Chapter 415: Chapter 215: Family Reunion Dinner_1
"Just frying some meatballs to give the fish a quick fry," Lian Shouxin said to Lian Xiuxiu, "Xiuxiu, what’s up?"
"Erlang’s wife is making braised pork, but we’ve run out of soy sauce at home. Mother asked me to come up here and see if you could lend us a bowl of it," Lian Xiuxiu said, her eyes darting around above and below the stove.
Lian Shouxin went over, took the bowl from Lian Xiuxiu, and poured the soy sauce for her.
"So Erlang’s wife is cooking today!" Lady Zhang chatted with Lian Xiuxiu, "Her cooking is really particular."
Lian Xiuxiu stepped into the house, blatantly looking around.
"The dishes you’re preparing today are really not that great," Lian Xiuxiu said, then muttered under her breath, "No wonder you don’t want to spend New Year’s with us."
"Wasn’t it just frying meatballs? I might as well get the dishes done quickly. It’s these same dishes we eat during the New Year; we have to eat them the entire month," Lady Zhang replied to Lian Xiuxiu’s muttered comment, "The Upper Room has a new daughter-in-law this year, so they’ll definitely have more dishes than us—we can’t compare."
By this time, Lian Shouxin had already poured the soy sauce and handed the bowl back to Lian Xiuxiu.
"Xiuxiu, want to try the meatballs your sister-in-law made?" Lian Shouxin asked.
Lian Xiuxiu snorted coldly and left with the bowl of soy sauce.
"With all the things the Upper Room bought for the New Year, how come there’s no soy sauce left?" Lian Zhizhi wondered aloud.
"Erlang’s wife cooks, of course it’s extravagant," Lady Zhang said. Here, "extravagant" meant wasteful.
"Looking at my aunt, it seemed as if she was inspecting us," Lian Manman commented, picking up a meatball to eat.
The meatball, made of plain flour and tofu, was unexpectedly delicious, with a crispy outer layer and a tender, smooth interior.
"These meatballs are really good," Lian Manman said as she ate another one.
"Taste a couple and that’s enough, don’t eat too many," Lady Zhang warned the children against overeating the meatballs, "or you won’t have room for the other dishes later. The meatballs should be eaten slowly."
Convinced by Lady Zhang’s reasoning, Lian Manman tasted two or three and then stopped eating.
"Inspection or not, it doesn’t matter," Lian Shouxin said, "The Upper Room also has these few dishes."
"It’s Erlang’s wife’s first year, and the Upper Room has prepared many dishes this year," Lady Zhang added, "Right, let’s pick out a bowl of meatballs quickly while they’re hot, and let Old Master try them. Our meatballs this year are really tender; he will definitely like them."
"Alright." Lian Shouxin nodded.
"I’ll go," Lian Manman stood up, taking a large bowl and picking a full bowl of meatballs to take to the Upper Room.
Because of frying and the inevitable smoke, the curtain door of the outer room of the Upper Room was already taken down. Upon entering the outer room, Lian Manman saw Lady Gu and Lady He busy with the fire beneath the stove, Lady Zhou and Lady Chiang frying meatballs at one side, and Zhao Xiue cooking a pig’s head on the other. Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye were bustling about, assisting.
"Smells delicious," Lian Manman said. The main dishes for the tenant farmers’ New Year were always the same, just made differently by different households. The Upper Room also had fish, chicken, and meat. However, Lady Zhou was not making braised whole fish, but had cut the fish into large chunks to stew with vermicelli noodles. Also, the pig’s head and stomach, heart, and intestines that Zhao Xiue was preparing were something Lian Manman’s family did not have.
"What are you doing here?" Lady Zhou straightened her back from beside the pot and asked Lian Manman.
"Grandma, Dad and Mom asked me to bring a few meatballs for Grandpa to try," Lian Manman said.
"No need, we’re frying meatballs, too."
Lady Zhou waved her hand.
Lian Manman then carried the meatballs into the eastern room, where Old Master Lian was sitting on the kang bed, and Lian Xiuxiu, along with Niuniu, Si Lang, and Liulang was also there.
"Grandpa, try the meatballs we fried at home," Lian Manman offered the bowl to Old Master Lian.
"Alright, let me try," Old Master Lian took a meatball and tasted it, "Very good, tender and flavorful. Your mother knows how to make things."
Old Master Lian then directed Lian Xiuxiu, Niuniu, Si Lang, and Liulang to come over and try the meatballs.
"Xiuxiu, get a bowl to free up Manman’s bowl, and pick some of our fried meatballs for Manman and them," Old Master Lian ordered,
"Grandpa, there’s no need," Lian Manman declined with a smile.
"It was your grandma and your sister-in-law who kneaded the dough, and it looks good, you should also take some to try," Old Master Lian insisted.
Lian Xiuxiu pouted, seemingly reluctant, but still followed Old Master Lian’s words and picked a bowl of meatballs for Lian Manman from the outer room.
Lian Manman thanked Old Master Lian and returned to the West Wing Room.
"Grandpa said our meatballs were delicious and wanted us to also try the meatballs fried in the Upper Room," Lian Manman put the bowl on the stove shelf.
