Lin Lan laughed. "I only have three tricks up my sleeve: lots of oil, bold flavors, and a spicy kick!"
"I don’t even have three tricks! Dongzi is always complaining that my food tastes terrible!" Yao Xiuyun said, laughing.
Lin Lan was very fond of the cheerful Little Yao. She smiled at her warmly. "You’re busy with work. How could you have ti to cook?"
Yao Xiuyun said self-deprecatingly, "My mom says I have cursed hands. Every ti I scoop out so pickles, the whole batch gets a film on it!"
"So people are just like that," Lin Lan said, laughing as she was reminded of her own younger sister. "One of my sisters back ho is the exact sa way."
Just then, a bicycle bell chid at the back door. A mont later, Yang Dingbang walked in, accompanied by a pretty woman. She was wearing a white, puff-sleeved top with a light blue floral pattern and a long, pleated skirt.
The woman glanced at the dirt on her shoes, then looked up at the sooty kitchen and frowned, taking a step back to stand behind Yang Dingbang.
"Xiuyun, you’re already here!" Yang Dingbang said with a smile, looking at Little Yao.
Little Yao glanced at his girlfriend and said with a grin, "Well, look who it is. We’ve been here for a while, and the host finally decides to show up."
"My fault, my fault! I’ll take three penalty shots later," Yang Dingbang said with a laugh. Then he turned to Lin Lan. "Sister-in-law, you’ve worked hard."
Lin Lan gave a polite smile. "It’s smoky in here. Take your girlfriend to sit in the main room."
"Qingya!" Yang Dingbang looked at the woman standing to the side, pointing to Lin Lan and Yao Xiuyun respectively. "This is Sister-in-law Lin Lan, and this is my buddy Dongzi’s wife, Yao Xiuyun." Then he introduced her to them, "This is Ye Qingya, my girlfriend!"
"Nice to et you, Qingya!" Lin Lan and Yao Xiuyun greeted her with a smile.
"Hello," Ye Qingya replied with a faint smile.
"Dad, Dad!" Dandan ran up to Yang Dingbang, holding a tal hoop, his head covered in sweat. He looked at him with a grin. "Dad, I’ve been waiting for you for so long."
Yang Dingbang took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You little rascal, where have you been running wild now?"
Ye Qingya glanced at the sweaty Dandan, then turned her head to look at the vibrant green paddy fields behind the house.
"I was having a hoop-rolling race with Brother Kai and the others." As he spoke, he turned his head, saw Yao Xiuyun, and grinned. "Auntie, why didn’t Little Hai co?"
Yao Xiuyun laughed. "Little Hai went with his grandpa to visit relatives."
The old lady heard the voices and ca over too. She was grinning from ear to ear as she looked at them, and she playfully patted Yang Dingbang. "Dongzi and Xiangyang are in the main room. Hurry up and take Qingya in there to sit down."
Lin Lan also said, "That’s right, you two go to the main room. I’ll start bringing out the food now."
Yao Xiuyun said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I’ll help carry the dishes!"
Lin Lan nodded, took out the cold-dressed chicken and the stead pork ribs from the stear, placed them on a tray, and Yao Xiuyun carried it to the table in the main room.
Dandan turned and ran to the kitchen. "Auntie, I’m going to get Douzi to co eat."
Lin Lan checked the ti. It was already 5:30. She smiled. "Dandan, don’t go. Douzi has already gone with his aunt to the Eucalyptus Forest to help out."
Dandan looked at her. "Auntie, I want to go to the Eucalyptus Forest to sell things too!"
Seeing his pouting lips, Lin Lan said with a laugh, "Next ti, okay? Next ti Auntie will take you with us."
Dandan nodded. "Don’t forget!"
"Okay!" Lin Lan placed the fish fillets into an earthenware bowl, sprinkled chopped cilantro and chili flakes on top, and drizzled smoking hot vegetable oil over it. The spicy and appetizing fish with pickled greens was ready.
Yao Xiuyun sniffed the air. "Sister-in-law, for the next get-together, I’m coming early to learn how to make that fish with pickled greens from you."
"I just winged it. I have no idea if you’ll like it."
"It looks delicious."
