Time passed slowly, and soon it was time for lunch, and Zhong Ziqi's kitchen was also at the finishing stage.
A plate of braised fish, a plate of brine shrimp, a plate of deep-fried oysters, a plate of braised meat with preserved vegetables, a plate of cooked tenderloin, a plate of cold dishes, a plate of vegetarian dishes, and a pot of thick soup.
There are eight dishes in total, which is an auspicious number and also the standard for entertaining distinguished guests.
Zhong Ziqi greeted Hong Ying who was standing behind him: "Help me carry it over."
Hongying walked over with a blank expression, carrying a dish in one hand to the dining table set up in the main room.
"It smells so good!" Shen Yubei sat on a chair and leaned over to smell it, and took a deep breath. Even if he hadn't started to eat it, he knew it would be delicious.
"I said I won't disappoint you. Ziqi's skill is better than blue. Looking at the nearby ten miles and eight villages, there is no one who can match him." Zhao Zhengan arranged the dishes and took out today's The jar of good wine that I bought was filled for him.
"It's alright, drink less today, so as not to make a fool of yourself." Shen Yubei stretched out his hand to block Zhao Zhengan's hand that continued to fall.
Zhao Zheng'an poured himself another bowl without forcing it, but Hongying didn't pour it. As a guard, it seems that he can't drink.
When the eight dishes were all served, Zhong Ziqi also took advantage of the opportunity to sit on the chair next to Zhao Zhengan, only Hongying stood motionless at the side. The master didn't speak. He, a small guard, is not qualified to sit at the same table with the master. The master only allowed him to sit with the master in order to not be so high-profile a few times ago.
"Uh... uncle..." Zhong Ziqi pointed at Hongying, did he want them to eat and watch him
Too cruel…
Shen Yubei glanced at the wooden shadow: "Sit down and eat together."
"Thank you master." Hong Ying swallowed uncontrollably and sat next to Shen Yubei, with her hands on her knees, her head slightly lowered, and she sat upright.
"Uncle, let's eat. I don't have any delicious dishes. They are all home-cooked. I don't know if you eat them or not." Zhong Ziqi said politely.
Shen Yubei looked at the eight dishes on the table and smiled helplessly: "You child, didn't I tell you not to cook so much, even when you were in the old house, it wasn't so rich."
"This is in a hurry, otherwise I can make a few more, it's not troublesome at all, you have a try, uncle."
"Okay, I'll try it."
Shen Yubei picked up the chopsticks, picked up the plate of buckwheat closest to him, put it in his mouth and chewed it twice, his eyes lit up, and then he gave a thumbs up: "It's delicious, the chef of the restaurant also This level is not even as good as yours!"
Shen Yubei was quite surprised in his heart. Zhong Ziqi's cooking skills are not exaggerated, they are really good. This is what he did not expect. It is even better than the restaurant chef. Zhong Ziqi's dishes have a very unique taste. He doesn't know what it tastes like, but he knows that everyone has their own taste in cooking.
"Uncle, is that an exaggeration? How can it be so delicious." Zhong Ziqi smiled embarrassedly.
"Uncle is right, the dishes you cook are much more delicious than those chefs." Zhao Zhengan also tasted the oysters that Zhong Ziqi made for the first time, nodded and said.
Zhong Ziqi kicked him under the table: "Eat yours!"
"Let's eat, uncle, the food will be cold in a while."
"Well, let's eat"
"Wait, uncle, I'll toast you a bowl first." Zhao Zhengan raised his wine bowl and said solemnly.
"Okay." Shen Yubei also picked up the bowl and touched him. Both of them took a big sip, and then started to eat the delicious food with their chopsticks.
Although Shen Yubei came from a big family, the rules of not talking when eating or sleeping at the dinner table are not strictly followed. Easterners get closer to each other at the dinner table, so the three of them also consciously ate while eating. chat.
Poor Hongying didn't dare to pick up dishes far away because he was uncomfortable, so he could only eat rice and the only vegetable on the table. Even the vegetables were cooked very fragrant, and the meat not far away was probably even worse It's delicious, Hongying thought so, but the movements of his hands remained unchanged, still holding the plate of vegetables.
Zhao Zhengan, who was still careless, was the first to notice him: "Brother, don't just eat vegetables, eat some meat, there are so many vegetables!"
Zhao Zhengan pushed a plate of meat towards him.
Hongying bit her chopsticks and remained silent. Shen Yubei coughed and glanced at Hongying. Hongying immediately met with him. For the first time, he stretched out his chopsticks and added a dish of meat... .
"..."
For the first time, Shen Yubei felt that his confidant was dull and stupid enough. He raised his leg under the table and kicked him on the knee.
Hongying paused while eating, and glanced at his master, seeing his staring eyes, quickly picked up another dish with chopsticks, this time he picked up the small tenderloin that he had been craving for a long time. It was as delicious as imagined in the mouth, and there was a hint of joy in Hongying's eyes.
A few people chatted while eating, and the meal didn't end until after noon and almost in the afternoon.
※※※
In the afternoon, the breeze was blowing and the sun was shining brightly. The back hill of Zhaojia Village was still green and lush, and the birds were singing.
