Last year at this ti, Lian Manman’s head injury had not completely healed, her hair was still dry and yellow, and her small face was thin, which made her eyes appear especially large.
She was gentle, kind, and rarely spoke, yet she loved to smile, and her smile was unexpectedly beautiful, making her an adorable yet pitiable little girl.
It was that calamity that brought about a trendous change in this little girl.
Still kind and still gentle to those close to her. Yet to others, she was no longer submissive, in fact, she could be fiercer and bolder than the daughters of other tenant farrs.
During that ti, when Wang Youheng had a bit of free ti, he would think of this little girl. Even though he knew she had beco much more assertive. But he noticed that the little girl who used to smile now did so less frequently.
He wanted to help her, partly out of a sense of guilt, but more so out of compassion for the girl herself.
In the space of a year, the little girl had grown taller, her hair had turned black, blood had returned to her cheeks, her large eyes were more expressive than before, and she had regained her cheerful temperant.
Actually, it might not be right to say she regained it, Wang Youheng thought carefully. The present Lian Manman, when she smiled, it was different from before. The past Lian Manman would smile with a touch of timidity and shyness, the present Lian Manman smiled in a more open and confident manner. However, she was still as lovely as before, or it might be more appropriate to say, even lovelier.
"Today, we should really celebrate," Lian Manman said sowhat to herself.
"...Indeed, we should celebrate," Wang Youheng smiled, his gaze warmly enveloping Lian Manman.
Back at the shop, Wu Yugui, Lady Wang along with Wu Jiaxing and Wu Jiayu had already arrived; tonight, the Lian Family had also invited the Wu Family over for dinner. Mr. Loo was naturally included. Lian Shouli, who had returned from work on the mountain, had been invited as well; his family of three would also be dining at Lian Manman’s house that evening.
Wang Youheng went inside to speak with Mr. Loo, Wu Yugui, Wu Jiaxing, and others, while Lian Manman went into the kitchen, as she was to help Lady Zhang prepare the al.
Lady Zhang, Lian Zhizhi, Lady Zhao, Lian Yeye, Lady Wang, Wu Jiayu were all there; when Lady Zhang saw Lian Manman co in, she told her to go sit in the room with Lady Wang and Wu Jiayu.
"I know, you don’t need us mothers to lift a finger, I’ll be right here chipping in, our little chat will be pleasant," Lady Wang would not agree, smiling as she said to Lady Zhang.
Too many people weren’t needed to cook a al, but having Lady Wang by her side, chatting while cooking, this was sothing Lady Zhang also enjoyed.
The main dish for tonight was the two big Silver Carp, each weighing nearly four pounds. Wu Yugui and his son Wu Jiaxing had gone to a place called Shajintang to diate a deal for soone, and the host family had given these as a gift.
Shajintang was right next to Lady Zhang’s parental ho in Burner Pot Village, where there was a natural reservoir called Shajintang, and the village was also nad after it.
Lady Zhang cooked the two big Silver Carp in the most economical and common household thod practiced by the tenant farrs of Thirty Mile Camp. She cleaned the fish, then cut them into large pieces and put them into a pot with heated oil, followed by water to simr. Tofu was added midway, and finally, the seasoning was adjusted before serving.
Cooked this way, the fish had a thick, aromatic broth and retained its original flavors to the greatest extent.
In addition to these two fish, Lian Shouxin had just bought two of Cai’s roasted chickens from the town, and then there was a large pot of stewed pork knuckle. The rest of the dishes included sautéed food, like pork with garlic shoots, garlic sprouts with Chinese chives, and stir-fried flat beans as well as a big plate of dipping vegetables, including sauce strips of at and dried tofu.
Lian Manman had just soaked a small basin of mustard greens that had been dried yesterday.
"They were just dried, and Xiao Qi saw them this afternoon and told he wanted to eat them right now," Lian Manman whispered to Lady Zhang.
"Truly a glutton reincarnated," Lady Zhang also whispered with a laugh.
Mustard greens absorb oil, so Lian Manman cut so pork into strips, fried them until they changed color, then scooped them out of the pot. She added vegetable oil to the clean pot, then took another jar and poured so chicken fat into the pot. When the oil was hot, she stirred in the soaked mustard greens and, just before taking them out of the pot, poured the pork strips back in, finally seasoning them and plating the dish.
These mustard greens fried with chicken fat had a texture and flavor very similar to chicken strips, not only did Xiao Qi love them, but Lian Manman did too.
Once the dishes were prepared, they were brought to the table one by one. In addition to the hot dishes, there were cold dishes such as kelp salad, jellyfish salad, fried peanuts, and marinated enoki mushrooms. The pastries brought by Wang Youheng were also placed on the table.
Because there were many people, they divided into two tables; the n at one, and the won at another.
The main dish today included white rice and, upon special request by Lian Manman, they also added Lian’s signature dish – Lian’s Soup Dumplings.
A jar of wine was opened at the n’s table. Knowing that Lady Wang also drank, Lady Zhang took a small wine pot, strained a potful for herself, and took two small cups to accompany Lady Wang for a few rounds.
It wasn’t until a crescent moon hung askew in the sky that everyone happily dispersed.
Once it was just the family left, they inevitably talked about the earnings of the day.
"Just these three and a bit acres of land, even if you include its own natural growth, makes it no more than four acres in total. And just like that, we’ve made eleven strings of coins," Lady Zhang calculated, "and there’s still one crop left; even if it yields a bit less, eight or nine strings of coins are definitely assured. In the past, that would’ve been enough for our expenses for two years."
"Isn’t that so! I ran into soone from the village today who said that our family runs such a big shop, do we still care about this little money from the bitter vegetables?" Lian Shouxin nodded and said, "This isn’t just a little money though, it truly is a significant amount. If we can earn it with our hard work, we must."
"...For without taking the first step, one cannot cover a thousand miles; without accumulating small streams, there is no way to make a river or sea," Lian Manman said with a laugh from the side.
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Delivering a second update, seeking pink hearts.
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Introduction: Transmigrated as a wronged woman who lost her chastity, carrying a little bun, sweet life together with a cost-effective man. (To be continued. If you like this work, welco to recomnd, cast your votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)
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