Lin Lan smiled and placed the braised chicken with taro onto a tray, sprinkling so chopped scallions and cilantro leaves on top. She ladled the chicken and mushroom stew into a tureen...
She took out the marinated, scored pork kidney, drained the excess water, and flash-fried it in hot oil with garlic slices, pickled peppers, celery, and scallion whites.
Finally, she plated the stir-fried greens in chili oil and brought it to the table. All the dishes were served.
The mont Lin Lan stepped into the main room, Yao Xiuyun stood up and looked at her with a wide smile. "Sister-in-law, we can’t wait to start eating."
Xu Dong also said, "That’s right! If you’d co any later, we would have eaten it all."
Lin Lan laughed. "I hear the best complint for a chef is to eat every last bite of their food!"
Yao Xiuyun nodded with a smile. "I’ll definitely clean my plate."
Li Xiangyang took the dish she was carrying and placed it on the table. "You’ve worked so hard, preparing so many dishes."
Lin Lan smiled. "This is the last one."
Yao Xiuyun shot him a surprised glance and secretly squeezed Xu Dong’s hand. Xu Dong gave a barely perceptible nod.
"Lin Lan, co!" The old lady stood up and pulled her to sit down beside her. "You’ve worked so hard. Let Dingbang toast you!"
Yang Dingbang nodded with a smile. "That’s right. Sister-in-law worked the hardest today. I’ll toast to you!"
He glanced at the spread on the table. ’This is almost restaurant-quality.’ He was suddenly reminded of the al he’d had at his cousin’s house during the New Year, and the thought gave him a jolt.
’If I hadn’t seen Lin Lan cooking at the stove with my own eyes, I’d never have believed she made this. How can soone change so much in less than six months?’
Lin Lan laughed. "Grandma is the one who worked hard. She washed all the ingredients for these dishes. You should be toasting her."
The old lady chuckled and nodded. "Alright, alright. Let Dingbang toast the both of us."
Yang Dingbang smiled, filled the glasses in front of the two won, and raised his own to them. "I’ll drink up. Grandma, Sister-in-law, drink as you please."
"Okay!" Lin Lan and the old lady each took a sip.
Dandan, holding a bottle of soda, joined in the fun. "Great-grandma, Auntie, I want to toast too!"
The old lady smiled and raised her glass. "Alright, let’s all have a toast!"
"Qingya, you have a drink too!" Yang Dingbang said, holding the liquor bottle to pour a drink for Ye Qingya.
She frowned and said to Yang Dingbang, "I can’t drink. I have to be on duty tonight!"
Yang Dingbang suppressed his annoyance and said with a smile, "Just have a little sip. It’s just a gesture."
"I really can’t drink!" Ye Qingya pushed the glass away, her brows furrowed.
Yang Dingbang stood there holding the bottle, his own brow tightening as he looked at the rejected glass. The atmosphere turned a little awkward.
The old lady glanced at her grandson and smoothed things over with a smile. "Dingbang, Qingya has the night shift. Open a bottle of soda for her! Qingya, we’re all family here. Don’t be shy, help yourself to whatever you’d like."
Ye Qingya’s face flushed slightly. "Thank you, Grandma. I can’t drink when I have to work."
"Sorry, I didn’t know you had the night shift," Yang Dingbang said as he opened a bottle of soda and placed it in front of Ye Qingya. "Help yourself."
Ye Qingya nodded and picked up the bottle.
Dandan raised his soda bottle and shouted, "Cheers!"
Everyone laughed and raised their glasses. The three n downed their drinks in one go, while the won just took a sip.
Yao Xiuyun ate a piece of the stir-fried kidney and asked Lin Lan with a smile, "Sister-in-law, this stir-fried kidney you made is so crisp and tender, and there’s no gay taste at all. How did you do it?"
Lin Lan laughed and said, "This one is a bit more trouble. First, you have to peel off the outer mbrane, then slice it open from the middle, and then..."
Yao Xiuyun waved her hands repeatedly as she listened. "That’s way too much trouble. Xiangyang, next ti you bring over pork kidneys, rember to clean them properly before you do."
Li Xiangyang rolled his eyes at her. "In your dreams! I’m already giving you pork kidneys, and you want to clean them for you, too? Then what’s that good-for-nothing husband of yours for?"
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