Chapter 137

Chapter 137

"Ah, coming!" The eager son-in-law hurriedly responded and stopped teasing his son, running back and forth in front of the elderly lady.

His sycophantic behavior was not new to everyone else. They stood up without surprise, even Little Yu Song felt embarrassed and clung tightly to Xie Junli.

Only Xu Yuqing, seeing this for the first time, was somewhat taken aback.

She hadn't expected that the usually cheerful and generous Brother Yu would act like this in front of his mother-in-law.

She chuckled and exchanged a glance with Xie Junli before both walked towards the dining table together.

This was the first time Xu Yuqing had sat down to eat at the Yu family's dining table. The large round table was filled with people, and the dishes on it were all dark-colored but smelled incredibly fragrant.

The elderly lady was overjoyed. She had always liked Xie Junli very much, and now seeing that his wife was also good and had helped their family so much, she focused her attention on taking care of Xie Junli and Xu Yuqing besides looking after Yu Song.

She picked up a piece of fish belly meat. "Here, Little Xu, try this. This fish is very fresh; it was just caught from the river. In this weather, getting anything you want is easy, but getting fresh fish can be a bit difficult."

As she explained, she also picked up another piece for Xie Junli.

The young couple watched the busy elderly lady and quickly thanked her, saying anxiously, "Yes, we can serve ourselves. Aunt, please enjoy your meal."

The elderly lady nodded. "I know, don't worry about me. Just eat well."

Xu Yuqing put the meat into her mouth. The fish was indeed very fresh, firm, and not mushy, with a rich sauce flavor enhanced by fermented bean paste. It was delicious.

Yan Lan served herself some fish. Her mother didn't bother her, so she helped herself.

Seeing everyone enjoying the fish, she was delighted and a bit proud. "How is it? My cooking isn't great, but my mom's is pretty good, right?"

"Mmm." Xu Yuqing nodded, proving her words through her actions.

She hadn't eaten fish in a long time, and now that she did, it was truly delicious.

Adding a bit of spiciness would make the flavors more complex and even better.

Xie Junli wasn't particularly fond of fish; he was more interested in the braised meat on the table.

The meat, braised with dried potatoes and dried mushrooms, was incredibly aromatic and absorbed the sauce well. Xie Junli ate it with rice, finishing a large bowl clean.

The meal disappeared quickly. Xu Yuqing ate heartily and found it really delicious, especially with the rice. Her stomach was full.

Yan Lan also ate contentedly. The only place she could indulge herself was either at Xu Yuqing's home or back at her parents' house. It was rare for her to have such a good meal at her own home.

If only the house were bigger, she would definitely ask her mother to stay longer.

Without having to do anything, just having someone cook meals every day would be a blessing.

Her own cooking was terrible.

Yu Wenyao's cooking was even worse.

Sighing helplessly, Yan Lan stuffed a piece of meat into her mouth, causing her to burp loudly.

After finishing the meal, Xie Junli and Yu Wenyao instinctively wanted to help clean up, but the efficient elderly lady firmly shooed them away. "No way, you two washing dishes would be more trouble than it's worth. I'll do it myself."

She waved her hand, and her sturdy body moved swiftly, clearing the table in no time. Seeing this, Yu Wenyao gave up, knowing his mother-in-law's personality.

Xie Junli and Xu Yuqing sat down, and Yan Lan poured them a cup of fried rice tea. "Here, to help digest."

"Thank you." Xu Yuqing took the cup with both hands, her eyes fixed on Yu Song, who was very full and kept hugging his stomach while burping.

Yan Lan also looked over and laughed. "This child is strange. Before, no matter how many delicious things his grandmother made, he wouldn't even taste them. He only ate egg custard, making himself so skinny."

Thinking of Yu Song's appearance a few months ago compared to his chubby face now, Yan Lan couldn't help but feel emotional.

Yu Wenyao also nodded in agreement.

"It was only after eating Yuqing's cooking that he started trying everything. Now he's become a little fat." She chuckled, now worrying about whether her son might become too chubby.

Having a child means endless worries.

Xu Yuqing listened to Yan Lan's complaints with amusement, occasionally agreeing. By then, the elderly lady had finished tidying up the house and came over to sit down, wiping her hands.

Seeing the elderly lady, Xu Yuqing's eyes lit up. "Aunt, I have a question to ask you."

"Oh! Really? Ask away. If I know the answer, I'll tell you." The elderly lady straightened up, eagerly looking at Xu Yuqing.

Even Yan Lan and Yu Wenyao were curious.

Xu Yuqing scratched her head, feeling a bit awkward. "This is our first time spending the New Year in the North, so we wanted to know what customs there are and what we should eat. We're not familiar with these things."

The elderly lady waved her hand dismissively. "Nowadays, there aren't many customs. As long as there's food, it's fine. But in the past, if we could afford it, we had to have a whole fish and pork knuckle on the table. The fish symbolizes abundance, and the pork knuckle represents prosperity."

Xu Yuqing's eyes lit up, and she memorized this information, regretting not bringing paper and pen. She listened attentively.

