After the cakes, soybean cakes and small biscuits cooled down, Yang Haiyan began to pack them in oil paper, eight small cakes, eight small biscuits and eight soybean cakes per portion, and then put the small biscuits, soybean cakes and cakes into a small red cloth bag to prevent them from being crushed. Although Qin Fang said he invited ten people, she prepared twenty portions to be prepared. After packing, she asked Qin Fang to take them into the master bedroom.
Then she said, "Husband, please tidy up the things in the storage room and move them to our bedroom. In the evening, you can entertain guests in the storage room, and the women and I will eat in the study."
Qin Fang: "Hey, I'll move it right away."
After moving the things, Yang Haiyan said, "My husband, go borrow two large round tables from the mayor's house. Each table costs one penny to use." Yang Haiyan had asked Mrs. Lu in advance, so she knew that the mayor's house had a large round table, which was specially used for weddings and funerals. Of course, the mayor's house also charged money. Otherwise, most people usually eat at small square tables. What should they do when there are weddings and funerals? A large round table costs one penny a day, which is cheap.
Qin Fang: "Hey."
Soon, Qin Fang borrowed two large round tables, which he carried directly on his back.
Qin Fang had just moved the big round table in when Mrs. Lu came over and asked, "Are you going to get busy now?" Qin Fang has today and tomorrow off, but Centurion Lu's day off is not today or tomorrow, so it is separate from Qin Fang's.
Yang Haiyan: "Let's get busy and put the cold dishes on the table first, then the hot dishes will be ready soon."
Mrs. Lu: "You have prepared very carefully. Only people from wealthy families like you would have separate cold and hot dishes. Women like me are not so particular."
Yang Haiyan: "Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. What Sister Lu said is something I understand, but what Sister Lu knows, I may not know."
After hearing this, Mrs. Lu felt relieved. Although she felt that what she knew were all rough things and could not be compared with what Yang Haiyan knew, what Yang Haiyan said was just nice to hear.
Yang Haiyan: "By the way, sister-in-law, I need to discuss something with you."
Mrs. Lu: "What's the matter?"
Yang Haiyan: "I don't have enough plates at home, I'm afraid I have to borrow some from you."
Mrs. Lu: "What's this? I'll get it."
When Mrs. Lu brought the plates into the kitchen, she saw that Yang Haiyan had already set out six plates: "Mrs. Lu, please put these snacks on the two dining tables, one portion on each table." The six plates contained cakes, biscuits and soybean cakes.
Mrs. Lu: "Okay."
Qin Fang was making a fire with two iron pots on. One was steaming eggplants and the other was roasting vegetables. The roasted vegetables can be eaten hot or cold, and it is a dish from Yang Haiyan's hometown. As for the steamed eggplants, after they are cooked, he will make hand-shredded cold eggplant salad.
Mrs. Lu had nothing to do nearby, so she lent a hand and watched Yang Haiyan cook. It must be said that although Yang Haiyan's cooking movements were not fast, her cooking was different from others'. She put the dishes one by one, prepared the ingredients, and then cooked without being in a hurry.
The eggplants were not yet steamed, but the roasted vegetables were ready, authentic southern roasted vegetables: "Sister Lu, please take these two dishes down."
Mrs. Lu: "Okay."
As soon as Lu's wife came out of the door, she met Yang Dahua. Yang Dahua said, "Sister-in-law, Haiyan, I'm here." Yang Dahua had often come here to learn embroidery and needlework, and had met Lu's wife several times. The three of them had done needlework together, so they were familiar with each other.
Yang Haiyan: "Sister Dahua, you are here."
Yang Dahua: "Hey, I brought some plates because I was afraid your family might not have enough."
Yang Haiyan: "That's really helpful. I was planning to tell you about it after you got here." There were indeed not enough plates at home, but it also showed Yang Dahua's attentiveness.
In fact, even without Mrs. Lu and Yang Dahahua, Yang Haiyan could still handle the work. With them around, she didn't have to cut vegetables and could work faster.
After the cold eggplant and grilled vegetables, she brought out pickled radish and cold lettuce, all cold dishes. The last hot dishes included soybean pork trotter soup, sweet and sour spareribs, braised pork intestines, braised fish, pork fat residue tofu soup, leek scrambled eggs, hot and sour cabbage, garlic greens, and preserved plum peanuts. Each dish was served in two portions, with one table for each of the male and female guests.
At the appointed time, Lü Zhide, Han Zhen and others arrived, but they were led by Captain Ao Qianfu. Captain Ao Qianfu was in his early thirties and looked very strong. Qin Fang received them outside. As soon as they arrived, he took them to the men's table. Looking at the steaming sumptuous dinner that had just been placed on the table, Captain Ao Qianfu and others were greatly surprised, because these dishes were simply delicious.
These people were all in the same tent, and they had long known that Qin Fang's wife was a good cook, but they had only heard about it. Relatively speaking, only Han Zhen knew something about it, so they had always thought that the soldiers were exaggerating. But today, looking at the dining table, everyone finally believed it.
In addition to believing it, everyone praised Qin Fang for his good fortune.
Qin Fang: "Master Ao, please come to the table, and everyone else please take a seat."
