CIATB Chapter 237 Everyone talks about it
Chapter 237 Everyone talks about it
Chapter 237 Everyone talks about it
The two cousins carried the heavy fish baskets steadily to the backyard.
Yu Huan walked ahead, her gaze passing through the kitchen window. She glimpsed her aunt carefully taking steaming dishes out of the steamer, while Teacher Wu skillfully stir-fried the food at the stove.
When distinguished guests come to visit, you can't just cook a few dishes to get by.
Preparing meals for eight people requires careful planning; there can be more, not less. Even with my aunt's help, it's still quite a task.
The two gently tossed the fish basket onto the ground.
Yu Huan washed her hands first, then pushed her sunglasses up to her head, and the dim world in front of her suddenly became incredibly bright.
He turned around and saw that Yu Chengcheng behind him looked tired, her eyes were blurry.
She didn't sleep well last night, and then spent the whole morning fishing with great enthusiasm, so she's clearly exhausted right now.
Yu Huan couldn't help but laugh out loud and asked, "Orange, are you going to take a nap this afternoon, or do you want to continue fishing?"
"Go to sleep!" Yu Chengcheng said without hesitation, her voice firm and resolute.
After Yu Huan stepped aside, she hurriedly stepped forward and turned on the tap to wash her hands.
At that moment, my aunt was carrying a plate of food out of the kitchen.
Upon seeing this, Yu Huan quickly called out:
"Auntie!"
"Yes!" Auntie smiled broadly, nodded in response, and headed straight for the main room.
Yu Huan walked into the kitchen, approached the stove, and called out "Mom" to Teacher Wu, who was cooking.
He noticed two boxes of Wuliangye liquor on the round table when he passed by it in the main room.
He then lowered his voice and asked curiously, "Those two boxes of gift wine on the table, surely they weren't brought over by that scoundrel of mine last time?"
Yu Huan's arrival brought a bright smile to Teacher Wu's face.
She turned off the stove, held a spatula in one hand, and put the stir-fried winter amaranth into a plate: "Your classmate came to you twice later, but we made excuses to him both times. He was unwilling to take it with him, so we couldn't just throw it away, could we? This time, we've made the best use of it."
Yu Huan simply smiled after hearing this.
"Don't just stand there like an idiot! Hurry up and help serve the dishes."
"Okay!" Yu Huan responded immediately and got to work.
The mother and son had previously discussed today's meal arrangements in detail over the phone.
With the help of her aunt and Yu Chengcheng, all the dishes were quickly laid out on the table.
Yu Huan looked around and everything was just as perfect as they had discussed on the phone.
The main dishes include mutton hot pot, stewed turtle and black-boned chicken, braised eel, steamed whitebait, stir-fried beef tripe with green peppers, and steamed egg dumplings.
The portions were quite generous, and it even came with two vegetable dishes.
If Mr. Wu had enough time to refine his work, his craftsmanship would be quite good.
These dishes are brightly colored and have an enticing aroma, making them incredibly tempting.
Even though Yu Huan wasn't particularly hungry, her appetite increased.
Outside the gate, the air was filled with relaxed laughter and conversation as several people stood together, puffing on their cigarettes.
The old man was holding two packs of cigarettes that Lao Lin had given him, but he didn't rush to open them to check them in front of the guests.
His gaze shifted to the large round table in the main room. Seeing that everything was ready, he warmly invited everyone to sit down: "The dishes are all on the table, let's eat and chat."
After a short while, everyone sat down around the table.
The old man sat facing the main entrance, with President Xu and Old Lin sitting on his left and right sides respectively.
Old Yu naturally sat down next to Old Lin in a friendly manner.
Old Yu, who had just sat down, suddenly remembered something and hurriedly got up to go to the room to get two packs of "Harmony Brings Wealth" cigarettes, which he then distributed to the guests.
Old Lin had just picked up his chopsticks to eat when he was forced to accept the food, which was placed on the edge of the table in front of him: "Old Yu, I can't refuse your kindness, you're too kind!"
“It has nothing to do with being polite,” Teacher Wu replied with a smile.
Old Yu smiled and nodded, then turned and handed another pack of cigarettes to President Xu.
Seeing this, President Xu did not refuse too much. After accepting the cigarette, he joked, "The treatment is really special when the father-in-law visits. I can say that I am benefiting from Xiao Lin's visit today."
These words drew laughter from everyone, making the atmosphere even more harmonious.
Yu Huan acted as the wine-pouring servant, opening a bottle of Wuliangye and filling the one-and-a-half-ounce glass cups for the elders who were drinking.
Although Lao Lin said he would only drink half a cup when he was out, he stopped mentioning it when he saw such a small cup.
The old man picked up a steamed egg dumpling and put it in his bowl, saying kindly, "There aren't many formalities in the countryside. Brother Xu, Xiao Lin, just pick whatever you like. Everyone has their own preferences."
The words fell.