Seeing Xu Yuqing's serious expression, the elderly lady was delighted, feeling like a teacher. She straightened her back and continued, "During the New Year, we prepare good dishes, fry some snacks, and buy sweets to ensure a sweet and prosperous year ahead."

She spoke in a low, pleasant voice, and Xu Yuqing nodded along, while Xie Junli listened intently. Both were filled with joyful anticipation for the upcoming Spring Festival.

"Aunt, where can we buy the fish? I haven't seen any at the supply store," Xu Yuqing asked, puzzled. The fish the elderly lady cooked tonight weighed nearly three to four pounds, quite large.

"You don't need to buy any. This one was caught by an old relative and given to us. You can't buy fish now. When the time comes, I'll have Little Yu bring one over," the elderly lady said confidently, her demeanor impressive.

Yan Lan nodded, agreeing that it was necessary. She had already planned accordingly.

But Xu Yuqing shook her head, feeling embarrassed. "No, no, we can buy it ourselves. Actually, we don't love fish that much."

The old lady paid no heed to her. "It's good that you don't like it. You should always leave some fish behind; it symbolizes abundance every year. That's how it is. I'll have Xiao Yu bring it over for you later. Miss, I'm going back now!" With that, she put on the thick cotton coat that had been hanging on the back of the bench, quickly slipped into her shoes, and left without anyone escorting her.

Yu Wenyao returned helplessly, and Yan Lan waved her hand. "It's fine, my mom is just like that. She's strong-willed, and my dad has been blessed by marrying her."

When she was younger, she used to stand up for her mother, thinking it was too tiring. Later, she realized that her mother was truly capable. The family's wealth was mostly earned through her mother's hard work.

Even now as an old lady, she was still decisive and energetic, braving wind and rain.

Xu Yuqing looked enviously in the direction the old lady was walking, stood up, and prepared to bid farewell to Xie Junli. "Sister Yan Lan, we're heading back too. You should take your child to bed early."

"Sure, go ahead."

Xu Yuqing nodded, put on her coat, and prepared to head home. Just as she reached the entrance, she suddenly turned to look at Yan Lan. "Sister Yan Lan, do we have a stone mill in our residential area? I want to make some tofu."

"Huh?" Yan Lan frowned. She really didn't know about this. She had never been involved with making tofu in her life, so why would she know where there was a stone mill?

But Yu Wenyao, upon hearing the question, stroked his chin. "A stone mill? There seems to be one in the canteen. A subordinate once cried about wanting tofu, so they specially procured one, but it became troublesome and wasn't used much afterward."

Xu Yuqing's eyes lit up. If the canteen had one, that would be convenient! She was familiar with the canteen!

She looked gratefully at Yu Wenyao. "Thank you. Sister Yan Lan, tomorrow when I make it, I'll ask you to come and taste it."

"That sounds great! I love douhua!"

Yan Lan smiled happily, looking forward to it. It had been years since she last had it. Her only memory was of an old tofu shop from her childhood, which was long gone.

Xu Yuqing also felt excited and nodded, then left with Xie Junli.

On their way back, under the starry sky, Xu Yuqing gazed at the stars, holding onto Xie Junli's arm, feeling a sense of tranquility.

However, a sudden question broke the mood.

"Do you eat douhua sweet?"

Xie Junli asked seriously.

Xu Yuqing stopped, not blaming Xie Junli for breaking the atmosphere. Her face turned serious. "Sweet? What about Sister Yan Lan and the others?"

They exchanged a glance, and an unpleasant answer appeared before them. Yan Lan was from the north and definitely preferred savory douhua. Xu Yuqing was shocked to realize that she didn't know how to make savory douhua.

Just the thought made her feel uneasy.

Her whole body trembled, and she tugged at Xie Junli. "Don't think about it, let's go home! I'm getting goosebumps!"

They hurried home. After Xu Yuqing finished washing up and lay down on the bed, she still couldn't figure out how to make savory douhua. It was like Mapo Tofu, but they didn't eat spicy food here. Soy sauce, perhaps?

Having never dealt with this, Xu Yuqing couldn't think of anything no matter how hard she tried.

Meanwhile, Xie Junli eagerly washed himself clean. He had a lot of internal heat and wasn't afraid of the cold, so he didn't even put on a shirt and walked straight into the room.

He approached Xu Yuqing. "Shall I turn off the light?"

"Mm," she responded absentmindedly.

Xie Junli happily turned off the light, leaned close to his wife, and buried his face in her chest, planning to make a move. But Xu Yuqing suddenly sat up, frowning, and looked at Xie Junli. "Have you ever eaten savory douhua?"

Xie Junli looked bewildered, still in the position Xu Yuqing had left him in, shook his head, and watched as his wife pouted and lay back down, pulling the blanket tightly around herself. She muttered, "I won't believe it; I can't make a delicious savory douhua even if I haven't eaten it!"

Closing her eyes, Xu Yuqing deeply missed modern electronic recipes. Suddenly, she felt an itch on her waist. Irritated, she pushed his hand away. "Sleep!"

She was determined to defend her reputation as a chef!