "Never mind, what's the big deal? Is there any need to apologize?" Then she turned to Su Nuannuan and said, "Is this the cat you raised, Nuannuan?"
Su Nuannuan smiled and said, "No, just when I left the kitchen, this beast jumped into my arms. I felt like I got along with it the moment I saw it. You see, its spirit is not like me. But its eyes are terrified and helpless, which reminds me of how I felt when I first went to Meiyue Tower. Fortunately, I have survived now, so when I saw this cat, I liked it and decided to keep it in Meiyue Tower. I just asked the daughter-in-law of the Xue family to clean it up. This is a good opportunity for you to recognize it, so that everyone will know that it is my cat in the future. If it offends anyone, please forgive it for the meal I cooked for you today."
This speech included both a soft and hard protest and a complaint, and Old Lady Fang nodded secretly. Madam Yang and Xu Ranyun were all very embarrassed. Shi Yurou was so angry that her chest kept rising and falling, but she didn't know what to say. For a while, the hall was quiet and silent.
Su Nuannuan looked at the crowd coldly, thinking to herself, is my food so delicious? If I don't give you a beating, you will think I am easy to bully. You are all old ladies, and you are threatening me with seafood. Humph! I have to make you feel uncomfortable for a while.
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard Old Lady Fang laugh and say, "Nuannuan is right. Thinking about it now, it was Xuan'er who was rash about you going to Meiyue Tower that day. I tried to persuade him twice at that time, but I am old and have no prestige. That little bastard refused to listen to me, so you suffered a lot. Although you have survived now, I am still worried about you three women in such a remote place. It is better to move back."
Su Nuannuan almost vomited blood, and looked at Old Lady Fang with a bad look, thinking to herself, this old lady is really a spirit? I just said that, and you took advantage of it? You still have the nerve to say that you are old and have no prestige. It's not the way to lie with open eyes, you will be struck by lightning. It's over, what should I do? I fell into the trap accidentally. Compared with this old witch, the skills of that scumbag Duan Tingxuan are far worse. What should I do?
Her mind raced, but she couldn't come up with a good solution. However, if she talked about it, it would just be a matter of face. Didn't Old Lady Fang rely on her old face to bully others? So Su Nuannuan smiled bitterly and said resentfully, "I appreciate the good intentions of the old lady. But our grandfather was so heartless that day, and the knot in my heart is not so easy to untie. Instead of letting me go back to the backyard, being reminded of the past and resenting the past from time to time, it would be better to let me live freely in Meiyue Tower."
As soon as these words came out, a small discussion broke out in the hall. Old Lady Fang was also stunned, looking at Su Nuannuan in disbelief, thinking to herself, what a monster, what a monster. I have risked my old face, but this monster has the nerve to refuse. No wonder a smart person like Xuan'er can't defeat the enemy, how can such a monster be subdued so easily? My dear grandson, grandma can only help you here. From now on, you have to figure out a way by yourself. Go hard, grandma will strongly support you. Hmm, the shrimp and eel noodles are really delicious, I wonder if there is any left in the kitchen? If there is any left, I have to ask Qiu Ling to bring it back to me and hide it, otherwise when Xuan'er comes back, there will be no soup left.
If Duan Tingxuan knew what the old lady was thinking, he might faint from anger: Is this how he, a good grandson, is treated? After the old grandmother gave him spiritual support, she refused to even leave him a bowl of soup. Is she a real grandmother?
After all, Old Lady Fang was an old lady. After being excited for most of the day, she was a little tired, so everyone said goodbye and left. Su Nuannuan was about to return to Meiyue Tower with the big cat in her arms when she heard a serious voice behind her: "You are too ignorant. You don't want to go back to the backyard. Think of a more tactful reason. How can you reject the old lady outright? Aren't you afraid that the old lady will be sad? Where did your filial piety go?"
Su Nuannuan turned around and saw Madam Yang staring at her. She was not panicked and smiled slightly, saying, "Madam, you are too kind. Aren't the filial piety of a daughter-in-law all in the noodles and side dishes that the old lady eats? Madam, you also enjoyed them. How can you say that the daughter-in-law is ignorant? Does Madam also want me to go back to the backyard? That would be great. If Madam misses her so much, then the daughter-in-law really can't let her down. I will go back and tell our grandfather to clean up Chunfeng Garden as soon as possible, and I will move back on an auspicious day. How about that? I am doing this all for Madam's sake. Am I a filial daughter-in-law?"
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