Tonight, people from the two families decided to have a big dinner. The Wang family brought all the beef they had received. Since they were all substantial meat dishes, everyone decided to indulge. They steamed a large basket of mixed grain rice (corn kernels and polished rice).
"This water… how is it full again? Didn't we use half of it at noon when we were cooking?" Lin Rongrong looked at the water in the earthenware pot, scratching her head in confusion.
However, she only pondered for a moment and didn't ask further. She thought perhaps Sister Mumu had replenished it.
Su Muqing also heard Lin Rongrong's mumbling. Of course, it was full. She had secretly replaced it in the afternoon. But she wasn't going to reveal that.
Wang shi had seen Su Muqing cook before. Tonight, she, Zhou shi, and her sisters-in-law were only responsible for assisting. They cut the beef into chunks and peeled and cut the potatoes into pieces.
Given the current conditions and insufficient seasonings, they would first make a simple iron pot version of braised beef and potatoes.
They blanched the beef chunks, pan-fried the potato pieces, then stir-fried them together briefly. Ginger and star anise were added to the large iron pot, and finally, plenty of water was added.
The steps for the simple version of braised beef and potatoes were completed! Without soy sauce to add color, the appearance was quite ordinary, but the aroma was quite fragrant. Now, all that was left was to wait for it to cook!
While Su Muqing was stewing the beef, Zhou shi and the others continued to slice pork belly and potatoes. During this time, she secretly slipped out and brought back a paper bag of fermented bean paste. Then, while everyone was not paying attention, she mixed it into the pile of seasonings.
Su Muqing prepared the seasonings like garlic. Zhou shi and the others also finished slicing the pork belly and potatoes. Over ten catties of pork belly slices were quite a lot. Fortunately, the iron pot in ancient times was very large.
They heated the pot until it was hot, then stir-fried the meat to render the oil. It didn't need to be fried too dry. The rendered lard was collected in a clean earthenware pot.
Garlic cloves and fermented bean paste were added, stir-fried with the meat to release the aroma. Some dried chili segments were also cut to enhance the flavor. Finally, the potato slices were poured into the pot and stir-fried evenly. A little salt, MSG, and sugar were added.
Instantly, the unique aroma from stir-frying meat with fermented bean paste spread throughout the cooking area, making people unable to help but swallow their saliva.
Others who were cooking nearby couldn't help but gather around, wanting to see how Su Muqing cooked. Why was it so fragrant? It was so alluring that it could almost steal one's soul!
Even the men who were waiting to eat were drawn by the smell.
"Wow, what delicious food has the girl made today? Why does it smell so tempting?" Su Minghui also walked over, rubbing his stomach. The smell made him feel hungry.
Su Muqing: "Uncle, the food will be ready soon."
"Dad, you've been drawn over too? We can eat soon! This smell is truly fragrant." Su Cuixia saw her father approaching and immediately ran over.
Su Minghui: "It is indeed very fragrant. We could smell it from far away. Your third uncle! He wishes he had wings to fly over here immediately."
Wang shi and the others chatted and laughed, while Zhou shi was on the other side, cooking meat porridge for the little milk bun. Everyone gathered around Su Muqing, laughing and joking for a while, and also keeping an eye on the dishes in the pot.
There were also those who came up with various excuses to freeload. Some said their children were crying for food, some said the elderly wanted to eat, and some asked for a bit of soup to remake dishes. Others, seeing that they had no hope of getting any of the dishes, set their sights on the pot of lard.
The most ridiculous one was probably the young aunt who had fed the little milk bun a few mouthfuls of milk. Her mother-in-law, Liu shi, grabbed Su Muqing's clothes and refused to let go.
She insisted that since the two children had drunk milk from the same source, they were like siblings from the same mother and should interact like biological brothers. The two families were like one, so naturally, they should also eat the delicious food!
Everyone: Can it be calculated like that?
Su Muqing smiled without saying anything. The little milk bun had drunk her daughter-in-law's milk four times back then, and she had given quite a bit of grain each time. Yet, Liu shi would stand by and count how many mouths the little milk bun drank. Now, she still came to tell her these things.
Finally, Third Grandma chased Liu shi away. The others were also held back by Wang shi and the others. They had so many people eating tonight, and they didn't even know if it would be enough, let alone have extra for others!
After fending off those people, Wang shi and the others carried the prepared dishes into the empty room belonging to Xu Fu. There were a total of four tables. The men filled two tables, and the women and children had one table each. Although there were only two dishes, the generous portions made up for it.
Su Minghui brought out a jar of home-brewed wine. He had cherished it all the way here. Tonight, he was happy, so he took it out to drink. However, thinking they had to travel tonight, everyone only took a couple of sips to add to the occasion.
At the dining table, both adults and children marveled at the taste of the dishes, saying that the flavor must be what immortals ate. They had never tasted such delicious food.
In the time it took for the meal, Su Muqing gained another 27 points of appreciation. Those very young children only knew how to eat and didn't understand appreciation, otherwise, the number might have been a bit higher.
Xu Fu was also very happy tonight. Muqing had just made a dish called "Gai Jiaofan" for the young master, and the young master had actually finished it, saying it was delicious and had a unique flavor.
Thinking that the young master could eat normally and no longer had to drink those scalding thin congee, Xu Fu was so happy that he felt like shedding tears. It was truly the best outcome. This girl was truly an extraordinary woman!
Perhaps it was because Xu Fu's emotions were a bit volatile at the moment, but his icon also appeared. Su Muqing then discovered that it was also triangular, and at this moment, the data bar was continuously increasing. In no time, his loyalty exceeded 60%.
...
Although the ingredients for this dinner were simple, everyone ate heartily. All the food was completely wiped clean!
When it was time to wash the dishes, Wang shi also noticed the discrepancy with the water. Why was there so much left? However, she assumed that Su Minghui had added it privately and pretended as if nothing was wrong.
Su Muqing, holding the little milk bun, returned to the hall with the other two. They had eaten so much that they felt the food had reached their throats. No one dared to speak, for fear of spitting out the food!
"Oh! I forgot about the dishes from noon." Lin Rongrong remembered as soon as she sat on the cool mat. They still had leftover dishes from lunch that they hadn't finished!
She quickly ran to the corner where miscellaneous items were piled up, lifted the layers of coverings, and pulled out a bowl. The bowl was covered with a plate and then tightly wrapped with a large cloth.
"We said at noon to remember to eat them tonight, but we all forgot. But it should be fine. I put it outside, and whoever wants to eat it later can have it!" Lin Rongrong felt a bit embarrassed. The food tonight was truly too fragrant, and she really didn't remember these leftovers.
Su Cuiping gave her a thumbs-up. "Little Rong, you're really good at hiding things. I bet even rats would have trouble finding them."
Lin Rongrong smiled shyly at her words.