Shen Baobao was very excited. It felt like she was about to face a life-and-death challenge.
Lin Xu smiled and hugged this adorable treasure in his arms, soothing her softly, "Don’t be scared, I’m here. My parents are very nice, not fierce at all... And there’s a big table of dishes upstairs, just waiting for you."
When it ca to food, the Shen Baobao in his arms finally relaxed a bit. "But what if they think less of for eating too much?"
Lin Xu patted her back. "No, they won’t. My mom knows your appetite well enough. You can eat six large buns with Pork Grease filling; she would be unhappy if you ate too little today."
"Stop it! It’s all your fault for tempting with those photos back then."
The couple shared sweet nothings for a few minutes downstairs before carrying their things upstairs.
When they reached the door, Lin Xu knocked.
The door swung open, and Chen ijuan and Lin Hongqi appeared.
"Yueyue, you’re here! It’s hot outside; co in and cool off," Chen ijuan said warmly.
After entering, Shen Jiayue presented two packages. "These are gifts for you. I hope Uncle and Auntie will like them."
"Oh my, Yueyue, you shouldn’t have! The color of this bag is so lovely; I’ll carry it every day," Chen ijuan exclaid.
Yes, these were gifts from my daughter-in-law. I’ll have to show them off to the neighbors later.
Lin Hongqi took the handbag his daughter-in-law had bought. From a nearby drawer, he imdiately took out a bulging red envelope. Judging by its thickness, it likely contained more than 20,000 yuan.
He handed it to Shen Jiayue. "Yueyue, according to the customs of our hotown, we give a red envelope for the first eting. This is for you; I hope you like it."
Thanks to the heads-up from Lin Xu, Shen Jiayue knew a red envelope was waiting for her. However, she hadn’t expected it to be this big. She had thought it would be the symbolic kind, like the New Year’s money elders give, maybe just 1,000 or 2,000 yuan.
"This... isn’t this too much?"
"Not at all, my girl. Take it quickly."
"Oh..."
Shen Jiayue accepted it and casually slipped it into her bag. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Lin Hongqi and Chen ijuan, she went to play with Dundun.
Chen ijuan, anwhile, called Lin Xu to help serve the dishes. Dinner began.
Soon, a series of dishes were brought to the dining table: Green Beans with Garlic Paste, Stead Radishes with Rice Flour, Pig Ears Mixed with Cucumber, Spicy Potato Strips, Crispy Lotus Root Sandwiches, Garlic-Flavored Pork Ribs, Sweet Potato Balls, Pan-Fried Hot Peppers, Fish-Fragrant Eggplant, Braised Chicken with Soy Sauce, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Egg and at Rolls, Stead Radish Greens Bowl, Braised Big Carp, and Diced at Stir-Fried with Wild Mushrooms.
The table was loaded with a full spread.
The tempting aromas made Shen Baobao almost lose interest in playing with Dundun.
Ahh, it all slls so amazing! I really want to try everything! I have to hold back, be reserved. I can’t leave my in-laws with the impression that I’m wild and crazy. But this wait for dinner to start is truly torturous!
It felt like three years had passed when, finally, a heavenly call reached her ears, "Stop playing. Co wash your hands for dinner."
"Oh... Dundun, I’m going to eat now. I’ll co back and play with you after I finish."
Dundun, on the cat tree, gave her a disdainful glance. Playing with ? I’m too embarrassed to even point out what you were really doing!
Shen Baobao followed Lin Xu to the bathroom. They rinsed their hands together, then lathered up with soap. As they cupped their four hands together, Lin Xu asked softly, "Did you really want to sneak a piece and try it just now?"
Shen Jiayue nodded, rubbing Lin Xu’s hands as she said, "Yes, yes! All these dishes sll so tantalizing. I nearly drooled all over Dundun."
Heh... No wonder Dundun was giving her such a disdainful look earlier, Lin Xu thought.
Once they had finished washing and dried their hands with a towel, they went to the dining table.
Lin Hongqi and Chen ijuan were already waiting. When Lin Xu and Shen Jiayue joined them, the family of four finally sat down together.
"Yueyue, eat whatever you like. This whole table was prepared for you," Chen ijuan said.
"Thank you, Auntie," Shen Jiayue replied politely, then picked up her chopsticks.
With such a feast, which dish should I start with? I really want to try that big Carp in the middle, but wouldn’t it seem impolite to go for it directly?
As she was contemplating this, Lin Xu picked up a large piece of Fish from the Carp and placed it on the plate in front of Shen Baobao. "This is my mom’s specialty dish. Try it and see how it tastes."
