Chen Qingqing first blanched the chicken pieces, then rinsed them clean. She then added a little lard to the pot, sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant.
Then pour the old hen into the pot, stir-fry for a while, add salt and hot water, cover the pot and start stewing the meat.
Before long, the chicken in the pot was bubbling away, and the aroma of chicken filled the air and the entire yard.
Chen Qingqing couldn't help but marvel at how chickens in this era ate grass and insects, and could be so delicious without needing so many seasonings.
Chen Han smelled the enticing aroma of meat emanating from the pot, his mouth watering uncontrollably. "This is the smell of meat! It smells so good!"
After he finished speaking, he sniffed hard.
"Little glutton, don't be in such a hurry. Let me cook some more millet porridge before we eat."
“Okay, I’ll start the fire for you, sister.” Chen Han said obediently.
As the sun gradually sets in the west, the daytime heat fades, and a cool breeze brings a refreshing coolness.
Chen Qingqing found two wooden planks, used the stone trough used for feeding cattle as the base, and pieced the planks together to make a temporary table.
They found a few more wooden stumps to use as small stools.
On the wooden table, a large pot of chicken exudes a rich aroma, along with four bowls of thick millet porridge.
The family sat around a simple dining table, each with a smile on their face.
Chen Han stared intently at the food on the table. There was meat and thick millet porridge; it was an incredibly lavish meal, even better than what they ate during the New Year.
He kept swallowing, "Sis, am I dreaming? Pinch me quickly."
Chen Qingqing smiled and gently pinched his arm. "Does it hurt, you little glutton? This isn't a dream."
A layer of mist welled up in Chen Zhanshan's eyes. In the past, when the whole family ate together, all the good food was placed in front of the third son's family.
His two children always had only half a bowl of rice and half a bowl of dry rations in their bowls.
Even if the family stews a little meat, the two children can only watch longingly and lick their lips.
He looked at his two children, his heart softening; they hadn't eaten meat even once in all these years.
Even though I did the most work, I always had the worst food and clothing at home.
His parents were so self-satisfied with their favoritism, what else could he possibly regret?
It's so good now. No matter what the food is like, the children no longer have to worry about what others think.
With this thought in mind, I felt relieved and announced that dinner was served.
Chen Han couldn't wait to pick up a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth. "This is chicken, it smells so good."
"Father, Mother, please try your daughter's cooking." Chen Qingqing placed a piece of chicken on Lin Shi's and Chen Zhanshan's plates.
Lin chewed slowly; the chicken was tender and flavorful, a delicate meaty taste spreading in her mouth.
She had never eaten a piece of meat in all the years she had been married into the Chen family. Now, she was enjoying meat stewed by her daughter herself. It was truly wonderful.
Chen Zhanshan took a bite and couldn't help but show his appreciation. When did his daughter learn to cook? It's so delicious.
The millet porridge and a large bowl of chicken were eaten up by the whole family, and even the chicken soup was completely consumed.
Chen Han ate with a satisfied look on his face, rubbing his stomach and burping. "Sis, I've never eaten so much before. Will I be able to eat this much tomorrow?"
"Of course we can. From now on, we'll be a family together. As long as we work hard, things will definitely get better and better."
Chen Zhanshan's breath hitched. This chicken was snatched back by Qingya today. If it weren't for his daughter, he might not even have rice bran, let alone chicken.
His eyes were full of guilt. "Qing'er, you're right. As long as our family is together, things will only get better and better. I'll go to Qingshui Town tomorrow and see if Dad can make money."
Madam Lin nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, sir."
Seeing their worried expressions, Chen Qingqing comforted them, "Dad, Mom, don't worry. As the saying goes, there's always a way out. Everything will be alright."
She already had a plan in mind. The village head had given her three jin of millet, plus a small half bag of rice bran, which should last her for ten or eight days.
There must be a way to make money during this time, not to mention she has a secret weapon.
Thinking of this, she touched the ring on her finger, wondering what it was for.
I'll have to think about it carefully later; it might be a powerful cheat code!
The old house of the Chen family.
On the table were scrambled eggs, steamed eggs, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of brown rice for each person.
The group sat around the table, listening to the cheerful laughter coming from the house next door, each with their own thoughts.
Old Chen was inexplicably depressed, puffing on his old pipe. He was worried because the family was short of labor; who would do the work in the fields tomorrow? Who would go up the mountain to gather firewood to sell?
Old Mrs. Chen also looked worried and sighed repeatedly.
With the eldest daughter-in-law absent, the second daughter-in-law unmanageable, and the third daughter-in-law never lifting a finger, who will do all the work inside and outside the house?
Chen Zhanliang was worried for the eldest son's family. They were eating chicken today, but they would be starving in a few days. Would the old lady let them off easily? She would make sure their joy turned into sorrow.
Sun looked on with envy, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets. Wasn't the life of the eldest son's family exactly what she had always dreamed of?
The whole family can eat whatever they want without having to worry about what others think. What a wonderful and comfortable life!
Liu Mengjiao curled her lips in disdain. "You're eating meat today, but in a few days you'll be starving."
The aroma of meat wafting over made Chen Ruolan instantly lose interest in the scrambled eggs and steamed egg custard in front of her.
She frowned and said unhappily, "Grandma, I want to eat stewed chicken too. I don't like this scrambled eggs."
"That's right, why can they eat chicken but we can't?" Chen Jiye also got angry, pushing his bowl and chopsticks forward. "Grandma, don't you love your grandson anymore? That's why you killed the hen and fed it to that little bastard Chen Han. I want to eat chicken too, I don't want scrambled eggs."
Chen Dabao buried his head in his food, not even glancing at the plate of eggs. He knew that if he didn't look at them, he wouldn't crave them, and his grandparents wouldn't give him any anyway.
Chen Xiaobao stared at the scrambled eggs on the table, swallowing hard. "Mom, they don't like eggs, but I want some."
Looking at her two sons, Mrs. Sun felt her heart breaking. Every meal, her mother-in-law would boil two eggs, claiming it was to nourish the youngest son's brain.
But the third brother never eats at the table; he always sneaks back to his room to feed his two little brats.
She couldn't care less about anything else at that moment. She picked up the scrambled eggs, grabbed her chopsticks, and gave them to Da Bao. Xiao Bao shoveled half of the eggs into his bowl and dumped the rest into his husband Chen Zhanliang's bowl.
"Da Bao, Xiao Bao, your sister Ruolan and brother Jiye are tired of eating eggs. You two should eat them while they're hot, they won't taste good when they're cold."
After she finished speaking, she nudged the stunned Chen Zhanliang with her hand and said, "You should eat too. The eldest son has been assigned to a different household, so you'll have to do all the housework from now on. You won't have the strength to work if you don't eat your fill."
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