Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12005

"Dry pot shrimp with corn, lotus root, fish balls, spicy chicken with potatoes, grass carp stew with tofu (a dish that's been boiled a thousand times and fish ten thousand times), and spicy beef brisket stew with vermicelli (a dish that goes perfectly with rice), wow, and also a hot pot with three kinds of meatballs, egg dumplings, and mushrooms..."

"Mom, you're such a loving mother! You know I can't live without spicy food, and you've prepared this delicious and satisfying meal for me!"

Luo Wuyou was incredibly excited. This girl had always loved spicy food since she was little.

When others eat spicy food, they get pimples on their face, or swollen and painful gums, or even hemorrhoids.

But the girl was perfectly fine, with smooth skin and a refreshed appearance.

“Who said it was all for you? I did it for Jinling.” Yang Ruoqing gently poked Luo Wuyou’s forehead, her tender and loving gaze falling on Zuo Jinling.

"Jinling, I know you have a lot of fish and shrimp there. Try the dry pot shrimp and fish balls I made for you. They taste different."

Zuo Jinling had been admiring the food on the table, and when he heard Yang Ruoqing say this, he was deeply moved.

"Thank you so much, Mother-in-law, for taking such good care of me. These are all my favorite flavors!"

"That would be great, eat more later!"

Luo Fengtang walked over and greeted everyone: "Don't stand and talk, come on, sit down and start eating."

"Okay, I want to sit here, near the dry pot shrimp area," Luo Wuyou said.

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan headed straight for their hot pot. The two little ones aren't very good at handling spicy food, which is probably just how kids are. They can't handle spicy dishes, but spicy snacks are definitely no problem for them.

Yang Ruoqing planned to get some bean curd sheets when her neighbor's family made tofu for the New Year in a couple of days, and then make a few pounds of spicy snacks for the two little ones herself.

Homemade spicy snacks are clean, hygienic, and all-natural, without any artificial technology or grueling processes.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I also made some sweet soup to cool you down." After eating a few bites of food, Yang Ruoqing slapped her thigh and quickly got up and rushed to the kitchen next door.

She returned quickly, carrying a large bowl, which she placed on the table.

"Mom, what's that?" The two little eyes followed Yang Ruoqing intently.

Yang Ruoqing said, "Yellow peaches, snow pear and bird's nest soup."

Yes, stewing these two fruits with bird's nest together makes a soup that nourishes yin, reduces internal heat, and soothes the lungs. It's perfect for moisturizing after eating such spicy food.

The meal was enjoyed by everyone in a very harmonious and warm atmosphere.

Yang Ruoqing discovered that the spicy and fragrant tofu stewed with fish was everyone's favorite. The grass carp she chose wasn't very big, about three pounds. Instead of cutting it into pieces, she cut it open along the spine, and chopped the head in half as well, so the three-dimensional fish ended up looking like a flat fish.

Then, fry it in a pan until both sides are golden brown and the skin is crispy and fragrant. Take it out, put it on a rectangular grilling plate, put tofu on the bottom, and then cook it with my own sauce. You could call it tofu stewed fish or spicy grilled fish.

"We've finished this noodle dish. Here, let's have another one," Yang Ruoqing instructed.

Then Luo Wuyou immediately reached out with her chopsticks to turn it over, but she couldn't turn it over and it broke in half, splashing soup onto her sleeve.

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan giggled, "Sister still says she's a big girl, look, her cuffs are all dirty!"

"My cuffs didn't get dirty! I'm better than my sister!"

Luo Wuyou glared at them fiercely, still unwilling to accept defeat, and continued flipping through the pages.

Zuo Jinling smiled and stood up, saying to her, "I'll help you translate."

With the combined efforts of the two, the fish was flipped over and everyone continued to enjoy it. In addition, Zuo Jinling secretly put a piece of meat with fewer bones near the belly of the fish into Luo Wuyou's bowl.

Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang both saw this scene, but they pretended not to see it. However, they exchanged a knowing glance and smiled knowingly.

After lunch, when the sun was high in the sky, the Luo family escorted Zuo Jinling to the main road at the gate.

"Please give our regards to your grandmother and father!"

Have a safe journey!

"Brother-in-law, are you coming over again during the Lunar New Year?" Tuantuan and Yuanyuan asked eagerly. They were extremely satisfied with this man who had become their brother-in-law, and they were very close to and dependent on him. This was not only because Zuo Jinling always brought them different surprises every time he came, but also because Zuo Jinling understood their preferences as little boys. Every gift he gave them was tailored to their tastes, and every activity he took them to do was something they longed for and looked forward to.

