Chapter 57: Earn Money While You Can
The dishes were clearly not made by Lady Zhou, who found it awkward to respond and looked visibly displeased.
"My mother hasn’t been feeling well these days. The children are all grown up, and today’s al was prepared by my two girls, Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman," Lian Shouxin said.
Everyone then turned to praise Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman.
"Brother Zhang, you’ve raised a good daughter; Lian, you’ve married a good daughter-in-law. The girls they’ve raised are also comndable. They’re only so young, yet they can prepare such a feast. In our village, they’re second to none..."
"Manman is still young, but Zhizhi is already fourteen, a full-grown girl. When her mother was her age, she was already the go-to person for all household work," Zhang Qingshan smiled, sipping his wine.
"Zhizhi is fourteen? I’ve always heard that the child has a good temperant and is competent. With her cooking skills alone, none of the girls of marriageable age in the village can beat her."
Since Lian Zhizhi was fourteen and Lian Manman was ten, everyone assud that Zhizhi was the cook, and Manman was considered the assistant.
"I wonder which fortunate family will speak for her. Lian, there’s sothing I want to tell you..." Lizheng said with a smile, ntioning a family with a son of similar age to Lian Zhizhi, "Our Zhizhi isn’t betrothed yet, right? Let act as the matchmaker. That family lives well and is also decent..."
Lian Zhizhi blushed at the dinner table. Lady Zhou, with a stern face, glanced at Lian Zhizhi and then at Lian Xiuxiu, who was pouting beside her, feeling sowhat uncomfortable but unable to express it.
Lian Manman was overjoyed. This cooking show had not only earned face for Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin but, seeing the joy on the faces of Old Master Lian and Zhang Qingshan, she knew that the two old n must also feel honored. The praises from people like Lizheng would give Lian Zhizhi the reputation of being competent, which for a fourteen-year-old girl, was very beneficial.
After eating for a while, Lady Wang ntioned that she wanted so green onions, so Lian Manman got off the kang and went to the outer room to get so for Lady Wang. As soon as she ca out, she saw Lady He and Liulang lifting the pot lid and searching around. The rule of the Lian family was that when guests were at ho, regardless of whether there was room at the table, except for a few who accompanied the guests, all others, especially the daughters-in-law and children, had to wait until the guests had eaten before they could have the leftovers.
Today, Old Master Lian had the four sons and the eldest grandson join the guests at the table, while Lian Manman and the others, because of Zhang Qingshan and Lady Li, got to join the guests for the al. Lady He and the other children weren’t at the table. Lady He had co over to check on the cooking earlier and hadn’t shown up again, but now she was searching for sothing to eat.
"Manman, why didn’t you girls save us so dishes?" Lady He saw Lian Manman co out and took the initiative to speak.
Lian Manman initially didn’t want to bother with Lady He but changed her mind and said with a smile, "What are you saying, Aunt? When do we ever not serve all the dishes when guests are over? This isn’t a rule I made up."
"What rules? Only you get to eat good at, and we have nothing."
"There’s nothing I can do about that," Lian Manman sighed deliberately, "Maybe you can discuss with Grandma and make sothing extra since Grandpa and Grandma are happy today."
"Mom, I want at," Liulang tugged at Lady He’s clothes.
"I’m afraid the at is gone, but..." Lian Manman glanced toward the chicken coop.
"Mom, let’s kill another chicken to eat," Liulang rembered the chicken at from a couple of days ago and began to salivate.
"Those chickens are no longer yours to touch," Lian Manman casually remarked, took the green onions, and went back inside.
After the al, as Lian Manman saw Lizheng and the others out, she slled the fragrance of stewed chicken coming from the East Wing Room. Since Lian Shouxin’s family had split up, Zhang Qingshan decided to stay the night, waiting to scald the bottom of the pot for his daughter and son-in-law before leaving the next day. Old Master Lian had Zhang Qingshan rest in the Upper Room.
"Grandpa, my mother still hasn’t seen you yet," Lian Manman whispered to Zhang Qingshan.
"Brother, I’ll go see my daughter first, then co back later," Zhang Qingshan replied.
Everyone then went back to the West Wing Room.
In the Upper Room, Lady Zhou gathered the leftover dishes and noticed how much oil and salt Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman had used, her brows furrowed with distress. Suddenly seeing that only Lady Zhao had brought Lian Yeye to eat and that Lady He and the children from the second household had not co, Lady Zhou felt puzzled and ca out from the Upper Room. As soon as she erged, she slled the aroma of stewed chicken and was greatly alard. She scurried around on her tiny feet, searching here and there, only to discover that a big rooster with a flowered neck was missing.
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