As Lao Lin picked up some food with his chopsticks, he replied with a smile, "Of course I won't stand on ceremony when I'm at my in-laws' house."
"Don't worry, Brother Yu, we're old friends, no need for formalities." President Xu nodded slightly and casually accepted the wine glass that Yu Huan handed him.
Seeing this, Teacher Wu couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Your generational hierarchy is really messed up."
She recalled that when they were politely offering each other seats, she heard Lao Lin address President Xu as "Brother Xu".
"We're all talking about our own things, and we don't stand on ceremony."
The old man chuckled and picked up the conversation, then recommended:
"You must try this turtle. I found it while I was taking a walk with my second son."
"You can find wild turtles while walking on the road?" Old Lin was a little surprised.
The old man swallowed the food in his mouth and said with a smile:
"There are rice paddies, fish ponds, and irrigation ditches on both sides of the cement road, so it's not surprising to find turtles. But the fact that it was able to climb onto the road and I was able to find it is really my good luck."
He picked up a piece of turtle and put it in his bowl, then continued, "This turtle wasn't big, only about 1.7 jin (500 grams). At first, it was far away, slowly crawling on the ground. I thought it was a plastic bag blown by the wind. I walked right past it before I suddenly realized something was wrong. I turned around and saw that it was a turtle that wasn't moving at all. As soon as I turned around and took a step, it started to run away. Of course, I ran away too, and I just stepped on it and caught it!"
As the old man finished speaking, everyone couldn't help but chuckle.
"Are there many turtles here?" President Xu asked curiously.
The old man shook his head: "Soft-shelled turtles used to be abundant, but now they are rare. I once found a big soft-shelled turtle that weighed more than five pounds. Do you think that's rare?"
“My dad’s words are absolutely true. Back in the day, turtles were everywhere in the streams and canals.” Old Yu stood up slightly and handed each of Yu Huan’s wine glasses to them.
President Xu picked up a piece of turtle skirt, tasted it, nodded, and said, "Hmm, it's really delicious. In the past, turtles were plentiful, so not many people ate them. Now, there are fewer fish and shrimp in the river."
After pouring wine for his elders, Yu Huan quickly sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating.
He picked up a piece of beef tripe with his chopsticks and put it in the bowl, while adding, "Now the rivers are heavily polluted, and pesticides and fertilizers are used in large quantities. The frogs aren't croaking as frequently anymore; they're sparse. The environment is definitely not as good as it used to be."
The words fell.
Everyone agreed.
The old man had a couple of drinks. As the leader, he mainly led Lao Yu, chatting with President Xu and Lao Lin.
They chatted about everything under the sun, from strange and interesting stories to current events at home and abroad, and finally the conversation naturally turned to their children and grandchildren.
At this moment, Teacher Wu and Aunt Wu also joined the discussion with great interest.
We chatted back and forth, creating a lively atmosphere.
After encouraging Yu Huan to hurry up and have a baby with Lin Yourong, Yu Chengcheng keenly sensed that the topic was about to shift to her. Having remained silent and focused on eating throughout, she quickly wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth with a tissue, downed a can of coconut juice in one gulp, and then cleverly made her way away, claiming she hadn't slept well and needed to catch up on sleep.
After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.
After finishing his meal, Yu Huan wore a formulaic smile, clearly somewhat bewildered by his elders' advice.
To have some peace and quiet, I started helping to clear the dishes and take them to the kitchen in the backyard.
Just as I put the bowl and chopsticks in the stainless steel sink, I turned around and saw Lao Yu, whose face was flushed, following me.
Old Yu stopped in front of him, his breath reeking of alcohol as he spoke: "Huanhuan, let me ask you, what exactly is the situation with that motorcycle?"
Reeking of alcohol, Yu Huan held her breath and waited for him to finish speaking.
Then he explained, "That's Rongrong's bike. It's been sitting untouched for years since motorcycles were banned in the city, so I had Songnian transport it to the county. I plan to replace the battery and get it serviced so I can ride it again when I come back."
"Oh." Old Yu nodded, and after thinking for a moment, continued, "Then I'll clean up the storage room in the backyard, and once the motorcycle is serviced, I'll park it there for you."
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble? Actually, we could just park it in the main room."
“Songnian said this motorcycle is worth tens of thousands of yuan, so it definitely needs to be kept safe,” Lao Yu insisted.
"also."
After discussing the matter, Lao Yu turned around and prepared to return to the main room to continue entertaining the guests.
But before leaving, he turned back to Yu Huan and instructed her, "Make some tea and bring it over."
"Okay," Yu Huan nodded in agreement.
Just as the father and son were talking, the eldest aunt walked into the kitchen and went straight to the tea table where the kettle was: "Fourth son, do you still have any sesame seeds or beans at home?"
"Aunt, yes!" Yu Huan hurriedly replied.
Seeing this, Lao Yu smiled, then left the kitchen and walked towards the main room.
Yu Huan picked up a piece of ginger, placed it on the cutting board, and skillfully smashed and chopped it into minced ginger with the back of a knife.
