Life is a Game

New Year's Extra: Pork Stew

The third day of the Lunar New Year was the day before Zheng Siyuan's wedding banquet, and it was also the day when his uncle and grandpa's family came to Jiang's house to pay New Year's greetings.

Grandma Jiang was actually very dissatisfied with the fact that her own brother came to pay New Year's greetings to her, and there was a hint of gloom in her dissatisfaction.

So in the past few days, Grandma Jiang complained: Where can such a thing happen? How can you let your uncles and grandparents come to pay us New Year's greetings? This is not in compliance with the rules at all!

While actively cleaning the guest room, he kept asking Jiang Feng what dishes to cook on the third day of the Lunar New Year, and even took Da Hua for a beauty treatment. It can be said that he was well prepared.

Finally, the third day of the Lunar New Year that everyone was looking forward to came.

Zhao Mei and her husband set off early in the morning by car, and even brought the twins who were still in kindergarten with them. For this reason, Zhao Mei's husband specially asked a colleague to borrow another car, and the family of seven drove two cars over.

Jiang's family also got up early as a group. Grandma Jiang has been wandering in the yard since seven o'clock in the morning while chanting loudly: "Oh, Zhuangshi has suffered from motion sickness for so many years. People who even get dizzy by bus can take two hours to get here." Can you take it?"

"Have they set off yet? If not, one of you should call Meimei and let us go and see them."

I chanted these two sentences back and forth for almost half an hour, and the chanting was so loud that everyone in the room could hear it.

The other unfilial descendants of the Jiang family watched Grandma Jiang wandering around in the yard.

Jiang Zaide looked at Jiang Weiming and the old man who were sitting on the sofa in the living room, drinking tea calmly, watching the news while turning on the heater. And look at Grandma Jiang and the old man who are walking around in the yard without heating and blowing cold wind, wearing thick clothes, not knowing what they are waiting for.

"What do you think grandma is standing in the yard waiting for pictures so early? Sister Meimei will naturally call us to pick us up when she arrives, and they don't know the way." Jiang Zaide expressed his incomprehension.

"You don't understand that. It used to be that uncle stood at the door and waited for us, blowing the cold wind. Grandma wanted to experience how uncle and grandpa felt these years." Jiang Shoucheng said that he was the one who understood the old lady best.

"Sister Meimei said she brought us some vegetables. Could it be the vegetables grown by my aunt?" Jiang Ran knocked on the melon seeds to change the subject.

"It's possible." Jiang Junlian nodded in agreement, "I saw sister Meimei's circle of friends posted yesterday. There are so many radishes. I guess they will eat all radishes during the Chinese New Year this year."

"The radish is also delicious, the radish cake fried by my brother last night was delicious." Jiang Junqing said.

Jiang Zaide was shocked: "What?! Little brother fried carrot cake last night? When? Why didn't I know!"

Jiang Shoucheng also started eating melon seeds: "Just last night, when you went to put Xiaoyun to sleep, Qiqi wanted to eat radish cake, so I fried it for him. So you didn't eat it, Brother De?"

Jiang Zaide forced out a smile with tears in his eyes: "It's okay, the important thing is to put my son to sleep."

It would be a little more believable if his words weren't squeezed through his teeth.

A few juniors were chatting. Jiang Jiankang, who had just wiped the windows of the guest room again, came out with a rag, and found that Grandma Jiang and the old man were still standing in the yard blowing air. He couldn't help asking, "Why don't your grandparents come in?"

"Third Uncle, Brother Cheng said that Grandma wants to experience the feeling of Uncle and Grandpa waiting for people at the door all these years." Jiang Junqing replied honestly.

Jiang Jiankang scratched his head with a puzzled expression, and muttered: "What kind of hobby is this? In the past two years, my mother's hobbies have really become more and more strange. What's the best experience in blowing cold wind outside? When can't it be blown."

Turning around, he went in again to check with Jiang Feng the menu for tomorrow's marriage.

After another 10 minutes of wind blowing, Grandma Jiang probably had enough experience, so she swayed back into the house slowly.

"When will Meimei and the others arrive?" Grandma Jiang asked.

"It's coming soon."

This time it was really fast. There was no traffic jam on the way Zhao Mei and the others set off in the morning. The original two-hour drive is now expected to take one and a half hours. If Zhao Zhuangshi hadn't slowed down a little due to motion sickness, he would have arrived by now.

