"Just frying so atballs 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 ho. Mother asked to co 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 atballs? I might as well get the dishes done quickly. It’s these sa dishes we eat during the New Year; we have to eat them the entire month," Lady Zhang replied to Lian Xiuxiu’s muttered comnt, "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 ti, Lian Shouxin had already poured the soy sauce and handed the bowl back to Lian Xiuxiu.
"Xiuxiu, want to try the atballs 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 co there’s no soy sauce left?" Lian Zhizhi wondered aloud.
"Erlang’s wife cooks, of course it’s extravagant," Lady Zhang said. Here, "extravagant" ant wasteful.
"Looking at my aunt, it seed as if she was inspecting us," Lian Manman comnted, picking up a atball to eat.
The atball, made of plain flour and tofu, was unexpectedly delicious, with a crispy outer layer and a tender, smooth interior.
"These atballs 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 atballs, "or you won’t have room for the other dishes later. The atballs 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 atballs quickly while they’re hot, and let Old Master try them. Our atballs 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 atballs 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 atballs at one side, and Zhao Xiue cooking a pig’s head on the other. Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye were bustling about, assisting.
"Slls delicious," Lian Manman said. The main dishes for the tenant farrs’ New Year were always the sa, just made differently by different households. The Upper Room also had fish, chicken, and at. 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 sothing 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 to bring a few atballs for Grandpa to try," Lian Manman said.
"No need, we’re frying atballs, too."
Lady Zhou waved her hand.
Lian Manman then carried the atballs 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 atballs we fried at ho," Lian Manman offered the bowl to Old Master Lian.
"Alright, let try," Old Master Lian took a atball 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 co over and try the atballs.
"Xiuxiu, get a bowl to free up Manman’s bowl, and pick so of our fried atballs 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 so to try," Old Master Lian insisted.
Lian Xiuxiu pouted, seemingly reluctant, but still followed Old Master Lian’s words and picked a bowl of atballs for Lian Manman from the outer room.
Lian Manman thanked Old Master Lian and returned to the West Wing Room.
"Grandpa said our atballs were delicious and wanted us to also try the atballs fried in the Upper Room," Lian Manman put the bowl on the stove shelf.
User Comments
0 comments from readers