Next, he took a small bowl from the wooden cupboard, put the minced ginger in it, sprinkled some salt on it, and stirred it evenly with chopsticks.
He turned around and saw his aunt putting tea leaves and sesame seeds into plastic cups.
Yu Huan smiled and stepped forward, placing the small bowl of mixed ginger next to her aunt.
Auntie turned her head slightly, smiled, and praised, "Huanhuan, you are so diligent."
"It's just a small favor," Yu Huan replied modestly.
Auntie smiled and sighed, saying helplessly, "That wretched girl Yu Chengcheng doesn't lift a finger to do any housework. She won't get out of bed unless I call her every morning. I feel like I have to bring her food to her bed."
Hearing her aunt complain about her own daughter like that, Yu Huan chuckled to herself with a hint of schadenfreude, but said aloud, "She's just here to rest and relax during her vacation. It's normal that she doesn't want to get out of bed in the morning because it's cold."
Just then, Teacher Wu finished clearing the table and brought in the remaining mutton hot pot.
Seeing this, Yu Huan also went to help serve the leftover food.
Not long after.
Apart from Teacher Wu and Aunt Wu still busy in the kitchen, the men sat around the front door, drinking sesame and bean tea and chatting happily.
Yu Huan picked up her cup and took a small sip of sesame and bean tea. She found a moment to say to her father, "Dad, could you please process these fish we caught at noon and make them into dried fish this afternoon? I'll take them to the city next time I come back."
He paused briefly, turned to Old Lin, and continued, "Dad, I see that you and Mom really enjoy eating dried fish."
Unlike the casual tone when calling someone's biological father, the tone when calling someone's father-in-law is respectful yet firm, and full of spirit.
Old Lin nodded, but looked at Old Yu and praised him, "Your dried fish is really good. It's not salty and doesn't have any other strange or smelly taste."
“We may not have much else here, but we have plenty of fish. My old man is retired and still fishes every day. If we don’t make the fish into preserved fish or dried fish, it will just go bad. I’ve gotten better at it through practice.”
The experienced fishmonger said this, then changed the subject and asked curiously:
"Did you only catch crucian carp today?"
"It looks like there are two bream too," Yu Huan said with a smile. "They were all caught by Chengzi."
She had no target fish at all, and frantically cast her line and randomly baited the area, almost catching a 150-pound fish several times—Yu Huan, who was sitting next to her.
Even so, they were still able to catch fish one after another.
This perfectly illustrates the old man's saying, "Three parts fishing skill, seven parts luck."
The sunlight slanted in, casting its light on the old man's profile.
He squinted, his face flushed with a slight buzz, and said contentedly, "She behaved quite well today; she finally managed to sit still."
"The smarter a person is, the more energetic they generally are," President Xu interjected.
Yu Huan wholeheartedly agreed.
In the past, she was the most active in petty theft, and Yu Huan and Yu Songnian, as the ones who were instigated, often ended up taking the blame for her.
During their conversation, Old Lin suddenly looked at Yu Huan and asked, "Do you live on the first floor or the second floor now?"
"The second floor." Yu Huan thought for a moment, then continued, "Dad, would you like me to show you around?"
"Okay." Old Lin nodded happily.
Without delay, Yu Huan immediately led Lao Lin towards the stairs.
One after the other, Lao Lin paused slightly, looked around through the open back door under the stairwell.
He then followed Yu Huan's steps and said, "I think the backyard is quite big."
"Yes, we usually eat in the kitchen at the back."
The two walked through the stairwell and entered the living room on the second floor.
The first thing that catches the eye is Yu Huan's computer desk and chair, along with a few other chairs. Apart from that, there is nothing else, making the entire space appear simple and spacious.
“I live alone on the second floor. There’s not much stuff there. When I’m not home, it usually takes a long time for anyone to come up.” Yu Huan’s voice had a somewhat echoing quality as she spoke.
Old Lin followed Yu Huan around the second floor, finally stopping in Yu Huan's bedroom.
He carefully observed the small desk by the window, on which textbooks were neatly stacked.
Old Lin smiled and nodded, saying, "Your hometown is really nice. It has beautiful mountains and clear waters, fresh air, and is quiet. Most importantly, it's not remote. It only takes about 40 or 50 minutes to get here from the city."
Yu Huan's gaze followed Lao Lin and landed on the desk.
The books that used to be piled up haphazardly on the table are now neatly arranged, and the windowsill is spotless.
The second floor had clearly been carefully tidied and cleaned.
Hearing her father-in-law's praise, Yu Huan felt a little thrill: "Really?"
He already had a plan in mind: in a few years, before the policy on self-built houses tightened, he would demolish and rebuild a three-story villa.
However, this idea cannot be shared with Lao Lin now, otherwise it would be suspected of being boastful.
"Let's go downstairs."
As he spoke, Old Lin put his hands behind his back and took the lead.
(End of this chapter)