At 8:05, Zhao Mei sent Jiang Shoucheng a message saying that they had arrived, but they couldn't find the Jiang family's house and needed someone to pick them up.

Needless to say Grandma Jiang, Jiang Zaide, Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Ran consciously put on their down jackets and went out to pick up people.

Grandma Jiang looked at the backs of the two big fat grandsons and one less fat grandson with satisfaction, and suddenly remembered that she also had a skinny grandson.

"Hey, old man, where's Xiaofeng? Why do you feel like you haven't seen him since breakfast?"

"Xiaofeng checked the recipe with Qiqi in the room." The old man said, "The boss, the second child, the third child, the fourth child, and the fifth child are all busy with this matter. Tomorrow is the wedding banquet, so don't be careful."

"Oh, Meimei and the others are here, what are you doing checking this thing now? I'll go and call them out." As she said that, Grandma Jiang rushed into the house to arrest people.

When Jiang Feng came out, his mind was full of thoughts about how many phoenix eggs and when they would be released, how many canned yams and which tables to put in a limited number of tables, and whether the pickled vegetable dumpling that Han Guishan strongly requested was given to their table alone, or after the wedding banquet was over. He packed a tray and took it home.

So much so that Jiang Feng didn't react when he heard that Zhao Mei and the others had arrived.

"So early?" Jiang Feng glanced at his father and found that his father was also in a daze. He glanced at Qiqi and Wu Minqi was sending a message.

"Then shall we go out to pick up Sister Meimei?" Jiang Feng asked.

"Dede, Chengcheng, but they have already gone out." Grandma Jiang stretched her neck and looked at the door, "Why haven't you come back after picking up someone?"

Just as he was talking, people came.

Jiang Zaide, Jiang Shoucheng, and Jiang Ran were dragging a sack and moving forward slowly. There are not many sacks that Jiang Zaide and Jiang Shoucheng can't move. For a while, everyone's attention was on these three.

Except Grandma Jiang.

Grandma Jiang saw her brother and Zhao Zhuangshi behind the three big sacks with keen eyes, and greeted them enthusiastically.

After exchanging pleasantries, Grandma Jiang led her uncle and Zhao Zhuangshi into the house, while the three of Jiang Zaide were still dragging sacks.

Zhao Mei's family of four followed closely behind. Zhao Mei brought her two children, and Zhao Mei's husband carried two big sacks of radishes, and soon overtook the three people dragging the sacks.

Tian Lin walked at the end with a lot of things in her hands. Jiang Feng sharply saw a live chicken in two bags of vegetables.

Tian Lin, who arrived at the end, quickly overtook the sack trio and walked into the house.

The people in the room paid New Year's greetings, congratulated each other, exchanged pleasantries, and poured tea. For a moment, no one could spare the time to help the trio of sacks drag the sack.

When Jiang Feng and others went out to help, the three of them dragged their sacks into the gate.

"Phew, my darling is really heavy, aunt, what are you putting in this sack?" Jiang Zaide panted heavily and sat down on the sofa, pouring three cups of hot tea in a row.

Jiang Shoucheng's stretcher in the emergency department these years has no white stand, much better than Jiang Zaide's, but he just panted and didn't drink tea.

Jiang Ran's sack was the smallest and the most relaxed, and it was better than Jiang Zaide's.

While pouring tea for Jiang Zaide, He Yueru said, "I told you to pay attention to exercising regularly. I went to the gym twice after I got the gym card. The half-year card is not for you to go once every six months."

"Next time, definitely next time." Jiang Zaide promised with a heavy breath.

"Oh, Dede is exhausted. I told you not to carry it alone. The heaviest of your bag is more than 200 catties." Tian Lin asked with concern, "It's all right, it doesn't matter if you're tired, Auntie will make stew for you later."

Tian Lin's words scared Jiang Zaide even out of breath, and immediately said: "Aunt, don't have to work so hard. How can you make me a meal when you come all the way here? Besides, there is no meat here. I bought some lean meat during the Chinese New Year, and this pure lean meat is not good for making stews. Right, brother: I don’t think there is pork belly at home, right?”

"No, no." Jiang Feng testified to Jiang Zaide, "Pork belly has been made into braised pork on the night of the New Year's Eve. Now the kitchen only has a pork leg and a few ribs. It should not be possible to make stewed meat."

If Tian Lin insisted on stewing pork legs and ribs, it should be better than big fat meat.