Zuo Jinling patted their little heads and leaned down, saying, "You have to come over."

As a prospective son-in-law, he definitely needs to come and pay New Year's respects to his future mother-in-law's family during the first month of the lunar calendar. More importantly, he's going to the capital in February to look for a job, so he absolutely needs to come and see his fiancée during the first month...

……

After seeing Zuo Jinling off, the Luo family's life returned to normal, and everyone went back to their own business.

Perhaps Luo Wuyou feels a little empty inside, but there's nothing that can be done. Every gathering must come to an end. Once they get married in the future, they won't have to be separated anymore and can stay together forever.

Not long after the midday banquet, the two daughters and their husbands in the small apartment across the street also said goodbye and went home.

"Can't you even stay at home for a couple of days after your wedding?" Cao Bamei saw her two daughters off, holding one in each hand, her face full of reluctance.

“Mother, other people’s daughters stay for a couple of days when they return home because it’s a long journey and it’s not easy for them to make the trip,” Xiuxiu said softly to Cao Bamei as she stood beside the Wang family’s carriage.

"Xiuhong and I married people who lived very close to us, so we can come back anytime we want. We don't need that old-fashioned way of doing things."

"Besides, there are only a few days left until the Lunar New Year. There are a lot of things to do. If you come to pay your respects during the first month of the lunar year, I can stay for a couple more days."

Xiu Hong smiled and nodded in agreement. Her nod was for her older sister; she herself didn't need to come back to stay, whether it was December or January.

Moreover, by the first month of the lunar calendar, her and Sixi's new house will be almost completely dried out, and she will definitely move into her new house then.

In her eyes now, neither her parents' home nor her husband's home is as comfortable as the little house she and Sixi live in, because that is their own territory.

Cao Bamei, of course, had no idea what Xiuhong was thinking. With extremely complicated feelings and a lot of reluctance, she watched her two daughters leave, and then returned home with a heavy heart.

When Xiu Hong and Sixi returned to their husband's house, they found Sixi's mother still holed up in her room. "Mother hasn't eaten for two meals; she seems to be sick," Da Xi's wife whispered, pulling Sixi and Xiu Hong aside.

"Sick? You were perfectly fine this morning! Your voice was so loud!" Xiu Hong asked in surprise.

Si Xi also shook his head, indicating that he did not believe it.

"Have you called a doctor?" Xiu Hong asked again.

Da Xi's wife said, "Brother Wangsheng came and took my pulse. He's really sick, he's not faking it."

Xiu Hong frowned slightly. "Sister-in-law, you must have misunderstood. Si Xi and I were just worried about our mother-in-law's health. Not a single word we said was questioning whether she was faking illness."

"Oh? Is that so? Maybe I'm just worried and confused. Fourth brother, fourth sister-in-law, please don't take it to heart."

Xiuhong didn't want to argue with her sister-in-law anymore, so she gave Sixi a look.

Si Xi said, "I'll go check on Mother. Xiu Hong, you go back to your room first."

Xiu Hong, however, did not. "I am your daughter-in-law. My mother-in-law is sick, so I should go and see her."

Si Xi nodded vigorously, her face beaming with joy. "Let's go together."

After saying that, Sixi took Xiuhong's hand, and the two of them went to the east wing together.

Da Xi's wife stood there, watching the two of them walk away hand in hand, and spat on the ground.

"Can't you walk by yourself? You're trying to lead me around like that, shameless!"

When Xiu Hong and Sixi entered the east wing, Sixi's mother was sitting on the bed with her eyes closed. Her complexion was sallow and she looked weak.

Could it be that he got sick from starvation because he didn't eat for two meals?

No, no, no, it's probably a problem I made myself into, Xiu Hong thought to herself, and followed Sixi closer to the bed.

At this moment, two people were already sitting by the bed, serving the mother-in-law. One was Sanxi's wife, holding a medicine bowl in her hands, and the other was heavily pregnant, her belly so big it looked like it was about to fall to the ground.

Xiu Hong recognized the other party at a glance as Er Xi's wife. This second sister-in-law had been rarely out and about lately because she was about to give birth. She spent most of her time in her own room, and even her meals were delivered to her room by her eldest or third sister-in-law.

However, since her mother-in-law was sick, the second sister-in-law could no longer stay in the house, so she came to this house to take care of her mother-in-law.

At that moment, seeing Sixi and Xiuhong enter the room hand in hand, the eyes of Erxi's wife and Sanxi's wife subconsciously swept over their clasped hands.

Sanxi's wife pursed her lips and smiled secretly, clearly enjoying the sweet moments between the two of them.

