Even those most ordinary home-cooked dishes taste completely different after being carefully cooked by Xu Qinghe.
The secret may lie in Xu Qinghe's generosity when cooking, using just the right amount of oil and salt, and precisely controlling the heat.
Look, while Old Lady Yin was enjoying the delicious food, she couldn't help but criticize Xu Qinghe for not being frugal, saying that she was the kind of housewife who spent money like water.
However, in front of outsiders, Xu Qinghe gave Yin Yunjie enough face and did not let Yin Yunjie interfere in any affairs during the entire banquet. He just let him chat with his friends, the village chief and other distinguished guests.
Even though Old Lady Yin kept nagging her about her extravagance and waste, Xu Qinghe just responded with a smile.
During the banquet, Xu Qinghe walked gently to the table where Yin Yunjie was sitting, with a sweet smile on her face. "Everyone, are these dishes to your liking? Do you want me to add anything else?"
"It's delicious, really delicious! Xiao Xu, your cooking skills are simply amazing!" Ni Yuan gave a thumbs up, his words full of admiration for Xu Qinghe.
"Yes, yes, your cooking skills are even better than those famous chefs in big hotels!" The guests around nodded in agreement.
Xu Qinghe replied with a smile: "Okay, then you guys can enjoy it. If you need anything, just let me know and I'll arrange it."
Then, she sat down next to Yin Yunjie, partly to avoid the incessant chatter of Old Lady Yin and find some peace and quiet, and partly to allow Yin Yunjie to take better care of the guests.
Seeing that there were not many dishes in Xu Qinghe's bowl, Yin Yunjie naturally picked up some food for her.
Xue Lin, standing aside, observed all this quietly, secretly thanking himself for not bringing his cousin to the party.
If my cousin saw this scene, I wonder how sad she would be.
From his careful observation, Xu Qinghe and Yin Yunjie seemed to be a couple carefully arranged by fate, with a tacit understanding and harmony between them.
If it were his cousin, even if she faced a table full of carefully prepared dishes, she would probably feel overwhelmed;
Not to mention dealing with the intricate family network of the Yin family. The complex interpersonal relationships can easily lead to loss of direction if one is not careful. Disputes and conflicts will follow every other day. In this case, how can Yin Yunjie feel at ease when he is traveling far away?
So, he secretly made up his mind that when night falls and the lights come on, he will be honest with his cousin and tell her that there are many good men in this world. The best strategy is to embark on a blind date as soon as possible to find the one who can understand her and walk hand in hand with her.
The conversation at the dinner table naturally turned to the trivialities and warmth of daily life. Ni Yuan couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Life in our village is still simple and free. Every bit of green in the vegetable garden is nature's most sincere gift. You can pick whatever you want to eat. It's not like in the bustling city, where you have to wait in long lines in front of the supply and marketing cooperative to buy daily necessities, and often you can't get what you want. It's really worrying!"
"That's right!" Li Dashan echoed with deep feeling. "My husband also complains to the supply and marketing cooperative every day. But then again, these days, shortages are the norm. How can we expect to have everything we need?"
Xu Qinghe was full of curiosity about these topics close to people's livelihood, but she maintained a proper reserve and did not discuss them in public. She secretly planned to discuss these in detail after the guests left and spend a quiet night with Yin Yunjie.
The banquet slowly came to an end amidst laughter and joy, and the entire Yin family was immersed in this rare warmth and harmony.
Even Su Qifen, who always loves to gossip, was unusually quiet tonight. She wanted to say something several times but was cleverly intercepted by the quick-eyed and quick-handed Xie Di, who prevented her from blurting out words that might ruin the atmosphere.
Xie Di was very cautious in choosing Su Qifen, fearing any mistakes, so she kept her in her sight the whole night.
Xu Qinghe displayed the elegance and composure of a host. Her smile gently touched the hearts of every guest. After the dinner, she instructed Yin Yunjie to carefully brew pot after pot of fragrant tea for everyone. Until the night fell and the stars twinkled, everyone said goodbye reluctantly and set off on their journey home.
Zhang Xiaocui and other helpers left only after they had finished packing. Xu Qinghe naturally would not treat these hard-working friends badly. When they left, each of them had their hands full of small gifts that she had carefully prepared.
As for the items they brought, since it was too late to move them, Xu Qinghe promised to return them personally the next morning.
Uncle Jiang was drunk and fell asleep as soon as he entered the house. Lin Fang had originally planned to take advantage of the night to add another boy to the family, but her dream was shattered. She couldn't help but get angry and slapped Uncle Jiang lightly on the buttocks to express her dissatisfaction, and then left angrily.
Outside, in the moonlight, the two daughters peeked in, looking anxious. Seeing this, Lin Fang couldn't help but speak harshly: "Why are you standing here so late and not sleeping?"
Jiang Ye looked around vigilantly, afraid of being seen by the old man's family, and pulled his sister into the house like the wind.
Then, she took out an oil-paper bag with an alluring aroma from her pocket and gently placed it in front of Lin Fang.
The fragrance seemed to penetrate the paper. Obviously, this was the crispy meat that the aunt secretly gave them.
"Mom, this is what my aunt gave us secretly. I don't want this delicacy to go into the kitchen and be left with only leftovers, and finally go to my eldest brother. Can we... just enjoy it quietly in the room?" Jiang Ye's eyes flashed with anticipation and uneasiness. She looked at her mother with trepidation.
Lin Fang often sighed because her sisters were not boys, and the worry on her face almost never left. Even though she knew that their situation at home was not easy, she rarely helped them.
I wanted to discuss it with my father, but he was already drunk and unconscious, so I had no choice but to turn to my mother for help.
Lin Fang looked at her two daughters. Although they were pretty and had inherited the Yin family's good genes, long-term hunger and malnutrition made them look thin and fragile, and their faces were a slightly sickly yellow.
Lin Fang felt mixed emotions when she thought about how her daughters had to endure all kinds of injustice since childhood, were not loved by their elders, and were always cautious even in front of her own mother.
"Didn't Xiaoyu get a share?" After a moment, Lin Fang finally spoke.
The two girls shook their heads and answered honestly, "No, my aunt said we are too thin. We need to eat more meat so that we can be strong and healthy, just like the young saplings in the fields, which can grow resiliently even in the wind and rain."
Lin Fang suddenly understood clearly that Xu Qinghe's preference for his two daughters was probably due to the fact that the second daughter had generously given him furniture.
From this point of view, Xu Qinghe is undoubtedly a person who knows how to be grateful.
However, what Xu Qinghe said was not without reason, as she was also a girl.
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