Chapter 391: Chapter 202 Dismantling Limbs_2
Lady Chiang and Lady Gu only had one basin in front of them.
"Niuniu and Duoduo, you two share a basin," Lady Zhou said.
Of course, the meat in Lian Xiuxiu’s basin was the best. Then came Lady He, Lady Zhang, and Lady Zhao. Among Lady He’s children, Lian Yaya and Liulang were both at this table. Several of Lady Zhang’s children, except for Wu Lang, were at this table, and Lady Zhao was with Lian Yeye.
Looking at the meat in each basin, the one in front of Lady Zhang actually had the most, because Zhizhi, Manman, and Xiao Qi made up the highest number. Lady Zhao and Lady Chiang had the least in their basins, because they had fewer children, and with Niuniu being so small, a single piece of meat would probably fill her up.
Once all the meat from the basins had been divided, Lady Zhou gave the order, "Eat up."
The pork from killing the pig was all on the bone.
Lady Zhang had already washed her hands and picked up a big bone, starting to pick the meat from it and place it into her three children’s bowls. She herself didn’t eat. Lady Zhao did the same. Only Lady He, after picking a little meat for Lian Yaya and Liulang, started gnawing on the bone herself. Liulang and Lian Yaya both watched Lady He with longing eyes.
"What kind of mother are you," Lady Zhou glared fiercely at Lady He, "taking care only of yourself, that’s the meat for the children, and you have the nerve!"
Lady He, with her mouth full of grease, chuckled twice and then started picking meat for Lian Yaya and Liulang again, but when she thought Lady Zhou wasn’t watching, she would sneak some into her own mouth.
Lady Chiang was about to start picking the meat when Lady Zhou stopped her.
"Let your mother-in-law do it, you feed Niuniu," Lady Zhou said.
"I’ll do it," Lady Gu complied and took the bowl, reaching in to pick the meat. Perhaps because her hands had been soaked in cold water for too long and still hadn’t warmed up, her hands were red and a bit unresponsive.
Lady Zhou looked on, satisfied, and then moved her gaze away.
Manman enjoyed eating the meat, especially the savory bone meat that was cooked with vegetables and soup. It was her favorite. Moreover, the Lian Family’s pig was well-fed, making the pork exceptionally fragrant.
The pork blood curd was also delicious; just seeing the tender green onions on top and the oil floating above made it appetizing. One spoonful in the mouth almost melted on the tongue, filling it with flavor.
And the sauerkraut soup made with pork and bones had turned a deep green color from simmering; eating a mouthful was summed up in one word: aromatic.
Compared with these dishes, the stir-fried vegetables seemed very ordinary.
Lady Zhou didn’t eat meat but instead spooned up the pork blood curd. She loved this dish, and today’s was steamed to the perfect tenderness. She felt content and looked over at Lady Zhang. The cooking of the entire pork meal had been under Lady Zhang’s supervision.
This daughter-in-law was undoubtedly skilled, but it was a pity...
Lady Zhou then turned her attention to the other daughters-in-law. Lady Zhao, who was easily bullied and whom she looked down upon, and the worst part was that she only had one daughter, Lian Yeye, making Lady Zhou fear that her third son might end up without descendants. Lady He, mindless and gluttonous, annoyed her at a glance. Lady Gu, that woman was crafty, but now under her control, she must continue to be properly managed.
Lady Chiang was a likable girl. Although she only had Niuniu now, the young couple were still young, and she would be able to hold a great-grandchild next year. This girl was good in every aspect; she was just too fearful of her mother-in-law. But that wasn’t much of an issue, for after living with her for a while, this fault could be corrected.
Lady Zhang finished picking all the bones in the basin and saw her three children eating deliciously. Then she turned her head to look towards the bed, where Wu Lang was sitting next to Lian Shouxin, with meat in his bowl. She let go of all her worries. Today, Lady Zhou had given the children quite a lot of meat, and she felt happy inside.
Lady Zhang put the basin with only bones left on the bed-stove and finally picked up her own rice bowl to start eating.
Lady Gu also finished picking the meat for Niuniu and Lian Duo and planned to start eating from her rice bowl. Lian Duo hadn’t had enough meat and looked unhappy, her eyes fixed on Lian Xiu’s bowl of meat. Niuniu, having eaten a bit of meat, a few spoonfuls of rice, and some vegetable soup, was full. Niuniu, full and satisfied, wriggled in Lady Chiang’s arms.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, take Niuniu to play on the side for a while," said Lady Zhou upon seeing the situation. "Let the Jizu’s daughter-in-law finish her meal."
"Granny, I’m full. I’ll take Niuniu with me. No need for my mother," Lady Chiang hurriedly put down her bowl and said.
"Let her take her. You should eat properly, eat a bit more. You’d be better if you put on some weight," Lady Zhou said. Putting on weight is good for childbirth, Lady Zhou thought.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, I see you don’t seem to enjoy this meal very much. Take Niuniu with you, eat something later if you feel like it, but if you don’t want to, then don’t eat," Lady Zhou then said to Lady Gu.
Lady Gu took Niuniu from Lady Chiang’s arms and retreated to a side.
Eventually, Lady Gu only ate half a bowl of rice with the soup after the table was cleared.
...
By the time the feast ended, it was nearing evening. There would naturally be no dinner, as this was the custom of the tenant farmers on the day they slaughtered a pig. Once the guests had left and only the Lian Family’s own remained, Old Master Lian told everyone not to hurry away, as he had something to say.
"On the twentieth, Erlang is getting married; let’s discuss this matter," Old Master Lian said.
Although he mentioned discussing, many decisions had already been made. It was really just to let everyone know.
For adding to Lian Huahua’s dowry, the number of courses would be twenty-eight. When a male grandchild of the Lian Family got married, it couldn’t be shabby, so twenty-eight courses were also fixed.
"Holding a lavish ceremony can also dispel some bad luck," Old Master Lian said, knocking on his dry pipe. "We have our own pork, which saves us a good amount of money. Think about what else is needed; everyone should help think."
"We’ll need mung bean sprouts, won’t we? For that, we need to place an order with someone early. Where should we place it?" Lady He spoke up, glancing at Lady Zhang from the corner of her eye.
"My wife knows how to grow bean sprouts. Do we need to place an order with someone else?" Shouxin said earnestly.
"Oh my, with Old Fourth saying that, now I’m reassured. Otherwise, I would’ve really been anxious about it," Lady He said with a wide grin.
"Old Second, what’s with all the formality? Old Fourth already told me before, we’ll grow the bean sprouts at home," Old Master Lian said. "Later we’ll calculate how many pounds of bean sprouts we need and have them weighed out for Old Fourth... Who are we hiring as the chef this time?"
"Father," Erlang, who had been quiet all along, lifted his head and said, "Old Zhao family mentioned that the banquet... should be held at a restaurant in town."
...
Ruoyan’s complete farming novel recommendation:
Title: "Rebirth: When Flowers Bloom and the Moon is Full" (Including extra stories, complete) (Direct link below, click to go straight there)
Summary: Transmigrating as a falsely accused and abandoned wife, carrying a little bun, and embarking on a sweet life with her frugal man.
...
Three more, seeking lots of pink encouragement! Give Ruoyan some motivation! (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it on Qidian with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)