Mother-in-law’s specialty? Shen Jiayue’s appetite grew even stronger.
She carefully picked out the bones, then lifted a piece of Fish with the Fish Skin still attached and put it in her mouth. Her eyes imdiately lit up.
Wow! This Fish is so delicious! The Fish Skin had been braised until it was thoroughly infused with flavor, ltingly tender and rich, so delicious it made you want to swallow your tongue. And the Fish at itself remained incredibly tender. The fine texture was bursting with a delicious broth. Each bite filled her mouth with freshness and fragrance. So yummy!
"It’s so fresh! How did you braise this Fish to make it so delicious?" Shen Jiayue asked after taking another mouthful. It was just as delicious.
"Eat more if it’s good," Chen ijuan said. "You can even have the dish placed in front of you if you prefer. We’re family, so no need for formalities. Eat what you want, how you want."
"Thank you... Mom!" Shen Jiayue had intended to say "Thank you, Auntie," but the word "Mom" slipped out.
Chen ijuan was overjoyed. She hadn’t expected her daughter-in-law to change how she addressed her so quickly. She promptly served Shen Jiayue another piece of Fish. "Good girl, eat more."
After saying that, she used her phone to transfer 50,000 yuan to Shen Jiayue. "You must accept it," she said. "This is from Mom as a reward for calling Mom."
"Oh... Thank you, Mom!"
My mother-in-law is so good to . Then it’s only right I call her Mom ahead of ti, isn’t it?
After calling Chen ijuan "Mom," Shen Baobao turned to Lin Hongqi, who was looking at her eagerly, and called out, "Dad!" This delighted Old Lin so much that he downed his glass of liquor in one gulp. Using his own WeChat, he then transferred Shen Baobao another 50,000 yuan as a "na-changing fee."
This formality, usually reserved for the wedding ceremony, had unexpectedly occurred before the engagent. This is wonderful! Lin Hongqi thought happily.
After transferring the money, Lin Hongqi refilled his cup and said, "Yueyue, would it be okay for us to invite your parents to have lunch together tomorrow?"
Before the engagent, both sets of parents should sit down for a chat to get to know each other. After all, it’s a union of two families, and proprieties must be observed, he mused.
"Sure! I’ll let my parents know when I get back," Shen Jiayue agreed.
Hearing his daughter-in-law agree, Lin Hongqi looked at Lin Xu and asked, "Where do you think would be an appropriate restaurant to invite your parents-in-law for lunch?"
Which restaurant? Lin Xu smiled. "I think this ho-cooked al is exactly what my parents-in-law will love. It has a warmth you just can’t find in restaurants."
Upon hearing this, Chen ijuan also felt that eating at ho would be nice. "Then let’s eat at ho," she said. "It makes talking easier... It’s just that our ho is a bit small; I wonder if your parents will mind."
Shen Jiayue quickly chid in, "They won’t, they really won’t! In fact, when I was little, the place my parents rented wasn’t much bigger than this kitchen. They struggled to save money for a house but were conned out of everything. My father cried secretly at night and was in a slump for a long ti before he finally pulled himself together..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Hongqi sighed softly. "Your father must have faced many hardships along the way. I’ll have to share a few extra drinks with him tomorrow."
After deciding that lunch tomorrow would be at ho, everyone continued eating.
Shen Jiayue felt that every dish was delicious. The Sweet Potato Balls, crispy on the outside and semi-molten on the inside, were fragrant, sweet, and delightful. The deliciously fried Pork Ribs, with their strong garlic flavor, were so good one couldn’t stop eating. And the Stead Shredded Radish with Rice Flour; it was not only pleasantly chewy but also carried a hint of garlic’s sharpness, making it incredibly tasty.
She tried every dish. The more she ate, the more she admired her mother-in-law. She was truly amazing to be able to cook such a grand table of ho-style dishes. Lin Xu was so lucky to have grown up eating als like this!
As she ate and marveled, Lin Xu, who was beside her, discussed tomorrow’s plans. "The pan-fried bun shop has been renovated, and all the equipnt is ready. We’re officially opening tomorrow morning."
Yes, tomorrow that "Invest in Opening a Shop" task will be officially completed. After getting the reward, I’ll upgrade my Basic Knife Skills again and remake the Stead Rice Flour Silver Strips to see if I can elevate the dish even further. If possible, this dish might just make an impressive splash in the competition!
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This Chapter has 4,067 words, asking for your Monthly Ticket! Took a breather today and feeling better now; let’s continue aiming for 10,000 words a day, brothers!
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