The four of Zhong Ziqi walked up the mountain along the path stepped by the predecessors. Zhong Ziqi led the way and walked through a small ditch. Not far away, there was a small grass-covered grave. In front of the grave, a simple board was erected, with a few large characters written "Tomb of Zhong Zhenhang and his wife Shen Yu".
"This is the grave of my mother and my father."
Zhong Ziqi said sadly, don't get me wrong that this emotion is really coming from his body, not from him. In fact, he usually dare not come here. They are two people who are very strange to him and have not met before.
And he also occupied his son's body, how dare he appear in front of others, thank God if you don't come to him in the middle of the night, he is really not brave!
"Let me stay here alone for a while?" Shen Yubei said emotionally.
"Okay, we're going down the mountain first, just go back the way you came." Zhao Zheng'an said understandingly, there must be a lot to say after not seeing each other for so many years.
Shen Yubei nodded and waved his hands.
Zhao Zhengan dragged Zhong Ziqi down the mountain. Zhao Zhengan blocked the messy branches with his arm and said, "To be honest, we haven't seen Eminem for a long time."
"Well... it's been too busy these days."
Zhong Ziqi said with a guilty conscience, it seems that Zhao Zhengan should be taken with him when going to the grave in the future, and it is impossible not to come all the time. The three members of this family have left, and he does not expect the Zhong family to burn paper for them. coming.
Zhao Zheng'an rubbed his head and didn't speak. He thought Zhong Ziqi's strange behavior was because he thought of his parents and felt sad.
"It's getting late, uncle and the others will definitely stay here tonight." Zhong Ziqi silently straightened her messed up hair, and changed the subject.
"Well, I think so too. Is the food enough? Do you want to go to Zhao Amo's house to catch a little cock?"
Zhong Ziqi thought about the few catties of vegetables she bought and shook her head: "I don't know, let's talk about it, anyway, it's too late to catch it now, isn't Uncle Baogen at home?"
"Well, listen to you."
Back home, Zhong Ziqi and Zhao Zhengan had nothing else to do, so they simply took two small benches and sat in front of the door talking, teasing the two big black dogs.
"I heard from my uncle that my grandfather and grandmother are both alive. Will you also come to our place when the time comes? Or do you want us to go?" Zhong Ziqi tilted her head and asked Zhao Zhengan.
"You can't tell. After all, you are the orphan of the eldest brother. You must meet up. I just don't know if the two get along well."
"Yes. It will probably be very severe." Zhong Ziqi thought of some things that Shen Yubei had described to him, and said affirmatively.
On the mountain, Shen Yubei wiped the crystals from his face, stood up and patted his knees: "Brother, it's getting late and I'm going down the mountain, you raised Ziqi very well, I like it very much, I believe Daddy and Eminem I will definitely like it, we miss you very much! Brother, I am leaving, I will come to see you next time."
Shen Yubei rambled on for a long time before he and Hongying went down the mountain.
As soon as I arrived at the foot of the mountain, I saw two furtive figures hiding behind a big tree, watching them secretly.
Shen Yubei frowned. At this moment, he was absolutely in a terrible mood, and he didn't want to pay attention to these people with unknown motives. Simply, although those two people were sneaking around, they didn't come to bother him.
"You're back, uncle." Zhong Ziqi opened the door and looked at the master and servant standing at the door.
"Hmm..." Shen Yubei nodded and walked into the courtyard: "By the way, when I went down the mountain just now, I saw two sneaky people following us."
"sneaking?"
Zhong Ziqi stared blankly at Zhao Zhengan, and there seemed to be very few people who could do such a thing.
"You know?" Shen Yubei felt that there was something wrong with the faces of the two of them, and couldn't help wondering who they were.
"Who else could it be, either his parents or my uncle's family. No one else could do this except them." Zhong Ziqi said helplessly.
Zhao Zhengan touched his nose in embarrassment, and smiled at Shen Yubei.
Following Shen Yubei's example, they also took a small bench and sat in the courtyard and asked, "What's the matter? Do they often come to trouble you?"
"Although not often, but it's about the same. Every few days, I will come to the door to ask for this or that."
Zhong Ziqi was full of complaints when she talked about this, and she was tired of it, but unfortunately this was a blood relative with him and Zhao Zhengan, otherwise he would have driven away with a broom.
"Oh? And this thing? Then you agree?"
"How could it be possible to agree? If there is one, there will be two. If you set a precedent, you will not be able to stop."
Shen Yubei nodded appreciatively: "That's right, I can't agree to it. I have to find a way to do it once and for all, and let them be honest, otherwise I might miss something one day."
"Um…"
Zhong Ziqi nodded thoughtfully, thinking what he said made sense. It's just that he couldn't think of any way to do it for a while.
Shen Yubei glanced at the two of them, and pointed leisurely: "If you want to catch someone, you must first find out their weaknesses. If you hold their weaknesses, are you afraid that they won't listen to you?"
Zhong Ziqi and Zhao Zhengan's eyes lit up. The weakness of the Zhao family seems to be their youngest son. After all, this is the only child whose heart is for them, and they have to count on him to provide for the elderly in the future.
In ancient times, the reception of heirs was even more important. Then the Zhong family... also had two children, a brother and a boy, both of whom happened to be unmarried. But it's ruined, don't expect to marry or marry into a good family.
The more Zhong Ziqi thought about it, the more she felt it made sense, and thought: This time, let's see if they dare to provoke him!
snort!