happy fisherman

Chapter 39 The Engagement Banquet (2)

39
It is said to be a banquet, but there are not many dishes, one stewed meat, one stir-fried squid, one pan-fried saury, one fried egg, one vegetable and one big bone broth.

But for the folks who seldom smell the meat, the five dishes and one soup are already delicious in the world, not to mention the wine, which makes these men very happy.

"Village chief, I'll pour you wine!" Bai Dinghai stood up holding the wine jar, and poured a full bowl of wine for the village chief, Bai Dinglang, Yuzhu Dad and others at the same table.

"Hahaha, our village hasn't been this lively for at least ten years!" The village chief was so happy that he couldn't help but see such a scene, his blood boiled.

"That's not it!" Bai Dinghai said with emotion: "I remember the last time it was so lively was when the government gave us tax cuts."

"That's right, we held a banquet for General Qiao at that time, but General Qiao didn't come in the end." Father Yuzhu's tone was full of regret.

At first there were eight fishing villages around here, each with a population of 300 to [-] people, but because the fishing tax was too heavy, some were forced to move away, and those who failed to pay the fishing tax were arrested and died. The last eight fishing villages shrank to five, and the population also decreased by nearly half.

General Qiao Xiong of Zhenguo accidentally rescued a tax-evading fisherman who was evading arrest by the government when he went out. After learning about the incident, he handed over a booklet to the court, asking for a reduction in the fishermen's taxes. Only then did the villagers have a stable life.

At the banquet, the men's and women's tables are separated. The men on one side are drinking and chatting about the past, and the women on the other side are eating and talking about trivial matters at home.

Now Bai Beibei is only interested in money and food. She picked up a piece of fried squid and tasted it. She couldn't help saying: "This squid is really delicious."

"Beibei, your mother made these dishes by herself!" A woman who was at the same table as Bai Beibei said with a smile, "Although we also entered the kitchen, we were all helping your mother."

"My mother is so good at cooking?" Bai Beibei was surprised.

She knows that her mother's cooking skills are not bad, but these dishes are not usually seen, and her mother has never cooked them, but she can cook them so deliciously.

Bai Beibei tasted another piece of fried saury, although it was not as good as the taste of Hongfu restaurant in the county seat, but it was much more delicious than those restaurants in the previous life.

Bai Beibei tasted another piece of pork belly. It is not bad that the pork belly can be stewed without enough seasoning.

Although Bo Beibei's culinary skills are not good, her skill in tasting dishes is unmatched, because she was a foodie in her previous life.

Bai Beibei was thinking about whether it is time to learn cooking skills from her mother, when she was interrupted by a voice: "Yuzhu, your parents bought you this set of jewelry?"

Everyone in the village knew that Bai Manchuan gave Yuzhu 30 taels of betrothal gift, and the villagers secretly scolded Yuzhu's parents without a word. If Yuzhu's parents were really willing to buy this set of jewelry for their daughter as a dowry , that's not too dark.

"No, it's a full ship."

Bai Yuzhu said softly, and looked up at Bai Manchuan, who was drinking with the village boys not far away, never thought that when she looked up, Bai Manchuan was also staring at her blankly with a bowl.

The young man at the same table as Bai Manchuan joked loudly: "Don't watch it, drink first, don't worry that you won't have to watch it if you get married in a few months!"

Bai Yuzhu blushed and quickly lowered her head.

The women who were at the same table with Bai Yuzhu had different expressions when they heard that Bai Manchuan bought the jewelry. Because of Bai Yuzhu's presence, they all swallowed back the words that scolded Yuzhu's parents.

On this day, everyone was able to let go of their stomachs and eat. The food was not too much, but the rice was enough.

At the end of the banquet, the man at the table was completely drunk.

After eating, some women in the village consciously stayed to help clean up the dishes and took them to the beach to wash.

Bo Beibei looked at his brother who was drunk on the table, smiled, and helped his mother to carry him home.

There were not many leftovers at the banquet, so Feng asked Yun and Zhao to take the leftovers back. Because the rice was cooked too much, there was still a whole big pot left. Feng divided the rice into several portions and distributed them to the village chief. Yuzhu's family also has a few close relatives.

Bo Dinghai and the others were also drunk, so Feng, Yun, and Zhao had to move the borrowed tables and chairs, and they didn't finish their work until evening.

Although he was tired, Feng had a smile on his face.

Seeing her mother sitting on the bed and beating her arm lightly, Bai Beibei stepped forward and squeezed her shoulders.

"Mom, are you tired today?"

"Well, I'm a little tired," Feng said with a smile: "But seeing everyone eating so happily, the tiredness is worth it."

She got up before dawn today, and has been busy without touching the ground until now, how can she not be tired.

"Mom, everyone says you're good at cooking!" Bai Beibei said proudly.

Feng sighed softly: "It's been a long time since I officially cooked."

It's good to have something to eat at home on weekdays, how can there be a chance to show her cooking skills?
"Mother, were you a cook before?" Bo Beibei asked curiously.

"Guess right, your mother and I used to be the cook of a big family!" Speaking of the past, Feng's face was full of pride.

"Really?" Bo Beibei blinked. She just said it casually, but she was wrong.

"Of course it's true. There were more than a dozen cooks in the big family's house where I was, and your mother and I are the best cooks." Feng's face was shining with a look that he had never seen before.

"Mother, then why did you marry into a fishing village?" Bai Beibei was puzzled, how could a cook from a wealthy family marry a fisherman?

Hearing this, Feng's expression darkened, and he said with a little sadness: "It's not that my master didn't know who offended, was framed, and finally ransacked the house, and we servants also ended up being betrayed." In the end, it was your grandparents who ran around with the monthly money I entrusted people to send home every month to redeem me."

"Mother, did you sell yourself to be a cook?" Bo Beibei opened her mouth wide in surprise.

She knew that this dynasty would sell herself at every turn, but she didn't expect her mother to have such an experience.

"Yeah, I'm the eldest in the family, and I have younger brothers and sisters. Your grandparents really had no choice but to let me go out to find something to do." Feng's tone was light, and there was no resentment.

"Mother, don't you hate grandpa and grandma?"

Mrs. Feng shook her head: "I don't blame your grandpa and grandma for this matter. At that time, your grandpa asked me to try it when he saw the notice saying that the family was hiring a cook. Your grandpa just wanted me to earn some monthly money to go home and supplement the family expenses." But after I went to the interview, I found out that to enter the mansion, I had to sign a deed of sale. I heard from the housekeeper that a chef would teach us how to cook after entering the mansion. I stamped my handprint on the deed of sale, and when your grandma found out, she almost cried her eyes out."

(End of this chapter)