Tian Lin smiled and said, "Oh, we already guessed that it's not easy for you to buy meat in Beiping. Didn't I bring it here for you?"

Everyone:? !

Tian Lin pointed to the three sacks on the ground: "I don't know if Meimei told you that this year's pigs are very fat, one big and one small, the big one weighs more than 500 catties, and the small one weighs more than 400 catties. Then Don’t mention how fragrant the meat is when stewed, the pork bought outside can’t taste it at all. Now this home-raised local pork is so rare, someone came to me and told me that I was not willing to sell it.”

Jiang Zaide swallowed hard, and looked at the sack he dragged in with disbelief just now.

"Auntie, could these bags be..."

"Yes." Tian Lin quickly untied the sack, revealing a large piece of pork inside. The large piece of fat was frightening to see.

"I brought you all the small ones, and I also cut some meat for the big ones and put them in the small bag. How can the big ones not eat pork for the Chinese New Year? I heard what Dede said just now. You celebrate the New Year. I guess I don’t eat much pork, that’s right, the pigs bought outside don’t taste as good as those raised at home. Dede, don’t worry, auntie is going to stew meat for you now.”

Jiang Zaide now just wants to go back to two minutes ago and take back the nonsense just now.

The old man looked at the pork in the sack with his eyes shining, and he was already thinking about what kind of dishes should be cooked for each part of the meat.

Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Junlian frantically gave Jiang Feng winks, signaling him to quickly find a way to stop Tian Lin.

Jiang Feng immediately understood, and took a step forward: "Auntie, you came all the way to our house to pay New Year's greetings and brought so many good things. How could we have the nerve to let you cook?"

"There are so many chefs in our family standing here. How dare we bother you for such trivial matters as cooking."

"Besides, it's not easy for you to come all the way. Taifeng Building has been open for so long and I haven't had a chance to invite you to have a meal here. It just so happens that you brought so many good meat and dishes here today, so you can rest assured Feel free to stay here as a guest for a few days, and I will give you three meals a day. Now my family cooks for the Chinese New Year, and you haven’t tasted my cooking for several years. Why don’t you try it these few days The dishes I cook, let's see if my skills have improved over the years."

Jiang Junlian quickly echoed: "Yes, auntie, let me tell you that my brother's craftsmanship is very good. Do you know the list of famous chefs? My brother is now ranked first in the list of famous chefs! Why don't you come all the way? It's easy, let us accompany you around the city of Beiping these days, you don't have to worry about things like cooking, just wait and eat with peace of mind."

"Yes, yes, if you want to eat pork belly, you can ask Xiaodi to make pork belly. The pork belly cooked by my brother on New Year's Eve is delicious!" Jiang Zaide began to drag the sack to the kitchen.

Tian Lin was surrounded by everyone, and even Zhao Mei joined in persuading her.

After persuading Zhao Mei, she pulled Jiang Feng aside and whispered to him embarrassedly: "I'm so sorry, brother, in fact, my mother's cooking skills have improved a lot in the past few years. It’s barely edible. Her habit of eating big fat meat probably won’t change, she just thinks that eating meat during Chinese New Year is an old family tradition, so she wants to do it.”

Of course Jiang Feng understood, Tian Lin didn't mean anything malicious by bringing a pig here, but stewed meat really didn't work.

Those who understand the power of stewed meat naturally don't find it strange what happened just now, but Wu Minqi has never eaten stewed meat, so she can't understand it.

After Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng got married, because of the Wu family's New Year's greeting tradition, they had to fly back to Sichuan every year on the second day of the new year and stay there until the seventh day, so they didn't go to Zhao's house to pay New Year's greetings, nor did they taste Tian Lin's stewed meat.

When Tian Lin was pulled into the mahjong room by Grandma Jiang to play mahjong, Wu Minqi asked Jiang Feng strangely: "Fengfeng, don't you all like stewed meat?"

"I don't like it very much." Jiang Feng said tactfully.

"But... I remember you liked it." Wu Minqi was a little puzzled, "I remember when you went to my house the year you and I got engaged, didn't you cook a pot of white water stew for yourself and eat all of it? I remember that there was basically no seasoning added to the pot of stew, and the meat was too fat, and you actually ate it all in one go, I thought you liked this kind of stew very much."

Jiang Feng: ...

"Then...it's a special situation. I like to eat it when necessary, but I don't like to eat it normally."

If it wasn't for his wife, who would eat such a big pot of stew, or the first generation of stew.

(?′?`?)