Erxi's wife twitched the corners of her mouth, a half-smile on her lips, and said, "Fourth brother and fourth sister-in-law are back? Look at those little hands they're holding, they're so sweet and loving, it's enviable."

Upon hearing Erxi's wife's words, Sixi and Xiuhong subconsciously let go of each other's hands. They weren't deliberately showing affection in front of others; they had simply forgotten in their haste to come over.

As for holding hands, that had long been a habit for the two of them. They were childhood sweethearts and had eloped for love before they got married, so holding hands was nothing special.

Although the two let go of each other's hands, Sixi's mother, who was sitting on the bed, slowly opened her eyes and looked at Sixi and Xiuhong.

Of course, they didn't see anything, but even so, Sixi's mother still scoffed, "Some things are better left undone in broad daylight. Go back inside, close the doors and windows, and do whatever you want. Don't embarrass yourself in public."

Sixi and Xiuhong looked at each other, Sixi frowning and Xiuhong's face darkening.

“Mother-in-law, aren’t you sick? How do you still have the energy to spout these weird nonsense?” Xiu Hong asked loudly.

Sixi's mother rolled her eyes at Xiuhong, clutched her chest, and pretended to be in pain. "Oh dear, why does my heart suddenly hurt? I can't breathe! Daxi, Erxi, where have you been?"

As Sixi's mother called out, two more men ran in from the doorway. Both men looked nervous and pushed aside Sixi and Xiuhong to surround the bed.

"Mom, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should I go and ask Uncle Wangsheng to come over again?" Da Xi asked anxiously.

Erxi came to the foot of the bed and massaged Sixi's mother's legs through the blankets. "Mother, you're a patient. You need to rest. You can't do that!"

Si Xi's mother was enjoying the care of her two sons. Although she still looked weak, the way she looked at Si Xi and Xiu Hong was full of pride and smugness.

Sisi and Xiuhong were completely baffled, not understanding what the other person was so proud of or what they were showing off.

“Da Xi, Er Xi, I felt terrible when I saw you two earlier, but now that I’ve seen you, I feel at ease and comfortable…” said Si Xi’s mother.

Da Xi remained silent, while Er happy said, "Mother, you are getting old and your health is not good. It wasn't easy for you to raise us brothers. Now that your fourth brother has started his own family, you can enjoy your retirement!"

"Oh, it has to be my second son. He knows how to care for his mother, unlike some ungrateful wretches. I just finished working like a slave for him and getting him married, and the next day he's completely estranged from me..."

"Mother, don't say that. Fourth Brother isn't that kind of person, right, Fourth Brother?" Erxi turned to look at Sixi. Seeing that Sixi didn't say anything, Erxi kept winking at Sixi, trying to get him to cooperate and give his mother a definite answer.

Although Sixi saw through his mother's act at a glance, and her grumbling and making sarcastic remarks, he didn't want to play along and appease her with the dutiful response of a filial son and grandson while she was putting on an act.

Seeing that Sixi was standing there without saying anything, Erxi was still giving Sixi meaningful glances, and Daxi also turned to look at Sixi and said in a low voice, "Fourth brother, our mother is sick, so why don't you just say something nice to comfort her!"

Erxi's wife also stood to the side, her hands supporting her lower back, looking at them with a half-smile, and said, "Fourth brother is different now that he's married. He's a real man now, and he has his own ideas."

Si Xi glanced at his second sister-in-law with dissatisfaction. On the surface, her words seemed to be praising his growth, but saying them in this situation made him feel particularly uncomfortable.

Si Xi glanced furtively at Xiu Hong beside him, whose face was grim. He didn't want to stay in the room any longer and just wanted to quickly make excuses and leave with Xiu Hong.

"I..." Just as Sixi stepped forward, about to speak, Xiuhong, who had been standing behind him, suddenly stepped forward as well, grabbed Sixi's arm, and pulled him back.

Si Xi turned to look at Xiu Hong, only to meet Xiu Hong's firm and resolute gaze. Xiu Hong shook her head almost imperceptibly at Si Xi, signaling her to remain silent and let her handle it.

Xiu Hong stepped forward and stood side by side with Sixi. Her gaze fell directly on the bed, where her mother-in-law was being cared for by Da Xi and Er Xi.

“Mother-in-law, Si-xi and I had just stepped into the courtyard after returning home when my sister-in-law told us that you were sick. We were worried about you, so we came to see you right away. We didn’t even have time to go back inside to drink some water or change our shoes.”

"If you're too sick to get out of bed, Sixi and I can pay for your medical treatment, but please don't lie in bed spouting nonsense and utter filth!"