Ao Qianfu: "Everyone take a seat, you're welcome."
Everyone sat down last after he sat down.
Yang Haiyan came over with the wine pot in her hand: "Hello everyone, I am Qin Fang's wife, Qin Yang. You are finally here, the wine has been warmed, waiting for you. But in order not to affect your duty tomorrow, there is not much wine, so you can have a taste and have fun."
Ao Qianfu: "This is from Qin Fang's family, right? You are really thoughtful." This is not only sweet to everyone, but also will not make people drunk. Qin Fang's family is pretty good.
Military officers were not as particular about formalities as civil officials, so it was not a big deal for Yang Haiyan to meet the male guests. Besides, this was the border, and the customs there were a little more open. Moreover, Yang Haiyan really needed to meet them, otherwise she would not know them at all.
Yang Haiyan: "Thank you for the compliment. Are all the sisters-in-law not here yet? The ladies' table is ready."
In fact, no matter who invites colleagues to a banquet, they will not invite female relatives. Men are afraid of being controlled by women. Besides, it is troublesome to have too many female relatives. Although Yang Haiyan knew it, she still prepared a table for female guests. Even if there was no one, she, Yang Dahua, Lu Saozi and her two sons, five people could eat.
Ao Qianfu: "Qin Fang's family, don't be polite. They won't come over to disturb us."
At this time, a centurion said, "Sister-in-law, I live next door. My wife died in childbirth, and my mother came from her hometown to help me take care of the children. She is taking care of three children alone, and I guess the meal is not ready yet. Can I call her over?"
When Yang Haiyan heard him talk about the one next door, she thought of the old lady who came to ask for something before, but she still had a smile on her face: "Of course, the food is hot."
"Okay, good." Centurion Zhang hurried to the next room to call for help.
In fact, Zhang's mother did not cook and had been planning to eat here. Even if Yang Haiyan had not mentioned that there was a table for ladies, Centurion Zhang would have suggested that the child's mother come over to eat.
Zhang's mother came with Zhang Centurion's three children, a seven-year-old girl holding a four-year-old boy, and a one-year-old boy in Zhang's mother's arms. Among the three children, the girl's clothes were all patched, but the four-year-old boy's clothes were not patched. The other little boy was not clearly visible because Zhang's mother was holding him.
As soon as Zhang's mother arrived, she shouted, "Daughters-in-law of the Qin Fang family, we are here to congratulate you and wish you a son soon."
Yang Haiyan: "Thank you, Auntie. Please come in."
Zhang's mother: "Hey."
As soon as they entered the women's room and saw the delicious food on the table, Zhang's mother's eyes almost popped out. She sat down without saying a word and said to the little girl, "Daya, take care of your brother while he eats."
Then I picked up a piece of pig's trotter and ate it. The pig's trotter soup was very soft and not greasy, and it was the favorite of elderly people like Zhang's mother.
However, Zhang's mother spat out the chewed pig's trotter in her mouth and fed it to the little boy in her arms.
Seeing this, Yang Haiyan almost vomited.
The Yang family is a large family that values etiquette very much. The original owner learned these things from the young lady since she was a child, so naturally she had never seen such vulgar behavior. Yang Haiyan herself was born in modern times, and modern people don't feed their children like this, so she really felt disgusted when she saw it.
Not to mention her, even Yang Dahua and Mrs. Lu couldn't help but frown when they saw this, but they didn't say anything.
Yang Haiyan stood up and said, "There are some desserts on the stove. I'll get them for you." The dessert she was talking about was small glutinous rice balls cooked with goat's milk.
Yang Dahua: "I'll help you."
Yang Haiyan: “Hey.”
As soon as they arrived at the kitchen, Yang Dahua said, "Aunt Zhang is so ungentle." Not to mention Haiyan meeting Fan Ou, even though she had grown up among servants, she had never seen any servant act like this.
Yang Haiyan: "Who said no? By the way, you guys are having a party tomorrow, do you want to invite her?"
Yang Dahua paused and said, "We'll see what happens tomorrow."
As they were talking, Yang Haiyan had already prepared two plates of goat milk dumplings, and they carried them into the ladies' room. Yang Haiyan: "These are goat milk dumplings, everyone, have a try."
When Zhang's mother heard this, she said, "Oh, there is goat milk, but goat milk smells very bad. After my short-lived daughter-in-law passed away last year, my precious grandson had no milk to drink. I also tried to find goat milk, but he just couldn't drink it."
Yang Haiyan: "The goat milk has been de-smelled. However, the small glutinous rice balls inside cannot be given to such young children to avoid choking." Although the small glutinous rice balls are the same size as the pearls in bubble tea and the possibility of choking is small, Yang Haiyan still needs to remind them.
Zhang's mother: "No, no, I won't feed this to a child." She couldn't bear to let her grandson choke on it.
With goat milk, Zhang's mother rarely gave her grandson the vegetables she had chewed. Even if she occasionally fed him a bite of meat, it was because the child was young and had a small appetite. After her grandson was full, Zhang's mother said to Yang Haiyan, "Qin Fang, my little grandson is full. Can he lie down in your room for a while and let my eldest granddaughter watch him?"