Chapter 115

Shuiqing went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

She first started the stove and filled the inner and middle large iron pots with water.

In the inner pot, she added braising sauce, where Fan Jin would later place cleaned pig trotters, pig heads, pig intestines, and so on.

The middle pot was used to simmer pork bones for soup.

Bai Manshan and Li Huyu returned early today, planning to have a hotpot dinner tonight.

On a cold day, hotpot was the perfect choice.

Knowing that both adults and the children couldn’t handle spicy food very well, Shuiqing prepared a rich pork bone broth base, with an additional spicy dipping sauce for those who liked it spicy.

There were only a few types of meat dishes: fresh lamb slices, handmade fish balls made at home, fresh shrimp, thinly sliced fresh fish, crispy fried small meatballs, delicious egg dumplings, and crispy fried small wild fish.

There were also not many vegetarian options: tofu rolls, oil gluten, hearts of Chinese cabbage, spinach, potato slices, bean sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, and cilantro and small greens, mainly because it was winter and out-of-season vegetables couldn’t be used.

However, each dish was plentiful.

The main dishes were red sugar rice cakes, pumpkin pancakes, and spring rolls—due to lack of time, they were all ready-made from the market and just needed reheating and frying.

Simple and fast.

Afterwards, she fried a basin of egg fried rice.

By the time the broth and braised meats were almost ready.

Although braised meats were better when soaked for a longer time, at this moment Shuiqing just wanted to eat the braised pig’s intestines and trotters quickly!

She first picked out the dried tofu from the inside and placed it in a large plate;

then she took out the pig’s ears and chopped them, cut the pig’s intestines, and finally chopped the pig’s trotters.

The braised pig’s trotters, fragrant and rich in color, were chopped into a small bowl, almost overflowing.

Seeing Fan Jin coming in, Shuiqing smiled and said, “It’s cold today, so we’re having hotpot tonight.”

“Hotpot?” Fan Jin looked at the various dishes neatly arranged on the stove and cutting board, layers upon layers, and couldn’t help but ask in surprise.

Shuiqing explained briefly, and Fan Jin understood. A faint smile appeared on his lips, looking forward to it, and commented, “Very novel.”

He took a few steps forward with his long legs and arranged the dishes neatly in the dining room next to the kitchen, one by one.

Shuiqing’s confidence grew, and she was extremely pleased.

She then scooped the pork bone soup into small iron pots, carried them over, and placed them on the large round dining table where a red clay stove had already been set up in the middle.

The charcoal inside was glowing red and lively.

Before it got dark, Bai Manshan came back, rubbing his hands and jogging back.

Li Huyu also came back carrying two big buckets of fat fish.

The children who were out working didn’t need to be mentioned.

At this moment, the group of people in the dining room watched in astonishment at the novel way of eating set up on the big round table.

Shuiqing had to explain again.

Hearing about dipping while boiling, except for the eldest child, Ling Ran, who showed no expression, the other children showed excitement on their faces.

“This method is great. I’ve had it at home before, but not as complete as yours!” Bai Manshan was also excited and eager to try, acting like a child.

In fact, at home, he only had a few items, and it wasn’t a broth made from big bones. Instead, it was thinly sliced fish blanched in boiling water, the main dish being fresh and tender.

When he saw the dipping sauce, he found it even more novel. After trying it, he wished he could dip every dish in the sauce!

As for Li Huyu, who had been addicted to fishing for the past two days, he couldn’t care less about talking right now.

He just felt that this dish was delicious, and that one was even more delicious!

When they were half-full, she finally cleared her mouth and said, “Shuiqing, this dipping sauce is so delicious! I suddenly envy Qian’er. He can stay.”

Shuiqing wanted to say that this dipping sauce was the best recipe she had summarized and compiled, even dipping the soles of shoes would taste good!

However, she couldn’t say that. She modestly replied, “Oh, not at all, just thinking randomly.”

The feeling of being praised is the best!

Especially for someone who loves to cook, getting unanimous approval from diners.

Li Huyu held the pig trotters, hesitating as she looked at Bai Manshan.

Suddenly, she didn’t want to go back.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go back, but rather that she didn’t want to go back so soon and so early. She wanted to stay here for a while longer.

Going back meant waking up early every day, standing in the mother-in-law’s yard to observe the rules, greeting the mother-in-law when she woke up, and serving her breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Forget about going out to catch fish—even waking up a little later and nibbling on pig trotters with bare hands was as serious as violating a divine law!

She had originally thought the Bai family’s courtyard was very large, but now she felt that the mansion was very small…

Bai Manshan could easily understand this.

“Don’t say that, neither of us can. I can still say that business has delayed us. Think about how your mother would feel if you didn’t go back?”

Li Huyu bit her lip and blurted out without thinking, “You could just tell her that I’m dead?”

Bai Ziqian swallowed a gulp of pig bone soup.

And predictably, he choked on it.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

The children, who had been busy boiling vegetables, nibbling on pig trotters, scooping out egg fried rice, and picking up red sugar rice cakes, all froze in place.

Elder brother’s mother was somewhat fierce.

Under the gaze of many children, Li Huyu slowly put down the pig trotters and had to explain, “I was just speaking casually…”

If she could stay here with Shuiqing all the time, she would rather have her mother-in-law believe she was dead.

After all, with Qianer here and her husband occasionally visiting under the guise of doing business, the days wouldn’t be much different. No, they would actually be better.

Alas, unfortunately, as a daughter-in-law, she still had to go back and serve her mother-in-law. Even if her mother-in-law didn’t really need her service, she couldn’t just sit idle.

Upon learning that Li Huyu still had to observe the rules for Mrs. Bai, Shuiqing’s only consolation was that she hadn’t married into a wealthy family.

Otherwise, she would have to wait on her mother-in-law day and night in her room. She dared not imagine such days.

She whispered to Li Huyu beside her, “When I become a mother-in-law in the future, I won’t make my daughter-in-law observe such rules. It’s not like she’s unable to move. Besides, this is just a torment. How could it turn out well?”

Li Huyu nodded vigorously in agreement. “Forget about you; I absolutely won’t let my daughter-in-law suffer like this! You see, my mother-in-law has a bunch of maids and servants around her, and she still expects me to go over rain or shine. Even though what I do isn’t as good as the maids, why bother?”

Shuiqing thought of Fan’s mother, who didn’t have maids and servants to wait on her, and how she almost treated the original owner as a servant.

But there were good people too, like Mrs. Li, who treated her daughter-in-law very well.

She sighed, “I guess people are different from each other. Some are born evil and can’t stand others enjoying themselves at home, especially if that person is their own son’s daughter-in-law.

Let’s just focus on being ourselves.”

Li Huyu vigorously nodded again.

She would never become an old woman who disgusted others!

Even when she grew old, she wanted to be a grandmother loved by her descendants!

The days in the village were so leisurely that Bai Manshan and Li Huyu, who had originally planned to leave early in the morning, ended up delaying until nearly lunchtime.

Little did they expect that an unexpected guest would arrive in the midst of these peaceful and harmonious days.